In Radek Skarnitzl & Jan Volín (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (pp. 2487-2491), Prague: Guarant International, 2023
Previous research shows that regional phonetic variation may impede comprehension for both native... more Previous research shows that regional phonetic variation may impede comprehension for both native and L2 listeners, but that experience with regional varieties can lead to changes in the perception of dialectal sounds. This study investigates how exposure to a novel dialect of the target language through a 4-week study abroad immersion experience in Buenos Aires affected the processing of Argentine phonetic variants by English-speaking L2 learners of Spanish. Learners completed a lexical decision task in the first and fourth weeks abroad, which presented Spanish stimuli with Argentine assibilated palatal and aspirated-/s/ variants. Initially, learners were less accurate in recognizing known Spanish words articulated with the Argentine assibilated palatal, and also had slower recognition reaction times for both the assibilated palatal and aspirated-/s/. By the end of four weeks, effects of the assibilated palatal on lexical decision accuracy and processing speed disappeared; however, effects of the aspirated-/s/ on processing speed persisted.
The objective of the current study is to investigate the development of awareness of dialectal di... more The objective of the current study is to investigate the development of awareness of dialectal differences in Spanish by second language learners in a formal language learning classroom setting in the United States. Sensitivity toward different regional varieties of a language forms part of sociolinguistic—and ultimately, communicative—competence (Bachman, 1990; Canale and Swain 1980; Canale 1983), a primary objective of language learning. However, the role of dialect awareness in second language learning is largely not understood. 229 American English speaking learners of Spanish across five proficiency levels of university study completed a questionnaire that elicited knowledge of dialectal phonetic variation in Spanish. Results found that, while a variety of dialectal pronunciation features and regions were identified, learners were most aware of dialectal features of Peninsular (Spain) Spanish. However, as proficiency level increased, learners became more knowledgeable of dialectal differences in pronunciation throughout the Spanish-speaking world and reported explicit knowledge of a greater variety of dialectal structures and regions. Patterns in the development of dialect awareness in a second language are identified, and implications of dialect awareness for language learning and teaching are explored.
El objetivo del presente estudio exploratorio es acrecentar el conocimiento actual en torno a tem... more El objetivo del presente estudio exploratorio es acrecentar el conocimiento actual en torno a tema de la variación regional en la sonorización de /s/ en español. Doce hablantes de Quito, Ecuador, realizaron una tarea oral que consistía en hacer descripciones de imágenes contextualizadas que presentaban contextos preconsonánticos y prevocálicos de /s/. Para cada caso, fue calculado el porcentaje de sonorización y fueron realizados análisis estadísticos usando modelos EEG para determinar los factores (socio)lingüísticos relevantes en la aplicación del proceso en la variedad quiteña. La tarea oral reveló que los quiteños sonorizaron el fonema sibilante con mayor frecuencia que hablantes de otras variedades americanas y peninsulares estudiadas anteriormente, tanto para el contexto preconsonántico como para el contexto prevocálico. Solo algunos de los factores lingüísticos (por ejemplo, posición de /s/) y sociales (sexo del hablante) reportados para otras variedades resultaron ser predictores en la sonorización por los hablantes quiteños.
The current study explores the second language (L2) acquisition of subconsciously held language a... more The current study explores the second language (L2) acquisition of subconsciously held language attitudes. Specifically, we determine whether L2 learners perceive differences between Spanish speakers of four geographic varieties and evaluate them differently, and if these perceptions change with proficiency. Following sociolinguistic methodological practices, we administered a verbal guise task to American English speaking learners of Spanish from four university enrollment levels. We found that the learners differentially evaluated speakers of these regional varieties across dimensions of solidarity (kindness) and standardness (prestige). We observed development across levels in the evaluation of regional varieties for prestige, while differentiations in kindness ratings remained consistent across levels. We also show that for our highest-level group, study abroad experience may contribute to patterns of subconscious evaluation. Although one would not expect L2 classroom learners to possess native-like subconscious attitudes, the present study is an essential step in understanding how such attitudes develop in L2 acquisition.
This study examines how language attitudes play a role in the adoption of dialectal variants in s... more This study examines how language attitudes play a role in the adoption of dialectal variants in second language (L2) pronunciation in a study abroad context. 24 North American university students participating in a six-week program in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were administered Pre- and Posttest questionnaires and a Posttest oral production task to determine how different background and attitudinal variables relate to production of two Argentine dialectal sounds, lenited-/s/ and assibilated pre-palatal /ʃ ʒ/. Results show that while students did not produce lenited-/s/ forms, use of dialectal /ʃ ʒ/ phones by the end of the program was high – but variable – across individuals. Dialect preference, feelings toward Spanish, and desire to sound native-like were identified as predictors of use of dialectal /ʃ ʒ/. These findings illustrate how social variables play a role in target model accent preferences and adoption of dialectal sounds in L2 pronunciation in a study abroad context.
Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics, 2020
Spanish is described as having an /s/ regressive voicing assimilation process by which the sibila... more Spanish is described as having an /s/ regressive voicing assimilation process by which the sibilant is voiced when followed by a voiced consonant. However, experimental studies documenting the nature of the process – including variation in its realization across speech varieties – are limited. The current study presents an acoustic analysis of the phonetic nature of the process, including an analysis of the linguistic and social factors which influence voicing of the /s/. Using an identical controlled phrase elicitation task, rates and location of voicing within the /s/ segment were compared across three varieties of Spanish: Mexican Spanish (Mexico City) and two Peninsular varieties (León and Vitoria). Different voicing rates and different linguistic voicing predictors were found across dialects. The data suggest that /s/ voicing before a voiced consonant is far from a categorical process in Spanish, with variable rates of application between 43% and 63%. We propose that, based on the data, /s/ voicing in Spanish is, in fact, better understood as a progressive voicing process (i. e. continuation of voicing from the previous vowel), and that the linguistic factors that condition voicing can be explained in part through articulatory and aerodynamic mechanisms. We also discuss the phonetics and phonology of the process.
