Native-like English Accent Evaluation and Exposure Effects by Dutch native L2 Speakers of English

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2018-08-31

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en

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This pilot study investigates the effect of exposure on native-like status evaluation of regional British accents by Dutch L2 speakers of English. Previous research has shown that both native and non-native listeners prejudge a person’s status and personal characteristics based on their accent (cf. Giles, Wilson & Conway, 1981; Alford & Strother, 1990; Coupland & Bishop, 2007; McKenzie, 2008b). An empirical experiment was conducted modelled after research by Giles, Wilson and Conway (1981) and accent evaluation data was collected from 30 Dutch-native L2 speakers of English. The results show that the participants in this study do not evaluate the social status of the English speaker in the same way that natives do and no significant linear effect of exposure was found. The paper concludes with a few suggestions for further research.

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Faculteit der Letteren