Chapter 3. The alternation between standard and vernacular pronouns by Belgian Dutch parents in child-oriented control acts
-
Eline Zenner
Abstract
This paper studies the social meaning of standard and vernacular pronouns of address in Dutch by zooming in on the position they hold in parents’ control acts to their children. Linking the hyperstandardized linguistic situation in Flanders with the Western-European ideal of democratic parenting, we expect to find that the standard forms are more typically connected to more indirect, softer control acts. This hypothesis is tested through a mixed method approach, where quantitative and qualitative analyses are used to chart the choices of ten Belgian Dutch parents when issuing directives to their children. Studying 452 pronouns we identify a clear link between the choice of variety and parameters such as type of control act, repetition, mitigation and boosting and type of pronoun, with ‘irritation’ as mediating factor.
Abstract
This paper studies the social meaning of standard and vernacular pronouns of address in Dutch by zooming in on the position they hold in parents’ control acts to their children. Linking the hyperstandardized linguistic situation in Flanders with the Western-European ideal of democratic parenting, we expect to find that the standard forms are more typically connected to more indirect, softer control acts. This hypothesis is tested through a mixed method approach, where quantitative and qualitative analyses are used to chart the choices of ten Belgian Dutch parents when issuing directives to their children. Studying 452 pronouns we identify a clear link between the choice of variety and parameters such as type of control act, repetition, mitigation and boosting and type of pronoun, with ‘irritation’ as mediating factor.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Section 1. Child language acquisition and sociolinguistic variation
- Chapter 1. Child language acquisition and sociolinguistic variation 11
- Chapter 2. Input effects on the acquisition of variation 21
- Chapter 3. The alternation between standard and vernacular pronouns by Belgian Dutch parents in child-oriented control acts 51
- Chapter 4. Testing interface and frequency hypotheses 81
- Chapter 5. Acquiring social and linguistic competence 103
- Chapter 6. Children’s sociolinguistic preferences 129
- Chapter 7. Variation in stress in the Jamaican classroom 161
-
Section 2. Second language acquisition and dialectal variation in adults
- Chapter 8. Second language acquisition and dialectal variation in adults 185
- Chapter 9. Navigating variation amid contested norms and societal shifts 199
- Chapter 10. Usage, evaluation and awareness of French sociolinguistic variables by second-language learners during a stay abroad 227
- Chapter 11. The standard-dialect repertoire of second language users in German-speaking Switzerland 251
- Chapter 12. Identity, authenticity and dialect acquisition 277
- Chapter 13. Adult learners’ (non-) acquisition of speaker-specific variation 295
- Index 317
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Section 1. Child language acquisition and sociolinguistic variation
- Chapter 1. Child language acquisition and sociolinguistic variation 11
- Chapter 2. Input effects on the acquisition of variation 21
- Chapter 3. The alternation between standard and vernacular pronouns by Belgian Dutch parents in child-oriented control acts 51
- Chapter 4. Testing interface and frequency hypotheses 81
- Chapter 5. Acquiring social and linguistic competence 103
- Chapter 6. Children’s sociolinguistic preferences 129
- Chapter 7. Variation in stress in the Jamaican classroom 161
-
Section 2. Second language acquisition and dialectal variation in adults
- Chapter 8. Second language acquisition and dialectal variation in adults 185
- Chapter 9. Navigating variation amid contested norms and societal shifts 199
- Chapter 10. Usage, evaluation and awareness of French sociolinguistic variables by second-language learners during a stay abroad 227
- Chapter 11. The standard-dialect repertoire of second language users in German-speaking Switzerland 251
- Chapter 12. Identity, authenticity and dialect acquisition 277
- Chapter 13. Adult learners’ (non-) acquisition of speaker-specific variation 295
- Index 317
