| In his book The Study of Nonstandard English, | | | | analyzes this dilemma faced by many teachers in |
| Labov emphasizes the educational disadvantage of | | | | negotiating language attitudes held by students |
| Black and Spanish-speaking students in urban | | | | and teachers. |
| areas. He stresses the need to understand English | | | | She recommends the contrast of dialect forms |
| varieties used by these communities-in the latter, | | | | and the conceptualization of the use of "proper" |
| what he called "Spanish-influenced English"- since | | | | language as a practical and political matter, instead |
| using them was the best way of communication | | | | of a judgment of what is right or wrong-hence |
| with these children and young people. | | | | considering the convenience of language features |
| Not only is this knowledge important to build | | | | appropriate for a particular audience but also |
| bridges between speech communities; favoring | | | | questioning and reflecting on the power issues |
| and accepting standard English as the only | | | | attached to the hierarchical status of standard |
| "correct" variety works to reproduce and | | | | varieties. |
| strengthen its dominant status in society, a role | | | | In a 1988 classic article published in the Harvard |
| that the educational system has supported | | | | Educational Review, the renowned educator Lisa |
| historically. Sociolinguist James Gee addresses the | | | | Delpit stressed the need for every student to |
| impact of not mastering the ways to use | | | | learn the "codes of power" (ways of talking, |
| language favored at school for linguistic and | | | | writing, or interacting, for example). She suggests |
| culturally diverse students. | | | | when addressing language varieties that students |
| He gives the examples of African American | | | | need to learn the variety of power and that |
| students whose ways to use narratives in which | | | | schools should take the responsibility to assist |
| they have been socialized at home are not valued | | | | them in this process. |
| when brought up at school. He stresses their | | | | However, it is necessary to analyze how the |
| disadvantage compared with children who have | | | | codes of power are arbitrary: not better because |
| been exposed to academic language before | | | | of intrinsic features, but due to the power |
| starting school, as part of their socialization at | | | | associated with them. She described the case of |
| home. | | | | a Native Alaskan teacher who addressed the |
| For educators, this scenario demands ways to | | | | differences between the "village English" the |
| build bridges for students whose first encounter | | | | students spoke in their community and the |
| with different ways to use language happens at | | | | "formal English" they needed to communicate with |
| school. Courtney Cazden, a scholar whose work | | | | those whom she labeled "people who only knew |
| addresses the functions of classroom discourse, | | | | one variety. |