Languages

24 pages, 3035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heritage Spanish in Montreal: An Analysis of Clitics in Spontaneous Production Data

by Noelia Burdeus-Domingo, Anahí Alba de la Fuente and Ismael I. Teomiro

Languages 2024, 9(11), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110355 - 20 Nov 2024

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This study investigates clitic use in adult heritage speakers (HL speakers) of Spanish, with French as their dominant language. We conducted an exploratory case study using spontaneous production data from HL speakers of Spanish and first-generation Spanish immigrants living in Montreal, Canada. Data [...] Read more.

This study investigates clitic use in adult heritage speakers (HL speakers) of Spanish, with French as their dominant language. We conducted an exploratory case study using spontaneous production data from HL speakers of Spanish and first-generation Spanish immigrants living in Montreal, Canada. Data were collected through two guided production tasks, one oral and one written, to account for task-induced performance variations. Our analysis focused on clitic production, omission, function, optionality, and grammaticality. The findings reveal both similarities and differences compared to monolingual native Spanish speakers, highlighting a broad range of clitic structures produced by all participants and a potential tendency among HL speakers to favour fixed choices in optional structures. This study provides valuable insights into the production patterns of clitics in adult HL speakers of Spanish with French as their dominant language, contributing to our understanding of bilingual grammar. Full article

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19 pages, 367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The SEC Spanish Consortium: Foundations for Linguistic Gratuity and Language Documentation Among Latinx Populations in New Destination Communities of the U.S. South

by Stephen Fafulas, Chad Howe, Rafael Orozco, Alicia Cipria, Erin O’Rourke, Nina Moreno and Matthew J. Van Hoose

Languages 2024, 9(11), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110354 - 20 Nov 2024

Viewed by 345

Abstract

Latinx populations in the USA have grown steadily in recent decades, with significant increases taking place in “new destination communities” of the U.S. South. The focus of our paper is to highlight opportunities for working with these populations, including traditional sociolinguistic ethnographies and [...] Read more.

Latinx populations in the USA have grown steadily in recent decades, with significant increases taking place in “new destination communities” of the U.S. South. The focus of our paper is to highlight opportunities for working with these populations, including traditional sociolinguistic ethnographies and community-engaged research. We highlight an initiative named “The SEC Spanish Consortium” which is an interinstitutional collaboration centered on scholarship and service involving Latinx populations in new destination communities of the U.S. South. We show that ongoing and future scholarly work in the U.S. South can act as a mechanism for documenting these emerging Latinx communities while simultaneously serving the underrepresented and minority speakers of these linguistic varieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spanish in the US: A Sociolinguistic Approach)

15 pages, 709 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ethnolinguistic Vitality in Minority Schoolscape

by Erika-Mária Tódor and Ildikó Vančo

Languages 2024, 9(11), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110353 - 20 Nov 2024

Viewed by 302

Abstract

School is often said to be a representation of society because its primary aim is to promote integration into society. This study of the landscape elements of minority language schools suggests that this type of linguistic landscape may not only reflect a change [...] Read more.

School is often said to be a representation of society because its primary aim is to promote integration into society. This study of the landscape elements of minority language schools suggests that this type of linguistic landscape may not only reflect a change in linguistic dominance but can also play a complementary role compared to the external, out-of-school world. In this paper, the authors attempt to explore a new way of interpreting the notion of the linguistic landscape of schools. The novelty of this approach lies in the application of a spatial theoretical concept, where the schoolscape is defined as an element of autopoietic space—a self-constituting spatial element. Within this autopoietic framework, markers of ethnolinguistic vitality in the linguistic landscape of minority language schools are identified, and a set of criteria is established that can be applied to other communities. The conclusions are drawn from a comparative analysis of the linguistic landscapes of Hungarian-medium schools in Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenging the Paradigm of Bi/Multilingual Research)

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27 pages, 2952 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicting Discrimination in L3 Portuguese by Hungarian Speakers: The Effect of Perceptual Overlap

by Gabriela Tavares, Andrea Deme and Susana Correia

Languages 2024, 9(11), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110352 - 20 Nov 2024

Viewed by 304

Abstract

Perceptual overlap has been attested as significantly contributing to difficulties in L2 speech perception. The current study aims at investigating whether this effect is also observable in the context of L3, specifically in the perception of European Portuguese oral vowels by Hungarian listeners. [...] Read more.

