Gender Differences in Identity and Acculturation Patterns and L2 Accent Attainment

Abstract

Addressing the influence of sociocultural theory, current views of second language acquisition situate language learning in a much broader context than the isolated box of the classroom. There is need to consider second language (L2) acquisition practices more broadly. This study addresses differences between girls and boys of Kurdish ethnic background as they acquired Turkish, the language of the dominant society. Data were collected from 56 girls and 65 boys at middle and high schools with variables including identification with the first and second language communities, acculturation and integration patterns via an investigation of social networks, and the attainment of a native-like Turkish accent. Quantitative analyses were conducted using multiple chi-square statistics, ANOVA, and MANOVA. Findings suggest that girls obtain much higher accent ratings than boys and that girls and boys are significantly different regarding their identification with the L2 community and their family and nonfamily acculturation and integration patterns.