This thesis examines the specific phonological difficulties encountered by Polish learners of Dutch, focusing on their ability to produce the short /ɑ/ and long /aː/ vowels. Given that the Polish...Show moreThis thesis examines the specific phonological difficulties encountered by Polish learners of Dutch, focusing on their ability to produce the short /ɑ/ and long /aː/ vowels. Given that the Polish language does not phonemically distinguish between vowel lengths, Polish learners often struggle to accurately perceive and reproduce these distinctions in Dutch. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative analysis of vowel length, F1, and F2 frequencies, gathered from recorded speech samples of Polish learners at varying proficiency levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced) and native Dutch speakers. Results reveal that Polish learners consistently have higher F2 frequencies, particularly for the short /ɑ/ vowel, indicating a more fronted articulation compared to native speakers. While advanced learners demonstrate better vowel length differentiation, they still fall short of native norms, especially with the short /ɑ/. The study also investigates the impact of explicit phonological awareness, finding that while such awareness marginally improves vowel length production, it does not significantly affect the F2 frequency alignment with native speaker norms. These findings underscore the persistent influence of L1 phonological structures on L2 vowel production and suggest that more targeted phonetic training is necessary to overcome these challenges. The research contributes to the broader field of second language phonology, offering practical implications for the teaching of Dutch to Polish speakers.Show less
In my thesis I explored the employment and development of the Germanic *ga-prefix through history, from Gothic into Old and modern (19th century) Dutch.
The acquisition of syllable structure is known to be gradual process. This study examines the acquisition of coda clusters in Dutch. The recordings of two Dutch children aged 01;05.10-02;04.28 and...Show moreThe acquisition of syllable structure is known to be gradual process. This study examines the acquisition of coda clusters in Dutch. The recordings of two Dutch children aged 01;05.10-02;04.28 and 01;08.05-01;06.22 from the CLPF corpus were analysed. Initially, coda clusters are reduced to a single segment, obeying the *COMPLEX-C constraint. Here we see influence from sonority and adult speech. Certain clusters contain an intermediate stage before the correct realisation stage, influenced by the constraint AGREE(PLACE)NASAL, adult speech or assimilation. We have found that the acquisition of coda clusters in Dutch is driven by constraints and is influenced by adult speech, frequency and facilitation of established clusters within the same group.Show less
In Rotterdam zijn er sterke (negatieve) emoties over Amsterdam. Dit uit zich onder andere in het voetbal. Dit onderzoek zal door middel van interviews achterhalen hoe een aantal Rotterdammers die...Show moreIn Rotterdam zijn er sterke (negatieve) emoties over Amsterdam. Dit uit zich onder andere in het voetbal. Dit onderzoek zal door middel van interviews achterhalen hoe een aantal Rotterdammers die de Urban Youth Speech Style van Rotterdam gebruiken, kijken naar het Smibanese, de straattaal die in de Amsterdamse wijk de Bijlmer wordt gebruikt. Daarnaast wordt ook gekeken op welke manier de geïnterviewden het Smibanese zelf gebruiken.Show less
This study investigates the linguistic phenomenon of Rising Declaratives (RDs) in English and Dutch, focusing on their frequency and perceived politeness in online discourse. This thesis aims to...Show moreThis study investigates the linguistic phenomenon of Rising Declaratives (RDs) in English and Dutch, focusing on their frequency and perceived politeness in online discourse. This thesis aims to provide a theoretical explanation for the observation that RDs are used differently in both languages. This study generates a theory regarding Dutch RDs, and this theory is tested by addressing the hypotheses the theory poses. Firstly, that RDs are more frequent in English than in Dutch. Secondly, that English RDs are perceived as more polite than Dutch RDs. The investigation employs both quantitative and qualitative analyses to test these hypotheses. The findings suggest that RDs serve distinct pragmatic functions in English and Dutch. English RDs contribute to politeness by aligning with Leech’s politeness Maxims such as Agreement and Tact, whereas Dutch RDs are less frequently used and are found to convey impoliteness. These differences are attributed to variations in grammar and socio-pragmatic politeness.Show less
