W14 Shanice Grocia Topic Selection

I have chosen the podcast show Lexicon Valley, and decided to focus on, “Jumping Salty in the O” a podcast by Bob Garfield and Mike Vulou that discussed the topic of Ebonics.  The actual phrase “Ebonics” is one that is highly confusing and controversial because of the issue - what does it really refer to? The term was first coined in 1970 by a psychologist and attempted to define African American English. The question still remains however; what exactly is African American English? Is it broken English? A dialect? Vernacular speech? Or is it a separate language on its own?

I found it quite interesting how African Americans not only have a sub-culture, but also a debateable language under the bigger umbrella of English. An interesting factor that the podcast brought into play was the Kathryn Stockett debate. The popular book and Grammy nominee film, The Help, was written by the Caucasian author, Kathryn Stockett. She uses the sub-language, Ebonics within her writing to portray the lives and stories of the African American characters within her work. The debate, however, was if she even had the authority or should have even used this dialect in the first place.

Through listening to this podcast and using Spark (Student Papers and Academic Research Kit) to narrow and define my topic, I found the “Describe” “Analyze” “Connect” options to be the most helpful tools in better understanding and critiquing what the assignment is asking for. These options explain the term for better comprehension and can even be contrasted with the next page that offers “Disciplinary Approaches” for different faculties.

In conclusion, I’d like to narrow this topic to focus on Ebonics in relation to the production of film and literature. What are reasons producers and authors of books use Ebonics within their works when such a heavy controversial background surrounds the language? Through using SPARK, It has allowed me to recognize the audience as active thinkers in my podcast. Hence the reason why I decided to ask a question that opens up to many possibilities and critiques. Students in my position should always keep in mind that the audience is not always passive, and may not agree with the stance the podcast-broadcaster may take.