Factors driving lexical variation in L2 French: A variationist study of automobile, auto, voiture, char and machine

Our paper examines lexical variation in the spoken French of second language learners and focuses on words referring to the notion of ‘automobile’ (i.e., automobile , auto , voiture , char and machine ). Results reveal that while students do follow the native speaker pattern of using the neutral var...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of French language studies 2008-11, Vol.18 (3), p.365-381
Main Authors: NADASDI, TERRY, MOUGEON, RAYMOND, REHNER, KATHERINE
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Colloquial language
Francophones
French as a second language
French language
Immersion programs
Learning
Linguistics
Middle class
Speaking
Speech
Students
Studies
Variables
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Summary:Our paper examines lexical variation in the spoken French of second language learners and focuses on words referring to the notion of ‘automobile’ (i.e., automobile , auto , voiture , char and machine ). Results reveal that while students do follow the native speaker pattern of using the neutral variant auto in most instances, they diverge from native speakers by making no use of the vernacular form char and relatively high use of the prestige variant voiture . The principal external factors that influence variant choice are students' home language and the representation of variants in the input to which students are exposed.
ISSN:0959-2695
1474-0079
DOI:10.1017/S0959269508003505