Teacher Report of Students' Dialect Use and Language Ability

Area of Science:

• Speech and Language Pathology
• Educational Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Teachers are often the first to refer students for speech/language services.
• Misidentification of non-mainstream American English (NMAE) dialects can lead to inappropriate referrals.
• Understanding teacher perceptions of dialect use is crucial for accurate language assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate teachers' ability to accurately report student dialect use.
• To examine how teacher perceptions of dialect influence their assessment of student language ability.
• To explore potential confusion between NMAE dialects and language disorders.

Main Methods:

• Teachers surveyed 254 K-2 students on dialect use and language/literacy skills.
• A subset of 30 students underwent a standardized dialect and language screener.
• Statistical analysis examined the relationship between teacher perception and reported language skills.

Main Results:

• Teachers identified 12.2% of students using NMAE dialects, contrasting with 63% identified by a standardized screener.
• A significant difference (p = .021) was found in reported language skills based on teachers' perception of NMAE dialect use.
• Teacher responses indicated potential confusion between NMAE dialects, bilingualism, and speech/language difficulties.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary evidence suggests teachers struggle to accurately identify NMAE dialect use.
• Teachers may underestimate language skills in students perceived to use NMAE dialects.
• Collaboration between teachers and speech-language pathologists can mitigate misdiagnosis risks for NMAE dialect speakers.