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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Published on: February 8, 2019

Terminology in Child African American Language Matters: Verbal /s/ and Code Shifting.

Lisa Green¹, Brandi L Newkirk-Turner²

¹Department of Linguistics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts.

Seminars in Speech and Language

|November 18, 2025

Summary

This study clarifies verbal /s/ and code shifting in African American Language (AAL) to improve understanding and descriptions of child AAL development. It also examines caregiver speech patterns for insights into language acquisition.

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Published on: April 19, 2017

Area of Science:

Linguistics
Speech-Language Pathology
African American Language (AAL)

Background:

Accurate terminology is crucial for interdisciplinary teams studying language.
Existing literature on child and adult African American Language (AAL) uses terms like "verbal /s/" and "code shifting" inconsistently.
Understanding variation in caregiver speech is key to analyzing child AAL development.

Purpose of the Study:

To clarify the linguistic concepts of "verbal /s/" and "code shifting" within African American Language (AAL).
To promote accurate understanding and consistent use of terminology among professionals.
To provide implications for the description, assessment, and research of child AAL.

Main Methods:

Literature review and conceptual clarification of specific linguistic phenomena.
Analysis of aspectual forms and variable constructions in caregiver speech.
Examination of patterns in children's linguistic input.

Main Results:

Clarification of "verbal /s/" and "code shifting" enhances descriptions of child AAL.
Identification of variable patterns in caregiver speech provides examples of children's linguistic input.
Highlighted aspectual forms and constructions offer insights into AAL development.

Conclusions:

Accurate terminology and understanding of linguistic phenomena are vital for AAL research and practice.
Caregiver speech patterns offer valuable data for understanding child AAL acquisition.
Recommendations are provided for future assessment and research in the field of AAL.