Multilingualism, L1 attrition and the concept of native speaker [Elektronische Ressource] / vorgelegt von: Susan Claire Dostert

Sd

Informations

• Publié par: heinrich-heine-universitat_dusseldorf
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 31
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Multilingualism, L1 attrition and
the concept of ‘native speaker’







Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades
eines Doktors der Philosophie (Dr. phil.)
durch die Philosophische Fakultät
der Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf







vorgelegt von:
Susan Claire Dostert
Düsseldorf
Matrikel-Nr. 946339
April 2009
E-Mail: [e-mail]






Disputation: 14. Juli 20091










Acknowledgements


First and foremost, I would like to thank Monika Schmid, Conny Opitz, and all the
other members of the L1 attrition graduate network who, over the years I’ve been
working on this project, have supported me with their knowledge and friendship and
generally motivated and helped me to carry on even when things weren’t running so
smoothly. Second, but by no means last, I would like to thank my family, in particular
my daughter Lisa and my fiancé Harvey for believing in me, and for leaving me to it
when I needed peace and quiet to work but then also for being there when I needed
company. Finally, of course, I would like to acknowledge and thank the ‘principal
players’, namely all of the 64 individuals who were good enough to take the time to
complete the questionnaires and talk to me (as well as Tina, Conny and Leila who
persuaded friends and colleagues to volunteer, and often put me up and fed me at
the same time), without whom this entire project would not have been feasible.

Susan Dostert
Düsseldorf, April 2009


















D61 2

Contents

List of tables and figures 5

1. Introduction 8

2. Theoretical Background / Literature Review 9
2.1. Language attrition in the broader context 10
2.1.1. Multilingualism and ‘multi-competence’ 12
2.1.2. Adult non-pathological L1 attrition 13
2.1.2.1. Features of adult non-pathological L1 attrition 14
2.1.2.2. Predictor variables of adult non-pathological L1 attrition 19
2.1.3. Adult non-pathological attrition of L1 English 24
2.1.3.1. Clyne (1968) 24
2.1.3.2. Olshtain & Barzilay (1991) 25
2.1.3.3. Boyd & Andersson (1991); Boyd (1993) 26
2.1.3.4. Major (1992; 1993) 27
2.1.3.5. Latomaa (1998) 29
2.1.3.6. Porte (1999; 2003) 29
2.1.3.7. Brown (2001) 30
2.1.3.8. Gürel (2007) 32
2.1.3.9. Summary of the studies carried out on adult non-pathological
attrition of L1 English 33
2.1.4. Conclusion 34
2.2. Language and the brain 36
2.2.1. Neural plasticity 36
2.2.2. Different types of knowledge / memory 37
2.2.3. Forgetting 39
2.2.4. Conclusion 42
2.3. (Linguistic) theories of attrition 43
2.3.1. Regression theory 43
2.3.2. Chomskyian theory 44
2.3.3. ‘Simplification’ 45
2.3.4. Activation Threshold Hypothesis (ATH) 46
2.3.5. Control 47
2.3.6. Dynamic systems 49
2.3.7. Other theories: Communication Accommodation Theory
(CAT) 50
2.3.8. Conclusion 52
2.4. The concept of ‘native speaker’ 53
2.4.1. Folklore theory and the concept of ‘native speaker’ 53
2.4.2. Use of the term ‘native speaker’ 55
2.4.2.1. General, non-linguistic usage of the term 55
2.4.2.2. Usage of the term in linguistics 58
2.4.2.3. Usage of the term with specific relevance for ELT,
translating etc. 67
2.4.2.4. The native speaker and the L1 73
2.4.2.5. The native speaker and the L2 74
2.4.2.6. Conclusion 76
2.4.3. The ‘native speaker’ model 80 3

