Lexicogrammatical Analysis on African-American Vernacular English Spoken by African-Amecian You-Tubers

English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia 11480

^* Corresponding author: ienneke@binus.edu

Abstract

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) emerged from the historical context of African American enslavement and represents one of the numerous vernacular languages influenced by English. Today, AAVE is commonly used by African-Americans and non-African-Americans in various media platforms. This research aims to investigate the differences and similarities between AAVE spoken by African American and non-African-American YouTubers in terms of lexicogrammatical features. Additionally, it aims to know the perspectives of Indonesian learners regarding the interpretation and preference of AAVE. The data consist of transcriptions from African American and non-African-American YouTubers speaking in AAVE. The study used a qualitative method, analyzing spoken language in the subjects’ YouTube videos, as well as a quantitative approach by collecting opinions from Indonesian learners through a questionnaire. The results show that African-Americans and non-African-Americans speaking AAVE use similar features, such as simplification of Standard English phrases, consonant cluster simplification, copula absence, slang, and gender-specific terms like “bruh”. Indonesian learners prefer AAVE spoken by African Americans due to its advantage in clarity and acknowledge that non-African Americans may use AAVE depending on contextual factors. This research seeks to foster awareness of AAVE as a cultural expression and address concerns related to cultural appropriation.