The many permutations of spoken English have called for an interrogation into the notions of 'standard English' and 'native accents'. Despite their problematic nature, these terms remain commonly used, and familiarity with 'standard', inner-circle varieties of English is typical among L2 English speakers, differences in education and language…

Examines viewers' perceptions of characters and their speech to see if: (1) the language of the characters corresponds to the language of Black speech communities as described by sociolinguists; (2) White viewers perceive language as important in their perceptions of the characters; and (3) White viewers are more likely to identify with speakers…

Black English (BE) and standard English are treated as two different closely related linguistic systems that coexist in African-American linguistics. Focus is on a middle-class female informant who appears to be a balanced bilingual and who offers counter evidence to the claim that BE is spoken mainly by poor and uneducated persons. (13…

Discusses the sociolinguistic order in the new South Africa, traces the implications of English dominance in this order, and reflects on the difficulty of assembling an accurate picture of the sociolinguistic order of a society in times of rapid social change. Particular focus is on the processes of restandardization of standard South African…

Focuses on the issue of Black native languages in the educational system in the context of curricular reforms emanating from the multicultural education movement. Examines how multicultural education has dealt with the needs and concerns of African Americans and Haitians. Looks at well-publicized African American and Haitian educational events in…