Abstract:
A growing literature suggests accent serves as an important social category for infants and young children. Children show early social preferences for native over non-native speakers, and this tendency may lay the foundation for future accent prejudice observed in adulthood. However, children do not hear non-native accents in a vacuum; instead, their experiences with accent are informed by a number of factors within a broader communicative context. One factor that may be of particular importance is the speech register typically associated with native speakers talking to non-native speakers-- a register known as Foreigner Talk. This talk reports on three studies that examine whether Foreigner Talk affects children's (ages 5-10, N = 308) and adults' (N = 216) evaluations of those speaking and receiving Foreigner Talk. The findings provide insight into how conversational choices may impact children's developing conceptions of non-native speakers specifically, and outgroup members more broadly.