About This Project

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What is the context of this research?

This project is primarily guided by the following question: What linguistic and
contextual factors influence the second language development of sociolinguistic competence by students studying abroad in Spain and the Dominican Republic?

What is the significance of this project?

The current study examines the
factors that facilitate the development of sociolinguistic competence by second language learners who study abroad. Sociolinguistic competence is the ability to vary one’s language according to the speech context and includes the modifications we make to reflect the seriousness of the topic, the audience to whom we are speaking and our own individual characteristics. Although developing sociolinguistic competence is considered an integral part of successful second language acquisition, it is often difficult for the second-language learner to gain exposure to the range of speech contexts necessary to acquire this ability.

Studying abroad can potentially mediate these difficulties by providing the learner with ample opportunities for exposure to a variety of contexts involving the native language and culture. However, much of the study abroad research does not take into account sociolinguistic factors or uses holistic oral proficiency measures which do not specifically measure sociolinguistic competence.

The current study will improve our understanding of the second language development of sociolinguistic competence during study abroad by examining the development of the variable use of specific linguistic forms in Spanish which have been shown to vary across and within dialects of Spanish. The findings of the study will provide important insights for language educators, program directors and language students with regard to the specific language skills that are developed during study abroad as well as uncover the particular factors that influence the second language development of sociolinguistic competence.

What are the goals of the project?

The participants will be recruited during the Spring 2014 semester from study abroad programs in two Spanish-speaking countries: 25 students studying in Spain and 25 students studying in the Dominican Republic. Ten native speakers will also be recruited from each region. The participants will complete four research tasks at the beginning and end of their study abroad program: 1) a recorded oral interview in Spanish 2) a written dialect task 3) a short grammar test and 4) a background questionnaire.

The participants’ use of the dialect-specific grammatical forms will be examined based on characteristics of the linguistic context, the individual learners (e.g., second-language proficiency, gender, cultural sensitivity, contact with Spanish, etc.) and the study abroad programs (e.g., location, residency, extracurricular activities, class enrollment, etc.).