The present study investigates the factors that modulate phonological and sociolinguistic variation in second language (L2) speech by examining the acquisition of English rhoticity by Chinese learners. Rhoticity is a salient sociolinguistic variable that robustly indexes phonological, stylistic, and social differences in both learners’ first language (L1) Mandarin and target language (TL) English. Drawing on speech data from 47 learners collected twice over a time span of six months, this study aims to explore the interplay between phonological and non-phonological constraints on the variable patterns of L2 rhoticity and the impact of the L1 sociolinguistic system on L2 speech. Results of mixed effects logistic regression models reveal considerable inter- and intra-learner variability in L2 rhoticity, indicating that both phonological and non-phonological factors condition this variation. The findings suggest L1 transfer in its structural, stylistic and social properties in the learners’ L2 speech.
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