"Solange dieser Mann gut Deutsch sprechen kann, ist auch kein Problem...": Evaluative Reaktionen auf einen L2-Akzent aus Sicht von Sprecher*innen

This article investigates learners’ accounts of and reactions to interlocutors’ evaluations of their L2 pronunciation. Previous studies demonstrate both the pervasiveness of social evaluation processes in native and non-native speaker interactions and the impact of learners’ beliefs about pronunciation on their learning and communicative behavior. Adding to these strands of research, this project sheds light on how learners perceive evaluative reactions to their accents by native speakers and the relationship between such evaluations and learners’ reported evaluative, emotional and behavioral responses. The study draws on 8 international students at a German university. The data were collected in semi-structured interviews and analyzed within the framework of qualitative content analysis. The results give insight into conditions and strategies that may support learners in establishing constructive interpretations of the effects of their accents on their social acceptance.