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The May 3, 2005 article written by Linda M. Bland-Stewart regarding evaluation of those who speak Black English raised interesting thoughts. When most people think of dialect, they think of variations in Standard American English that are related to geographical and regional boundaries-Southern dialect, New York accent, Midwestern accent, for example. Dialects like these often primarily involve variations in articulation, and to a lesser degree variations in grammar. As indicated by Bland-Stewart, Black English is often characterized by variations in grammatical forms of Standard American English-for example, variations in use of "ed" endings, plural /s/, and use of irregular verbs. Black dialect also has its foundation in cultural grouping as opposed to regional grouping. In this manner, Black English differentiates itself from other Standard American English dialects, and raises questions of both social and clinical interest.
As Bland-Stewart stated, Black dialect presents unique challenges to clinicians. Essentially, what it means to our profession is that more tests must be designed based on the grammatical structure of Black English if we are to accurately assess Black English speakers. This issue has been discussed for years, but these tests have been slow in coming. It was refreshing to see mention of a specific test that can be used to assess young Black English speakers (the Diagnostic Evaluation for Language Variation). I hope that in the near future this issue will become less challenging.
Paul A. Imbert
Kenmore, NY
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