3. Research project 85
3.1. Theoretical framework 85
3.2. Methodology 86
3.2.1. Design features 86
3.2.2. Participants 87
3.2.3. Variables 90
3.2.4. Research questions 91
3.2.5. Hypotheses 91
3.2.5.1. Hypotheses about (adult non-pathological) L1 attrition 91
3.2.5.2. Hypotheses about the ‘native speaker’ 95
3.3. Test battery 96
3.3.1. Questionnaires 97
3.3.1.1. General background questionnaire 98
3.3.1.2. Native speaker questionnaire 99
3.3.2. FiCA 1 and 2 101
3.3.3. C-Test English and German 102
3.3.4. ‘Scrabble’ test 104
3.3.5. Film retelling task (Charlie Chaplin) 105
3.3.6. Picture description (W.H. Robinson) 108
3.4. Results 110
3.4.1. Questionnaires 110
3.4.1.1. General background questionnaire 110
3.4.1.2. Can-dos English 110
3.4.1.3. Can-dos German 113
3.4.1.4. Native speaker questionnaire and rating 116
3.4.1.5. Independent / predictor variables 121
3.4.2. FiCA 1 and 2 123
3.4.3. C-Test English and German 129
3.4.4. ‘Scrabble’ test 136
3.4.5. Total scores excluding free spoken data 138
3.4.6. Film retelling task (Charlie Chaplin) 140
3.4.7. Picture description (W.H. Robinson) 146
3.4.8. Analysis of Film retelling and Picture description combined 152
3.4.9. Summary of between-group differences in the test battery 155
3.4.10. Correlations between variables in the attrition group 155
3.4.11. Correlations between group test scores and can-dos 160
3.4.12. Correlations between test scores for English and native
speaker ratings 162
3.4.13. Correlations between test scores and predictor variables 168
3.4.13.1. ‘Age (at testing)’ in the three groups 169
3.4.13.2. ‘Sex’ in the three groups 170
3.4.13.3. ‘Number of L2s spoken’ in the three groups 171
3.4.13.4. ‘Level of education’ in the attrition group and L1 control group 172
3.4.13.5. ‘Native speaker rating’ in the attrition group and L1 control
group 172
3.4.13.6. ‘L1 proficiency’ in the attrition group and L1 control group 172
3.4.13.7. ‘L1 use’ in the attrition group and L1 control group 173
3.4.13.8. ‘L1 attitude’ in the attrition group and L1 control group 174
3.4.13.9. ‘Age at emigration’ in the attrition group 174 4

3.4.13.10. ‘LOR’ in the attrition group 175
3.4.13.11. ‘L2 use’ in the attrition group 175
3.4.13.12. ‘L2 proficiency’ in the attrition group 176
3.4.13.13. Summary of the predictor variables and test scores 176
3.4.13.14. Correlations between predictor variables and silent pauses
in the Film retelling 181
3.5. Discussion 184
3.5.1. Discussion of L1 attrition 184
3.5.2. Discussion of the ‘native speaker’ 190
3.6. Conclusion 193

4. References 201

5. Appendix 216
5.a. Information about the participants 217
5.b. General background questionnaire for attrition group
in English 219
5.c. General background questionnaire for attrition group
in German 230
5.d. General background questionnaire for L1 control group 241
5.e. General background questionnaire for German control
group 249
5.f. Native speaker questionnaire for attrition group 255
5.g. Native speaker questionnaire for L1 control group 261
5.h. Native speaker questionnaire for German control group 265
5.i. English C-Test 275
5.j. German C-Test 281
5.k. Egg armour plating (by W.H. Robinson) 287
5.l. Example of a CHAT transcript 288
5.m. Versicherung 289
5.n. kurzer Lebenslauf 290
5

List of tables and figures

Table 1: Examples of responses given to the question: “Why do you consider
yourself a native speaker of the language(s) named?”
Table 2: Those requirements which together form the language requirement
Table 3: Those requirements which together form the attitudinal requirement
Table 4: Some basic information about the participants
Table 5: An overview of the participation criteria for the three groups
Table 6: Distribution of the test items among the three groups
Table 7: Classification of results for the C-Tests
Table 8: The twenty situations or objects analysed for the Film retelling task (in
chronological order)
Table 9: The fifteen situations or objects analysed for the Picture description task
(in assumed chronological order)
Table 10: The results of the English can-dos for all three groups in % (N=62)
Table 11: The results of the German can-dos for the attrition group and German
control group in % (N=41)
Table 12: The results of the can-dos for the three groups for their respective
native language in % (N=62)
Table 13: Native speaker scores for the attrition group and L1 control group
(N=45)
Table 14: Three predictor variables for the attrition group and L1 control group
combined (N=45)
Table 15: Three predictor variables for the attrition group and L1 control group
separately (N=45)
Table 16: Two predictor variables for the attrition group (N=25)
Table 17: Total scores for FiCA 1 in all three groups in descending order (N=64)
Table 18: Semantic analysis of animals named in FiCA 1
Table 19: Total scores for FiCA 2 in all three groups in descending order (N=64)
Table 20: Semantic analysis of fruit and vegetables named in FiCA 2
Table 21: Case