This thesis investigates the preferences in usage of English verbal loans compared to their Dutch equivalents and identifies the socio-pragmatic and linguistic variables that are assumed for users...Show moreThis thesis investigates the preferences in usage of English verbal loans compared to their Dutch equivalents and identifies the socio-pragmatic and linguistic variables that are assumed for users of English verbal loans. The respondents that participated in this research were asked to complete one of the two questionnaires that were used and were asked to either choose between English verbal loans or their Dutch equivalents or share their assumptions on speakers who use English verbal loans or their Dutch equivalents. By collecting this data and analysing the differences between the preferred usage of English verbal loans or their Dutch equivalents and the assumptions around a speaker’s age or occupation based on their usage of verbal loans or Dutch equivalent(s), it was possible to draw a conclusion based on these socio-pragmatic variables. This thesis concludes that users who prefer the use of English verbal loans over Dutch equivalents are primarily found in the age group of 18 to 26 years old, while users who prefer Dutch equivalents are found in an older age group (between 40 to 50 years old). Speakers that used English verbal loans are, additionally, assumed to be ‘young’ and fall into the age group of 18 to 26 years old and are also assumed to have English-prone occupations/social roles. In comparison, speakers that use Dutch equivalents are assumed to be older (between 40 to 50 years old) and are assumed to have Dutch-prone occupations/social roles.Show less
The present study aims to investigate the use of Japanese loanwords in Mandarin Chinese-speaking Otaku communities by combining database observation with three elicitation tasks: 1) a questionnaire...Show moreThe present study aims to investigate the use of Japanese loanwords in Mandarin Chinese-speaking Otaku communities by combining database observation with three elicitation tasks: 1) a questionnaire on knowledge and using circumstances of the loans, 2) a set of read-aloud tasks following the questionnaire in Task 1 for tonal assignment strategies, and 3) a timed loanword-identification task. Linguistic dimensions of the data are carefully investigated, and variations in different individuals’ uses are also observed. Based on these findings, the role of misperception and identity in tonal adaptation, the limbo between code switching and lexical borrowing, as well as the role of orthographic representations are reflected on.Show less
Contrastive focus reduplication (CR) is one of many types of reduplication. CR constructions can be interpreted in a number of different ways and often occur in specific co-texts. The present paper...Show moreContrastive focus reduplication (CR) is one of many types of reduplication. CR constructions can be interpreted in a number of different ways and often occur in specific co-texts. The present paper presents a quantitative investigation into CR in Dutch, taking data from a questionnaire containing constructed examples of CR in which participants were asked to share how they interpret the examples and whether they would use them themselves. Specifically, the following aspects are investigated: interpretation, co-text, age of the participant, and gender of the participant. Furthermore, the concept of receptivity (from multilingualism studies) is introduced, which helps explain why participants understand constructions they would not use themselves. It emerges that there are correlations between certain characteristic types of co-texts and CR interpretations, i.e. certain co-texts tend to result in certain readings. In terms of interpreting CRs, age does not turn out to play a role. It does play a role, however, in the likelihood of participants using these constructions, as older participants tend to consider it less likely that they would. Finally, gender does not play a role in the interpretation nor in the likelihood of participants using the CR examples.Show less
This thesis explores how intelligible Czech accented English is to foreign speakers and what pronunciation issues Czech learners of English have. With English language becoming the world’s lingua...Show moreThis thesis explores how intelligible Czech accented English is to foreign speakers and what pronunciation issues Czech learners of English have. With English language becoming the world’s lingua franca, there has been a significant change in the attitude towards English pronunciation teaching over the years. This paper introduces the change from the Nativeness Principle, that focused on sounding native-like, to the Intelligibility Principle, the goal of which is to have a clear pronunciation enough to converse comfortably with other speakers of English. This paper’s focus is particularly on the Czech accented English and its understandability in conversation. Mutual intelligibility is what Jenkins (2000; 2002) aimed at when putting together a list of core pronunciation features one should focus on when learning English. This Lingua Franca Core (LFC), as she named it, serves as a base for this paper. In this study, recordings of less advanced Czech learners of English were collected and analysed, in order to pinpoint the main pronunciation mistakes. These were compared to Jenkins’ LFC to establish how intelligible the Czech accent is. Selected bits of the recordings were also sent to responders through a survey, to find out what their opinion on the Czech accent is. The main findings of the analysis showed that less advanced Czech learners substitute English vowels with Czech ones, they put stress on the first syllable in every word and pronounce English weak vowel forms as full ones. They also struggle with the pronunciation of voiced and voiceless dental fricatives, and they insert a glottal stop in between words, creating clear boundaries. The survey results showed that these aspects of Czech English mainly constitute a problem in isolated words. When context is provided, the Czech accent proved to be quite intelligible and some of the pronunciation features even helped with intelligibility. The study concluded with pronunciation tips for English learners.Show less
