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Standard and Non-Standard English

This Web page gives recommendations of resources to use and the terms to search in them for topics related to standard and non-standard English. Language Research Topics has links to pages with suggestions for other language topics.

Search the library catalog SAGE (check Prospector too) using:

  • Americanisms
  • English language - grammar
  • English language - United States
  • English language - dialects
  • English language - standardization
  • English language - usage
  • English language - foreign countries
  • English language - variation

Search Academic Search Premier using:

  • English language
  • standard language
  • dialect literature
  • African-Americans language
  • Black English
  • English language dialects
  • English language United States
  • English language study & teaching
  • English language usage

Search Article First using:

  • Standard English

Be certain to combine terms in the databases below to find more precisely what you need. Also, you don't want to be searching through large sets of search results. See Advanced Searching Tips for suggestions.

Search Communication & Mass Media Complete using:

  • Grammar, comparative & general
  • Language & languages
  • Standard language
  • United States

Search Humanities International Index using:

  • English language Standardization
  • Black English
  • African Americans language
  • English language United States
  • Native language
  • English language
  • Grammar, comparative & general

Search ERIC using:

  • Communication skills
  • Language variation
  • English instruction
  • Standard spoken usage
  • Language usage

Search MLA Bibliography (Modern Language Association) using:
  • nonstandard language

Search Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts using:
  • standard English
  • language standardization
  • English
  • nonstandard English
  • nonstandard

Note: CSU no longer subscribes to the index listed below, but the terms should work if your library has it:

Search Black Studies Disc (non-networked, stand-alone disc) using:
  • Black dialects
  • language usage
  • North American English
  • language minorities
  • language variation
  • racial bias
  • language role
  • nonstandard dialects
  • standard spoken usage

Be sure to evaluate the sources you find. Use How to Evaluate Books and How to Evaluate Articles for suggestions of things to examine.

Language Research Topics | How to do Research | English Language & Literature

Content: Naomi Lederer