AcqVA-Nor investigates language acquisition, variation, and attrition in real-life situations, reflecting today’s globalized world where learning multiple languages in the course of the lifetime has become increasingly common. We investigate how multiple languages develop in children and adults (acquisition), how and why languages may differ across individiuals and groups in space and time (variation), and how and why language erosion may occur over the course of the lifespan (attrition).
Special focus is given to the study of multilingualism in Norwegian contexts. AcqVA-Nor aims to gain new knowledge in three underresearched areas:
1) Norwegian as a second language and the Norwegian dialect landscape
Norway is known as a country where dialects and dialect use have a high status. How does the rich dialect landscape affect the acquisition Norwegian as a second language? What challenges does the use of dialect pose for the learner, and how do learners deal with the diversity of dialects in Norway? What choices do learners make with regard to whether they want to focus on learning the local dialect or "a standard language"/bokmål/nynorsk? What didactic challenges does dialect diversity lead to for a second language teacher?
2) Norwegian as a second language and parallel language learning
Many adolescent and adult learners who come to Norway may have both a desire and a need to learn another language in parallel with Norwegian. This language will usually be English, but other languages may also be relevant. How does the simultaneous acquisition of two languages in adolescents and adult speakers take place? To what extent do the two languages have a facilitative or a non-facilitative effect on one another, and to what extent is this determined by linguistic distance? How can a second language teacher facilitate this didactic approach?
3) Norwegian as a second language in academia
Norwegian as an academic language is in a challenging situation in today's internationalized society. How do second language learners relate to Norwegian in an academic context? What thoughts do they have about the relevance of mastering Norwegian? And to what extent are questions about Norwegian as a subject language in academia incorporated into Norwegian second language education?
Merete Brendeford Anderssen, Kristine Bentzen, Natalia Mitrofanova, Yulia Rodina
