Discourse completion tasks meet virtual reality: A pilot study on virtual reality as an elicitation instrument

Wirtz, Mason A.

doi:10.1016/j.rmal.2022.100029

Cited by 4 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Participants were predicted to more heavily draw on the standard German variety, regardless of the interlocutor. These results support previous findings from the Swiss-Alemannic context (Ender, 2021(Ender, , 2022) that L2 learners, at the group level, do not necessarily engage in varietal convergence in the same way L1 speakers do (see Wirtz, 2022). At the same time-though this comparison is to be taken with a grain of salt given the vast differences between the French and Austro-Bavarian sociolinguistic situations-our findings run slightly counter to Dewaele's (2004a) sample of L2 French learners, who interindividually converged to L1 speakers' patterns of variation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…That said, speakers' situational use of varieties is typically a function of, for example, the formality of the situation and addressee-dependent factors, such as the variety used by the interlocutor. Importantly, in interactions between sociolinguistically competent speakers in Bavarian-speaking Austria, processes of accommodation are common (Wirtz, 2022). For example, when interacting with standard German speakers, a shift away from speakers' preferred dialect variety toward mixture and/or standard German varieties can be expected (Ender & Kaiser, 2009).…”

Section: The Bavarian-austrian Sociolinguistic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On a more methodological note, using varietal convergence as a measure of sociolinguistic competence may be considered advantageous over assessing sociolinguistic competence on the basis of frequency-based measurements of singled-out sociolinguistic variants. This is because varietal convergence offers a broader, more global measure, in that it can also comprise sociolinguistic features of phonological, morphosyntactic, and lexical nature (for extended discussions of convergence as an operational measure of sociolinguistic competence, see Ender, 2021Ender, , 2022Wirtz, 2022).…”

Section: Varietal Convergence: Aligning To L1 Speakers and Variation ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To counteract this, questions concerning Austro-Bavarian dialect were only asked by the dialect-speaking interlocutor. Wirtz (2022) outlined the experimental piloting procedure to ensure the questions asked-and how they were asked-were as natural as possible.…”

Section: Virtual Reality Oral Dialogue Construction Discourse Complet...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To tackle the aforementioned research lacuna, the present study analyzes data from 40 adult migrants with L2 German living in Bavarian-speaking Austria. Informed by the growing body of variationist sociolinguistic research on varieties of German (e.g., Beaman, 2020Beaman, , 2021Bülow & Vergeiner, 2021;Ender & Kaiser, 2009Stratton, 2020Stratton, , 2022Vergeiner, 2020;Wirtz, 2022), we explore by way of Bayesian multinomial modeling and qualitative analysis whether and why migrants with L2 German acquire sociolinguistic resources that are typical of first language (L1) speakersspecifically, varietal convergence to the (non)standard variety of the interlocutor. Thematically, this facilitates first insights concerning how L2 learners deal with sociolinguistic variation in their immediate input in the noninstructed context, that is, whether they retain strictly standard German speech classically taught in the classroom context or whether they integrate nonstandard speech into their repertoires as a means of accommodating to the community around them.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Sociolinguistic competence and varietal repertoires in a second language: A study on addressee‐dependent varietal behavior using virtual reality

Wirtz,

Pfenninger,

Kaiser

et al. 2024

The Modern Language Journal

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The present study takes a variationist perspective to explore the varietal repertoires of adult learners of German as a second language (L2), that is, their variable use of standard German, Austro‐Bavarian dialect, and mixture varieties. Forty L2 learners completed a virtual reality task involving interactions with dialect‐speaking and standard‐German‐speaking interlocutors. Using Bayesian multilevel modeling, the goal was to explore differential outcomes in the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence by determining whether participants adjusted their varietal behavior to match that of the interlocutor (i.e., varietal convergence). The results show that there were no interindividual addressee‐dependent convergence tendencies. A holistic person‐centered analysis of individual learners’ intraspeaker variation revealed that only select L2 learners adjusted their usage patterns but did not entirely invert their usage of dialect and standard language as a function of the variety of the interlocutor. Introspective qualitative data speak to potential drivers behind the differential development of L2 (multi)varietal repertoires.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: The Bavarian-austrian Sociolinguistic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Varietal Convergence: Aligning To L1 Speakers and Variation ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Virtual Reality Oral Dialogue Construction Discourse Complet...mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Sociolinguistic competence and varietal repertoires in a second language: A study on addressee‐dependent varietal behavior using virtual reality

