Investigates the preferred patterns for the "organization of experience" among African-American adolescents. Finds that these adolescents report a strong preference for using vernacular-based patterns in academic writing tasks as they get older. Suggests that the organization of expository discourse is affected by cultural preference and…

Examines specific collective identity and political expression of the rap group the Wu-Tang Clan. Reveals a multi-layered political strategy that has been conscientiously designed and implemented to instigate a social movement. Prioritizes the voices of marginalized Black peoples and provides raw narratives about oppression. (MMU)

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)

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)

This study compared dialect use by African-American children (30 male and 36 female 5- and 6-year olds) differing in socioeconomic status (SES). Findings indicated systematic differences related to SES and gender in the frequencies but not in the forms of dialect used. Children from lower-income homes and boys were more marked dialect users than…

Considers how, when children enter school speaking a social class dialect, it can pose problems for both the students and the teachers. Notes strategies that teachers might use to assist the Black dialect speaker to adopt a more "prestigious dialect." Suggests teachers provide opportunities to listen to folktales or riddles written in dialect and…

Reconstructs the present temporal reference system of Early African American English by investigating the aspectual conditioning of a morphosyntactic construction within the domain of present temporal reference in three representative varieties. (Author/VWL)

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…

This study compared phonological features of African American English speakers at 3 grade levels: preschool, elementary school, and middle school. The phonological features exhibited at all 3 grade levels were quite similar. The frequency of usage, determined by the percentage of speakers exhibiting the feature and by the mean number of…

Generally, the article describes and discusses topics and positions found in the literature on Black English. Specifically, particular attention is paid to certain articles and positions that misrepresent opposing opinions and facts of the area. (Author/RM)

An analysis of the communication process focusing on approaches to eliminating barriers to communication between teachers and inner-city students. An addendum lists instructional materials that are aimed at facilitating this process. (EH)

The purpose of this study is: (1) to document the existence of a population speaking vernacular Black English (VBE) in Waterloo, Iowa, a middle-sized urban community in the Midwest; (2) to examine how Waterloo VBE contrasts with the surrounding majority language, Midland vernacular; (3) to investigate Iowans' language attitudes; and (4) to…

The transcript of and guide to a two-cassette course designed to assist speakers of Black English in erasure of their accents includes an introduction on Black and Standard English usage, an explanation of the system used in this course, the pronunciation symbols used, and an explanation of how to change or eliminate trouble spots. The course is…

Presents a review of the literature on the relationship between black English and reading problems. (RB)