Instruction in rhetoric, English composition, and literature can be enhanced if black language and the stylistic influences of the black folk tradition are recognized and presented in the classroom. Teachers need to be aware of the history and heritage of the Black-American dialect and the black folk tradition. In addition, teachers and students…

A case study explored two African Americans' perceptions of Black English (BE) in their writing of academic prose and the effect these perceptions may have on their own metalinguistic awareness. Subjects, two African American male undergraduates enrolled at Ohio State University who had difficulty with grammar or used BE in their writings, were…

This book describes how talk is used to build social organization within face-to-face interaction among a group of urban black children, an analysis providing the opportunity to study language, culture, and social organization from an integrated perspective. Children from a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood were tape-recorded during peer-group…

An approach to written composition built upon knowledge of the linguistic environments of inner-city blacks is described.

Examined imitative recall for sentences conforming to the grammatical rules of standard English versus those suggested for nonstandard (black) English. Subjects included black and white third and fourth grade children grouped according to socioeconomic background and attendance at either racially segregated or intergrated schools. (SDH)

Assessed the speed with which children who were speakers of black nonstandard English responded appropriately to sentences presented in their dialect as compared to standard English. Also investigated two grammatical features that differ in standard and nonstandard dialect. Subjects were 96, 5- and 7-year-olds. (Author/SDH)

The rhetoric of black writers and speakers asserts that (1) attitudes and practices toward black language are politically based to keep blacks subordinate to the dominant culture, and (2) African American scholars have a right to determine the meaning and implications of black language. Black rhetors contend that even those blacks who speak…

A number of claims made by Bereiter and Engelmann, two of the strongest proponents of the verbal-deprivation hypothesis, are examined in light of data gathered during a longitudinal study of two children acquiring Black English Vernacular. The "giant-word syndrome" and its proposed concomitants of absence of developmental stages, deviant…

The country must celebrate the unprecedented improvements the "Brown v. Board of Education" ruling has brought about in the education of black students. At the same time, it must also be acknowledged that "Brown" did not and could not completely resolve the struggle that has shaped questions of race and education in the U.S.…

Children who speak Black English may have difficulty in acquiring reading skills because of negative teacher attitudes about their dialect and because of inappropriate initial reading material. Although some solutions have been suggested, few have been investigated. (BJG)

A study investigated whether fluency in oral reading, as indicated by proper intonation, could be used as a measure of college students' reading comprehension. The study was designed to look at the three features of intonation--pitch, stress, and juncture--separately and in combination to determine whether any one or a combination of all the…

The paper examines aspects involved in providing an accurate evaluation of speech and language of culturally different preschool children. Dialectical differences of Spanish and Black English speakers are detailed. Culturally based nonverbal behaviors and situational factors, including touching behavior and eye contact, are considered. Cultural…

A work-study program was designed to provide black inner-city youths with instruction and guidance in skills needed in their current jobs, especially their ability to speak standard English. The program used the technique of modeling to arouse students' motivation to adopt standard spoken English. Research has shown that the use of a model will be…

The use of holistic cognitive style in black language is discussed in this paper. Two types of cognitive style, analytic and holistic, are identified. Holistic thinkers are described as socially oriented while analytical thinkers are characterized as task oriented. Evidence is given to support the claim that blacks tend to be holistic thinkers and…

THE AUTHOR, WHO SPENT A YEAR AS A FORD FELLOW STUDYING THE NON-STANDARD ENGLISH OF STUDENTS IN DETROIT, DESCRIBES BRIEFLY A SERIES OF TAPED LANGUAGE LESSONS FOR SECONDARY LEVEL WHICH WERE FOUND TO BE "EFFECTIVE TO A SIGNIFICANT DEGREE." (SEE RELATED DOCUMENT ED 003 588.) FURTHER EXPERIMENTATION WAS CARRIED OUT ON THE FIRST LEVEL OF PRIMARY SCHOOL,…