Cornips, LMEA

Part of the chair is the biennial Dr. Lou Spronck-lecture (since 8 April 2016).

All documents are in Dutch only.

 

Limburgish is a minority language which was extended minor recognition by The Netherlands in 1997, a signatory of the 1992 European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. About 900,000 Limburgers, 75% of the total population claim to speak a dialect. However, in the recent survey conducted by the Language Union, all domains in which people speak Limburgish have been been counted as Dutch.

The signers of the petition  “We speak Limburgs but the Language Union doesn’t want to know" disagree as can be seen in this report (pdf in Dutch).

 

*Profile picture taken by Paul van der Veer*

 

Expertise

Sociolinguistiek: Linguistic identity construction, multilingualism, new varieties of Dutch, first language acquisition (dialect), bilingual child acquisition (dialect and Dutch), and linguistics (syntax).

Career History

 1994- :0.8 fte senior-researcher Meertens Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, see https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/cms/nl/medewerkers/142455-leoniec

Downloads (only in Dutch):

 

The inaugural lecture (in Dutch, 11 May 2012)

Sound track 1

Sound track 2

Sound track 3

 

 

 

Research Profile

• Linguistic variation in ‘old’ and ‘new’ non—standard varieties of Dutch: new regional varieties in Limburg, hybrid varieties of Dutch
• Methodology and syntactic elicitation of dialect and non-standard varieties
• Bilingual and bidialectal child acquisition (2L1/child L2)
• Grammar: grammatical gender, argument structure: double objects and reflexives, DO-support and verbal clusters
• Construction of regional and social identities through language practices

Research Projects

PhD Supervision

  • Drs. Lotte Thissen “Constructions of local identities in Limburg: Feelings of belonging through languaugecultural practices"; 01-08-2011 through 01-08-2015. Financed by the Province of Limburg.
  • Drs. Jolien Clijsen “Wellbeing and Social integration of (communicatively impaired) bilinguals/bidialectals. Advancing the European Multilingual Experience (ATheme); 01.08.2014 through 01.07.2018. Financed by EU FP7/Meertens Instituut (KNAW)/UM
  • Drs. Kirsten van den Heuij. Junior Researcher "Cognitive development of bilingual dialect speaking children in Limburg"; 01-02-2014-01-07-2015. Financed by SWOL, Raod veur 't Limburgs, Meertens Instituut, UU, UvA, FASoS, Taalcultuur in Limburg.
  • Drs. Nantke Pecht "Speaking Cité Duits in a coalminers’ neighborhood: The construction and reproduction of social identities through language practices"; 01.09.2015 – 31-12.2019. Financed by DAAD & NWO_GW.
  • Drs. Lysbeth Jongbloed "The use of Frisian in social media"; 01.11.2015 - 01.11.2019. Financed by Fryske Akademie & UM/FASoS.
  • Drs. Pomme van de Weerd “Normativity and voice in peripheral areas: Limburg in the era of superdiversity”; 1-08-2016 through 31-07- 2019. Financed by NWO_MAGW.
  • PhD candidate Daan Hovens “Multilingualism at the work place: the use of Dutch and German in the Meuse-Rhine Euregion”; 1-1-2017 through 31-12-2020, Financed by ITEM.

Post-Doc Supervision

  • Dr. Anna Strycharz-Banas “Dialect levelling in an expatriate community? Exploring Japanese negation in the Netherlands”; 01.01.2012 through 01.04.2014. Financed by NWO beurs (Rubicon). A small part of this research will take place in Maastricht, financed by Research Fasos Grant, UM and Meertens Instituut/ Rubicon.

Projects

  • The construction of local identies in Limburg through languagecultural practices, with Dr. V. de Rooij and dr. I. Stengs; 01.09.2011 through 01.09.2015. Financed by the province of Limburg/Meertens Institute/ from 01.09.2015 until 01.09.2019 with Dr.V. de Rooij

This project focuses on ‘languageculture’, a concept that highlights the interrelationship of culture and language in the formation of local identity. This implies that linguistic elements (choice of language, vocabulary, grammar) are an inherent aspect of cultural practices specifically related with the local (celebrations, foods, sports, etcetera). By studying how culture and language practices reinforce each other in processes of local identity formation; the choices that are made herein; and who uses these practices when, where and why, the researchers aim at gaining insight in the power relationships between and within economical, political and cultural centres and peripheries. Languageculture in the province of Limburg will provide the empirical casus for this study. By means of fieldwork, the project will focus on the shaping and experiencing of Limburgian identity as well as various more local identities, among  inhabitants and outsiders.

