The acquisition of verbal paradigms in Dutch and Greek L2 children: cross-linguistic differences and inflectional defaults

Previous research with children learning a second language (L2) has reported errors with verb inflection and cross-linguistic variation in accuracy and error patterns. However, owing to the cross-linguistic complexity and diversity of different verbal paradigms, the cross-linguistic effects on the nature of default forms has not been directly addressed in L2 acquisition studies. In the present study, we compared accuracy and error patterns in verbal agreement inflections in L2 children acquiring Dutch and Greek, keeping the children’s L1 constant (Turkish). Results showed that inflectional defaults in Greek follow universal predictions regarding the morphological underspecification of paradigms. However, the same universal predictions do not apply to the same extent to Dutch. It is argued that phonological properties of inflected forms should be taken into account to explain cross-linguistic differences in the acquisition of inflection. By systematically comparing patterns in child L2 Dutch and Greek, this study shows how universal mechanisms and target language properties work in tandem in the acquisition of inflectional paradigms.

The role of linguistic input in shaping the conversational language of deaf preschoolers with a cochlear implant

This study investigates whether mothers who have children with cochlear implants fine-tune their own vocabulary and sentence complexity to that of their child. Whether and how fine-tuning leads to faster growth in these language skills is explored.

Persuading the Public : A Linguistic Analysis of Barack Obama’s Speech on “Super Tuesday” 2008

This essay examines the persuasive side of language in a speech given by Senator Barack Obama on Super Tuesday in February 2008. It studies how Senator Obama utilizes language to convince and persuade his audience. This is done from an Aristotelian point of view, meaning that the study focuses foremost on how the senator’s word choices relate to Aristotle’s three means of persuasion, ethos, pathos and logos. Those basic guiding principles are relevant to use since Aristotle’s work on the subject of rhetoric is still today one of the most relevant works in that field. The analysis is basically performed through personal observations guided by previous studies, within the frame of Aristotelian rhetoric. The results show how Senator Obama enforces the three means of persuasion through language and how it can be considered persuasive. The study might add to rhetoric studies from a linguistic perspective since it reaches a better understanding of language used in the field of politics, where rhetoric is a prominent component.

Las funciones del pasado en los sistemas verbales del español y del ruso

This monograph is a comparative study of past time reference in Spanish and Russian.The ambition is to present a functional perspective of how both languages systemically express temporal and aspectual information. The verb, naturally, attracts the main attention of the thesis and the focus is almost exclusively on verbs in the indicative mood.The definition of the parameters of Time and Aspect plays an important part in the present dissertation. A particular emphasis concerns the elaboration and testing of the ‘ABC’ model, which represents a graphic definition of verbal aspect as a grammatical category.Another important issue is the distinction of aspect and Aktionsart; these concepts are closely related but operate on different functional levels. The analysis is essentially based on linguistic material from parallel corpora, constructed for this purpose. At first the material is treated statistically in order to create astarting point for the qualitative part of the analysis. The three main areas of investigation dealt with are:1) The relation between the simple past tenses, pretérito and imperfecto, in Spanish and their imperfective and perfective counterparts in Russian.2) The relation between the compound tenses in Spanish and the Russian verbal system.The analysis of this relation also comprises a critique of the traditional interpretationof the aspectual contents of the compound tenses.3) The usage of alternative strategies in both languages. In this part of the analysis the focus is widened to include verbal periphrasis, infinite verb forms and subordination. The results of the analysis demonstrate that verbal aspect, according to the definition represented by ‘the ABC model’, works as a grammatical category in both Spanish and Russian. It is also shown that there are systemic differences in the manifestation of this functional category in both languages. Another important result is that the neither the compound tenses nor the progressive express verbal aspect, at least not in a narrow sense of the word but represent different verbal functions related to aspect.

The Concept of ’Selling/Buying’ in the Russian Linguistic Picture of the World : from standard to sub-standard

The thesis belongs to the field of lexical semantics studies, associated with describing the Russian linguistic world-image. The research focuses on the universal situation of purchase and sale as reflected in the Russian lexical standard and sub-standard. The work deals also with subjects related to the sphere of social linguistics: the social stratification of the language, the structure of sub-standard, etc. The thesis is a contribution to the description of the Russian linguistic world-image as well as to the further elaboration of the conceptional analysis method. The results are applicable in teaching Russian as a foreign language, particularly in lexis and Russian culture and mentality studies.

