The Acquisition of L2 Sociolinguistic Competence

A special issue of Languages (ISSN 2226-471X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (8 July 2024) | Viewed by 3202

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
Interests: sociolinguistic and second language acquisition; sociolinguistic competence

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Guest Editor
School of International Letters and Cultures, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
Interests: sociolinguistics; second language acquisition; social networks; study abroad

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce an upcoming Special Issue of Languages highlighting current research that sits firmly at the intersection of sociolinguistics and second language (L2) acquisition: the L2 acquisition of sociolinguistic competence. This important body of research has grown substantially over the past 30 years and has contributed significantly to our understanding of what it means to ‘acquire’ a second (or additional) language, both in terms of the internal processes involved in linguistic development and in terms of the social and contextual factors that may support or inhibit acquisition.

While research on L2 acquisition has traditionally focused on the acquisition of ‘categorical’ features of language, research examining the L2 acquisition of sociolinguistic competence is grounded in the field of language variation and change (LVC) where natural language data are used to demonstrate that language variation is both systematic and constrained by internal (linguistic) and external (social) factors (Labov, 1966, 1972; Weinreich et al., 1968). Researchers working in LVC are concerned with linguistic elements that do not have a single instantiation in first language (L1) speech, but instead have ‘variable’ possibilities across the different speech registers used by L1 speakers, such as the alternation between working and workin’ in English, where both have the same referential meaning, but carry different social weight. Early studies applying the variationist framework to the L2 context demonstrated that like variation among L1 speakers, ‘Horizonal Variation’ (Adamson & Regan, 1991), or ‘Type 2 Variation’ (Rehner, 2002), is conditioned by both linguistic and extralinguistic factors, although the constraints on variation and the relative ranking of the constraints may be different from those governing L1 speech, especially among learners of varying proficiency levels (Adamson & Regan, 1991; Bayley, 1996; Bayley & Langman, 2004; Bayley & Regan, 2004; Regan, 1995, 1996).

The acquisition of sociolinguistic competence is closely tied to the acquisition of communicative competence, which incorporates both the learning of linguistic structure and the ‘internalization of attitudes towards a language and its uses’ through social experience (Hymes, 1972, p. 278). Thus, similar to L1 speakers, L2 speakers are tasked with both accumulating knowledge about what is grammatically correct in the L2 and developing culturally and socially appropriate patterns of language use, including the ability to participate in variation. Over the last thirty years, research has demonstrated time and again that L2 learners, when exposed to community speech norms through study or service-learning abroad, homestay programs, or sustained interactions with L1 speakers, are sensitive to L1 variation patterns and are capable of participating in such variation, thereby demonstrating their acquisition of sociolinguistic competence (see e.g., Bayley et al., 2022; Geeslin, 2022). This Special Issue of Languages showcases the evolving research on the L2 acquisition of sociolinguistic competence that continues to elucidate critical aspects of L2 development, such as how sociolinguistic competence is acquired, where and when it first emerges, and how it develops over time and in response to the surrounding linguistic environment.

We welcome contributions on a range of topics related to the L2 acquisition of sociolinguistic competence. We request that authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send submissions to the Guest Editors (vera.regan@ucd.ie and kmt090@shsu.edu) and to the Languages editorial office (languages@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors to assess their relevance to the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Tentative completion schedule:
• Abstract submission deadline: 30 October 2023
• Notification of abstract acceptance: 11 December 2023
• Full manuscript deadline: 30 June 2024

References

Adamson, H. D., & Regan V. (1991). The acquisition of community speech norms by Asian immigrants learning English as a second language. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 13, 1–22.

Bayley, R. (1996). Competing constraints on variation in the speech of adult Chinese learners of English. In R. Bayley & D. R. Preston (Eds.), Second language acquisition and linguistic variation (pp. 98–120). Philadelphia/Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Bayley, R., & Langman, J. (2004). Variation in the group and the individual: Evidence from Second Language Acquisition. IRAL, 42(4), 303–318.