  • Cognitive development of bidialectal children in Limburg


Do Dutch-Limburgian bilingual or rather bidialectal children have a cognitive advantage based on their multilingualism?  This is the central question posed in a new research project by Maastricht University. The study is part of the VIDI-project “Cognitive Development in Emerging Bilingualism”(CoDEmBi) supervised by Elma Blom from Utrecht University. The study in Limburg will be carried out by Kirsten van den Heuij from Maastricht University. The study will run until the end of 2014 and will measure the (language) abilities of hundred bilingual and monolingual children between the age of 5 and 8 years old from Limburg. By means of several tests these two groups will be compared in their language, concentration and memory skills. The funders of this research project are: SWOL (MU), Language&Literature (MU), Taalcultuur in Limburg (MU), VIDI-grant Elma Blom (UU), Theoretical Linguistics (UvA), the Meertens Institute and Road veur ’t Limburgs.
This study treads new ground, as there has been little research on bilingual dialect-speaking children so far.

At 19 november 2015, an inspiration day for 140 interested people was organized at Fontys Hogeschool, together with Cubiss. A report about this day can befound here:

and pictures here:

 

  • Limburg portal in The Digital Library of Dutch Literature; 01-09-2011 ----. This project aims at digitizing Limburgian Literature and Culture History in order to make it freely accessible to everyone.

See: http://www.dbnl.org/letterkunde/limburg/

 

  • Member of the FP7 network: 'Advancing the European Multilingual Experience'. See: https://vre.leidenuniv.nl/vre/atheme/public/default.aspx
  • Substitute Management member of COST network: 'New Speakers in a Multilingual Europe' See:http://www.cost.eu/domains_actions/isch/Actions/IS1306
  • Member WUN network "Understanding Globalization – Margins and Peripheries", PI Ana Deumert, University of Cape Town. http://dev.understandingglobalization.uct.ac.za/
  • Visie op taal als erfgoed. On invitation of the Province of Limburg, the vision document 'Sjiek is miech dat!’ Visie op taal als erfgoed (‘Language as Heritage’) was written to provide input for the upcoming Provincial Heritage Policy Document. The vision document is written by prof. L. Cornips (Leerstoel Taalcultuur in Limburg) and dr. V. van Saaze (MACCH), drs. M. Frencken, E. van Nieuwenhoven, drs. T. van de Wijngaard (Huis voor de Kunsten Limburg), and prof. R. van Hout (Raod veur ’t Limburgs) in close cooperation with several local language organisations.

    Download the complete document.

     

Publications

 

Biweekly columns in De Limburger (in Dutch):

Column 1- Gemiste talen (29 September 2012)
Column 2 - Gedachtes over taal (13 October 2012)
Column 3 - Taaldiversiteit (7 October 2012)
Column 4 - Taalbenamingen (10 November 2012)
Column 5 - Nep-Limburgs (24 November 2012)
Column 6 - Sinterklaas en carnaval (8 December 2012)
Column 7 - 12-12-2012 en Nine-gag (22 December 2012)
Column 8 - Een goeie roetsj (5 January 2013)
Column 9 - Taalverschuiving (19 January 2013)
Column 10 - Taal of dialect (2 February 2013)

Column 11 - Vastelaovend (16 February 2013)

Column 12 - Dialectvragenlijst (2 March 2013)

Column 13 - 'English, unless...' (16 March 2013)

Column 14 - Taal en emoties (30 March 2013)

Column 15 - Taal dicht bij huis (13 April 2013)

Column 16 - Luistertaal (11 May 2013)

Column 17 - Dat of die (25 May 2013)

