Code switching for the purposes of educating children (or for fitting in with a specific socioeconomic

group) is okay, but is rather limited in scope when one considers the societal burden placed upon the
interpretation and function of spoken, not to mention written, language. Ebonics, or African American
Vernicular English (AAVE), is actually more properly considered as an ethnolect --- gien that Ebonics is
not a mere dialect of !tandard American English (!AE). Ebonics (or AAVE) is often perceied by
members of mainstream American society as indicatie of low intelligence or limited education. "hy#
$ack of distinctie erb tenses and ocabulary.
%he preponderance of code switching indicates that AAVE and !AE are met with different reactions or
discernments.