Explores the masked intentions within Black Guyanese speakers' use of three related types of persuasive discourse, all of which contain elements of insincerity. Analysis of the use and interpretation of grannin, suurin, and koocharin reveal similarities with other genres found in significantly Black populations. (CB)

Focuses attention on the intent of this special issue to highlight a small number of key issues, directions, and questions on the changing contexts in which scholarship on Africanized English and school education is occurring, including reference to past Black English, dialect studies, the changing demographics of the students, and the complexity…

Argues that Black English is a distinct language that reflects cultural differences in the way individuals evaluate and interact with their environment. Only when mental health professionals become cognizant of cultural biases held in relation to Black English will they be able to work effectively with culturally dissimilar individuals. (JBJ)

Reviews the authentic historical and linguistic methods traditionally employed by Afrocentrists, noting that "Africalogical" research has long been conducted by Afrocentric scholars, and that, up until the 1930s, the history of African civilizations and people was the "preserve" of Afrocentric scholars. Contains over 100…

Reviews research and opinion about the origin of Ebonics, refutes theories on Ebonics being a black version of English, and characterizes Ebonics as an African-based language in structure and origin, mixed with European words. Contains 51 references. (SLD)

Presents a content analysis of the electronic debate on Ebonics that spanned over 18 months, drawing scholars from all over the world, and culminating in over 70 postings on an electronic bulletin board. Demonstrates that in contesting the issues, using the national social debate on Ebonics, linguists seek to assert their power as a group by…

Reviews three responses to a student's use of nonstandard English: eradicationism, pluralism, and code switching. Suggests that many scholars, recognizing an option between the first and third options, fail to acknowledge the existence of the second option, which gives the language user, not the teacher, the agency in deciding which form of…

Investigates the extent to which users of Black South African English (BSAE) command the vowel system of English. One mother tongue speaker each of English, Southern Sotho, and Zulu read a set of stimulus words representing various monothong contrasts in standard South African English. Results are discussed in relation to the question of whether…

This study extended the study of specific language impairments (SLI) to two non-mainstream dialects: a rural version of Southern African American English and a rural version of Southern White English using language samples from 93 4- to 6-year-olds in Louisiana. Findings indicated the surface characteristics of SLI manifested in the two dialects…

Frederick Douglass, as a nineteenth-century writer, experimented with all manner of discourses including sentimentality, romance and, more significantly, the vernacular tradition. In his works like "My Bondage" and "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass", the confidence of a writer willing to experiment with contrasting forms and willing to make a…

America is a true melting pot, as exemplified by the diversity of students in our classrooms. Many are concerned with how teachers are providing instruction for the diverse groups of students they teach. Failure to embrace multiculturalism allows members of society to continue to promote disenfranchisement. For example, proponents of the complex,…

Language instruction in secondary education is dominated by standard language ideology--a view of language that sanctions one ("standard") variety at the expense of other ("nonstandard") ones. While it is clear that students need access to privileged rhetorical forms, it is similarly clear that most current pedagogies do not facilitate such access…

This 65-item bibliography presents newspaper articles, books, magazine articles, articles from scholarly journals, and documents available online that deal with Black English (Ebonics). Materials in the bibliography were published between 1973 and 1997, with many items published in 1996 or 1997. (RS)

Dialectically different students can more easily be taught expository writing and reading skills if the teacher approaches the students' language and culture with a positive attitude, makes use of the students' cultural experiences, and selects reading materials with which students can relate to. (EH)

Analyzes the grammar of Black dialect to aid teachers in distinguishing errors from "normal" dialect shifts in oral reading.