Standard: Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use across cultures.

• June29.Com
  A virtual mine of resources for different languages, this site houses the Human-Languages Page, a comprehensive catalog of language-related Internet resources, and the Internet Dictionary Project, which allows individuals to translate English words into other languages.
  
  
• Understanding Cultural Differences
  An ESL and technical writing teacher at the University of Texas, Austin, USA, created the site on which this page appears. Here she emphasizes that teachers must be sensitive to the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of their students. Also included at the site are many ideas for ESL teachers and for content area teachers who have non-English-speaking children in their classrooms.
  
  
• Explore! Linguistics
  The sociolinguistics page at this University of Oregon site is an excellent resource for teaching children that the English language and its variants are complex products of different social forces. Children will learn that “pidgin English” evolved in particular geographic areas among people who did not share a common language, and that English accommodates social politeness by being used as a face-saving device in human interactions. Gender differences in speech patterns are also explored.
  
  
• Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents
  The more than 3,000 Spanish-language books described at this site are recommended for children and adolescents because of their high quality, presentation of material, and appeal to their intended audience. There is information in both English and Spanish about each book's grade level and subject, and brief summaries are also provided.
  
  
• What's up wif Ebonics, Y'All?
  In a 1997 resolution, the Linguistic Society of America described Ebonics as a “systematic and rule-governed” language variant spoken by many African Americans. Author Abha Gupta points out that, despite the stamp of legitimacy given by the LSA's resolution, a societal “looking down” on Ebonics continues. In an ideal world, validation by an association such as the Linguistic Society would not be required for acceptance of a language variety commonly spoken among so many students. Learn about the current issues and find links to related sites in this Reading Online article.
  
  
• Eye on Women: Lisa Delpit
  Delpit, of Georgia State University in Atlanta, USA, champions the cause of needy children in poor blighted areas. "We need to have visions of success for poor children and children of color," says Delpit. "Poor children are not expected to do as well in school as well-to-do kids. We need to change that." Delpit, who has researched cultural conflicts in the classroom throughout her career, identifies nine factors necessary for urban teachers to achieve excellence.