A Linguistic Analysis of the Written Production of Second Language Learners : The Variation of Article Usage by Adult Chinese Learners of English

This study aims to test Robertson’s lexical transfer principle, which posits that Chinese learners use demonstratives (particularly this) and the numeral one as markers of definiteness and indefiniteness. This is tested by analysing Chinese learners’ written production collected from the Spoken and Written English Corpus of Chinese Learners 2.0 (SWECCL 2.0). The purpose is to understand the variation of article usage by adult Chinese learners of English. More specifically, the study examines to what extent articles, possessive and demonstrative pronouns are used in Chinese learners’ English and how definite and indefinite articles are used by the Chinese learners. Findings suggest that Robertson’s lexical transfer principle was corroborated by the present study. In addition, Chinese learners prefer to use demonstrative determiners, the possessive determiner our, and the numeral one to perform the function of marking definiteness and indefiniteness. In particular, the learners try to use the demonstrative determiners that and this in the anaphoric function instead of the definite article, and the demonstrative determiner those is frequently used in the cataphoric function. What is more, the learners use the numeral one as a marker of indefiniteness, and it is also used as a marker of definiteness in the anaphoric function. Further, the possessive determiner our is used as a marker of definiteness in larger situation uses referring to something unique. To this end, the study is able to show that the definite article is used to perform the function of marking indefiniteness, and in some particular contexts the definite article functions as a Chinese specifier in Chinese learners’ English. Also, the indefinite article is frequently used in quantifier phrases but is rarely used in other functions. There are three main reasons that may explain why Chinese learners use determiners variously. Firstly, the choice of determiners by Chinese learners is influenced by linguistic contexts. Secondly, because of learning strategies, Chinese learners try to ignore the anaphoric function and cataphoric function that they are not yet ready to process in article usage. Thirdly, interlanguage grammar influences the optionality in the use of articles. 

System for Automated Deduction (SAD): Linguistic and Deductive Peculiarities

In this paper a state of the art of a system of automated deduction called SAD is described . An architecture of SAD corresponds well to a modern vision of the Evidence Algorithm programme, initiated by Academician V.Glushkov.

Concordância nominal de número na fala infantil : análise variacionista

Este trabalho tem como proposta investigar aspectos relacionados à concordância nominal de número na fala de crianças monolíngües no português do Brasil. O parâmetro analítico segue as descrições sobre o fenômeno na fala adulta, sob o arcabouço da Sociolingüística Quantitativa. Dessa forma, a investigação que aqui se apresenta estrutura-se tanto em aspectos lingüísticos quanto sociais. Nosso objetivo é observar, se tal como na fala adulta, a concordância nominal de número caracteriza-se como uma regra variável na fala infantil. Nossa análise organiza-se em dois momentos. O primeiro, denominado análise atomística, focaliza as motivações estruturais do sistema lingüístico condicionantes da presença da marca formal de plural em cada constituinte sintagmático. A segunda parte, denominada análise não atomística, analisa o sintagma nominal como um todo e averigua os condicionamentos extralingüísticos no que diz respeito à produção de SNs plurais padrão e não-padrão na fala da criança, nos termos estipulados pela norma gramatical. Para tal propósito, tomamos para análise quatro coletas transversais de crianças, recobrindo um período etário dos quatro aos oito anos de idade. De modo geral, os resultados encontrados sugerem um comportamento verbal semelhante ao dos adultos, embora muitos dos fatores discutidos não tenham significância estatística, conforme a análise realizada com o pacote de programas estatístico VARBRUL.

Marcadores da organização do padrão discursivo narrativo: uma abordagem funcional centrada no uso

This thesis has as its object the Markers Organization Standard Narrative Discourse (MON), from its occurrence in oral and written corpora of different realizations of narrative discourse, considering its locus of occurrence in the narrative and discursive functioning. The research is guided by the Functional Linguistic Usage-Based, approach to which the organization of language is directly linked to the user experience, so that grammar is shaped by discourse. We examined only the narrative portions of Experience Reports, Tales and Legends in the oral and written, as follows: 3 inquiries Corpus Reports Remaining Quilombo (RN); 11 Corpus Legends legends of the Amazon, 14 Tales of Corpus Tales Brazilians and 21 Reports of experiences of Corpus and Discourse Grammar, with about 10,000 words in each corpus. A total of 22 markers were identified, which were: (1) classified according to the locus of occurrence in the narrative structure, as Labov (1972), (2) associated, according to the type of pattern that occur in narrative discourse, (3) described from the discursive function they perform. The research has relevance to the extent it is based speech analysis and offers proposals for productive teaching of mother tongue in which students and teachers can, grounded in language studies, consider living language, as an object of study, based on the National Curriculum Guidelines (OCN) and making use of New Technologies of Information and Communication (NTIC)

AI, LA, ALI e AQUI: gramaticalização de um paradigma emergente no domínio funcional da especificação nominal

