Marjolijn Verspoor
Biographic Data
| ID | 1692203 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Marjolijn Verspoor |
| GIVEN NAMES | Marjolijn |
| FAMILY NAME | Verspoor |
| SIGNATURE | VERSPOOR M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Groningen |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8828-8405 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 39 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 244 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 36 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 3 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1996 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Variability in a Dynamic Systems Theory Approach to Second Language Acquisition
The role of variability in human development was first pointed out by dynamic systems theorists Thelen and Smith (1994).
Complex Dynamic System Theory and Language Learning
Various studies have been published based on complex dynamic systems theoretical (CDST) interpretations of second language development (SLD). According to these approaches, a second language emerges in a specific and dynamic communicative context as a result of a process of self‐organization. This research has provided empirical support for the existence of the main theoretical concepts of CDST, such as the fact that the course of development is …
Effects of generative AI feedback and hybrid feedback in functional adequacy development in L2 academic writing
The present study explores how generative GenAI feedback and hybrid feedback affect different dimensions of text quality, as measured by Functional Adequacy (FA), in three versions of an academic writing task. 73 Chinese EFL students produced (1) an initial draft written without GenAI assistance, (2) a revision based on GenAI feedback, and (3) a further revision incorporating both human feedback and prompt training. The study first compares stude…
Disambiguating Complexity: From CAF to Cafic: A Commentary on “Complexity and Difficulty in Second Language Acquisition: A Theoretical and Methodological Overview”
In their position paper “Complexity and Difficulty in Second Language Acquisition: A Theoretical and Methodological Overview,” the authors propose to reserve the term complexity for absolute structural complexity and difficulty for other measures typically labelled as “complexity” in the complexity–accuracy–fluency (CAF) triad. We agree with the authors that there are excellent arguments for making these distinctions and that we should avoid “con…
A dynamic network analysis: Temporal interaction of individual differences and its effect on oral language development
Introduction to the special issue: Action research in english language and communication contexts in higher education
Complex dynamic systems theory as a foundation for process-oriented research on second language development
In the past decades, complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) has been used as an important framework for studying second language development. CDST is a metatheory of change and focuses on processes. Even though it has been broadly accepted as an inspiring dimension of research in psychology, sociology and second language development, some scholars have raised questions about the methodologies used, the interpretation of the data, and the nature of…
Longitudinal Development of Holistic Formulaicity, Formulaic Sequences, and Lexical Complexity in Sojourner Diaries: A Dynamic Usage-Based Perspective
Because of authentic exposure, study-abroad sojourners are expected to become more proficient in terms of holistic formulaicity (defined as targetlike language use of intensifiers, fillers, multiword sequences, lexical features, verb-argument constructions, pragmatic and discourse features, and so on), use of formulaic sequences, and lexical measures. This study traces the development of these constructs over time in written diary texts of 26 Cat…
Measures of variability in transitional phases in second language development
This paper investigates measures of change to help demonstrate the necessity of variability as a developmental mechanism for advancing different features of L2 learning (related here primarily to writing, but also to reading) with a particular focus on learners at different stages of development. To do so, the work draws on three studies to build a case for using variability as a meaningful marker of change. Lowie, Wander M. & Marjolijn Verspoor.…
Mandarin vocabulary growth, teacher qualifications and teacher talk in child heritage language learners
Teacher talk has been found to significantly affect children’s early language development during shared book reading; however, the mechanism of such influence remains unclear. The current study has zoomed in on vocabulary development in Mandarin as a heritage language (HL) in Singapore kindergartens, 1) exploring the linguistic features (i.e. lexical diversity and syntactic complexity) of these teachers; and 2) investigating the mediation effects…
Dynamic Usage-based Principles in the Development of L2 Finnish Evaluative Constructions
This study investigates the formal verbalizations of evaluation used by four beginning L2 learners of Finnish from a dynamic usage-based perspective. Longitudinal data collected weekly were used to investigate what kind of constructions learners use to express evaluation and how these interact and develop over time. The results show that when a new construction is acquired in the L2, another related construction might regress. The results also po…
