Ethnic Identity and Accent

93 Pages·2014·2.04 MB·English

by  Meagan Hoff

ETHNIC IDENTIY AND ACCENT: EXPLORING PHONOLOGICAL ACQUISITION FOR
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FROM CHINA

Meagan A. Hoff

A Thesis

Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green
State University in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS
May 2014

Committee:
Sara Abercrombie, Advisor
Sheri Wells-Jensen
Hyeyoung Bang
© 2014
Meagan A. Hoff
All Rights Reserved
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ABSTRACT
Sara Abercrombie, Advisor
When we speak we communicate more than the sum of our words. Interlocutors give and
interpret information including ethnic and cultural affiliations through those first syllables and
sounds of an utterance. The goal of this research is to examine the interactions between ethnic
identity constructs and degree of accent in English. Given that identity is a product of social
labeling and self-identification, by linking identity and accentedness, this present study gives
insight into the dynamics of cross-cultural communication. Participants consisted of 20 native
Mandarin speakers recently arrived in the United States and enrolled in a Midwestern American
university. This research is a quantitative investigation of the correlation between ethnic
identity, other-group orientation, and phonological acquisition. Data was collected at the
beginning and end of an academic term. The goal of this study is to explore whether ethnic
identity and strength of accent correlate at initial measurement upon arrival to the United States
and then three months later, to see if changes in pronunciation are predicted by ethnic identity.
The results of a multiple regression analysis revealed that other-group orientation was the most
significant predictor of accentedness upon arrival in the United States. Furthermore, repeated
measures ANOVA results revealed a significant decrease in other-group orientation over the first
semester, with no significant change in accent over the same time period. This means that there
was a relationship between other-group orientation and strength of accent when participants
arrived in the United States. The change in strength of accent was not significant, however there
was a decrease in other-group orientation at the end of the first semester. This indicates that
participants were less willing to interact with people from other ethnic groups. These results
suggest that the social aspects of language learning, such as interactions with, and positive
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attitude towards other ethnic groups are important in the process of phonological acquisition. In
addition, cultural adaptation strategies may impact learner’s phonological acquisition. The
present findings support a sociocultural approach to language learning that places value on the
cultural context of the learning process.
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Identity is a practice with great symbolic value,
and language is its medium -Moyer, 2013
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This thesis is a culmination of so many hours of work and study and is truly the work of a
team, for I would have never made it this far without the help and support of my friends, family,
and mentors. I would first like to start by acknowledging my thesis committee without whom I
would have never made it to the end of this project. First, Dr. Sara Abercrombie, my advisor and
chair who endlessly encouraged me and patiently guided me through the process of collecting,
analyzing, and writing up my data. Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen, your sound advice, guidance on all
things phonological, and ukulele lessons kept me sane. Dr. Hyeyoung Bang, thank you for the
conversations and your encouragement.
Along with my family, I would also like to thank my support system here in Bowling
Green, who kept me sane, fed, and focused when I needed it most. To my friends and classmates
in the MACIE program, thank you for forever believing in me and voting me most likely to get a
PhD. To Kyle Gutek, my trusty writing consultant, thank you for your all of your advice and
hard work. To the participants who made this research possible, I thank you for your time and
dedication.
Lastly, I would like to thank my friends around the world, who have been with me on my
many travels and language adventures that have inspired this work. To the people of Benin,
Spain, France, and Germany who have graciously listened and encouraged me through the
process of language learning, thank you, and to every person who has had the patience to keep
the conversations alive, even when my language skills were nascent. The Couch Surfers of
Montpellier, I would have given up on French long ago if it was not for the community you
welcomed me into. It is communities like you that make language learning worth all the trouble.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1
Background ..........................................................................................................................2
Justification ..........................................................................................................................3
Delimitations, Limitations, and Assumptions ......................................................................7
Organization of the Chapters ...............................................................................................8
CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................9
Ethnic Identity ....................................................................................................................10
Cultural Adaptation ...........................................................................................................13
Chinese Culture and Adaptation ........................................................................................15
Voice & Audibility ............................................................................................................18
Language Learning and the Language Learner .................................................................20
English Language Learning ...............................................................................................23
Accent & Pronunciation .....................................................................................................24
Comparing Standard Chinese Phonology and English Phonology ....................................27
Ethnic Identity and Language Acquisition ........................................................................29
Conclusions ........................................................................................................................34
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY ...............................................................................................36
Research Design.................................................................................................................36
Research Settings ...............................................................................................................37
Participants ........................................................................................................................38
English Level .........................................................................................................39
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Ethnicity ................................................................................................................39
Social Interactions .................................................................................................40
Instrumentation ..................................................................................................................40
Ethnic Identity Scale .............................................................................................40
Other-Group Orientation Scale .............................................................................41
Pronunciation Scale ...............................................................................................41
Procedures ..........................................................................................................................43
Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................44
CHAPTER IV. RESULTS .............................................................................................................45
Descriptive Data ................................................................................................................45
Main Research Question ...................................................................................................45
Research Sub-Question 1 ...................................................................................................47
Research Sub-Question 2 ...................................................................................................47
Research Sub-Question 3 ..................................................................................................48
CHAPTER V. DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................50
Other-Group Orientation and Accent.................................................................................50
Decline in Other-Group Orientation ..................................................................................51
Additional Considerations .................................................................................................53
Implications for Language Learning ..................................................................................56
Limitations .........................................................................................................................57
Directions for Future Research ..........................................................................................59
CHAPTER VI. CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................61
REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................64
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APPENDIX A. SURVEY WITH MULTIGROUP ETHNIC IDENTITY MEASURE ................73
APPENDIX B. PRONUNCIATION SCRIPT ..............................................................................75
APPENDIX C. ACCENT RATING SHEET ................................................................................77
APPENDIX D. CONSENT LETTER............................................................................................79
APPENDIX E. HUMAN SUBJECTS REVIEW BOARD APPROVAL .....................................81
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1 Research Design.................................................................................................................37