The paper considers difficulties facing black gifted children and examines the importance of language variability, classroom management, and learning to think. The nature of Black English is explored with various viewpoints of its origins, and suggestions are made for dealing with the special needs of students who have inadequate mastery of…

Presents four essays disagreeing with Farrell's efforts to refute Arthur R. Jensen's genetic explanation of Blacks' lower scores on IQ tests. Presents Farrell's response to these essays. (HTH)

Traces the history of the controversy about teaching Black children standard English. Argues that all students need to learn standard English, regardless of home environment, parental education, or racial background. (RL)

The African concept of time is reinterpreted, emphasizing aspect rather than tense. Examples are taken from Black English. (MC)

A wide-ranging discussion with William Labov, a sociolinguist interested in the study of nonstandard dialects, especially Black English dialect. (DD)

Responds to an earlier article on Ebonics and the Oakland School Board's resolution. The author of that article responds to these comments. (Author/VWL)

Demonstrates that linguistic accuracy is not and can never be a primary goal of writers who create effective renderings. Compares renderings of 19th- and early 20th-century white writers of dialect with those of contemporary writers. Finds that neither can be said to be more accurate than the other. (PA)

The "Ebonics Resolution" was passed by the Oakland, California, school board in 1996. The proposal called for "imparting instruction to African-American students for the combined purposes of maintaining legitimacy and richness of such language...and to facilitate their acquisition and mastery of English language skills." The…

Reviews research on instructional techniques recognizing the different learning styles, languages, dialects, or cultures of minority students. Concludes that special educational programs for students of other cultures may have both positive and negative outcomes. (JM)

Ten teachers comment on the Ann Arbor (Michigan) court case concerning language bias in the schools. (RL)

Major controversies which have arisen from linguists' research into Black English and implications of this research for education of dialect-speaking students are discussed. (JD)

Adult Basic Education instructors need to be introduced to the Black dialect to dispel misconceptions about the abilities of Black English speakers and to develop activities to help Black students in becoming bidialectal. (SK)

Three prime time television situation comedies with primarily Black casts were studied for frequency and variations in use of Black English Vernacular (BEV). It is suggested that homogenization of BEV on American television reflects the attitude that BEV is not a legitimate language choice. (GC)

Explains some of the difficulties encountered in teaching African American adults at Martin University. States that many of the students the author taught were poorly prepared for higher education. Discusses language differences between white Americans and African Americans. Argues that IQ tests are poor measures of intelligence. Defines andragogy…

An American English teacher argues that the teachers should value students' home language and use it to help them become more effective rhetoricians. She offers five steps that an educator should take to help the students, some of them being to educate one in order to understand AAVE (African American Vernacular English), to incorporate…