Mev,
In your group read alouds, do you also read aloud with them? I was
wondering if it would make a difference if you modeled reading the swear
words, dialect, slang and whether that could free up the group's comfort
in also doing so. 
I have experience reading out loud with women who have very low reading
skills and they appreciate hearing me model how text is read. We have
talked about the various ways of writing, genres, and styles. We talk
about making the characters coming alive by reading their words the way
we think they may sound, given what we know about the characters (for
example, whether they are young or old, from the Caribbean or from
China, etc., etc).
I have run into resistance from teachers who feel uncomfortable reading
swear words, dialect, slang. In terms of the swear words, they don't
think that it is "appropriate" to swear, and in terms of dialect, they
"don't want to reinforce non standard English" I have even come across a
copy of the book Push where the teacher crossed out all the swear
words!!!!!!!!!! I find it harder to convince these teachers than I have
found it to be convincing students who are struggling readers.
Daphne


>>> "mev at litwomen.org" <mev at litwomen.org> 12/29/06 8:18 AM >>>

This is an interesting conversation...and I'd like to add a different  
spin to it. I am currently facilitating Women Leading Through Reading  
Discussion Circles with women in Rhode Island [see WE LEARN Article:   
http://www.litwomen.org/news/06nov.pdf] . As women in these groups read 

aloud to each other, I have found 2 things: 1) they often will not read 

aloud any swear words they encounter; and 2) if they see  some form of  
dialect or slang written for a character's conversation, they often do  
not read it aloud that way -- they "translate" it into "correct"  
English and read aloud the "corrected" version! This happens more often 

than not.

even though I encourage students to read it the way it's written, they  
clearly have some discomfort in doing this.   I find it's not always  
clear why ... Do they want to demonstrate that they "know" this is  
"improper" English? What level of shame is already operative? Do they  
not want to read for a white woman their street language (though I have 

seen them correct the written word with black teachers as well)? When I 

have asked why they don't read what's written, they will often say  
"because it's wrong" or "we're not supposed to talk that way."

I would also wonder how many of us truly stick to proper English in the 

classroom? I have found myself in some situations where we're having  
social conversation and my own informal terminologies and  
pronunciations, well, slide.... I have lived in several states with  
varying dialects and accents...as I age, I carry and combine pieces of  
each in a mixed up way  -- some I "call up" as needed and others I can  
no longer discreetly identify! (I'm a language chameleon and often take 

on what I hear, especially in various regions of the country, even when 

it's not my region of origin.) Also, as someone mentioned, this brings  
up an interesting situation when there are English language learners  
also present in the room -- as everyone works to "decipher" accents and 

pronunciations.

So, as we have these discussions with our students, we may want to have 

the "values" conversation as well. What do they value and why? What do  
they need (or want) to do to "fit in" -- and how do they know when,  
where and why to do this? What's important to "succeed" -- and what  
does that mean -(when & where & at what)? Success could mean in the  
business world, but it might also mean what they need to do to live  
without threat in their neighborhood or home.  This, I think, becomes a 

gender issue as women will more often care about what people think,  
will consider how to be pleasing, and will know (or learn) how to adapt 

to survive or get what they need/want -- regardless of their economic  
situation.

Mev Miller
WE LEARN