Does slang have a place in the classroom?
A ban on slang at a British school seems a bit naff to some students. But champions of the Queen's English are certainly chuffed.
Some British teens are very fond of their slang. So fond, one south London school has outlawed certain words in classrooms and hallways. That means slang such as: coz ... ain't ... woz ... bare ... and innit ... are out of bounds at Harris Academy in Upper Norwood.
The school's principal Chris Everitt turned us down for an interview. But in an email, a spokesperson says the ban is about preparing students for adulthood.
In addition to giving students the teaching they need to thrive academically, we want them to develop the soft skills they will need to compete for jobs and university places. This particular initiative is just one of the many ways in which we are building the vocabulary of our students and giving them the skills they need to express themselves confidently and appropriatelyStatement from Harris Academy Upper Norwood
There's no formal punishment if a student is caught starting a sentence with "Basically!" or ending one with "Yeah?" -- But Harris Academy hopes the ban will force students to reflect on their words.
The school has the support of David Lammy, an MP with the British Labour Party. And many agree with David Lammy that British young people need to clean up their English.
Lindsay Johns is a writer, broadcaster, and volunteer mentor at Leaders of Tomorrow, a London-based leadership program for young people of African and Caribbean heritage. He was in London, England.
• U.K.'s Plain English Campaign -- Campaign Website
Christopher Emdin is a professor at Columbia University's Teacher's College and a pioneer in what's called "Hip-Hop Education." The movement encourages teachers to use language and cultural references relevant to their students. That means, not only is slang used in the classroom ... It's encouraged.
We've tried changing curriculum. We've tried changing standards. We've had all these ridiculous ideas that are well intentioned about how to improve education. But the only thing that we have not had a concerted focus on yet ... We haven't focused yet on the culture of young people. And I argue that this is the last hurrah. So let's focus on using culture as an anchor for instruction. Because if this doesn't work, then we're doomed.Christopher Emdin, Columbia University Professor
Dean Atta endorses this teaching style, and worries about what might be lost if slang is outlawed. He is a performance poet and spoken word educator in London, England.
Alex D'Arcy is watching the slang debate from this side of the pond. She's an associate professor and the Director of the Sociolinguistics Research Lab at the University of Victoria. She thinks we can't legislate or regulate slang because language is constantly evolving and teens are on the cutting edge of language. Alex D'Ary was in Victoria, B.C.
What do you think? Should slang be banned from classrooms?
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This segment was produced by The Current's Shannon Higgins and Vanessa Greco.
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Last Word - Austin Powers
One more thought on the use of slang and how it can denote class and status. It can also hide meaning. This has been rarely expressed as neatly as in the Austin Powers film, Goldmember.
You can barely understand what Mike Myers and Michael Caine are talking about (but the subtitles in this video might help - be warned, as expected with Austin Powers, the language is crass) -- they got today's Last Word.