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Cohesive Adequacy in the Narrative Samples of School-Age Children Who Use African American English

Contact author: RaMonda Horton-Ikard, Florida State University, Department of Communication Disorders, 401 Regional Rehabilitation Center, Tallahassee, FL 32306. E-mail: RaMonda.Horton-Ikard{at}comm.fsu.edu.

Purpose: This study explored the type and adequacy of cohesive devices that are produced by school-age children who use African American English (AAE).

Method: The language samples of 33 African American children, ages 7, 9, and 11 years, were transcribed, analyzed, and coded for AAE use and cohesive adequacy (e.g., personal reference, demonstrative reference, lexical, and conjunctive markers).

Results: There were 2 AAE features that child speakers used for cohesive purposes. Adequacy rates for personal reference cohesive devices were higher than for the other 3 categories. Age was a significant factor in the use and adequacy of cohesive devices.

Conclusion: Typically developing African American children use the same category types of cohesive devices that have been reported for their peers who speak Standard American English. Further examination of cohesive adequacy to identify language impairment in school-age AAE speakers is warranted.

KEY WORDS: AAE, cohesion, narratives, African American children

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