In this paper, the author argues that all dialects are essentially equal, each with its own merits and a right to exist alongside other dialects. Nevertheless, a certain amount of attention needs to be paid to public opinion concerning the status of dialects, and in some fields such as language instruction, it may be necessary to focus mainly on the prestige dialect for reasons discussed below. We need to raise the awareness of our educators, develop assessment procedures and tools that are culturally appropriate, and reexamine curriculum and government policy. In a society where it is felt that no ethnicity, religion, and gender should be considered better or worse than any others, it follows that a person’s language(s) or dialect(s) should likewise not be associated with any kind of stigma. The reality, unfortunately, is that discrimination remains. Many people throughout the world view certain dialects as inferior to the “standard” or “prestige” dialect (Trudgill, 1994). However, just as efforts are being made to improve racial harmony, so too can understanding of dialectal equality be enhanced. Programs to educate the public about these issues are already taking place in various countries (Siegel, 1999).

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