Outline
Research on second language (L2) pronunciation has long acknowledged the importance of social context, yet
social factors are still often treated as peripheral to phonological development. This plenary addresses the
central role that social factors play in shaping L2 phonological acquisition and use. It asks four guiding
questions: how social factors are defined in pronunciation research, which social factors have been empirically
investigated, how and why these factors influence L2 phonological development in both perception and
production, and what these findings mean for the teaching of L2 pronunciation.
Social factors are understood here as influences that are external to the learner and embedded in the
language learning environment, particularly those that reflect learners’ relationships with their social worlds.
Research has examined a wide range of such factors, including L2 attitudes, social and peer group networks,
L2 contact and exposure, study abroad, gender, identity, and ethnic group affiliation. While these variables are
often grouped under the umbrella of individual differences, they differ from traditionally internal factors—such
as aptitude, motivation, or age—in that they foreground learners’ social positioning and engagement with the
linguistic environment. Viewed in this way, social factors offer critical insights into why learners with similar
instructional experiences may follow very different phonological developmental paths.
From a social contextual perspective, social factors shape L2 phonological development by influencing
both the input learners encounter and the pronunciation targets they adopt. Learners are exposed to multiple
varieties of a language across settings, often well beyond the standard models presented in classrooms. Their
phonological choices are influenced by speech norms in their L1 and L2 communities, socially and gendered
patterns of variation, opportunities for interaction through study abroad or media, and participation in social
and ethnic networks. Learners are therefore not passive recipients of phonological input, but active agents
whose pronunciation choices are systematic and socially meaningful, often serving to index identity, align with
particular groups, or resist features that conflict with desired social affiliations.
The keynote concludes by considering the implications of social factor research for pronunciation
pedagogy. Recognizing learners as socially situated language users challenges deficit oriented views of
accentedness and invites a rethinking of instructional goals, models, and assessment practices. By placing social
context, variation, and identity at the center of pronunciation research and teaching, this talk argues for more
socially responsive and theoretically informed approaches to L2 pronunciation, and outlines directions for
future research in this growing area.
