Language Variance and its Impact on Women of Color in Community College: Perceptions of Standard and non-Standard English

Factors tied to the intersection of race, class, and gender still act as a barrier to academic success. Gee (2008a) and Schleppegrell (2004) assert that student success correlates with the acquisition and utilization of academic language [Standard English]. Tannen (1992 contends that traditional classrooms are most congenial to teaching men. Ladson-Billings (1995) and Delpit (1992) attest that people of color continue to be marginalized by pedagogy designed for white students. Such findings have strong implications for fostering Standard English as well as for designing teaching strategies that are conducive for women of color. The central research question this study answers is: How do women of color perceive the role of language in shaping their experiences and their success at the community college? In order to address the research question, classroom observations, a faculty interview and 11 student interviews were conducted. Data collected from observations and interviews revealed three themes. First, students realize that Standard English is valued differently than non-Standard English, which causes students to feel split between cultures. Second, the realization that Standard English is valued differently than non-Standard English results in the conscious utilization of Standard and non-Standard English contextually. Third, content knowledge is privileged over language usage by both students and faculty.Doctor of Education (EdD)College of Education, Health, and Human ServicesUniversity of Michigan-Dearbornhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/102511/1/Juarez Andrea - Ed.D. Dissertation.pd