A discussion of certain methodological issues in linguistics as they bear on the debate over cultural deprivation. Whether or not the non-standard English (NNE) of a minority group can be considered a distinct language with its own grammar is arbitrary and therefore not a useful question. However, one can compare standard and NNE forms for…

The findings of a 1973 study covering the performance of Sesame Street and The Electric Company in ghetto communities are reported briefly. The steps taken to repeat the methodology of earlier Sesame Street studies are described. Data are given on: penetration of Sesame Street among preschool children in Bedford Stuyvesant, East Harlem, Chicago,…