Spanish dialectal differences in L2 English

Abstract This study investigates how native Spanish speakers of eight different dialects (Argentinian, Chilean, Colombian, Ecuadorean, Mexican, Peninsular, Peruvian and Venezuelan) communicate in non-native English (E2) in online contexts. Using Natural Language Processing (NLP), the study identifies residual features of these dialects in online language exchange forums. A qualitative interpretation of the findings reveals variations in E2 request speech acts across the dialects. The results suggest that culturally bound linguistic features influence E2 communication, with differences observed in how speakers from different dialects open, develop, and close interactions. Lexical choices, particularly verbs in request head acts, also differentiate the dialects. The study enhances understanding of L2 English pragmatics, sociolinguistic variation, and NDID by applying NLP to a large dataset of E2 data from native Spanish speakers.