On the role of naturalistic and classroom exposure in the acquisition of socio-phonological variation: A longitudinal study of French liaison

This paper is situated within the new wave of L2 studies which explores the learner's acquisition of sociolinguistic variation. The study tracks the longitudinal development of liaison usage in relation to the potential differential impact of naturalistic vs classroom exposure conditions. Data for the study were collected at three intervals over a two-year period from Irish university learners, allowing for a dual analysis of their linguistic development during a year-long stay in France, and during their subsequent return to the foreign language classroom. Results point to the complexity of such development, whereby there is considerable individual variation, such that the heterogeneous exposure conditions in each environment seem to impact differentially the individual learners' development.