Recent Advances in the Study of Spanish Sociophonetic Perception, Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics Series, Edited by Whitney Chappell, John Benjamins, 2019
This chapter presents a quantitative study of cross-dialectal differences in the perceptual categ... more This chapter presents a quantitative study of cross-dialectal differences in the perceptual categorization of the assibilated pre-palatal (e.g., calle ‘street’ /kaʃe/), a feature of Rioplatense Argentine Spanish. Listeners from two South American varieties of Spanish that varied in degree of contact with Rioplatense speakers completed an Identification Task in which they categorized [ʃ] in Spanish pseudowords. Results revealed that listeners from the contact group (La Rioja, Argentina) identified the phone as the intended phonetic category, orthographic <y ll>, while listeners with limited contact with Rioplatense Spanish (Bogota, Colombia) assigned the phone to a separate category, orthographic <ch>. The study shows how contact with non-local speech varieties may result in changes to perceptual norms, even in the absence of use (production) of these forms.
In face-to-face spoken interactions, language learners must construct a meaningful message consis... more In face-to-face spoken interactions, language learners must construct a meaningful message consistent with the L2 grammar, articulate it comprehensibly, and manage the aspects of oral communication that reflect speaker identity, interlocutor identities, and the characteristics of the interactional context. A lack of sociolinguistic competence can lead to a failure to convey formality, politeness, solidarity, friendship, and group membership, and this will negatively affect the communicative outcome. The current chapter examines the social and situational information one conveys through linguistic variants in speech, offering a state-of-the-art account of empirical research, including a discussion of pressing issues in the field, such as the roles of lexical frequency, geographic variation, and language attitudes, as well as the pedagogical implications of this research.
The Routledge Handbook of Study Abroad Research and Practice, Edited by Cristina Sanz & Alfonso Morales-Front, Routledge, 2018
Research on study abroad context shows that in a single learning context, there are variable outc... more Research on study abroad context shows that in a single learning context, there are variable outcomes, which may be linked to individual characteristics such as aptitude, motivation, and proficiency level at the start of the abroad experience (e.g., Grey, Cox, Serafini & Sanz 2015; Hernández, 2010; Llanes & Muñoz, 2009, 2013; Lord, 2009; MacIntyre, Baker, Clement & Conrod, 2009; Serrano, Llanes & Tragant 2011; Nagle, Morales-Front, Moorman & Sanz, 2016). These differences are also related to individual attitudes toward speakers of another language and to patterns of individual behavior, such as the degree to which learners choose to use the second language while abroad and the types and depth of their social interactions (Bardovi-Harlig & Bastos, 2011; Díaz-Campos, 2004; George, 2014; Isabelli-García, 2006). These findings are attested for abilities related to overall language proficiency and fluency (e.g., Segalowitz & Freed, 2004), to knowledge of a particular structure in the L2 grammar (e.g., Isabelli-García, 2004), and also for variable features of the language, which are optional but indicate membership to social groups, defined by geography, age, gender, socioeconomic status and the like (e.g., Fox & McGory, 2007).
Within this context of differential outcomes and individual differences, we present an overview of research on the role of attitude toward a target language and the cultural groups that speak that language in the process of second language acquisition and then narrow our discussion to the exploration of this factor in the study abroad context. Of essential importance to this field is the methodology used to examine language attitudes, both conscious and subconscious, and the chapter identifies the methodological challenges that research on language attitudes must address, providing a model of a multi-modal approach for future research. The chapter continues with a presentation of original research findings on the relationship between language attitudes on the one hand, and overall experience with the second language on the other. The study uses a matched-guise task (Lambert, Hodgson, Gardner & Fillenbaum, 1960) to measure the subconscious attitudes of four levels of second language learners of Spanish toward four different regional varieties of Spanish and links these attitudes to individual learning experiences. This empirical study contributes to our present understanding of learner attitudes toward different varieties of the same language, using a multi-modal methodology combining qualitative profiles that account for life-long experience, both academic and through study abroad, and established quantitative measures of subconsciously held language attitudes. Thus, we connect existing research on the role of language attitudes to our understanding of the importance of study abroad experiences in second language acquisition. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of attitudinal research for second language acquisition in the study abroad context and elsewhere.
The present study examined second language (L2) development in the perceptual identification of a... more The present study examined second language (L2) development in the perceptual identification of a dialectal sound of the target language, through an investigation of the role of individual learner experiences in L2 phonological development. A total of 213 English-speaking learners of Spanish across five levels of study and with varying dialect contact experiences completed an identification task, which tested perceptual categorization of Spanish dialectal aspirated-s (e.g., siesta [ˈsi̯eh-ta]). In accordance with postulates of L2 speech perception models (PAM-L2, SLM, L2LP), findings revealed influence of the first language phonology on categorization at early levels shifting toward nativelike, dialect-specific categorizations of aspirated-s for more experienced learners. Dialect contact factors of prior study abroad location, native speaker social contacts, and metalinguistic training were found to be predictors of the dialectal perceptual targets toward which the L2 learners developed—for those learners past intermediate-level language courses—highlighting how individual experiences shape L2 perceptual abilities.
