Lingua Receptiva Research Articles

Doe normaal in meer dan één taal!

In this text I argue that the Dutch society sometimes seems to have lost the capacity to embrace multilingualism and language variation – and I explore what role education might play in this development. Hence, it might be that a strong prescriptive attitude towards language in primary schools, which manifests itself explicitly in instruction and feedback on spelling, is followed by an equally strict perspective on language learning and language variation in secondary schools. Could it be that such an account negatively affects students’ willingness to engage with other languages than the most common ones in the Netherlands, that is, Dutch and English? I finish by briefly showcasing how a multilingual approach that embraces translanguaging and lingua receptiva at university level, fosters the European ideal of plurilingual individuals.

The use of Polish and Czech as a lingua receptiva in comparison with English as a lingua franca – some remarks on multilingual modes of communication with reference to CSS and ICC

The present study aims to investigate the use of Polish and Czech as a lingua receptiva (LaRa) in comparison with English as a lingua franca (ELF) between Polish and Czech students when making semi-spontaneous dialogues. With this aim in mind, the notion of intelligibility together with communication strategies (CSs) and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) are discussed. The study is inspired by Bulatović’s et al. (2019) who investigated the effectiveness of LaRa and ELF between Croatians and Slovenes. The study investigated listening skills and showed that the mean of intelligibility was high irrespective of the mode. The study in question aims to expand prior research with reference to spoken interactions between Polish and Czech speakers. In particular, it examines the role of communication strategies and intercultural communicative competence in achieving intelligibility in two multilingual modes. The results of the study show that the level of intelligibility is high irrespective of the mode. In LaRa and ELF sessions intelligibility and negotiation strategies are determined by careful language choices, certain communication strategies, and intercultural communicative competence (intercultural attitude towards the partner and modes of communication).

Lingua Receptiva: An Overview of Communication Strategies

The aim of the study is to examine communication strategies employed by the Polish and Czech speakers when communicating with each other in their native languages. In particular, the analysis refers to receptive intercultural communication. The material under investigation covers audio and visual recordings of semi-spontaneous dialogues. The pragmalinguistic research investigates the strategies which help achieve mutual intelligibility when using lingua receptiva. The findings prove how significant pragmatic aspects are when it comes to successful receptive intercultural communication.

Lingua receptiva in Europe: the map and the territory

As a result of complex and closely-related social, political, economic and technological processes, significant changes are now occurring in the European language situation. While these processes foster participation in the transnational communication community, they also reinforce the linguistic identity, based on their distinction. In view of these contradictory but non-exclusive trends, one should consider the multilingual systems that would better reflect the dynamics of real changes. For this purpose, the concept of lingua receptiva will be presented. Geographical and cultural perspectives are taken into account in this paper. Emphasis is on the space of discursive interculturalism, in which contacts in more or less fixed language constellations constantly take place. Its allocation on the political map of the European continent is not performative, but based on the literature. However, it does illustrate the challenges for the future of European receptive multilingualism.

‘It is natural for everyone to speak their language’. Lingua receptiva in the Polish-Czech borderland – a sociolinguistic approach

ABSTRACT The following article attempts to characterise the current changes in the communication of people living in the area of Polish-Czech borderland based on the results of the study conducted in 2018 and 2019. The aim is to determine the dominant mode of supranational communication, as well as the reason behind its prevalence by analysing the language skills of the interviewed Poles and Czechs, along with their language preferences and selected personal experiences. The multilingual modes known as English as a lingua franca and lingua receptiva as well as their combination, constitute a platform of reference. The analysis proves that in more peripheral areas of the globalised world where different languages and cultures cross, postmonolingual practices have been developed. They maintain the leading position of the first language but they also adapt other multilingual modes. It is suggested that these practices should not be treated as a transitional phase on the way to rich multilingualism but rather as a specific glocalisation effect.

