Keywords
language identity
second language pronunciation
emerging bilingual
actitudes lingüísticas
identidad lingüística
pronunciación de una segunda lengua
bilingüe emergente
attitudes linguistiques
identité linguistique
prononciation d'une deuxième langue
bilingue émergent
How to Cite
Abstract
This research explores how 95 English-dominant emerging bilinguals perceive English-accented Spanish across varying proficiency levels. The study examined the impact of self-reported Spanish language proficiency in the dimensions of Spanish grammar, pronunciation, and overall ability on positive and negative evaluations of recordings with differing degrees of foreign-accented Spanish-English speech. Results revealed that although self-reported proficiency did not significantly modulate the ratings of the recordings, the High Proficiency group gave overall more positive ratings to the recordings. Some significant differences were found, however, between the ratings of the recordings for positive and negative attributes. These findings suggest that the perception of second language accentedness constitutes a noteworthy feature of the emerging bilingual experience. They also suggest a relationship between language proficiency levels, highlighting the importance of considering proficiency when interpreting views of degree of foreign-accented speech.
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