Written for black students and the faculty and professionals who support them, this book outlines the linguistic and cultural experiences of these students and how to sustain their linguistic and cultural heritage during college. It describes how recognition and respect for black language and culture are key to black college students' success; the definition of African American English and its characteristics, as well as the role of social context in its structure and use; how black students develop their linguistic and racial identities during their college years; and a model of liberatory linguistics designed for black liberation, in which black students are at the center of social justice-oriented, community-centered, participatory teaching and research on language, culture, and education. The book incorporates quotes and vignettes from black students throughout. Annotation ©2022 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
Talking College shows that language is fundamental to Black and African American culture and that linguistic justice is crucial to advancing racial justice, both on college campuses and throughout society. Writing from a linguistics-informed, Black-centered educational framework, the authors draw extensively on Black college students’ lived experiences to present key ideas about African American English and Black language practices. The text presents a model of how Black students navigate the linguistic expectations of college. Grounded in real-world examples of Black undergraduates attending colleges and universities across the United States, the model illustrates the linguistic and cultural balancing acts that arise as Black students work to develop their full linguistic selves. Talking College provides Black students with the knowledge they need to make sense of anti-Black linguistic racism and to make decisions about their linguistic experiences in college. It also offers key insights to help college faculty and staff create the liberating and linguistically just educational community that Black students deserve.
Book Features:
- Weaves together information and approaches drawn from the authors’ extensive experience working with Black and other students of color in higher education.
- Provides an up-to-date discussion of Black language practices and their role in Black students’ college experiences.
- Discusses the racial politics of language, including anti-Black linguistic racism and the struggle for linguistic justice as part of racial justice.
- Offers a detailed model of Black college students’ diverse linguistic and racial identities.
- Outlines concrete steps toward racial and linguistic justice that students and faculty can take today.
- Accessible to students and faculty without a background in linguistics, while also engaging and informative for linguistics scholars.