Lingua Materna, Lingua Receptiva, Lingua Franca, Multilingua Franca? The Linguascape of the Polish-Czech Borderland from the Perspective of Sustainable Multilingualism

Summary As statistical surveys show, both Poland and the neighbouring Czech Republic are single-ethnic and highly monolingual countries. The observation of the linguistic landscape of the Polish-Czech borderland suggests, however, that the display of common natural heritage is conducive to weakening monolingualism and the development of multilingual practices instead. The hypothesis is being checked in a comparative analysis of the linguistic landscape of two picturesque locations - Czech Adršpach and Polish Karłów where a lot of natural sights in the form of rocks can be found. The case study proves that different languages and communication modes are used to describe these attractions: lingua materna, lingua receptiva, and global or regional lingua franca. The research material includes 211 signs photographed in the Rock City in Adršpach and 283 signs photographed at local tourist attractions near Karłów, namely, on the Szczeliniec Wielki mountain peak and in the Błędne Skały area. The analysis covers both the language hierarchy as well as the specific multilingual character of information signs which refer mainly to the rock objects. The selected photographs are presented in the paper in the attempt to illustrate the particular linguistic practices in examples. The research is based on the assumption of applied ecolinguistics that the diversity of languages should be maintained through appropriate language policy and other activities supporting the preservation of the linguistic and natural heritage. This perspective might shed a new light on the moment of transition from the monolingual paradigm to more open and sustainable multilingual practices in the linguistic landscape of Polish-Czech borderland.

,,“What is the best language for Eastern Europe?” Lingua receptiva as a new approach in Slavic intercommunication research

,,“What is the best language for Eastern Europe?” Lingua receptiva as a new approach in Slavic intercommunication research

Lingua receptiva czy lingua franca? Wybór modelu komunikacji językowej na polsko-czeskim pograniczu (na podstawie badań ankietowych z kraju hradeckiego i ziemi kłodzkiej z Wałbrzychem)

Artykuł zawiera socjolingwistyczną analizę charakteru komunikacji językowej mieszkańców polsko-czeskiego pogranicza. Celem przeprowadzonego w 2018 roku badania ankietowego było przede wszystkim ustalenie, jaki model jest dominujący oraz od czego to zależy. W artykule przedstawiono wyniki analizy kompetencji językowych badanych mieszkańców pogranicza oraz dokonano opisu ich preferencji językowych. Tłem rozważań są dwa modele komunikacji międzynarodowej: lingua franca oraz lingua receptiva.

Lingua receptiva: Position paper on the European Commission’s Skills Agenda

AbstractThrough the New Skills for New Jobs initiative, the European Commission wants to (1) promote better anticipation of future skills needs, (2) develop better matching between skills and labour market needs and (3) bridge the gap between the worlds of education and work. With relatively little effort, the use of lingua receptiva can contribute significantly towards achieving these goals. Including it in the Skills Agenda as a “transversal skill” could:– enhance the key competence “Communicating in and learning a foreign language”;– refine the European Qualification Framework (EQF); and,– strengthen the Europass.This position paperThis position paper was published on 11 May 2016 at: http://taalunieversum.org/sites/tuv/files/downloads/Taalunie%20positionpaper%20luistertaal%20(Engels)-def.pdf#search=%22position+paper+lingua+%22. It was written by Jan D. ten Thije (Utrecht University), Charlotte Gooskens (University of Groningen), Frans Daems (University of Antwerp), Leonie Cornips (Maastricht University, Meertens Institute), Mieke Smits (Dutch Language Union). elaborates on the arguments for including Lingua Receptiva in these policy papers.

Limited common ground, unlimited communicative success: an experimental study into Lingua Receptiva using Estonian and Russian

Eesti-vene suhtluse uuringu pohjal voib jareldada, et retseptiivne mitmekeelsus (lingua receptiva ehk LaRa) on uks mitmekeelse kommunikatsiooni viise, millel on potentsiaali nn uhise aluse (ingl. common ground) ehk kooskolastatud vestluse loomiseks, voimendamiseksning taastamiseks olukordades, kus uhiselt jagatud teadmisedei garanteeri sujuvat suhtlemist. Lingua receptiva on mitmekeelne suhtlemisviis, kus kaasvestlejad raagivad oma emakeelt ning puuavad uksteise moistmiseni jouda, tuginedes oma voor- voi teise keeleoskustele. Psuhholingvistilist joondumist (ingl. psycholinguistic alignment)kui protsessi on vaadeldud eksperimentaalsetes olukordades. Erinevate meta-kommunikatiivsete strateegiate kasutamine annab ettekujutuse protsessidest, mis on lingua receptiva taga. Tulemuste pohjal on selgitatud, et nende strateegiate valik oli osaliselt tingitud voorkeele valdamise tasemest ja varasematest mitmekeelsuse kogemustest, kuid eksperimendi tulemus ei soltunud otseselt keeleoskustasemest. Enamgi veel, dialoogi tulemuse prognoosimiseks on ainuuksi vestluspartnerite individuaalsete omaduste teadmisest vahe, olulisem on teada dialoogi partnerite uhiseid omadusi.

