Regional variation in teacher attitudes toward children's language

Abstract

Analysis of linguistic cues indicate that even after very short exposure to a child's speech, Northern and Southern black and white teacher judgments tend to classify a child as being “culturally disadvantaged” if his verbal and grammatical patterns are not standard. This is especially true if his speech exhibits irregularities in grammar, silent pausing and pronunciation. This stereotype is extended by the fact that such associations are also significantly related to child race.