18th Annual Second Language Acquisition Student Symposium

Empowering Second Language Teachers: A Review of the Impact of Professional Learning

Mili Saha (University of Wollongong, Australia), 8:30-9:00am, online presenter, Beefeaters

Teachers’ professional learning is a critical aspect of teacher education aimed at enhancing teachers’ subject matter and pedagogical knowledge, ultimately enhancing student achievement and improving school environments (Carney et al., 2019). According to Evişen (2021), professional learning for language teachers significantly impacts their practice and is regarded as a means of self-improvement. However, there are few reviews of language teachers’ professional learning literature available; Li (2022) examines the significance of effective professional learning for language teachers; Çınarbaş and Hoş (2018) discuss the integration of educational policy, technology, and collaboration in teachers’ professional learning activities; and Alzahrani and Nor (2021) look at L2 teachers’ needs for professional learning. However, none of them have explored language teachers’ experiences after they attended professional learning programs. This is a scoping review of 50 articles on language teachers’ professional learning, published between 2012 and 2024. It undertakes a wide classification of the study types, settings, and participants in addition to the research aims and results. The studies mostly explore the impact of continuing professional learning on teachers’ language proficiency and pedagogical knowledge, impacting confidence. However, only a small number attempt to explore teachers’ changing understanding of language teaching, an approach that does not take into account teachers’ practices impacting students’ learning and school effectiveness, especially in low-income countries. This study identifies the gap and recommends using teachers’ reflections on collaborative professional learning to investigate its developmental evaluation before, during, and after attending the program. This can inform a framework for measuring the effectiveness of language teachers’ professional learning programs.

Three Tanzanian Graduate Students’ Bi/Multilingual Practices in the United States

Jasmin Msuya (University of Iowa), 8:30-9:00am, in-person presenter, Old Madison

For decades, scholars have discussed bi/multilingualism and the role of language in multilingual countries, including Tanzania. In multilingual countries, languages do not have equal status and support; some are more prestigious than others and are used more frequently in formal institutions such as parliament, the media, and schools. In Tanzania, Swahili and English are two official languages and languages of instruction (LOI) used interchangeably within and across formal institutions, unlike local languages, which are less valued and often marginalized. The dominance of English as a widely spoken language has contributed to its selection as the official language and the LOI in post-colonial Tanzania. According to the 2014 Tanzania educational language policy (TELP), the designation of English and Swahili as official languages and LOI aims to promote Swahili-English bilingualism, enabling citizens to engage in the global market through English while maintaining national identity via Swahili.  Despite the plethora of research on LOI and the role of language in multilingual Tanzania, little is known about Tanzanians’ bi/multilingual practices in foreign contexts, particularly in English-speaking countries like the United States. This paper examines how Tanzania’s language policy shapes the bi/multilingualism practices of three Tanzanian US-based graduate students. The study emphasizes how such students utilize their multilingual competence, i.e., speaking literacy, by embracing or resisting the 2014 TELP. Based on data collected from open-ended interviews conducted in the summer of 2021, this study questions factors influencing participants’ bi/multilingual practices in their everyday interactions. Drawing on theoretical frameworks such as linguistic capital from Bourdieu, the ethnography of communication from Hymes, and duality from Anzaldúa, the findings reveal that the bi/multilingual practices of the participants in the US are contextual, performative, and identity focused.

Exploring Peer Reviewers Comments on ELT Scholars in Iranian Context

Babak Danshvar & Nima Aminpour (Iran University of Science and Technology), 9-9:30am, online presenters, Beefeaters

The dominance of English as the language of scientific knowledge dissemination has led to the emergence of a new line of research called English for Research Publication Purposes (ERPP). Scholars have been keen to explore the various aspects of this line of research specially the publication practices of academics who use English as an additional language (EAL) such as their discursive and non-discursive challenges, attitudes, perceptions, motivations, and coping strategies. As a consequence, scholars around the world have been keen to investigate the different aspects of academic publication including English as a lingua franca, the role of “literacy brokers”, the impact of national and institutional policies. The peer review process plays a significant role in the publication of accepted or rejected articles in the scientific community. In recent years, this line of research which was previously regarded as an obscure genre has gained increasing attention among scholars. The present study sought to find answers to the following research questions: a) To what extent peer reviewers commented on language-related or content-related aspects of the articles? Do linguistic impediments still play a significant role in the acceptance of articles? b) Do Iranian scholars face challenges in comprehending and responding to peer reviewers’ comments? How they cope with these challenges? This part of the study focused on quantifying the frequency and types of comments made by peer reviewers. In the data collection stage, we analyzed peer reviews comments submitted to highly-indexed journals. Accordingly, the results of the study revealed that Iranian scholars suffer from both discursive and non-discursive problems. In spite of being ELT scholars, reviewers commented on language-related issues and even asked for a proof-read from native speakers. Nonetheless, content-related issues especially methodological shortcomings were highlighted by reviewers.

