26.4639, Review: Applied Ling; Cog Sci; Lang Acq: Hulstijn (2015)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-26-4639. Mon Oct 19 2015. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 26.4639, Review: Applied Ling; Cog Sci; Lang Acq: Hulstijn (2015)

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Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2015 17:46:01
From: Steven Alcorn [steven.alcorn at utexas.edu]
Subject: Language Proficiency in Native and Non-native Speakers

 
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Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-1268.html

AUTHOR: Jan H.  Hulstijn
TITLE: Language Proficiency in Native and Non-native Speakers
SUBTITLE: Theory and research
SERIES TITLE: Language Learning & Language Teaching 41
PUBLISHER: John Benjamins
YEAR: 2015

REVIEWER: Steven M. Alcorn, University of Texas at Austin

Reviews Editor: Helen Aristar-Dry

SUMMARY

Language Proficiency in Native and Non-native Speakers: Theory and Research, by Jan H. Hulstijn, endeavors to present a novel theory of language proficiency that is cognizant of variation not only among L2 users, but also among L1 speakers. This theory, called the Basic Language Cognition-Higher Language Cognition (BLC-HLC) Theory, is the result of decades of theoretical and experimental work by Hulstijn and his colleagues in language acquisition and applied linguistics. To present this idea, the book is divided into two main parts: Chapters 1-5 present the BLC-HLC Theory, while Chapters 6-10 review relevant literature on language proficiency components and assessment as well as some related topics like the Common European Framework of Reference (CERF) for languages and bilingualism research. 

Hulstijn begins the book by situating his theory within the larger framework of critical rationalism, a scientific approach that examines “puzzling phenomena” through theory and hypothesis creation followed by empirical testing. Chapter 1 illustrates how this framework can be used in a field such as applied linguistics, taking as an example a list of observation made by VanPatten and Williams (2007). This sets the tone for one of the book’s major themes -- the empiricization of the concept of language proficiency (and more broadly, language acquisition as a whole). Chapter 2 reviews the two main schools of thought in language acquisition, generative grammar and usage-based approaches, and identifies the latter as the underpinning of the BLC-HLC Theory. The author then provides several motivations for defining and theorizing about proficiency, including questions of age and individual differences and between-group comparisons of L1 and L2 development.

Chapter 3 presents the two components of BLC-HLC Theory, Basic Language Cognition and Higher Language Cognition, in detail. Hulstijn takes the opportunity to track the development in both the substance of this theory and the terminology used to refer to it in his previous scholarship. In very simplified terms, BLC refers to the linguistic knowledge (phonology, syntax, lexicon, etc.) that all L1 speakers of a given language have in common, and HLC denotes an extended or more specialized type of knowledge. Hulstijn describes these two types of language ability as dichotomous, not continuous. The theory’s implications for language acquisition are neatly labeled as correlates in this chapter and the following one. Chapter 4 introduces a key concept that complements BLC-HLC Theory: the distinction between core and periphery knowledge and abilities. The first part of the book concludes with Chapter 5, which recaps BLC-HLC Theory and lists the predictions that it makes about possible outc
 omes in both first and second language acquisition and ultimate attainment.

Hulstijn’s initial intention for Chapter 6 was to review the literature on what knowledge L1 users (from all educational and literacy backgrounds) share, but owing to the lack of such a body of work, he instead focuses on differences in native speakers and their performance on different experimental tasks. This is accomplished through a series of summaries and discussions of relevant scholarly work.

Chapter 7 shifts the focus of the book to examine how correlational study designs and the use of statistical models can help to determine the relationship between components of language proficiency and general proficiency measures or constructs. Here, the author references work in the field of psychology and draws parallels between components of language proficiency and components of intelligence. In Chapter 8, Hulstijn reviews work on L1 and L2 literacy, while at the same time pointing out the problematic task of evaluating L2 literacy performance in light of cultural-specific ideas about what makes for “good” writing. 

Chapter 9 delves into common methods of operationalizing language proficiency in studies of bilingualism where multiple languages are involved and points to some methodological issues with measuring proficiency in these kinds of studies. It culminates in a call for researchers in applied linguistics to provide more nuanced participant information, in line with Grosjean (1998), and to think critically about which proficiency measure(s) to use for a given study and to provide explicit and convincing reasons for this in reporting findings. 

