Customer Reviews

Dialects in Schools and Communities

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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.

For persons unfamiliar with the jargon of linguistics and the sociolinguistic affects of language, this book is an excellent introduction. The addition of a glossary would have been an enhancement. The first five chapters were especially valuable for orientation while the later chapters dwelt more on the actual American English parts of speach. I would recommend this book as a text as well as a useful adjunct reference.