The Spoken Academic English of Dutch University Lecturers

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhile English is used more and more at Dutch universities, it is subject to criticism, specifically regarding the lack of expressiveness. Our study described the differences in linguistic expressiveness between L1 spoken Dutch and L2 spoken English of nine Dutch university lecturers, by comparing their adjective and verb use mainly: variation of words used, frequencies, sophistication of word choice, and accuracy. It also looked at the views of the lecturers themselves on the richness of their language. Type/token ratio analyses showed that both the lectures in their L1 (Dutch) and those in their L2 (English) conformed to what may be expected in terms of variety of words used in academic lecturing. Frequency analyses for both L1 and L2 speech yielded remarkably comparable lists of highly frequently used, basic, commonly known words, and considerable lists of infrequently used, typically sophisticated and academic words. However, although the comparison of words, and in particular adjectives and verbs, suggested little to no difference between the L1 Dutch and L2 English of the speakers, a comparison of verbs in context showed that in L1 Dutch most common verbs were used in more elaborate and complicated idiomatic sentences.