Sociolinguistic Factors Influencing the Perception of Non-Native Speech

Agnieszka Bryła-Cruz

Agnieszka Bryła-Cruz Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin

Keywords: non-native speech; the perception of Polish-accented English

Abstract

The article presents empirical data on the perception of Polish-accented English by three groups of native listeners from the British Isles (the English, the Irish and the Scottish). The main aim of the study is to explore to what extent informants’ evaluative judgements are conditioned by non-linguistic factors such as age, gender, education, familiarity with Polish-accented English and the frequency of interaction with Poles. The listeners rate the samples of Polish-accented English on two parameters, i.e. foreign accentedness and irritation they evoke. The analysis has revealed that respondents’ age and gender do not influence their judgments (the differences are not statistically significant). Education, prior experience with Polish-accented English and the frequency of interaction with Poles, on the other hand, exert influence on how the speakers are rated.

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