The many forms of finna
Total time for this activity: 10 minutes
Watch this short video on the use of finna and its variants in AAE.
Part 1: After you have finished watching the short video, work with your assigned partner to indicate whether or not the word in the first column is a variant of finna.
| Variant of finna in AAE | Yes or No |
| fixna | |
| fuzna | |
| fitna | |
| fidna | |
| finsa |
Part 2: Finding authentic examples of the many forms of finna
For each variant of finna you identified in the table above, conduct some internet research with your assigned partner to find at least one example of the variant’s usage. Be prepared to report your findings back to the full group.
Reflection activity: After today’s session has concluded, reflect on this module’s discussion, readings, and activities. How do you feel when you hear a speaker of AAE use a grammatical structure that differs from SE? Do you believe that the use of AAE grammatical structures is simply “bad grammar” or is instead part of the rule-governed system of AAE?