Complex dynamic systems theory

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Complex dynamic systems theory in the field of linguistics is a perspective and approach to the study of second, third and additional language acquisition. The general term complex dynamic systems theory was recommended by Kees de Bot to refer to both complexity theory and dynamic systems theory. [1]

Contents

Terminology

Numerous labels such as chaos theory, complexity theory, chaos/complexity theory, dynamic systems theory, usage-based theory have been used to the study of second language acquisition from a dynamic approach. However, Kees de Bot recommended the term complex dynamic systems theory in a chapter in Ortega and Han's edited book entitled 'Complexity Theory and Language Development in celebration of Diane Larsen-Freeman'. [2] Ahmar Mahboob has applied Complexity Theory/Dynamic Systems Theory to a dynamic approach to language assessment. Herdina and Jessner in their Dynamic Model of Multilingualism (DMM) (2002) were the first scholars to use dynamic system, as well as complex system approaches to model third (and xth) language acquisition and development in a holistic systems framework.

In 1997 Larsen-Freeman used the terms chaos and complexity in her seminal article. [3] Marjolijn Verspoor recommended the terms Dynamic Usage-Based Theory. [4]

Origins

The dynamic systems approach to second and additional language acquisition originates from applied mathematics which studies dynamical systems. The introduction of dynamic systems theory to study development in social sciences can be attributed to Esther Thelen who applied it to study motor development. She explained the A-not-B error from a dynamic systems theory perspective. [5] [6]

Diane Larsen-Freeman in her article entitled "Chaos/Complexity Science and Second Language Acquisition", published in 1997, was the first scientist to suggest the application and the introduction of dynamic systems theory to study second language acquisition. [7] In her article she claimed that language should be viewed as a dynamic system which is dynamic, complex, nonlinear, chaotic, unpredictable, sensitive to initial conditions, open, self-organizing, feedback sensitive, and adaptive.

Definition

In 1997, Larsen-Freeman published an article in which she claimed that second language acquisition should be viewed as a developmental process which includes language attrition as well as language acquisition. [8] Herdina and Jessner (2002) in their DMM specify that dynamic multilingual systems do not only involve language attrition but also general language effort (GLE), which can be regarded as the sum of language acquisition effort (LAE) and language maintenance effort (LME) and understood as the effort invested in language development.

Second and additional language development is mainly studied by applying dynamical systems theory. In the DMM language is considered to be a system which includes many language subsystems. Dynamic systems are interconnected, nonlinear, adaptive, open, sensitive to initial conditions. Variability is seen as an inherent property of development and it is not viewed as measurement error, therefore from a dynamic systems perspective variability in the data is analysed and considered valuable information.

Main characteristics

The main characteristics of multilingual development from a dynamic systems perspective are: [9]

There is sensitive dependence on initial conditions usually cited as the Butterfly effect. Different language learners start learning a second language (L2) with different background (different motivation, language aptitude etc.). The outcome critically depends on the initial conditions of the language learners. The systems of a language are completely interconnected. The development of the syntactic system affects the development of the lexical system and vice versa. Second language development is nonlinear that is language learners acquire new words in different tempo. On one day they might acquire ten new words, but the next day they may learn only one. On the third day they might even forget some of the previously learnt vocabulary. In second language development change occurs through self-organization which can take place unpredictably. Language learners' are dependent on internal and external resources. Internal resources are the motivational factors of the language learners, while the language teacher or the environment are examples of the external resources. The growth is described as an iterative process in second language development and it is often modelled by using coupled-equation models (Logistic Equation).

In a study on the role of self-regulation in linguistic development, Wind and Harding (2020) found that the low degree of variability in lexical and syntactic complexity in writing might be attributed to salient attractor states that dominated the participant's self-regulatory systems. [10]

Second and third language motivation

Dynamic systems theory has also been applied to study motivation in second and additional language learning. Motivational factors such as interest, boredom, anxiety are usually explicated as attractor states. Language motivation also fluctuates in time (on short time and long time scales). In 2014 Zoltán Dörnyei's book MotivationalDynamics in Language Learning was influential in reorienting second language motivation research by claiming that motivation is dynamic. [11] Herdina and Jessner (2002) point out in their DMM that the complexity of multilingual systems is partly due to a number of individual factors, such as attitude, motivation and anxiety.