Wirtz,

Pfenninger,

Kaiser

et al. 2024

The Modern Language Journal

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Capturing Thresholds and Continuities: Individual Differences as Predictors of L2 Sociolinguistic Repertoires in Adult Migrant Learners in Austria

Wirtz,

Pfenninger

2023

Applied Linguistics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This cross-sectional study addresses for the first time the non/linear association between individual learner differences of social, proficiency-related, and socioaffective nature (length of residence [LoR], varietal proficiency, exposure, and socioaffect) and differential outcomes in L2 sociolinguistic repertoires against the backdrop of the Austro-Bavarian naturalistic context. Forty adult migrant L2 German learners participated in a virtual reality experiment involving interactions with dialect-speaking and standard German-speaking interlocutors. The goal was to explore differences in participants’ interpersonal varietal behavior, that is, their addressee-relational variable use of standard German, Austro-Bavarian dialect, and mixture varieties. The results of Bayesian multinomial modeling indicated that LoR, dialect exposure, and proficiency, as well as reduced anxiety when speaking dialect, predicted differences in interpersonal varietal behavior. That said, a visual-quantitative analysis revealed critical thresholds concerning when, within these predictors, changes in sociolinguistic behavior manifested, indicating a rapid change in sociolinguistic development at the inter-individual level and ultimately facilitating initial insights as to how advanced one needs to be in order to engage in sociolinguistic variation in the Austro-Bavarian naturalistic context.

show abstract

On the relationship between complexity of primary occupation and L2 varietal behavior in adult migrants in Austria

Wirtz

2024

Linguistics Vanguard

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article explores for the first time the relationship between occupational complexity (operationalized using the complexity measures indicated in the Dictionary of occupational titles) and adult migrants’ second language (L2) sociolinguistic repertoires in the Austro-Bavarian naturalistic context. We analyze the data of 36 adult migrant L2 German speakers who participated in a virtual reality experiment involving interactions with a dialect-speaking and standard German-speaking interlocutor, the goal being to capture participants’ interpersonal varietal behavior, that is, their addressee-relational, differential use of standard German, Austro-Bavarian dialect, and mixture varieties. Bayesian multinomial mixed-effects models reveal that participants with occupations requiring more handling and physical precision work are predicted to employ dialect varieties more often, but exclusively in interaction with the standard German-speaking interlocutor. A person-centered visual-quantitative analysis additionally facilitates insights concerning which migrants deviate most notably from group-level patterns, and how these deviations may relate to the complexity of their primary occupation. More generally, this study paves new ground with respect to how we can operationally define and capture the complexity of occupational status, and moreover sets out a new direction for research questions investigating how career-related differences impact on (L2) language variation and use.

show abstract

Discourse completion tasks meet virtual reality: A pilot study on virtual reality as an elicitation instrument

Cited by 4 publications

References 23 publications

Sociolinguistic competence and varietal repertoires in a second language: A study on addressee‐dependent varietal behavior using virtual reality

Sociolinguistic competence and varietal repertoires in a second language: A study on addressee‐dependent varietal behavior using virtual reality

Capturing Thresholds and Continuities: Individual Differences as Predictors of L2 Sociolinguistic Repertoires in Adult Migrant Learners in Austria

On the relationship between complexity of primary occupation and L2 varietal behavior in adult migrants in Austria

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About