ABSTRACT
The performance tasks in this section will help middle school students understand that English is a flexible, growing, polyglot language and that there are many versions and dialects of it. Also, these tasks will help students see the relationship between English and other languages. In our diverse society, we recognize the need for mastery of standard written and spoken English, but we also maintain respect, as linguists do, for variety and the exuberance of expression made possible by the influence of other languages.