Previous work has found that speakers who move to a new dialect region may come to adopt features of the second dialect. This study investigates whether other types of dialect exposure – those present without ever leaving one’s home dialectal region – similarly result in differences in language use. An identification task and a dialect contact questionnaire were administered to two Spanish-speaking dialect groups of young adults (aged 18-24 years old) in Latin America – Bogota, Colombia, and La Rioja, Argentina – to determine the effect of different types of dialect contact on the perceptual categorization of the regionally and socially variable feature of syllable-final /s/-aspiration (e.g., fresco [fɾeh.ko], ‘fresh’). Short-term travel and exposure to Media from /s/-weakening regions were not found to play a role in identification of aspirated-/s/. However, the regional background of reported social contacts (i.e., the social network) was a significant factor in how the regional variant was identified. Findings highlight the importance of live social interaction in language contact and change.
Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics, 2014
The present study examines whether, and to what degree, regressive voicing assimilation of Spanis... more The present study examines whether, and to what degree, regressive voicing assimilation of Spanish /s/ (as in rasgo/rasgo/ [ˈraz.ɣ̞ o]) occurs in the speech of advanced second language (L2) learners of Spanish. Acoustic analyses of L2 productions of /s/ in the voicing context (preceding a voiced consonant) and in the non-voicing context (preceding a voiceless consonant) elicited from a contextualized picture-description task revealed a contextual voicing effect in the speech of only a limited number of the advanced L2 speakers. The low occurrence of the assimilation process even amongst the advanced learners may be attributed in part to the variable nature of voicing in the input and to the complexity of the process (i.e. subject to different stylistic, linguistic, and social factors). The study also provides a phonetic description of the variants of L2 Spanish /s/ and finds that when voicing does occur, it is phonetically similar to native Spanish voicing in terms of the phonetic contexts in which voicing occurs, patterns of durational differences of /s/ according to voicing, and the variable nature of its occurrence.
This paper systematically investigates the phonological process of voicing assimilation of the sibilant in Mexican Spanish whereby /s/ is produced as [z] based on the voicing of the following consonant (for example, /mismo/ [mizmo] 'same'). Twelve college aged (21-29 years) native Mexican speakers attending the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico, and recorded in Mexico City provided the data. The instrument for the study was a contextualized picture description task presented in a PowerPoint format, which allowed for the systematic investigation of the contexts of /s/ in intervocalic position and in coda position followed by a voiceless or voiced consonant; these contexts were also examined by phrase position. Findings indicate that /s/ voicing before a voiced consonant is not a categorical process in Mexican Spanish and that factors associated with variability in /s/ voicing include the sex of the speaker and phrase position. The paper also documents the consistent, albeit small in duration, manifestation of progressive voicing from the preceding vowel into the sibilant, not previously documented for Spanish.
This study explores regional variation in the perception of sociophonetic variants of Spanish syllable-final /s/ (e.g., loste [los.te] vs. [loh.te]), a highly studied phenomenon in Hispanic sociolinguistic research in its production but little understood in terms of speech perception and processing. Moreover, the study considers how listener social factors (sex) and linguistic experiences (dialect contact) may play a role in the categorization of sociophonetic variants. An Identification Task was administered to two dialect groups of South American Spanish that differ in their production of /s/ (/s/-conserving Bogota, Colombia, and /s/-weakening La Rioja, Argentina) in order to explore regional variation in patterns of categorization of variants of syllable-final /s/. Findings indicate significant differences in categorization of aspirated-/s/ according to dialect group (region) and linguistic experience (dialect contact). Listener sex played a role in categorization of the sociophonetic variant for the /s/-weakening group only. Findings from the research highlight the value of speech perception experimentation in sociolinguistic research (e.g., Drager 2010, Thomas 2002), revealing variable patterns in language use that would be otherwise unseen if limited solely to analyses of speech production.
Speaker dialect has been found to play an important role in listening comprehension by learners of a second language (L2) (Eisenstein and Berkowitz 1981, Major et al. 2005, Wilcox 1978), with comprehensibility related to dialect familiarity (Tauroza and Luk 1997). Although the effect of various varieties of English on L2 comprehension has been frequently considered, this is the first study to examine the effects of dialect exposure on comprehension of Spanish as an L2. This study considers the effect of exposure to a previously unfamiliar dialect of Spanish, Dominican Spanish, through a study abroad experience, on the listening comprehension of Dominican speech by a group of intermediate through near-native L2 learners of Spanish. Results find an effect of dialect familiarity on L2 listening comprehension, with significant gains in comprehension of the Dominican speech, but not of the speech samples of the other Spanish varieties, at both the word and phrase levels after the study abroad experience. Findings also suggest that certain phonological features of the Dominican speech may cause greater difficulties for the L2 listeners than other features.
This dissertation investigates the role of dialectal (sociophonetic) variation in second language... more This dissertation investigates the role of dialectal (sociophonetic) variation in second language acquisition. Perception of aspirated-/s/, a variant limited to specific Spanish-speaking geographic regions and subject to social and stylistic variation, is examined for second language (L2) learners of Spanish. In this investigation, 47 native speakers of Spanish from aspirating and non-aspirating dialects and 215 English-speaking learners of Spanish with varying experience with the target language completed an identification task and a language background questionnaire. Analysis of the patterns of identification of syllable-final, word-internal aspirated-/s/ in the perception task revealed: (1) effects of native dialect and dialect contact for the native speaker control groups, and (2) effects of target language experience and dialect exposure for the L2 learners. Specifically, an examination of the L2 learner cross-sectional data showed stages of development of perception of the dialectal feature, with identification of syllable-final aspiration as a variant of /s/ first emerging at the high intermediate level. By the most advanced levels, L2 learners show native-like patterns of perception of the aspirated variant. Location of study abroad experience was found to play a significant role in perception of the aspirated-/s/, with greater acceptance of the aspirated variants as legitimate forms of Spanish /s/ amongst those learners with prior experience in /s/-weakening regions. Current models of non-native and L2 perception (PAM, SLM) were found to be insufficient in modeling the L2 perception and development of the linguistically and dialectally variable feature. This dissertation demonstrates the need to examine acquisition of dialectally and socially variable forms of the target language rather than an idealized linguistic norm and to recognize the effect of varying exposures to target language dialects on the interlanguage system of the learner.
