Syntactical rule differences in black dialect that can be more helpful to young adolescents' perceptions than the corresponding rules in standard English were studied. The syntactical rule in black dialect that was identified as being more explicit than the corresponding rule in standard English was the invariant "be" verb form (as in…

This book seeks to raise some of the critical theoretical issues involved in the study of American negro folklore in all its major forms. Along with the presentation of texts, the concern here is for the meaning and significance of the folklore and its interpretations as expressed by a variety of authors. The selections are divided into eight…

This study supports the hypothesis that educated white listeners react negatively to the phonological variations of non-standard English. White college freshmen and seniors listened to a recorded tape of ten speakers, black and white with standard and non-standard styles of pronunciation, all reading the same passage. Students were asked to judge…

The need for preparing materials which are comprehensible to disadvantaged children led to this study in which verbs were simplified in an effort to determine whether such simplification might increase the likelihood of passages being understood by disadvantaged black students. The hypothesis was based on a 1927 study which found that 18 verbs,…

Two studies are discussed in this research report, which was presented at the 1973 American Educational Research Association meeting. The first study investigated whether black children would evaluate Black English selections more favorably than standard English selections and whether favorable evaluation would lead to greater comprehension of the…

This bibliography, like two previous editions in 1941 and 1948, lists those books for children and young people which present Negroes as human beings and not as stereotypes. The introduction assesses the progress which has been made in this area since the first edition in 1941 and articulates the guidelines for selection. The books cited are…

Analyzes an Afro-American sermon and a disputed speech by a Black political leader to mixed audience. Dialect alternants signal switching between contrasting styles in both. Conversational inference is shown to depend not only on grammar, lexical meanings, and conversational principles, but also on constellations of speech variants, rhythm, and…

Concludes that providing black children with the inspiration, correct environment, and materials can allow them to express themselves in the ways they know best. Offers suggestions for teachers working with dialect speakers and a list of reading materials. (FL)

Articles in this publication address the writing process, teaching writing, and research on the teaching of writing, and take the form of personal experience or opinion, or explore the work of others who have contributed to the field. Articles in the first issue of this volume include: "What the Children Convey: On Matters of Time, Talk, and…

This study investigated differences in the writing styles of African American and European American test takers using a portfolio entry assessment as a means of examining writing style, focusing on language choice, rhetorical style, and organization. The portfolio entry was from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Middle…

Black English is adequate for speakers within the black community: adding a second dialect, standard English, opens new roles with the larger society. The teacher can encourage or discourage such change depending on his relations with students and the community. (JM)

Examples of the differences between the oral language of Blacks and the standardized written language forced on them in English classrooms illustrate the need for teachers to appreciate language differences and to create a workable context for effective language instruction. (RL)

Reports an investigation of the most appropriate tutorial setting for the generation of natural urban child language for experience stories. Concludes that the condition that tapped the most profuse linguistic performance for student-created reading material among Black sixth grade students was tutoring by a White adult professional teacher. (FL)

The media's ebonics hysteria has sparked a national debate concerning the failure of the nation's urban schools to serve African American and other minority students' needs. Oakland Unified School District's systemic reform of curricula and standards hinges on new teaching practices exploiting the connections among language, literacy, and…