De Ontwikkeling van Schrijfvaardigheid in het Fins als Vreemde Taal: Een Dynamisch Perspectief

Within Dynamic Systems Theory (DST), it is assumed that differences in the degree of variability can provide insight into the process of L2 development. This longitudinal case study investigates intra-individual variability in Finnish learner language, focusing on the development of accuracy and complexity.The study involves 54 writing samples, written by a Dutch student who learned Finnish as a foreign language. Finnish, a synthetic language of the agglutinating type, is very different from Indo-European languages and well known for its complex morphology. This complex morphology was investigated for accuracy in form and use. Word-, Noun Phrase-, clause- and sentence constructions were examined for complexity. The purpose of the study was to explain the fluctuations of intra-individual variability and complex relations between variables and to detect both supportive and competitive relationships between growers in order to provide valuable insights into the dynamic processes involved in L2 development.