Scholarship

Fifteen Degrees of Offensiveness: A longitudinal study of L1 and LX English users understanding, perception, and self-reported use of taboo words.

Presented at the 6th International Conference of the American Pragmatics Association September 27–29, 2024 St. Petersburg, Florida

Non-Native English Speaker Perception of Taboo Words in American English: An Exploratory Study

This study examined the familiarity with, perceptions of, and usage of 15 taboo words in American English. Participants were 10 non-native English speakers and 10 native English speakers at a highly-selective 4-year college in Maryland. The results were compared with an earlier study of British taboo words with a much larger sample size but similar survey methodology. The results suggested that the non-native English speakers were as familiar with, and had comparable perceptions of the offensiveness of, the taboo words as the native English speakers. This may be attributable to above-average English proficiency as measured by self-reported TOEFL scores or homogenization of attitudes through close daily contact between the two groups. The prospect of methodological shortcomings with the research design and small sample size, however, may limit the generalizability of the findings. A follow-on study longitudinal study tracking the 5 freshman participants and a second separate study at a community or junior college were proposed.

Keywords: taboo words, swearing, cursing, emotion

Production of English Phonology by Late Age of Onset Spanish L1s: An Exploratory Study

This study examined the production of /b/, /d/, /g/ and /p/, /t/, /k/ in the initial position of six English and six Spanish words by a group of five undergraduate Spanish L1s with late ages of onset. The production of the six English words was compared with that of eleven English L1s of the same age group. Despite previous research reporting an inability of late learners to authentically produce the initial voiceless stops (/p/,/t/,/k/)for English words as measured by voice onset time, the Spanish L1s in the study with an average age of onset of 19.6 years and consecutive length of residency between two and four years produced /p/ and /t/ within one standard deviation of that of the native speakers and /k/ within two standard deviations. The results raise the possibility that a college experience based on a rigorous STEM core curriculum with prescribed opportunities to interact with other Spanish L1 students can partially compensate for the late age of onset in phonological development in spite of average initial English proficiency as measured by TOEFL scores. The prospect of methodological shortcomings with the research design; however, may limit the generalizability of the findings.

Tale of Two Mongolians - Perceived Native-likeness and Scrutinized Linguistic Detail: Phonology, Proverbs, and Fossil Words

This study scrutinized the nativelikeness of a Mongolian L1 college student judged to be without accent in English by his classmates. The acoustic data from his production of six English words was compared with that of eleven English L1s of the same age group and at the same institution of higher education. Additionally, his nativelikeness was examined through the administration of two instruments that have been used to differentiate very-advanced non-native speakers from native speakers. Following this linguistic scrutiny, Altan (not his real name) was nativelike in his pronunciation. Furthermore, he scored near-native on one instrument and was nativelike on the other. In line with current second language acquisition theory, the achievement of this level of nativelikeness would have been difficult, but not impossible. This was in comparison to another Mongolian L1 at the same institution who had a similar background but lacked broad exposure to English before he was twelve years old. The result may speak to the importance of an immersive experience in an L2 at an early age, even if for a limited time. The prospect of methodological shortcomings with the research design; however, may limit the generalizability of the findings.

Keywords: Mongolian L1, age of onset, voice onset time, English as a second language, English as a foreign language

Analysis of National Geographic CENGAGE Standout English Placement Test: The Problem of the Hanging Tail

The National Geographic-CENGAGE placement test is a criterion-referenced instrument used primarily for placing students in one of six skill levels of English language learning. This study was an attempt to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Stand Out placement test with some measure of rigor. A Rasch analysis of candidate ability and test item difficulty was chosen over classical or traditional models because it allows for expressing these two variables in the same units on a single scale for both. Results for n=30 test samples showed a large mismatch between person ability and item difficulty. The test is in serious need of revision to produce a separation index more closely aligned with the desired outcome of differentiating among six levels of proficiency.

Keywords: Stand Out, test reliability, test validity

Toward an Understanding of the Effectiveness of L2 Written Grammar Correction

Truscott’s (1996) article, “The Case Against Grammar Correction in L2 Writing Classes” was nothing short of a bombshell calling into question revered and long-held views of both students and teachers on the big question—whether or not written error feedback helps students to improve written accuracy over time. It took three years for Ferris (1999) to come up with researched-based reasons why correction should not be abandoned. The polemical debate that ensued has become a reference point for studies up until today. Recent research has looked at the effects of written corrective feedback on specific grammatical features or specific techniques such as direct and indirect feedback. There has been evidence to support these practices in circumscribed settings but the broader application still lacks empirical support. Recommended areas for future research include computer-assisted language learning, peer review written corrective feedback, and teacher training and practice.
Keywords: L2 writing, second language writing, error correction, written corrective feedback