Perceptual overlap has been attested as significantly contributing to difficulties in L2 speech perception. The current study aims at investigating whether this effect is also observable in the context of L3, specifically in the perception of European Portuguese oral vowels by Hungarian listeners. We crossed the results of two experiments—a categorization task and a discrimination task—and found that perceptual overlap is also a significant factor in L3 perception. Furthermore, we compared different measures of perceptual overlap as predictors for discrimination abilities of L3 vowel contrasts. Namely, we compared perceptual overlap scores calculated on group means and scores based on individual results. None of the measures was conclusively more reliable than another in predicting differences in discrimination difficulties. However, accuracy in perception of EP contrasts or vowels absent from the Hungarian vocalic system was significantly lower than for the other vowels, suggesting that non-nativeness can cause difficulties in L3 perception. Additionally, participants who also reported knowledge of German performed more accurately in discrimination of contrasts that included the vowel [ɐ], a vowel absent from their L1 but present in the German vocalic system, indicating a positive effect of knowledge of languages previously acquired on L3 perception. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Investigation of L3 Speech Perception)

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22 pages, 9980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond “I Didn’t Do It”: A Linguistic Analysis of Denial in US Legal Settings

by Elena Didoni and Claudia Roberta Combei

Languages 2024, 9(11), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110351 - 19 Nov 2024

Viewed by 309

Abstract

This paper investigates the multimodal manifestations of denial in US legal contexts, in the English language, by analyzing police interviews and cross-examinations. The research uses a 13-h corpus of video recordings portraying five male suspects, aged 20–44, eventually charged and convicted of femicide. [...] Read more.

This paper investigates the multimodal manifestations of denial in US legal contexts, in the English language, by analyzing police interviews and cross-examinations. The research uses a 13-h corpus of video recordings portraying five male suspects, aged 20–44, eventually charged and convicted of femicide. We deploy techniques from conversation analysis, multimodal analysis, and speech processing, using tools like ELAN, Praat, WebMAUS, and Python libraries to transcribe, annotate, and analyze audio–video data. This exploratory study identifies several recurring patterns in prosodic and gestural cues associated with denial. In particular, our results indicate a prototypical multimodal denial characterized by a predominant gestural component: head positioning (neutral or lowered) and head shaking. This gestural expression is frequently repeated and can also function independently as a nonverbal marker of denial. Denial is also often accompanied by open-hand gestures, sitting upright posture, and a certain degree of vagueness in speech. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the expression of denial often involves a reduction in pitch and intensity following the confession or indictment. The analysis of pauses before denial instances reveals that a greater number of pauses typically occurs after incrimination. Overall, this study shows that there is an interesting interplay between verbal and nonverbal features of denial in legal interactions, underscoring the need for further analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Forensic and Legal Linguistics)

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22 pages, 3850 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Perception of European Portuguese Mid-Vowels by Ukrainian–Russian Bilinguals

by Vita V. Kogan and Gabriela Tavares

Languages 2024, 9(11), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110350 - 18 Nov 2024

Viewed by 432

Abstract

Mid-vowel contrasts often present perceptual challenges for speakers of languages that lack these distinctions. However, bilingual speakers, who have access to two phonological systems and exhibit greater metalinguistic awareness, might not necessarily encounter such difficulties. In this study, 27 Ukrainian–Russian bilinguals listened to [...] Read more.

Mid-vowel contrasts often present perceptual challenges for speakers of languages that lack these distinctions. However, bilingual speakers, who have access to two phonological systems and exhibit greater metalinguistic awareness, might not necessarily encounter such difficulties. In this study, 27 Ukrainian–Russian bilinguals listened to an unfamiliar language, European Portuguese, and completed two tasks: an identification task where they assimilated the seven stressed oral Portuguese vowels to the closest Ukrainian categories and a discrimination task featuring the Portuguese vowel contrasts /ɛ/–/e/, /e/–/i/, /ɔ/–/o/, and /o/–/u/. No bilingual advantage was observed: the discrimination performance on all contrasts was slightly above or near a chance level (A-prime scores varied between 0.55 and 0.20). These perceptual difficulties may be attributed to the acoustic similarities between the vowels within the contrasts rather than to the differences between the phonological inventories of the languages (the most challenging contrast was not a mid-vowel contrast but acoustically similar /o/–/u/). Although with the back mid-vowel contrast, the difficulty seems to also stem from the possibility that both Ukrainian and Russian have only one back mid-vowel, /o/, and this category occupies a wider area in the vowel space of Ukrainian–Russian bilinguals. The results suggest that bilingual advantage does not always manifest itself in the perception of a new language, especially if two typologically close languages are involved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Investigation of L3 Speech Perception)

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34 pages, 1718 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lyrical Code-Switching, Multimodal Intertextuality, and Identity in Popular Music

by Michael D. Picone

Languages 2024, 9(11), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110349 - 14 Nov 2024

Viewed by 616

Abstract

Augmenting the author’s prior research on lyrical code-switching, as presented in Picone, “Artistic Codemixing”, published in 2002, various conceptual frameworks are made explicit, namely the enlistment of multimodal and intertextual approaches for their methodological usefulness in analyzing and interpreting message-making that incorporates lyrical [...] Read more.

