Over a 10-year period, the oral language development of 338 pupils was studied from kindergarten through grade 9 to establish the most crucial and frequent oral language difficulties. Recorded samples of oral English from each subject were segmented by oral intonation patterns and syntactic units, and were analyzed yearly in terms of 21 oral…

In this study, two hypotheses are examined: (1) There is a positive correlation between the incidence of dialect speech of black second graders and their perception that dialect speech is "bad." (2) Use of dialect speech does not interfere with the speaker's ability to identify words in traditional orthography. The study established language…

The purposes of this study were to identify the attitudes and behavior of teachers in an innercity secondary school toward language in general and nonstandard grammar in particular. Responses of the 18 member English department to a content-specific questionnaire and videotapes of 12 English classes, representing a sample of all grades and tracks…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects that an instructional program in Black English would have on the acquisition of knowledge of Black English phonology and grammar by teacher participants, and the attitudes of teacher participants toward the speakers of Black English. The sample consisted of two groups from the same basic…

In the past, social lectologists have not considered their work as contrastive linguistics. One reason is that sociolects of a language differ quantitatively; differences lie in the frequency patterns with which certain forms occur in each lect. Contrastive linguistics deals with standard or idealized languages, while sociolects are often…

An approach to reading instruction utilizing communicative styles from the black community is suggested by the metatheoretical framework outlined in this essay. The social class constructs, language deficit models, case histories, surrealistic rhetoric and lyrical quality of black discourse can be conceptualized within the context of the following…

The seventh in a series of inservice teacher education units is devoted to improving the language skills of disadvantaged students. Part I discusses standard and nonstandard English, and the structural and functional interferences posed by the language systems used by disadvantaged pupils. Part II is devoted to the dialects used by Negro and…

There are two positions on the relationship of the speech of Blacks and whites, and they are quite opposed to one another. One position observes virtually no differences in the speech of Southern whites and Blacks and therefore assumes that the historical development can be traced to a British dialect. The other sees many significant differences…

This document comprises the teacher's guide and lessons for teaching standard English to kindergarten through third grade children in Hilo, Hawaii. Sections are (1) Teacher's Guide, (2) Audio-Visual Aids, (3) Phonemic Symbol List, (4) Phonology Lesson Section, and (5) Structure Lesson Section. Appended are a short glossary of terms,…

This paper discusses some of the larger trends in present day American society and education, indicates how these trends are affecting reading, and points out some possible directions for future development. The trends discussed include "Sex Equality," which discusses sexism in basal tests, male teachers of reading, and the greater number of boys…

An attempt is made in this book to state some of the features of and dispel some of the myths about nonstandard English, particularly the dialects of English spoken by many black Americans, and to consider alternative policies that might be adopted regarding varied forms of English. The chapters of the book include "What Is the Problem?""Is…

Black English Vernacular (BEV) is spoken in more or less pure form by many, if not most, of the inner-city students attending college under plans like open enrollment. In cities, most blacks, Puerto Ricans, and many other non-native speakers speak or can speak a form of BEV. The prevalence of BEV in elementary and secondary schools of the inner…

Educators and intellectuals with some sense of humanity should comprehend the hidden message inherent in setting up a dichotomy referring to two linguistic/cultural entities: that one set of structures is sufficient; one is not. For the black student, this message of inferiority is communicated both through the teacher in his instruction,…

This paper discusses the characteristics of inner-city, deprived children which cause learning difficulties; the characteristics of typical basal readers which cause problems for these children; conditions which promote optimal learning; and practical suggestions for instruction. The areas of learning difficulty for the children discussed include…

The first of two experiments conducted in Detroit investigated the relationship between class and ethnic membership and identification of class and ethnicity; the role age and sex of respondent play in accuracy of speaker identification; and attitudes toward various socioethnic speech patterns. The second study was concerned with the attitudes of…