Although much research has been conducted into language learning strategies for the four different skills, i.e., reading, listening, writing, and speaking, no research on this topic has...Show moreAlthough much research has been conducted into language learning strategies for the four different skills, i.e., reading, listening, writing, and speaking, no research on this topic has investigated the effect of technology on the language learning process. This thesis examines the language learning strategies that are employed by experienced language learners using a technology-assisted language learning application in order to fill this gap. Data was collected by asking four participants to fill in diary entries related to their language learning behavior for 30 days, while using Duolingo. Two of the participants were then invited to participate in a follow-up interview, which was aimed at uncovering more about what the participants did and why they decided to do so. The data collected in the diary entries and interview transcriptions were analyzed using Grounded Theory. The results showed that the experienced language learners who participated in this experiment employed five different types of technology-assisted language learning strategies, namely (a) internal motivation, (b) external motivation, (c) meta-cognitive, (d) time management, and (e) cognitive. These types can be further subdivided into more specific language learning strategies, such as motivation management and resource selection. Based on these findings a new taxonomy of technology-assisted language learning was proposed and implications for autonomous and classroom-based language learners as well as language educators were concluded.Show less
In vowel harmony, all vowels in (roughly) a word agree with one another regarding one of their features. Vowels in such languages can harmonize with regard to backness, rounding, height, and tongue...Show moreIn vowel harmony, all vowels in (roughly) a word agree with one another regarding one of their features. Vowels in such languages can harmonize with regard to backness, rounding, height, and tongue root position. Vowels can be described in terms of phonological features. Some feature combinations are ‘preferable’ to others, as Archangeli and Pulleyblank (1994) argue in Grounding Theory. Based on these feature relationships, the low vowel /a/ in particular may show interesting behavior in vowel harmony. This thesis therefor examined the following research question: How can a feature-based interpretation account for the behavior of /a/ in vowel harmony languages? In order to research this, data from Tuvan (backness), Kirghiz (rounding), C’lela (height), and Maasai (tongue root position) have been used. Findings show that a feature-based interpretation can account for the behavior of /a/ in vowel harmony languages. /a/ alternates in some languages, and fails to harmonize in others. When /a/ participates in vowel harmony, it has to seek its counterpart slightly higher in the vowel triangle, as predicted by Grounding Theory. Feature relationships show that some combinations of features are preferable, and thus result in successful harmony, while others are avoided. These ‘poor’ combinations of features often result in failure to harmonize. All in all, a feature-based interpretation can account for the behavior of /a/ in vowel harmony languages. These findings suggest that the behavior of /a/ is predictable by a feature-based interpretation.Show less
This thesis identifies the social and phonetic variables that affect the learning process of Dutch L2 learners (second language acquisition). The native and non-native speakers who were asked to...Show moreThis thesis identifies the social and phonetic variables that affect the learning process of Dutch L2 learners (second language acquisition). The native and non-native speakers who were asked to participate in this research provided authentic audio recordings, which were added to the two online surveys that were used. The survey respondents that participated in this empirical study were asked to share their thoughts, via an online survey, on the individual speakers, with its primarily focus on the phonetic and social variables. By analysing the results of this research and examining the correlation between these results and the literature discussed, it was possible to draw a conclusion on which social and phonetic variables obstruct the learning process of Dutch L2 learners. This thesis concludes that the social variables (the division between a younger and older group of participants) and the phonetic variables (sounds that were identified as unintelligible and/or intolerable) that were recognized in this empirical research are collectively responsible for disrupting the comprehension and production of sounds for second language learners. Keywords: phonetic variables, sociolinguistic choices, sound systems, IPA, L1, L2Show less
Degrammaticalisation, the field of study which concerns itself with counterexamples to the hypothesis of unidirectionality, is a contested concept in grammaticalisation theory. This thesis examines...Show moreDegrammaticalisation, the field of study which concerns itself with counterexamples to the hypothesis of unidirectionality, is a contested concept in grammaticalisation theory. This thesis examines the definitional issues and points of contention in (de)grammaticalisation theory. The aim was to examine the tenability of degrammaticalisation as a separate process and the limits of its definition in light of the diachronic development of the English prenominal genitive. Corpus data were probed against definitions and requirements of degrammaticalisation posited in the literature. In addition, the impact of the various definitions of both grammaticalisation and degrammaticalisation on a degrammaticalisation analysis were examined.Show less