Syed Usman Hashmi (University of Iowa), 9:00-9:30am, in-person presenter, Old Madison

In this study, I explore the intersection of language anxiety, identity, and investment in adult immigrant English Learners’ (EL) language learning experiences. Traditional approaches to language anxiety have a tendency to frame it as an individual psychological barrier to fluency. I, in contrast, draw on De Costa’s (2016) sociocultural orientation, in which anxiety is a reflection of relations of power, social positioning, and access to language capital (Bourdieu, 1991). It is not an individual problem but a result of systemic barriers, exclusion, and devaluation of multilingual identities (Darvin & Norton, 2015). Using a Community-Engaged Research (CER) and Participatory Action Research (PAR) position, I position ELs as co-researchers in a shift towards challenging deficit thinking and co-construction of knowledge through dialogue and equity-centered pedagogies (Freire, 1970; Ghiso & Campano, 2024). Drawing on reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and observations in classrooms, my work considers ELs’ language and social challenge management. My findings indicate language anxiety in deep relation with identity negotiation and investment, with many ELs apprehending judgment and exclusion, particularly in work and social settings. Conversely, learners develop resilience and strategic agency when community-led spaces for learning value language and cultural capital. By creating culturally responsive learning environments, I argue that adult language education needs to move beyond skill acquisition to explicitly address identity and anxiety. I advocate for community-based, transformational language learning models that empower ELs through a reduction of anxiety, increased investment, and agency development. My research contributes to a broader discussion on equitable, accessible, and socially just language education for adult immigrant adults.

The Choice to Continue: Examining Motivational Factors for Studying Arabic, French, and German

Laila Eissa, Janelle Carter, & Margrit Staiger (Utah State University), 9:30-10am, online presenters, Beefeaters

This study aims to explore the factors influencing university students’ decisions to continue learning Arabic, French, and German at the university level. Specifically, we seek to understand how motivations to persist in language learning are shaped by personal, academic, and social factors. In addition, we will investigate the differences in continued student motivation between these three languages. Our research questions are: What motivational factors influence university students’ decision to continue learning Arabic, French, and German? And, what are the principal motivation differences between students of Arabic, French, and German? While existing literature has extensively examined initial motivations for language learning (Gardner, 1985; Dörnyei, 2005), there is less research on the factors that sustain students’ commitment to language studies, especially when the language is not a requirement for their degree programs (Majeed, 2013). This study will address this gap by surveying students using Qualtrics and conducting optional follow-up interviews. The survey will draw on established frameworks for studying language learning motivation, but with modified questions to explore the specific context of continued language study at the university level.

Nevin Durmaz (University of Wisconsin-Madison), 9:30-10:00am, in-person presenter, Old Madison

Zazaki heritage language speakers in Turkey experience emotional difficulties in Turkish quasi-L2 classrooms. While previous SLA research provides data for schooling and shaming experiences of linguistically minoritized communities and heritage speakers, studies exploring shame/shaming experiences of Zazaki heritage language speakers in the Turkish monolinguistic education system remain scarce. I narrow this gap by presenting a case study that explores the monolinguistic ideologies of Turkey through a raciolinguistic lens to analyze the interplay of language and race within the historical production of nation-state/governmentality. I scrutinize how this system shapes linguistic and racial formations, thereby creating the possibility for shame/shaming instances in schooling experiences and among community members. I interviewed an Alevi (i.e., an ethnically minoritized community in Turkey) and Zazaki heritage language speaker (i.e., Zazaki is a dialect of Kurdish, mainly used by some Alevis and Kurds in Turkey) who has studied in a Turkish quasi-L2 classroom. The study examines his shame/shaming experiences that stem from his schooling experiences and his communication with his community members. Data was analyzed using Critical Narrative Analysis to explore the participant’s narration of schooling experiences in the Turkish monolinguistic education system, to analyze shame-inducing instances in the L2 learning process by also delving into the shaming experiences among the community members.

