An exposition and refutation of two writers taken as representative of those accusing linguists who support the teaching of Standard English as a second language of covert racism. (JM)

Revised version of a paper presented at the TESOL Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 1971. (VM)

Discusses reasons why standard English instruction should be delayed. (DS)

Normative data for 198 urban children (four to eight years old) who speak Black American English (BAE) were obtained on the Test of Language Development. Results revealed speakers of BAE differed significantly in performance from children on whom test was standardized. Difference in performance was reflected in overall test scores and in…

Discusses the idea that for many Black adolescents the use of creole is an assertion of identity and cultural difference. Examines the use of and attitudes toward creole by both Black and White adolescents in London. (EKN)

Contains representative selections from issues of "Language Arts" from its sixth decade of publication. Includes articles, editorials, and ads reflecting trends in English education that are currently of conern, such as declining test scores, censorship, the "back to basics" trend, and recognition of nonstandard dialects. (HTH)

An excerpt from the resolution of the executive committee of the Conference on College Composition and Communication, which espouses the view that no variety or dialect of a language is intrinsically superior to any other, is presented. Implications for teaching standard and nonstandard dialects are discussed. (KC)

An exploration of the increasingly important role of linguistics in literacy research and instruction reviews literature on reading comprehension, written language, orthography, metalinguistics, classroom language use, reading disabilities, native tongues, nonstandard dialects, bilingual education, adult literacy, and second-language reading. (86…

This study examined the complex syntax production of 45 pre-school-aged African American boys and girls from urban, low income homes. Results provide quantitative descriptions of amounts of complex syntax and suggest a potential positive relationship between amounts of complex syntax and amounts of nonstandard English form usage in the children's…

An instructor recently concluded that the students (rural mountain, white) that she teaches at Pikeville College, Kentucky, (population 6,500) have a part in multiculturalism; consequently, multiculturalism has become part of the classroom agenda. There are four steps in the curriculum. First, stereotypes and dialectical differences of Appalachia…

The wide gap that exists between linguists and English teachers accounts for some of the difficulty involved in determining whether or not students "have a right to their own language." Linguists generally concern themselves with cognitive sufficiency; whereas, English teachers, concerned with behavioral sufficiency, encounter language…