ABSTRACT
Voice teachers can make their curriculum more digestible and accessible by strippin’ away da necessity of speakin’ exclusively in a so-called standard form of English. Dis chapter gon’ explore da paradigm shift when my students, especially those of color, hear me reject “Formal English” and embrace my true dialect: African American English (AAE). When ya girl start speakin’ dat AAE, students show more willingness to speak in their dialects and/or mother tongues. I propose dat speakin’ in a mother tongue or mother dialect in voice class is crucial for emotional accessibility. My theoretical research uses psychology as a framework to study the connection of multilingualism to emotion. Specifically, findings from the work of psychologist Dr. Crystal Shannon-Morla suggest that code-switchin’ into a second language might severely hinder emotional expression. At da end of dis chapter, I’mma share activities to help incorporate mother tongue/dialect into voice curriculum.
