Question Forms, Conditionals, and Second-Person Pronouns Used by Adolescent Native Speakers across Two Levels of Formality in Written and Spoken French

Abstract

In response to research recommending a more explicit focus on sociostylistic variation in immersion classrooms, this study presents written data from a sample of 81 adolescent native speakers of French in the Quebec City area and oral data from a subsample of 44. Sociostylistic features were examined in formal letters and informal notes written by the native speakers as well as in utterances produced in a series of simulated formal and informal contexts involving the speech acts of requesting, complaining, and offering assistance. The article first describes weaknesses in the sociolinguistic competence of second language (L2) learners as documented by research in immersion contexts. The elicitation instruments are then described and findings are presented and discussed concerning the adolescent native speakers' use of question forms, conditionals, and second-person pronouns across two levels of formality in written and oral production. The article concludes with implications for second language instruction.

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