Variability as predictor in L2 writing proficiency
Lowie and Verspoor (2019) had an unexpected finding in their work Individual Differences and the Ergodicity Problem: The main predictor for proficiency gains in 22 beginning Dutch learners of English over one year was not traditional individual difference (ID) factors, but the degree of variability that occurred over time. We speculate that variability might stand for “investment” as students might strive for an excellent product at one time, but…
Measuring Longitudinal Writing Development Using Indices of Syntactic Complexity and Sophistication
Measures of syntactic complexity such as mean length of T-unit have been common measures of language proficiency in studies of second language acquisition. Despite the ubiquity and usefulness of such structure-based measures, they could be complemented with measures based on usage-based theories, which focus on the development of not just syntactic forms but also form-meaning pairs, called constructions (Ellis, 2002). Recent cross-sectional resea…
Variability as normal as apple pie
In recent studies in second language (L2) development, notably within the focus of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST), non-systematic variation has been extensively studied as intra-individual variation, which we will refer to as variability . This paper argues that variability is functional and is needed for development. With examples of four longitudinal case studies we hope to show that variability over time provides valuable information ab…
Towards a professional development tool for teachers of English in bilingual streams: The dynamics of beliefs and practices
This study highlights tensions and challenges experienced by language teachers in CLIL contexts. Using an example from the Netherlands, it explores the pedagogical and collaborative practices of Teachers of English in Bilingual streams (TEBs). The study shows how, using formal and practical theories (Borg and Burns 2008 Borg, S., and A. Burns. 2008. “Integrating Grammar in Adult TESOL Classrooms.” Applied Linguistics 29 (3): 456–482. doi:10.1093/…
The emergence of the multilingual motivational system in Chinese learners
The dynamics of reading development in L2 English for academic purposes
In a mixed-methods approach, this study investigates the complex and dynamic developmental trajectories of 27 Chinese Chemistry major undergraduates’ English academic reading ability. Twelve parallel tests were designed, validated, and used weekly during one semester. The analyses included a group pre-post design to measure academic reading gains, a regression analysis to predict beginning reading score with English proficiency and Chemistry know…
Lexically specific vs. productive constructions in L2 Finnish
It is assumed from a usage-based perspective that learner language constructions emerge from natural language use in social interaction through exemplar learning. In L1, young learners have been shown to develop their constructions from lexically specific, formulaic expressions into more productive, abstract schemas. A similar developmental path has been shown for L2 development, with some exceptions. The aim of the current study is to explore to…
Learning an L2 and L3 at the same time: Help or hinder
There is quite a bit of evidence showing that the experience of learning an L2 will help in learning an L3, but as far as we know, very little research has investigated the possible impact of L3 learning on the already existing and still developing L2 system within the learner. According to Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST), language development depends on limited resources. In simultaneous L2 and L3 (L2 + L3) learners, these resources have t…
Individual Differences and the Ergodicity Problem
Traditional research into individual differences (ID) in second language (L2) learning is based on group studies with the implicit assumption that findings can be generalized to the individual. In this article, we challenge this view. We argue that L2 learners do not form ergodic ensembles and that language learning data lack stability. The data from our experiment show that even highly similar learners in terms of ID show clearly different learn…
Searching for identity and focus: Towards an analytical framework for language teachers in bilingual education
In CLIL contexts, school subjects are taught in an additional language, allowing learners to acquire the target language through meaningful use. This places language teachers in an ambiguous position. What is their role in this context? On the one hand, language teachers are expected to collaborate with subject teacher colleagues; on the other hand, they teach separate language lessons. This double role provides language teachers and their educat…
Complexity Theory and Language Development: In Celebration of Diane Larsen-Freeman
From conceptualization to constructions in Finnish as an L2: A case study
