Chapter published in:
The Dynamics of English in Namibia: Perspectives on an emerging variety
Edited by Anne Schröder
[Varieties of English Around the World G65] 2021
► pp. 169–194

The question of structural nativization in Namibian English

Some answers from extended uses of the progressive

| TU Dortmund University
The question of whether the English as spoken in Namibia can be considered a (second-language) variety or should rather be considered a learner English was first addressed in Buschfeld and Kautzsch (2014). The present study approaches this question from a quantitative perspective, focusing on the use of progressive morphology (i.e., verb+ing) in Namibian English (NamE). The findings suggest that NamE is characterized by local and innovative, extended uses of progressive marking. I discuss whether these can be considered nativized features and conclude that this is a complex question in which a variety of factors have to be considered, most importantly the fact that NamE is not a monolithic whole but stratified along the lines of speakers’ ages and ethnicities.
Keywords: Namibian English, structural nativization, EFL, ESL, progressive marking
https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g65.08bus
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