ERIC Number: EJ1126264
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Feb
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0008-4506
EISSN: N/A
Accent, Identity, and a Fear of Loss? ESL Students' Perspectives
McCrocklin, Shannon; Link, Stephanie
Canadian Modern Language Review, v72 n1 p122-148 Feb 2016
Because many theorists propose a connection between accent and identity, some theorists have justifiably been concerned about the ethical ramifications of L2 pronunciation teaching. However, English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students often state a desire to sound like native speakers. With little research into ESL students' perceptions of links between their accents and identities, including whether students fear loss of identity from L2-pronunciation learning, it is difficult to understand how these links affect language learning goals. In this mixed-methods study, ESL university students (N = 78) took a survey of 23 Likert-scale questions, with selected individuals participating in a semi-structured interview. Results show that participants desired a native accent, attributing benefits and positive emotions toward developing a native accent. Further, students did not recognize any fear of loss of identity due to their achieving a native accent.
Descriptors: English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Self Concept, Pronunciation, Correlation, Pronunciation Instruction, Mixed Methods Research, College Students, Student Surveys, Student Attitudes, Likert Scales, Native Speakers, Semi Structured Interviews
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A