This study traces the individual learning trajectories of an adult beginner L2 Finnish learner in expressing the extralinguistic concept of evaluation from a dynamic usage-based perspective. Our results provide support for the view of learner language as a dynamic system in which patterns wax and wane and in which a change in one component has the potential to affect the whole system. In the early stages of learning there was a strong preference …
Variability and Variation in Second Language Acquisition Orders: A Dynamic Reevaluation
The traditional morpheme order studies in second language acquisition have tried to demonstrate the existence of a fixed order of acquisition of English morphemes, regardless of the second language learner's background. Such orders have been taken as evidence of the preprogrammed nature of language acquisition. This article argues for a process‐based, dynamic explanation of development, in which each developmental step is based on the dynamic int…
Dynamic Development in Speaking Versus Writing in Identical Twins
Taking a dynamic usage-based perspective, this longitudinal case study compares the development of sentence complexity in speaking versus writing in two beginner Taiwanese learners of English (identical twins) in an extensive corpus consisting of 100 oral and 100 written texts of approximately 200 words produced by each twin over 8 months. Three syntactic complexity measures were calculated: mean length of T-unit, dependent clauses per T-unit, an…
A Dynamic Systems Theory approach to second language acquisition
In this article it is argued that language can be seen as a dynamic system, i.e. a set of variables that interact over time, and that language development can be seen as a dynamic process. Language development shows some of the core characteristics of dynamic systems: sensitive dependence on initial conditions, complete interconnectedness of subsystems, the emergence of attractor states in development over time and variation both in and among ind…
Individual Differences and the Ergodicity Problem
Traditional research into individual differences (ID) in second language (L2) learning is based on group studies with the implicit assumption that findings can be generalized to the individual. In this article, we challenge this view. We argue that L2 learners do not form ergodic ensembles and that language learning data lack stability. The data from our experiment show that even highly similar learners in terms of ID show clearly different learn…
Variability and Variation in Second Language Acquisition Orders: A Dynamic Reevaluation
The traditional morpheme order studies in second language acquisition have tried to demonstrate the existence of a fixed order of acquisition of English morphemes, regardless of the second language learner's background. Such orders have been taken as evidence of the preprogrammed nature of language acquisition. This article argues for a process‐based, dynamic explanation of development, in which each developmental step is based on the dynamic int…
Complex dynamic systems theory as a foundation for process-oriented research on second language development
In the past decades, complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) has been used as an important framework for studying second language development. CDST is a metatheory of change and focuses on processes. Even though it has been broadly accepted as an inspiring dimension of research in psychology, sociology and second language development, some scholars have raised questions about the methodologies used, the interpretation of the data, and the nature of…
Learning an L2 and L3 at the same time: Help or hinder
There is quite a bit of evidence showing that the experience of learning an L2 will help in learning an L3, but as far as we know, very little research has investigated the possible impact of L3 learning on the already existing and still developing L2 system within the learner. According to Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST), language development depends on limited resources. In simultaneous L2 and L3 (L2 + L3) learners, these resources have t…
The emergence of the multilingual motivational system in Chinese learners
The dynamics of reading development in L2 English for academic purposes
In a mixed-methods approach, this study investigates the complex and dynamic developmental trajectories of 27 Chinese Chemistry major undergraduates’ English academic reading ability. Twelve parallel tests were designed, validated, and used weekly during one semester. The analyses included a group pre-post design to measure academic reading gains, a regression analysis to predict beginning reading score with English proficiency and Chemistry know…
Dynamic Development in Speaking Versus Writing in Identical Twins
Taking a dynamic usage-based perspective, this longitudinal case study compares the development of sentence complexity in speaking versus writing in two beginner Taiwanese learners of English (identical twins) in an extensive corpus consisting of 100 oral and 100 written texts of approximately 200 words produced by each twin over 8 months. Three syntactic complexity measures were calculated: mean length of T-unit, dependent clauses per T-unit, an…
Colorful bits of experience: From Bluestocking to blue movie
The idea of this paper is based on Whorf, who argued that “naming things” is to a great degree motivated. This thought is in line with cognitive linguistics (CL), which claims that our conceptual c
