Read Anywhere and on Any Device!

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Join today and start reading your favorite books for Free!

Create Free Account

Learnability and the Lexicon

5/5 ( ratings)

This book provides a critical review of recent theories of semantics-syntax correspondences and makes new proposals for constraints on semantic structure relevant to syntax. Data from several languages are presented which suggest that semantic structure in root morphemes is subject to parametric variation which has effect across a variety of verb classes, including locatives, unaccusatives, and psych verbs.The implications for first and second language acquisition are discussed. In particular, it is suggested that different parametric settings may lead to a learnability problem if adult learners do not retain access to sensitivity to underlying semantic organization and morphological differences between languages provided by Universal Grammar.

An experiment with Chinese-speaking learners of English is presented which shows that learners initially transfer L1 semantic organization to the L2, but are able to retreat from overgeneralisations and achieve native-like grammars in this area.

Suggestions for further research in this rapidly developing area of theory and acquisition research are also made.

Language: English

Pages: 277

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Release: August 23, 1996

ISBN: 9027224781

ISBN 13: 9789027224781

Learnability and the Lexicon

5/5 ( ratings)

This book provides a critical review of recent theories of semantics-syntax correspondences and makes new proposals for constraints on semantic structure relevant to syntax. Data from several languages are presented which suggest that semantic structure in root morphemes is subject to parametric variation which has effect across a variety of verb classes, including locatives, unaccusatives, and psych verbs.The implications for first and second language acquisition are discussed. In particular, it is suggested that different parametric settings may lead to a learnability problem if adult learners do not retain access to sensitivity to underlying semantic organization and morphological differences between languages provided by Universal Grammar.

An experiment with Chinese-speaking learners of English is presented which shows that learners initially transfer L1 semantic organization to the L2, but are able to retreat from overgeneralisations and achieve native-like grammars in this area.

Suggestions for further research in this rapidly developing area of theory and acquisition research are also made.

Language: English

Pages: 277

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Release: August 23, 1996

ISBN: 9027224781

ISBN 13: 9789027224781

More books from Alan Juffs

Second Language Sentence Processing / Alan Juffs and Guillermo A. Rodriguez, University of Pittsburgh and University of Vermont

The International Student's Guide to Writing a Research Paper (Pitt Series In English As A Second Language)

Second Language Sentence Processing

Academic Vocabulary Building in English, Low-Intermediate: Volume 1

Academic Vocabulary Building in English, Intermediate: Volume 2

The International Student's Guide to Writing a Research Paper

Second Language Sentence Processing

Second Language Sentence Processing (Cognitive Science and Second Language Acquisition Series)

Second Language Sentence Processing

Rate this book!

Write a review?