Teaching About Dialect Variations and Language in Secondary English Classrooms

Standardized tests demand Standard English, but secondary students (grades 6-12) come to school speaking a variety of dialects and languages, thus creating a conflict between students’ language of nurture and the expectations of school. The purpose of this text is twofold: to explain and illustrate how language varieties function in the classroom and in students’ lives and to detail linguistically informed instructional strategies. Through anecdotes from the classroom, lesson plans, and accessib