The Acquisition of Synthetic Compounds in ESL by Spanish Speakers

Florencia Belén Suárez (Universidad Nacional de Hurlingham, Argentina), 10-10:30am, online presenter, Beefeaters

This presentation focuses on the acquisition of English word-formation patterns by Spanish speakers. More specifically, the focus lies in English synthetic compounds, where the head is a deverbal element, and the other base is a noun that establishes a relationship akin to that of predicate-dependent in syntax (Bauer and Huddleston 2016:1652; Spencer 1991:324). Within the wide variety found in English, three prominent types stand out due to their productivity, as illustrated in (1a–c):

(1a)      N+V-er:             truck-driver

(1b)      N+V-ed:            state-controlled

(1c)       N+V-ing:           shoe-making

In keeping with approaches that consider the contrast with the L1 as a central factor for L2 acquisition (Lardiere 1995, 1997; Nicoladis 2003; París et al. 2022), we will also describe the properties of Spanish synthetic compounds, restricted to the V+N type (Kornfeld 2009; Serrano-Dolader 2012), as in chupamedias ‘bootlicker’, which have N+V-er as their functional counterparts in English. Research on the acquisition of ESL synthetic compounds reveals a notable asymmetry, as there is an abundance of studies on N+V-er compounds (Murphy and Hayes 2010; Nicoladis 2003, 2005), compared to an almost complete absence of studies on other types. In this regard, this presentation helps fill a gap in research on compound acquisition. The hypothesis to be presented is that the acquisition of synthetic compounds in ESL follows a sequence mediated by the structural contrast with Spanish morphology. In order to evaluate it, the design of two offline tasks is proposed: an Acceptability Judgment Task, exploring the acceptability of synthetic compounds, and an Interpretation Task, addressing their semantic interpretation and association with proficiency. To this end, a) a systematization of the structural characteristics of these compounds will be carried out; b) the factors that affect their acquisition will be reviewed; and, finally, c) the proposed experimental design will be discussed.

Attitudes and Belonging Among L2 Spanish Learners in Exploring Sociophonetic Variation

Estefania Galindo Navarro & Annika Wallander (University of Wisconsin-Madison), 10-10:30am, in-person presenters, Beefeaters

The ascription of social meaning to different speech communities of Spanish through sociophonetic attitudes is a common practice. This practice is prevalent among L1 users of Spanish (Montes-Alcalá, 2011; Turner, 2015; Cestero and Paredes, 2018; Santana Marrero, 2022). Stotts (2014), McDowell (2020), and Chappell and Kanwit (2022) found that L2 users of Spanish also assign social attributes to different varieties; however, L2 Spanish learners’ sociophonetic attitudes toward variation remain understudied. Therefore, we aimed to measure advanced Midwestern university L2 Spanish learners’ perceptions through a mixed-methods approach. Participants rated their perceptions on a Likert scale in a survey using a verbal match-guise technique. Then, students who volunteered were interviewed to triangulate survey responses. Likert-scale ratings were analyzed through ordinal logistic regression and interviews through thematic analysis. We predicted that L2 learners’ attitudes will shape their ideologies and reinforce belonging toward certain Spanish speech communities. These perceptions affect how different sociophonetic features are enacted in L2 Spanish and affect L2 relationships with Spanish-speaking communities (McDowell, 2020). Preliminary quantitative results revealed that age of acquisition and usage significantly predicted L2 ratings. Younger learners who frequently used Spanish rated L1 speakers with dialectal variation more positively. Qualitative findings indicated that attributes were sometimes challenging to rate, but the interviewee felt the strongest belonging to communities where they built relationships growing up. They showed that while understanding dialectal variation and the ability to ascribe social meaning to different speech communities may require advanced experience, exposure over time and friendships with Spanish-speaking communities influenced L2 belonging. As we continue analyzing data, this research attempts to reveal further sociophonetic L2 Spanish perceptions in consideration of the impact they have for L2 users’ membership in Spanish speaking communities.

