Rhetorical Analysis Of Black Children Are Verbally Deprived

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The selection "Black Children Are Verbally Deprived" by Walt Wolfram contains several different rhetorical elements. "Black Children Are Verbally Deprived" is a nonfiction essay about the linguistics of the black community. First, the exigence of this selection is to explore the myth that Black children are mentally deficient due to their regional and social dialects. The selection explores 4 different myths in order to disprove them and come to the conclusion that the statement Black children are mentally deficient is false and that they are actually verbally deprived. Wolfram intended this for the general public so that he can attempt to influence the public’s view of black children. Wolfram states that African American children tend to have a different dialect because they usually grow up in urban, blue-collar environments. This leads them to be influenced by how others talk in the …show more content…

For example, when discussing the myth about verbal deprivation, Wolfram says “ the results of standardized language testing support the conclusion that disadvantaged children of almost every kind are typically one or two years in language development (Carl Bereiter, p. 196)”(106). In this quote wolfram is using Ethos. Ethos is when the author uses credibility and authority to support their argument. In this quote, Wolfram is using information from Carl Berieter to support his argument that Black children are verbally deprived. Another example of Wolfram using rhetorical appeals is when he says “At first glance this reasoning seems sensible- if one assumes that parents and caretakers must play a proactive role for language acquisition to take place”(107). This is an example of Wolfram using logos which is when the author uses logic and reasoning to prove his point. Wolfram in this quote uses reasoning to support the fact that children are influenced by the speech of their parents or