Acculturation in relation to the acquisition of a second language

Learners who begin to acquire a second language (L2) in a naturalistic environment after puberty are thought to be constrained by biological age factors and to have greater difficulty obtaining native-like L2. However, the extant literature suggests that L2 acquisition may be positively affected by...

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Published inJournal of multilingual and multicultural development Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 481 - 492
Main Authors Jiang, Mei, Green, Raymond J., Henley, Tracy B., Masten, William G.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Taylor & Francis Group 01.11.2009
Routledge
Subjects
Acculturation
Age
China
Chinese
English (Second Language)
Foreign Students
Graduate Students
Immigrants
Interviews
Language acquisition
Language Proficiency
Linguistic Theory
Measures (Individuals)
Native Speakers
Pronunciation
Puberty
Reading Skills
Second language
second language acquisition
Second Language Learning
Speech Communication
Task Analysis
Texas
U.S.A
Texas
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Summary:Learners who begin to acquire a second language (L2) in a naturalistic environment after puberty are thought to be constrained by biological age factors and to have greater difficulty obtaining native-like L2. However, the extant literature suggests that L2 acquisition may be positively affected by post-maturational factors, such as acculturation. This exploratory study examined the relationship between acculturation and L2 acquisition on Chinese-English late learners. Chinese students who arrived in the USA after puberty were examined to see whether the acculturation process towards US society was associated with higher speaking proficiency levels and more native-like pronunciation of English language. The results suggest that acculturation relates to speaking proficiency but not pronunciation.
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ISSN:0143-4632
1747-7557
DOI:10.1080/01434630903147898