In the light of the Functional Linguistic Theory, in its North-American version (HOPPER, 1987, 1991, 1998, 2008, 2010; GIVÓN, 2001; LEHMANN, 2002; HOPPER; TRAUGOTT, 2003; FURTADO DA CUNHA; OLIVEIRA; MARTELOTTA, 2003, among others), the general objective of this research is to demonstrate, based on morphosyntactic and semantic-pragmatic properties, that AQUI (HERE), AÍ, ALI and LÁ (THERE) are part of an emerging paradigm in Brazilian Portuguese recently constituted and still developing of forms indicating specificity in indefinite noun phrases (NP). The data that make up the corpus of this research were collected in the following large Brazilian oral corpora: the Corpus Discurso & Gramática: a língua falada e escrita na cidade de Natal (FURTADO DA CUNHA, 1998), the Banco Conversacional de Natal (FURTADO DA CUNHA, 2010), the Projeto Variação Linguística no Estado da Paraíba VALPB (HORA, 2005) and the Projeto Variação Linguística Urbana na Região Sul do Brasil VARSUL (VANDRESEN, 2002). Firstly, the behavior of the specificity markings AQUI, AÍ, ALI and LÁ is described with respect to many factors of morphosyntactic and semantic-pragmatic nature: type of construction in which the markers appeared; existence or not of intervening material between the specificity marker item and the NP s nuclear noun; type of noun to which AQUI, AÍ, ALI and LÁ are linked; syntactic function of the specified SN; informational status of the NP to which the specificity markers AQUI, AÍ, ALI and LÁ are attached; occurrence of conversational implicatures (GRICE, 1982) in the context of use of these specificity markers. Next, a possible grammaticalization trajectory is outlined, according to which AQUI, AÍ, ALI and LÁ would had gone from an early spatial deictic indication to the specificity indication. The results point to the existence of forms with varying degree of emergence in this new paradigm of nominal specification, with AÍ being, probably, the item most grammaticalized, followed by LÁ, then ALI and AQUI, which permanence in the paradigm do not yet appear to be consolidated

A preparação de material terminológico em língua inglesa por meio de ferramentas linguístico-computacionais

O objetivo desse estudo é demonstrar, por meio de análise quantitativa e qualitativa, a eficácia de ferramentas linguístico-computacionais na seleção de terminologia para a produção de material terminológico. Serão apresentadas duas ferramentas linguístico-computacionais (WordSmith Tools e VocabProfile) e, também, sugestões para que o ensino de termos ofereça resultados práticos. A fundamentação teórico-metodológica recorreu a Barros (2004); Berber Sardinha (2000; 2005); Biderman (2001); Cabré (2007); Cobb (2007); Nation, (2003) e Sinclair (2004). O corpus da pesquisa foi constituído exclusivamente de material escrito na língua inglesa em diversas áreas de especialidade. Os procedimentos de preparação de material terminológico são exemplificados a partir de uma das áreas de especialidades utilizadas nos corpora de pesquisa, as Redes Neurais Artificiais. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a utilização do Wordsmith Tools juntamente com o VocabProfile pode fornecer dados importantes para a pesquisa linguistica.

Relação entre o desenvolvimento dos ovários e atividade dos Corpora Allata de operárias de Frieseomelitta silvestri languida (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

In the absence of the queen, a few workers of F. s. languida developed their ovaries forming nevertheless, only one follicle with a single oocyte which was unable to form yolk spheres. They never showed signals of degeneration or resorption. The corpora allata were homogeneous during all the 5 months of orphanage studied. Its activity might be low but constant, able to maintain the follicle entire, but unable to promote the yolk spheres assembly.

Uma reflexão sobre a elaboração de um léxico bilíngüe preliminar na subárea de cardiologia a partir do uso de termos encontrados em um corpus paralelo e em dois corpora comparáveis

O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi propor uma reflexão sobre o processo a ser utilizado para a elaboração de um léxico bilíngüe na subárea de cardiologia. Para tanto, tomamos como base os conceitos dos estudos da tradução baseados em corpus, da lingüística de corpus e da terminologia. Como material para compor os corpora utilizamos artigos de cardiologia escritos em português e traduzidos para o inglês, assim como artigos originalmente escritos em português e em inglês. Com base no léxico proposto, pudemos notar algumas diferenças e algumas correspondências de uso entre os termos que aparecem no subcorpus de estudo de textos originais e traduzidos e nos corpora comparáveis em português e em inglês. Essa diferença apontaria que os termos não seriam unívocos dentro dessa linguagem de especialidade devido às diferenças de uso pelos especialistas de cardiologia para designar um mesmo referente.