Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 16:08:56 -0700

From: Dan Alford dalford[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]S1.CSUHAYWARD.EDU

Subject: Re: FOR English Only



STANDARD English is written. There is no spoken standard. Those are

really two different languages.



On Mon, 11 Sep 1995, POLSKY ELLEN S wrote:



Can anyone really define STANDARD American English? We can't say that

it's what the newscasters use, because they speak on t.v. in a variety of

dialects. To say it's what the grammar books in school use is not

satisfactory because there are many traditionally ungrammatical

structures in the grammar books. So, what is "standard" English?



If the Official English movement is in favor of having non-native

speakers of English communicate in English, do they also support,

and will the government, then, fund ESL programs across the country? As

an ESL instructor, I can report that our programs are being CUT, not

expanded!



Ellen S. Polsky (Ellen.Polsky[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]Colorado.EDU)