Carlo Cinaglia (Michigan State University), 2:25-2:55pm, online presenter, Beefeaters

This presentation addresses the theme of “Belonging in SLA” by arguing that language program enrollment has empirical and material relevance for the field of Second Language Acquisition. It does so by reporting on an ethnographic study of university students’ investment in learning Spanish as an additional language in the U.S. Amid declining enrollment in U.S. postsecondary world language education (Lusin et al., 2023) and subsequent concern for language program survival (Heidrich Uebel et al., 2023), understanding why students commit to additional language study is of the utmost importance. This is especially relevant when increased scrutiny toward humanities education can result in institutions virtually eliminating entire language departments, as was recently the case at West Virginia University. Although students’ decisions to (dis)continue language study may not reflect language acquisition per se, language program enrollment is both empirically researchable and materially relevant for the field of SLA. Recent scholarship examining language learning motivation in anglophone contexts has drawn attention to the topic of enrollment itself and has called for a greater focus on discourses surrounding the value of language learning (Lanvers et al., 2021; Ushioda & Dörnyei, 2017). While recent studies have begun to examine students’ enrollment decisions via questionnaire and interview data (Morgan & Thompson, 2023; Van Gorp et al., 2024), there remains a need to examine students’ language learning commitment as socially constructed and interactionally negotiated (Duff, 2017). Responding to this need, this study adopts the conceptual framework of investment (Darvin & Norton, 2015), a sociological complement to motivation, and employs linguistic ethnography (Copland & Creese, 2015) to examine the social practice of language learning (dis)continuation within the multiple social context(s) and ecologies of individual students. This presentation highlights how linguistic ethnography offers context-sensitive research methods that can directly inform language program development and support students’ additional language learning.

Lathifa Kamilatus Sakinah & Diana Purwaningrum (University of Indonesia), 2:25-2:55pm, in-person presenters, Old Madison

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how a Javanese student from disadvantaged background utilized multilingual resources outside college classrooms to develop resilience through left behind experiences in Arabic studies in Indonesia. The majority of students in the program comes from pesantren, private Islamic boarding schools with advanced Qur’anic Arabic proficiency. In contrast, students from public schools primarily use Indonesian and occasionally learn foreign language skills, such as Arabic. However, college instruction in Arabic studies provided limited opportunities to make use of translanguaging and multilingual resources, contributing to left-behind experiences. We adopted a community cultural wealth (CCW) framework (Acevedo & Solorzano, 2023) to analyze the lived experiences of the first author, LKS, a multilingual speaker and public high school graduate who felt left behind, despite her interest in learning Arabic. This article seeks to explore the question: How did LKS utilize multilingual resources outside classrooms as capitals to develop resilience through left-behind experiences in Arabic studies? We analyzed her talk, notes and digital artifacts. Findings revealed that LKS utilized three factors: social, linguistic and family capitals to build her resilience. In her social capital, LKS took part in a community mentorship program at no cost and met a mentor from similar background. After listening to her suggestion in Indonesian, LKS could identify strategies to deal with challenges in classrooms. Additionally, she utilized linguistic and family capitals by reading English books and talking to family members in English or Javanese in order to improve her self-esteem, by believing in the process and her ability to learn languages. The paper underscores the importance of community mentorship programs as part of social capitals to support disadvantaged students. Furthermore, foreign language programs in college need to consider diverse needs of students and make use of multilingual resources to fulfill their potential.

The Influence of L2 English on L3 Motivation: A Pilot Qualitative Interview-Based Study

