Date of Award
Fall 2022
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Academic Program
English BA
Department
English
First Advisor
Sherita Johnson, Ph.D
Advisor Department
English
Abstract
This thesis explores the differences between dialects along racial, cultural, and ethnic lines with a specific focus on Black and Latine students inside the public secondary classrooms of America. The focus of the paper is on two linguistic tactics: “code-switching,” a linguistic practice which teaches students to separate their home language from the language they use in formal or professional settings, and “code-meshing,” a linguistic practice to teach students how to mesh together multiple dialects with which a student is familiar. Through the creation of a historical framework and an analysis of existing literature, theory, and pedagogical practices regarding the topic, I argue that code-switching is out of date and has negative impacts on students whereas code-meshing is the progressive way forward for English language arts classrooms. The appendix includes reading lists for preservice or active teachers, suggestions for classroom strategies, and two sample assignments.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Dunn, Madeline, "Coded: Dialect Diversity in the Secondary American Classroom" (2022). Honors Theses. 932.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/932
Included in
African American Studies Commons, Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Reading and Language Commons