Augmenting the author’s prior research on lyrical code-switching, as presented in Picone, “Artistic Codemixing”, published in 2002, various conceptual frameworks are made explicit, namely the enlistment of multimodal and intertextual approaches for their methodological usefulness in analyzing and interpreting message-making that incorporates lyrical code-switching as one of its components. Conceived as a bipolarity, the rooted (or local) and the transcendent (or global), each having advantages in the negotiation of identity, is also applied to the analysis. New departures include the introduction of the notion of “curated lyrical code-switching” for the purpose of analyzing songs in which multiple performers are assigned lyrics in different languages, as a function of their respective proficiencies, as curated by the person or persons having authorial agency and taking stock of the social semiotics relevant to the anticipated audience. Moving beyond the negotiation of the identity of the code-switching composer or performer, in another new departure, attention is paid to the musical identity of the listener. As a reflection of the breadth of lyrical code-switching, a rich assortment of examples draws from the musical art of Beyoncé, Jon Batiste, Stromae, Shakira, BTS, NewJeans, Indigenous songsmiths, Cajun songsmiths, Latin Pop and Hip-Hop artists, songs composed for international sports events, and other sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interface between Sociolinguistics and Music)

20 pages, 2504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tundra Nenets: A Heritage Language in Its Own Land? Linguistic Identity and Language Loss

by Polina Berezovskaya

Languages 2024, 9(11), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110348 - 14 Nov 2024

Viewed by 628

Abstract

Through fieldwork conducted between 2014 and 2016 in Arkhangelsk, Naryan-Mar, Krasnoye, and Saint Petersburg, this paper investigates the endangered status of Tundra Nenets, an underrepresented and understudied Samoyedic minority language in northern Russia. Criteria for assessing language endangerment are applied to Tundra Nenets [...] Read more.

Through fieldwork conducted between 2014 and 2016 in Arkhangelsk, Naryan-Mar, Krasnoye, and Saint Petersburg, this paper investigates the endangered status of Tundra Nenets, an underrepresented and understudied Samoyedic minority language in northern Russia. Criteria for assessing language endangerment are applied to Tundra Nenets while also taking into consideration the interplay between language identity, reactive ethnicity, negative attitudes, and state politics. The personal story of NC, a Tundra Nenets woman, serves as a case study and exemplifies the impact of decades of marginalization, stigmatization, and discrimination on the cultural and linguistic identity. NC’s narrative illustrates how negative attitudes are exacerbating the decline of Tundra Nenets, further threatening its survival. Because of its absence from schools and institutions, Tundra Nenets seems to be turning into a heritage language in its own homeland. This paper studies the complex interplay between identity, language, and societal pressures, illustrating the broader challenges faced by the Tundra Nenets and other minority communities in maintaining their linguistic and cultural heritage. While the situation remains dire and political action is called for, efforts in boosting language awareness, documentation, and revitalization offer potential pathways for the preservation of Tundra Nenets, drawing on successful examples from other endangered language communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linguistic Practices in Heritage Language Acquisition)

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25 pages, 1568 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reflexive-Reciprocal Syncretism in Eastern Bantu Languages of Tanzania: Distribution and Origins

by Aron Zahran and Sebastian Dom

Languages 2024, 9(11), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110347 - 8 Nov 2024

Viewed by 964

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the distribution of reflexive-reciprocal syncretism in Eastern Bantu languages spoken in Tanzania. Most Bantu languages encode reflexive and reciprocal constructions by means of two distinct verbal affixes. However, the Tanzanian Eastern Bantu languages under study have developed [...] Read more.

This paper presents an overview of the distribution of reflexive-reciprocal syncretism in Eastern Bantu languages spoken in Tanzania. Most Bantu languages encode reflexive and reciprocal constructions by means of two distinct verbal affixes. However, the Tanzanian Eastern Bantu languages under study have developed reflexive-reciprocal syncretism, in which the originally reflexive prefix has developed into a polyfunctional morpheme coding both reflexive and reciprocal constructions, to the detriment of the original reciprocal suffix. In a sample of 79 languages, reflexive-reciprocal syncretism is attested in 27 neighboring languages, thus constituting a clear areal feature. We propose that reflexive-reciprocal syncretism is not a language-internal innovation but was rather adopted from neighboring non-Bantu languages and subsequently spread out to its current distribution. We locate the heart of this contact-induced spread in the Tanzanian Rift Valley, a convergence zone in north-central Tanzania where languages from multiple African language families are spoken and have been in contact for an extensive period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments on the Diachrony and Typology of Bantu Languages)

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19 pages, 3739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Segmenting Speech: The Role of Resyllabification in Spanish Phonology

by Iván Andreu Rascón

Languages 2024, 9(11), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110346 - 7 Nov 2024

Viewed by 417

Abstract

Humans segment speech naturally based on the transitional probabilities between linguistic elements. For bilingual speakers navigating between a first (L1) and a second language (L2), L1 knowledge can influence their perception, leading to transfer effects based on phonological similarities or differences. Specifically, in [...] Read more.

