Nonstandard English and Free Recall

Abstract

Two groups of schoolchildren were presented stories which contained embedded items that were later tested for recall. One group of children was judged to possess competent verbal skills in standard English and extremely marginal (if any) verbal skills in Hawaiian Islands dialect. A second group of children was judged to possess competent verbal skills in Hawaiian Islands dialect but with only marginal verbal skills in standard English. An unusual feature of the study was that the dialect speakers were not economically disadvantaged. The pattern of performance showed that the dialect speakers, despite schoolroom ratings, were in fact bidialectal, demonstrating verbal skills both in standard English and in Hawaiian Islands dialect.