Column 18 - Cité Duits (8 June 2013)

Column 19 - Taalvoorsprong (22 June 2013)

Column 20 - Limburgismen (14 September 2013)

Column 21 - Namen in Limburg (28 September 2013)

Column 22 - Groetens Jupp (12 October 2013)

Column 23 - Over Aiol en Mirabel (26 October 2013)

Column 24 - Aap, roos, zeef (9 November 2013)

Column 25 - Dialectgebruik (23 November 2013)

Column 26 - Opschalen (7 December 2013)

Column 27 - Taalonderzoek in Limburg (21 December 2013)

Column 28 - Dialectverbod (11 January 2014)

Column 29 - Zeur-tweets (25 January 2014)

Column 30 - Zorgtaal (8 February 2014)

Column 31 - Blauwe Schuit (22 February 2014)

Column 32 - Ondertiteling (22 March 2014)

Column 33 - Do you love me (5 April 2014)

Column 34 - Taalmenging (19 April 2014)

Column 35 - Grenstalen (3 May 2014)

Column 36 - Twitteren in dialect (17 May 2014)

Column 37 - Meertaligheid (31 may 2014)

Column 39 - Naas poetse (14 June 2014)

Column 40 - Vergadertalen (28 June 2014)

Column 41 - Dialect en Zelfbeeld (20 September 2014)

Column 42 - Meertalig (4 October 2014)

Column 43 - Rowwen Heze (18 October 2014)

Column 44 - Que sera (1 November 2014)

Column 45 - Die doet woone in Rome (15 November 2014)

Column 46 - Mestreechtsonline (29 November 2014)

Column 47 - Sjtomme Limburger (13 December 2014)

Column 48 - Tweetalige kinderen (27 December 2014)

Column 49 - Appelsien (10 january 2015)

Column 50 - Erdbrug en Sittard (24 January 2015)

Column 51 - Eigenheid in Carnaval (7 February 2015)

Column 52 - Het leven van een taalfout (28 February 2015)

Column 53 - Japan aan de Maas (14 March 2015)

Column 54 - Zorggesprekken (4 April 2015)

Column 55 - Tweetaligheidscampagne (18 April 2015)

Column 56 - Taalcultuur = economie (2 May 2015)

Column 57 - Rowwen Hèze digitaal (16 May 2015)

Column 58 - Succes in dialect (30 May 2015)

Column 59 - Taalgevoel (13 June 2015)

Column 60 - Functiewoorden (27 June 2015)

Column 61 - Leidse corpsstuko (19 September 2015)

Column 62 - Taalversmalling (3 october 2015)

Column 63 - Taalkabaal (19 October 2015)

Column 64 - Peutertalen (2 November 2015)

Column 65 - Mijn taal (16 November 2015)

Column 66 - Slim met dialect (30 November 2015)

Column 67 - Pools in Horst (14 December 2015)

Column 68 - Ontheemde talen (28 December 2015)

Column 69 - Kinderpoëzie (11 January 2106)

Column 70 - Zingen in dialect (25 January 2016)

Column 71 - De zachte G (15 February 2016)

Column 72 - Taalbarrières (29 February 2016)

Column 73 - Mislukt gesprek (14 March 2016)

Column 74 - Streektaalbeleid (11 April 2016)

Column 75 - Koningsdag 1874 (25 April 2016)

De columns can be found here.

 

Steeds maar weer die jongerentaal (Article in NRC handelsblad (in Dutch, 19 November 2012)

 

Waarom-praten-wij-allemaal-anders (Article in Taalcanon, November 2012)

 

 

Teaching

  • 2011-2012: BA Honours "Linguistic Landscape of Maastricht"
  • 2012-2013: BA Honours "Language attitudes"
  • 2014-2015: BA Honours "Belonging through language practices"
  • 19-23 Januari 2015: with V. de Rooij. LOT Winterschool PhD Course Critical Sociolinguistics. UvA.
  • 09-2015: Minor Meertaligheid. Tweetalige verwerving, inclusief dialect. Hogeschool Rotterdam.

Additional roles & tasks

Chair "Language culture in Limburg" (0.3 fte).