Describes language border fluctuations in Belgium as far as its Dutch-French portion is concerned. Examines the status and function of the language border in Belgium and of actual border fluctuations. Discusses two problem areas in detail: the "Voerstreek, and the Brussels suburban region. Language shift and language change through erosion in…

Discusses Dutch in the Northern France, specifically the historical retreat of Dutch from Pas-de-Calais, historical evolution of the language situation in the Department du Nord, reactions to official language policy and language loss, characteristics of Flemish in France, alienation from other Dutch dialects by communicative isolation, linguistic…

Focuses on intrasentential codeswitching among locally born inhabitants of Brussels, Belguim. The disappearance of intrasentential codeswitching is shown to be related to knowledge of standard Dutch. Apart from this, intrasentential codeswitching is probably no longer a generalized practice in Brussels because the codes involved symbolize social…

Critical analysis of three cases of grammatical borrowing of Frisian from Dutch leads to the specific conclusion that the Frisian grammatical system does not "Dutchify," and to general conclusions concerning the ways that minority languages can and cannot be influenced by dominant languages. (Author/CB)

Examines the vitality perceptions of the Dutch and the Germans in the context of the progressive European unification with special emphasis on the relationship between subjective vitality perceptions and group identification. Results are discussed with reference to recent findings and developments in vitality theory as well as with regard to…

This study concerns the urban vernacular "Leewarders" and the two other languages, Dutch and Frisian, spoken in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. The study was carried out by interviews, a survey, a variant of the matched-guise experiment, and participant observation. (JL)

Gives a short overview of the historical development of various aspects of the linguistic situation in Belgium. Particular focus is on knowledge and use of the varieties of French and Dutch in Brussels and on the educational system. Attention is also given to attitudes toward the language and language varieties and to aspects of language contact.…

Investigated the interplay between languages and cultures in the multilingual and multicultural neighborhood of Lombok/Transvaal in Utrecht in The Netherlands. Results confirm that because Turkish, Moroccan, and Surinamese immigrants differ with respect to immigration history, level of education, and Dutch proficiency, processes of exchange and…

Reports on a large-scale longitudinal study into the development of language proficiency of Dutch primary school children aged 7-10. Data on language proficiency and a range of background variables were analyzed. Results suggest that while immigrant children develop their language skill in Dutch considerably over 2 years, they are nonetheless…

The consequences of migration for the position of the Frisian language in the Netherlands are analyzed. An annual model is presented that can estimate the effect of extraprovincial migration on the number of people speaking Frisian at home. (Contains 31 references.) (Author/LB)

Exploration of the extent to which acculturation may be related to classroom second-language acquisition in Turkish immigrant children reared in the Netherlands found that the relationship was significant and positive, but not really high. (Author/CB)

Speech material gathered from Dutch-English bilinguals in Australia questioned in 1971 and 1987 was analyzed, showing no evidence of attrition in Dutch. It is concluded that first-language attrition does not necessarily occur in an immigrant setting and that immigrants who maintain their language in the first years of their stay will likely remain…

Preliminary results from a large research project on the use of Frisian and Dutch in the official domain in Friesland focuses on language use in contacts between civil servants and customers in service encounters. Language patterns observed include convergence, neutrality, switching, and asymmetry. (CB)

Assessed and compared the development of receptive and productive Dutch and Turkish vocabulary of 31 Turkish immigrant preschool children. Using multivariate analysis of variance for repeated measurements, main and interaction effects of group (Turkish, Dutch working class, and Dutch middle class) and time were tested. Results are interpreted…

Discusses the consequences of "language shift through erosion" on the basis of an analysis of the gradual disappearance of Dutch as a native language in French Flanders. Sketches the theoretical language-in-contact framework, breaking down the chronological evolution into diglossic, bilingual and (almost) monolingual phases. (37…