Bayley, R., Preston, D. R., & Li, X. (Eds.). (2022). Variation in second and heritage languages: Crosslinguistic perspectives. Philadelphia/Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Bayley, R., & Regan, V. (2004). Introduction: The acquisition of sociolinguistic competence. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 8, 323–338.

Geeslin, K. (Ed.). (2022). The Routledge handbook of sociolinguistics and second language acquisition. New York/London: Routledge.

Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative competence. In J.B. Pride & J. Holmes (eds.), Sociolinguistics (pp. 269–293). Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin Books.

Labov, W. (1966). The social stratification of English in New York City. Washington DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

Labov, W. (1972). Sociolinguistic patterns. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Regan, V. (1995). The acquisition of sociolinguistic native speech norms: Effects of a year abroad on L2 learners of French. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 245–267). Philadelphia/Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Regan, V. (1996). Variation in French interlanguage: a longitudinal study. In R. Bayley & D. R. Preston (Eds.), Second language acquisition and linguistic variation (pp. 177–201). Philadelphia/Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Rehner, K. (2002). The development of aspects of linguistic and discourse competence by advanced second language learners of French (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Weinreich, U., Labov, W. and Herzog, M. (1968). Empirical foundations for a theory of language change. In W. P. Lehmann & Y. Malkiel (Eds.), Directions for historical linguistics: A symposium (pp. 95-195). Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.

Prof. Dr. Vera Regan
Dr. Kristen Kennedy Terry
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • sociolinguistic competence
  • applied linguistics
  • second language acquisition