Lingua receptiva w powieści Szczepana Twardocha "Drach"

The aim of the paper is to analyze the discoursive strategies of multilingual receptive communication applied in Drach, a novel by Szczepan Twardoch, which is considered to be written in three languages. The novel portrays the rich linguascape of Silesia through the XX century and contains many Polish — German or Polish — Silesian or Polish — Russian dialogues. The analysis is theoretically grounded in the concept of lingua receptiva, which can be regarded as a vehicle for effective communication between members of diverse language communities while using different languages simultaneously to achieve mutual understanding.

A matter of reception: ELF and LaRa compared

Abstract This article addresses the conceptual differences and commonalities between two modes of intercultural communication: English as a lingua franca (ELF) and Lingua Receptiva (LaRa). While the former is more frequent and wide- spread but disputed for reasons of monolingual dominance, the latter is lesser known und contextually restricted but praised for preserving linguistic diversity. The article takes such common presumptions as a starting point for a detailed comparative investigation of the concepts ELF and LaRa. The first section is dedicated to the overall language frameworks of the two modes. It thus points to their constellational specificities and the notions of locality and context involved in them. The second part takes a closer look at the speaker/hearer perspectives assumed in ELF and LaRa as well as at the different manifestations of linguistic variability and accommodation emerging from them. The third part is then concerned with the assumedly most prominent dividing points between lingua franca and lingua receptiva, namely issues of range, linguistic diversity and eventually the relative degree of plurilinguality exhibited in the two modes. In a final comparative summary of the points raised, the article ultimately comes to the conclusion that ELF and LaRa are not at all mutually exclusive but overlapping communicative modes. It thus argues that intercultural speakers could profit from using them in a complementary fashion.

English as a lingua franca versus lingua receptiva in problem-solving conversations between Dutch and German students

Abstract In most universities, English as a lingua franca (ELF) is used for international courses. To promote linguistic diversity and facilitate first language education, some universities have experimented with lingua receptiva (LaRa). However, it is not clear yet which mode is most effective. This study compared the effectiveness of LaRa and ELF in conversations between Dutch and German students. Eight pairs of students, each consisting of one native Dutch and one native German, solved four maze puzzles: two using ELF and two using LaRa. Conversations were videotaped and compared quantitatively and qualitatively, and participants completed a questionnaire about their proficiency in and attitude towards the languages used. Problem-solving effectiveness was significantly higher using ELF than using LaRa. However, participants were also more proficient in English than in the native language of their conversation partner. Analysis showed that it was this difference in proficiency and not the language mode that explained the higher effectiveness of ELF. Language attitude and previous exposure did not have a significant effect on effectiveness. The study shows that linguistic prior-knowledge is an important factor to take into account when choosing a multilingual communication constellation.

How to check understanding across languages. An introduction into the Pragmatic Index of Language Distance (PILaD) usable to measure mutual understanding in receptive multilingualism, illustrated by conversations in Russian, Ukrainian and Polish

Abstract The paper proposes, under the roof-concept of a method abbreviated PILaD, a combination of quantitative and qualitative procedures aiming to clarify the relationship of ``closely related languages'' (Voegelin and Harris 1951). The method is based on the functional-pragmatic theory of `Communicative Apparatus', a cross-linguistically operating interactive structure, which is modified by Lingua Receptiva communication. The data consist of 4 Russian-Ukrainian, 4 Polish-Ukrainian and 4 Polish-Russian conversations which were recorded with a digital camera and transcribed in a HIAT transcription format under the multiparty data program EXMARaLDA. Cases of `problematic understanding' defined in terms of problematic utterances are related to the total number of utterances in a discourse. The communicative success is compared across the three language constellations and refined down to every participant. Statistical analysis gives an overall picture of how receptive multilingualism works in the three language constellations. The findings reveal that receptive multilingual communication between Polish, Russian and Ukrainian interactants is generally successful, yet, not symmetric, but depends itself on the direction of intelligibility. A summary of the PILaD method and the data base are attached.

