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Dialect And Word Learning: Are Phonological Properties Maintained When Dialectal Influence Changes Word Meaning?, Heather C. Iwinski

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Word learning requires the accurate encoding and decoding of a word’s phonological and semantic properties. Errors in establishing an accurate phonemic-semantic connection can hinder accurate word comprehension and use. Geographical location, culture, and ethnicity can affect the phonology used by a speaker referred to as dialect. African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is one of the most commonly used dialects in the United States. In addition to grammatical changes AAVE is characterized by phonemic changes. The current study sought to determine the effects of AAVE use on the receptive and expressive learning of nonsense words that differ in meaning as noted …