Ebonic Need Not Be English. ERIC Issue Paper

Since the 1996 Oakland School Board decision regarding the use of Ebonics as a tool of instruction, opinions have clashed over whether Ebonics is a separate language or merely a dialect of English. Called Black Vernacular English (BVE) in the 1960s and 70s, African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in the 1980s and 90s, (called "Ebonic", without the "s" by this author, in keeping with other language names that end in "-ic", such as Arabic and Amharic) Ebonics has traditionally been considered a dialect of English by educators and linguists. To understand why Ebonics might be considered a language other than English requires a closer look at what it takes to make a language, as well as what the differences are between a language and a dialect. The author discusses the following questions: What does it take to make a language? Is Ebonic bad English? Is Ebonic a language or a dialect? and Why consider Ebonic a separate language? (Contains a "Resources on Ebonics" Section, with 23 Web and print sources.) (VWL)