In a Cleveland (Ohio) program, writing instruction for adults who speak nonstandard English is based on respect for students' spoken language as a dialect. Adapting foreign language instructional techniques such as translation, teachers avoided formal grammar terms and used extensive oral practice. (SK)

Imposition of English in Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula (Australia) schools led to the development of Torres Strait Creole (TSC), now widely spoken. Common formal errors that TSC-speaking students make in written English are described and related to linguistic transfer. Cultural vocabulary, core cultural values reflected in TSC, and the…

A growing trend in bilingual education is to provide instruction in standard ("mainstream") English for children who are native speakers of an English dialect, such as black English. Debate over the practice focuses on effectiveness and the potential drain on bilingual education funding. Although not criticizing or devaluing the nonstandard…

This 3-year research project sought to determine whether language differences between Gullah-influenced and English speaking students in Charleston County (South Carolina) influenced test performance and subsequent interpretation of test results. A sample population of 503 educable mentally handicapped, learning disabled, and regular students…

This document is a collection of nine papers, each of which recommends strategies for the implementation of multicultural education. Also examined are specific issues, including bidialectical education, learning styles, interpersonal skills training, and disproportionate minority discipline. (Authors)