This digest discusses the different dialects children bring to the school environment and how U.S. schools deal with these differences. Reference is made to the Ann Arbor (Michigan) case in which a group of African-American parents sued the local school system on behalf of their children, claiming the school was denying their children equal…

Children from different backgrounds come to school speaking a wide variety of dialects. Questions concerning the use of dialects in schools have become increasingly complex and controversial in recent years. A central issue is the requirement of a standard dialect in school. Some find it discriminatory, others find it necessary to broaden student…

An understanding of dialect differences goes beyond the recognition that people talk differently; it concerns the way dialects differentiate themselves, the main differences in the patterns, and the method of discovering the patterns of various dialects. This booklet is intended for those who need to know more specific information concerning the…

Many questions accompany the recognition of different dialects, including questions concerning the origin of the speaker, the reasons why people speak the way they do, and which way of speaking is correct. Stronq feelings may accompany the recognition of dialects, and assessments and classifications of people may be made based on how they speak.…

A study examining the sociolinguistic context and emerging linguistic structure of English in a Northern Virginia Vietnamese community, based on taped interviews and limited writing samples, is presented. The subjects were 93 refugees categorized by age range (10-13, 15-18, 20-25, 35-55 years), length of residence in the United States (1-3 and 4-7…