Speech production varies among individuals, having an effect on both segments (vowels and consonants) and suprasegmental properties (prosody). Previous literature has shown that listeners can adapt...Show moreSpeech production varies among individuals, having an effect on both segments (vowels and consonants) and suprasegmental properties (prosody). Previous literature has shown that listeners can adapt to variability in the speech production of segments. This study explores whether listeners can also adapt to variability in the production of suprasegments as lexical tones. Our experiment demonstrates a selective adaptation effect in lexical tone perception: repeatedly hearing Mandarin tone1 syllables biased perception of a subsequent tone continuum towards more tone2 responses. Moreover, the selective adaptation effects generalize to novel syllables, especially with onsets dif- ferent from the ones during the exposure. These findings demonstrate that listeners adapt flexibly to variability in the suprasegmental properties of speech, enhancing our understanding of the role of listener adaptation in speech perception.Show less
The acquisition of phonology in early childhood is characterised by multiple stages involved in both perception and production. The expressive vocabulary is typically advanced enough at 24 months,...Show moreThe acquisition of phonology in early childhood is characterised by multiple stages involved in both perception and production. The expressive vocabulary is typically advanced enough at 24 months, which is an important mark in the phonological development of children, with fast word learning and a natural willingness to repeat what others say. The acquisition of phonological grammar is an important aspect of language acquisition, and before developing an adult-like sound system, children systematise the information they hear into simplified phonological structures. The current review describes experimental research investigating language production in children aged between 2;0 and 3;0, highlighting the methodologies developed by researchers. Nonword repetition (NWR) is the most common type of task, followed by picture naming. There is still a lot of work to be done with this age group.Show less
Verschillende artsen uiten hun zorgen over de gezondheidsadviezen en -aanbevelingen die wellness-influencers geven op sociale media. Deze influencers presenteren zichzelf als deskundigen op het...Show moreVerschillende artsen uiten hun zorgen over de gezondheidsadviezen en -aanbevelingen die wellness-influencers geven op sociale media. Deze influencers presenteren zichzelf als deskundigen op het gebied van gezondheid, waardoor hun volgers ze beschouwen als betrouwbare bronnen van informatie (Baker, 2022). Vaak missen deze influencers echter concreet wetenschappelijk bewijs om hun claims te ondersteunen (Baker, 2022). Ondanks dit gebrek aan een wetenschappelijke basis hechten hun volgers waarde aan hun adviezen (Baker, 2022). Binnen deze context kan het inzetten van deskundigheid gezien worden als een strategische argumentatieve zet waarmee wellness-influencers hun volgers proberen te overtuigen hun adviezen of aanbevelingen op te volgen. Met behulp van de uitgebreide pragma-dialectiek (Van Eemeren, 2010) is onderzocht welke strategieën deze influencers toepassen om deskundigheid te claimen in hun Instagram-posts. Hierbij stond de volgende onderzoeksvraag centraal: Op welke strategische wijze(n) doen wellness-influencers zich deskundig voor bij het geven van gezondheidsadviezen of -aanbevelingen in hun verbale bijdragen in Instagram-posts? Voor dit onderzoek is een corpus samengesteld bestaande uit 40 Instagram-posts van vier Nederlandse wellness-influencers. Deze posts zijn geanalyseerd met een zelf opgesteld analysemodel, gebaseerd op verschillende inzichten (Hoeken, Hornikx & Hustinx, 2012; Aristoteles, 2009; Pilgram, 2015) waarin het concept ‘deskundigheid’ gekoppeld kan worden aan het doen van overtuigingspogingen. Uit de resultaten bleek dat wellness-influencers vier soorten strategieën toepassen om deskundigheid te suggereren: ‘het achterwege laten van bronnen, ‘het vaaghouden van bronnen’, ‘het gebruik van jargon’ en ‘het weerleggen van claims’. Deze strategieën komen los, maar ook in combinatie voor. Alle (combinaties van) strategieën hebben uiteindelijk het doel om de geloofwaardigheid van de influencer en de claims in de Instagram-post te vergroten door een beroep te doen op wetenschappelijkheid. Deze scriptie kan beschouwd worden als een waardevolle bijdrage aan het begrip van de strategieën die wellness-influencers toepassen om deskundig en geloofwaardig over te komen op sociale media. Daarnaast draagt hij bij aan onderzoek naar argumentatie in een nog niet eerder onderzochte context: wellness-influencers op Instagram. De inzichten die hieruit voortvloeien kunnen helpen bij een kritische beoordeling van gezondheidsclaims op sociale media.Show less
