The pragmatic force of second language accent in education
- 8 September 2021
- book chapter
- Published by John Benjamins Publishing Company
- p. 117-140
Abstract
Second language (L2) accents are defined by pronunciation features differing from a particular standard, but listeners perceive more than sound differences when evaluating accents. L2 accents are indexical to a speaker’s perceived place in an L2 community and convey pragmatic information about a speaker’s identity. Accent thus impacts the ways learners create identities and manage social roles. Such identity creation may be especially important in being heard as a valid speaker of the L2, a prerequisite to identity construction and further language learning. This chapter explores the pragmatic force of L2 accent for learners in educational settings, by using data collected from language learners and bilinguals and examining participants’ complex reactions towards accents, and studying the multifaceted goals for their pronunciation.Keywords
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