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1689 KiB  
Article
Variation in the Amplifier System Among Chinese L2 English Speakers in Australia
by Minghao Miao and Chloé Diskin-Holdaway
Languages 2025, 10(4), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10040069 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 188
Abstract
This study investigates the English adjective amplifier system of eleven Mandarin Chinese L2 speakers of English residing in Australia compared to a sample of ten native Australian English (AusE) speakers from the AusTalk corpus. Employing a variationist framework, we find that the L2 [...] Read more.
This study investigates the English adjective amplifier system of eleven Mandarin Chinese L2 speakers of English residing in Australia compared to a sample of ten native Australian English (AusE) speakers from the AusTalk corpus. Employing a variationist framework, we find that the L2 speakers employ a markedly overall higher rate (50.2%) of use of adjective amplifiers than AusE speakers (34.8%). This has been shown to be a common phenomenon among L2 speakers, who have a smaller range of adjectives at their disposal, and thus “over-use” amplifiers. However, we also argue that the propensity for amplifier–adjective bigrams in Mandarin Chinese transfers to their L2 English. The results show that Chinese L2 speakers use very more than really, whereas really is more frequent than very in AusE, suggesting that the L2 speakers may be lagging behind in this previously-reported change in AusE. The results also show that higher rates of English proficiency and length of residence in Australia result in more Australian-like amplifier behavior among the Chinese L2 group. The present paper can provide meaningful insights for future language teaching and learning in classroom and naturalistic settings, revealing potential for the instruction of more authentic language among L2 English learners. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of L2 Sociolinguistic Competence)
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28 pages, 1376 KiB  
Article
Fitting in with Porteños: Case Studies of Dialectal Feature Production, Investment, and Identity During Study Abroad
by Rebecca Pozzi, Chelsea Escalante, Lucas Bugarín, Myrna Pacheco-Ramos, Ximena Pichón and Tracy Quan
Languages 2025, 10(4), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10040068 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 229
Abstract
In recent years, several studies across a variety of target languages (e.g., Chinese, French, and Spanish) have demonstrated that students who study abroad acquire target-like patterns of variation. In Spanish-speaking contexts, recent research has moved beyond investigating the acquisition of features specific to [...] Read more.
In recent years, several studies across a variety of target languages (e.g., Chinese, French, and Spanish) have demonstrated that students who study abroad acquire target-like patterns of variation. In Spanish-speaking contexts, recent research has moved beyond investigating the acquisition of features specific to Spain to examine that of features used in immersion contexts such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, and Argentina. Nevertheless, many of these studies either rely on quantitative variationist analysis or implement qualitative analysis of one or two target dialectal features. In addition, learner omission and expression of pronominal subjects in these contexts have been largely underexplored. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study not only quantitatively examines learners’ production of several features of Buenos Aires Spanish, including sheísmo/zheísmo, /s/-weakening, voseo, and subject pronoun expression, but it also qualitatively relates the production of these features to learners’ experiences during a five-month semester in Argentina. It aims to answer the following research questions: When and to what degree do three English-speaking students studying abroad for five months in Buenos Aires, Argentina acquire target-like production of [ʃ] and/or [ʒ], s-weakening, vos, and subject pronoun expression? How do participants’ experiences, communities of practice, investments, identities, and imagined communities relate to this production? Speech data were gathered prior to, at the midpoint, and at the end of the semester by means of sociolinguistic interviews and elicitation tasks. To further understand the connection between these learners’ use of the target features and their overseas experiences, we explored the case studies of three learners of Spanish of differing proficiency levels (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) using qualitative data collected during semi-structured interviews at each interview time. The results suggest that all three learners increased their production of the prestigious, salient dialectal features of sheísmo/zheísmo and vos during the sojourn and that the amount of increase was greater at each proficiency level. While the beginning and intermediate learners did not move toward target-like norms in their use of the often-stigmatized, less salient, variable features of /s/-weakening and subject pronoun expression, the advanced learner did. As such, stigma, salience, and variability, as well as proficiency level, may play a role in the acquisition of variable features. Learners’ investment in the target language and participation in local communities of practice increased at each proficiency level as well, and learners’ imagined communities beyond their study abroad experiences were related to their identity construction and linguistic choices abroad. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of L2 Sociolinguistic Competence)
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19 pages, 2817 KiB  
Article
Functional Prestige in Sociolinguistic Evaluative Judgements Among Adult Second Language Speakers in Austria: Evidence from Perception
by Mason A. Wirtz and Andrea Ender
Languages 2025, 10(4), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10040067 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 222
Abstract
This study explores the perception of (Austrian) standard German and Austro-Bavarian dialect varieties by 111 adult speakers of German as a second language (L2) in Austria, tested through ‘smart’ and ‘friendly’ judgements in a matched-guise task. Our goal was to determine whether L2 [...] Read more.
This study explores the perception of (Austrian) standard German and Austro-Bavarian dialect varieties by 111 adult speakers of German as a second language (L2) in Austria, tested through ‘smart’ and ‘friendly’ judgements in a matched-guise task. Our goal was to determine whether L2 speakers, both at the group level and as a function of individual differences in standard German and dialect proficiency, reflect the attitudes of Austrian speakers by (a) judging the dialect higher in terms of friendliness in solidarity-stressing situations (e.g., in a bakery) and (b) attributing the standard variety a higher indexical value in terms of intelligence in status-stressing settings (e.g., at the doctor’s office), a phenomenon in Austrian-centered sociolinguistics known as ‘functional prestige’. Bayesian multilevel modeling revealed that L2 speakers do not adopt attitudinal patterns suggestive of functional prestige and even appear to reallocate certain constraints on sociolinguistic perception, which seems to depend on individual differences in varietal proficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of L2 Sociolinguistic Competence)
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18 pages, 637 KiB  
Article
Sociolinguistic Competence by L2 Chinese Learners Through the Lens of Null Object Use
by Xiaoshi Li
Languages 2025, 10(4), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10040066 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 197
Abstract
Using the analytical tool Rbrul, this study explores the object expression variations in the speech of twenty CSL (Chinese as a Second Language) learners whose first languages (L1) were English, Russian, Korean, and Japanese, and compares them to native speaker (NS) patterns. Multivariate [...] Read more.
Using the analytical tool Rbrul, this study explores the object expression variations in the speech of twenty CSL (Chinese as a Second Language) learners whose first languages (L1) were English, Russian, Korean, and Japanese, and compares them to native speaker (NS) patterns. Multivariate analysis revealed that the learner patterns closely resembled NSs’ in most dimensions explored, except the learners tended to overuse overt pronouns and underuse null forms. For both CSL learners and NSs, the general patterns in object use were as follows: (1) animate objects tended to favor overt objects, while inanimate objects favored null forms, (2) switch in referents favored overt forms, while no referent change favored null, (3) specific referents favored null forms, whereas nonspecific referents favored overt expressions, and (4) conversational contexts favored null forms, but elicited narratives favored explicit forms. As for the patterns specific to learners, the findings were as follows: (1) among the four L1s included in the analysis, Japanese and Russian speakers tended to use null objects more than Korean and English speakers, (2) a stay in China of one, two, or four years tended to favor null forms, but a three-year stay favored explicit forms, and (3) high-intermediate learners tended to use null forms more frequently than advanced learners. These results indicated that learners successfully acquired null object use patterns in spoken Chinese, but they still required further development in understanding the nuances between overt object forms and null object use to enhance their sociolinguistic competence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of L2 Sociolinguistic Competence)
22 pages, 3861 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Relationship Between Preference and Production as Indicators of L2 Sociophonetic Competence
by Megan Solon and Matthew Kanwit
Languages 2025, 10(4), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10040065 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 198
Abstract
Sociophonetic competence—a component of sociolinguistic and, thus, communicative competence—has been explored in both learner production and perception. Still, little is known about the relationship between learners’ ability to account for sociophonetic variability in the input and their likelihood to produce such variation in [...] Read more.
Sociophonetic competence—a component of sociolinguistic and, thus, communicative competence—has been explored in both learner production and perception. Still, little is known about the relationship between learners’ ability to account for sociophonetic variability in the input and their likelihood to produce such variation in output. The present study explores 21 learners’ preference for a specific sociophonetic variant on an aural preference task and the same learners’ patterns of production of the variant in semi-spontaneous speech. The sociolinguistic variable considered is Spanish intervocalic /d/, variably realized as approximant [ð] or deleted based on numerous (extra)linguistic factors, including the speaker’s gender, the vowel that precedes /d/, and the grammatical category and lexical frequency of the word containing /d/. Results reveal that preference for and production of a deleted variant increased with learner proficiency. Moreover, regardless of proficiency, learners generally selected deleted /d/ more than they produced it, suggesting that sociophonetic awareness precedes reliable production. Learners’ production of a deleted variant was influenced by the preceding vowel, the grammatical category of the word containing /d/, and the word’s lexical frequency, and sensitivity to these predictors was especially observed as proficiency increased. Learners produced the deleted variant more after /o/, in adjectives and nouns, and in frequent words. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of L2 Sociolinguistic Competence)
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Review

