The slaves learned these dialects from white immigrants who settled in the South during the colonial era. The African school believes that Ebonics is Africanized English. They believe that this can traced to the formation of the Pidgin language and the Creole language during slave trade in the South. Afronet columnist Alicia Banks is quoted saying, "Black English is a combination of African languages and Standard English. It should be awarded linguistic medal of honor for creation against impossible odd." Her column can be accessed at "www.afronet.com." (Dillard).
A widely accepted theory about Ebonics is that when slaves were learning English, their native languages got in the way. This is called interference. Individuals experiencing interference when learning a new language tend to make the language that they are learning conform to the sound of their native language. Linguistic interference is usually labeled as a Pidgin or a Creole language. Pidgin English is defined as an attempt to fit the words and the sounds of the new language into the basic idiomatic structure of their native tongue. Pidgin English develops into Creole when it is widespread and the first and only language of a community. (Landrum-Brown, Ph.D.).
Professor Simon Eaton is the Dean of Linguistics at Stonehill College. When asked about Ebonics, he said, "I think it can be defined as a hybrid language. It has elements of Euro-American languages and West African languages like Yoruba, Ibo, and Ewe. (Dillard) .
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language, and culture of African American students. The OUSD policy also requires the strengthening of preschool education as well as parent and community involvement in educational process. A "Superliteracy" program was also added to the policy to ensure the development of high levels of reading, writing, and speaking skills. The passage of this policy clearly demonstrates that the OUSD is committed to taking significant actions to turn around the educational attainment of its African American students.