Explores the general features and some unique usages of West African English, Caribbean English, and Indian English. (EL)

This paper compares respect forms used in Bhojpuri, standard Hindi, and suddh Hindi. The role and use of each dialect are described, and a comparison of respect forms used in each is presented, considering phonemic, grammatical, syntactical, suprasegmental, paralinguistic, and kinesic features. The differences noted appear in a continuum among the…

This paper focuses on the two main schools of thought concerning the structure of Black English and its relationship to other dialects. One approach is that of the social dialectologists who claim that Black English shares features and origins of white non-standard Southern speech; the frequency with which specific features occur in actual speech…

The English spoken by second generation Puerto Ricans in Harlem is influenced by black English heard in the surrounding community, standard English used in the school, and the Spanish-influenced English used by the first generation Puerto Rican community. The study of these influences is conducted according to recently developed sociolinguistic…

Based on experimental research, examines the relationship between American Sign Language and French Sign Language, and sociolinguistic variation in both sign languages. (AM)

This study examines the attitudes which black high school students hold toward other blacks when they speak standard English and when they speak black English. Tenth-grade black students listened to recordings of black speakers, each using both standard English and black English for the same text. The students were asked to judge the speakers on…

Discusses the meaning and origins of the word "argot," its cryptic character, and its function in a closed social group, focusing on a comparative description of the French and Anglo-American vocabulary of the underworld and the police. Comments on shared traits and provides an insight into the differences. (MES)

This paper describes how slang is not necessarily short-lived and novel. Users perceive these words, phrases, and meanings as new and they function as new, however, their novelty is only apparent rather than real. Data examined were gathered by students from fellow students at Michigan State University. Sources for comparison included the…

Author focuses on both comparative studies and developmental sociolinguistics and suggests some research problems, with particular attention to social dialects. (Author/MB)

As part of a larger sociolinguistic study investigating the attitudes of Puerto Ricans on the island toward their own vernacular speech, the present research focused on the subjective reactions of 104 public high school teachers and students to spoken speech styles. The subjects' task was to: listen to a prerecorded tape, rate the voices on the…