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Advancedness in Second Language Spanish: Definitions, challenges, and possibilities
Edited by Mandy R. Menke and Paul A. Malovrh
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 31] 2021
► pp. 273–298

Chapter 12
Using the L2 to express intercultural competence

A measure of sophisticated language use in context

ORCID logo | Purdue University

This chapter explores stancetaking expressed in the second language (L2) as a means of identifying learners’ intercultural competence in order to offer a novel way to define sophisticated language use in context and to describe advanced L2 learners. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with L2 learners of Spanish. Qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed that learners’ stances towards cultural difference aligned with stages of intercultural competence. Learners expressed nuanced stances that indicated the advanced intercultural competence stages of acceptance and adaptation. A comparison of learners’ intercultural competence expressed in the L2 and performance on a lexicogrammatical test revealed no clear relationship between these two measures of advancedness, suggesting that L2 advancedness is multifaceted and includes linguistic competence and the ability to express intercultural competence via the L2.

Keywords: advanced second language (L2), sophisticated language use in context, intercultural competence, stance
Article outline
  • Literature review
    • Sophisticated language use
    • Intercultural competence
    • Stance towards cultural difference
  • The current study
    • Method
    • Participants
    • Instruments: Interview and standardized test
    • Data analysis
  • Results
    • Stances towards cultural difference as evidence of advancedness: Qualitative analysis
    • Polarization stage
    • Minimization stage
    • Acceptance stage
    • Adaptation stage
    • Individual-level analysis of stance and intercultural stage: Quantitative analysis
    • Sophisticated language use and standardized tests: A comparison of advancedness measures
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Note
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 8 February 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.31.12cze
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