230556 Varieties of English: African American Vernacular English (S) (WiSe 2007/2008)

African American Vernacular English is one of the many terms used to describe the general type of English spoken by the greater part of the lower-class, poor, and poorly educated Blacks in the United States. As such, it is probably the main language of communication for well over ten million people. For this reason, but also because it has been credited with an historical development which is closely tied up with the social position of African Americans - as slaves and later as an economically exploited group subject to urban ghettoization - and because this language offers such excellent chances to look into folk culture - that is, because Black English can provide a picture of language and culture in strong interaction, this subject is both interesting and rewarding.

In the seminar we will deal not only with the central areas of

• the phonology of Black English and
• the syntax of Black English,

but also with the following topics:

• African background: history, culture, language;
• pidgins and creoles and the origin of Black English;
• status of Black English; age-grading;
• vocabulary and paralinguistic features;
• educational problems: schools and non-standard language;
• Black culture: literature, music, street culture.

Participants will be expected to do the reading and exercises assigned. Credit (B.A. Profilmodul 1 and 2 "Linguistics and the English Language"; Profilmodul 5 "North America") will be on the basis of a final exam. Both B.A. students and Magister / SI / SII students have the option of writing a term paper in the framework of this class; for Magister and SI / SII students this topic may serve as the basis for a part of the final exam. There will be a reserved reading shelf with a selection from the relevant literature.