The work of the inner city student differs markedly from that of the middle class teacher, resulting in communication problems between teachers and students. The major problem appears to be the clash of cultures that is sustained by the dissimilar value system of the two groups. For instance, the cultural environment of most inner city students is such that their everyday encounters encompass almost every vice known to modern America. The cultural clash has produced a communication crisis which is reinforced by the fact that 80 percent of the black population in the United States speaks "black English" and many members of the Puerto Rican community speak a combination of "black English" and Puerto Rican Spanish. A comparison of two groups of junior high school students indicated that those not exposed to black English were unfamiliar with words and phrases common to the dialect. The implication of this in physical education is that teachers as well as athletes involved in a sport cannot communicate as readily as desirable. To communicate the physical education curriculum effectively, the teacher must learn to appreciate the out-of-school environment of inner city youth. It is imperative that the teachers be honest in their feelings and interactions. The teacher should understand the language structure and vocabulary of the student and strive to establish feelings of rapport. (DMT)