Students have a right to use the dialect and language of their own cultural heritage. Language and dialect rights have many advantages for the user, including prestige, self-confidence, group identity, opportunity to project personality and style, appreciation and respect of cultural heritage, and self-awareness. All dialects are equal and are…

The value of teaching Standard English as the language of school and mainstream middle class culture is undisputed, yet Black English, as a non-standard English dialect, has great potential as an instructional tool in the composition classroom. The use of the black dialect can help expand black students' intellectual potential by de-stigmatizing…

Teachers' lack of understanding and knowledge about language and dialects has resulted in unfavorable attitudes and poor instruction in the community college composition classroom. Students' attitudes about the relationship between language and cultural background have been neglected and many Non-Standard English users have developed negative…

A study of how employers responded to the language usage and language abilities of job applicants revealed that employers tended to favor males over females and persons using standard spoken usage over persons using nonstandard dialects. (RL)

Explores the difficulties of teaching students who speak diverse English dialects. Identifies the importance of Standard American English in college and the workplace. Notes that, as dialects reflect people's cultures, teachers and the community must respect the value of diverse dialects. Provides teaching strategies, classroom activities, and…

Although some educators have advocated eradication of Black American English and other non-standard American English dialects in formal school training, it is recognized that many dialects are effectively used to a great degree by many Americans. Black American English, like other dialects, is a legitimate linguistic system that has logic,…

Before teachers begin to teach Standard American English (SAE), the schools must strive for a greater tolerance among the public and the school community toward Non-Standard American English (NSAE) dialects. Through the use of a number of motivational approaches, students retain the right to their own dialects and language while learning SAE as a…