F.W.P. van der Slik

Learning Complex Features: A Morphological Account of L2 Learnability

Certain first languages (L1) seem to impede the acquisition of a specific L2 more than other L1s do. This study investigates to what extent different L1s have an impact on the proficiency levelsattainedinL2Dutch(DutchL2learnability).Ourhypothesisisthatthevaryingeffects across the L1s are explainable by morphological similarity patterns between the L1s and L2 Dutch.Correlationalanalysesontypologicallydefinedmorphologicaldifferencesbetween49 L1s and L2 Dutch show that L2 learnability co-varies systematically with similarities in morphologicalfeatures.Weinvestigateasetof28morphologicalfeatures,lookingbothatindividual features and the total set of features. We then divide the differences in features into a class of increasing and a class of decreasing morphological complexity .I t turns out that observed Dutch L2 proficiency correlates more strongly with features based on increasing morphological complexity (r= -.67, p ⟨ .0001) than with features based on decreasing morphological complexity (r= -.45, p ⟨ .005). Degree of similarity matters (r = -.77, p ⟨ .0001), but increasing complexity seems to be the decisive property in establishing L2 learnability. Our findings mayofferabetterunderstandingofL2learnabilityandofthedifferentproficiencylevelsofL2 speakers. L2 learnability and L2 proficiency co-vary in terms of the morphological make-up of the mother tongue and the second language to be learned.

Orthodox, humanitarian, and science-inspired belief in relation to prejudice against Jews, Muslims, and ethnic minorities: The content of one's belief does matter

In this study, we empirically explored the relation between (a) the content of peoples orthodox, humanitarian, and science-inspired beliefs and (b) three measures of prejudice. Using survey data from a representative subsample of indigenous Dutch (n = 582), we found that orthodox, humanitarian, and science-inspired convictions that had different relations with prejudice could be discerned in The Netherlands. Most important, we found that humanitarian convictions could make people show compassion for their fellow human beings and could, thereby, work against the acceptance of prejudice. In contrast, orthodox convictions did not seem to work against the acceptance of prejudice against ethnic minorities, Muslims, and Jews. Science-inspired convictions were found to be unrelated to prejudice.

The role of morphological complexity in predicting the learnability of an additional language: The case of La (additional language) Dutch:

Applied linguistics may benefit from a morphological complexity measure to get a better grip on language learning problems and to better understand what kind of typological differences between languages are more important than others in facilitating or impeding adult learning of an additional language. Using speaking proficiency scores of 9,000 adult learners of Dutch as an additional language, we reproduced the findings of the Schepens et al. (2013a) study, using a reduced morphological complexity measure. We wanted to define a reduced measure to reveal which morphological features constitute the really important learning problems. Adult language learners whose first language (L1) has a less complex morphological feature configuration than Dutch turned out to have more learning difficulties in acquiring Dutch the less complex their L1 is in relation to Dutch. The reduced measure contains eight features only. In addition, we found cognitive aging effects that corroborate the construct validity of the morphological measure we used. Generally, adult language learners’ speaking skills in Dutch improve when residing longer in the host country. However, this conclusion is only warranted when their L1 morphological complexity is at least comparable to Dutch morphological complexity. If the morphological complexity of their L1 is lower as compared to Dutch, the effect of length of residence may even reverse and have a negative impact on speaking skills in Dutch. It was observed that the negative effect of age of arrival is mitigated when adult language learners have a command of a second language (L2) with higher morphological complexity. We give morphological information for five additional target languages: Afrikaans, Chinese, English, German, and Spanish.

The L2 acquisition of the German particle 'doch'

Abstract Discourse particles are notoriously difficult to acquire for second language learners. It has been argued that this difficulty is caused by a lack of equivalent concepts in the learner’s native language. In this article we compare the acquisition of the German particle doch by speakers of Dutch and speakers with a native language other than Dutch. Like German, Dutch has a rich inventory of discourse particles and one of them can be considered the cognate of doch: toch. We performed our investigation by means of an online cloze test among 85 Dutch students of German and 76 learners of German with a first language other than Dutch. We tested five different functions of doch, some of which overlapped with the functions of Dutch toch and some which did not. Our results indicate that it is beneficial to have similar particles in one’s mother tongue but we did not find evidence that it is extra beneficial to have form-meaning equivalents between the L1 and L2.

Reading ability and academic acculturation: the case of South African students entering higher education

First-year students experience a range of challenges when transferring from secondary to higher education (HE) (cf. Darlaston-Jones et al. 2003, Leki 2006, Brinkworth et al. 2009). This is no different in South Africa, where deviating levels of preparedness for the demands of HE is a recurring theme (Slonimsky and Shalem 2005, Van Schalkwyk 2008, Scott 2009, Yeld 2009, Van Dyk 2010, Van Dyk and Coetzee-Van Rooy 2012). Weideman (2003:56) rightfully points out that the inability to understand and utilise appropriate academic discourse has a detrimental effect on academic success. Young students need to acculturate to the academic environment while adopting the academic community’s currency (Van de Poel and Gasiorek 2012a:294). With this article, we wish to contribute to the discussion by reporting on the academic language ability of one group of first-year students at a South African university, with specific reference to these students’ reading ability, on the basis of the following data: (i) individual differences in terms of learner characteristics (race, first language, gender, Grade 12 results, academic performance); (ii) self-reported reading preparedness, and (iii) reading profiles resulting from a valid and reliable academic literacy test, the Test of Academic Literacy Levels (TALL) and its Afrikaans counterpart, the Toets van Akademiese Geletterdheidsvlakke (TAG). The findings suggest that academic reading ability, as reflected in the test results, is indeed one of the salient contributors to academic success (as confirmed in the literature), regardless of social and individual differences, and that it needs to be supported in order for students to perceive their reading ability in accordance with their reading performance and be able to progress in their academic acculturation. A follow-up study will report on students’ awareness-raising about their own academic reading through the use of the validated scale for Perceived Academic Reading Preparedness (PARP) as a pedagogical tool.

De invloed van de moedertaal op de verwerving van het Nederlands: Een onderzoek naar 13 West-Europese eerste talen

This study reports on the impact of 13 West-European first languages spoken in 18 different language regions on the acquisition of Dutch. Results based on data from approximately 5,500 first-generation migrants, showed that the mother tongue had a considerable impact on the scores for two language skills as measured by the State Exam Dutch as a Second Language, namely oral and written proficiency in Dutch. Multilevel analyses revealed that the effect of the mother tongue could adequately be modeled by means of the cognate linguistic distance measure, adopted from McMahon and McMahon (2005). The explanatory power of the genetic linguistic distance measure (Cavalli-Sforza et al., 1994) was rather poor. In addition, migrant characteristics (age of arrival, length of residence, number of hours of Dutch lessons, education, and gender) and the contextual characteristic quality of schooling in the country of origin contributed to the explanation of the variation in Dutch speaking and writing skills.