AAE Phonological Development

University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Shelley Velleman will conduct four years of research on the phonological development of children learning African American English (AAE) as their first language. She seeks to understand differences that result from exposure to AAE and Mainstream American English (MAE), especially key features of the sound systems of the two dialects. Velleman will follow 40 learners of AAE from 12 to 42 months of age to track milestones in these children's language development. Both caregiver-child play observations and formal phonological probes will be used to document the children's progress in phonology. This project will use these new data to contribute to emerging theoretical models of phonology that incorporate language variation. This research is significant because it will establish the normal sequence of phonological development for children learning AAE. Many children who speak AAE are enrolled in special education or speech-language therapy because their speech differs from that of children who speak MAE. To correct this inappropriate labeling, it is essential to know what to expect from normally-developing AAE speakers at various ages. In addition, reading difficulties are a major problem among children who speak AAE, and researchers have not yet definitively identified the causes of these problems. Reading is influenced phonological awareness skills, which are built on the foundation of oral phonology skills. A better understanding of phonological development among speakers of AAE will help educators understand how to prepare these children to learn to read. This project will also support the development of scholars who speak AAE themselves, as they will have the opportunity to engage in research.