Black Americans have long contributed to the ways in which the English language is used, and now a new research project aims to compile the first Oxford Dictionary of African American English.

Geneva Smitherman ended up in speech therapy in her freshman year at Wayne State University in the 1950s, when she failed a test to screen incoming teaching students for possible speech problems. The ...

Several years ago, a school district in Oakland, California suggested that African-American children be taught standard English using teaching methods used to teach the English language to non English ...

"The People’s Tongue: Americans and the English Language" is available Feb. 14. (Courtesy Restless Books) In his new anthology, “The People’s Tongue: Americans and the English Language,” editor Ilan ...

“Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’Round” is a crowd favorite for the Northwest African American Museum’s African American Choir Ensemble. Based on the spiritual “Don’t You Let Nobody Turn You ’Round,” ...

Hosted by the English Language Institute at the University of Delaware, English and American Culture is a short-term program combining high-quality ESL instruction, cultural course content and fun. It ...

American English has many forms. It’s evolved over 400 years to match this country’s dynamic history. Humanities professor Ilan Stavans says that because it’s so adaptable, American English can unify ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. Listen 47:34 American English has ...