Ch 14 Language and Dialectical Variations

Objectives

  • Explain dialect in speech assessment/diagnosis.

  • Discuss English dialects.

  • Explain speech disorders in a diverse society.

  • List phonological features of dialects.

  • Apply dialect knowledge for SSDs assessment and treatment.

  • Know best practices when working with bilingual speakers.

  • Understand phonologies of US languages.

Dialects and Characteristics

  • Dialects: Forms of the same language specific to regions, social classes, or ethnic groups.

  • Differences primarily in sounds and prosody, not message content.

Dialects and Speech/Language Impairments

  • Mutual exclusivity perception between dialects and disorders can lead to misidentification.

  • Underidentified: Littles, “oh they just have a dialect give them time ittl be ok”

  • Overidentified: Older kids, they perform differently and so they are often mistakenly labeled as having a speech or language disorder, rather than being recognized for their unique dialectical patterns.

Prestige and Social Perception

  • Some dialects perceived as more prestigious; GAE preferred in broadcasting.

  • Communities may favor their native dialect (e.g., AAE).

Variability in Dialects

  • Influences: Region, age, gender, socioeconomic status.

  • Dialects can change with geographical moves.

Common Features of AAE

  • Word-final cluster reduction.

  • Deletion of /r/ and /l/ in clusters.

  • Substitution of /f/ for /θ/.

Phonological Development in AAE

  • AAE-speaking children's phonetic inventory parallels GAE.

  • Systematic error patterns exist across dialects.

Speech Delay in AAE-Speaking Children

  • More errors in stops, fricatives, and affricates noted.

  • Early mastery of some phonemes compared to GAE children.

Importance of Detailed Assessments

  • Information needed: segmental, prosodic, syllabic, developmental characteristics.

Pidgins and Creoles

  • Pidgin: limited vocabulary language system among different native speakers.

  • Creole: pidgin passed to new generations.

Spanish Phonology

  • 5 primary vowels, 18 consonants.

  • Mastery of vowels typically by 18 months.

Asian Phonology

  • Few syllable-final consonants, less consonant clustering.

  • Some use tones (e.g., Mandarin) for meaning.

Phonological Development in East Asian Languages

  • Cantonese and Japanese progress faster, all Korean consonants by age 3.

Arabic Phonology

  • 28 consonants, 6 vowels.

  • Importance of knowing specific Arabic dialects.

Bilingual Phonological Development

  • Negative transfer: slower development than monolinguals.

  • Positive transfer: equal or faster skill acquisition.

Bilingual Speech Assessment

  • Clinicians must know phonological rules of both languages to discern errors vs. dialectal differences.

Elective Therapy for Dialect Acquisition

  • SLPs facilitate dialect acquisition through appreciating native dialect and comparing it to the new dialect.

Approaches to Bilingual Speech Therapy

  • Bilingual approach: transferable skills.

  • Cross-linguistic approach: focus on individual languages.

Challenges in Bilingual Speech Therapy

  • Motor-based and contrast therapy challenges; minimal pairs may be fewer in some languages.

Summary

  • Dialect variations crucial for assessment/treatment.

  • Language influence has diverse impacts.

  • Background information significantly aids evaluations.