taalkoppeling

Taalkoppeling is a Dutch term used to describe the linkage or interaction between language systems or between language and other modalities in communication. In its broad sense it refers to how linguistic elements such as phonology, syntax and semantics relate to each other, and how languages influence one another in multilingual contexts. The concept is employed across linguistic subfields, technology and education, with varying emphases depending on the domain.

In sociolinguistics and contact linguistics, taalkoppeling often denotes the ways in which languages in contact affect each other, including processes such as code-switching, lexical borrowing and structural convergence. The emphasis is on social use and language change driven by bilingual or multilingual communities. In psycholinguistics, taalkoppeling can refer to the coupling between language production and comprehension processes, and how different language systems are activated and controlled in real time.

In language technology and applied linguistics, taalkoppeling appears in discussions of multilingual natural language processing, translation models and user interfaces that switch between languages. It also informs approaches in language teaching that pair languages to facilitate acquisition or curricular design, especially in multilingual education settings.

Examples include a bilingual speaker who alternates Dutch and English within a sentence, a translation system that aligns elements across languages, or an NLP model that maps phonological input to semantic representations across language boundaries. Researchers emphasize that the exact meaning of taalkoppeling can vary by subfield, and clarity about context is essential for accurate use.

See also: code-switching, language contact, lexical borrowing, bilingualism, cross-language transfer, language engineering.