How English teachers lead students to code-switch linguistically

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How English teachers lead students to code-switch
linguistically

• Rebecca S. Wheeler
• Christopher Newport University
• Newport News, VA
• rwheeler_at_cnu.edu

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Reporting Linguistic theory into practice in
the African American writing classroom Virginia
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Everyday English in NCLB writing
(8th grade)
double neg. be understood plurality double
neg. possessive it v. there possessive
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In response teachers correct
Adding-in missing forgotten letters, endings,
words
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However, whilevarious strategies can be
useful for learning Standard English
equivalents one that does not work is
correcting vernacular features. (Dialects in
Schools and Communities Adger, Wolfram
Christian, 2006)
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My goldfish name is Scaley Mama jeep out of gas

• Traditional approach
• Assesses grammar error
• Responds correction

MIS-DIAGNOSIS of African American student
grammar
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My goldfish name is Scaley Mama jeep out of gas
NOT mistakes in Standard English

• Linguistically-informed approach
• CORRECTLY
• Assesses grammar pattern in Everyday English
• Responds compare/contrast code-switching

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Click here to video a video of a teacher using
code-switching in the classroom to teach her
students Standard English. You need the QuickTime
free video player to view this file.
Wheeler Swords (2006). Code-Switching Teaching
Standard English in Urban Classrooms. NCTE.
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NCLB test results

• Before Code-switching
• Achievement gap (30 points)
• After/with Code-switching
• Achievement gap gone
• 100 AfAm students pass 100 of tests
• 2006 NCLB Scores
• Math 100 passed
• Reading 100 passed
• Science 94 passed
• Social studies 94 passed
• 19 students 1 white child failed Science and
  Social studies
• (3 white, 2 Hispanic, 1 Native American, 1
  Asian, 12 Black)

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Core tool Code-switching chart Applying
comparison/contrast to grammar
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Elementary students learn styles vary by
setting
I wear my shirt and jean at wallmart
I wear unifort clothse at my school labeery.
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Middle school students learn styles vary
by setting
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High school students learn styles vary by
setting
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Children contrastformal vs.informal language
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Students owning language choices

• Reading group scenario
• Traditional teacher misdiagnoses,
  interrupts/corrects/demoralizes student
• 3rd grade student reads Mama walk to the store
  Saturdays
• CS child successfully interprets/unpacks language
  choices
• I know youre using informal English. But the
  book uses Formal English. Look at the endings and
  say those in school.

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Middle School, VirginiaCode-switching
transforms
Student/teacherwork relationships
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Before code-switchingTeacher as police,
language enforcer
With cs I join with my students, choosing the
language to fit the setting.
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Code-switching students command language choices

• David and Spy Mouse

Uses Informal English to create voice, character
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Code-switching students command language choices

• Davids authors note in full Standard English

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Thank you!

• Rebecca S. Wheeler, PhD
• Christopher Newport University
• rwheeler_at_cnu.edu
• www.ncte.org/profdev/onsite/consultants/wheeler

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Select References

• Wheeler, Rebecca S. and Rachel Swords (2006).
  Code-Switching Teaching Standard English in
  Urban Classrooms. Urbana, IL NCTE.
• Wheeler, Rebecca S. and Rachel Swords.
  Codeswitching Tools of language and culture
  transform the dialectally diverse classroom.
  Language Arts, NCTE. Vol. 81, No. 6. July 2004,
  470 480.
• Wheeler, Rebecca S. (2005). Code-switch to Teach
  Standard English. Invited column for Teaching
  English in the World. English Journal (May 2005),
  109 112.
• Amanda Godley, Julie Sweetland, Rebecca S.
  Wheeler, Angela Minnicci and Brian Carpenter
  (Nov. 2006) Preparing teachers for the
  dialectally diverse classroom. Educational
  Researcher. Vol. 35, No 8., pp. 30 37.
• See also Wheelers NCTE consultant website
  http//www.ncte.org/profdev/onsite/consultants/whe
  eler