The Younger, the Better? A Multi-Factorial Approach to Understanding Age Effects on EFL Phonological Attainment

Аннотация

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.

Скачивания

Данные скачивания пока не доступны.

Биографии авторов

Zhengwei Pei, Nanjing Agricultural University

School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University, China

Kerong Qin, Nanjing Agricultural University

School of Foreign Studies

Опубликован
2019-03-31
Как цитировать
PeiZ., & QinK. (2019). The Younger, the Better? A Multi-Factorial Approach to Understanding Age Effects on EFL Phonological Attainment. Journal of Language and Education, 5(1), 29-48. https://doi.org/10.17323/2411-7390-2019-5-1-29-48