How Multilingual Experience Shapes Linguistic Development in English: A Study on Accent Perception with Elementary School Children in Sweden
Author
Summary, in English
This thesis explores how bilingual and trilingual children aged 7–11 develop their
English pronunciation in an international school where English is the main language of learning
and play. Recordings from a storytelling task were rated for accent and comprehensibility, and
background data from parental questionnaires provided detailed language profiles. Analyzing
these data, it examines (a) whether the two groups differ in perceived accentedness and
comprehensibility, and (b) what individual factors—such as Age of Onset of Acquisition, Age of
Onset of English Instruction, dominance, and preference—shape these outcomes, in a group
level and in total. Combining these results with the participants’ language profiles and answers,
this study provides insights into trilingual phonology. Findings show that both bilingual and
trilingual children reached high levels of comprehensibility and native‐like accents. Group
differences were not statistically established; descriptively, trilinguals showed a slightly tighter
clustering at the higher end of the scale. Individual variation was more closely linked to English
dominance and preference than to AoO. These results suggest that the school’s stimulating,
socially rich environment may act as a “phonological accelerator” fostering strong phonological
skills.
English pronunciation in an international school where English is the main language of learning
and play. Recordings from a storytelling task were rated for accent and comprehensibility, and
background data from parental questionnaires provided detailed language profiles. Analyzing
these data, it examines (a) whether the two groups differ in perceived accentedness and
comprehensibility, and (b) what individual factors—such as Age of Onset of Acquisition, Age of
Onset of English Instruction, dominance, and preference—shape these outcomes, in a group
level and in total. Combining these results with the participants’ language profiles and answers,
this study provides insights into trilingual phonology. Findings show that both bilingual and
trilingual children reached high levels of comprehensibility and native‐like accents. Group
differences were not statistically established; descriptively, trilinguals showed a slightly tighter
clustering at the higher end of the scale. Individual variation was more closely linked to English
dominance and preference than to AoO. These results suggest that the school’s stimulating,
socially rich environment may act as a “phonological accelerator” fostering strong phonological
skills.
Summary, in English
This thesis explores how bilingual and trilingual children aged 7–11 develop their
English pronunciation in an international school where English is the main language of learning
and play. Recordings from a storytelling task were rated for accent and comprehensibility, and
background data from parental questionnaires provided detailed language profiles. Analyzing
these data, it examines (a) whether the two groups differ in perceived accentedness and
comprehensibility, and (b) what individual factors—such as Age of Onset of Acquisition, Age of
Onset of English Instruction, dominance, and preference—shape these outcomes, in a group
level and in total. Combining these results with the participants’ language profiles and answers,
this study provides insights into trilingual phonology. Findings show that both bilingual and
trilingual children reached high levels of comprehensibility and native‐like accents. Group
differences were not statistically established; descriptively, trilinguals showed a slightly tighter
clustering at the higher end of the scale. Individual variation was more closely linked to English
dominance and preference than to AoO. These results suggest that the school’s stimulating,
socially rich environment may act as a “phonological accelerator” fostering strong phonological
skills.
English pronunciation in an international school where English is the main language of learning
and play. Recordings from a storytelling task were rated for accent and comprehensibility, and
background data from parental questionnaires provided detailed language profiles. Analyzing
these data, it examines (a) whether the two groups differ in perceived accentedness and
comprehensibility, and (b) what individual factors—such as Age of Onset of Acquisition, Age of
Onset of English Instruction, dominance, and preference—shape these outcomes, in a group
level and in total. Combining these results with the participants’ language profiles and answers,
this study provides insights into trilingual phonology. Findings show that both bilingual and
trilingual children reached high levels of comprehensibility and native‐like accents. Group
differences were not statistically established; descriptively, trilinguals showed a slightly tighter
clustering at the higher end of the scale. Individual variation was more closely linked to English
dominance and preference than to AoO. These results suggest that the school’s stimulating,
socially rich environment may act as a “phonological accelerator” fostering strong phonological
skills.
Department/s
- Master's Programme: Language and Linguistics
- General Linguistics
Publishing year
2025
Language
English
Full text
Document type
Student publication for Master's degree (one year)
Topic
- Languages and Literatures
Keywords
- accentedness
- comprehensibility
- bilingualism
- trilingualism
- phonological development
- international school
Supervisor
- Tanja Kupisch (Dr.)