"Researchers in my field often contend that it is beneficial for children who speak with a dialect to become bidialectal, that is, able to shift between informal forms of English, such as African American English, and standardized forms of English when it is expected. However, I feel that it is important to understand how young African American adults view the concept of dialect-shifting - whether they use it as a method of assimilation or as a coping mechanism, or whether they actually resist the practice, and their reasons for their choices - in an environment where they make up a very small percentage of the population.”
The Inclusive Excellence Spirit Awards support faculty activities which promote equity, diversity and inclusion on campus among faculty, students, and staff, as well as the community served by UCI. Gatlin's research foci include language, reading, writing, cultural and linguistic diversity, measurement and assessment, and instruction. She believes that understanding the needs of children from racially, ethnically, economically, and linguistically diverse backgrounds is a priority in educational research. The majority of her research explores relations among language variation, namely nonmainstream American English or dialect, and literacy achievement among culturally and linguistically diverse students in early developmental stages of reading. Her ongoing research explores similarities and differences among bilingual and bidialectal learners in order to determine potential implications for improvement in assessment and instruction among linguistically diverse students. The Office of Inclusive Excellence drives UCI's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, considered fundamental to advancing the campus's mission as a public research university. Comments are closed.
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