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In:Language Variation - European Perspectives VI: Selected papers from the Eighth International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE 8), Leipzig, May 2015
Edited by Isabelle Buchstaller and Beat Siebenhaar
[Studies in Language Variation 19] 2017
► pp. 85–98

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Inter-individual variation among young children growing up in a bidialectal community

The acquisition of dialect and standard Dutch vocabulary

 | Utrecht University
 | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University | Meertens Institute Amsterdam
 | Department of Special Education, Utrecht University
 | Fryske Akademy
 | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University | Meertens Institute Amsterdam
Published online: 26 July 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/silv.19.05fra
Abstract
This study focuses on the relationship between dialect use and the acquisition of standard Dutch vocabulary by young children in the Dutch province of Limburg. The results of a newly-developed dialect expressive vocabulary task show extensive inter-individual variation that does not support a dichotomous distinction between monolingual and bidialectal children. The children’s dialect vocabulary scores are neither positively nor negatively associated with their results on a standardized receptive Dutch vocabulary task. Thus, the acquisition of a dialect does not hinder or facilitate the acquisition of standard Dutch vocabulary.
Article outline
  • 1. Introduction: Bidialectism in the Dutch province of Limburg
  • 2.Method
    • 2.1Participants and procedure
    • 2.2Measures
      • 2.2.1Dialect proficiency
      • 2.2.2Dutch language proficiency
    • 2.3Parental questionnaire, and overview of participants and results
  • 3.Results of the Limburgish Word Task
  • 4.Relationship between the extent of dialect used in the LWT and the acquisition of Dutch vocabulary
  • 5. Discussion and conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (22)
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2025. Age, interactions with peers, and proficiency in the standard variety predict children’s dialect proficiency. International Journal of Bilingualism DOI logo
Hanulíková, Adriana & Helena Levy
2025. Quantifying Experience with Accented Speech to Study Monolingual and Bilingual School-Aged Children’s Speech Processing. Languages 10:4 ► pp. 80 ff. DOI logo
Blom, Elma
2023. Lexical and cognitive development of children learning regional languages: Studies from the Netherlands. Nordlyd 47:2 ► pp. 5 ff. DOI logo
Cornips, Leonie, Jetske Klatter-Folmer, Trudie Schils & Romy Roumans
2022. A Longitudinal Comparison of Spelling and Reading Comprehension of Bidialectal and Monolingual Dutch Speaking Children in Primary School. In Handbook of Literacy in Diglossia and in Dialectal Contexts [Literacy Studies, 22], ► pp. 219 ff. DOI logo
Blom, Elma, Tessel Boerma, Evelyn Bosma, Leonie Cornips, Kirsten van den Heuij & Mona Timmermeister
2020. Cross-language distance influences receptive vocabulary outcomes of bilingual children. First Language 40:2 ► pp. 151 ff. DOI logo
Blom, Elma, Leonie Cornips & Jeannette Schaeffer
2017. Cross-linguistic influence in bilingualism. In Cross-linguistic Influence in Bilingualism [Studies in Bilingualism, 52], ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo

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