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Article published In:
Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 35:1 (2022) ► pp.206–235

Developing language attitudes in a second language

Learner perceptions of regional varieties of Spanish

ORCID logo | San Diego State University
ORCID logo | Indiana University

The current study explores the second language(L2) acquisition of subconsciously held language attitudes. Specifically, we determine whether L2 learners perceive differences between Spanish speakers of four geographic varieties and evaluate them differently, and if these perceptions change with proficiency. Following sociolinguistic methodological practices, we administered a verbal guise task to American English-speaking learners of Spanish from four university enrollment levels. We found that the learners differentially evaluated speakers of these regional varieties across dimensions of solidarity (kindness) and standardness (prestige). We observed development across levels in the evaluation of regional varieties for prestige, while differentiations in kindness ratings remained consistent across levels. We also show that, for our highest-level group, study abroad experience may contribute to patterns of subconscious evaluation. Although one would not expect L2 classroom learners to possess native-like subconscious attitudes, the present study is an essential step in understanding how such attitudes develop in L2 acquisition.

Keywords: language attitudes, second language Spanish, sociolinguistic competence, sociolinguistic variation, verbal guise technique
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1Language attitudes
    • 2.2Second language attitudes
    • 2.3The current study
  • 3.Method
    • 3.1Verbal guise task
    • 3.2Dialect identification task
    • 3.3Language background and dialect contact questionnaire
    • 3.4Participants
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Verbal Guise Results: kindness ratings
    • 4.2Verbal guise results: Prestige ratings
    • 4.3Study abroad and development of language attitudes
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1L2 Perceptions of speakers of Spanish from different geographic speaker groups
    • 5.2L2 Development of language attitudes: Proficiency level
    • 5.3L2 development of language attitudes: Study abroad
  • 6.Conclusions: Limitations and future research
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 5 April 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.20008.sch
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