Abstract
Studies document distinctive phonological, syntactic, and morphological features across ethnolinguistic varieties (e.g., Labov, 1964, 2006; Purnell, Idsardi, & Baugh, 1999). Research on language and identity in bilingual speech has focused on adolescents, with only recent attention to Spanish (or its absence) as a racialized/ethnic marker (Zentella, 1997; Bucholtz, 2011; Rosa, 2019). We present a speech perception experiment exploring how Spanish heritage language (HL)-speaking children (ages 7 - 9) across HL proficiencies in Michigan perceive their own and other children’s Spanish use and ethnic-racial identities, with an eye to how varying Spanish features are associated with race/ethnicity phenotypes and social attributes. We introduce a two-part experiment using AI-generated audio-visual stimuli of different dialectal Spanish speakers (Mexican, Caribbean, Southern Cone, Andean) and a low proficiency Spanish, “No Sabo”. Participants provide Yes/No responses regarding the AI child’s friendliness, intelligence, and race/ethnicity. Phase 1 examines dialectal categorization based solely on Spanish audio, while Phase 2 introduces visual stimuli to analyze interactions between language and perceived race/ethnicity. Measures include LexTale proficiency scores, response correlations, and focus group analysis. Preliminary outcomes from pilot data demonstrate that regardless of proficiency level, HL children are attuned to the Spanish dialect of their household, family, and social circle. Pilot participants express judgments about “other” Spanish dialects as being “better” or “worse.” Interestingly, 80% of pilot participants said the “No sabo” dialect was “not intelligent” and were averse to the way that child spoke Spanish. This reaction may indicate that Spanish HL children quickly internalize the complex stigma associated with non-mastery of Spanish. Pilot data suggest child participants with higher Spanish HL proficiency perceive differing Spanish varieties better, but also indexicalize Spanish language characteristics to phenotypic (racial/ethnic) markers, attributing the stereotypical racialized AI images to the corresponding audio of each child.
Keywords: Raciolinguistic Development, Heritage Language Competence, US Latina/o Youth, AI-generation
How to Cite:
Aguiar, J., Sims, S. & Satterfield, T.,
(2026) ““The “No Sabo” effect”: Insights from AI into child Spanish heritage language and identity development”,
University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Journal 18: 21.
doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/umurj.9837
Graphics
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“Which student has the lightest skin tone?”
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“Which student has the darkest skin tone?”
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“Which boy or girl said that?”; “Do they speak Spanish well?”; “Would you sit next to this boy or girl in class?”
*This slide is repeated five additional times with a different Spanish variation audio.
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“Hi! Click on me to listen to the story.”
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“Do I speak like you?”
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“Do you think I come from the same country as your mom or dad?”
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“Do you like how I speak Spanish?”
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“Do you think I am intelligent?”
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“Do I speak Spanish well?”
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References
Bucholtz, M. (2010). White Kids. White Kids: Language, Race, and Styles of Youth Identity. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511975776https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511975776
Labov, W. (1964). The Social Stratification of English in New York City. Columbia University Press.
Labov, W. (2006). The social stratification of English in New York City. Cambridge University Press.
Purnell, T., Idsardi, W., & Baugh, J. (1999). Perceptual and Phonetic Experiments on American English Dialect Identification. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 18(1), 10–30.
Rosa, J. (2019). Looking Like a Language, Sounding Like a Race: Raciolinguistic Ideologies and the Learning of Latinidad. Oxford University Press.
Zentella, A. (1996). Growing up bilingual: Puerto Rican Children in New York. New York: Applause Books.
