The Acquisition of Sociolinguistic Competence in a Study Abroad Context

Isabelle Lemée, Howard Martin, Vera Regan

Description

This volume explores the relationship between 'study abroad' and the acquisition of 'sociolinguistic competence' - the ability to communicate in socially appropriate ways. The volume looks at language development and use during study abroad in France by examining patterns of variation in the speech of advanced L2 speakers. Within a variationist paradigm, fine-grained empirical analyses of speech illuminate choices the L2 speaker makes in relation to their new identity, gender patterns, closeness or distance maintained in the social context in which they find themselves. Using both cross-sectional and longitudinal data, four variable features of contemporary spoken French are analysed in a large population of advanced Irish-English speakers of French. This close-up picture provides empirical evidence by which to evaluate the wide-spread assumption that Study Abroad is highly beneficial for second language learning.

Chapter 1 – Second Language Acquisition and Linguistic Variation

Chapter 2 – Linguistic Outcomes of Second Language Acquisition in a Study Abroad Context

Chapter 3 – Extralinguistic Factors Affecting L2 Development during Study Abroad

Chapter 4 – The research project: an overview

Chapter 5 – The acquisition of ne deletion by Irish learners of French

Chapter 6 – The variable use of Nous/On by Irish learners of French

Chapter 7 – The acquisition of /l/ deletion by Irish year abroad speakers of French

Chapter 8 – The variable use of future temporal reference

Chapter 9 – The role of gender in the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence in an L2 during the year abroad

Chapter 10 – Spending a Year Abroad. Do we acquire sociolinguistic competence?

Sujets

• Disciplines
• Language Arts
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Linguistics
• Language Acquisition: A Journal of Developmental Linguistics
• Professional
• Undergraduate education
• Psycholinguistics
• Postgraduate education
• Sociolinguistics
• Language acquisition
• Research
• Postgraduate
• Undergraduate
• SLA

Informations

• Publié par: Multilingual Matters
• Date de parution: 11 mai 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781847691583
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Acquisition of Sociolinguistic Competence in a Study Abroad Context

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Serîes Edîtor:Professor Davîd Sîngeton,Trînîty College, Dublîn, Ireland

Thîs serîes brîngs together tîtes deaîng wîth a varîety of aspects of anguage acquîsîtîon and processîng în sîtuatîons where a anguage or anguages other than the natîve anguage îs învoved. Second anguage îs thus înterpreted în îts broadest possîbe sense. The voumes încuded în the serîes a offer în theîr dîfferent ways, on the one hand, exposîtîon and dîscussîon of empîrîca indîngs and, on the other, some degree of theoretîca relectîon. In thîs atter connectîon, no partîcuar theoretîca stance îs prîvîeged în the serîes; nor îs any reevant perspectîve – socîoînguîstîc, psychoînguîstîc, neuroînguîstîc, and so on – deemed out of pace. The întended readershîp of the serîes încudes ina-year undergraduates workîng on second anguage acquîsîtîon projects, postgraduate students învoved în second anguage acquîsîtîon research, and researchers and teachers în genera whose înterests încude a second anguage acquîsîtîon component.

Fu detaîs of a the books în thîs serîes and of a our other pubîcatîons can be found on http://www.mutîîngua-matters.com, or by wrîtîng to Mutîîngua Matters, St Nîchoas House, 31–34 Hîgh Street, Brîsto BS1 2AW, UK.

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Series Editor: David Singleton

The Acquisition of Sociolinguistic Competence in a Study Abroad Context

Vera Regan, Martin Howard and Isabelle Lemée

MULTILINGUAL MATTERS Bristol  Buffalo  Toronto

Et luî répondît que la beauté du cosmos est donnée non seulement par l’unîté dans la varîété, maîs aussî par la varîété dans l’unîté. Umberto Eco,Le Nom de la Rose(p. 19).

Lîbrary of Congress Catalogîng în Publîcatîon Data A cataog record for thîs book îs avaîabe from the Lîbrary of Congress. Regan, Vera. The Acquîsîtîon of Socîoînguîstîc Competence în a Study Abroad Context/ Vera Regan, Martîn Howard, Isabee Lemée. Second Language Acquîsîtîon Incudes bîbîographîca references and îndex. 1. Second anguage acquîsîtîon. 2. Socîoînguîstîcs. 3. Language and anguages-- Varîatîon.4.Foreîgnstudy.5.Frenchanguage--Studyandteachîng--Foreîgnspeakers. 6. French anguage--Acquîsîtîon. I. Howard, Martîn II. Lemée, Isabee - III. Tîte. P118.2.R425 2009 401’.93–dc22 2009009446

Brîtîsh Lîbrary Cataloguîng în Publîcatîon Data A cataogue entry for thîs book îs avaîabe from the Brîtîsh Lîbrary.

