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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

Chapter 8
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
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Contextualizing the progressive: Diachronic and synchronic perspectives
  • 3.Progressive marking and the question of structural nativization in Namibian English(es)
    • 3.1Some remarks on structural nativization
    • 3.2Data collection and participants
    • 3.3Data analysis
    • 3.4Results
  • 4.Discussion of results
  • 5.Conclusion: Structural nativization in NamE?
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 10 September 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g65.08bus
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