Video Resources
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One of the most important things English teachers can do is learn about language variation. Most of us have grown up believing, incorrectly, that there is one correct form of English, but, that's not the case. English is a vibrant, living, changing, language with multiple grammars and lots of equally valid varieties.
As we, English teachers, learn more about the many forms of English, we may stop reproducing the linguistic prejudice that is closely tied to discrimination based on race and class. The videos below, and the links with additional video resources, are a great way to build your language knowledge a bit at a time. |
Language or Dialect?
This video from the Ling Space gets at the messiness involved in putting boundaries around "languages" or "dialects"
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"Real" Words?
This TED Talk by Anne Curzan, professor of linguistics and education at the University of Michigan, pulls back the curtain on the dictionary as the authority on "real" words.
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Black Language
This short clip from the documentary Talking Black in America describes some of the history of Black Language in American schools.
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