Research on foreign-language teaching and learning in the Netherlands (2002–2006)
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 w…
The story of -ing: A subjective perspective
Lexical and Syntactical Constructions and the Construction of Meaning: Proceedings of the bi-annual Icla meeting in Albuquerque, July 1995
The basic tenet of cognitive linguistics is that every linguistic expression is a construal relation. The first section of this volume focuses on issues of such construal and presentation of information, including figure-ground relations, image-schematic structures, and the role of syntactic constructions in information structure. In sections two and three papers are presented on cross-categorial polysemy between lexical and grammatical uses of a…
Predicate Adjuncts and Subjectification
Explorations in Linguistic Relativity
About a century after the year Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897–1941) was born, his theory complex is still the object of keen interest to linguists. Rencently, scholars have argued that it was not his theory complex itself, but an over-simplified, reduced section taken out of context that has become known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis that has met with so much resistance among linguists over the last few decades. Not only did Whorf present his views muc…
Dynamic Systems Theory and Applied Linguistics: "The ultimate "so what
Colorful bits of experience: From Bluestocking to blue movie
The idea of this paper is based on Whorf, who argued that “naming things” is to a great degree motivated. This thought is in line with cognitive linguistics (CL), which claims that our conceptual c
A Dynamic Systems Theory approach to second language acquisition
In this article it is argued that language can be seen as a dynamic system, i.e. a set of variables that interact over time, and that language development can be seen as a dynamic process. Language development shows some of the core characteristics of dynamic systems: sensitive dependence on initial conditions, complete interconnectedness of subsystems, the emergence of attractor states in development over time and variation both in and among ind…
Variability in Second Language Development From a Dynamic Systems Perspective
This article illustrates that studying intra‐individual variability in Second Language Development can provide insight into the developmental dynamics of second language (L2) learners. Adopting a Dynamic Systems Theory framework ( Thelen & Smith, 1994 ; van Geert, 1994 ) and using insights from microgenetic variability studies in developmental psychology ( Siegler, 2006 ), we focus on L2 systems during a time of rapid development, applying advanc…
Research on foreign-language teaching and learning in the Netherlands (2002–2006)
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 w…
Dynamic Patterns in Development of Accuracy and Complexity: A Longitudinal Case Study in the Acquisition of Finnish
Within a Dynamic System Theory (DST) approach, it is assumed that language is in a constant flux, but that differences in the degree of variability can give insight into the developmental process. This longitudinal case study focuses on intra-individual variability in accuracy rates and complexity measures in Finnish learner language. The study illustrates the use of several useful DST methods and techniques such as min–max graphs and regression …
A Dynamic Approach to Second Language Development: Methods and techniques
Dynamic systems theory, a general theory of change and development, offers a new way to study first and second language development and requires a new set of tools for analysis of empirical data. After a brief introduction to the theory, this book, co-authored by several leading scholars in the field, concentrates on tools and techniques recently developed to analyze language data from a dynamic perspective. The chapters deal with the general tho…
Cognitive Linguistics of Second Language Acquisition
When investigating second language development or deciding on ways to teach it, it is important to know how language and language development are viewed in general, because it will determine to a great extent what you look for, what you find, and what you teach. For example, if you think that syntax (form) drives a modular system, your attention will focus mainly on form. On the other hand, if you think the need to communicate and express meaning…
A dynamic usage based perspective on L2 writing
Symposium: Dynamic systems/Complexity theory as a new approach to second language development
Presented at the 16th World Congress of Applied Linguistics (AILA), Beijing Foreign Studies University, China, 24 August 2011. The goal of the symposium was to show that a Dynamic systems/Complexity theory (DST) perspective will provide important insights into the L2 developmental process. Kees de Bot (University of Groningen) introduced the symposium by outlining the basic characteristics of a dynamic system: all factors or variables involved in…
Variability and Variation in Second Language Acquisition Orders: A Dynamic Reevaluation
The traditional morpheme order studies in second language acquisition have tried to demonstrate the existence of a fixed order of acquisition of English morphemes, regardless of the second language learner's background. Such orders have been taken as evidence of the preprogrammed nature of language acquisition. This article argues for a process‐based, dynamic explanation of development, in which each developmental step is based on the dynamic int…
