A delayed mimicry paradigm was used to assess speakers′ awareness of non-distinctive phonetic differences which in part distinguish languages. The notion of “phonological filtering” implies that second language learners may not be able to perceive phonetic differences between their native language and a foreign language unless the phonetic differences are linguistically relevant in the native language. If cross-language phonetic differences are in fact perceived poorly, it is unlikely that phonetic modification will occur in the course of naturalistic second language acquisition. In this study native English speakers familiar with Spanish-accented English attempted to read sentences with a Spanish accent. Acoustic measurements showed that two phonetic characteristics of English—the long VOT values associated with /p, t, k/ and final-syllable lengthening—were altered in the direction of Spanish and Spanish-accented English. These results provide tentative evidence that non-distinctive phonetic differences between languages are detectable by language learners and thus do not present an insuperable barrier to phonetic learning in second language acquisition.

The two studies reported here investigated the notion of politeness as perceived by native speakers of English and advanced learners of English. The questions which concerned us included: (1) Are native speakers of English really aware of the varying degree of politeness conveyed by a given English sentence?; (2) Is there a high correlation between native speakers of English and advanced learners of English in their politeness judgements?; (3) Do native speakers of English really use different politeness strategies in different situations?; (4) Is there a high correlation between native and nonnative speakers of English in the use of politeness strategies? From a theoretical point of view, Study I was concerned with Lakoff's (1973b) claim that politeness increases with decreasing imposition; Study II was concerned with the distance-politeness hypothesis which predicts that one will use polite strategies in situations where he perceives himself as psychological and/or socially distant from his addresee. From a pedagogical point of view, the comparison of the two studies here suggested that the learner's ability of judging politeness in the target language does not necessarily mean that he can use politeness strategies appropriately in actual communication situations.

Research concerning native speaker reactions to the speech of language learners has generally flowed from an interpersonal perspective (i.e. speaker/listener). On the other hand, the broader social psychological domain of language attitude research has typically been based on an intergroup perspective (i.e. ingroup/outgroup). The two perspectives are elaborated here and shown to provide complementary interpretations of evaluations of non-native speech. From the intergroup viewpoint, evaluations are based upon two processes: identification of the speaker's social group attributes and group-based inferences. The particularly complex role of identification for non-native speakers is discussed in detail. Within the interpersonal sphere, inferences regarding speaker competence and generalized negative affect are emphasized.

Recent research considers native reactions to various aspects of non-native speech and associated judgments regarding such speakers. The studies discussed here view listeners, speakers, and language from a variety of perspectives employing both objective and subjective research paradigms. Interlocutor variables which have been found to influence linguistic perceptions include age, social status, degree of bilingualism, and educational level. Even the linguistic sophistication of the listener may be important.

Studies of error gravity, which treat the perceived seriousness of error types in learners' interlanguage, may now be contrasted with data from several related and unrelated languages. The relative intelligibility of language samples has also been investigated as has the role of comprehension in the information of linguistic judgments.

Research reflecting listeners' personal impressions and reactions shows that non-natives tend to be downgraded in contexts ranging from the classroom to the workplace. This area of experimentation would be enhanced by exploration of the issues through studies in natural sociolinguistic contexts.

This paper argues for an integration of the notion of communicative competence in the elaboration of syllabuses and the preparation of teaching materials for beginning and intermediate general foreign language courses. A distinction is made between such courses and the teaching of English as a medium of wider communication on an international basis. In FL instruction, as opposed to the teaching of a MWC, metalinguistic, epilinguistic, or cultural objectives may be more highly valued than the use of language for daily communication. In addition, the general context of FL instruction precludes the authentic use of the target language in the classroom, a prerequisite for the attainment of communicative competence. The integration of the notion of communive competence in FL instruction, including the inclusion of notions and functions, involves the grafting of these last mentioned considerations onto a structural-situational-functional base. That base would be modified by moving in five directions: (1) adopting a functional orientation, i.e., providing learners with linguistic means to express notions and functions rather than the teaching of structures for their own sake; (2) focus on semantic notions; (3) cyclical progression; (4) aiming for discursive authenticity by identifying rhetorical devices) providing stylistic manoeuver by the recognition of the role of variants.

