Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools Vol.43 132-152 April 2012. doi:10.1044/0161-1461(2011/10-0101)
© American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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Article

Dialect-Neutral Indices of Narrative Cohesion and Evaluation

Frances A. Burnsa
Peter A. de Villiersb
Barbara Z. Pearsona
Tempii B. Championc
a University of Massachusetts, Amherst
b Smith College, Northampton, MA
c Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY

Correspondence to Frances A. Burns: fburns{at}comdis.umass.edu

Purpose: This study compared the development of essential elements of narrative skill in children from African American English (AAE)- and general American English (GAE)-speaking communities using an innovative elicitation and evaluation protocol consisting of four key indices of narrative language: (a) reference contrasting, (b) temporal expressions, (c) mental state descriptions, and (d) understanding of behavior based on false belief.

Method: Participants were 291 AAE speakers and 238 GAE speakers, 4 to 9 years of age. Approximately one-third of both dialect groups were identified as having language impairments. Children generated 2 stories based on short picture sequences. Their stories were coded for the 4 key indices of narrative language. Analyses of variance were performed with subsets of the measures and a composite index with all measures combined as outcomes; and with age, dialect group, and clinical status as predictors.

Results: Age and clinical status had statistically significant effects on the subset measures and the composite score. Variation between AAE and GAE dialect was not a significant factor.

Conclusion: By focusing on dialect-neutral elements of narratives—creating links across sentences and providing mental state interpretations—this study adds to our knowledge of development and impairment in narrative production among both AAE- and GAE-background children.

KEY WORDS: dialect, narrative, AAE, assessment, cohesion


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