Alignment in <i>lingua receptiva</i>: from automaticity towards monitored code-switching

Psycholinguistic alignment is a process in which interlocutors automatically adapt their lexical, structural and conceptual representations, enhancing both comprehension and production. Multilingual constellations also demonstrate alignment patterns, but rely on more monitoring than automatic alignment. This paper focuses on lingua receptiva – a multilingual communicative mode in which speakers use their own language and have enough proficiency to understand each other. Whenever L2 proficiency does not guarantee mutual understanding, compensatory strategies such as code-switching (CS) can be applied. In actual mono- and multilingual constellations, it is more common to use one language at a time, yet in this experiment the participants were invited to communicate in the mode of lingua receptiva. Nonetheless, CS occurred in the data and was analysed in the framework of language contact. Alternations and insertions were the main forms, and their distribution depended on L2 proficiency, attitudes and exposure. It is concluded that CS can function as an alignment strategy.

Combining cognitive and interactive approaches to lingua receptiva

This study takes an experimental approach to ‘lingua receptiva’ (LaRa), a communication mode in which interlocutors each use their own – different – native language. In contrast to previous work on LaRa, this study investigates the phenomenon in genetically unrelated languages. Native speakers of Estonian and Russian were engaged in a ‘map task’, which requires verbal interaction in the service of problem solving, i.e. finding locations on a map. It is assumed that successful communication requires ‘alignment’, a state that is established once the interlocutors have reached a shared understanding of relevant aspects of reality. The goal of this exploratory study is twofold: (1) to test whether the current methodology can help detect alignment in LaRa and (2) to determine what factors – linguistic, communicative as well as meta-communicative – contribute to success (i.e. completing the task). Specific attention was given to the effect of participants’ proficiency in the language used by their interlocutor. The results suggest that alignment in LaRa must be achieved by active monitoring and the application of meta-communicative devices (MCDs), the explicit negotiations aimed at establishing mutual understanding. Efficient dyads reach and maintain alignment by ‘minding’ their languages via the application of these MCDs. Furthermore, it is found that L2 proficiency does not impact strongly on communicative success; dyads with various L2 proficiencies were able to complete the task in lingua receptiva successfully.