Lunfardo, a popular way of expression used by Rioplatense Spanish speakers of all ages, genders, and socioeconomic classes across Argentina, was historically classified as a criminal jargon used...Show moreLunfardo, a popular way of expression used by Rioplatense Spanish speakers of all ages, genders, and socioeconomic classes across Argentina, was historically classified as a criminal jargon used solely by criminals and the working class in the region of Rio de la Plata. Little sociolinguistic research has been carried out to ascertain the current status of Lunfardo and even less has been undertaken on regions beyond the capital of Argentina. The present study evaluated the extent to which young adults, aged 18-29 from San Luis, Argentina, could recognise Lunfardo and analysed their linguistic attitudes towards its use and those who use it. This was achieved by gathering quantitative and qualitative data using Lunfardo comprehension tests, rating tasks and interviews with 21 participants. The quantitative findings revealed that young people from San Luis understand a significant amount of Lunfardo terms, with age and gender influencing levels of comprehension. The qualitative findings demonstrated that Lunfardo is no longer considered a criminal jargon, nor is it only characteristic of the working class. Instead, Argentine Spanish speakers across the country, regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic class, and education level, employ Lunfardo daily to converse and form genuine connections with others. This study concludes that there has been a drastic change in how Lunfardo is perceived. It is now overwhelmingly regarded as an essential component of Argentine culture and identity. Overall, the young people of San Luis show little bias towards the use of Lunfardo and those who use it.Show less
In this exploratory study, the productions of the phoneme /ʀ/ were examined in the speech samples of 25 children. All children (aged 2;11 - 6;3) have a (presumed) Developmental Language Disorder...Show moreIn this exploratory study, the productions of the phoneme /ʀ/ were examined in the speech samples of 25 children. All children (aged 2;11 - 6;3) have a (presumed) Developmental Language Disorder and were attending either a toddler Intervention Group or an Auris Language school. From each child a language sample was elicited twice in a play situation and during a picture naming task, by their speech therapist, with an interval of 3 months. The productions of target /ʀ/ within these speech samples were studied and analyzed in terms of correctness, substitutions and deletions. Productions revealed a wide variety of renditions of target /ʀ/, the most significant being /ʀ/ -> [l], [ʋ],and [j]. It was difficult to determine progress in the productions of /ʀ/ between the two recordings, which indicates the need for a longer interval between recordings, or more recordings. A deviating development of /ʀ/ could be observed in the data of this specific group of children.Show less
This thesis investigated the positional effects from surrounding segments on the acquisition of /ɹ/ in syllable onsets. The analysis was based on transcriptions of spontaneous productions from a...Show moreThis thesis investigated the positional effects from surrounding segments on the acquisition of /ɹ/ in syllable onsets. The analysis was based on transcriptions of spontaneous productions from a single child learning American English, collected over the course of around two years. Four contexts were examined in detail: word-initial singleton onsets, intervocalic singleton onsets, complex onsets with coronal stops, and complex onsets with labial stops. Results showed that acquisition of /ɹ/ in these contexts follows one of three slightly different developmental paths from making mistakes, deletions and/or substitutions, to producing recognizable [ɹ]’s. Previous literature suggested that coarticulation facilitates the production of [ɹ]’s in complex onsets with coronal stops, and this appeared to be the case for the data examined here. Substitution by [j] and [ɥ] occurred only adjacent to certain vowels, which can also be explained through coarticulation.Show less