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Review Of Bill Cosby's Views On African American Vernacular English

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Bill Cosby believes that it is crucial to learn the proper English language. He does not believe that African-Americans have fought this hard to get an education, for the younger generation to not take full advantage of leaning to speak English properly. I do not agree with Cosby because I do not believe that there is anything wrong with younger people communicating in African American Vernacular English. Although this is true, I can argue that Cosby is correct to a certain extent, because African Americans have fought to be educated while it seems that youngsters give up much easier on learning. I do not think that Smitherman would agree with Bill Cosby. This is because Smitherman believes that teachers of English, literacy instructors and …show more content…

Unlike Cosby, that believes that AAVE should cease to exist. Cosby prompts his audience to not accept the Vernacular that some black people speak because it will get them nowhere. Whiles, Smitherman defends that there is no intellectual deficiencies in the students that speak AAVE. Cosby says younger African Americans do not want to learn the Standard American English whereas Smitherman believes that they approach school enthusiastically and highly motivated to learn. It is not that they do not want to learn but instead because of the constant tearing down of their vernacular and being placed in Special Educational programs as a result extinguishes the desire of wanting to learn. Ultimately, I believe that African American Vernacular English speakers are capable of learning Standardized English in the right educational system. Staying away from degrading young African American Vernacular and instead focusing on teaching something new can be the best way of teaching. In this, Young people being able to switch between African American Vernacular English and the Standard American English at appropriate times creates confident that can only be

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