Do Language Attitudes Determine Accent? A Study of Bilinguals in the USA

Abstract

This study presents new data on the degree of ‘foreign’ accent among immigrant learners of English in the USA (total N=50) as it correlates to learner orientation to the target language and target language culture. Correlation analyses confirm the significance of age of onset and length of immersion, as well as learner attitudes, including: (a) reasons for learning English; (b) perceived ability to improve in English; (c) desire to improve accent; (d) self-confidence in English; (e) comfort with assimilation to the target language culture (USA); and (f) intention to reside in the USA long-term. A close examination of the data points to three main conclusions: (1) language attitudes are significant for accent, as are more traditional measures such as age of onset with the target language and length of residence in the target language environment; (2) attitudes toward the target language itself are more powerfully linked to accent than are culture-directed attitudes, though both are significant; (3) a combination of experience and a positive orientation appears to be particularly important for attaining greater authenticity in accent.