A quantitative and qualitative perspective on the effect of the variable <i>duration of exposure</i> in linguistic accommodation phenomena

Abstract

This article aims to offer an overall view of three works on linguist contact conducted in Northeast Brazil, by discussing the relevance of exposure duration/length of residence variable in the processes of linguistic accommodation. The researches were carried out between 2013 and 2015 at the Federal University of Paraíba and are the results of Master's dissertations completed in the Postgraduate Program in Linguistics. Although they were focused on a quantitative-oriented analysis, based on a Labovian theoretical-methodological proposal, we emphasize here the need for a more qualitative approach, with an increased focus on the linguistic attitudes of the speakers. We therefore conclude that, despite the influence of the exposure duration variable on the linguistic accommodation process, a trigger is required in order to have its function: the existence of conducive linguistic attitudes towards the new dialect to be learned. --- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22409/gragoata.2017n42a860

Keywords

• Teoria e análise linguística. Contato dialetal. Teoria da acomodação dialetal.