astronomy

Wander Lowie

Wander Lowie is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wander Lowie rather than just read about it. In short: Wander Marius Lowie (born 14 October 1959) is a Dutch linguist. He is currently a professor of applied linguistics at the Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Groningen, Netherlands.

Key takeaways

Wander Lowie belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wander Lowie to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wander Lowie from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wander Marius Lowie (born 14 October 1959) is a Dutch linguist. He is currently a professor of applied linguistics at the Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Groningen, Netherlands. He is known for his work on Complex Dynamic Systems Theory. He is one of the members of the "Dutch School of Dynamic Systems" who proposed to apply time-series data to study second language development along with de Bot, van Geert, and Verspoor.

Career Lowie obtained his PhD degree at the Centre of Language and Cognition, Faculty of Arts at the University of Groningen on 14 January 1998. He was supervised by his future colleague at the University of Groningen, Cornelis de Bot. The title of his PhD thesis was "The acquisition of interlanguage morphology: a study into the role of morphology in the L2 learner's mental lexicon". Lowie is the Associate Editor of The Modern Language Journal, a peer-reviewed academic journal.

Research In 2004 he wrote a seminal article along with de Bot and Verspoor on second language development in which he applied the dynamic systems theory to study second language writing development. This was the first research paper in which time-series data were used to explicate changes in the development of second language writing. In a 2012 article he discussed the pedagogical implications of Dynamic Systems Theory approaches to second language development. He suggested that only an approach that values the relevance of variability can capture the crucial time dimension of development. He proposed that a longitudinal approach using a language portfolio that captures a wide range of language skills as suggested by the Common European Framework of Reference is of greater value for the language learner than a rigid assessment of some aspects of language proficiency at one point in time.

Bibliography

Books Second Language Acquisition: An Advanced Resource Book (2005) A Dynamic Approach to Second Language Development. Methods and Techniques (2011) Usage-based Dynamics in Second Language Development (2020)

Articles "Making sense of polysemous words." (2003) "Dynamic Systems Theory and Applied Linguistics: the ultimate “so what”?" (2005) "A dynamic systems theory approach to second language acquisition." (2007) "Substitution of dental fricatives in English by Dutch L2 speakers." (2007) "Variability in second language development from a dynamic systems perspective." (2008) "Input and second language development from a dynamic perspective." (2009) "Dynamic Systems Theory as a comprehensive theory of second language development." (2013) "Variability and variation in second language acquisition orders: A dynamic reevaluation." (2015) "Emergentism: Wide Ranging Theoretical Framework or Just One More Meta-theory?" (2017) "Lost in State Space?: Methodological Considerations in Complex Dynamic Theory Approaches to Second Language Development Research" (2017)

References

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wander Lowie

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wander Lowie claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wander Lowie before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wander Lowie ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wander Lowie

In research: Wander Lowie appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wander Lowie in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wander Lowie is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1959 births, Academic journal editors, Academic staff of the University of Groningen, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wander Lowie outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wander Lowie in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wander Lowie means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wander Lowie out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wander Lowie in simple terms?

Why does Wander Lowie matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wander Lowie?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wander Lowie.