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Study Abroad and the Second Language Acquisition of Sociolinguistic Variation in Spanish
Edited by Sara L. Zahler, Avizia Y. Long and Bret Linford
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 37] 2023
► pp. 147–173

Chapter 5
Individual differences in the adoption of dialectal features during study abroad

| Doane University

This study examines the use of local dialectal features by second-language speakers of Spanish who studied abroad in Madrid, Spain. Participants were interviewed before leaving the U.S., during their last weeks in Spain, and three months later. They completed reading and conversational tasks to elicit target features. Other data were collected through Spanish and English interviews, diaries, and written interactions. Everyone used at least one feature, two participants doing so somewhat frequently. The combination of factors governing variation were unique to each individual. However, common factors like social network characteristics, levels of acculturation, and motivations partially explain feature use. Other factors are important for some participants. Results highlight individualized experiences during study abroad.

Keywords: study abroad, individual differences, second language, linguistic variation
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Literature review
    • Potential explanatory factors of SLA during study abroad
    • Social networks and study abroad
    • Motivation and study abroad
    • Acculturation and study abroad
    • Dialectal features characteristic of Castilian Spanish
    • Distinction between /s/ and /θ/
    • Use of [χ], the postvelar allophone of /x/
    • Second person plural in Castilian Spanish
    • Use of Castilian dialectal features during study abroad
    • Communication accommodation theory
    • Research questions
  • Methodology
    • Program
    • Participants
    • Alexa
    • Claire
    • Courtney
    • Katie
    • Data collection
      • Instruments
      • Data collection schedule
    • Data analysis
      • General approach
      • Linguistic data
      • Social networks
      • Motivation, acculturation, and unexpected factors
  • Results and discussion
    • Linguistic results
    • Explanatory factors
    • Alexa
      • Alexa’s social network
      • Alexa’s motivation
      • Alexa’s acculturation
    • Claire
      • Claire’s social network
      • Claire’s motivation
      • Claire’s acculturation
    • Courtney
      • Courtney’s motivation, social network & acculturation
    • Katie
      • Katie’s social network
      • Katie’s motivation
      • Katie’s acculturation
    • Common factors
  • Limitations and conclusion
    • Limitations
    • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 6 June 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.37.05pop
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