Individuals from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds can have subtly variant communication styles that members of the dominant culture fail to recognize and often misunderstand. In an increasingly diverse world, librarians must become aware of these differences for more effective communication. (13 references) (EA)

A questionnaire surveyed how multilingual speakers in Singapore express their social identities through language, how they relate to their language, and how they perceive the various English accents to which they are exposed. Respondents related more to the local Singapore accent than to British or American English. Implications for the…

Describes ways in which several successful teachers of Black children in Canada and the United States use Caribbean and/or Black English, rhythmic speech, and music already familiar to Black children to reinforce the child's identity while providing a bridge from home to the dominant culture. (DM)

Deals with divergence on the lexical, phonological, and morphological levels in three dialects that were the same until the mid-20th century (Maaseiks in Belgium, Susters in the Netherlands, and Waldfeuchts in Germany) and that have changed under the influence of three different standard languages (Belgian Dutch, Netherlandic Dutch, and Standard…

Draws attention to the validity of the Oakland School Board's resolution on Ebonics and to the value of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL)-based approaches to teaching standard American English to speakers of other dialects. Demonstrates validity of comparisons made between monodialectal speakers of African-American language/Ebonics and ESL…

Focuses on the relationship between attitude and behavior in language. Adolescent male and female subjects were recorded, and index-scores of their linguistic behavior were compared to their assessment of in-group members in a verbal-guise attitude experiment and to their attitudes concerning language usage in a questionnaire. (Author/VWL)

Focuses on popular perceptions of standard language in Denmark. Presents results from a study of folk linguistic awareness in which subjects listened to five different versions of regional standard Danish (SD) and filled in a questionnaire. Results show that subjects' perception of SD correlates with their own regional background, and that…

Discusses an investigation of reported attitudes on language use in Cyprus. Identifies boundaries of social division and provides reasons for the coexistence of multiple linguistic codes. Accounts for the use of national and international codes (Greek-Cypriot dialect, Standard Modern Greek, English), their market value, and their location within…

This study used quantitative and qualitative methodology to examine the phonological patterns of 24 3-year-old and 30 4-year-old Spanish-speaking preschoolers of Puerto Rican descent. The children acquired the sounds of their language at an early age and did not exhibit high percentages of occurrence on targeted phonological processes. (DB)

Examined codeswitching to negotiate power or solidarity in adults' conversational exchanges and discusses ebonics as used by African Americans in urban adult basic education programs. Findings from 12 interviews and 20 videotapes show how adult learners use language to inform and interpret themselves in the world. (SLD)

Examines how the evolution of Cantonese dialect is continually influenced by contact with English and Putonghua, as well as by the internal dynamic of language change. Concludes that the wish to preserve a Hong Kong cultural identity distinct from that of mainland China, may be a factor in also retaining a unique linguistic identity. (Author/VWL)

Examines issues related to Cyprus's current sociolinguistic situation, where language is central in defining the identity of Greek Cypriots. Discusses linguistic practices of Cypriots described in various studies covering the diglossic situation in Cyprus, language and identity, attitudes toward dialect, language attitudes and how they affect…

The study of language in its social context and the role of language in society has developed over the past four decades into the field called sociolinguistics. In approaching language as a social activity, sociolinguists focus on discovering the specific patterns or social rules for talk; for example, they might examine how people manage their…

Purpose: This investigation examined the comprehension of third person singular /s/ in 30 African American English (AAE)-speaking children as a subject-number agreement marker on a comprehension task. Method: A comprehension task was presented to 30 typically developing AAE-speaking children between the ages of 4 and 6. The children were randomly…

This article focuses on the particular challenges, choices, and celebrations relevant to teaching in an urban setting. The speech of African American students is described as rich and reflective of the African American oral tradition. The article also discusses the meaning, rules and the evolution of African American English.