Fox News and Black English - Ebonics

Garrard McClendon and his book, Ax or Ask?: The African American Guide to Better English talks about the speech and grammar issues that young African American students struggle with. He stresses the importance of teaching children the correct way to pronounce words. In the beginning of the video, he gives a lesson on how to pronounce "ask." He carefully breaks down that "s" sound comes in the middle, and the "k" sound comes at the end. But some young people even adults and not only African Americans pronounce the word as "ax." It is hard for people struggling to get it right after it has already been apart of their normal speech, because they is all they've heard and what they're used to. The problem here is not that children can't learn the correct way to pronounce the word, but that children get comfortable saying the word incorrectly. The major issue that he raises is that teachers as well as parents aren't correcting children. Breaking this particular language barrier is a huge problem is society. If children never learn the correct way to pronounce words, it is hard for them to change their speech after it has been embedded into their everyday vocabulary. I think this is a common issue because many of us today tend to use slang, but some people speak their "proper english" as if they were talking in slang. I think the problem lies where young people tend to mix up slang and proper english. I, myself use slang but I also understand the difference of slang and proper english. Technology could potentially also have an influence of how students tend to speak. The language students use online could be considered "internet talk" or "slang" and contain a serious of abbreviated words and modified words. For example, online instead of saying "what's up" they may say "whaddup." I believe people of all cultures, classes, and ethnicities use slang but the particular problem here is when people can't make a distinction between the two and it becomes the social norm for them and their peers.

ETHN 201 Cultural Autobiography

Hello, I'm Curtis Hines and I'm a 5th year senior at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and I am also on the wrestling team. I was born in Racine,WI but lived and grew up in Waukegan, IL. I went to Waukegan public schools and from elementary all the way to high school, I have always been around people of many different cultures. I have been exposed to a multi-cultural environment my entire life and have made many friends throughout the years that are of many different races and ethnicities. I don't believe that race matters, but I think that everyone is equal and the color of your skin is irrelevant. One of my very close friends happens to be of Asian descent (phillipino) and we have shared many experiences inter-culturally through family events and gatherings that we have spent at one another's houses and other places. He has experienced many of my African American culture and practices, and I have also experienced some of his Asian culture through the food and other events his family has prepared on holidays and other gatherings. I am always excited to meet new people of different races/cultures because I believe that there is always something new I can learn about someone else who has different cultural habits/customs. I like Parkside particularly because it is culturally diverse and there is not one dominant race or ethnicity. This makes for a comfortable learning environment and helps everyone feel welcome around their peers and professors. Also, since I have been naturally been exposed to people of many different cultures, races, and ethnicities I think I have a greater chance of being able to adjust to just about anything that life brings my way. My background allows me to be able to adjust to any environment whether it be majority african american, latino, caucasian, or asian etc.

Recovery, on God's Terms

This is a video I found on youtube, about a young woman who overcame anorexia and bulimia. Before being consumed by this mental illness, she identifies herself as an energetic, social, goofy, athletic, strong and outgoing person, or "at least, I think that's what I was." she says. The words she used to identify herself before she became anorexic and bulimic are God terms. She woke up one day and decided that she wasn't happy with who she was and decided to blame her body for everything that was going wrong in her life. She then began to identify herself with Devil terms such as fat, weak, disgusting, inadequate, and unworthy. She then tells her story on how she became stubborn, turned down her own path, and turned away from God. Instead of looking to God for answers, she began to deny herself in every aspect of her life. She allowed her addiction to anorexia and bulimia start to consume her life, "the lies were sweet and vile on my tongue" she says. She pretended that everything was all glamorous, but she describes herself as quiet, shy, and different. It had led her down a road that was leading to death, but in the end she overcame her illness.

During the video, she says "I had been pursuing thin, beautiful, succesful, and lovable." which I noticed that the last 3 of these terms can be considered God terms. At the time in her life when she began to identify herself with devil terms is the time when her life began to take a wrong turn. In her mind, the terms being thin, and lovable carried a negative association with it that lead her to starve herself. In her mind, what was her ultimate goal? Did she know what she was pursuing?

God Terms, Devil Terms

Language in Human communication can be very different depending on the culture, context, and other key factors. God terms and devil terms have special meanings within different cultures and can carry a heavier or lighter weight in their meanings. For example, God terms and Devil Terms when speaking in terms of religion will be substantially different from God terms or Devil Terms being spoken of in terms of Athletics. God terms usually are words that express positive values like obedience, discipline, perseverance, dedication, trustworthy, etc. I would like to think of God terms in my life as words that are directly linked with success and achievement. For example, I am a senior on the UW-Parkside wrestling team and self-discipline, commitment, repetition, and dedication are examples of God terms that all play a role in the success or achievement in myself or the entire team as a whole. These terms define the necessary characteristics that must identify as important in our lives and in our training as athletes if we want to achieve a high goal or reach success.

Devil terms are usually the direct opposite of God terms. These terms are usually associated with terms that link directly with failure, and disappointment. When I think of devil terms, some terms that come to mind are disobedience, ignorance, lazy, ungodly, greedy, etc. I see a clear concise connection with god terms and devil but the only difference is each set of terms stems in a completely different direction.