Black verbal and rhetorical strategies serve definite needs and functions in the Black American community--needs with which teachers should become familiar. When properly applied, these strategies can be effectively used in the English composition classroom for motivational and instructional purposes. (HOD)

Confirms previous observations about the tonal character of English stress. Notes that Finnish listeners relied on duration as the perceptual cue for noun/noun phrase distinction (blackbird/black bird), reflecting the absence of linguistic contrasts based on an active use of the larynx in standard Finnish stress and intonation. (Author/RL)

Addresses the relationship between educational theory and classroom practice using data from an ethnographic study of English as a Second Language (ESL) learning at a Canadian school. Outlines the conflict between two language ideologies shaping and being shaped by ESL teachers', assistants' and students' classroom practices. Discusses…

Examines the debate initiated by Thomas J. Farrell's 1983 article, "IQ and Standard English." Suggests the importance of social class in assessing the situation of basic writers coming to college from predominately oral cultures, who are generally unprepared to write critically, follow complex lines of argument, or handle new vocabulary…

A case study examines a nontraditional African-American student enrolled in English 90 at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. The first person in her family to attend college, she is attractive, personal, outspoken and speaks not only the dialect of her family, which shows the influence of French, but also standard English. When asked how…

A replication was conducted of Sterling Leonard's 1932 survey of "Current English Usage," which submitted a questionnaire of expressions to judges consisting of linguists, journalists, teachers, and businessmen. It was hypothesized that more of the expressions in Leonard's study would be acceptable today (looser standards) than was the…

THE AUTHOR'S AIM IN THIS PAPER IS TO INTRODUCE THE CLASSROOM TEACHER TO THE TECHNIQUES OF PREPARING AND USING ORAL DRILLS TO TEACH STANDARD ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF NON-STANDARD ENGLISH. SUGGESTED LINGUISTIC READINGS AND A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE WORK BEING DONE IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE FIELD OF REGIONAL AND SOCIAL DIALECTOLOGY PRECEDE EXPLANATION…

This paper describes and discusses the school leaving examination in oral English in South Africa, which is designed for those whose first language is English and involves the presentation of a prepared talk, reading aloud, and a conversation with a teacher. Each element of the test is discussed and evaluated separately. Problems of reticence in…

This teaching guide, developed with ESEA Title I funds, outlines an oral English program to help Mexican-American students eliminate nonstandard pronunciation and usage. Along with lessons to motivate the students and to teach them certain language concepts, the guide contains pronunciation, usage, and oral emphasis lessons and followup drills,…

In this investigation, 72 second-, fourth-, sixth-, and eighth-grade speakers of black English were studied in an attempt to determine whether a relationship exists between the speaking of black English and the reading of standard English. Two variables of oral language were examined: the degree of divergence from standard English and the ability…

This paper is a critical survey of the work of various linguists in the field of English intonation studies. Crystal's work is cited as being particularly influential in the author's work. It is argued that there is a lack of progress in this field because of a preoccupation on the part of scholars with their own studies and their application and…

This handbook for teachers contains language lessons for young children. Through sequencing and feedback, the program uses a direct method of teaching and learning standard English. It is an expository approach, in which progress is based on performance, rather than on the knowledge of rules. Each unit is organized so that language development and…

Black Americans have inherited a rich store of oral literature (folk music, folk tales, folk customs, and superstitions). When approached from the point of view of the students' experience, this oral tradition can be an effective springboard for discussion, reading, and writing in the classroom. Brass band funeral processions can be viewed as a…

The 1970-1971 field testing of the Adult Basic Education Empleen Ingles video programs and paper and pencil lessons was undertaken to provide answers to several questions. These questions concerned: (1) the instructional effectiveness of the 30 video programs and pen and pencil lessons; (2) the two programs as single or dual instructional media;…

Investigates the relationships between various aspects of linguistic awareness and early reading ability. (HOD)