When Words Don’t Come Easy: An Investigation Of Factors Involved In The Acquisition Of English As A Third Language In Denmark And Greenland

Front cover......Page 1
Acknowledgements......Page 3
Lists of Tables and Figures......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 7
1. Introduction......Page 9
1.1 Problem Definition......Page 10
1.2 Motivation and field of interest......Page 11
1.2.1 English in Denmark......Page 12
1.2.2 English in Greenland......Page 13
1.2.3 Denmark compared to Greenland......Page 14
1.2.4 Target groups of the investigation......Page 15
1.3 Definitions and delimitations......Page 16
1.4 Structure of the report......Page 19
2.1 Second language acquisition versus third language acquisition......Page 22
2.1.1 Linguistic interdependence......Page 24
2.1.2 Cross-linguistic influence......Page 26
2.2 Typology and psychotypology......Page 28
2.2.1 Typology......Page 29
2.2.2 Psychotypology......Page 32
2.3 Metalinguistic Awareness......Page 33
2.3.3 Metalinguistic awareness......Page 34
2.4 Motivation......Page 38
2.4.1 Attitudes......Page 39
2.4.2 Orientation......Page 40
2.4.3 Anxiety......Page 42
2.5 Usage and exposure......Page 43
3.1 Methodological approach......Page 46
3.1.1 Instruments: Pupil questionnaire and English test......Page 47
3.1.3 Interviews......Page 53
3.2 Statistical method......Page 54
3.3 Reliability and validity......Page 57
3.4 The respondents......Page 58
3.4.1 Background variables......Page 59
3.5 Results......Page 64
3.5.1 Copenhagen test results......Page 65
3.5.2 Nuuk test results......Page 67
3.5.3 English literacy skills in relation to English test score......Page 69
3.5.4 Socio-economic background......Page 71
3.5.5 Analyses in relation to hypothesis A......Page 74
3.5.6 Analyses in relation to hypothesis B......Page 82
3.5.7 Analyses in relation to hypothesis C......Page 86
3.5.8 Analyses in relation to hypothesis D......Page 87
3.5.9 Analyses in relation to hypothesis E......Page 106
3.5.10 Additional findings......Page 115
4.1 Linguistic interdependence......Page 120
4.2 Typology and psychotypology......Page 124
4.3 Metalinguistic knowledge......Page 126
4.4 Motivation......Page 128
4.5 Usage of and exposure to English......Page 130
4.7 The importance of ensuring good English skills......Page 132
4.8 Ensuring appropriate English skills for L3 learners in Denmark and Greenland......Page 133
5. Conclusion......Page 135
6. Resumé (Summary in Danish)......Page 139
7. Bibliography......Page 141
8. Appendices......Page 148
Appendix A: Questionnaire (DK version)......Page 149
Appendix B: Questionnaire (GL version)......Page 159
Appendix C: English test (including sources and correct answers)......Page 169
Appendix D: English test (DK version)......Page 182
Appendix E: English test (GL version)......Page 195
Appendix F: Interview I (in Danish)......Page 208
Appendix G: Interview II (in Danish)......Page 215
Appendix H: Statistical Output......Page 242
Age and gender distribution......Page 243
Country of birth......Page 244
Citizenship......Page 245
Sense of nationality......Page 246
L1, L2 & L3......Page 247
Overall test score......Page 249
Test assessment......Page 251
Tasks......Page 252
Metalinguistic tasks......Page 257
Overall test score......Page 258
Tasks......Page 259
Metalinguistic tasks......Page 265
English literacy skills in relation to overall test score......Page 266
Socio-economic background......Page 281
Sub-hypothesis A.1: L1 education......Page 290
Sub-hypothesis A.2: Active versus passive use of L1......Page 292
A.3.1: L1 literacy skills -> level of English proficiency......Page 297
A.3.2: L1 literacy skills -> level of English proficiency......Page 304
Sub-hypothesis A.4: Code-switching......Page 308
Sub-hypothesis B.1: Typological distance......Page 310
Sub-hypothesis B.2: Psychotypology......Page 312
Hypothesis C: Metalinguistic knowledge......Page 315
Sub-hypothesis D.1: Effort......Page 316
D.2.1: Parental attitudes in relation to respondent attitudes......Page 322
D.2.2: Respondent attitudes in relation to level of English proficiency......Page 368
Sub-hypothesis D.3: Orientation......Page 422
Sub-hypothesis E.1: Usage of English......Page 427
Sub-hypothesis E.2: Exposure to English......Page 429
Additional findings......Page 443