Receptive multilingualism – introduction

Due to the new agenda on multilingualism of the European Commission, the High Level Group on Multilingualism (2007) recommended the study of receptive multilingualism (or intercomprehension) and investigation of communication strategies used by speakers of Scandinavian, Romance and Slavonic languages to improve intra-European communication. In this special issue, we present a series of articles that report on investigations about receptive multilingualism that are related to the research on multilingualism in European research projects (the DYLAN project and the LINEE network and EUROCOM project, e.g. Hulmbauer, Vetter, & Bohringer, 2010; Stegmann & Klein, 1999).In the first contribution to this special issue, Jochen Rehbein, Jan D. ten Thije and Anna Verschik determine the notion of receptive multilingualism as a mode of intercultural communication in which interactants employ a language and/or a language variety different from their partner's and still understand each other without the help of any additional lingua franca. In order to emphasize specific characteristics of the receptive component of this mode, the authors introduce the new notion, lingua receptiva. By definition, lingua receptiva is the ensemble of those linguistic, mental, interactional as well as intercultural competences which are creatively activated when listeners are receiving linguistic actions in their passive language or variety. The authors elaborate on this concept of lingua receptiva by discussing various approaches to operationalize processes of understanding and to demonstrate that lingua receptiva should be considered as a non-alternative approach to English as lingua franca. In other words, the two modes should not be considered mutually exclusive.In the second contribution, Anna Verschik addresses Estonian-Finnish communication in Tallinn. She discusses the issue of mutual intelligibility and criticizes the term on the grounds that it is people and not languages who speak, understand and communicate. In other words, a mere fact of material and structural similarities between closely related languages cannot explain understanding or misunderstanding unless particular speakers know how to draw cross-linguistic parallels and profit from these similarities. Another case can be illustrated by Russian speakers in Tallinn who also communicate with Finns and mostly draw on their knowledge of Estonian as L2. Thus, receptive competence can be acquired as well on the basis of L2 if L2 and L3 are related. Thus, receptiveness can take the form of an acquired competence, given that L2 (i.e. Estonian) is related to L3 (i.e. Finnish).Similar discussion of acquired receptiveness is present in Annette Herkenrath's contribution that deals with Turkish-German receptive bilingualism in children. The situation can be described as subtractive bilingualism where children of school age become more dominant in German. In the discourse passages under analysis, adults speak Turkish and children reply in German. Since the languages in question are not related and differ typologically, lexically and structurally to a great extent, it is suggested that the concept of receptive bilingualism is broadened to include acquired receptive and productive skills. Thus, receptive knowledge is not something 'innate' but a dynamic phenomenon.Next, Cigdem Sagin-Simsek and Wolf Konig address the issue of mutual intelligibility between Azerbaijani and Turkish. Even though both languages belong to the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family, the degree of intelligibility on the part of Turkish speakers is not as high as it may seem at first glance. Therefore, typological similarity alone is not a sufficient condition for receptive multilingualism. The informants in the study were Turkish-speaking students with no active command of Azerbaijani. After completing listening and translation tasks, the informants were asked to comment on the tests. One of the results was that their opinion about the intelligibility of Azerbaijani to Turkish speakers changed. …

Lingua receptiva (LaRa) – remarks on the quintessence of receptive multilingualism

This article introduces and defines the notion lingua receptiva (LaRa) as a mode of multilingual communication in which interactants employ a language and/or a language variety different from their partner’s and still understand each other without the help of any additional lingua franca. The quintessence of lingua receptiva is discussed in terms of pragmatic, psycholinguistic and language psychology approaches to multilingualism. Moreover, the occurrence of this mode is documented across various language families throughout time and in various discursive intercultures which it creates. Furthermore, three central characteristics are discussed, namely ideological barriers resulting in asymmetry, ‘inference-making’ mechanisms and the function of idiomatic expressions. Finally, lingua receptiva is compared to other multilingual modes, especially with English as lingua franca.

Intercultureel – Transnationaal -- Europees: De opleiding Nederlands in een kleine cultuur- en taalgemeenschap vanuit translatologisch perspectief

This article discusses the position of Dutch as a Foreign Language within the curriculum of Translating/Interpreting and Germanic Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Comenius University in Bratislava and within the context of national and European language politics. First, it analyzes the development of language and culture of language in Slovakia and the manner in which that development influenced communication in the area of former Czechoslovakia. The role of Czech and Slovak in communication between Czechs and Slovaks is presented as 'lingua receptiva'. Subsequently, an intercultural and a transnational model for foreign language teaching from the perspective of translatology are compared, and their application in foreign language teaching is illustrated with reference to the example of Dutch as part of the newly developed BA ‘Germanic Studies’ at Comenius.

Lingua receptiva als bouwsteen voor de transnationale neerlandistiek

This paper discusses a new concept of multilingual communication in the Netherlands, i.e. receptive multilingualism or so-called lingua receptiva (LaRa). ‘LaRa is the ensemble of those linguistic, mental, interactional as well as intercultural competences which are creatively activated when listeners are receiving linguistic actions in their ‘passive’ language or variety. In order to monitor and process ‘passive knowledge activation in hearers’, speakers make use of subsidiary competences and control communicative asymmetries as soon as these become manifested in interaction (Rehbein et al., in preparation).’ The paper discusses studies concerning institutional practices of lingua receptiva in German-Dutch transnational communication. Subsequently, European traditions with regard to receptive multilingualism in Scandinavia, the Habsburg Empire and Switzerland are presented. Finally, the paper suggests further research concerning academic applications of Lingua Receptiva in transnational Dutch Studies.