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Chapter
African-American English
GENERAL INFORMATION
African‐American English is a dialect of American English. It is spoken by many, but
not all African‐Americans, as well as people of other races and ethnicities throughout the
United States. Its usage may be influenced by a variety of factors such as age, education, and
style. Linguistically, African‐American English shares features of Southern American English
dialect and many African creole dialects, and it is considered by some to be a creole. Its
cultural relevance is well recognized in literature and music. While controversy exists about
the use of this dialect, especially in educational settings, speech‐language pathologists and
educators are very likely to encounter it among their students.
African‐American students have historically been over‐represented in special
education. African‐American youth, ages 6 through 21, account for 14.8 percent of the
general population, yet they account for 20.2 percent of the special education population
93 (OSEP, 2000). This is an alarming percentage that moves us to ask why this is the case. Many
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of these children enter special education with a diagnosis of speech and/or language
impairments. In order to accurately diagnose impairments, an understanding of dialectical
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