246 Gitte Kristiansen
Table 19. Correct results in percentages for L1/L2 experiment sorted per variety,
age and success rate
Age Spain Argentina Mexico France Germany England USA
6-7 86 36 24 18 40 22 16
8-9 100 68 38 22 38 24 14
12-13 98 96 82 54 36 28 28
When ordered in terms of the success rate we observe that native peninsular
Spanish comes in as a clear winner as far as correct identification is con-
cerned. The non-native L1 accents (Argentinean and Mexican) are less
successful for the youngest children, but achieve results similar to the na-
tive mother tongue in the case of the oldest age group. For the 12-13 year-
olds France leads the group of the L2 accents, but in general the results are
worse than the L2 scores, and there is hardly any difference between the
languages, nor is the increase across age groups as significant as with the
L1 languages. Germany is furthermore the only language in which the rate
of correct identification is reversed: while the 6-7 year olds identify it cor-
rectly as German, surprisingly the older age groups both have a lower
score. Possible reasons why will be discussed in the next section. All in all,
we may for now conclude that awareness of lectal differences systematical-
ly increases even in the case of L2 accents, though to a minor degree when
compared to L1 varieties.
- The questionnaire: the experiential basis of lectal competence
So far we have concentrated on the descriptive dimension only: what do
children know about lectal varieties and when do they acquire the knowl-
edge? We by now know that lectal awareness is an early acquisition and
that increase is systematic across ages and type-token relationships. It is
now time to address the explanatory dimension, as well: where does this
awareness stem from? Why these accents, and in this order? Is it exclu-
sively the result of the growth of cognitive capacities? How do they build
up the schemas and acquire the ability? In this section we thus address the
last two research questions identified in section 1:
x Which linguistic features and dimensions allow the children to proceed
to correct identification?
x Which factors – apart from age – have an influence on awareness?