The current research project has employed qualitative methods to conduct a language attitude study that gauges the inter-generational perspectives of South Africans about the variety of English...Show moreThe current research project has employed qualitative methods to conduct a language attitude study that gauges the inter-generational perspectives of South Africans about the variety of English spoken in the country and its accents. The objective of this research project is to evaluate how South Africans feel about English, 26 years since the inception of democracy in the country, its role in education, governance and business, and the value they assign to language status. Ten South Africans between the ages of 17 and 65 from the main ethnicities in the country (Black, White, Coloured, Indian, Muslim) have been interviewed according to a semi-structured Interview Protocol. The attitudes of the younger speakers were compared to those that were born in previous generations, before democracy. The phonological properties of the participants’ speech were recorded within the BATH, KIT and GOOSE vowel spaces which have been identified as important social markers in South Africa and the South African English (SAE) sound. The participants pronunciations across the ethnic and social class spectrum were evaluated. The interviews and phonological recordings were conducted according to an elicited communications methodology (computer-mediated) using WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook. The participant attitudes were coded into six categories, i.e. positive, negative, perceptiveness, awareness, overcompensation, political correctness. Their vowel recordings were analysed according to its place of articulation and the presence of fronting. The participants displayed an innate positive attitude toward SAE and its role in stimulating future progress in the country.Show less
Regional Dialect Levelling is a common development in a number of languages whereby supra-local forms are diffused over regionally marked forms (Auer, 1998; Kerswill, 2002; 2003; Kerswill &...Show moreRegional Dialect Levelling is a common development in a number of languages whereby supra-local forms are diffused over regionally marked forms (Auer, 1998; Kerswill, 2002; 2003; Kerswill & Williams, 2002). Basque sociolinguists (Unamuno & Aurrekoetxea, 2013; Zuazo, 1998) have also observed levelling patterns in the language, arguably under the influence of the standard. According to Aurrekoetxea (2006, p. 147), one of the features that seems to be undergoing change towards supra-localisation is the cross-dialectally widespread Low Vowel Assimilation (LVA); however, this phenomenon has received little sociolinguistic attention. Therefore, this study aims to gauge the depth of variation of LVA in the Western Basque town of Lezama in order to determine whether claims of levelling can be substantiated. Through an apparent-time study of two generations of Lezamans, the results reported here do not fully support a levelling interpretation of the feature. Gender-specific patterns of use emerge that corroborate observations that “women deviate less than men from linguistic norms when the deviations are overtly proscribed, but more than men when the deviations are not proscribed” (Labov, 2001, p. 367). Furthermore, consistent with recent studies (Elordieta & Romera, in press; Urtzelai Vicente, 2018), attitudes towards the ingroup are established as a determinant of the language trends in Lezama.Show less
This study lies within the field of sociolinguistics and explores language attitudes. The goal is to investigate the attitudes of Greek native speakers toward Roman-alphabeted Greek (also known as...Show moreThis study lies within the field of sociolinguistics and explores language attitudes. The goal is to investigate the attitudes of Greek native speakers toward Roman-alphabeted Greek (also known as Greeklish) in Digitally-Mediated Communication (DMC), and more precisely in emails and SMS messages. In order to answer the research question, a modified Matched Guise Technique was applied to visual (text) rather than aural (sound) data. Emails and SMS messages in three different spellings, namely in using the Greek alphabet and two types of Romanized transliteration, phonetic and orthographic, were shown to a total number of 60 participants who were asked to evaluate the authors on a number of traits. Subsequently, using a questionnaire survey, participants’ attitudes were elicited more directly in order to reach more generalisable findings with regards to their perceptions of Greeklish. The findings showed that nowadays, not only has the use of Roman-alphabeted Greek in emails and SMS exchanges been diminished compared with 20 years ago, but Greek native speakers have adopted predominantly negative attitudes toward this linguistic phenomenon as well.Show less
Standardisation is often explained as a linear process in which Standard English is said to have emerged from one ancestor dialect, namely the Chancery Dialect. This concept based on the SAD...Show moreStandardisation is often explained as a linear process in which Standard English is said to have emerged from one ancestor dialect, namely the Chancery Dialect. This concept based on the SAD hypothesis has recently been challenged by various scholars who discovered linguistic features from language varieties outside of London in modern-day Standard English. However, the exact impact that other dialect areas had on shaping the standard is still relatively unclear. As a result, contemporary investigations have adopted a view that examines language change 'from below', as Standard English seems to be the result of a hybrid of features which originate from different locations. In order to shed more light on the rise of supralocal varieties and how their features diffused, the EMST project focuses on urban vernaculars of major regional centres separately in the period between 1400-1700. Nonetheless, in terms of urban vernaculars, Norwich, the urban centre of East Anglia has remained fairly unexplored. Consequently, the current dissertation will conduct a corpus study of sixteenth and seventeenth-century letter-type texts on how linguistic features in Norwich changed during the rise of supralocal varieties focusing on the third-person singular present tense indicative specifically. This specific marker is chosen due to it being one of the most notable linguistic features of the Norwich dialect and consisted of three possible markings during the Middle English period: -th, -s and zero. The findings show that the presence of the zero form, along with the earlier adopted -th suffix, accounted for slower adoption of the standardised -s in the Norwich dialect. Eventually, the -s variant is taken up in the Norwich variety, but the zero form remains in use among lower-class citizens, which is still the case in modern Norwich dialect.Show less
