African American Vernacular English and Code-switching: an analysis of the films Hidden Figures and The Six Triple Eight

This dissertation investigates the representation of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and code-switching (CS) in the films Hidden Figures and The Six Triple Eight, examining how linguistic variation is portrayed in relation to race, gender and institutional power. Grounded in sociolinguistic theories of AAVE, language ideology and code-switching, the study explores how speech styles are distributed across different social settings within the two narratives. Using a qualitative discourse-analytic approach, the analysis focuses on scenes that illustrate vernacular features and shifts in register. The findings show that AAVE is more visible in informal, in-group context in The Six Triple Eight, where it functions as a marker of solidarity and shared identity among Black women in a segregated military unit. In contrast, Hidden Figures highlights code-switching and stylistic adaptation in professional environments, where African American women adjust their speech to meet institutional expectations in a white-dominated scientific setting. The comparison reveals a strong link between speech register and linguistic representation: informal settings allow greater visibility of vernacular speech, while formal context encourage standardization and linguistic self-monitoring. These portrayals reflect broader language ideologies that associate Standard American English with authority and professionalism, while confining AAVE to private or community spaces. Overall, the dissertation argues that film representations of language shape public perceptions of linguistic legitimacy and illustrate how speech becomes a key site where identity, power and social inequality intersect.