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Article published In: Language and Dialogue
Vol. 11:3 (2021) ► pp.433–456

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Identity, agency and intercultural dialogic competencies in L2 ultimate attainment

 | University of Warsaw, Poland
Published online: 7 September 2021
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ld.00102.sub
Abstract
This preliminary study seeks to examine the role of agency and bilinguals’ identity negotiated in the processes of acculturation as key factors in attaining a very high or near-native L2 proficiency. Since these aspects appear to have been underestimated in research on L2 ultimate attainment, interviews were carried out with eight L2 speakers of Polish (four near-native and four highly advanced bilinguals) in order to obtain qualitative data on participants’ self-identity and acculturation. The results show that the near-native subjects identified themselves very strongly with the receiving society, whereas highly proficient L2 speakers retained a much stronger sense of L1-related identity. It is hypothesized that bilinguals’ acculturation strategies and intercultural dialogic competencies may be decisive factors in determining L2 near-nativeness.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Near-nativeness – Self-made success?
  • 3.Acculturation profiles
  • 4.Intercultural dialogic competencies
  • 5.Acculturation and L2 acquisition
  • 6.The current study
    • 6.1Participants
    • 6.2Instruments and procedure
    • 6.3Results
      • Near-native profiles
        • José
        • Daan
        • Oksana
        • Ana
      • Advanced profiles
        • Georges
        • Tom
        • William
        • Edit
  • 7.Discussion and conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
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