The acquisition of variation in second-language Spanish

An agenda for integrating studies of the L2 sound system

Authors

  • Kimberley L. Geeslin Indiana University
  • Aarnes Gudmestad Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/japl.v5i2.137

Keywords:

second language acquisition, variation, spanish, phonetics, dialetics, sociolinguistics

Abstract

The current study aims to stimulate further interest in interdisciplinary studies of variation in the second-language sound system, to outline the issues that must be considered to establish respect across the various disciplines implicated in this line of research, and to present findings from original research that constitutes a first step toward examining this area of second-language acquisition. By examining the acquisition of two phonetic variants in second-language Spanish, one that is largely geographic (/?/) and one that is conditioned by a range of social factors (/s/-weakening), we show that a large participant pool is needed to study the acquisition of second-dialect features and that the frequency and graphemic contexts in which learners use these features vary. We also identify a range of individual characteristics that appear to influence the acquisition of a second dialect and show that explaining why some learners use socially-conditioned phonetic features requires a complex account of learning experience that includes but is not limited to length, location and purpose of experience abroad, present patterns of contact with native speakers of the language and psycho-social factors linked to language attitudes.

Author Biographies

  • Kimberley L. Geeslin, Indiana University

    Kimberly L. Geeslin received her PhD in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching from the University of Arizona and is associate professor and Director of Hispanic Linguistics at Indiana University. Her research focuses on variation in second-language Spanish and has appeared in Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Language Learning, Hispania, Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics, Spanish in Context, and Linguistics.

  • Aarnes Gudmestad, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

    Aarnes Gudmestad earned her PhD in Hispanic linguistics from Indiana University and is currently an assistant professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Her research interests include native-speaker and second-language variation and interlanguage analyses of Spanish. Her most recent publications have appeared in Studies in Second Language Acquisition and Southwest Journal of Linguistics

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Published

2015-09-14

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Geeslin, K. L., & Gudmestad, A. (2015). The acquisition of variation in second-language Spanish : An agenda for integrating studies of the L2 sound system. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Professional Practice, 5(2), 137-157. https://doi.org/10.1558/japl.v5i2.137

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