In Radek Skarnitzl & Jan Volín (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (pp. 2487-2491), Prague: Guarant International, 2023
Previous research shows that regional phonetic variation may impede comprehension for both native... more Previous research shows that regional phonetic variation may impede comprehension for both native and L2 listeners, but that experience with regional varieties can lead to changes in the perception of dialectal sounds. This study investigates how exposure to a novel dialect of the target language through a 4-week study abroad immersion experience in Buenos Aires affected the processing of Argentine phonetic variants by English-speaking L2 learners of Spanish. Learners completed a lexical decision task in the first and fourth weeks abroad, which presented Spanish stimuli with Argentine assibilated palatal and aspirated-/s/ variants. Initially, learners were less accurate in recognizing known Spanish words articulated with the Argentine assibilated palatal, and also had slower recognition reaction times for both the assibilated palatal and aspirated-/s/. By the end of four weeks, effects of the assibilated palatal on lexical decision accuracy and processing speed disappeared; however, effects of the aspirated-/s/ on processing speed persisted.
The objective of the current study is to investigate the development of awareness of dialectal di... more The objective of the current study is to investigate the development of awareness of dialectal differences in Spanish by second language learners in a formal language learning classroom setting in the United States. Sensitivity toward different regional varieties of a language forms part of sociolinguistic—and ultimately, communicative—competence (Bachman, 1990; Canale and Swain 1980; Canale 1983), a primary objective of language learning. However, the role of dialect awareness in second language learning is largely not understood. 229 American English speaking learners of Spanish across five proficiency levels of university study completed a questionnaire that elicited knowledge of dialectal phonetic variation in Spanish. Results found that, while a variety of dialectal pronunciation features and regions were identified, learners were most aware of dialectal features of Peninsular (Spain) Spanish. However, as proficiency level increased, learners became more knowledgeable of dialectal differences in pronunciation throughout the Spanish-speaking world and reported explicit knowledge of a greater variety of dialectal structures and regions. Patterns in the development of dialect awareness in a second language are identified, and implications of dialect awareness for language learning and teaching are explored.
El objetivo del presente estudio exploratorio es acrecentar el conocimiento actual en torno a tem... more El objetivo del presente estudio exploratorio es acrecentar el conocimiento actual en torno a tema de la variación regional en la sonorización de /s/ en español. Doce hablantes de Quito, Ecuador, realizaron una tarea oral que consistía en hacer descripciones de imágenes contextualizadas que presentaban contextos preconsonánticos y prevocálicos de /s/. Para cada caso, fue calculado el porcentaje de sonorización y fueron realizados análisis estadísticos usando modelos EEG para determinar los factores (socio)lingüísticos relevantes en la aplicación del proceso en la variedad quiteña. La tarea oral reveló que los quiteños sonorizaron el fonema sibilante con mayor frecuencia que hablantes de otras variedades americanas y peninsulares estudiadas anteriormente, tanto para el contexto preconsonántico como para el contexto prevocálico. Solo algunos de los factores lingüísticos (por ejemplo, posición de /s/) y sociales (sexo del hablante) reportados para otras variedades resultaron ser predictores en la sonorización por los hablantes quiteños.
The current study explores the second language (L2) acquisition of subconsciously held language a... more The current study explores the second language (L2) acquisition of subconsciously held language attitudes. Specifically, we determine whether L2 learners perceive differences between Spanish speakers of four geographic varieties and evaluate them differently, and if these perceptions change with proficiency. Following sociolinguistic methodological practices, we administered a verbal guise task to American English speaking learners of Spanish from four university enrollment levels. We found that the learners differentially evaluated speakers of these regional varieties across dimensions of solidarity (kindness) and standardness (prestige). We observed development across levels in the evaluation of regional varieties for prestige, while differentiations in kindness ratings remained consistent across levels. We also show that for our highest-level group, study abroad experience may contribute to patterns of subconscious evaluation. Although one would not expect L2 classroom learners to possess native-like subconscious attitudes, the present study is an essential step in understanding how such attitudes develop in L2 acquisition.
This study examines how language attitudes play a role in the adoption of dialectal variants in s... more This study examines how language attitudes play a role in the adoption of dialectal variants in second language (L2) pronunciation in a study abroad context. 24 North American university students participating in a six-week program in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were administered Pre- and Posttest questionnaires and a Posttest oral production task to determine how different background and attitudinal variables relate to production of two Argentine dialectal sounds, lenited-/s/ and assibilated pre-palatal /ʃ ʒ/. Results show that while students did not produce lenited-/s/ forms, use of dialectal /ʃ ʒ/ phones by the end of the program was high – but variable – across individuals. Dialect preference, feelings toward Spanish, and desire to sound native-like were identified as predictors of use of dialectal /ʃ ʒ/. These findings illustrate how social variables play a role in target model accent preferences and adoption of dialectal sounds in L2 pronunciation in a study abroad context.
Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics, 2020
Spanish is described as having an /s/ regressive voicing assimilation process by which the sibila... more Spanish is described as having an /s/ regressive voicing assimilation process by which the sibilant is voiced when followed by a voiced consonant. However, experimental studies documenting the nature of the process – including variation in its realization across speech varieties – are limited. The current study presents an acoustic analysis of the phonetic nature of the process, including an analysis of the linguistic and social factors which influence voicing of the /s/. Using an identical controlled phrase elicitation task, rates and location of voicing within the /s/ segment were compared across three varieties of Spanish: Mexican Spanish (Mexico City) and two Peninsular varieties (León and Vitoria). Different voicing rates and different linguistic voicing predictors were found across dialects. The data suggest that /s/ voicing before a voiced consonant is far from a categorical process in Spanish, with variable rates of application between 43% and 63%. We propose that, based on the data, /s/ voicing in Spanish is, in fact, better understood as a progressive voicing process (i. e. continuation of voicing from the previous vowel), and that the linguistic factors that condition voicing can be explained in part through articulatory and aerodynamic mechanisms. We also discuss the phonetics and phonology of the process.
Recent Advances in the Study of Spanish Sociophonetic Perception, Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics Series, Edited by Whitney Chappell, John Benjamins, 2019
This chapter presents a quantitative study of cross-dialectal differences in the perceptual categ... more This chapter presents a quantitative study of cross-dialectal differences in the perceptual categorization of the assibilated pre-palatal (e.g., calle ‘street’ /kaʃe/), a feature of Rioplatense Argentine Spanish. Listeners from two South American varieties of Spanish that varied in degree of contact with Rioplatense speakers completed an Identification Task in which they categorized [ʃ] in Spanish pseudowords. Results revealed that listeners from the contact group (La Rioja, Argentina) identified the phone as the intended phonetic category, orthographic <y ll>, while listeners with limited contact with Rioplatense Spanish (Bogota, Colombia) assigned the phone to a separate category, orthographic <ch>. The study shows how contact with non-local speech varieties may result in changes to perceptual norms, even in the absence of use (production) of these forms.
In face-to-face spoken interactions, language learners must construct a meaningful message consis... more In face-to-face spoken interactions, language learners must construct a meaningful message consistent with the L2 grammar, articulate it comprehensibly, and manage the aspects of oral communication that reflect speaker identity, interlocutor identities, and the characteristics of the interactional context. A lack of sociolinguistic competence can lead to a failure to convey formality, politeness, solidarity, friendship, and group membership, and this will negatively affect the communicative outcome. The current chapter examines the social and situational information one conveys through linguistic variants in speech, offering a state-of-the-art account of empirical research, including a discussion of pressing issues in the field, such as the roles of lexical frequency, geographic variation, and language attitudes, as well as the pedagogical implications of this research.
The Routledge Handbook of Study Abroad Research and Practice, Edited by Cristina Sanz & Alfonso Morales-Front, Routledge, 2018
Research on study abroad context shows that in a single learning context, there are variable outc... more Research on study abroad context shows that in a single learning context, there are variable outcomes, which may be linked to individual characteristics such as aptitude, motivation, and proficiency level at the start of the abroad experience (e.g., Grey, Cox, Serafini & Sanz 2015; Hernández, 2010; Llanes & Muñoz, 2009, 2013; Lord, 2009; MacIntyre, Baker, Clement & Conrod, 2009; Serrano, Llanes & Tragant 2011; Nagle, Morales-Front, Moorman & Sanz, 2016). These differences are also related to individual attitudes toward speakers of another language and to patterns of individual behavior, such as the degree to which learners choose to use the second language while abroad and the types and depth of their social interactions (Bardovi-Harlig & Bastos, 2011; Díaz-Campos, 2004; George, 2014; Isabelli-García, 2006). These findings are attested for abilities related to overall language proficiency and fluency (e.g., Segalowitz & Freed, 2004), to knowledge of a particular structure in the L2 grammar (e.g., Isabelli-García, 2004), and also for variable features of the language, which are optional but indicate membership to social groups, defined by geography, age, gender, socioeconomic status and the like (e.g., Fox & McGory, 2007).
Within this context of differential outcomes and individual differences, we present an overview of research on the role of attitude toward a target language and the cultural groups that speak that language in the process of second language acquisition and then narrow our discussion to the exploration of this factor in the study abroad context. Of essential importance to this field is the methodology used to examine language attitudes, both conscious and subconscious, and the chapter identifies the methodological challenges that research on language attitudes must address, providing a model of a multi-modal approach for future research. The chapter continues with a presentation of original research findings on the relationship between language attitudes on the one hand, and overall experience with the second language on the other. The study uses a matched-guise task (Lambert, Hodgson, Gardner & Fillenbaum, 1960) to measure the subconscious attitudes of four levels of second language learners of Spanish toward four different regional varieties of Spanish and links these attitudes to individual learning experiences. This empirical study contributes to our present understanding of learner attitudes toward different varieties of the same language, using a multi-modal methodology combining qualitative profiles that account for life-long experience, both academic and through study abroad, and established quantitative measures of subconsciously held language attitudes. Thus, we connect existing research on the role of language attitudes to our understanding of the importance of study abroad experiences in second language acquisition. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of attitudinal research for second language acquisition in the study abroad context and elsewhere.
