Identity, accent aim, and motivation in second language users:new Scottish Gaelic speakers’ use of phonetic variation

This paper examines the use of phonetic variation in word-final rhotics among nineteen adult new speakers of Scottish Gaelic, i.e. speakers who did not acquire the language through intergenerational transmission. Our speakers learned Gaelic as adults and are now highly advanced users of the language. We consider variation in their rhotic productions compared to the productions of six older traditional speakers. Previous approaches to variation in second language users have either focussed on how variable production will eventually result in native-like ‘target’ forms (Type 1 study), or have investigated the extent to which second language users reproduce patterns of variation similar to ‘native speakers’ (Type 2 study). We additionally draw on sociocultural approaches to Second Language Acquisition and apply notions of accent aim, identity construction and learning motivation in order to fully explore the data. In doing so, we advocate a ‘Type 3’ approach to variation in second language users

Patterns of relations between immigrants and host societies

This paper provides an overview of migration and cultural diversity across seven countries in three major geographical regions. It describes the evolution of acculturation theory, models and research. Next, the paper briefly reviews the developments in the application of social psychological theory to the study of immigration and intergroup relations and illustrates the convergence of these approaches across ten studies. Finally, it makes recommendations for the course of future research. Specifically it recommends to clearly distinguish between cultural heritage and cultural identity, to take transnational contacts into account in models of acculturation, and to examine the concepts of pluralism and creolization as outcomes of culturally heterogeneous host societies. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved