Marit Westergaard

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Marit Westergaard
Born
Tromsø municipality
NationalityNorwegian
CitizenshipNorway
Occupation(s)Professor, Department of Language and Culture; Director of AcqVa Aurora group
Known forSecond language acquisition, third language acquisition, linguistics
TitleProfessor, Professor II
AwardsMember of The NASL, Academia Borealis
Academic background
EducationMA in Linguistics, UC San Diego, Cand. Phil in Linguistics and German, University of Tromsø, D.Phil in Linguistics, University of Tromsø
Alma materUniversity of Tromsø
ThesisThe Development of Word Order in Norwegian Child Language: The Interaction of Input and Economy Principles in the Acquisition of V2 (2005)
Academic work
DisciplineLanguage Acquisitionist, Linguist
Sub-disciplineBilingualism and multilingualism
InstitutionsUiT The Arctic University of Norway
Websitesite.uit.no/maritwestergaard

Marit Kristine Richardsen Westergaard (born 12 August 1956) is a Norwegian linguist, known for her work on child language acquisition and multilingualism.

She defended her PhD thesis The Development of Word Order in Norwegian Child Language: The Interaction of Input and Economy Principles in the Acquisition of V2 at the University of Tromsø in 2005.[1] She was hired as a professor at the University of Tromsø in 2009, and also has held an adjunct professor position at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology since 2015. She has been a fellow of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters since 2016.[2]

Research[edit]

Much of Wetergaard's work has been focused on language acquisition and multilingualism. In her role as AcqVA (Acquisition, Variation, and Attrition) Aurora Center Director, she oversees projects on multilingual acquisition of gender (together with Terje Lohndal)[3][4][5][6] and acquisition and processing of morphosyntax.[7][8][9] One of the most prominent areas of Westergaard's expertise is micro-variation and the role of micro-variation in multilingual context. Her work explores the nature of language acquisition as it relates to micro-variation as well as language change.[10]

The Linguistic Proximity Model of third language acquisition[edit]

Westergaard proposed an influential model of third language acquisition: the Linguistic Proximity Model (LPM). This model is based on property-by-property acquisition of the target language grammar, and it claims that the acquisition mechanism is based on the typological similarity between the target language property and the previous languages acquired by the language learner.[11] For example, a person who already speaks Russian is likely to transfer the Russian system of gender and the English article system while acquiring German. Westergaard's LPM model is closely related to other partial-transfer models (such as Slabakova's Scalpel Model[12] and Flynn's Cumulative-Enhancement Model[13]) and stands in opposition to wholesale transfer models like Typological Proximity Model.[14] In 2020, Westergaard published a keynote article in SLR, arguing for what she called Full Transfer Potential (FTP), where rather than assuming that ‘everything does transfer’, she argues that ‘anything may transfer’.[15]

The Micro-cue Model of first language acquisition[edit]

Westergaard is also the author of the Micro-cue Model of L1 acquisition, arguing that children are sensitive to fine distinctions in syntax and information structure from early on (micro-cues). The model has also been used to account for diachronic change. The model is currently receiving increased attention, resulting in invitations as keynote speaker and contributor to handbooks.[16][17][18]

Cooperation and contributions[edit]

In cooperation with Antonella Sorace and Bilingualism Matters at the University of Edinburgh, Westergaard runs an advice and information service called Flere språk til flere for bilingual families and the general public, based on current research in the field.

