Modifying Teachers' Attitudes Towards Speakers of Divergent Dialects Through Inservice Training

A report of a study of the effect of inservice training in language and dialects on teachers' attitudes toward speakers of a divergent dialect. Seventeen elementary and secondary school teachers participated in a workshop of lectures, discussions, and demonstrations on the nature and function of language, regional and social variations of American English, verbal and nonverbal communication in the school environment, and the characteristics of the dialect some linguists call Black English. Attitudes were measured before and after the workshop by having teachers respond to a recording of five adult black and white speakers. Semantic differential tests were administered before and after the workshops. The results of the pre-test indicate positive attitudes toward white speakers and negative attitudes toward black speakers; there was a movement toward a neutral position for white and black speakers on the post-test. It is concluded that when teachers acquire knowledge of language variation, their attitudes toward students and their speech tend to shift toward understanding and acceptance. AA