This article makes a case for why Black Language (BL) must be a part of teachers' conceptualizations of multilingualism in U.S. contexts. BL is a living linguistic legacy, an embodiment of Black culture, and much more than simply a list of distinct grammatical features. For teachers to move toward dispositions and language and literacy pedagogical…

This article summarizes African American Vernacular English (AAVE) phonological features from the perspective of phonetic transcription. Relevant International Phonetic Alphabet symbols and diacritics are discussed, as well as the importance of transcription detail when differentiating dialect variation from phonological delay or disorder. A chart…

Code-switching is examined in oral narratives of 30 African-American women as they switched from Standard English to Black English Vernacular. A little over half of the speakers assign positive values to their code switches. Examples are given from interviews with two subjects. (SLD)

Describes and explains the sociolinguistic factors that affect the performance of black children speaking standard English. Uses data from a 2-year study of black speech and bidialectalism involving 40 adults and 76 students to show how the black community and its children have difficulty learning proper English because of their incompatible…

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)