However, we live in a society that is currently suffering from a linguistic lag. For this, many teachers have decided to avoid the sensitive issue of African American English in the hope that society will soon come around to full acceptance and appreciation. The problem with this approach is that ignoring linguistic diversity will not empower students to effectively reach multiple audiences. Delpit challenges teachers not to see linguistic diversity as a problem, but as an opportunity to create citizens more capable of communicating in a diverse society. In a classroom that integrates linguistic diversity, students teach the teacher and other students aspects of their language variety.
Students translate songs, poems and stories into their own language.
They listen to rap songs, create rules based on their construction and compare these rules to Standard English. This approach to African American English not only celebrates diversity but also makes use of linguistic skills already developed to establish new skills. The result is students with knowledge of more than one way to speak, which is always an asset in a diverse society.