Before teachers can decide how to teach writing to nonstandard dialect speakers, they should determine whether college students can in fact learn to command a second dialect (in this case, Standard English), as well as the most effective way to provide access to command of Standard English while educating the public about the values of nonstandard dialects. In judging whether students should be required to learn written Standard English, teachers might examine the implications of Standard English as "edited written English" and as "the white ruling class dialect," as well as the validity of claims about the need for Standard English in the world of employment. Although it is important for students to be able to read works of literature written in Standard English, the requirement that they themselves produce Standard English can easily threaten their sense of personhood. The key factor in adult learning of second dialects is motivation, which implies that students must decide for themselves whether the they want to learn Standard English. Students need to develop knowledge about the use of different dialects in different situations; therefore, teachers should teach all students about the systematic differences between standard and other dialects. Such teaching fosters respect for all dialects, as well as analytical intellectual growth. (GT)