English Language Variations, Teaching About

This entry focuses on the practice of helping educators and students understand English language variations—the ways in which spoken, written, and signed varieties of English intersect with societal, educational, and economic correlates. Language variation permeates all aspects of diversity in education, including the types of materials that are used to teach students; how students are assessed; and the relationship in the classroom between students and teachers, especially with respect to school discipline. The following sections discuss the ways in which English varies, the varieties of English that exist, and effective pedagogies for teaching about these varieties to educators and students.