Sarah Mercer's journal article entitled Language learner self-concept: Complexity, continuity and change, published in System in 2011, investigated the nature and dynamics of self-concept in language learning. She found that self-concept is perhaps best conceived of as a complex, multilayered, multidimensional network of interrelated self-beliefs. [12]

Language assessment

Complexity Dynamic Systems Theory has also been applied to language assessment (e.g. by Ahmar Mahboob), self-assessment or self-reflection. [13]

Methods and techniques

Second and additional language development is mainly studied by applying time series data. It is contrasted with traditional techniques used in second language acquisition research such as Cross-sectional data research design (for example pre-test and post-test design) in cross-sectional studies. [14] [15] [16]

Studies on additional language development prefer the case study approach rather than observing a larger population. Time-series data are usually plotted and inspected visually and correlations (usually Spearman's rank correlation coefficient since linguistic data are expected to be not normally distributed) are calculated. In 2002 Paul van Geert created techniques and methods to measure the degree of variability by applying min-max graphs, resampling techniques, and Monte Carlo method along with Marijn van Dijk. [17]

More recently the hidden Markov model is used to detect phase shifts or transitional jumps in the development of language systems such as lexical or syntactic complexity. This model was first used for linguistic data by Chan in 2015 . [18]

Hiver and Al-Hoorie's article, published in The Modern Language Journal in 2016, provides a "Dynamic ensemble for second language research". They present a practical catalog of 9 considerations: 1. systems, 2. level of granularity, 3. context, 4. systemic networks, 5. dynamic processes, 6. emergent outcomes, 7. components, 8. interactions, and 9. parameters. [19] Their scoping review also reviews the methodological trends and substantive contribution of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory over a decade and a half. [20]

Criticism

The application of dynamical systems theory to study additional language acquisition has received criticism in the field. Gregg criticized Larsen-Freeman's book entitled Complex Systems and Applied Linguistics. [21]

In contrast to traditional cross-sectional studies, the DST approach does not use componential observations, generalizability, or linear causality.[ citation needed ]

Notable researchers

The following is a list of those researchers who support the idea that second, third, x-th language development should viewed from a dynamic systems perspective and have made major contributions to the field:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynamical systems theory</span> Area of mathematics used to describe the behavior of complex dynamical systems

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Second-language acquisition (SLA), sometimes called second-language learning—otherwise referred to as L2acquisition, is the process by which people learn a second language. Second-language acquisition is also the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process. The field of second-language acquisition is regarded by some but not everybody as a sub-discipline of applied linguistics but also receives research attention from a variety of other disciplines, such as psychology and education.

An interlanguage is an idiolect which has been developed by a learner of a second language (L2) which preserves some features of their first language (L1) and can overgeneralize some L2 writing and speaking rules. These two characteristics give an interlanguage its unique linguistic organization. It is idiosyncratically based on the learner's experiences with L2. An interlanguage can fossilize, or cease developing, in any of its developmental stages. It is claimed that several factors shape interlanguage rules, including L1 transfer, previous learning strategies, strategies of L2 acquisition, L2 communication strategies, and the overgeneralization of L2 language patterns.

The generative approach to second language (L2) acquisition (SLA) is a cognitive based theory of SLA that applies theoretical insights developed from within generative linguistics to investigate how second languages and dialects are acquired and lost by individuals learning naturalistically or with formal instruction in foreign, second language and lingua franca settings. Central to generative linguistics is the concept of Universal Grammar (UG), a part of an innate, biologically endowed language faculty which refers to knowledge alleged to be common to all human languages. UG includes both invariant principles as well as parameters that allow for variation which place limitations on the form and operations of grammar. Subsequently, research within the Generative Second-Language Acquisition (GenSLA) tradition describes and explains SLA by probing the interplay between Universal Grammar, knowledge of one's native language and input from the target language. Research is conducted in syntax, phonology, morphology, phonetics, semantics, and has some relevant applications to pragmatics.

The critical period hypothesis or sensitive period hypothesis claims that there is an ideal time window of brain development to acquire language in a linguistically rich environment, after which further language acquisition becomes much more difficult and effortful. It is the subject of a long-standing debate in linguistics and language acquisition over the extent to which the ability to acquire language is biologically linked to developmental stages of the brain. The critical period hypothesis was first proposed by Montreal neurologist Wilder Penfield and co-author Lamar Roberts in their 1959 book Speech and Brain Mechanisms, and was popularized by Eric Lenneberg in 1967 with Biological Foundations of Language.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoltán Dörnyei</span> Hungarian-born British linguist (1960–2022)

Zoltán Dörnyei was a Hungarian-born British linguist. He was a professor of psycholinguistics at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. He was known for his work on second language acquisition and the psychology of the language learner, in particular on motivation in second language learning, having published numerous books and papers on these topics.

