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It has recently been noted that Negro children, especially those of lower socioeconomic status, have a language system whose phonological and grammatical rules differ in predictable ways from the rules governing the standard English used by most white Americans. Four features of Negro non- standard American English have been noted with predictable regularity: zero copula, singularization of plural objects, zero possessive, and the use of "be" to represent time extension. The present research attempted to empirically validate the existence of these distinguishing features by having two Negro and two white examiners administer a task requiring 93 Negro and 108 white second graders to derive the present, plural, possessive, and time extension forms of nonsense syllables. In general, the results support the hypotheses. For each dimension, white children supplied more standard English endings and Negro children more nonstandard English endings. All results were relatively independent of subjects' socioeconomic status. These findings suggest that most Negro children approach the traditional school situation with a language system whose grammar is different from, rather than deficient in relation to, that of their white peers and that of the standard tongue adopted by the school. It is recommended that more research data be collected and the results, if consistent, be incorporated into future curricula developments. (Author/JM)

Fifty two Negro and 52 white second graders were asked to associate to each of 18 nonsense syllables verbally presented by one of two Negro or one of two white examiners. No examiner race differences were obtained. While significant subject race differences occurred in six of 15 response categories, each resulted from either the idiosyncratic response tendencies of a few subjects or of subjects of one sex within one race. In contrast to earlier studies using meaningful words as stimuli, no general black-white subject differences were obtained. Explanations for previously noted racial differences are discussed. (Author)

The hypotheses that black subjects comprehend nonstandard English materials better than those in standard English and that white subjects comprehend standard English materials better than those in nonstandard English were not supported. (Author)

Explored is the possibility that two distinct patterns of hyperkinesis exist (hyperactive and hyperreactive), each with its own behavioral and etiological features. (KW)

Results of this research lead to a discussion of the possibility and implications of Negro nonstandard English being a distinct quasi-foreign" language system. (MB)

Article investigated the hypothesis that Caucasian subjects supply significantly more standard English, and Negro subjects supply significantly more predictable nonstandard English endings to present, plural, possessive, and time extension words, and that differences are obtained regardless of the standard or nonstandard English mode of presentation. (Author/RK)