Afrikaans-English bilinguals and the foreign language effect in South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorBylund, Emanuelen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorCullen, Sarahen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-05T06:20:43Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T16:24:52Z
dc.date.available2024-03-05T06:20:43Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T16:24:52Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: Do people think differently when they think in a different language? Could the language that you are asked a question in impact the answer that you give? These are the questions that form the foundation of the linguistic phenomenon known as the Foreign Language Effect (FLE). The FLE suggests that individuals do indeed make different decisions when presented with messaging in their native language versus in a foreign language. Linguistic investigations have been done to explore in what circumstances this phenomenon occurs as well as what factors contribute to these changes in bilinguals’ choices. This particular research project takes place within the South African context. As a uniquely multilingual and multicultural nation, South Africa is a rich environment for psycholinguistic research. The current research specifically focuses on Afrikaans-English bilinguals who are proficient in both languages and only started learning English after the age of three. However, while the current research is based in South Africa and investigates South African participants’ decision-making, the research design was modelled on a study performed by Italian researchers Miozzo et al. (2020). They examined whether an FLE was seen when testing two groups of Italian bilinguals who were proficient in Italian and another regional language, thus exploring whether an FLE can be seen when the non-native language is not specifically a foreign language. Using Miozzo et al. (2020) as a foundation, this research project seeks to answer two key questions with regards to the FLE: 1) To what extent is decision-making and risk-aversion impacted by the FLE in proficient Afrikaans-English bilinguals? And 2) If an FLE is elicited in Afrikaans-English bilinguals, to what extent is this impacted by proficiency and age of acquisition? The study took place online and participants were presented with two dilemmas and asked how they would respond in each case. This was done via an audio modality with numerical items displayed on screen. Participants were randomly assigned to either the English or the Afrikaans language condition. The findings of this study were in contrast to Miozzo et al. (2020). While the Italian study did see an FLE occur, in the current study no FLE was seen in the way that participants answered the scenarios. These outcomes have various implications for our understanding of Afrikaans-English bilinguals’ cognitive processing and also present exciting opportunities for further study in the realm of psycholinguistics in South Africa.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dink mense anders as wanneer hulle in ’n ander taal dink? Kan die taal wat gebruik word om aan jou ’n vraag te stel, ’n invloed hê op die antwoord wat jy gee? Hierdie is die vrae wat die fondasie vorm van die taalkundige verskynsel wat bekend staan as die Vreemde Taal Effek (VTE), oftewel die “Foreign Language Effect”. Die VTE stel voor dat individue wel verskillende besluite neem wanneer hulle boodskappe in hul moedertaal vergelyk teenoor wat in ’n vreemde taal aangebied word. Taalkundige ondersoeke is al gedoen om te bepaal in watter omstandighede hierdie verskynsel voorkom, asook watter faktore bydra tot hierdie veranderinge in tweetaliges se keuses. Hierdie spesifieke navorsingsprojek vind plaas binne-in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. As ’n unieke meertalige en multikulturele nasie is Suid-Afrika ’n ryk omgewing vir psigolinguistiese navorsing. Dié navorsing fokus spesifiek op Afrikaans-Engelse tweetaliges wat beide tale magtig is en eers ná die ouderdom van drie Engels begin leer het. Alhoewel die huidige navorsing in Suid-Afrika gebasseer is en Suid-Afrikaanse deelnemers se besluitneming ondersoek, is die navorsingsontwerp gebaseer op ’n studie wat deur Italiaanse navorsers Miozzo et al. (2020) uitgevoer is. Hulle het ondersoek of ’n VTE waargeneem word wanneer twee groepe Italiaanse tweetaliges getoets word wat beide Italiaans en ’n ander streeks-taal magtig is, dus om te ondersoek of ’n VTE waargeneem kan word wanneer die tweede taal nie noodwendig ’n vreemde taal is nie. Deur gebruik te maak van Miozzo et al. (2020) as grondslag, streef hierdie navorsingsprojek daarna om twee sleutelvrae met betrekking tot die VTE te beantwoord: 1) Tot watter mate word besluitneming en risiko-afwering beïnvloed deur die VTE in vaardige Afrikaans-Engelse tweetaliges? En 2) As ’n VTE in Afrikaans-Engelse tweetaliges ontlok word, tot watter mate word dit beïnvloed deur vaardigheid en ouderdom van aanleer? Die studie het aanlyn plaasgevind en twee dilemmas is aan deelnemers gestel en gevra hoe hulle in elke geval sou reageer. Dit is gedoen deur middle van’n oudio-modaliteit met numeriese items wat op die skerm vertoon is. Deelnemers is lukraak toegewys aan óf die Engelse óf die Afrikaanse taaltoestand. Die bevindings van hierdie studie was in teenstelling met Miozzo et al. (2020) s’n. Terwyl die Italiaanse studie wel’n VTE waargeneem het, is daar in die huidige studie geen VTE waargneem in die manier waarop die deelnemers die scenario’s beantwoord het nie. Hierdie resultate het verskeie implikasies vir ons begrip van Afrikaans-Engelse tweetalige kognitiewe verwerking van Afrikaanse-Engelse tweetaliges en bied opwindende geleenthede vir verdere studie in die veld van psigolinguistiek in Suid-Afrika.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentxii, 133 pages : illustrations, includes annexuresen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130405
dc.language.isoen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshPsycholinguisticsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshBilingualism -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshLanguage and cultureen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshEnglish language -- Psychological aspectsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshAfrikaans language -- Psychological aspectsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSecond language acquisitionen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.subject.otherForeign language effecten_ZA
dc.titleAfrikaans-English bilinguals and the foreign language effect in South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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