Dynamic Development in Speaking Versus Writing in Identical Twins
Taking a dynamic usage-based perspective, this longitudinal case study compares the development of sentence complexity in speaking versus writing in two beginner Taiwanese learners of English (identical twins) in an extensive corpus consisting of 100 oral and 100 written texts of approximately 200 words produced by each twin over 8 months. Three syntactic complexity measures were calculated: mean length of T-unit, dependent clauses per T-unit, an…
Complexity Theory and Language Development: In Celebration of Diane Larsen-Freeman
From conceptualization to constructions in Finnish as an L2: A case study
This study traces the individual learning trajectories of an adult beginner L2 Finnish learner in expressing the extralinguistic concept of evaluation from a dynamic usage-based perspective. Our results provide support for the view of learner language as a dynamic system in which patterns wax and wane and in which a change in one component has the potential to affect the whole system. In the early stages of learning there was a strong preference …
Searching for identity and focus: Towards an analytical framework for language teachers in bilingual education
In CLIL contexts, school subjects are taught in an additional language, allowing learners to acquire the target language through meaningful use. This places language teachers in an ambiguous position. What is their role in this context? On the one hand, language teachers are expected to collaborate with subject teacher colleagues; on the other hand, they teach separate language lessons. This double role provides language teachers and their educat…
Individual Differences and the Ergodicity Problem
Traditional research into individual differences (ID) in second language (L2) learning is based on group studies with the implicit assumption that findings can be generalized to the individual. In this article, we challenge this view. We argue that L2 learners do not form ergodic ensembles and that language learning data lack stability. The data from our experiment show that even highly similar learners in terms of ID show clearly different learn…
Lexically specific vs. productive constructions in L2 Finnish
It is assumed from a usage-based perspective that learner language constructions emerge from natural language use in social interaction through exemplar learning. In L1, young learners have been shown to develop their constructions from lexically specific, formulaic expressions into more productive, abstract schemas. A similar developmental path has been shown for L2 development, with some exceptions. The aim of the current study is to explore to…
Learning an L2 and L3 at the same time: Help or hinder
There is quite a bit of evidence showing that the experience of learning an L2 will help in learning an L3, but as far as we know, very little research has investigated the possible impact of L3 learning on the already existing and still developing L2 system within the learner. According to Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST), language development depends on limited resources. In simultaneous L2 and L3 (L2 + L3) learners, these resources have t…
Dynamic Usage-based Principles in the Development of L2 Finnish Evaluative Constructions
This study investigates the formal verbalizations of evaluation used by four beginning L2 learners of Finnish from a dynamic usage-based perspective. Longitudinal data collected weekly were used to investigate what kind of constructions learners use to express evaluation and how these interact and develop over time. The results show that when a new construction is acquired in the L2, another related construction might regress. The results also po…
Variability as predictor in L2 writing proficiency
Lowie and Verspoor (2019) had an unexpected finding in their work Individual Differences and the Ergodicity Problem: The main predictor for proficiency gains in 22 beginning Dutch learners of English over one year was not traditional individual difference (ID) factors, but the degree of variability that occurred over time. We speculate that variability might stand for “investment” as students might strive for an excellent product at one time, but…
Measuring Longitudinal Writing Development Using Indices of Syntactic Complexity and Sophistication
Measures of syntactic complexity such as mean length of T-unit have been common measures of language proficiency in studies of second language acquisition. Despite the ubiquity and usefulness of such structure-based measures, they could be complemented with measures based on usage-based theories, which focus on the development of not just syntactic forms but also form-meaning pairs, called constructions (Ellis, 2002). Recent cross-sectional resea…
Computer Science (28 works) · Psychology (28 works) · Linguistics (27 works) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning (13 works) · Philosophy (13 works) · Mathematics (10 works) · Mathematics education (10 works) · Language acquisition (9 works) · Second Language Learning and Teaching (9 works) · Artificial Intelligence (8 works)