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Part of
Acquiring Sociolinguistic Variation
Edited by Gunther De Vogelaer and Matthias Katerbow
[Studies in Language Variation 20] 2017
► pp. 305–341

Chapter 11
Developmental sociolinguistics and the acquisition of T-glottalling by immigrant teenagers in London

| University of Salzburg

This study examines the acquisition of T-glottalling among teenage migrants in London. Results show that constraint hierarchies based on native input begin to be approached after two years in England. Initially, variation is completely reallocated; however, as teenagers spend more time in England, constraints are becoming increasingly similar to those of native speakers. While some constraints are replicated completely, there is also evidence that, even after three years in the country, some are altered, some are rejected, and some are re-interpreted, resulting in new constraints. Three tentative generalisations are made, relating to the order of constraint acquisition, constraint complexity and the role of grammatical category and word frequency as interpretative frameworks. In addition, the progression of constraint acquisition interacts with the increasing use of (t) as a stylistic resource, which allows teenagers to express identities based on the variation in (t) and other linguistic features. While style (as in attention paid to speech) does not appear until after three years in England in this study, qualitative analysis of interview data reveals that (t) is already available for stylistic work and experimentation after two years in England.

Keywords: immigration, London, T-glottalling, teenagers, acquisition of variation
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Immigrant teenagers and the acquisition of variation
  • 3.The if, when and how of L2 acquisition of variation
    • 3.1The if and the when
    • 3.2The how: Social and linguistic factors
    • 3.3The how: Product versus process
    • 3.4Conclusion
  • 4.Methods
    • 4.1Data collection
    • 4.2The dependent variable: (t)
    • 4.3Coding for linguistic and social constraints
  • 5.Quantitative results: Variant frequency and constraints
    • 5.1Frequency of (t) variants
    • 5.2Stages of acquisition and native constraints
    • 5.3Phase 1: Less than 2 years resident in London
    • 5.4Phase 2: Two to three years resident in London
    • 5.5Phase 3: Over three years resident in London
    • 5.6Further implications
  • 6.Qualitative results: Individual and stylistic variation
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 30 September 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/silv.20.11sch
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