Humans segment speech naturally based on the transitional probabilities between linguistic elements. For bilingual speakers navigating between a first (L1) and a second language (L2), L1 knowledge can influence their perception, leading to transfer effects based on phonological similarities or differences. Specifically, in Spanish, resyllabification occurs when consonants at the end of a syllable or word boundary are repositioned as the onset of the subsequent syllable. While the process can lead to ambiguities in perception, current academic discussions debate the duration of canonical and resyllabified productions. However, the role of bilingualism in the visual perception of syllable and word segmentation remains unknown to date. The present study explores the use of bilingual skills in the perception of articulatory movements and visual cues in speech perception, addressing the gap in the literature regarding the visibility of syllable pauses in lipreading. The participants in this study, 80 native Spanish speakers and 195 L2 learners, were subjected to audio, visual-only, and audiovisual conditions to assess their segmentation accuracy. The results indicated that both groups could segment speech effectively, with audiovisual cues providing the most significant benefit. Native speakers performed more consistently, while proficiency influenced L2 learners’ accuracy. The results show that aural syllabic segmentation is acquired at early stages of proficiency, while visual syllabic segmentation is acquired at higher levels of proficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Language Experience on Speech Perception and Speech Production)

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2 pages, 180 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Languages: Elevating Excellence and Diversifying Perspectives

by Anthony Pak-Hin Kong and Jeanine Treffers-Daller

Languages 2024, 9(11), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110345 - 7 Nov 2024

Viewed by 355

Abstract

After two years in the job of Editor-in-Chief, it is my pleasure to welcome Professor Anthony Pak-Hin Kong from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Languages [...] Full article

30 pages, 1991 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adding a Piece to the Puzzle: Children’s Exposure to Idioms

by Jacolien van Rij, Floris H. Uithof, Sanne Poelstra, Stephen M. Jones and Simone A. Sprenger

Languages 2024, 9(11), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110344 - 1 Nov 2024

Viewed by 523

Abstract

Idioms are figurative multiword expressions that need to be learned as part of the native phrasal vocabulary. While it has been shown that non-figurative multiword expressions are acquired with language exposure, the learning process for idioms may be different because the figurative meaning [...] Read more.

Idioms are figurative multiword expressions that need to be learned as part of the native phrasal vocabulary. While it has been shown that non-figurative multiword expressions are acquired with language exposure, the learning process for idioms may be different because the figurative meaning adds complexity to the learning task. Idiom vocabulary overall develops relatively late, but it is unknown to what extent children are exposed to idioms, and what kinds of idioms they encounter. Here, we investigated children’s idiom exposure and its effect on the development of idiom vocabulary in three studies: we explore the frequency of a well-tested set of Dutch idioms in a corpus of child literature, test idiom familiarity in a controlled setting in primary school children, and compare those findings to a set of online familiarity ratings. We find that children’s idiom exposure differs from adult idiom exposure, when comparing idiom frequencies based on children’s books and a corpus with resources for adults. Idiom decomposability and idiom frequencies from the children’s books, but not frequencies from the adult corpus, influenced the familiarity ratings of older children, suggesting that language exposure and idiom characteristics, such as decomposability, both play a role in idiom acquisition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Idiomatic and Formulaic Language: Learning, Processing and Representation)

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23 pages, 3561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“It’s a Bit Tricky, Isn’t It?”—An Acoustic Study of Contextual Variation in /ɪ/ in the Conversational Speech of Young People from Perth

by Gerard Docherty, Paul Foulkes and Simon Gonzalez

Languages 2024, 9(11), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110343 - 31 Oct 2024

Viewed by 498

Abstract

This study presents an acoustic analysis of vowel realisations in contexts where, in Australian English, a historical contrast between unstressed /ɪ/ and /ə/ has largely diminished in favour of a central schwa-like variant. The study is motivated by indications that there is greater [...] Read more.

