PERSPECTIVES OF BILINGUALS TOWARD SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND ACCENT MODIFICATION THERAPY
Open Access
Author:
Hicks, Adam John
Graduate Program:
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Degree:
Master of Science
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
December 20, 2012
Committee Members:
Carol Anne Miller, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Kathryn D R Drager, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Keywords:
bilingualism accent modification therapy culture speech language pathology
Abstract:
Eight bilingual individuals participated in an interview study pertaining to their experience of learning English as a second language with regards to language issues including, but not limited to, proficiency, language use, and the role of culture and communication and to probe their knowledge about accent modification therapy and about their views toward these services. Broad themes, including a) “Language Use,” b) “Views Toward Bilingualism,” c) “Language Acquisition”, and d) “Views Toward Accents,” with subsequent sub-themes, were established based on common patterns that emerged from the data. Results include direct quotations from the interviews. Factors related to bilingual language acquisition that came up during the interviews include education, immigration, culture, home language, and language modalities such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Factors related to accent modification therapy include social factors about speaking with an accent, knowledge of therapy services, and necessity for services. Clinical implications are discussed for speech language
