VALIDATION OF A LANGUAGE USE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR USERS OF ENGLISH AS L2 IMMERSED IN A BRAZILIAN CONTEXT

The multiplicity of L2 acquisition experiences and contexts challenge the studies of bilingualism since individual differences complicate comparability between studies (Treffers-Daller; Korybsky, 2015). In this context, the construct of language dominance becomes an important variable for understanding this phenomenon in different domains and the development of effective tools for measuring it a key aspect in this process (Gertken et al., 2014). In this paper, we present the results of the validation of the Language Use Questionnaire for users of English as L2 immersed in a Brazilian context in correlation with an explicit marker of English language learning to measure lexical breadth. The concepts of linguistic dominance, as defined by Heredia (1997), and Grosjean's (1998, 2016) Complementary Principle, were used to operationalize the construct in terms of frequency and specific domains of use, serving as the basis for designing the questionnaire. Proficiency, in turn, was measured using a test of lexical breadth in English - Vocabulary Size Test (Nation; Beglar, 2007). Based on data from 784 participants, Pearson's correlations were calculated among the 11 items of the questionnaire, which referred to English and Portuguese use, and between them and the score obtained in the Vocabulary Size Test. The statistical analyses show a significant correlation among the items referring to English language use and between them and the VST score, presenting evidence that respondents with greater involvement in English activities tend to have better results in the proficiency test. Such correlation is interpreted as a key facet of external validity of the questionnaire, allowing us to bring it to the research community as an efficient measure for detection and assessment of changing dominance from L1 to L2 among users of English as a second language.