Features of AAVE as features of PRE: A study of adolescents in Philadelphia

Our paper describes results from a study of the speech of Puerto Rican children and adolescents in North Philadelphia. During a yearlong research project in the community we observed extensive use of phonological and grammatical forms considered prototypical of African American English (AAE). Previous studies have documented the use of AAE features by Puerto Ricans in communities in New York City (Labov, Cohen, Robins, and Lewis 1968, Wolfram 1974) and Philadelphia (Poplack 1978, Labov and Harris 1986). In all cases, it was found that contact with African Americans who spoke AAE was necessary for Puerto Ricans to adopt prototypical AAE grammatical forms. AAE phonological forms were more readily apparent in the speech of Puerto Ricans in these previous studies, whether or not they were in close contact with speakers of AAE. Wolfram (1974) distinguished between the use of AAE phonological and grammatical variables by Puerto Rican speakers in New York City. He found that even Puerto Ricans with restricted contact with African Americans used AAE phonological forms, such as monophthongization of [ay]. On the other hand, AAE grammatical forms, like habitual be, were categorically absent among these same speakers. It was the Puerto Ricans with extensive AAE contact who demonstrated a robust use of both phonological and grammatical variables in their speech. Wolfram concluded that, “The main differences in phonological assimilation, as indicated by the Puerto Rican groups [those with and without extensive contact with African Americans], is one of quantity, but there appears to be a qualitative difference in grammatical assimilation...Apparently, it is only through direct peer contact that extensive grammatical assimilation takes place (1974:2045).” Labov and Harris (1986) reported on the absence of 3rd singular -s and possessive -s among Puerto Ricans immersed in the African American community in West Philadelphia. The two Puerto Rican subjects who were considered part of that community showed the same rate of absence of these