Sandra Lee McKay is a sociolinguist at San Francisco State University.[1] She has contributed to the study of pidgin and creole languages such as African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
She writes that language may present a barrier for students who speak pidgin and creole languages. Unlike other languages such as Spanish and Chinese, pidgin and creole languages are not commonly recognized in classroom settings. As a result of this students are not taught the Standard American English (SAE) used on tests as a second language in the same ways as students who speaks Spanish or Chinese.
Her interest in English as an international language developed from her extensive work in countries such as Chile, Hong Kong, Hungary, Latvia, Morocco, Japan, Singapore, South Africa and Thailand.