ISBN-13: 978-1-84769-157-6 (hbk) ISBN-13: 978-1-84769-156-9 (pbk)

Multîlîngual Matters UK: St Nîchoas House, 31–34 Hîgh Street, Brîsto BS1 2AW, UK. USA: UTP, 2250 Mîîtary Road, Tonawanda, NY 14150, USA. Canada: UTP, 5201 Dufferîn Street, North York, Ontarîo M3H 5T8, Canada.

Copyrîght © 2009 Vera Regan, Martîn Howard and Isabee Lemée.

A rîghts reserved. No part of thîs work may be reproduced în any form or by any means wîthout permîssîon în wrîtîng from the pubîsher.

The poîcy of Mutîîngua Matters/Channe Vîew Pubîcatîons îs to use papers that are natura, renewabe and recycabe products, made from wood grown în sustaînabe forests. In the manufacturîng process of our books, and to further support our poîcy, preference îs gîven to prînters that have FSC and PEFC Chaîn of Custody certîicatîon. The FSC and/or PEFC ogos wî appear on those books where fu certîicatîon has been granted to the prînter concerned.

Typeset by Techset Composîtîon Ltd., Saîsbury, UK. Prînted and bound în Great Brîtaîn by Short Run Press Ltd.

Contents

Acknowedgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . îx  1 Second Language Acquîsîtîon and Lînguîstîc Varîatîon. . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introductîon: Aîms and Scope of thîs Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Contextua Approaches to Second Language Acquîsîtîon Research and Socîoînguîstîcs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Context of Acquîsîtîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Roe of Input în Second Language Acquîsîtîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Study Abroad as a Context for Acquîrîng a Second Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Varîatîonîst Paradîgm and Second Language Acquîsîtîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Varîatîon and Socîoînguîstîc Norms în French. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Acquîsîtîon of Natîve Speaker Varîatîon Speech Patterns: A New Research Thread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16  2 Lînguîstîc Outcomes and Study Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Introductîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Study Abroad as Context. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 L2 Acquîsîtîon în a Study Abroad Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 L2 Deveopment Durîng Study Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Study Abroad and the Acquîsîtîon of Socîoînguîstîc Competence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Study Abroad and the Acquîsîtîon of Socîopragmatîc Competence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 The Effect of Study Abroad on the L2 Learner’s Lexîca Acquîsîtîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Effect of Study Abroad on Structura Aspects of the Learner’s Grammar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Effect of Study Abroad on L2 Fuency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

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 3 Extraînguîstîc Factors Affectîng L2 Deveopment Durîng Study Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Proicîency Leve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Other Extraînguîstîc Factors Affectîng the Lînguîstîc Outcome of Study Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Concudîng Remarks Concernîng the Effect of Extraînguîstîc Factors on the Learner’s Lînguîstîc Deveopment Durîng Study Abroad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Synthesîs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49  4 The Research Investîgatîon: An Overvîew. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Introductîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Aîms and Objectîves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 The Learner-Informants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Data Coectîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Data Anaysîs Wîthîn the Varîatîonîst Paradîgm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59  5 The Acquîsîtîon ofnedeetîon by Irîsh-Engîsh speakers of French L2 durîng the Year Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Negatîon în French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Varîabe Use ofne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63în Spoken French NeDeetîon în Non-natîve Speaker French: Advanced vs Eary and Intermedîate Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 NeDeetîon and the Cassroom Learner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 NeDeetîon în the Natîve Speech Communîty by L2 Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Ne. . . . . . . . 68Deetîon and French Immersîon Learners în Canada NeDeetîon and Irîsh Year Abroad Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Research Questîons în Reatîon toNeDeetîon by Irîsh L2 Speakers în a Study Abroad Context . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Resuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71  6 The Varîabe Use ofNous/On79. . . . . . . . . . . . durîng the Year Abroad The Varîabe Use ofNous/Onîn Metropoîtan French. . . . . . . . . . 82 The Varîabe Use ofNous/On. . . . . . . . . . . . . 84în Canadîan French The Varîabe Use ofNous/Onîn Canadîan Immersîon L2 Speakers’ Speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Acquîsîtîon of VarîabeNous/Onîn L2 Speakers and the Year Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Acquîsîtîon of the Varîabe Use ofNous/Onby Irîsh Learners of French L2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Resuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Concusîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Contents

