Cultural and Dialectal Development

1. Dual Language Development
Dual Language Learners are children who are learning two languages simultaneously from infancy or learning a second language after the first language has been established.  It is important to access the language development of dual language learners to make sure that they are developing typically. Processing two language systems can cause a slowdown in a language development in bilingual children.


2. Dialect Difference
African American English is a complex language system.  Children who speak AAE are also learning MAE which making them bidialectual or bilingual.  There is a lack of knowledge and a communication disconnect between teachers and children regarding what sounds "right" to AAE children.  

(Griffin, 2012)

(Griffin, 2012)

(Griffin, 2012)

Goals for educational programs:

• Support teacher knowledge through professional education programs
• Curriculum that normalizes and contextualizes language variation
• Pedagogical action
• Educators need real-world language scenarios

References

Burns, F. A. et. al. (2010). New branches from old roots:Experts respond to questions about African American english development and language intervention.  Top Language Disorders (30) 3. pp. 253-264.

Dyson, A. H. & Smiterman, G. (2009). The right (write) start: African American language and the discourse of sounding right. Teachers College Record (111) 4, pp. 973-998.

Paradis, J. et. al. (2011). Dual Language Development & Disorders. Brookes Publishing Co. Baltimore, Maryland (2nd edition).