The interaction hypothesis is a theory of second-language acquisition which states that the development of language proficiency is promoted by face-to-face interaction and communication. Its main focus is on the role of input, interaction, and output in second language acquisition. It posits that the level of language that a learner is exposed to must be such that the learner is able to comprehend it, and that a learner modifying their speech so as to make it comprehensible facilitates their ability to acquire the language in question. The idea existed in the 1980s, and has been reviewed and expanded upon by a number of other scholars but is usually credited to Michael Long.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to second-language acquisition:

Translanguaging is a term that can refer to different aspects of multilingualism. It can describe the way bilinguals and multilinguals use their linguistic resources to make sense of and interact with the world around them. It can also refer to a pedagogical approach that utilizes more than one language within a classroom lesson. The term "translanguaging" was coined in the 1980s by Cen Williams in his unpublished thesis titled “An Evaluation of Teaching and Learning Methods in the Context of Bilingual Secondary Education.” Williams used the term to describe the practice of using two languages in the same lesson, which differed from many previous methods of bilingual education that tried to separate languages by class, time, or day. In addition, Vogel and Garcia argued that translanguaging theory posits that rather than possessing two or more autonomous language systems, as previously thought when scholars described bilingual or multilingual speakers, bilinguals and multilingual speakers select and deploy their languages from a unitary linguistic repertoire. However, the dissemination of the term, and of the related concept, gained traction decades later due in part to published research by Ofelia García, among others. In this context, translanguaging is an extension of the concept of languaging, the discursive practices of language speakers, but with the additional feature of using multiple languages, often simultaneously. It is a dynamic process in which multilingual speakers navigate complex social and cognitive demands through strategic employment of multiple languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judit Kormos</span> Hungarian linguist

Judit Kormos is a Hungarian linguist. She is a professor and the Director of Studies for the MA TESOL Distance programme at the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, United Kingdom. She is renowned for her work on motivation in second language learning, and self-regulation in second language writing. Her current interest is in dyslexia in second language learning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marjolijn Verspoor</span> Dutch linguist

Marjolijn Verspoor is a Dutch linguist. She is a professor of English language and English as a second language at the University of Groningen, Netherlands. She is known for her work on Complex Dynamic Systems Theory and the application of dynamical systems theory to study second language development. Her interest is also in second language writing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Larsen-Freeman</span> American linguist

Diane Larsen-Freeman is an American linguist. She is currently a Professor Emerita in Education and in Linguistics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. An applied linguist, known for her work in second language acquisition, English as a second or foreign language, language teaching methods, teacher education, and English grammar, she is renowned for her work on the complex/dynamic systems approach to second language development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kees de Bot</span> Dutch linguist

Cornelis Kees de Bot is a Dutch linguist. He is currently the chair of applied linguistics at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, and at the University of Pannonia. He is known for his work on second language development and the use of dynamical systems theory to study second language development.

Wander Marius Lowie is a Dutch linguist. He is currently a professor of applied linguistics at the Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Groningen, Netherlands. He is known for his work on Complex Dynamic Systems Theory.

Alison Mackey is a linguist who specializes in applied linguistics, second language acquisition and research methodology. She is currently a professor in the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University. Her research focuses on applied linguistics and research methods.

Sarah Jane Mercer is a British linguist. She is currently the head of the Department of English Language Teaching at the University of Graz, Austria. Her research focuses on applied linguistics, with a special focus on psycholinguistics from a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory approach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kata Csizér</span> Hungarian linguist

Kata Csizér is a Hungarian linguist. She is currently a professor at the School of English and American Studies of the Faculty of Humanities of the Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary. Her research focuses on applied linguistics with a special focus on motivation in second-language learning and teaching students with special needs.

