Sociolinguistic Variation and Acquisition in Two-Way Language Immersion Negotiating the Standard

by Starr, Rebecca Lurie

• ISBN13: 9781783096374
• ISBN10: 1783096373
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781783096381
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2016-11-01
• Publisher: Multilingual Matters

Summary

This book investigates the acquisition of sociolinguistic knowledge in the early elementary school years of a Mandarin-English two-way immersion program in the United States. Using ethnographic observation and quantitative analysis of data, the author explores how input from teachers and classmates shape students' language acquisition. The book considers the different sociolinguistic messages conveyed by teachers in their patterns of language use and the variety of dialects negotiated and represented. Using analysis of teacher speech, corrective feedback and student language use, the author brings together three analyses to form a more complete picture of how children respond to sociolinguistic variation within a two-way immersion program.

Author Biography

Rebecca Lurie Starr is an Assistant Professor of English Language at the National University of Singapore. She researches sociolinguistic variation in English, Mandarin and other languages, focusing on children's acquisition of sociolinguistic knowledge in schools and multilingual settings.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Standard Mandarin and Sociolinguistic Variation
3. Teacher Language Use
4. Corrections and Other Metalinguistic Discourse
5. Student Language Use
6. Implications and Future Directions
References