The present study examined second language (L2) development in the perceptual identification of a... more The present study examined second language (L2) development in the perceptual identification of a dialectal sound of the target language, through an investigation of the role of individual learner experiences in L2 phonological development. A total of 213 English-speaking learners of Spanish across five levels of study and with varying dialect contact experiences completed an identification task, which tested perceptual categorization of Spanish dialectal aspirated-s (e.g., siesta [ˈsi̯eh-ta]). In accordance with postulates of L2 speech perception models (PAM-L2, SLM, L2LP), findings revealed influence of the first language phonology on categorization at early levels shifting toward nativelike, dialect-specific categorizations of aspirated-s for more experienced learners. Dialect contact factors of prior study abroad location, native speaker social contacts, and metalinguistic training were found to be predictors of the dialectal perceptual targets toward which the L2 learners developed—for those learners past intermediate-level language courses—highlighting how individual experiences shape L2 perceptual abilities.
Previous work has found that speakers who move to a new dialect region may come to adopt features of the second dialect. This study investigates whether other types of dialect exposure – those present without ever leaving one’s home dialectal region – similarly result in differences in language use. An identification task and a dialect contact questionnaire were administered to two Spanish-speaking dialect groups of young adults (aged 18-24 years old) in Latin America – Bogota, Colombia, and La Rioja, Argentina – to determine the effect of different types of dialect contact on the perceptual categorization of the regionally and socially variable feature of syllable-final /s/-aspiration (e.g., fresco [fɾeh.ko], ‘fresh’). Short-term travel and exposure to Media from /s/-weakening regions were not found to play a role in identification of aspirated-/s/. However, the regional background of reported social contacts (i.e., the social network) was a significant factor in how the regional variant was identified. Findings highlight the importance of live social interaction in language contact and change.
Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics, 2014
The present study examines whether, and to what degree, regressive voicing assimilation of Spanis... more The present study examines whether, and to what degree, regressive voicing assimilation of Spanish /s/ (as in rasgo/rasgo/ [ˈraz.ɣ̞ o]) occurs in the speech of advanced second language (L2) learners of Spanish. Acoustic analyses of L2 productions of /s/ in the voicing context (preceding a voiced consonant) and in the non-voicing context (preceding a voiceless consonant) elicited from a contextualized picture-description task revealed a contextual voicing effect in the speech of only a limited number of the advanced L2 speakers. The low occurrence of the assimilation process even amongst the advanced learners may be attributed in part to the variable nature of voicing in the input and to the complexity of the process (i.e. subject to different stylistic, linguistic, and social factors). The study also provides a phonetic description of the variants of L2 Spanish /s/ and finds that when voicing does occur, it is phonetically similar to native Spanish voicing in terms of the phonetic contexts in which voicing occurs, patterns of durational differences of /s/ according to voicing, and the variable nature of its occurrence.
This paper systematically investigates the phonological process of voicing assimilation of the sibilant in Mexican Spanish whereby /s/ is produced as [z] based on the voicing of the following consonant (for example, /mismo/ [mizmo] 'same'). Twelve college aged (21-29 years) native Mexican speakers attending the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico, and recorded in Mexico City provided the data. The instrument for the study was a contextualized picture description task presented in a PowerPoint format, which allowed for the systematic investigation of the contexts of /s/ in intervocalic position and in coda position followed by a voiceless or voiced consonant; these contexts were also examined by phrase position. Findings indicate that /s/ voicing before a voiced consonant is not a categorical process in Mexican Spanish and that factors associated with variability in /s/ voicing include the sex of the speaker and phrase position. The paper also documents the consistent, albeit small in duration, manifestation of progressive voicing from the preceding vowel into the sibilant, not previously documented for Spanish.
This study explores regional variation in the perception of sociophonetic variants of Spanish syllable-final /s/ (e.g., loste [los.te] vs. [loh.te]), a highly studied phenomenon in Hispanic sociolinguistic research in its production but little understood in terms of speech perception and processing. Moreover, the study considers how listener social factors (sex) and linguistic experiences (dialect contact) may play a role in the categorization of sociophonetic variants. An Identification Task was administered to two dialect groups of South American Spanish that differ in their production of /s/ (/s/-conserving Bogota, Colombia, and /s/-weakening La Rioja, Argentina) in order to explore regional variation in patterns of categorization of variants of syllable-final /s/. Findings indicate significant differences in categorization of aspirated-/s/ according to dialect group (region) and linguistic experience (dialect contact). Listener sex played a role in categorization of the sociophonetic variant for the /s/-weakening group only. Findings from the research highlight the value of speech perception experimentation in sociolinguistic research (e.g., Drager 2010, Thomas 2002), revealing variable patterns in language use that would be otherwise unseen if limited solely to analyses of speech production.
Speaker dialect has been found to play an important role in listening comprehension by learners of a second language (L2) (Eisenstein and Berkowitz 1981, Major et al. 2005, Wilcox 1978), with comprehensibility related to dialect familiarity (Tauroza and Luk 1997). Although the effect of various varieties of English on L2 comprehension has been frequently considered, this is the first study to examine the effects of dialect exposure on comprehension of Spanish as an L2. This study considers the effect of exposure to a previously unfamiliar dialect of Spanish, Dominican Spanish, through a study abroad experience, on the listening comprehension of Dominican speech by a group of intermediate through near-native L2 learners of Spanish. Results find an effect of dialect familiarity on L2 listening comprehension, with significant gains in comprehension of the Dominican speech, but not of the speech samples of the other Spanish varieties, at both the word and phrase levels after the study abroad experience. Findings also suggest that certain phonological features of the Dominican speech may cause greater difficulties for the L2 listeners than other features.
