ALTHOUGH AMERICAN EDUCATORS ARE GRADUALLY REALIZING THAT SOME CHILDREN SHOULD BE TAUGHT STANDARD ENGLISH AS A SEPARATE, SECOND DIALECT, REMEDIAL ENGLISH PROGRAMS STILL DO NOT REFLECT STRUCTURAL OBSERVATIONS ON LANGUAGE VARIATION AMONG THE DISADVANTAGED. THERE IS A LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LINGUISTS, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND THE NONLINGUISTS INVOLVED IN SUCH PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN DISTURBED BY THE IDEA OF A CORRELATION BETWEEN LANGUAGE BEHAVIOR AND ETHNIC GROUPING. THIS CORRELATION IS PARTICULARLY CONTROVERSIAL WHEN THE LINGUIST POINTS OUT THAT NEGRO DIALECTS ARE ALIKE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, WHILE DIFFERENT IN MANY WAYS FROM THE NONSTANDARD DIALECTS OF WHITES LIVING IN THE SAME AREA. IN THIS STUDY, THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF PRIMARILY NEGRO SPEECH PATTERNS ARE FOUND IN THE CREOLE AND PIDGIN ENGLISH SPOKEN BY NEGRO SLAVES AND RECORDED IN LITERATURE OF THE ERA. EVEN AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WHEN THE FIELD-HAND CREOLE ENGLISH BEGAN TO TAKE ON MORE FEATURES OF LOCAL WHITE DIALECTS AND THE WRITTEN LANGUAGE, CERTAIN DIALECT FEATURES REMAINED PECULIAR TO NEGRO SPEECH. AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORICAL LINGUISTIC PROCESSES THAT LED TO NONSTANDARD NEGRO DIALECTS WILL HELP THE EDUCATORS OF THE DISADVANTAGED TO COMMUNICATE WITH APPLIED LINGUISTS WORKING ON THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN "THE FLORIDA FL REPORTER," VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2, SPRING 1967. (JD)