Dialects in Schools and Communities

by Walt Wolfram, Donna Christian, Carolyn Adger, et al.

Book Overview

This book describes dialect differences in American English and their impact on education and everyday life. It explores some of the major issues that confront educational practitioners and suggests what practitioners can do to recognize students' language abilities, support their language development, and expand their knowledge about dialects. Topics addressed include:
*popular concerns about the nature of language variation;
*characteristic...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805843167
• ISBN13: 9780805843163
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.2" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great info for ESOL teachers too!

This book is an excellent introduction to the problems ESOL teachers have with the newer waves of immigrants from other English-speaking countries. Though the book concentrates on U.S. -- mostly African-American-- dialect differences, it could also be used as a starting point for creating policies for Caribbean and African students who speak other dialects or creoles, who are not intelligible to American teachers, yet who don't need ESOL classes. The next step would be to examine these newer populations and figure out what kind of classes they DO need. Highly recommended.