This dissertation investigates the role of dialectal (sociophonetic) variation in second language... more This dissertation investigates the role of dialectal (sociophonetic) variation in second language acquisition. Perception of aspirated-/s/, a variant limited to specific Spanish-speaking geographic regions and subject to social and stylistic variation, is examined for second language (L2) learners of Spanish. In this investigation, 47 native speakers of Spanish from aspirating and non-aspirating dialects and 215 English-speaking learners of Spanish with varying experience with the target language completed an identification task and a language background questionnaire. Analysis of the patterns of identification of syllable-final, word-internal aspirated-/s/ in the perception task revealed: (1) effects of native dialect and dialect contact for the native speaker control groups, and (2) effects of target language experience and dialect exposure for the L2 learners. Specifically, an examination of the L2 learner cross-sectional data showed stages of development of perception of the dialectal feature, with identification of syllable-final aspiration as a variant of /s/ first emerging at the high intermediate level. By the most advanced levels, L2 learners show native-like patterns of perception of the aspirated variant. Location of study abroad experience was found to play a significant role in perception of the aspirated-/s/, with greater acceptance of the aspirated variants as legitimate forms of Spanish /s/ amongst those learners with prior experience in /s/-weakening regions. Current models of non-native and L2 perception (PAM, SLM) were found to be insufficient in modeling the L2 perception and development of the linguistically and dialectally variable feature. This dissertation demonstrates the need to examine acquisition of dialectally and socially variable forms of the target language rather than an idealized linguistic norm and to recognize the effect of varying exposures to target language dialects on the interlanguage system of the learner.
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Full text: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/formayfuncion/article/view/86424
Within this context of differential outcomes and individual differences, we present an overview of research on the role of attitude toward a target language and the cultural groups that speak that language in the process of second language acquisition and then narrow our discussion to the exploration of this factor in the study abroad context. Of essential importance to this field is the methodology used to examine language attitudes, both conscious and subconscious, and the chapter identifies the methodological challenges that research on language attitudes must address, providing a model of a multi-modal approach for future research. The chapter continues with a presentation of original research findings on the relationship between language attitudes on the one hand, and overall experience with the second language on the other. The study uses a matched-guise task (Lambert, Hodgson, Gardner & Fillenbaum, 1960) to measure the subconscious attitudes of four levels of second language learners of Spanish toward four different regional varieties of Spanish and links these attitudes to individual learning experiences. This empirical study contributes to our present understanding of learner attitudes toward different varieties of the same language, using a multi-modal methodology combining qualitative profiles that account for life-long experience, both academic and through study abroad, and established quantitative measures of subconsciously held language attitudes. Thus, we connect existing research on the role of language attitudes to our understanding of the importance of study abroad experiences in second language acquisition. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of attitudinal research for second language acquisition in the study abroad context and elsewhere.
Previous work has found that speakers who move to a new dialect region may come to adopt features of the second dialect. This study investigates whether other types of dialect exposure – those present without ever leaving one’s home dialectal region – similarly result in differences in language use. An identification task and a dialect contact questionnaire were administered to two Spanish-speaking dialect groups of young adults (aged 18-24 years old) in Latin America – Bogota, Colombia, and La Rioja, Argentina – to determine the effect of different types of dialect contact on the perceptual categorization of the regionally and socially variable feature of syllable-final /s/-aspiration (e.g., fresco [fɾeh.ko], ‘fresh’). Short-term travel and exposure to Media from /s/-weakening regions were not found to play a role in identification of aspirated-/s/. However, the regional background of reported social contacts (i.e., the social network) was a significant factor in how the regional variant was identified. Findings highlight the importance of live social interaction in language contact and change.
This paper systematically investigates the phonological process of voicing assimilation of the sibilant in Mexican Spanish whereby /s/ is produced as [z] based on the voicing of the following consonant (for example, /mismo/ [mizmo] 'same'). Twelve college aged (21-29 years) native Mexican speakers attending the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico, and recorded in Mexico City provided the data. The instrument for the study was a contextualized picture description task presented in a PowerPoint format, which allowed for the systematic investigation of the contexts of /s/ in intervocalic position and in coda position followed by a voiceless or voiced consonant; these contexts were also examined by phrase position. Findings indicate that /s/ voicing before a voiced consonant is not a categorical process in Mexican Spanish and that factors associated with variability in /s/ voicing include the sex of the speaker and phrase position. The paper also documents the consistent, albeit small in duration, manifestation of progressive voicing from the preceding vowel into the sibilant, not previously documented for Spanish.
This study explores regional variation in the perception of sociophonetic variants of Spanish syllable-final /s/ (e.g., loste [los.te] vs. [loh.te]), a highly studied phenomenon in Hispanic sociolinguistic research in its production but little understood in terms of speech perception and processing. Moreover, the study considers how listener social factors (sex) and linguistic experiences (dialect contact) may play a role in the categorization of sociophonetic variants. An Identification Task was administered to two dialect groups of South American Spanish that differ in their production of /s/ (/s/-conserving Bogota, Colombia, and /s/-weakening La Rioja, Argentina) in order to explore regional variation in patterns of categorization of variants of syllable-final /s/. Findings indicate significant differences in categorization of aspirated-/s/ according to dialect group (region) and linguistic experience (dialect contact). Listener sex played a role in categorization of the sociophonetic variant for the /s/-weakening group only. Findings from the research highlight the value of speech perception experimentation in sociolinguistic research (e.g., Drager 2010, Thomas 2002), revealing variable patterns in language use that would be otherwise unseen if limited solely to analyses of speech production.