This study presents an acoustic analysis of vowel realisations in contexts where, in Australian English, a historical contrast between unstressed /ɪ/ and /ə/ has largely diminished in favour of a central schwa-like variant. The study is motivated by indications that there is greater complexity in this area of vowel variation than has been conventionally set out in the existing literature, and our goal is to shed new light by studying a dataset of conversational speech produced by 40 young speakers from Perth, WA. In doing so, we also offer some critical thoughts on the use of Wells’ lexical sets as a framework for analysis in work of this kind, in particular with reference to the treatment of items in unstressed position, and of grammatical (or function) words. The acoustic analysis focused on the realisation in F1/F2 space of a range of /ɪ/ and /ə/ variants in both accented and unaccented syllables (thus a broader approach than a focus on stressed kit vowels). For the purposes of comparison, we also analysed tokens of the fleece and happy-tensing lexical sets. Grammatical and non-grammatical words were analysed independently in order to understand the extent to which a high-frequency grammatical word such as it might contribute to the overall pattern of vowel alternation. Our findings are largely consistent with the small amount of previous work that has been carried out in this area, pointing to a continuum of realisations across a range of accented and unaccented contexts. The data suggest that the reduced historical /ɪ/ vowel encountered in unaccented syllables cannot be straightforwardly analysed as a merger with /ə/. We also highlight the way in which the grammatical word it participates in this alternation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Australian English)

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33 pages, 695 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Negative Dependencies in Turkish

by Beste Kamali and Hedde Zeijlstra

Languages 2024, 9(11), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110342 - 31 Oct 2024

Viewed by 508

Abstract

In this paper, we provide an overview of negative dependencies in Turkish. The first are elements such as hiçkimse, which sometimes seem to mean ‘anybody’ and sometimes ‘nobody’. We argue that unlike a standard Negative Polarity Item (NPI) like English anybody, [...] Read more.

In this paper, we provide an overview of negative dependencies in Turkish. The first are elements such as hiçkimse, which sometimes seem to mean ‘anybody’ and sometimes ‘nobody’. We argue that unlike a standard Negative Polarity Item (NPI) like English anybody, these items should be analyzed as neg-words licensed under Negative Concord (NC). We also discuss further properties of these items, including whether they are universals or existentials. The second set of items that display a negative dependency are universal quantifiers such as herkes ‘everybody’. Unlike their counterparts in many languages, these items obligatorily scope under negation, which raises the question of why a universal is sensitive to negation in the way it is. We account for this behavior in terms of negative polarity sensitivity based on a referentiality requirement we dub the Non-Entailment-of-Non-Existence Condition, following a particular analysis of a class of NPIs in Mandarin. The final case of negative dependency we evaluate is modals that have to scope under or above negation. These cases constitute instances of polarity sensitivity in English and beyond, especially clearly in the case of modal PPIs. We show that in Turkish, however, they do not, and the apparent negative dependency follows from the syntax of Tense-aspect-modality (TAM) morphology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theoretical Studies on Turkic Languages)

32 pages, 3294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Children’s Multilectal Repertoires: Diglossic Style-Shifting by Palestinian Children and Adolescents in Syria

by Ourooba Shetewi, Karen P. Corrigan and Ghada Khattab

Languages 2024, 9(11), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110341 - 30 Oct 2024

Viewed by 818

Abstract

Arabic diglossia, whereby Standard Arabic (SA) exists alongside numerous vernaculars, often leads to diglossic style-shifting, based on context or topic changes and marked in the vernacular by shifting to standard linguistic features. While this phenomenon has been widely studied in the speech of [...] Read more.

Arabic diglossia, whereby Standard Arabic (SA) exists alongside numerous vernaculars, often leads to diglossic style-shifting, based on context or topic changes and marked in the vernacular by shifting to standard linguistic features. While this phenomenon has been widely studied in the speech of educated adults, research on diglossic style-shifting by children and adolescents has been rather limited. This paper investigates how it operates amongst 3–17-year-olds from a Bedouin speech community of Palestinian refugees in Syria. It examines context effects on realizations of the variables (θ) and (ð), which overlap with local realizations and (q), which has a standard realization ([q]) that is independent of dialectal variation in the community. Participants were recorded during sociolinguistic interviews and a picture-naming task, the latter being expected to evoke a school setting and prompt the use of more standard realizations, signaling diglossic style-shifting in their speech. Style-shifting was influenced by age, context, and the linguistic variables under examination. While picture-naming prompted greater use of standard realizations of all variables, shifting to [q] also appeared during the interview in lexical borrowings from SA, revealing topic effects on diglossic style-shifting. Children aged 6–14 exhibited more style-shifting in picture-naming, likely reflecting the central role of school in their lives, while the speech of 15–17-year-olds contained more lexical borrowing with [q]. This likely reflects their larger linguistic repertoires and longer exposure to SA than their younger peers. These findings indicate that SA plays a key role in participants’ linguistic practices and reflect their awareness of how to employ it appropriately in their speech. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sociolinguistic Studies: Insights from Arabic)

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15 pages, 398 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unlocking the Power of Oom and Tannie: How Forms of Address Shape Perception and Respect in Afrikaans

by Carla Ellis

Languages 2024, 9(11), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110340 - 30 Oct 2024

Viewed by 516

Abstract

Although some research on forms of address toward adults in the South African context has been conducted in the past, there remains a gap regarding the use of oom and tannie as a specific informal Afrikaans form of address. This study comprises both [...] Read more.

