You is Smart, You Important: Dialect or

Disorder?

Presented by Ryan Lee, M.S., CF-SLP

andJessica Richardson, M.A., CF-SLP

www.laspdg.org

People First Language

Kathie Snow. (n.d.) A few words about People First Language. Disability is Natural. Retrieved August 1, 2012 from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pfl-sh09.pdf Kathie Snow. (n.d.) A few words about People First Language. Disability is Natural. Retrieved August 1, 2012 from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pfl-sh09.pdf

“People First Language puts the person before the disability and describes what a person has, not who a person is.”

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Goals

• Increase awareness of the difference between dialect variation and language disorders.

• Provide strategies to help teachers identify children who are struggling with language skills.

• Encourage collaboration between teachers and SLPs to better serve ALL students.

Objectives

• Describe non-mainstream dialects

• Describe language impairment

• Be able to identify features of non-mainstream English

• Better identify children who may present with language impairment

• Identify ways to accommodate children with language impairment in the classroom

Key Terms

• Non-mainstream dialect• Language impairment• African American English (AAE)• Southern White English (SWE)• Phonology• Morphosyntax• Semantics• Pragmatics

Dialect and Disorder

For decades researchers have been trying to answer the question:

How can we discern dialect (language difference) from disorder (language delay)?

Though there is no definitive answer, researchers have began to answer this question by examining individual language structures.

ASHA’s Position

“It is the position of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) that no dialectal variety of English is a disorder or a pathological form of speech or language. Each social dialect is adequate as a functional and effective variety of English”.

Position on Dialect & Disorder

(ASHA, 1983)

ASHA’s Position cont. • No dialectal variety of English is a disordered form of speech.

• A person is not a candidate simply because of their dialect but there must be a disorder within their dialectal system.

• Speakers of minority dialects may acquire the dialect of government, industry etc. An SLP can provide these as elective services.

• Dialect speakers are not immune to language disorders although they may manifest differently in dialect speaker than in mainstream speakers.

(ASHA, 1983)

Dialects of English

Dialects are rule governed, shared language systems, including aspects of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics, spoken by members of a community.

• African American English (AAE)

• Southern White English (SWE)

• Mainstream American English (MAE)

• Appalachian English

• Latin American English

Language Impairment

• Expressive and / or receptive language delays in the absence of any coexisting condition (i.e. autism, mental impairment, ADHD).

• We define SLI because the definition is simplified, however we recognize that the term used in the school system is language impairment (henceforth, LI).

(Flusberg & Cooper, 1999)

Language Impairment Data

• Prevalence of SLI was 7.4% in 1997 for the general population of kindergarteners.

• Rates were 12% for African American children.

• Socioeconomic status has been shown to influence language development more so than race and ethnicity.

(Tomblin, et al. 1997)

(Dollaghan et al., 1999)

• Total Students = 57,781

African American = 82%White = 15%

• 80.2% receives free and reduced lunch

EBRP Demographics

(Retrieved from: http://publicschoolsk12.com/all-schools/la/east-baton-rouge-parish)

DIALECT

Language Development

How do children develop their language?

• Family

• Educational Context

Dialects

Did you know that all people speak a dialect?

DialectsDialects are rule governed, shared language systems, including

aspects of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics.

• African American English (AAE)

• Southern White English (SWE)

• Appalachian English

• Latin American English

Mainstream American English

Mainstream American English (MAE):

• Rule governed language system including all aspects language.

• Is the language used by politicians, business people and school teachers.

• Used often in middle and upper class communities and sometimes considered the “proper” way of speaking.

Non-mainstream American English

Non-mainstream American English (NMAE):

• Rule governed language system including all aspects language which vary from MAE.

• Have been marginalized because the people tend to be from minority populations.

• May encounter social, educational, and occupational barriers.

AFRICAN AMERICAN ENGLISH

•

• Many African American students acquire MAE and learn to dialect shift.

• Children who are able to shift between AAE and MAE do better on standardized test than children who are unable to dialect shift (Craig & Washington, 2004).

More prevalent among African Americans but not all African Americans speak AAE.

Dialect VS. Accent Accent

• Variations of pronunciation

Example: Tomato - Tomato (dialect or accent?)

Dialect

• The same words with different meaning or different words with the same meaning are considered dialects.

Example: carbonated drink: soda, pop, cold drink

Differences Dialectal differences are due to several interrelated factors

including:

• Geographic region

• Socioeconomic level or status (SES)

• Speaking situations

• Subgroup membership

• Bilingualism

• Race or ethnicity

Non-mainstream dialect samples

• http://youtu.be/Eqfdn8_ftYQ (Cajun)

• http://youtu.be/RbK4cL3QSc0 (Boston)

• http://youtu.be/6zSm4enKiZM (Southern)

• http://youtu.be/Zqohw8nR6qE (AAE)

Top 3 Most Used AAE Features

• Zero copula/auxiliary

This (is) a dog. He (is) running.

• Optional subject-verb agreement

They was running.

• Zero past tense

He ride (rode) his bike.

He cover(ed) his ears.(Connor & Craig, 2006)

OVERT MARKING IN AAE(WYNN & OETTING, 2000; OETTING & GARRITY, 2006)

6-yr-olds adults auxiliary am 85% 95% auxiliary was/were 97% 97% auxiliary are 30% 35% auxiliary is 50% 47% /ed 85% 64% /3s 22% 20%

DISORDER

Language Impairment

Children with SLI:

• Demonstrate "delayed onset and protracted development of language”.

• Ideally diagnosed in pre-k or k.

