This article raises the reality of English as a naturally variant and fluid language inseparable from culture. The author addresses the tensions teachers face in the classroom when they make decisions about how African American students should use their language.

A Five-Point Program for teaching English in the inner city... based on the real needs of the Black ghetto student. (Author)

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.

Discusses (1) American class anxiety and racism as reflected in the linguistic purist tradition; (2) the didialectalism of contemporary Black Idiom speakers; (3) the need for accurate comprehensive descriptions of Black Idiom; and (4) the need for teachers to teach communication skills to Black students. (MM)

Shares information about how four African American vernacular English speakers have successfully used their language abilities--the language of their everyday lives--within the context of their expository writing. Discusses principles that have guided one teacher in her work with language diverse students. (TB)