AAVE lessons?

Guest   Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:12 pm GMT
I want to learn to speak AAVE. Can you suggest a way to do it?
Guest   Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:27 pm GMT
Move to a ghetto.
Skippy   Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:09 am GMT
Listen to rap music. Why do you wanna learn AAVE?

If you think French people don't like foreigners trying to speak their language... lol
Native Korean   Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:31 am GMT
I'm curious why certain African Americans get that rapsong-like accent and grammar-break expressions.

Don't they go to the same school and watch the same TV as other races in the US?
Guest   Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:58 am GMT
<Listen to rap music.>

Is rap music all there is to AAVE? I need a teacher who can help me with the grammar and things like that.

<Why do you wanna learn AAVE? >

Because I want to meet other black persons from other countries?
Guest   Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:59 am GMT
<I can't see it being very useful as a second language.>

It would actually be my fourth language. And what does "useful" mean to you?
Guest   Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:00 am GMT
<I'm curious why certain African Americans get that rapsong-like accent and grammar-break expressions. >

What are grammar-break expressions?
Guest   Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:35 pm GMT
<American Blacks tend to be very hostile to others speaking AAVE, >

Why is that?
Guest   Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:19 pm GMT
<Because it's often been done to make fun of AAVE or Blacks in general. >

So, if I, a black person from Africa, go to America and try to speak to my brothers and sisters in AAVE, they would be angry. Is that what you are saying?
furrykef   Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:37 pm GMT
They probably won't be hostile to another black person, no, because they feel a certain kinship with others of their race. Of course, I can't speak for black people, but it's an educated guess.
K. T.   Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:10 pm GMT
I used to know a Japanese lady who spoke a mixture of AAVE and Japlish. Her boyfriend was a black musician (jazz guitarist, I think) and she was a classically trained musician.
Guest   Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:54 pm GMT
<However, if you try to use AAVE and make mistakes, it may interpreted as mocking AAVE, whereas using Standard English with mistakes probably wouldn't. >

Obviously. How could making mistakes in Standard English ever be seen as mocking AAVE?
Guest   Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:57 pm GMT
<However, if you try to use AAVE and make mistakes, it may interpreted as mocking AAVE, >

Where do you get this from? Why should AAVE speakers be any different to Standard English speakers when it comes to people making mistakes in AAVE?
Native Korean   Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:05 am GMT
<What are grammar-break expressions??

Well, they are the expressions that are technically wrong gramatically such as:
He workin'.
He be goin'.
Me no liky.
She ain't workin'
I been doin'

and etc.

Where did they learn English? Back when slavery existed?
Guest   Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:36 am GMT
<Where did they learn English? Back when slavery existed? >

Where did you learn manners? At the farmyard?