The ability of African Americans to learn and apply codeswitching techniques

The purpose of this study was to determine if African American adults who spoke predominately African American English (AAE) could learn to codeswitch to Standard American English (SAE) following a brief two and a half hour training session. Mock interviews and attitude surveys were completed prior to and subsequent to the training. There were five participants in the study, four who received training and one control. Survey results showed that participants did not change their attitudes regarding their communication abilities post training beyond being more aware of AAE features. Analysis of interview transcripts indicated that the majority of participants increased their AAE usage post training. Problems with participant recruitment and participant attitude were cited as reasons for negative results. The training protocol may have been too brief. Recommendations for future studies suggest stronger recruitment protocols and restructuring of the training protocol.