Browsing by Author "Van Heukelum, Marie-Louise"

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    Predictive variables in lifelong bilingualism : an exploratory study probing the effects of L2 English on L1 Afrikaans syntax
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-12) Van Heukelum, Marie-Louise; Biberauer, Theresa; Bylund, Emanuel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This exploratory study is concerned with effects of the second language on the first (EotSLotF). It specifically aims to probe the extent to which it is possible to establish whether and, if so, how the morphosyntactic system of Afrikaans as a first language (L1) changes under the influence of English as a second language (L2) as a result of language exposure and use across the lifespan. Research focussing on EotSLotF is typically concerned with either heritage language (HL) development or L1 attrition. The present study investigates variables typical of both HL development (i.e. exposure/use in childhood/adolescence) and L1 attrition (i.e. exposure/use in adulthood), thus bringing these two sub-fields together in an attempt to deepen our understanding of how L1 Afrikaans develops under the influence of L2 English across the lifespan. Tsimpli (2014) argues for a three-way distinction in L1 grammatical development between early, late and very late properties: early properties turn on narrow syntax, while late and very late properties require syntax- and potentially language-external mapping. Similarly, studies of L1 attrition show crucial differences between early/narrow-syntax and late/interface- driven properties: the former are suggested to be less vulnerable to attrition as they incur fewer processing-related challenges. This observation is central to the so-called Interface Hypothesis (IH; Sorace & Filiaci, 2006 et seq.). This study tests the early-acquired/interface-internal versus late-acquired/interface-external asymmetry in Afrikaans-English bilinguals, a language combination and population not previously investigated within the IH framework. 166 participants in South Africa and the diaspora completed (i) a language background questionnaire, (ii) an acceptability judgement task (AJT), and (iii) a contextualised acceptability judgement task (CAJT). Five syntactic properties of Afrikaans, which differ with respect to their sensitive periods and their relationship to the interfaces, were investigated: (i) Verb Second (V2), (ii) basic sentential negation, (iii) double negation (DN), (iv) pronominal scrambling, and (v) discourse-driven scrambling. The study also takes into account sociolinguistic variation: both what is prescriptively sanctioned in Standard Afrikaans (StdA) and what is permissible in Modern Spoken Afrikaans (MsA) is investigated. The results reveal that, overall, variation indicative of EotSLotF appears to be minimal in the population under investigation. The earlier-acquired properties of the narrow syntax/internal interfaces, while not impervious to the effects of differing amounts of L1/L2 exposure and use, in particular exhibit remarkable stability. The MsA judgement patterns suggest that more frequent exposure to and use of Afrikaans is facilitative in predicting “target- like” behaviour. Where variation indicative of EotSLotF is evidenced, the patterns are, in some cases, similar to those seen in traditional HS populations. The results also suggest, however, that language-specific sociolinguistic and language-internal factors may be centrally relevant. The picture that emerges is that the IH is a useful framework for probing L1 (in)stability under the influence of an L2 in populations resembling the Afrikaans-English type. However, beyond sensitive-period and interface considerations, language-specific factors appear to play a non-trivial role in the more fine-grained shaping of the L1 grammar. These factors therefore appear to warrant special attention in research concerned with EotSLotF.