In alignment with the previous research attempts to determine the interaction between the first languages of bilinguals (Fabiano-Smith & Goldstein 2005; Fabiano-Smith & Goldstein 2010;...Show moreIn alignment with the previous research attempts to determine the interaction between the first languages of bilinguals (Fabiano-Smith & Goldstein 2005; Fabiano-Smith & Goldstein 2010; Goldstein & Bunta 2011), the present study examines the influence of German as the dominant language on Greek phonology in the Greek-German bilinguals. The results collected are built on the accuracy scores as well as on the patterns used by 3 Early Greek-German bilinguals and 3 Greek Heritage speakers (aged 7-8) living in Germany. The phonemes under investigation were the [x]-[ç] allophones that are present in both Greek and German phonology but appear in different environments and the [zm] consonant sequence that is common in Greek but absent in the German language. The results revealed a German to Greek phonological influence in the form of transfer in both parts of the experiment as well as a deceleration compared to their monolinguals peers (Genesee & Paradis, 1996).These findings are discussed in the light of Speech Learning Model (Flege, 1995; 2007) and of the Interdependence Hypothesis (Genesee & Paradis, 1996) as well as on the findings of Barlow’s (2014) paper.Show less
In the field of second language acquisition, the role of the mother tongue in acquiring a brand new linguistic system has been widely debated by many researchers. For a long time, experts in the...Show moreIn the field of second language acquisition, the role of the mother tongue in acquiring a brand new linguistic system has been widely debated by many researchers. For a long time, experts in the field held on to conservative notions about the relationship between the L1 and L2, and research and language acquisition paradigm in the past leaned towards an L1 interference model, which had blamed the mother tongue for most, if not all, challenges experienced by learners in acquiring an L2. Modern literature surrounding language acquisition, however, point to a change in trend and attitudes involving the use of L1 in acquiring an L2. Extensive studies involving primary research data have been undertaken to dispel the notion of L1 interference and, instead, encourage incorporating L1 in L2 instruction. The research questions that this thesis hopes to address and answer are: Does using L1 in the L2 classroom benefit English as a second and foreign language learners? What factors might hinder the effectiveness of using L1 in acquiring an ESL/EFL in the classroom? In the end, this paper will endeavour to suggest ways L1 should be integrated into classroom language teaching situations. This research study will undertake to review and consolidate all previous work done on the hindrance of using the L1, on one hand, and the effectiveness of L1 use in the L2 classroom on the other. Practical ways of using the L1 will be provided, using examples from research done involving primary data from the literature. To substantiate this section, teacher attitudes and classroom practices in using L1 in ESL situations in an international school in Amsterdam will also be presented.Show less
As the number of immigrants to the Netherlands has grown substantially, providing education for immigrant children has become an important issue. Through a literature study, this thesis attempts to...Show moreAs the number of immigrants to the Netherlands has grown substantially, providing education for immigrant children has become an important issue. Through a literature study, this thesis attempts to answer the question what the best policy is in providing education for immigrant children in the primary school age – whether these children should enter regular education, or whether they need to learn Dutch through a specialized program such as transitional or immersion education before enrolling in regular classes. Literature consistently shows that specialized programs for language-minority children are most effective in providing these children with education; both to learn Dutch and to learn curriculum content. If possible these programs should be bilingual, as continued development of the children’s L1 facilitates second-language learning. Second language education should not just focus on language acquisition, but also on acquiring academic language and literacy skills. Apart from linguistic and cognitive factors, the social context should also be taken into consideration: specialized programs should be integrated within mainstream schools in order to give immigrant children the chance to interact with native peers and help them to fit in. Additionally, teachers should be affirmative of the children’s identities. These social factors are beneficial for immigrant children’s second-language acquisition and overall academic achievement as well.Show less
In this research we looked at whether infants (12- to 14-month-old) can succesfully use their lexical knowledge to aid them in acquiring an abstract grammatical rule about visually presented...Show moreIn this research we looked at whether infants (12- to 14-month-old) can succesfully use their lexical knowledge to aid them in acquiring an abstract grammatical rule about visually presented grammars. The infants in the known condition were unable to generalize this grammatical rule. However, there was learning in the nonsense condition.Show less
