The Second Language Acquisition of Second-Person Singular Forms of Address: Navigating Usage and Perception in a Tripartite System in Medellin, Colombia

Previous studies have found that second language learners can acquire sociolinguistic variation. However, there is a lack of studies that examine the L2 acquisition of second-person singular forms of address (2PS) in Spanish, especially in the immersion context of study abroad. The current study exa...

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Main Authors: Nofiya Sarah Denbaum-Restrepo, Falcon Dario Restrepo-Ramos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Languages
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/5/107
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author Nofiya Sarah Denbaum-Restrepo
Falcon Dario Restrepo-Ramos
author_facet Nofiya Sarah Denbaum-Restrepo
Falcon Dario Restrepo-Ramos
author_sort Nofiya Sarah Denbaum-Restrepo
collection DOAJ
description Previous studies have found that second language learners can acquire sociolinguistic variation. However, there is a lack of studies that examine the L2 acquisition of second-person singular forms of address (2PS) in Spanish, especially in the immersion context of study abroad. The current study examines the acquisition of Spanish 2PS by seven adults learning Spanish in Medellin, Colombia. Participants completed an oral discourse completion task and a matched guise task to measure language perceptions toward each 2PS. Learners’ results are compared to findings from 38 native Spanish speakers from Medellin. Learners produced very few instances of the local variant <i>vos</i> and overproduced <i>tú</i>, differing greatly from native speakers. Two factors were found to significantly condition 2PS usage for learners: speaker gender and interlocutor relationship. Findings show that although learners perceive <i>vos</i> to a somewhat native-like extent and the role that it plays in the local variety, learners do not actually use it.
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spelling doaj-art-c9f3f5daa4d54e6f92e95a2e43d5ba882025-08-20T03:47:54ZengMDPI AGLanguages2226-471X2025-05-0110510710.3390/languages10050107The Second Language Acquisition of Second-Person Singular Forms of Address: Navigating Usage and Perception in a Tripartite System in Medellin, ColombiaNofiya Sarah Denbaum-Restrepo0Falcon Dario Restrepo-Ramos1Department of Philosophy, Languages, and Cultures, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Armstrong Hall 227, Mankato, MN 56001, USADepartment of Modern Languages, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Thomas Hall 215, Kearney, NE 68849, USAPrevious studies have found that second language learners can acquire sociolinguistic variation. However, there is a lack of studies that examine the L2 acquisition of second-person singular forms of address (2PS) in Spanish, especially in the immersion context of study abroad. The current study examines the acquisition of Spanish 2PS by seven adults learning Spanish in Medellin, Colombia. Participants completed an oral discourse completion task and a matched guise task to measure language perceptions toward each 2PS. Learners’ results are compared to findings from 38 native Spanish speakers from Medellin. Learners produced very few instances of the local variant <i>vos</i> and overproduced <i>tú</i>, differing greatly from native speakers. Two factors were found to significantly condition 2PS usage for learners: speaker gender and interlocutor relationship. Findings show that although learners perceive <i>vos</i> to a somewhat native-like extent and the role that it plays in the local variety, learners do not actually use it.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/5/107second language acquisitionsecond-person singular forms of addressColombian Spanishlanguage perceptionsmatched guise<i>voseo</i>
spellingShingle Nofiya Sarah Denbaum-Restrepo
Falcon Dario Restrepo-Ramos
The Second Language Acquisition of Second-Person Singular Forms of Address: Navigating Usage and Perception in a Tripartite System in Medellin, Colombia
Languages
second language acquisition
second-person singular forms of address
Colombian Spanish
language perceptions
matched guise
<i>voseo</i>
title The Second Language Acquisition of Second-Person Singular Forms of Address: Navigating Usage and Perception in a Tripartite System in Medellin, Colombia
title_full The Second Language Acquisition of Second-Person Singular Forms of Address: Navigating Usage and Perception in a Tripartite System in Medellin, Colombia
title_fullStr The Second Language Acquisition of Second-Person Singular Forms of Address: Navigating Usage and Perception in a Tripartite System in Medellin, Colombia
title_full_unstemmed The Second Language Acquisition of Second-Person Singular Forms of Address: Navigating Usage and Perception in a Tripartite System in Medellin, Colombia
title_short The Second Language Acquisition of Second-Person Singular Forms of Address: Navigating Usage and Perception in a Tripartite System in Medellin, Colombia
title_sort second language acquisition of second person singular forms of address navigating usage and perception in a tripartite system in medellin colombia
topic second language acquisition
second-person singular forms of address
Colombian Spanish
language perceptions
matched guise
<i>voseo</i>
url https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/5/107
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