Instruction in rhetoric, English composition, and literature can be enhanced if black language and the stylistic influences of the black folk tradition are recognized and presented in the classroom. Teachers need to be aware of the history and heritage of the Black-American dialect and the black folk tradition. In addition, teachers and students need to be aware of the vocabulary of black language, its historical development, and its contributions to mainstream English. Also of importance is the style of black language, which developed from a combination of sacred and secular traditions. This style can be seen in the "persuasive techniques" used in black literature, including punning or playing on words, extemporaneous or spontaneous expressions, indirection or innuendo, metaphorical images, boasting or bragging. Typical narrative devices include toasting, call and response, signifying and sounding. The literary and rhetorical types of the Black-American folk oral tradition can add a great deal to the classrooms in that they represent a direct expression of the Black-American experience from the colonial period to the present. Thirteen references and a list describing the forms and literary types in the Afro-American Folk Tradition are appended. (GFW)