Code Meshing: Critical Awareness in Action
at Nazareth College, April 25
Rochester, NY (04/16/2018) — What is code meshing? It is a term used by educators to describe the use of multiple dialects and Englishes in both school and professional contexts. But could this concept also be one of the remaining barriers to breaking down racism? Dr. Vershawn Young and Y'Shanda Rivera, co-authors of Other People's English: Code-Meshing, Code-Switching, and African American Literacy, will present Code-Meshing: Critical Awareness in Action on Wednesday, April 25 from 5:30-6:45 p.m. in the Arts Center, room A14. This lecture, presented by the Frontier Center for Urban Education, will discuss reasons why teachers and students should be encouraged to code-mesh in academic writing and why they should make exploring the plurality of the English language in writing and speaking a necessary part of the English language and curriculum. This lecture is free and open to the public. Nazareth College is located at 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618.
Young explains that in contrast to code-meshing, code-switching is the current method used by educators to teach the fallacy that only standard English should be used in classrooms and that African American English, for instance, should only be used at home or with friends. In their book, Young and Rivera discuss code-meshing as a new and more productive approach to teaching, writing, and speaking to diverse students. Code-meshing allows students to effectively blend and use both standard English and their native Englishes in school, at work, with family, and with friends.
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Dr. Vershawn Young (left) and Y'Shanda Rivera (right)
Nazareth University
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