Intercultural Understanding: Reconciling the Disconnection between Africans and African Americans via Language and Literature

Abstract

On the subject of reconciliation, one question comes to mind: “How can the teaching of language and literature become a viable tool in bridging the gap that exists between Africans and African Americans?” There is a disconnection that exists on both sides. In urban school districts, at least 45% of the students in Foreign Language classes are Africans and African Americans. Generally, these students (and this is generally the African American students) think that there are no existing connections in common with their own cultures. On the other hand, the African students will learn about other aspects of their cultures which they might not have known before or unwillingly circumvented. This research will focus on how the utilization of African and African American literature such as poetry in education, to teach intercultural understanding in order to repair the disconnection that has existed for decades. Students will gain a better understanding of each other’s cultures and begin to see a connection that they can relate to. It will also explore how to use the dialect changes and idiosyncrasies in African poetry and literature that might be similar to those of the African American Vernacular English, to teach the various languages spoken on the African continent.