Although some research on forms of address toward adults in the South African context has been conducted in the past, there remains a gap regarding the use of oom and tannie as a specific informal Afrikaans form of address. This study comprises both a review of the existing literature and an empirical investigation to address this gap. A mixed-methods approach was used to conduct the empirical investigation. Quantitative data were collected through electronic questionnaires completed by adults and learners. Qualitative data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews. Analysis of the data indicated that the use of oom and tannie is still prevalent in the Afrikaans-speaking community, demonstrating a high frequency of use. From the data, it becomes evident that age, respect, familiarity, social class, and status serve as determining factors in the use of oom and tannie. The age difference between speaker and addressee that serves as the accepted norm for using oom and tannie remains ten years or more. It seems that the Afrikaans community is moving toward a more informal and solidary society, with oom and tannie or first names being preferred over the use of titles. Without a doubt, oom and tannie are used in the Afrikaans community as alternative forms of respect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perception and Processing of Address Terms)

22 pages, 427 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Escape from Noun Complement Clauses in Avatime

by Travis Major and Harold Torrence

Languages 2024, 9(11), 339; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110339 - 29 Oct 2024

Viewed by 396

Abstract

This paper discusses the status of island phenomena in Avatime, an endangered Kwa language of Ghana. We focus on clausal adjuncts, specifically noun complement clauses (NCCs). We show that while standard adjuncts are strong islands in Avatime, NCCs allow argument extraction. We suggest [...] Read more.

This paper discusses the status of island phenomena in Avatime, an endangered Kwa language of Ghana. We focus on clausal adjuncts, specifically noun complement clauses (NCCs). We show that while standard adjuncts are strong islands in Avatime, NCCs allow argument extraction. We suggest that this is related to the fact that NCCs in Avatime are not a type of relative clause. Instead, NCCs involve a kind of serial verb construction, which independently allows for extraction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Escaping African ‘Islands’)

27 pages, 6778 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phonetic Diversity vs. Sociolinguistic and Phonological Patterning of R in Québec French

by Mathilde Hutin and Mélanie Lancien

Languages 2024, 9(11), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110338 - 29 Oct 2024

Viewed by 578

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the multifaceted realizations of the /R/ consonant in Québec French (QF) by combining sociolinguistic and phonological approaches. First, from a sociophonetic point of view, we utilize a mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the impact of various [...] Read more.

In this study, we investigate the multifaceted realizations of the /R/ consonant in Québec French (QF) by combining sociolinguistic and phonological approaches. First, from a sociophonetic point of view, we utilize a mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the impact of various variables on the distribution of /R/ variants. Our analysis of location, birth year and gender reveals that each variable and its interactions significantly influence the distribution of /R/ variants. We identify three distinct speaker groups based on their preferences for these variants: those favoring apical variants, those using uvular trills, and those employing neither apical nor uvular trills (mostly using fricatives and their approximantized or vocalized variants). From a phonological point of view, we show that the use of the /R/ variants among the three groups correlates with syllabic position, with weaker variants displayed in so-called “weakening” contexts, such as coda and intervocalic onset. Our results thus show that the apparent diversity of /R/ realizations in QF actually follows a pattern from both a sociolinguistic and a formal phonological point of view. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phonetic and Phonological Complexity in Romance Languages)

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15 pages, 685 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Retelling of Stories with Common Phrasal Expressions by High-Proficiency Learners: Implications for Learning and High-Stakes Testing

by David Gregory Coulson

Languages 2024, 9(11), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110337 - 29 Oct 2024

Viewed by 771

Abstract

The goal of this research was to investigate how well L2 English speakers of different proficiency levels were able to perform on a test of auditory memory like that used in the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). In this test, participants must retell heard [...] Read more.

The goal of this research was to investigate how well L2 English speakers of different proficiency levels were able to perform on a test of auditory memory like that used in the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). In this test, participants must retell heard stories. While the validity of elicited imitation tests is well established in second-language acquisition research, the effectiveness of using retelling as a neuropsychological measurement when a language other than the test taker’s L1 is used is unclear. Further, due to their importance in memory function, this study also analyzed the role of common phrasal expressions in how well participants retold stories in three groups of different proficiency. The results indicated that the increase in scores in the retelling of stories aligned with the proficiency level of the non-native participants. Higher-proficiency NNSs were also able to use more of the commonly used spoken phrases in their retelling. Further, there was no difference in this measure between the higher-proficiency Second-Language English and First-Language English participants. While the effectiveness of this test method as a neuropsychological tool when a language other than the test taker’s L1 is used is unclear, these results indicate significant progress by the higher-proficiency participants. Nevertheless, given that this test is often used in this context with immigrants and minority language patients, doubts remain about its suitability for less proficient individuals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vocabulary Studies in L1 and L2 Development: The Interface between Theory and Practice)

