Dr Marie-Louise van Heukelum is a lecturer in Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics and Language Practice at the University of the Free State. She holds a PhD in General Linguistics from the University of Stellenbosch. The title of her PhD dissertation is: Predictive variables in lifelong bilingualism: An exploratory study probing the effects of L2 English on L1 Afrikaans syntax. Her more recent work has focussed on timing differences in first language acquisition in languages that are closely related. Dr van Heukelum is interested in bi/multilingualism; language acquisition; spoken varieties of language; language variation and change in bi/multilingual populations; and language contact in Southern African and multilingual contexts.

Biberauer, T & van Heukelum, M. (In Press). “Not Nothing: the Significance of Timing Differences in the Acquisition of Afrikaans and Dutch geen (‘no’)”. BUCLD 49 Proceedings, Cascadilla Press.

Biberauer, T & van Heukelum, M. (2025). “Afrikaans negation is really unlike Dutch negation: corpus-based evidence from the acquisition and use of geen”. Nederlandse Taalkunde. 30 (1/2), 9-46. DOI: 10.5117/NEDTAA2025.1-2.003.BIBE.

Biberauer, T & van Heukelum, M. (2023). “Timing differences in the acquisition of geen in Afrikaans and Dutch: an exploratory corpus-based study”. In Proceedings of the 4th International Afrikaans Grammar Workshop, edited by Adri Breed. Potchefstroom: North-West University. pp. 69-92. DOI: 10.25388/nwu.25052714.

Southwood, F. & van Heukelum, M. (2020). Intercultural communicative competence is essential for students of international business – but can it be taught? The case of third-year BCom students. South African Journal of Higher Education.

Biberauer, T., van Heukelum, M. L., & Duke, L. (2017). ‘Ja-nee. No, I`m fine’: A note on YES and NO in South Africa. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 48, 67-86.

bi/multilingualism; language acquisition; spoken varieties of language; language variation and change in bi/multilingual populations; and language contact in Southern African and multilingual contexts

HLIN2634: Semantics & Pragmatics (2nd year)

HLIN3728: Language Acquisition (3rd year)

LINO6814: Sociolinguistics (Honours)

LINA6824: Language Acquisition (Honours)