The comprehension performance of Standard English (SE) and Black English (BE) speakers associated with language materials distinguished by segmental and suprasegmental features of black dialect was investigated. Also assessed was the nature of comprehension improvement on these materials by SE speakers who had been systematically exposed to black peer speech. Language materials consisted of tape-recorded narrative passages by black bidialectal speakers in four dialect conditions: SE segmentals and suprasegmentals; BE segmentals and SE Suprasegmentals; SE segmentals and BE suprasegmentals; and BE sigmentals and suprasegmentals. Results indicated (1) both SE and BE listener groups perceived the materials as representative of three dialect conditions; (2) BE listeners judged messages characterized by BE features significantly more comprehensible than did SE listeners; (3) the comprehension performance of SE speakers who received dialect training (SET) was approximately equal across the four dialect conditions; (4) the comprehension performance of SE speakers who listened to SE speech deteriorated in dialect conditions characterized by features of BE; and (5) SET error scores on word recognition were less than those of subjects without dialect training in dialect conditions characterized by features of BE. (Author/HOD)