Finally, Chapter 10 is dedicated to discussing the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF). In this chapter, Hulstijn narrates the trajectory of the CERF from its beginnings until the present day, commenting on the difficulties and politics of measuring language proficiency that the framework has faced along the way. He relates the CERF division between “language activities” and “general competences and communicative language competences” to his own BLC-HLC Theory. He goes on to address which of the six levels (A1-C2) of the CERF would, in his view, represent BLC, and which would only be accessible to educated speakers, thus falling in the domain of HLC; he finally settles on B1 as the most likely equivalent of BLC knowledge, while at the same time pointing out the complexities of assessing language proficiency using such a simplified and rigid sequence of six levels. Hulstijn notes that attainment of the higher CERF levels might well be affected by genera
 l intelligence, and also points out the difficulties of accounting for very different components of proficiency in the same level, such as lexicon and pronunciation. A brief epilogue at the end of the book recaps the most important points and highlights one final time the importance of empiricism in research around language proficiency. 

EVALUATION

Language Proficiency in Native and Non-native Speakers: Theory and Research succeeds in what should be considered its main aim: the introduction of Hulstijn’s BLC-HLC Theory in its most updated form, presented through a combination of prose and figures, first for L1 and then for L2 users. With the background information and theoretical issues covered in the first half of the book, readers are then poised to continue on to the second part and evaluate previous empirical findings through the lens of BLC-HLC Theory, guided by the author. The topic of the book itself, namely the search for a way of conceptualizing language proficiency that is more empirical, is relevant and well-timed, given the growing body of literature on variation in first language proficiency to complement the already well-studied proficiency differences among second language learners. 

More than a few of the studies cited and reviewed in the book were authored or co-authored by Hulstijn himself. But rather than suggesting any sort of selection bias on the part of the author, they lend credibility to the book and its goal of presenting the BLC-HLC Theory by giving the reader a glimpse into its development over the course of decades of language acquisition research performed by the author. In fact, Hulstijn is highly critical of some of his own work, and he states all along that falsifying his theory would be a desired outcome because of what it would tell us about language proficiency: “I hope that empirical research will bring about an early ‘expiration date’ of BLC-HLC Theory” (p. 158). 

Perhaps the book’s most glaring weakness can be found in Chapters 6 and 7, which address prior research in the areas of L1 language proficiency and components of language proficiency, respectively. In these chapters, both the number of findings for each study reviewed and the level of detail with which they are discussed are sure to overwhelm at least some readers, or at the very least distract them from the key point of the book, the application of BLC-HLC Theory. In most cases, the reader must continue reading until the end of the chapter before the author takes the time to explicitly establish a connection between the literature being reviewed and BLC-HLC Theory. In fact, the author warns in Chapter 8 that readers are “advised to skip” the review of studies on L1/L2 literacy if they find it “tedious,” but the two previous chapters suffer from a similar problem and a warning might be appropriate there as well.
 
In terms of stylistics, the book is well-written and would be accessible for an educated audience with or without specialized training in applied linguistics. There is no need for a glossary because the book is not overly technical and more than enough context is usually present to resolve any ambiguities. The author’s effort to achieve consistency of terminology, especially when discussing his own theory, is also notable and appreciated. Also helpful to readers are illustrations, which are used strategically and primarily at the beginning of the book to explain BLC-HLC Theory and to supplement prose descriptions. The book does suffer from small grammatical imperfections and other minor oversights, predominantly in the form of unnecessary commas, which may give the reader temporary pause but are not barriers to understanding the text. 

In conclusion, this book provides an excellent introduction to the topic of language proficiency and some of the recent work that has been done to attempt to measure it. It is sure to be useful to both beginning and experienced students or researchers in linguistics, and especially those who are looking for alternative ways to measure proficiency that do not ignore the concept of native language proficiency when thinking about non-native users. 

REFERENCES

Grosjean, Francois. 1998. Studying bilinguals: Methodological and conceptual issues. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 1, 131-149.

Hulstijn, Jan H. 2015. Language Proficiency in Native and Non-native Speakers: Theory and Research. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Press. 

VanPatten, Bill & Jessica Williams. 2007. Introduction: The nature of theories. In Bill VanPatten & Jessica Williams (eds.), Theories in Second Language Acquisition, 1-16. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Steven Alcorn is a doctoral student in the Iberian and Latin American Linguistics program at the University of Texas at Austin. His interests include second and third language acquisition of Spanish and Portuguese, particularly in the area of phonology, and the effects of orthography on phonological perception and production in second language acquisition. In the future he hopes to conduct work on ultimate attainment in second/third language phonology and the individual learner differences that contribute to native-like production by advanced learners.




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