Capturing the Significance of African American English (AAE): An Insider Perspective

This is a qualitative study that explores the ways in which African American English (AAE) speakers understand and use their own language. The study is based on 10 individual interviews with participants who self-identified as fluent speakers of AAE and Mainstream American English (i.e., Standard English). Participants shared personal examples, stories, and disclosures as a way to expose the meaning and interpretations of AAE in context and to reveal how it functions in their everyday lives. The purpose of this study is to increase awareness and appreciation of AAE and its relationship to the formation and preservation of individual and group identities. The literatures and the interview data reveal that, to think negatively about the way African Americans articulate their thoughts is, in fact, not just dismissing their speech form, but their history, culture, community and ultimately, the way they make sense of and maneuver in the world.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Campus Only Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Speech Communication

Year

2011

Author dc:creator

• Johnson, Lilly

Contributors dc:contributor

• Pineau, Elyse

• African American English
• African Americans
• community
• culture
• identity
• language and communication

Repository record dc:identifier

https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/357

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:opensiuc.lib.siu.edu:dissertations-1357