Abstract
Second language (L2) phonological acquisition is constrained by a complex interplay of extra-linguistic factors, among which the age factor is frequently investigated. This study adopted a multi-factorial approach to examine the effects of the age of learning English (AoLE), along with ten other extra-linguistic factors, on the ultimate English phonological attainment of 318 university students in Chinese context for English as a foreign language (EFL) as a whole and across three cohorts: first-year non-English majors, first-year English majors, and third-year English majors. The participants were administered background questionnaires and receptive and productive EFL phonology tests. The results of regression analyses indicated that the AoLE was not a predictor for the whole sample, while English pronunciation self-concept (EPSC) turned out to be the most predictive. Predictors for each cohort varied in number and content. Whichever cohort the participants came from, EPSC remained a constant and potent predictor, whereas the AoLE could merely predict the phonological attainment of first-year non-English majors, accounting for 4% of its variance. The findings of the study contribute to the long-standing debate over the viability of the critical period hypothesis, provide methodological implications for age-related L2 phonology research, and inform early EFL educational decisions.
Highlights
Second language (L2) phonological acquisition is constrained by a complex interplay of extra-linguistic factors, which refer to “personal, environmental, and instructional variables within the learner rather than those stemming from differences between two language systems” (Jacobsen & Imhoof, 1974, p. 329)
The few available studies have determined the relative contributions of a variety of factors to English phonology by applying regression analysis, but they are restricted to productive phonology alone and their sample sizes are rather small. To advance this line of inquiry, we explored the impact of age of learning English (AoLE) and ten other factors on the English as a foreign language (EFL) phonological attainment of 318 university students via a multi-factorial approach, with phonology measured both receptively and productively
The age of learning English does play a role in predicting the EFL phonological attainment of freshmen non-English majors within the Chinese EFL context, but its explanatory power is relatively weak, and certainly not as strong as it has shown to be in an English as a second language (ESL) context
Summary
Second language (L2) phonological acquisition is constrained by a complex interplay of extra-linguistic factors, which refer to “personal, environmental, and instructional variables within the learner rather than those stemming from differences between two language systems” (Jacobsen & Imhoof, 1974, p. 329). The questionnaire, in addition to querying demographic information such as name, chronological age, major, grade, university, and hearing status, elicited data pertinent to the 11 surveyed factors It was composed of five parts and given in Chinese. Part One is directed at seven factors encompassing AoLE, Gen, EoFL, AOM, MuAb, AOEU, and AEPT The participants supplied their data on AoLE (the age at which they began to learn English), Gen, and EoEL (whether they had learned or picked up foreign languages other than English). They self-rated their AOM on a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 (extremely weak) to 5 (extremely strong). As for AEPT, they estimated how long they had received English phonological training from regular classes at school or/and extracurricular programs before they participated in the study
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