Office of Undergraduate Research Conference and Grants
LU Research Expo_Curette_2018
EXPO 2018 Abstract Booklet
Gauging Pre-Service Teachers’ Awareness of Dialectical Code Switching in An Undergraduate Teacher Education Program
Drake Curette | Mentor: Dr. Tilisa Thibodeaux
Manuscript submitted for publication.
This study examined pre-service teachers’ awareness of dialectical code switching in an undergraduate teacher education program, specifically as it related to African American English (AAE). Related literature confirms that dialect shifting actually provides advantages to students for the acquisition of literacy skills in measurable ways, especially for reading and spelling (Charity et al., 2004; Connor & Craig, 2006 & Washington, 2004; Kohler et al., 2007; Terry, 2006). Based on the literature, two research questions guided this study:
1. What knowledge do pre-service teachers have of dialectical code switching?
2. Is code switching important for teachers to understand?
To gauge pre-service teachers’ awareness of dialectical code switching, 23 interns in an undergraduate educator preparation program ranked items on a survey instrument about their knowledge of current research, programs, and resources available about code switching and cultural teaching practices. Twenty-eight semi-structured brief interviews were conducted within the same group of pre-service teachers to identify whether they perceived code switching was important for them to know and understand. The preliminary results of both sets of data showed that while pre-service teachers were aware of cultural differences and some resources for helping students be successful in the classroom, many of the pre-service teachers were not fully aware of dialectical code switching and its impact on student learning. Further, findings revealed that pre-service teachers were interested in learning specific strategies to help students that spoke a dialect other than Standard American English (SAE).
First, our research team examined the history of African American English (AAE) and dialectical code switching in the classroom. Craig (2016), a renowned researcher on African American English and the Achievement Gap, found that code switching allows for students to use Black English while at the same time learning Standard American English; this practice enabled students to reap the benefits of bi-dialecticism. Second, it was important to gauge the awareness of pre-service teachers before they enter the classroom to make it known that students will need support as they transition from their native language to SAE. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to raise awareness of the history of dialectical code switching, specifically for AAE, and to assist pre-service teachers with identifying resources to help them understand dialectical code switching that include methods for learning how to work with students whose primary dialect is not SAE. Accepting every student for who they are no matter their primary language, giving them the advantage of pursuing an education without stigmas, and increasing teachers’ awareness of students’ native language and culture could help students make a major shift from their native language to Standard American English much easier for all.
