The role of accessibility of semantic word knowledge in monolingual and bilingual fifth-grade reading Cremer, M.; Schoonen, J.J.M. Disclaimer/Complaints regulationsIf you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: http://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. ABSTRACTThe influences of word decoding, availability and accessibility of semantic word knowledge on reading comprehension were investigated for monolingual (n=65) and bilingual children (n=70). Despite equal decoding abilities, monolingual children outperformed bilingual children with regard to reading comprehension and availability of semantic word knowledge. Individual differences in reading comprehension were accounted for by differences in availability of semantic word knowledge and to a lesser extent by speed of access to this semantic knowledge. Speed of access accounted for variance in reading comprehension beyond the variance accounted for by decoding and availability of semantic knowledge. A path model suggests that reading comprehension differences between monolinguals and bilinguals are mediated by availability of semantic knowledge.Analyses showed no significant interaction between predictor variables and language background. A multigroup analysis distinguishing proficient and less-proficient

and adult word associations Do word associations assess word knowledge? A comparison of L1 and L2, child Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com can be found at: International Journal of Bilingualism Additional services and information for AbstractDifferences in word associations between monolingual and bilingual speakers of Dutch can reflect differences in how well seemingly familiar words are known. In this (exploratory) study monoand bilingual, child and adult free word associations were compared. Responses of children and of monolingual speakers were found to be more dispersed across response categories than responses of adults and of L2 speakers, respectively. Log linear analyses show that the distributional patterns of association responses differ among the groups. Age has the largest effect on association responses. Adults give more meaning-related responses than children. Child L1 speakers give more meaningrelated responses than child L2 speakers. Form-based and 'Other' associations were mostly given by (L2) children. The different findings for mono-and bilingual children and for mono-and bilingual adults show the influence of bilingualism on the development of word associations. The prominent effect of age emphasizes the role of conceptual development in word association behavior, and makes free word association tasks less suitable as an assessment tool for word knowledge.

This overview of applied linguistics research in the Netherlands between 2002 and 2006 is the fifth in a cyclical series of country-specific reviews of published research on foreign-language teaching and learning. About 75 papers have been selected from about twenty journals, conference proceedings, books and reports edited during the period 2002–2006 reporting on experimental or quasi-experimental research that has considerable value for those working in the field of language teaching. The review reveals the issues that currently concern applied linguists and second-language researchers in the Dutch language community: redefining multilingualism, trying to find ways to help minority children achieve at school, keeping a critical eye on current teaching practices, and finding specific ways to improve second- and foreign-language teaching.

This sociophonetic study is concerned with the relationship between attitude and behaviour in language. A two-fold research design investigates the English accent spoken in and around Bangor, North Wales and the influence of Liverpool English on that accent in relation to people's attitudes. The speech of adolescents and elderly participants from higher and lower socioeconomic backgrounds has been recorded. Participants' linguistic behaviour, categorized through accent judgements, has been compared to their attitudes toward two accents from the area, Welsh English and Liverpool English, as expressed in an attitude questionnaire. Phonetic measurements investigate whether affrication of ,/t/ in North Wales English is a result of Scouse influence. The study has found the Welsh English accent to be a lower class norm, whereas among higher class speakers BBC English is the popular (prestige) norm. A clear influence of Scouse has been found, although only in the speech of lower class teenagers. Affrication of /t/ is shown to be a characteristic of a North Wales English accent. The study confirms the strong relationship between affective attitude and (linguistic) behaviour. Interestingly, it has been found that people's accents are not always congruent with their attitudes.

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