The effects of internal and external factors on the non-standard usages of English by the emerging workforce of Central Switzerland: a spoken corpus study

Oswald-Trefz, Susanne (2022). The effects of internal and external factors on the non-standard usages of English by the emerging workforce of Central Switzerland: a spoken corpus study. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis explores the spoken output of 18-20 year old Central Swiss residents by means of a learner corpus compiled by conducting interviews. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to investigate the effect of demographic, identity-related and educational variables on non-standard usages (NSU). The collection of extensive participant metadata made the variable analysis possible. Education policy changes concerning English as foreign language instruction in primary school facilitated the evaluation of early and late starters and their use of twenty-five NSU. Further, an online survey was conducted to measure the acceptability of spoken output containing NSU features. It has been concluded that the increased exposure to multiple languages in home environments can have a positive effect on the accuracy of English use. Internal adverse associations appeared to negatively affect the amount of output and accuracy of the participants’ spoken English. In addition, educational paths and proficiency levels were found to correlate with accuracy, however, length of study or length of stays abroad did not. With few exceptions, the early starters outperformed the late starters in terms of accuracy. The survey revealed that there is a broad acceptance of NSU with typical first language interference features and a surprising fifty percent acceptance rate of zero third person singular use in everyday spoken situations.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):