ABSTRACT
African American English (AAE) is one of the dialects that is stigmatized based on racial and linguistic differences. A language variety, be it language or dialect, that has been widely used in a society may come to be viewed as standard in the sense of "proper" or correct. The perception of standard and stigmatized languages is explained by social advantages or disadvantages that exist in the society. A standard language variety acquires prestige when it is associated with a community of individuals with desirable traits, typically in the form of social, economic, educational, and political advantages. A language that is perceived to be standard carries an overt prestige, a form of acknowledgment with the sense of correctness based on the language's association with greater social, economic, educational, and political benefits. Negative attitudes can be internalized by members of the marginalized communities experiencing institutional and personal treatment they have received throughout their lives.
