Argues that the temptation to isolate Black Englsh and to identify it as a single cause for all black problems in America must be resisted; e.g. those who suggest that Black English usage is the primary cause of reading problems in black children ignore many factors which may be possible causes of failure, such as inadequate schools. (Author/JM)

Presents the results of several studies dealing with dialect differences and offers a rationale for using the language experience approach for teaching dialectically different black children. (TO)

Adapted from Chapter 7 of Basic Report for Targeted Communications: Teaching a Standard English to Speakers of Other Dialects;'' report supported by a grant from the U.S. Office of Education. Special issue on Black Dialect: Historical and Descriptive Issues'' edited by William A. Stewart. (RS)

Examines the dialects" of poverty, frustration, repression, make-believe, and authoritarianism; a paper presented at annual Conference on English Education (7th, Syracuse, New York, March 29, 1969). (SW)

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, November 1970, in Los Angeles, California. (DS)

Describes the Ann Arbor court decision, reviews current research dealing with teachers' language attitudes, and discusses implications for instruction. (MP)

Modern educators recognize vernacular Black English as a variety of English that has its own system and rules. However, since most reading materials and school texts are in standard English, reading difficulties are often found in Black children who use a nonstandard dialect. The effects of negative teacher attitudes are described, and…

Offers evidence that contradicts the idea of a relatively homogeneous North American dialect area in which vowel systems remain fairly stable. The article examines back vowel fronting in Canadian English and its relationship to the shift affecting the front lax vowels, as well as to the general principles of vowel chain shifting. (29 references)…

The integration of 66 African-American Detroit inner-city residents into their neighborhood is measured quantitatively by a Vernacular Culture Index construction from the respondents' responses to 10 statements. Results show that older respondents are more likely to choose African-American English variants than younger ones. (33 references)…