Speaker dialect has been found to play an important role in listening comprehension by learners of a second language (L2) (Eisenstein and Berkowitz 1981, Major et al. 2005, Wilcox 1978), with comprehensibility related to dialect familiarity (Tauroza and Luk 1997). Although the effect of various varieties of English on L2 comprehension has been frequently considered, this is the first study to examine the effects of dialect exposure on comprehension of Spanish as an L2. This study considers the effect of exposure to a previously unfamiliar dialect of Spanish, Dominican Spanish, through a study abroad experience, on the listening comprehension of Dominican speech by a group of intermediate through near-native L2 learners of Spanish. Results find an effect of dialect familiarity on L2 listening comprehension, with significant gains in comprehension of the Dominican speech, but not of the speech samples of the other Spanish varieties, at both the word and phrase levels after the study abroad experience. Findings also suggest that certain phonological features of the Dominican speech may cause greater difficulties for the L2 listeners than other features.
Full text: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/formayfuncion/article/view/86424
Within this context of differential outcomes and individual differences, we present an overview of research on the role of attitude toward a target language and the cultural groups that speak that language in the process of second language acquisition and then narrow our discussion to the exploration of this factor in the study abroad context. Of essential importance to this field is the methodology used to examine language attitudes, both conscious and subconscious, and the chapter identifies the methodological challenges that research on language attitudes must address, providing a model of a multi-modal approach for future research. The chapter continues with a presentation of original research findings on the relationship between language attitudes on the one hand, and overall experience with the second language on the other. The study uses a matched-guise task (Lambert, Hodgson, Gardner & Fillenbaum, 1960) to measure the subconscious attitudes of four levels of second language learners of Spanish toward four different regional varieties of Spanish and links these attitudes to individual learning experiences. This empirical study contributes to our present understanding of learner attitudes toward different varieties of the same language, using a multi-modal methodology combining qualitative profiles that account for life-long experience, both academic and through study abroad, and established quantitative measures of subconsciously held language attitudes. Thus, we connect existing research on the role of language attitudes to our understanding of the importance of study abroad experiences in second language acquisition. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of attitudinal research for second language acquisition in the study abroad context and elsewhere.
Previous work has found that speakers who move to a new dialect region may come to adopt features of the second dialect. This study investigates whether other types of dialect exposure – those present without ever leaving one’s home dialectal region – similarly result in differences in language use. An identification task and a dialect contact questionnaire were administered to two Spanish-speaking dialect groups of young adults (aged 18-24 years old) in Latin America – Bogota, Colombia, and La Rioja, Argentina – to determine the effect of different types of dialect contact on the perceptual categorization of the regionally and socially variable feature of syllable-final /s/-aspiration (e.g., fresco [fɾeh.ko], ‘fresh’). Short-term travel and exposure to Media from /s/-weakening regions were not found to play a role in identification of aspirated-/s/. However, the regional background of reported social contacts (i.e., the social network) was a significant factor in how the regional variant was identified. Findings highlight the importance of live social interaction in language contact and change.
This paper systematically investigates the phonological process of voicing assimilation of the sibilant in Mexican Spanish whereby /s/ is produced as [z] based on the voicing of the following consonant (for example, /mismo/ [mizmo] 'same'). Twelve college aged (21-29 years) native Mexican speakers attending the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico, and recorded in Mexico City provided the data. The instrument for the study was a contextualized picture description task presented in a PowerPoint format, which allowed for the systematic investigation of the contexts of /s/ in intervocalic position and in coda position followed by a voiceless or voiced consonant; these contexts were also examined by phrase position. Findings indicate that /s/ voicing before a voiced consonant is not a categorical process in Mexican Spanish and that factors associated with variability in /s/ voicing include the sex of the speaker and phrase position. The paper also documents the consistent, albeit small in duration, manifestation of progressive voicing from the preceding vowel into the sibilant, not previously documented for Spanish.
This study explores regional variation in the perception of sociophonetic variants of Spanish syllable-final /s/ (e.g., loste [los.te] vs. [loh.te]), a highly studied phenomenon in Hispanic sociolinguistic research in its production but little understood in terms of speech perception and processing. Moreover, the study considers how listener social factors (sex) and linguistic experiences (dialect contact) may play a role in the categorization of sociophonetic variants. An Identification Task was administered to two dialect groups of South American Spanish that differ in their production of /s/ (/s/-conserving Bogota, Colombia, and /s/-weakening La Rioja, Argentina) in order to explore regional variation in patterns of categorization of variants of syllable-final /s/. Findings indicate significant differences in categorization of aspirated-/s/ according to dialect group (region) and linguistic experience (dialect contact). Listener sex played a role in categorization of the sociophonetic variant for the /s/-weakening group only. Findings from the research highlight the value of speech perception experimentation in sociolinguistic research (e.g., Drager 2010, Thomas 2002), revealing variable patterns in language use that would be otherwise unseen if limited solely to analyses of speech production.
Speaker dialect has been found to play an important role in listening comprehension by learners of a second language (L2) (Eisenstein and Berkowitz 1981, Major et al. 2005, Wilcox 1978), with comprehensibility related to dialect familiarity (Tauroza and Luk 1997). Although the effect of various varieties of English on L2 comprehension has been frequently considered, this is the first study to examine the effects of dialect exposure on comprehension of Spanish as an L2. This study considers the effect of exposure to a previously unfamiliar dialect of Spanish, Dominican Spanish, through a study abroad experience, on the listening comprehension of Dominican speech by a group of intermediate through near-native L2 learners of Spanish. Results find an effect of dialect familiarity on L2 listening comprehension, with significant gains in comprehension of the Dominican speech, but not of the speech samples of the other Spanish varieties, at both the word and phrase levels after the study abroad experience. Findings also suggest that certain phonological features of the Dominican speech may cause greater difficulties for the L2 listeners than other features.