Methods for characterizing participants' nonmainstream dialect use in child language research
Janna B Oetting1, Janet L McDonald
1Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803-2606, USA. cdjanna@lsu.edu
Summary
This study compared methods for identifying nonmainstream dialects in children, finding that token-based counts were best for rate characterization. Accurate dialect classification (Southern White English or Southern African American English) was achieved for most participants.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Sociolinguistics
Background:
- Characterizing nonmainstream dialect use in research is crucial for accurate child language studies.
- Existing literature includes listener judgment ratings, type-based counts, and token-based counts for dialect analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare three distinct methods for characterizing nonmainstream dialect use in children.
- To evaluate the efficacy of shortcuts within these methods.
- To assess implications for dialect diversity research.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of language samples from 93 children speaking rural Louisiana Southern White English (SWE) and Southern African American English (SAAE).
- Comparison of listener judgment ratings, type-based counts, and token-based counts.
- Application of regression algorithms to type- and token-based results.
Main Results:
- Correct dialect classification (SWE or SAAE) ranged from 88% to 97% depending on the method and shortcut used.
- Token-based methods demonstrated superiority in characterizing the rate of nonmainstream pattern production.
- Estimates from all approaches showed moderate to high correlations.
- Substantial reduction in the number of patterns analyzed was possible without compromising validity for type- and/or token-based methods.
Conclusions:
- The findings offer valuable insights for future child language research involving dialect diversity.
- Token-based methods are recommended for accurately characterizing dialectal pattern rates.
- Methodological choices significantly impact the accuracy and efficiency of dialect characterization in child language studies.
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