Honors and awards[edit]

Selected bibliography[edit]

  • Rodina, Yulia, Tanja Kupisch, Natalia Meir, Natalia Mitrofanova, Olga Urek & Marit Westergaard. 2020. Internal and External Factors in Heritage Language Acquisition: Evidence from Heritage Russian in Israel, Germany, Norway, Latvia and the UK. Frontiers in Psychology.[22]
  • Leivada, Evelina & Marit Westergaard. 2019. Universal linguistic hierarchies are not innately wired: Evidence from multiple adjectives. PeerJ.[23]
  • Anderssen, Merete, Björn Lundquist & Marit Westergaard. 2018. Crosslinguistic similarities and differences in bilingual acquisition and attrition. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 21:4, 748-764.[24]
  • Wolleb, Anna, Antonella Sorace & Marit Westergaard. 2018. Exploring the role of cognitive control in syntactic processing: Evidence from cross-language priming in bilingual children. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism 8:5, 606-636.[25]
  • Rodina, Yulia, and Marit Westergaard. "Grammatical gender in bilingual Norwegian–Russian acquisition: The role of input and transparency." Bilingualism: Language and cognition 20.1 (2017): 197-214.[3]
  • Westergaard, Marit, et al. "Crosslinguistic influence in the acquisition of a third language: The Linguistic Proximity Model." International Journal of Bilingualism 21.6 (2017): 666-682.[11]
  • Rodina, Yulia & Marit Westergaard. 2012. A cue-based approach to the acquisition of grammatical gender in Russian. Journal of Child Language 39.5, 1077-1106.[26]
  • Westergaard, Marit. 2009. The Acquisition of Word Order: Micro-cues, Information Structure and Economy. John Benjamins. (Reviewed in Norsk Lingvistisk Tidsskrift 2009, Journal of Linguistics 2011).[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Professor til Videnskaps-akademiet". itromso.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  2. ^ "Professor til Videnskapsakademiet". iTromsø (in Norwegian). 14 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b RODINA, YULIA; WESTERGAARD, MARIT (2015-09-18). "Grammatical gender in bilingual Norwegian–Russian acquisition: The role of input and transparency". Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. 20 (1): 197–214. doi:10.1017/s1366728915000668. hdl:10037/8525. ISSN 1366-7289.
  4. ^ Lohndal, Terje; Westergaard, Marit (2016-03-16). "Grammatical Gender in American Norwegian Heritage Language: Stability or Attrition?". Frontiers in Psychology. 7: 344. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00344. ISSN 1664-1078. PMC 4793186. PMID 27014151.
  5. ^ Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Urek, Olga; Westergaard, Marit (2018-10-11). "Bilinguals' Sensitivity to Grammatical Gender Cues in Russian: The Role of Cumulative Input, Proficiency, and Dominance". Frontiers in Psychology. 9: 1894. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01894. ISSN 1664-1078. PMC 6193086. PMID 30364150.
  6. ^ "MultiGender: A Multilingual Approach to Grammatical Gender". CAS. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
  7. ^ Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit; Lundquist, Björn (2019-02-28). "The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: L1 Norwegian learners' knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English". Second Language Research. 36 (1): 3–29. doi:10.1177/0267658318825067. hdl:10037/18039. ISSN 0267-6583. S2CID 151194074.
  8. ^ Wolleb, Anna; Sorace, Antonella; Westergaard, Marit (2018-11-02). "Exploring the role of cognitive control in syntactic processing". Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism. 8 (5): 606–636. doi:10.1075/lab.17002.wol. hdl:20.500.11820/1b92ad6a-ca5d-4f4e-876f-f048266819f1. ISSN 1879-9264. S2CID 54028600.
  9. ^ "PoLaR lab". Retrieved 2021-03-08.
  10. ^ "Marit Westergaard". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  11. ^ a b Westergaard, Marit; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Mykhaylyk, Roksolana; Rodina, Yulia (December 2017). "Crosslinguistic influence in the acquisition of a third language: The Linguistic Proximity Model". International Journal of Bilingualism. 21 (6): 666–682. doi:10.1177/1367006916648859. hdl:10037/10725. ISSN 1367-0069. S2CID 102492313.
