Examining Children's Language Attitudes Toward Dutch Accents

Recent studies in developmental sociolinguistics have demonstrated a complex interaction between children's language acquisition, the awareness of linguistic variation and the development of social meaning of language varieties. While Dutch language variation has been extensively studied in attitude research, primarily with adult participants, there is limited knowledge on children's perception of Dutch accents. This study offers a first exploration regarding the development of language attitudes in children, specifically toward what we refer to as Dutch “endogenous” and “exogenous” language varieties. Survey data collected in six primary urban and rural schools in the province of Antwerp, involving 468 six-, eight-, and 11-year-old children, reveal clear patterns. Attitudinal responses concerning solidarity, status, and dynamism vary with children's linguistic and sociocultural background: children in rural schools generally show more positive evaluations of endogenous accents, whereas pupils in urban settings are in comparison more lenient toward exogenous ones.