Abstract

The purpose of the study is to test whether knowledge of a second language in college students can affect perceptions and prejudices towards speakers with foreign accents. The testing was completed through both implicit and explicit attitudinal measures in regard to recorded audio stimuli. The explicit attitudinal testing was performed through participant self reporting of attitudes. Participants were presented with first (L1) or second (L2) language accented English samples and then rated that speaker in terms of various characteristics or traits that represented the speaker's solidarity and status. The implicit testing was performed in an Auditory Implicit Associations Test on the same speakers. L1 and L2 biases were compared, and then biases were examined as affected by L2-proficiency in the listener. The implicit and explicit scores were then compared with second language proficiency ratings by way of a Spearman's Correlation matrix to check for correlation. Additional L2 exposure variables were also examined to check for correlation with negative bias reduction. We conclude that attitudinal measures do vary among implicit and explicit styles, as well as among explicit measures. There is not enough evidence to conclude that a higher self-reported L2 proficiency is correlated with a reduction in negative bias.

Degree

College and Department

Humanities; Linguistics

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