Dialect Proficiency and Auditory Comprehension in Standard and Black Nonstandard English

Abstract

A dialect proficiency task and an auditory comprehension task (stories and questions) were administered to 32 black second graders. Half of the subjects received the auditory comprehension task in black nonstandard English; the other half received the task in standard English. Subjects were asked to identify the race of the speakers and how well they liked the stories and speakers. Performance was significantly better on the questions in the standard treatment. Within treatments, there was a positive correlation between dialect proficiency and auditory comprehension. The subjects correctly identified black speakers but tended to misidentify standard speakers. The results are discussed in terms of a “difference” vs a “bicultural” model of dialect proficiency and achievement.