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18 pages, 1296 KiB  
Review
Reconsidering the Social in Language Learning: A State of the Science and an Agenda for Future Research in Variationist SLA
by Aarnes Gudmestad and Matthew Kanwit
Languages 2025, 10(4), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10040064 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 239
Abstract
The current paper offers a critical reflection on the role of the social dimension of the second language (L2) development of sociolinguistic competence. We center our discussion of L2 sociolinguistic competence on variationist approaches to second language acquisition (SLA) and the study of [...] Read more.
The current paper offers a critical reflection on the role of the social dimension of the second language (L2) development of sociolinguistic competence. We center our discussion of L2 sociolinguistic competence on variationist approaches to second language acquisition (SLA) and the study of variable structures. We first introduce the framework of variationist SLA and offer a brief overview of some of the social, and more broadly extralinguistic, factors that have been investigated in this line of inquiry. We then discuss the three waves of variationist sociolinguistics and various social factors that have been examined in other socially oriented approaches to SLA. By reflecting on these bodies of research, our goal is to identify how the insights from this work (i.e., research couched in the second and third waves of variationist sociolinguistics and in other socially oriented approaches to SLA) could be extended to the study of L2 sociolinguistic competence. We argue that greater attention to the social nature of language in variationist SLA is needed in order to more fully understand the L2 development of variable structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of L2 Sociolinguistic Competence)
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