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Language Ideologies and the Schooling of Caribbean Creole English-Speaking Youth in New York City

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Language Ideologies and the Schooling of Caribbean Creole English-Speaking Youth in New York City City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 6-2017 Language Ideologies and the Schooling of Caribbean Creole English-speaking Youth in New York City Dale M. Britton The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2132 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] LANGUAGE IDEOLOGIES AND THE SCHOOLING OF CARIBBEAN CREOLE ENGLISH-SPEAKING YOUTH IN NEW YORK CITY by DALE MICHAEL BRITTON A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Urban Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2017 ©2017 DALE MICHAEL BRITTON All Rights Reserved ii Language Ideologies and the Schooling of Caribbean Creole English-speaking Youth in New York City by Dale Michael Britton This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Urban Education in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy ________________________ _____________________________________________ Ofelia Garcia Date Chair of Examining Committee _________________________ _____________________________________________ Date Anthony Picciano Executive Officer Supervisory Committee Ofelia Garcia Nicholas Michelli Tatyana Kleyn THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK ABSTRACT Language Ideologies and the Schooling of Caribbean Creole English-speaking Youth in New York City by Dale Michael Britton Adviser: Ofelia Garcia This dissertation seeks to illuminate the ways in which Anglocentric ideologies operate to marginalize and exclude the linguistic and cultural resources of Caribbean Creole English (CCE)-speaking in New York City’s education system. Data was gathered from youths and teachers, and then analyzed to identify the language practices and ideologies relating to both Standard English (SE)and Creole varieties and how they shape teaching and learning for these two groups. Several broad themes were identified. First, CCE-speaking youths are homogenized as simply black students and as a result, their specific cultural and linguistic resources are rendered invisible and are not included in teaching and learning. Secondly, teachers’ language ideologies are mostly Anglocentric, focusing on the value of Standard English especially for society at large, but also for academic contexts. On the other hand, students’ language ideologies are mostly Creolocentric as they view CCE as valuable for the home and for other cultural expressions such as reggae and dancehall musics. At the same time, students also hold some Anglocentric ideologies as they believe that CCE is inappropriate for writing, other school-based tasks and professional environments. Lastly, because both teachers and students agree that CCE is not appropriate for school-based tasks (and sometimes even in a school iv environment), CCE-speaking students are often subjected to symbolic violence, a phenomenon in which fellow linguistic minority students are often complicit. The dissertation concludes by suggesting that language programs should be developed and implemented to help CCE-speaking youths acquire the standardized varieties needed to successfully navigate academic texts and contexts. In addition, teachers and students should be introduced to sociolinguistic research and culturally responsive pedagogies that explicate and counter the role of language ideologies in shaping how CCE language varieties and language features are perceived and positioned in the sociopolitical and educational spheres. My hope is that this study will lead to a greater focus on the lived experiences of CCE- speaking youths and will generate critical and transformative knowledge that helps to improve their educational performance in New York City high schools. v Acknowledgements Completing this dissertation has been a long, physically and emotionally taxing but exciting journey of learning, laboring and confronting my own strengths and weaknesses, both in my personal and academic life. I am overjoyed to have arrived at the end of this process which I could not have completed without the love, forbearance, support and encouragement of a wonderful group of mentors, family and friends and former teachers. I would like to express heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to each of the participants, the eight resilient and resourceful students with whom I came to identify with culturally and linguistically in so many ways. Many of you will succeed despite the odds you face and have faced because of where you come from, who you are and how you talk. My hope is that your courageous voices and stories will benefit many who come after you. I must also thank the five generous and dedicated teachers whose voices and struggles to teach in complex and dynamic spaces I often identified with, being a teacher myself. All of us attempt every day with varying degrees of success to empower youths with the knowledge needed to prepare for college and career. I would also like to thank the four principals who allowed me to interview their teachers and students. I hope many of you will be able to draw something of value from this research to enhance the great work you already do. Without the help, support and encouragement of the members of my committee, I could not have achieved this milestone in my life. At the CUNY Graduate Center, many individuals helped me to successfully realize this endeavor. I am so grateful to you, Ofelia, for your unflagging belief in my potential and your investment in the conceptualization and completion of this dissertation. Nick, you have inspired me to challenge my thinking, inspired and pushed me to generate better work. Tatyana, thanks for bringing that infectious vi intellectual energy to this process and interrogating me in ways that helped me improve the quality of this project. I will always be appreciative to you all. A massive shout out to Christine (hamps), the hardest working executive assistant at the Graduate Center. Thanks for the hugs and warm words of support on some days when I felt intellectually and emotionally deflated. To my wife, Michele and my daughter, Nadja who had to endure absences, missed vacations and loss of quality time as I spent time in classes, in the library or reading and writing at home, I say thank you. Your patience, love and encouragement helped propel me through this process. Nuff respeck and big up to Clinton and Lurine Roper, my second parents, whose investment of love, time and money in my education starting at Pepper All- Age School, continuing through Manchester High School and the University of the West Indies laid the foundation for everything I have achieved as an adult. Mi cyan evah pay unnuh back fi everyting unnuh do fi mi. My dearest mummy who inculcated a love of the English language (a little too much mummy, LOL) a heartfelt thanks to you too. You laid the ground for my now more critical appreciation of my language repertoire. Thanks dad for always encouraging me to pursue a PhD. Mi wish yuh did live fi si dis day Dad. Thanks to my eternally beloved grandma, Mama. You left me a legacy of love for books, language, learning and reading. I will always remember your sweet and patient voice reading to me when I but a wee little boy. Lastly, thanks to you Mrs. Roach and Mrs. Dixon, two of the most compassionate teachers I have ever met. Mrs. Roach, thanks for all the free lunches and the free workbooks that helped me succeed on my high school entrance exam. Mrs. Dixon, you prepared me to do well in the annual Spelling Bee and to do as well as I did in elementary school. The two of vii you gave me more than classroom instruction. You saw my needs and you met them. The memories of your generosity and dedication to teaching and caring for the whole child continue to inspire me as a teacher and more importantly, as a human being, each and every day. viii Table of Contents ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................ iv Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ vi List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................... xii Chapter One ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 1 My Narrative/Story ....................................................................................................................................... 3 Rationale for the Study .............................................................................................................................. 12 Purpose of the study .................................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter Two ....................................................................................................................................
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