Dialects in the Classroom

If so-called Standard English is overtly valued over other dialects in institutional settings like schools, then why do nonstandard dialects continue to exist? The obvious answer is because they are valuable to their speakers – either as a marker of identity, community, or group solidarity. Linguists call this more community-specific valuing of nonstandard dialects covert prestige. And indeed, most individuals style shift across contexts – think, for example, of how you might speak over the phone to a close friend or family member, compared to how you might speak to a customer service representative; if you spoke with your friends/family in the same tone as you spoke to a customer service representative, they might wonder if something was wrong! That is because your informal speech (your Playground English, as it were) signals to them that you are comfortable with them, while more formal modes of speaking (standard or Classroom English) often signal social distance. Though even very young children have been shown to exhibit stylistic shift in different contexts (Fischer 1958), your students may not yet be overtly aware of this style shifting (also sometimes called codeswitching) and may need your help to understand in what contexts to switch from Playground English to Classroom English in addition to learning the linguistic differences between Playground and Classroom dialects. By telling them explicitly, you help to build their sociolinguistic awareness, and also their ability to understand and value the various forms of linguistic expression they have access to – varieties that feature covert prestige, or value within their personal circles, and varieties that feature overt prestige or value within the classroom and beyond. By noting variation and style shifting as normal and common phenomena, you signal to them that their language practices are something to build curiosity around, and that they are not a source of shame or concern.