Kristen Kennedy Terry | Sam Houston State University (original) (raw)

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Papers by Kristen Kennedy Terry

L2 Journal, 2023

Social network analysis (SNA) examines the relationships that an individual speaker creates and m... more Social network analysis (SNA) examines the relationships that an individual speaker creates and maintains with others in order to explain and predict language behavior. Over the past 20 years, SNA has been used by a growing number of researchers to better understand the language learner and the language learning process, especially in the context of study abroad (SA) in the target-language (TL) environment. Some of the earliest applications to L2 acquisition operationalized SNA through primarily qualitative data about learners' attitudes toward the target culture and their interactions with TL speakers (Isabelli-García, 2006; Lybeck, 2002), while later studies have focused on developing quantitative measures of network strength based on criteria such as network density, multiplexity, and dispersion (Baker

John Benjamins Publishing Company eBooks, Jul 15, 2022

Using a mixed-effects model and sociolinguistic interviews, this study provides empirical evidenc... more Using a mixed-effects model and sociolinguistic interviews, this study provides empirical evidence for the emergence of targetlike patterns of phonological variation in L2 French learners during study abroad. Specifically, this study examines the acquisition of a phonological variable demonstrating sociostylistic variation in L1 speech: variable schwa deletion in clitics (/ə/ realized as [oe] or null, as in tu me dis [ty moe di] ~ [tym di] 'you tell me'). Results demonstrate that variation patterns of L2 French learners are conditioned by the phonological context of the clitic and that acquisition of variation follows a predictable order based on clitic type. Results also demonstrate that time spent abroad and social networks with native speakers are significant predictors of L2 variation patterns.

The Modern Language Journal, 2022

This longitudinal study of 17 American learners of French lies at the intersection of 2 complemen... more This longitudinal study of 17 American learners of French lies at the intersection of 2 complementary fields of inquiry in second language acquisition (SLA): language variation and change (LVC) and language acquisition during study abroad. Studies in LVC examine the nature and use of linguistic features that have more than 1 possible realization in native-speaker speech (i.e., variable features). Conversely, investigations into language acquisition during study abroad have primarily focused on the acquisition of categorical features that have only 1 possible, grammatical realization in the target language, or on the acquisition of global oral proficiency and fluency. Moreover, while studies in LVC have long relied on social network theory to predict language performance, existing research on language acquisition during study abroad provides conflicting results and explanations for learner gains during study abroad. The current study bridges this research gap by providing empirical evidence for the critical role of social networks with target-language speakers in the acquisition of stylistic variation by French learners during study abroad. Additionally, because this study includes both semester and year-long learners, results demonstrate the significant impact of time on task, which, when combined with network strength, negates the role of individual learner characteristics previously shown to influence acquisition during study abroad.

The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Sociolinguistics, 2022

Social network analysis examines the relationships that an individual creates and maintains with ... more Social network analysis examines the relationships that an individual creates and maintains with others in order to explain and predict language behavior. The foundational applications of social network theory to sociolinguistics examined non-standard, indexical features in L1 speech communities and subsequent studies extended social network analysis to explain language use and shift in bilingual and immigrant communities. A growing body of research highlights the importance of social networks in L2 acquisition, especially L2 acquisition during a stay in the target-language community. This chapter examines studies using social network theory and measurement to characterize and predict the language behavior of L2 learners.

Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 2017

This study uses a mixed-effects model to examine the acquisition of targetlike patterns of phonol... more This study uses a mixed-effects model to examine the acquisition of targetlike patterns of phonological variation by 17 English-speaking learners of French during study abroad in France. Naturalistic speech data provide evidence for the incipient acquisition of a phonological variable showing sociostylistic variation in native speaker speech: the elision of /l/ in third-person subject clitic pronouns (il vient [il vjɛ̃] ∼ [i vjɛ̃] “he is coming”). Speech data are compared and correlated with the results of a social network strength scale designed for the study abroad learning context. Results demonstrate that phonological variation patterns are acquired in a predictable order based on token type and collocation and that social networks with native speakers are statistically significant predictors of phonological variation patterns.

Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society, 2011