Darnel, an African-American second grader who uses nonstandard English, complained about his partner in spelling practice. Fred not say nothin today. Which of the following would be the most relevant reply that the teacher could make?
A. If hes not saying anything today, do you think something is bothering him?
B. In school language we should say Fred is not saying anything today.'
C. Darnel, please remember: not goes with anything. We dont use it with nothing.'
D. Why dont you ask Fred what the matter is? Maybe something is wrong.
Answer:A
Darnel, an African-American second grader who uses nonstandard English, complained about his partner in spelling practice. Fred not say nothin today. Which of the following would be the most relevant reply that the teacher could make?
A. If hes not saying anything today, do you think something is bothering him? B. In school language we should say Fred is not saying anything today.' C. Darnel, please remember: not goes with anything. We dont use it with nothing.' D. Why dont you ask Fred what the matter is? Maybe something is wrong.
Explanation: A) The teachers most relevant reply would be: If hes not saying anything today, do you think that something is bothering him? In this way, the teacher models good speaking without making the student feel inferior and shows respect for the students language while allowing him/her to communicate freely. When interacting with children who speak in a nonstandard dialect, teachers are encouraged to accept the dialect but teach Standard English. Learning Standard English also seems fairly easy for most of these students provided they have good models.