Comparison of differences in dialect speech among black college students grouped by standard English test performance.

Abstract

Eighty black students enrolled in a pre-freshman year college program were divided into four standard English ability groups based on standardized test scores. Group dialect samples were obtained by asking the students in each of the groups to translate orally a standard English reading selection. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of these dialect translations showed differences among the groups in dialect facility that were positively and significantly related to group rankings in standard English ability. Initial differences among the groups in reading ability and geographical background did not appear to account for the differences in dialect facility. Comparing the results of the quantitative and qualitative analyses in the present study with findings in language development studies suggested a developmental hypothesis to account for the group differences in both dialect and standard English communication skill for these black students.