The moderating effect of valenced contact: Slovak language media use, acculturation and L2 confidence among young Hungarian speakers

ABSTRACT

Integrating the tenets of the social context model of L2 acquisition with insights from the parasocial contact hypothesis, the present paper addresses the role of mass media in L2 acquisition and acculturation among young Hungarian speakers in Slovakia. Questionnaire data were collected among Hungarian-speaking secondary school students (N = 310). The results indicated that integrative orientation guided individuals to seek media content in L2, and that L2 media use was associated with a higher L2 confidence and acculturation. Additionally, and in contrast to our expectations, L2 media use had a greater effect on acculturation and L2 confidence among those who had higher levels of positively valenced contact and lower levels of negatively valenced real-life contact with L2 speakers.

KEYWORDS:

• L2 acquisition
• media
• L2 confidence
• acculturation
• Hungarian in Slovakia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The work of the first author was supported by a grant of the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Helsinki, Finland.