ABSTRACT
This chapter explores with the group of bright and dedicated student teachers their attitudes and feelings concerning their students who speak or write nonstandard English. We need to begin thinking of ways to get speakers of nonstandard English to see the benefits of gaining competency in Standard English without negating their nonstandard form of the language. The students took it as a given that other, "substandard" forms of English would hurt one's chances to succeed in our culture. If more teachers, and all those for whom Standard English represents an educational highwater mark that must be reached by all students, then we could truly begin talking about the pragmatics of standard English and finally get beyond the morality of speaking right. The project of articulating a pragmatics of communication predicated on the diversity of human experience is, perhaps, the very project we must undertake to make progress with respect to getting beyond the morality of speaking right.
