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24 - The Phonetics and Phonology of Adult L2 Learners After Study Abroad

from Part V - The Diversity of Bilingual Speakers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2024

By
Charlie Nagle  and
Germán Zárate-Sández
Edited by
Mark Amengual
Mark Amengual
Affiliation:
University of California, Santa Cruz
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Summary

Study abroad is typically viewed as a catalyst for pronunciation learning because it affords learners both massive amounts of L2 input and abundant opportunities for meaningful L2 use. Yet, even in such an environment, there is substantial variability in learning trajectories and outcomes. The nature of the target structure is also a powerful determinant of learning; some structures seem to develop effortlessly, whereas others do not improve much at all. Additionally, study abroad research brings to light the important issue of speaker identity, as learners often make decisions about how they want to sound and what pronunciation features they will adopt. This chapter examines developmental time frames, trajectories, and turning points in the phonetics and phonology of L2 learners in a study abroad context. We also describe how learners acquire the regional pronunciation variants of their host communities considering the phonetics of the target feature and learners’ attitudes and beliefs. We argue that study abroad should be situated within a dynamic, longitudinal, and context-dependent view of phonetic and phonological learning.

Keywords

specific featuresforeign accentregional featureslongitudinal methodspronunciation instructionsocial factorsL2 usesaliencecontext of learningspeech perceptionspeech productioninstructed second language acquisitionindividual differences
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Bilingual Phonetics and Phonology , pp. 542 - 559
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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