When Your Native Language Sounds Foreign: Characterising Foreign Accent in First Language Attrition.

Second language (L2) learners are often easily recognised as such due to their foreign accent. Recent research has shown, however, that due to the L2 learning experience individuals may also be perceived as foreign in their first language (L1). This is commonly referred to as L1 attrition. This project aims to uncover the nature of foreign accent in L1 attrition by experimentally addressing the following research questions. First, we will systematically investigate whether some areas of pronunciation are more prone to attrition than others, and if so which. Secondly, we will investigate the relationship between subjective perceptions of changes to L1 pronunciation and their measurable acoustic-phonetic manifestation. Finally, the project aims to establish why some individuals are perceived as non-native while others in similar circumstances are not.

Three-year FWF Stand-Alone Project. Funding amount: € 397.124,03