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 //TBBF8F
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UID:pretalx-athens-2026-TBBF8F@conference-hub.linguistic-society.com
DTSTART:20260423T120000Z
DTEND:20260423T123000Z
DESCRIPTION:Outline\nResearch on second language (L2) pronunciation has lon
 g acknowledged the importance of social context\, yet\nsocial factors are 
 still often treated as peripheral to phonological development. This plenar
 y addresses the\ncentral role that social factors play in shaping L2 phono
 logical acquisition and use. It asks four guiding\nquestions: how social f
 actors are defined in pronunciation research\, which social factors have b
 een empirically\ninvestigated\, how and why these factors influence L2 pho
 nological development in both perception and\nproduction\, and what these 
 findings mean for the teaching of L2 pronunciation.\nSocial factors are un
 derstood here as influences that are external to the learner and embedded 
 in the\nlanguage learning environment\, particularly those that reflect le
 arners’ relationships with their social worlds.\nResearch has examined a
  wide range of such factors\, including L2 attitudes\, social and peer gro
 up networks\,\nL2 contact and exposure\, study abroad\, gender\, identity\
 , and ethnic group affiliation. While these variables are\noften grouped u
 nder the umbrella of individual differences\, they differ from traditional
 ly internal factors—such\nas aptitude\, motivation\, or age—in that th
 ey foreground learners’ social positioning and engagement with the\nling
 uistic environment. Viewed in this way\, social factors offer critical ins
 ights into why learners with similar\ninstructional experiences may follow
  very different phonological developmental paths.\nFrom a social contextua
 l perspective\, social factors shape L2 phonological development by influe
 ncing\nboth the input learners encounter and the pronunciation targets the
 y adopt. Learners are exposed to multiple\nvarieties of a language across 
 settings\, often well beyond the standard models presented in classrooms. 
 Their\nphonological choices are influenced by speech norms in their L1 and
  L2 communities\, socially and gendered\npatterns of variation\, opportuni
 ties for interaction through study abroad or media\, and participation in 
 social\nand ethnic networks. Learners are therefore not passive recipients
  of phonological input\, but active agents\nwhose pronunciation choices ar
 e systematic and socially meaningful\, often serving to index identity\, a
 lign with\nparticular groups\, or resist features that conflict with desir
 ed social affiliations.\nThe keynote concludes by considering the implicat
 ions of social factor research for pronunciation\npedagogy. Recognizing le
 arners as socially situated language users challenges deficit oriented vie
 ws of\naccentedness and invites a rethinking of instructional goals\, mode
 ls\, and assessment practices. By placing social\ncontext\, variation\, an
 d identity at the center of pronunciation research and teaching\, this tal
 k argues for more\nsocially responsive and theoretically informed approach
 es to L2 pronunciation\, and outlines directions for\nfuture research in t
 his growing area.
DTSTAMP:20260419T083036Z
LOCATION:Online Session
SUMMARY:Social influences on pronunciation - Jette Hansen Edwards
URL:https://conference-hub.linguistic-society.com/athens-2026/talk/TBBF8F/
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