Oakland Ebonics controversy, generated by the recognition in December 1996 by the Oakland, California school board of "Ebonics" (i.e. African-American Vernacular English) as a distinct language
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African American Vernacular English, a distinctive lect, or variety, of English spoken by many African Americans, sometimes called "Ebonics"
His work has focused on literacy and language diversity, Ebonics, bilingual education, and the impacts of globalization and language-restrictionist policies.
The move created national news with the perception Oakland schools were teaching students "Ebonics" because there was discussion about Ebonics being used as a teaching tool.
His Our Marvelous Native Tongue (also called The Life and Times of the English Language) is a well-known book about the origins and evolution of English, spanning subjects as diverse as the Indo-Europeans, the Saxons, the King James Bible, Pidgin English, and African American Vernacular English (also called 'Ebonics').