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)

Surveyed diverse students at an urban U.S. college to investigate their opinions of Ebonics. Three dimensions of Ebonics opinions, identified through factor analysis, suggested a typology of student orientations toward Ebonics, and multiple regression analysis identified variables that predicted these orientations. Findings showed that respondents…

Lists 30 resources that provide essential background information, research findings, examples from the field, and recommendations for practice for teachers of students who speak Ebonics. (SLD)

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…

Reading teachers must understand black culture and black dialect," and adapt their teaching strategies accordingly," i.e., allow dialect translations" of standard English texts. (Author/SP)

Programs for improving the standard English writing competencies of Black dialect speakers must employ the same methods and attitudes used in teaching Whites if such programs are intended to prepare students to be linguistically competent in society. (Author/MJL)

Study conducted to determine whether Black English speakers are likely to encounter problems in reading standard English. Results indicate no relationship between the use of Black English and subjects' grade level or reading performance. (Author/JLF)

Black ninth graders did better on a black-dialect reading test than on the standard English form of the same test. (MM)

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…

Examined African Americans college students' perceptions of audiotaped people using: Black English (BE), Standard English (SE), and appropriate or inappropriate code switching (CS). Surveys indicated that participants rated SE and appropriate CS speakers more favorably than BE and inappropriate CS speakers, and they wanted to get to know and work…

This study examined changes in the complex syntax production of 85 African American preschoolers and the role of child (gender, age, African American English) and family (home environment) factors. Age, gender, and home environment effects were found for the amount of complex language used. African American English was not related to amount of…

This digest discusses the different dialects children bring to the school environment and how U.S. schools deal with these differences. Reference is made to the Ann Arbor (Michigan) case in which a group of African-American parents sued the local school system on behalf of their children, claiming the school was denying their children equal…

To make teachers more aware of certain linguistic skills possessed by black children, why they are important, and how they might be capitalized upon in the classroom, this report examines the manipulation of figurative devices within the black community. The discussion focuses on seven forms of communicative devices prevalent in black language:…

A 6-week institute for 38 primary school teachers (K-3), most of them from the Tampa area, was conducted to give teachers (1) a basic understanding of modern linguistics and its implications for second dialect teaching, (2) a grasp of the structural similarities and differences between Black dialects and general American English, and (3) an…