Dutch Linguistics
Studying Dutch at the UvA means taking an interest in language dynamics. Primary and secondary language acquisition play an important part in the processes of language change; how and why do language acquisition processes have an effect on this transformation? These are the main questions dealt with in both our research and education. The dynamics of the Dutch language become apparent from the variation we encounter inside language boundaries. Our research concerns itself with the types of patterns that can be discovered within this variation, and what these patterns reveal about human language capacity.
Research
Research reveals that non-native speakers who learn Dutch as a second language sometimes learn in the same way native speakers do, but not in all respects. It would seem that native speaking primary language learners learn certain grammatical aspects differently as opposed to non-native language learners. Language change and language acquisition are closely related to one another. Children and secondary language learners could be at the forefront of language change, partly as a result of the way they acquire the language. Moreover, language variation is mostly understood from the manner of language acquisition. For instance: certain dialects were in close contact with other dialects or languages in the distant past. These dialects have been strongly influenced by secondary language learners, which in turn has left indelible marks on the grammatical structure of these dialects.
Education
During their first year students of the BA Nederlandse taal en cultuur learn to think about and discuss sentences and language structures, while the second year sees students intensifying and expanding their knowledge of language dynamics. Pubescent language development and language change are hereby given prominence, with students learning to read and interpret research articles.
During the third year students first take three courses concerning recent research themes, and thereafter perform research - under supervision - on a theme that interlinks with the research done by staff members in a theoretical or applied linguistic field (or a combination thereof).