Acquiring intensifier variation abroad: Exploring muy and bien in Spain and Mexico

Abstract

Research on nativelike variation in second language (L2) systems indicates that learners studying abroad may adapt to regional norms as they build sociolinguistic competence (e.g., Kanwit & Solon, ; Salgado‐Robles, ). Spanish exhibits variation between the intensifiers muy [very] and bien [very] across numerous dialects. Recent research has shown greater preference for bien in Latin America than in Spain (Brown & Cortés‐Torres, ; Kanwit, Terán, & Pisabarro Sarrió, ). Nevertheless, variable intensification in L2 Spanish remains uninvestigated. Data showed that learners studying in Mérida, Mexico, selected bien significantly more than did learners in Oviedo, Spain, at the conclusion of a 6‐week stay abroad. This parallels the significantly higher selection on the same task by local Spaniards compared to local Mexican native speakers. Nonetheless, independent linguistic variables played a less straightforward role.

Le français non‐binaire: Linguistic forms used by non‐binary speakers of French

“…Beyond questions of inclusiveness, NB language theoretically supports fostering tolerance of ambiguity as well as communicative, sociolinguistic, and intercultural competencies (see Geeslin & Long, 2014; Gutiérrez & Fairclough, 2006; Kanwit et al, 2018; Piller, 2017). As students learn NB language forms, they learn about components of intercultural communication such as inclusivity, co‐cultures, language attitudes, and power.…”

“…Further, in learning NB forms, one needs not only to learn how to attend to correctly gendering individuals through appropriate grammatical agreement, but also how to manipulate language to avoid gendered forms. This concrete example may help students to learn to create and assign social and symbolic meaning through use of sociolinguistic variation, which is characteristic of higher levels of proficiency (Kanwit et al, 2018; Van Compernolle & Williams, 2012). Such language manipulation is particularly evident for oral communication wherein students must develop strong skills in circumlocution, negotiating meaning under new constraints, and adapting with a strong tolerance of ambiguity to meet the needs of their interlocutors.…”

The influence of computer‐assisted obligatory processing tasks on L2 Spanish object pronouns

“…It is important to note that one possible factor influencing the results of this study is that OP regional variation does exist 1 . Some research has also shown that regional variations in the input can affect interlanguage development (e.g., Geeslin et al, 2013; Kanwit et al, 2018; Salgado‐Robles, 2014). Therefore, it is possible that previous exposure to regional variations of OPs factored into the results of this study.…”

Documenting L2 input and interaction during study abroad: Approaches, instruments and challenges

“…Researchers investigating the acquisition of sociolinguistic variation by SA participants do allude to native speaker reference corpora (e.g. Regan et al, 2009 for French; Kanwit et al, 2018 for Spanish). However, the more specialized reference corpora whose creation is recommended by Taguchi and Collentine (2018) for relevant domains of practice within SA remain very rare; one example pointing to what could be done is “Infotravel”, a small Spanish corpus including both authentic travel-related service encounters, and role play service encounters created by L2 learners (Diaz et al, 2018).…”