vii

 7 The Acquîsîtîon of // Deetîon în French by Irîsh Study Abroad Speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 // Deetîon în Metropoîtan French L1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 // Deetîon în Canadîan French L1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 // Deetîon în L2 Speech: The Case of French Immersîon Speakers în Canada, L2 Canadîan and Amerîcan Year Abroad Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Acquîsîtîon of Varîabe // Deetîon by Irîsh L2 Speakers of French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Resuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Concusîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102  8 The Varîabe Use of Future Tempora Reference durîng the Year Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Future Tense în French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 The Varîabe Use of Future Tempora Reference în Metropoîtan French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 The Varîabe Use of Future Tempora Reference în Canadîan French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Canadîan Immersîon and L2 Speakers and the Future Tense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Acquîsîtîon of the Future Tempora Reference by Irîsh L2 Speakers Back from a Year Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Resuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Concusîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115  9 The Roe of Gender în the Acquîsîtîon of Socîoînguîstîc Competence în an L2 Durîng the Year Abroad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Women and Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Quantîtatîve Fîndîngs on Language and Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 The Second or ‘Later’ Wave of Labovîan Research on Women’s Use of Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Gender and L2 Acquîsîtîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Varîatîonîst Perspectîves on Gender and Second Language Acquîsîtîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 The Acquîsîtîon of Socîoînguîstîc Varîatîon Patterns: Gender and the Year Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Gender as a Factor în Reatîon to Four Lînguîstîc Varîabes în French L2: // Deetîon,Nous/On Aternatîon,NeRetentîon and the Expressîon of the Future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Concusîon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

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10 Spendîng a Year Abroad: Do We Acquîre Socîoînguîstîc Competence? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Introductîon: Fîndîngs from our Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Research Questîons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 What have we Learnt about Socîoînguîstîc Competence and Study Abroad? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Impîcatîons of the Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Theoretîca Impîcatîons: Research Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Group and Indîvîdua Varîatîon în Reatîon to L2 Speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 The Acquîsîtîon of Socîoînguîstîc Competence: Process and Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Practîca Impîcatîons: Programmatîc and Poîcy Issues . . . . . . . 142 Future Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Acknowledgements

We have been very fortunate în the support of numerous peope and înstî- tutîons în the productîon of thîs book, and inancîa support for the research on whîch thîs book îs based, and we woud îke to thank: • Unîversîty Coege Dubîn, for grantîng Vera Regan a Presîdent’s Award to research thîs project. • Unîversîty Coege Cork, for grantîng Martîn Howard, a Research Grant from the Coege of Arts, Cetîc Studîes and Socîa Scîences. • The Irîsh Research Councî for the Humanîtîes and Socîa Scîences for severa research feowshîps to Vera Regan and Martîn Howard for fundîng whîch greaty assîsted research for the book. • The Government of Canada for Canadîan Studîes research fundîng for both Vera Regan and Martîn Howard. • The Quebec Government, for fundîng, through the awardîng of the Prîx du Québec, to both Vera Regan and Martîn Howard. • The Socîoînguîstîcs Laboratory at the Unîversîty of Ottawa for Vîsîtîng Professorshîps to Vera Regan, the Socîoînguîstîcs Laboratory and the Graduate Schoo of Educatîon at the Unîversîty of Pennsyvanîa equay for Vîsîtîng Professorshîps. • The Unîted States Fubrîght Commîssîon for two Research Feowshîps for Vera Regan, whîch permîtted research combînîng socîoînguîstîc and second anguage acquîsîtîon expertîse. • The numerous coeagues and students whose support was enor- mousy împortant to a three authors and whose contrîbutîons through dîscussîons and feedback to conference papers greaty assîsted the deveopment of the voume; these încude Jean-Marc Dewaee, Raymond Mougeon, Shana Popack and Tere Pîca. Aso to Doug Adamson and Caîtrîona Nî Chasaîde, who read severa extracts. We aso wîsh to warmy thank the anonymous L2 speakers who gener- ousy gave of theîr tîme to share theîr experîences of study abroad through partîcîpatîon în our data coectîon.

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Our specîa gratîtude goes to Davîd Sîngeton, the SLA serîes edîtor, for hîs unfaîîng encouragement and support durîng the process of wrîtîng the book, as we as Mutîîngua Matters, and the anonymous revîewer for vauabe suggestîons to the manuscrîpt. Of course, any remaînîng shortcomîngs are our own.