During the course of each day, we meet many people and form quick judgments about not only their mood and general intelligence, but about their character and social background as well. Personal appearance, facial expression, body movement, and linguistic cues are but a few of the sources of data that we interpret. It has been a matter of much debate in the last fifty years as to whether these data are cross-culturally significant, or whether they have meaning only within a given cultural milieu. This study was an attempt to determine if linguistic cues of social status have such a cross-cultural significance.

At least 40 studies have been conducted of the linguistic and conversational adjustments made by native speakers of a language using it for communication with non-native speakers. The modifications sometimes result in ungrammatical speech. Generally, however, they serve to provide input that is well-formed, a sort of linguistic and conversational cocoon for the neophyte second language acquirer. Most of the findings hold across age groups, social classes and settings, although some differences, both qualitative and quantitative, have been noted in these areas, too.

In making the adjustments described, native speakers appear to be reacting not to one, but to a combination of factors. These include the linguistic characteristics and comprehen-sibility of the non-native's interlanguage, but particularly his or her apparent comprehension of what the native speaker is saying. The adjustments appear to be necessary for second language acquisition, in that beginners seem unable to acquire from unmodified native speaker input. There is some doubt as to their sufficiency in this regard.

This study explored the relationship between conceptual level a social cognitive variable and second language communicative competence. Conceptual level indexes both cognitive complexity and interpersonal maturity which have been related to first language communicative abilities. The research hypotheses stated that conceptual level was related to the development of communicative competence while foreign language aptitude was related to linguistic competence (mastery of the structural components of a second language).

Conceptual level was found to be related to both communicative and linguistic competence(r = .54, p < .001;r = .48, p < .001)as was foreign language aptitude(r = .40, p < .01; r = .41, p < .01). However, foreign language aptitude was not found to be related to linguistic competence when conceptual level was statistically controlled (r = .20, p < .135). Conceptual level, on the other hand, was found to be related to communicative competence when foreign language aptitude was statistically controlled (r = .42, p < .01). Thus, conceptual level appears to be an important individual variable in second language learning.

This study presents research on the affective reactions of native French speakers to 15 types of grammatical error made by an American speaking French. The native French judges are divided into three age groups, C.E.S. students, lycée students, and adults, and an error hierarchy is provided for each. Results show a continuum by age as to how these judges react to gender errors, that is errors of non-agreement with definite articles and adjectives with nouns. The younger, C.E.S. students are most sensitive to gender errors, lycée students slightly less sensitive, and adults the least irritated of the three, to the point that, for the adults, the five gender errors are rated as the five least serious errors in the error hierarchy. Possible explanations for this difference in error sensitivity are offered, with special attention to the possible influence of socioeconomic status. These results are compared to findings in English, French, German, and Spanish, with particular focus on results obtained in German by Politzer (1978) and Delisle (1982).

The present study investigated the role of first and second language fluency in subjective judgments of linguistic, social and professional competence of adult bilinguals in a military setting. We examined the use of five types of speech marker, commonly referred to as hesitation phenomena, among ten Francophone officer-cadets in their native and second language, English. The results confirmed the experimenters' a priori classification of the subjects as high or low fluency speakers. Anglophone and Francophone peer judges of various levels of proficiency in their second language listened to a tape assembled of fifteen second segments of each subject's speech production in the native and second language and completed a questionnaire composed of ten scales evaluating the subjects in three domains: linguistic, social, and professional. The results showed that the eighty-six judges evaluated the subjects more positively in their native than in their second language guises in all three areas. High fluency speakers were evaluated more highly than low fluency speakers. Judges reactions were shown to vary as a function of their degree of bilingualism and their minority versus majority group membership.

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the way native speakers (NSs) of a language address nonnative speakers (NNSs). Indeed, research of NS-NNS conversation has become a point of convergence of a number of language research interests. Various claims have been made regarding the nature and significance of the characteristics of speech between NSs and NNSs, most important among these the notion that there exists an identifiable linguistic register which NSs consistently select for addressing less than fully proficient NNS participants.