Wei Wang (University of Iowa), 2:55-3:25pm, online presenter, Beefeaters

Motivation has been widely acknowledged as critical in SLA and extensively researched, however, as Ushioda (2016) argues, current research on L2 motivation offers limited insights into language acquisition processes or instructional practices. At the same time, while the unique dynamics of L3 acquisition are gaining attention and research in this area is growing, there remains a lack of studies exploring how L2 learning experiences influence L3 motivation, particularly in diverse learning contexts and when the L2 is global English. Building on findings from a previous course interview practice, this study adopts psychological and educational perspectives to explore the broader influence of L2 English learning experiences on L3 development. Grounded in Dörnyei’s (2009) L2 Motivational Self System, it uses semi-structured interviews to explore how second-year college students majoring in L3 Japanese, whose L1 is Chinese and L2 is English, perceive the impact of their L2 experiences on their L3 Ideal and Ought-to Selves, learning strategies, and proficiency development. Although this is a pilot study with only six students at different L3 proficiency levels, the findings could highlight the diverse ways L2 learning experiences support L3 motivation and overall development. These insights could provide a foundation for more comprehensive research to explore the connections between L2 and L3 learning in broader and more varied contexts. This study also shows how psychological theories of motivation, like Dörnyei’s (2009) L2 Motivational Self System, can be applied to develop practical educational strategies for multilingual learners. By bridging theory and practice, this research highlights SLA’s role as a dynamic and transdisciplinary field, contributing to the advancement of multilingual education and fostering learners’ ability to engage meaningfully in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts.

Informing the Design of a Task-Based Spanish for Specific Purposes Course Through Needs Analysis

Andrea Hernando (Georgetown University), 2:55-3:25pm, in-person presenter, Old Madison

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) offers a learner-centered approach to Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP) courses, emphasizing real-world communicative tasks and the importance of students’ language learning needs (Keller & Gilabert, 2023; Camus & Advani, 2021). By validating students’ diverse goals—such as career advancement, social integration, or personal development—needs analysis fosters a sense of belonging among learners, making it crucial for TBLT courses (van Avermaet & Gysen, 2016). In addition, the importance of needs analysis is evident in the mismatch between teachers’ and students’ perceptions of language use outside of the classroom (Kessler et al., 2021). This study contributes to the design of a SSP course curriculum for a 6-week study abroad program in Barcelona. Its objectives are: a) to identify tasks in Spanish that current and former Spanish for Business students consider essential, b) to explore teachers’ and domain experts’ perspectives on task inclusion, and c) to analyze the alignment between these perspectives. Participants include students, instructors, and School of Business administrators recruited via email. A modified version of Serafini and Torres’s (2015) survey and questionnaire will measure task importance, supplemented by semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analyses will examine the alignment of task prioritization among stakeholders (Kessler et al., 2021). This project situates belonging at the heart of curriculum design, emphasizing the importance of understanding learners’ needs to create courses that resonate with their professional and personal identities. It also highlights the researcher’s role in bridging SLA theory, professional language use, and students’ needs and expectations. The findings will inform inclusive course design and underscore the value of needs analysis in fostering belonging in language learning contexts.

Allan Jay Esteban (Kyung Hee University), 3:25-3:55pm, online presenter, Beefeaters

Study abroad fosters language use, intercultural immersion, and identity construction, yet most studies focus on mobility to English-speaking native contexts. To address this gap, this study examines the Expectations and Realities of language use among 140 Filipino university students in South Korea and how these experiences influence their identity construction. Drawing on the sociocultural, acculturation, investment and identity model, and language accommodation frameworks, the study highlights the links between language practices, cultural adaptation, and social integration. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through a five-point Likert scale survey (n=140) and semi-structured interviews (n=22). The survey captured variables such as English and Korean proficiency, length of residence, previous international experience, gender, age, and major, and revealed statistically significant differences in Expectations and Realities of language use except for major. Interestingly, this study reveals the realities of English use in academic and social settings and how it fosters international peer connections, while also highlighting how host country language (Korean) supports local interactions. The thematic analysis provided further insights into participants’ language use, social integration, language accommodation strategies, and identity construction. Therefore, this study contributes to the understanding of student mobility to a non-English-speaking environment and provides valuable insights to inform policies and support systems that enhance international students’ linguistic adaptability, academic integration, and cultural belonging.

Emre Murat Bozer (University of Wisconsin-Madison), 3:25-3:55pm, in-person presenter, Old Madison

Community-based heritage language schools have garnered increasing research interest as vital institutions for language maintenance and cultural heritage transmission among diaspora communities. Within this growing body of work, parents have been widely studied as key decision-makers in shaping young learners’ heritage language education. Research has extensively examined parents’ attitudes and beliefs regarding heritage language learning. However, less attention has been given to the underlying language ideologies and discourses that shape parental decisions regarding community-based heritage language education. Understanding these ideological and discursive frameworks is crucial for unpacking how parents perceive the role of community-based heritage language education in their children’s linguistic and cultural development. Drawing on semi-structured ethnographic interviews with heritage and non-heritage parents (n=10), this study examines the language ideologies and discourses shaping parents’ enrollment choices in a small Turkish community school in a major Midwestern city. This school presents a unique case, as all of its students come from mixed-heritage families. The findings reveal how parents conceptualize the community school as an alternative space for language learning, cultural identity construction, and community building. Furthermore, the study highlights how parents navigate heritage language maintenance within the constraints of dominant societal discourses of monolingualism and monoculturalism. By voicing the perspectives of diverse parents, this study offers practical implications for strengthening community-based heritage language programs.

