This article raises the reality of English as a naturally variant and fluid language inseparable from culture. The author addresses the tensions teachers face in the classroom when they make decisions about how African American students should use their language.

This article explores the use of informal communication as an assessment tool for English language arts teachers.

Being up front with students about Standard English as "the language of power" allows them to learn valuable lessons about Standard and non-Standard English dialects. In this article, the author describes an eighth-grade language unit that helps students understand the value of dialects and standardized English. The author concludes that the…

Secondary English teachers are charged with helping all students to read, write, and understand English in its many forms and functions. However, students' language can be as diverse as the literature teachers bring to the classroom. Not all students come to the classroom with the skills to write standardized English; even fewer students come with…

Because digital language represents such a large part of the primary discourse of today's adolescents, it is not surprising that the style of electronic communication is "seeping into their schoolwork." According to a recent study published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, in partnership with the College Board's National Commission…

Grammar checkers do not claim to teach grammar; they are tools to bring potential problems to the writer's attention. They also offer only formal and Standard English preferences, limiting the freer expression of some literary forms. Without guidance, students may misuse the checker, become frustrated, and feel discouraged. Users must be…

Defines "Slurish" as the dialect which results from North American English-speakers'"tendency to eliminate less emphatic syllables and run together the sounds which are left, frequently omitting consonants"; includes a brief glossary of such terms. (Author/SW)

Presents a case for eliminating "whom" from standard English usage, with examples of why the use of "whom" brings not only needless worry but overzealousness in its applications. (RL)

Seven teachers voice their opinions (mostly negative) about contemporary, self-appointed language critics. (RL)

Illustrates the "no-win" situation in the eternal battle over matters of English usage. (RL)

Argues that, for writers of color at all ages, there is always a conflict--a standard, literary language is in constant conflict with the language that carries a nation's languages, dialects, and cultures. (RS)

Words that are rarely used in spoken English should be expelled or excommunicated from the language. The reasons behind banishing one such word "whom", an English relative pronoun that is used as the object of a preposition or of a verb, and replacing it with "who" are discussed.

Surveys, creative language lessons, and games can help students examine English usage as a function of appropriateness. (DD)

Honoring students' home dialect is a complex task when preparing them to take state writing tests that require the use of Standard English. Working with students who had failed the test and were in danger of not receiving a diploma, Michelle Crotteau created a supportive learning environment in which students could develop linguistic and…