Teaching English pronunciation in a multilingual setting in the Netherlands: The case of Berber.

Abstract

This thesis looks at how bilingual Berber-Dutch children pronounce English sounds that are similar to sounds in their native Berber language but do not exist in their native Dutch language. The aim of the thesis is to answer questions such as: What is the effect of awareness and metalinguistic knowledge?, Does having a sound in your native language help pronunciation a similar sound in a foreign language?, Do Berber-Dutch bilinguals benefit from their language background when having to learn English in the Dutch school system?