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15 pages, 346 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Classroom Teaching and Learning of Multi-Word Expressions for Conversational Use Through Action Research with Learner Feedback

by Haidee Thomson

Languages 2024, 9(11), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110336 - 28 Oct 2024

Viewed by 873

Abstract

Multi-word expressions make up a large proportion of the English language and particularly spoken language. Using multi-word expressions can assist with the impression of fluency, making them useful for language learners to know and use. However, proven methods for teaching this language phenomenon [...] Read more.

Multi-word expressions make up a large proportion of the English language and particularly spoken language. Using multi-word expressions can assist with the impression of fluency, making them useful for language learners to know and use. However, proven methods for teaching this language phenomenon are required, so that learners can easily use multi-word expressions in their conversations. The purpose of the study was to examine the efficacy of a fluency workshop focused on multi-word expression use in conversation and to determine the most appropriate implementation for the Japanese context. An action research structure was used over three iterations of the fluency workshop, learner feedback and teacher observations were used to make improvements. Learner feedback regarding the usefulness of each activity for learning English was compared between the original cohort and subsequent cohorts. The results showed significant differences in levels of perceived usefulness for activities where improvements were made, but also for some activities where no specific improvement was made, suggesting that teaching improves through practice. Pedagogical implications include maximising the time on task via clear instructions, providing visual time constraints, and offering scaffolding to support the use of multi-word expressions when recall seems beyond a learner. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vocabulary Studies in L1 and L2 Development: The Interface between Theory and Practice)

10 pages, 926 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Methodological Approaches to Online Serbian Heritage Language Instruction

by Ana Krstić and Branimir Stanković

Languages 2024, 9(11), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110335 - 28 Oct 2024

Viewed by 481

Abstract

In this paper, we propose adequate methodological approaches for Serbian as a heritage language based on the critical analysis of the existing Serbian Ministry of Education’s Curriculum for Serbian as a foreign language. This curriculum is recommended for use in Serbian heritage language [...] Read more.

In this paper, we propose adequate methodological approaches for Serbian as a heritage language based on the critical analysis of the existing Serbian Ministry of Education’s Curriculum for Serbian as a foreign language. This curriculum is recommended for use in Serbian heritage language education; however, it has been shown to be insufficiently effective in the classroom. The methods in question should benefit heritage speakers the most, such as communication-based methods and form-focused instruction, which enhance metalinguistic awareness. Additionally, we suggest an integrative model of teaching as we believe that cross-cultural approaches positively impact both types of students. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linguistic Practices in Heritage Language Acquisition)

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18 pages, 802 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Logical Spaces and Subjunctive Tenses

by Rui Marques

Languages 2024, 9(11), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110334 - 26 Oct 2024

Viewed by 470

Abstract

Apparently, Subjunctive tenses express temporal location, and, in some constructions, the past subjunctive can also express modal values. A long-standing debate exists over whether—even in the latter case—verbal tenses are temporal operators or whether in some constructions they convey temporal meaning, and in [...] Read more.

Apparently, Subjunctive tenses express temporal location, and, in some constructions, the past subjunctive can also express modal values. A long-standing debate exists over whether—even in the latter case—verbal tenses are temporal operators or whether in some constructions they convey temporal meaning, and in others they have a modal value, maybe derived from their basic temporal meaning. The assumption that the basic meaning of subjunctive tenses are of a temporal nature is challenged by the fact that the future subjunctive, which exists in Portuguese, has the same temporal interpretation as the present subjunctive, with which it is in complementary distribution. Moreover, no clear modal difference is observed between the future and present subjunctive tenses. In this paper, I present arguments against the separation of the temporal and modal values of the subjunctive tenses. I posit, instead, that a semantic analysis of subjunctive morphemes must consider ordered pairs of times and possible worlds; only in this way can we adequately capture the observed data and allow a comprehensive view of the system of subjunctive tenses in Portuguese (which will be extendable to Romance languages in general). If we accept this proposal, then the modal as temporal information associated with subjunctive tenses follows naturally, including the systematic futurate reading of subjunctive temporal clauses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Semantics and Meaning Representation)

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22 pages, 1063 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On Genre as the Primary Unit of Language (Not Only) in Law

by Dieter Stein

Languages 2024, 9(11), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110333 - 25 Oct 2024

Viewed by 529

Abstract

Taking as points of departure modern pragmatic theory and the information-theoretic view of communication offered by Levinson, this paper re-defines the notion of “genre” as a primarily top-down functioning kind of pre-existing, conventionalized package deal in construing meaning. As a consequence, this paper [...] Read more.