  12. ^ Slabakova, Roumyana (December 2017). "The scalpel model of third language acquisition". International Journal of Bilingualism. 21 (6): 651–665. doi:10.1177/1367006916655413. ISSN 1367-0069. S2CID 20549795.
  13. ^ Flynn, Suzanne; Foley, Claire; Vinnitskaya, Inna (January 2004). "The Cumulative-Enhancement Model for Language Acquisition: Comparing Adults' and Children's Patterns of Development in First, Second and Third Language Acquisition of Relative Clauses". International Journal of Multilingualism. 1 (1): 3–16. doi:10.1080/14790710408668175. ISSN 1479-0718. S2CID 146563649.
  14. ^ Rothman, Jason (January 2011). "L3 syntactic transfer selectivity and typological determinacy: The typological primacy model". Second Language Research. 27 (1): 107–127. doi:10.1177/0267658310386439. ISSN 0267-6583. S2CID 145722158.
  15. ^ Westergaard, Marit (2019-11-12). "Microvariation in multilingual situations: The importance of property-by-property acquisition". Second Language Research. 37 (3): 379–407. doi:10.1177/0267658319884116. hdl:10037/16671. ISSN 0267-6583. S2CID 210529591.
  16. ^ Westergaard, Marit (2014-01-01). "Linguistic variation and micro-cues in first language acquisition". Linguistic Variation. 14 (1): 26–45. doi:10.1075/lv.14.1.02wes. hdl:10037/7185. ISSN 2211-6834.
  17. ^ Westergaard, Marit (2017), Ledgeway, Adam; Roberts, Ian (eds.), "Gradience and Gradualness vs Abruptness", The Cambridge Handbook of Historical Syntax, Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 446–466, ISBN 978-1-107-04960-4, retrieved 2021-03-24
  18. ^ a b Westergaard, Marit (2009). The Acquisition of Word Order. John Benjamins Publishing Company. ISBN 978-90-272-5528-0.
  19. ^ "Exciting news: Marit Westergaard receives highly regarded research award « AcqVA: Acquisition, Variation & Attrition". Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  20. ^ "Medlemmer | Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi". www.dnva.no. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  21. ^ "Gruppe III Språkvitenskap". DKNVS (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  22. ^ Rodina, Yulia; Kupisch, Tanja; Meir, Natalia; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Urek, Olga; Westergaard, Marit (2020-03-11). "Internal and External Factors in Heritage Language Acquisition: Evidence From Heritage Russian in Israel, Germany, Norway, Latvia and the United Kingdom". Frontiers in Education. 5. doi:10.3389/feduc.2020.00020. hdl:10037/18623. ISSN 2504-284X.
  23. ^ Leivada, Evelina; Westergaard, Marit (2019-08-01). "Universal linguistic hierarchies are not innately wired. Evidence from multiple adjectives". PeerJ. 7: e7438. doi:10.7717/peerj.7438. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 6679903. PMID 31396461.
  24. ^ ANDERSSEN, MERETE; LUNDQUIST, BJÖRN; WESTERGAARD, MARIT (2018-07-10). "Cross-linguistic similarities and differences in bilingual acquisition and attrition: Possessives and double definiteness in Norwegian heritage language". Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. 21 (4): 748–764. doi:10.1017/s1366728918000330. hdl:10037/13634. ISSN 1366-7289. S2CID 150315084.
  25. ^ Wolleb, Anna; Sorace, Antonella; Westergaard, Marit (2018-11-02). "Exploring the role of cognitive control in syntactic processing: Evidence from cross-language priming in bilingual children". Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism. 8 (5): 606–636. doi:10.1075/lab.17002.wol. hdl:20.500.11820/1b92ad6a-ca5d-4f4e-876f-f048266819f1. ISSN 1879-9264. S2CID 54028600.
  26. ^ Rodina, Yulia; Westergaard, Marit (2012). "A cue-based approach to the acquisition of grammatical gender in Russian". Journal of Child Language. 39 (5): 1077–1106. doi:10.1017/S0305000911000419. hdl:10037/5578. ISSN 0305-0009. PMID 22261116.


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