Marjolijn Verspoor

A Dynamic Systems Theory approach to second language acquisition

In this article it is argued that language can be seen as a dynamic system, i.e. a set of variables that interact over time, and that language development can be seen as a dynamic process. Language development shows some of the core characteristics of dynamic systems: sensitive dependence on initial conditions, complete interconnectedness of subsystems, the emergence of attractor states in development over time and variation both in and among individuals. The application of tools and instruments developed for the study of dynamic systems in other disciplines calls for different approaches to research, which allow for the inclusion of both the social and the cognitive, and the interaction between systems. There is also a need for dense data bases on first and second language development to enhance our understanding of the fine-grained patterns of change over time. Dynamic Systems Theory is proposed as a candidate for an overall theory of language development.

A dynamic view as a complementary perspective

Theory building is a dynamic process. Theories develop and grow, they are dependent on initial conditions, social interactions, variation, and they are stable for some time only to move on to the next phase. They can develop gradually, but a non-linear pattern is more common. Most importantly, theories develop over time. Theories are typically based on shared cognitions and they are situated. Written descriptions by definition reflect versions of the theory that are outdated the moment they are in print, though some of the core assumptions may be more stable than other, more peripheral ones. All of this very much applies to the present discussion of our paper on a DST approach to SLA. Inevitably, we, and probably most of the commentators, will already have moved on in our thinking about DST and SLA by the time this comes into print. In particular with new approaches, we will see a great deal of variability: wild ideas flourish and the links between grand theoretical notions and empirical database to support them tend to be out of balance. That may be seen as a weakness, but it probably is an inevitable developmental stage in building a new theory, or, as in this case, the application from a theory developed in other fields to SLA.

Colorful bits of experience: From Bluestocking to blue movie

The idea of this paper is based on Whorf, who argued that ‘‘naming things’’ is to a great degree motivated. This thought is in line with cognitive linguistics (CL), which claims that our conceptual capacity to categorize the world has implications for the establishment of our mental lexicon; it forms the basis for the linguistic representation of new elements of reality, in other words, the naxming of entities. The link between a term and one or more lexemes arises through associations. Whorf assumed that language is predicated upon prior ‘‘agreement’’ about meanings. But what motivates this agreement? What is agreed on in a key sense, according to Lee, is which ‘‘bits of experience’’ count and which bits do not in a particular picture of the universe and how these bits are logically related. The process is unconscious (or implicit) and largely unattended to in the normal course of thinking and speaking. If we can accept that language reflects to a certain extent which bits of experiences count, then studying ways of making meaning in specific languages may help us come to a better understanding of which bits may count for humans in general and provide us with a ‘‘window’’ to human reasoning. To discover more about these processes, we have carried out a comparative, semasiological investigation into the use of the color term blue. We collected material on this subject from two typologically different language groups: four Germanic languages (English, Dutch, German, and Swedish) and two from the Finno-Ugric group (Finnish and Hungarian). We formulated the following two questions: How can the choice of a particular type of ‘‘visual material’’ for a particular type of content be explained? What structural characteristics typify the relationship between the various applications of a word? Our interest is focused not so much on the unusual

Symposium: Dynamic systems/Complexity theory as a new approach to second language development

Presented at the 16th World Congress of Applied Linguistics (AILA), Beijing Foreign Studies University, China, 24 August 2011. The goal of the symposium was to show that a Dynamic systems/Complexity theory (DST) perspective will provide important insights into the L2 developmental process. Kees de Bot (University of Groningen) introduced the symposium by outlining the basic characteristics of a dynamic system: all factors or variables involved in language development are interconnected, interact with each other over time, and affect each other differently over time on different time scales. Initial conditions such as the learners L1, motivation or level of proficiency are crucial and systems self-organize over time. Development is not linear and learners are not all the same, so variability and variation are the norm.

Research on foreign-language teaching and learning in the Netherlands (2002-2006)

This overview of applied linguistics research in the Netherlands between 2002 and 2006 is the fifth in a cyclical series of country-specific reviews of published research on foreign-language teaching and learning. About 75 papers have been selected from about twenty journals, conference proceedings, books and reports edited during the period 2002-2006 reporting on experimental or quasi-experimental research that has considerable value for those working in the field of language teaching. The review reveals the issues that currently concern applied linguists and second-language researchers in the Dutch language community: redefining multilingualism, trying to find ways to help minority children achieve at school, keeping a critical eye on current teaching practices, and finding specific ways to improve second- and foreign-language teaching.

Searching for identity and focus : towards an analytical framework for language teachers in bilingual education.

ABSTRACT In CLIL contexts, school subjects are taught in an additional language, allowing learners to acquire the target language through meaningful use. This places language teachers in an ambiguous position. What is their role in this context? On the one hand, language teachers are expected to collaborate with subject teacher colleagues; on the other hand, they teach separate language lessons. This double role provides language teachers and their educators with specific challenges in terms of identity and focus. To explore and explain the choices language teachers have, this review examines international research from the last 25 years with a primary focus on secondary schools. As recent discussions argue convincingly that research into CLIL, Content Based Instruction and immersion benefit from convergence and cross-fertilisation, we used a broad range of search terms to identify primary and secondary research. Selected articles were organised into four inquiry areas and analysed thematically: (1) language focus, (2) content focus of learning, (3) language teachers’ pedagogical practices, and (4) their collaboration with subject teachers. Based on these themes, we developed a framework for language teachers and their educators in bilingual education designed to help them explore, explain and develop their own identity and focus.

Chunk use and development in advanced Chinese L2 learners of English

The use of ‘chunks’ is not only a common and characteristic feature of first language use, but may also be a distinguishing factor between less and more proficient second language users. The present study aimed at investigating potential correlations between chunk use and holistically rated proficiency scores and development over time in advanced Chinese learners of English as a second language (L2) over the course of 18 months of English classes. Neither holistically rated proficiency scores nor common complexity measures had shown any progress in these learners, but a few lexically based measures did. Therefore, the development of chunks in these learners was examined as chunks are mostly lexical in nature and might show more subtle progress over time. The use of chunks was examined in the first and last two texts of the learners and, in line with previous research, it was found that more proficient writers use relatively more chunks, specifically collocations. Chunk coverage, the total number of chunk words divided by the total number of words, also correlated with some holistic proficiency scores, and increased significantly over time. Average chunk length did not show any correlation with proficiency scores nor did it increase over time. Increased proficiency in written texts is thus specifically related to the use of more chunks. This study shows that development in advanced Chinese L2 learners of English appears to be subtle, which might be due to the fact that at this advanced level mainly lexical changes take place. Future research into development over time in advanced learners may thus have to zoom in on lexical measures especially. Implications of this study point to the importance of promoting the use of target language chunks to advanced learners of English.