References

  1. ↑ De Bot, Kees (2017). Chapter 2. Complexity Theory and Dynamic Systems Theory. Language Learning & Language Teaching. Vol. 48. pp. 51–58. doi:10.1075/lllt.48.03deb. ISBN   978-90-272-1338-9.
  2. ↑ De Bot, Kees (2017). Chapter 2. Complexity Theory and Dynamic Systems Theory. Language Learning & Language Teaching. Vol. 48. pp. 51–58. doi:10.1075/lllt.48.03deb. ISBN   978-90-272-1338-9.
  3. ↑ https://academic.oup.com/applij/article-abstract/18/2/141/134192.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ Verspoor, Marjolijn; Behrens, Heike (2011). "Dynamic Systems Theory and a usage-based approach to Second Language Development". A Dynamic Approach to Second Language Development. Language Learning & Language Teaching. Vol. 29. pp. 25–38. doi:10.1075/lllt.29.02ver. ISBN   978-90-272-1998-5.
  5. ↑ Thelen, Esther; Smith, Linda B. (2007). Handbook of Child Psychology. Wiley Online Library. doi:10.1002/9780470147658.chpsy0106. ISBN   978-0470147658.
  6. ↑ "Discovery of Motor Development: A Tribute to Esther Thelen". PsycNET. 2005.
  7. ↑ Larsen-Freeman, D (1997). "Chaos/complexity science and second language acquisition". Applied Linguistics. 18 (2): 141–165. doi:10.1093/applin/18.2.141.
  8. ↑ "Chaos/Complexity Science and Second Language cquisition". Applied Linguistics. 1997.
  9. ↑ de Bot, Kees; Lowie, Wander; Verspoor, Marjolijn (2007). "A Dynamic Systems Theory approach to second language acquisition". Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. 10 (1): 7–21. doi:10.1017/S1366728906002732. S2CID   33567516.
  10. ↑ Wind, Attila M.; Harding, Luke (July 14, 2020). "Chapter 6: Attractor States in the Development of Linguistic Complexity in Second Language Writing and the Role of Self-Regulation: A Longitudinal Case Study". In Wander, Lowie; Marije, Michel; Keijzer, Merel; Steinkrauss, Rasmus (eds.). Usage-Based Dynamics in Second Language Development. Multilingual Matters. pp. 130–154. ISBN   978-1-788-92523-5.
  11. ↑ "Zoltan Dornyei - Books". zoltandornyei.co.uk. 2018.
  12. ↑ Mercer, Sarah (2011). "Language learner self-concept: Complexity, continuity and change". System . 39 (3): 335–346. doi:10.1016/j.system.2011.07.006.
  13. ↑ Wind, Attila M. (2021-12-01). "Nonlinearity and inter- and intra-individual variability in the extent of engagement in self-reflection and its role in second language writing: A multiple-case study". System. 103: 102672. doi:10.1016/j.system.2021.102672. hdl: 10831/83077 . ISSN   0346-251X. S2CID   239485728.
  14. ↑ Hiver, Phil; Al-Hoorie, Ali H. (2020). Research methods for complexity theory in applied linguistics. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. ISBN   9781788925730.
  15. ↑ Hiver, Phil; Al-Hoorie, Ali H.; Larsen-Freeman, Diane (2021). "Toward a transdisciplinary integration of research purposes and methods for complex dynamic systems theory: beyond the quantitative–qualitative divide". International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching. Advance online publication: 7–22. doi:10.1515/iral-2021-0022. S2CID   233926835.
  16. ↑ Hiver, Phil; Al-Hoorie, Ali H. (2021). "Transdisciplinary research methods and complexity theory in applied linguistics: introduction to the special issue". International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching. Advance online publication. doi:10.1515/iral-2021.0020. S2CID   233732028.
  17. ↑ "Focus on variability: New tools to study intra-individual variability in developmental data". APA PsycNET. 2002.
  18. ↑ "Belinda Chan: A Dynamic Approach to the Development of Lexicon and Syntax in a Second Language" (PDF). University of Groningen. 2015.
  19. ↑ Hiver, Phil; Al-Hoorie, Ali H. (December 2016). "A Dynamic Ensemble for Second Language Research: Putting Complexity Theory Into Practice". The Modern Language Journal. 100 (4): 741–756. doi:10.1111/modl.12347.
  20. ↑ Hiver, Phil; Al-Hoorie, Ali H.; Evans, Reid (2021). "Complex dynamic systems theory in language learning: A scoping review of 25 years of research". Studies in Second Language Acquisition. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1017/S0272263121000553 . S2CID   239634406.
  21. ↑ Gregg, Kevin R. (2010). "Kevin Gregg: Review article: Shallow draughts: Larsen-Freeman and Cameron on complexity". Second Language Research. 26 (4): 549–560. doi:10.1177/0267658310366582. S2CID   145495189.
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