• May have difficulty in all subject areas.

• May show continued difficulty with language throughout school and into adulthood.

(Flusberg & Cooper, 1999)

Language Impairment

Children with LI:

• May show difficulty in one or more aspects of language

o Phonologyo Morphologyo Syntaxo Semanticso Pragmatics

(Flusberg & Cooper, 1999)

= Morphosyntax

Language Impairment

• Deficits in morphosyntax is a hallmark of SLI

He walk(ed) to the store (tense marker)He walk(s) to the store (agreement marker)

• Children with LI use these markers with lower frequency than children without LI.

(Leonard, 1995; Rice & Wexler, 1996)

What's the Challenge?

Challenge # 1

Impairment patterns overlap with dialect patterns

(Oetting & McDonald, 2001)

Overlapping Patterns

These patterns overlap with impairment patterns.

• Subject / verb agreement with BE

They (was) going to the store.

• Zero BE

He (is) going to the mall later on.

• Zero regular past tense

Hey rake(ed) the leaves yesterday.

Overlapping Patterns

• Similar to MAE speakers with language impairment, children who speak AAE demonstrate deficits in morphosyntax.

• You can expect that AAE speakers with language impairment will use morphemes that mark tense and agreement with lower frequency than their typically developing, AAE-speaking peers.

Challenge # 2

Belief that dialect speakers are immune to language

disorder

NMAE Speakers have Immunity?

Use of NMAE dialect is NOT indicative of disorder, however:

• Children who speak a non-mainstream dialect are not immune to language disorders.

• Because of this misconception, children who speak non-mainstream dialects are often overlooked by teachers and SLPs.

Challenge # 3

Teachers are not aware of what to look for

Possible Indicators of Impairment

Challenge # 4

Teachers may not have strategies to accommodate students who are language

impairment

Accommodations

Collaborations

• Dialect and disorder is a sticky topic that continues to plague the field of education and speech pathology, however, we should collaborate for the best interest of the children.

• If you have concerns about a child's language development--consult with the SLP. Remember that we are all working to ensure all children's success.

Question and Answer

Is a language disorder directly connected to a child’s academic progression and development?

• Yes. When a child has a language disorder it impacts their ability to comprehend and use language across academic subjects.

Question and Answer

What is the earliest a language disorder can be detected?

• Delays in language development can be detected in children as early as one to two years-old.

Question and Answer

Does a child’s environment have an effect on their language?

• Yes. Children develop their language from their home and school environments. The language that they hear most frequently is the language that they will speak.

Question and Answer

Are teachers expected to accept local dialects as correct speech? Example: pronunciation of the “shr” blend as “scr” scrimp instead of shrimp?

• Yes. Although this is not the MAE production, it is accepted as a feature of AAE. Teachers are encouraged to model the MAE form for the child. Exposure to the MAE form will encourage code-switching.

Conclusions

Dialect

• We all speak a dialect.

• Dialects are rule governed shared languages.

• The dialects of EBR include primarily AAE, SWE and MAE.

Disorder

• Children with LI may show deficits in all subject areas and into adulthood.

• Impairment and dialect patterns overlap.

• Early identification is key.

Conclusions

Challenges• Realizing dialect

speakers can also have language impairments.

• Building service provide awareness of signs of language impairments.

• Providing sufficient accommodations for students with language impairment.

Solutions• Collaborations between

SLPs and teachers.

• Not overlooking signs of language impairment in children who speak a dialect.

References American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (1983). Social

dialects [Position Statement]. Available from www.asha.org/policy.

Connor, C. M., & Craig, H. K. (2006). African American Preschoolers’ Language, Emergent Literacy Skills, and Use of African American English: A Complex Relation. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49, 771-792.

Craig, H. K. & Washington, J. A. (2004). Grade related changes in the production of African American English. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47, 450-463.

Dollaghan, C. A., Campbell, T. F., Paradise, J. L., Feldman, H. M., Janosky, J. E., Pitcairn, D. N., & Kurs-Lasky, M. (1999). Maternal education and measures of early speech and language. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 42, 1432-1443.

East Baton Rouge public schools retrieved from http://publicschoolsk12.com/all-schools/la/east-baton-rouge-parish/.

References

Flusberb, H. & Cooper, J. (1999). Present and future possibilities for defining a phenotype for specific language impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 42, 1275-1278

Leonard, L. (1995). Functional categories in the grammar of children with specific language impairment. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 38, 1270-1283.

Oetting, J., & Garrity, A. (2006). Variation Within Dialects: A Case of Cajun/Creole Influence Within Child  SAAE and SWE. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49, 16-26.

Oetting, J., & McDonald, J. (2001). Nonmainstream dialect use in specific language impairment. Journal of Speech, Language and hearing Research, 44, 207-223.

Rice, M., & Wexler, K. (1996). Toward tense as a clinical marker of specific language impairment in English-speaking children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 39, 1239 -1257.

 

References

Tomblin, B., Records, N., Buckwater, P., Zhang, X., and Smith, E. (1997). Prevalence of Specific Language Impairment in Kindergarten Children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 40: 1245-1260.

Wynn, C., & Oetting, J. (June 2000). African American English and SLI: A study of BE. Presentation at the annual Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, Madison, WI. 

Questions?

After this webinar, you may email any content-related questions to Ryan Lee leeryan3@gmail.com or Jessica Richardson jric124@tigers.lsu.edu You may email any grant-related questions to Melanie Lemoine lemoinem@lsu.edu

The contents of this PowerPoint presentation were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H323A110003. However those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

www.laspdg.org