African American Vernacular English: a study of the representation of black speech in popular TV series

Abstract

African American Vernacular English or AAVE is a variety of American English often spoken by African Americans in urban or Southern regions. The fact that a large number of people speak this variety has led African American Vernacular English to before almost a half-century an important topic of discussion among both; linguists and the public. Linguists maintain that there is nothing “wrong” or “incorrect” about African American Vernacular English since, like other dialects, it only deviates from the standard and shows a consistent internal logic. However, it is known that this variety is highly stigmatized, and as a consequence, speakers of American Vernacular English are often regarded as ignorant or uneducated people as well as members of a lower social class. In this study I will give an overview of the main characteristics of African American Vernacular English through an analysis of relevant descriptive sources, and see how this language variety is represented in the media, especially in the popular TV series entitled “The Wire” which is settled in Baltimore. The wide range of characters that this series presents will allow me to figure out if there is some sort of variability in the use of this variety depending on the social context or the recipient. Moreover, I will also try to conclude how this variety is established as symbol of black identity.