Prediction of Grammatical Gender in the Visual World Paradigm of Russian Heritage Speakers

Rostyslav Yarovyk (Middlebury College)

Heritage speakers have been shown to struggle with the grammatical gender of nouns, especially in reading. In languages like Russian, where adjective endings agree with the gender of the corresponding nouns, heritage speakers may often fail to make the connection between the gender cue and the appropriate noun. Previous studies of heritage speakers of Russian used eye-tracking to observe how HL speakers read sentences with a mismatched gender cue. The study found that, compared to native speakers, heritage speakers spent less time looking at the mismatched words. We were interested in investigating these findings and looking at whether they translate to a visual world paradigm. Namely, would an adjective gender cue help the participants predict the object before they hear the gendered noun? Using eye-tracking technology and the visual world paradigm, we want to compare HL speakers and native speakers of Russian. The participants would be presented with two images of objects of the male and female grammatical genders and instructed not to look away from the center until they hear the cue. They would hear a sentence in Russian, which would contain a gender cue before the noun corresponding to either of the two objects. We predict that when presented with a target object and a competitor, the HL speakers would identify the object correctly less often than native speakers. We find this research to be worth investigating, as no prior research has looked at identifying the gender of nouns in Russian in the context of the visual world paradigm. Additionally, some discrepancies may be observed, as listening comprehension is different from reading and most HL speakers have more experience in listening in their HL. We believe that the findings of this research will be useful in concretely defining strong and weak areas of HL speakers.

Lillian Muguche Abunga & Yinka Ajibola (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Although Swahili is taught extensively in the United States, with a curriculum guiding learners from beginner to advanced proficiency, opportunities to interact with expert speakers are limited, prompting many students to use digital tools to immerse themselves in the language and culture. With the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, its role in language learning continues to grow. While educators and students have embraced digital tools for language learning (De la Vall & Araya, 2023; Belda-Medina & Calvo-Ferrer, 2022), limited research has focused on their role in developing Swahili speaking skills among beginner-level learners. This pilot study addresses this gap by exploring how first-year Swahili students at a U.S. university utilize AI tools to improve speaking skills. Employing a qualitative approach, data was collected through online surveys and follow-up interviews with ten beginner-level learners and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal that students use platforms like Google Translate, ChatGPT, Duolingo, Memrise, and YouTube to support their learning. While Google Translate emerged as the most used AI tool, students reported occasionally using tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Google Bard. These tools were cited as helpful in boosting confidence in speaking Swahili, especially in sentence construction and vocabulary acquisition, which are key elements of speaking proficiency. However, many students noted limited feedback for speaking skills. These findings highlight AI’s potential to bridge gaps in Swahili education and emphasize the importance of raising awareness about their use to enhance speaking skills.

Linguistic Analysis of an American Native Speaker of English and Nigerian Native Speaker of English

Wemimo Aluko (University of Northern Iowa)

The project is carried out to investigate the linguistic characteristics between a native speaker of American English from the Midwestern region and a Nigerian English language learner from different linguistic backgrounds. English as a global Language varies significantly from one geographical location to another. Therefore, this research highlights those linguistic features that essentially distinguish a native speaker of the English language from a Nigerian learner of the English language. In the past few weeks on the Introduction to Linguistic course, the lectures and readings have spanned through studying the linguistics characteristics in the English Language. This new understanding has enlightened me that speakers from different backgrounds have different experiences with the English language. Relevant areas to look into are the phonetics & phonological, syntactic, and lexical characteristics. The process of data collection was done by in-person interviews with the two participants. Ask them different responsive questions followed by analyzing these data, comparing and contrasting their linguistics features, and lastly, discussion and conclusion of results. To produce a well-informed analysis, a Literature review was carried out on each participant’s Linguistic background information.