Taking as points of departure modern pragmatic theory and the information-theoretic view of communication offered by Levinson, this paper re-defines the notion of “genre” as a primarily top-down functioning kind of pre-existing, conventionalized package deal in construing meaning. As a consequence, this paper argues for relativizing the role of code (langue), given information in favor of pre-existing pragmatic-functional knowledge in “making meaning”. This discussion is focused on law, which is where the issue of whether and how much meaning is “in the text”, and what it means to be “in the text” is theoretically and practically paramount. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Forensic and Legal Linguistics)

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35 pages, 1781 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is the Foot a Prosodic Domain in European Portuguese?

by Marina Vigário and Violeta Martínez-Paricio

Languages 2024, 9(11), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110332 - 24 Oct 2024

Viewed by 504

Abstract

It is widely accepted that languages organize speech material into prosodic domains, which are hierarchically arranged. However, it is still a matter of debate whether this prosodic hierarchy is composed of a small number of universal categories, or whether these prosodic categories are [...] Read more.

It is widely accepted that languages organize speech material into prosodic domains, which are hierarchically arranged. However, it is still a matter of debate whether this prosodic hierarchy is composed of a small number of universal categories, or whether these prosodic categories are language-particular and emergent. In this article, we concentrate on one of these categories, the foot, and we investigate its role in European Portuguese (EP). Whereas research on EP has shown that other prosodic domains commonly found crosslinguistically are active in the language, it seems that EP may lack this prosodic constituent. Therefore, the goal of this article is to systematically investigate the role of the foot in a number of areas within EP grammar. In our study, we defend some new approaches to several long-standing issues in EP phonology and we conclude that many facts of the language can be, in fact, better understood resorting to the foot domain. Namely, the distribution of stress in the most frequent morphological classes (thematic non-verbs and present tense verbs), -inh-/-zinh- diminutive formation, the domain for regular vowel reduction, obligatory glide formation, the stress window, and poetic rhyme seem to benefit from a metrically-governed account. By contrast, other facts, such as vowel lowering, word clipping, minimal words, secondary stress, and schwa deletion are shown not to be conditioned by the foot in EP. Importantly, the evidence we found for metrical structure only cues the prominent foot of the word, suggesting that pretonic material may not be footed. All in all, in addition to shedding light on facts previously poorly understood, and exposing some noteworthy specificities of EP in the realm of Romance languages and other varieties of Portuguese, we draw implications for the universal characterization of the prosodic hierarchy and its acquisition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phonetic and Phonological Complexity in Romance Languages)

18 pages, 1867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dead or Alive: A Lifetime Effect of Pomak Nominal Tense in a Self-Paced Reading Experiment

by Evangelia Adamou and Seçkin Arslan

Languages 2024, 9(11), 331; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110331 - 23 Oct 2024

Viewed by 721

Abstract

Nominal tense is a cross-linguistically rare and understudied phenomenon, with past vs. non-past being the minimal distinction. In some languages, past nominal tense implies the reading ‘deceased’, while in others, lifetime effects (i.e., implicatures about whether an individual is dead or alive) restrict [...] Read more.

Nominal tense is a cross-linguistically rare and understudied phenomenon, with past vs. non-past being the minimal distinction. In some languages, past nominal tense implies the reading ‘deceased’, while in others, lifetime effects (i.e., implicatures about whether an individual is dead or alive) restrict its use with permanent properties (as with kinship terms). In our study, we investigate for the first time the online processing of lifetime effects in sentences with past nominal tense and kinship terms following contextual information about an individual’s lifetime status (dead or alive). An end-of-sentence acceptability judgment task completes the study. Evidence comes from 25 speakers of Pomak (Slavic, Greece) who use the realis past suffix to form, among others, definite articles, contrasting with a generic suffix for the future, habitual, and irrealis. In collaboration with a local Pomak research assistant, we prepared 80 experimental sentences with past nominal tense in four conditions, manipulating Lifetime Status (dead × alive) and Tense Concord between nominal and verbal tense/aspect (congruent × incongruent). Our results suggest that past nominal tense with kinship terms triggers a lifetime effect which is apparent during online processing. In the sentence final region, dead referents with future verbal tense are read faster, possibly due to the overtness and severity of the violation. Reading disruptions for dead referents while processing nominal tense are also discussed. In the acceptability task, participants rated sentences only based on the agreement of the lifetime status with verbal tense/aspect as the violation is overt and severe. The present study therefore offers support to previous reports of lifetime effects in other languages with nominal tense, highlighting another similarity between nominal and verbal tense. Full article

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Languages, Volume 9, Issue 11 (November 2024) – 25 articles

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