Jeanne Kurvers

Lexical Richness in Maternal Input and Vocabulary Development of Turkish Preschoolers in the Netherlands

The present study examined lexical richness in maternal input to Turkish preschool children in the Netherlands and the relationship with their vocabulary. Fifteen Turkish mother-child dyads were videotaped at the age of 3 and 4 in three settings: book reading, picture description and block building. Children’s vocabulary in Turkish was measured at the age of 3 and 4 and in Dutch at the age of 5;10. The lexical richness of the input was analysed both quantitatively (tokens) and qualitatively on diversity, density, and sophistication. The results indicate that lexical richness varied largely among mothers, which could partially be attributed to their SES levels and literacy practices. Furthermore, lexical richness differed between the settings, with the highest richness in the book setting. More importantly, lexical richness in maternal input related to the vocabulary of children in L1 (Turkish) and in the longer run also to L2 (Dutch). Quality of the input (diversity, density and sophistication) turned out to be more influential than quantity.

‘We are all beginners’: Amazigh in language policy and educational practice in Morocco

In 2003, the Amazigh (Berber) language and the Tifinagh script were, for the first time in history, introduced as a subject for all students in public primary schools in Morocco. This study first investigates the language planning policy behind the introduction of the new Amazigh curriculum: selection, codification, standardization, curriculum development and implementation in public primary schools. In order to successfully implement a new curriculum it is also important to have an understanding of the expertise, attitudes and concerns that teachers bring to their classroom. A survey of 132 teachers, complemented by in‐depth interviews and classroom observations revealed that teachers experienced many challenges in implementing the Amazigh curriculum, mainly due to preconditions like availability of materials and teaching time, familiarity of teachers and students with Amazigh and Tifinagh script, and the timing of the implementation of Amazigh at school.

Print awareness of adult illiterates: a comparison with young pre-readers and low-educated adult readers

In this study the print awareness of 25 unschooled adult illiterates in the Netherlands was compared with that of 24 pre-reading children and of 23 low-educated literate adults with approximately four years of primary schooling. The illiterates were interviewed about their experiences with writing and all participants completed six assessments of print awareness in the language they preferred (first or second language). The outcomes revealed that the three groups did not differ in distinguishing conventional written signs from other visual signs, that both groups of non-readers differed significantly from low educated readers but not from each other in knowledge of logos, inscriptions and knowledge of the written register, while the adult illiterates performed significantly better than the children on grapheme knowledge. Adult illiterates in literate societies seem to be well informed about the uses and functions of written language and about what writing looks like, but like young children they are not good at reading environmental print out of context and in explaining what exactly is represented in writing. The variation in reactions within the group of illiterate adults could be related to existing models of emergent literacy. Implications for adult literacy education are discussed.

Multilingual literacies in the global south: language policy, literacy learning and use

This special issue focuses on literacy research in multilingual contexts in the global south. It examines the interfaces between language policies and language ideologies at the national level, the...

Emerging literacy in adult second-language learners : A synthesis of research findings in the Netherlands

This article synthesises the findings of research on the acquisition of literacy by unschooled adult immigrants in the Netherlands. It addresses studies on three main topics: the metalinguistic skills of these adults, their development of word recognition and predictors of success in reading. The first study compared the conceptions of spoken and written language of 25 unschooled adults with those of young pre-reading children and low-educated adult readers. The study revealed that the metalinguistic skills of unschooled adults differed more from those of low-educated adult readers than from pre-reading children. The second was a case study which focused on the reading development of adult L2 beginners and revealed that their development of word-recognition skills confirms stage models of beginning reading in which acquiring the alphabetical principle is a key step. In the third study, the literacy skills of roughly 300 adult L2 literacy students were assessed and related to their background characteristics and to instructional practices. The study revealed considerable variation in success and time needed to develop reading. Success was related to student characteristics (age, prior education, attendance and contact with speakers of Dutch) and to instructional practices (time spent on small-group or individual work, use of multimedia and portfolio, and use of students’ first language as a resource).

Stimulating students’ academic language : opportunities in instructional methods in elementary school mathematics

Mastering academic language (AL) by elementary school students is important for achieving school success. The extent to which teachers play a role in stimulating students’ AL development may differ. Two types of AL stimulating behavior are distinguished: aimed at students’ understanding and at triggering students’ production of AL. As mathematics requires abstract language use, AL occurs frequently. The instructional methods teachers use during mathematics instruction may offer different opportunities for AL stimulating behavior. In our first study, based on expert opinions, instructional methods were categorized according to opportunities they offer for stimulating students’ AL development. In the second study, video-observations of mathematics instruction of elementary school teachers were analyzed with respect to AL stimulating behavior and instructional methods used. Results showed that actual AL stimulating behavior of teachers corresponds to the expert opinions, except for behavior shown during task evaluation. Teachers differ in time and frequency of their use of instructional methods and therefore in opportunities for stimulating AL development. Four teaching profiles, reflecting different AL stimulating potential, were constructed: ‘teacher talking’, ‘balanced use of methods’, ‘getting students at work’ and ‘interactive teaching’. Teachers showed more types of behavior aimed at students’ AL understanding than at production.