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Offering an innovative blend of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) linguistics and pedagogical insights, this open access book demonstrates the significance of the inclusion of a range of English dialects and accents in the classroom.

It provides ample examples of AAVE in action and accessible linguistic descriptions of the variety. As well as including authentic samples of the AAVE dialect through excerpts from conversations with AAVE speakers, the book describes the central grammatical and sound patterns in AAVE using linguistic data from a Black working-class neighbourhood in Detroit, USA. In the final part of the book, the author unpacks the significance of valuing the language and identities of students in the classroom in promoting a culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy. He challenges the persistent negative assumptions about dominant and non-dominant languages and dialects in educational settings by describing African American English as a rule-governed system.

Most importantly, this book raises awareness and challenges linguistic discrimination by offering culturally relevant pedagogical approaches to improve literacy rates among speakers of minoritized varieties of English. It draws attention to anti-racist pedagogies which aim to imbue AAVE speakers with pride in their own language while they learn to speak Standard English and write in Academic English as vehicles for successful professional communication. Thus, the book engages with matters of great importance to the education of African American students in American classrooms with implications for teaching English to speakers of English-based creoles in the Caribbean, America and elsewhere.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by Wayne State University, USA.