Powerful words: skillful and sensitive empowerment of urban undergraduate pre‐service teachers through improvement of Standard English usage

Abstract

With the goal of assisting predominantly low‐socio‐economic status and minority undergraduate education majors to achieve necessary competence in the use of oral and written Standard English, an innovative action research initiative was incorporated into an introductory education class at a comprehensive urban university in the northeastern part of the United States. The project integrated written and oral Standard English exercises into the course’s curriculum as a means of bolstering students’ skills while still helping them master the course content. Preliminary results demonstrate students’ improved competence in both written and oral Standard English, and an increased awareness of how and when to use various forms of English.

Keywords:

• pre‐service teachers
• urban undergraduates
• Standard English
• professional development
• oral communication
• empowerment