Negotiating words and worlds: an autoethnography of linguistic identity development

Abstract

This article presents an autoethnographic account of the author’s linguistic development as a speaker of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and Standard American English (SAE). Historically, formal settings such as academic spaces have undervalued the use of AAVE; thus, creating tension for speakers of the language. In this study, the author reflects on her linguistic identity, and as a new doctoral student begins to interrogate her language beliefs and practices. This research is grounded in critical race theoretical perspectives and analyzes power, race, and language use for African Americans who speak AAVE and SAE. The author employs autoethnography methods to develop a narrative account of her experiences and reflect on the psychological and physical effects of code-switching and code-meshing as a student and teacher. This work can inform pedagogical approaches that support the teaching and learning needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students in urban classrooms.