As language technologies have become more sophisticated and prevalent, there have been increasing concerns about bias in natural language processing (NLP). Such work often focuses on the effects of bias instead of sources. In contrast, this paper discusses how normative language assumptions and ideologies influence a range of automated language…

Escape games are an increasingly popular leisure activity involving a group of players completing tasks to achieve a pre-defined goal, which is usually escaping from a room. In this chapter, I briefly outline the educational potential of escape game activities in language classes within the frameworks of gamification, pervasive learning, and…

A discussion of markedness in English questions the value of markedness theory in constructing explanatory models of linguistic meaning. It challenges the claim that pairs of terms in sentences are in a single type of relation (marked/unmarked) that accounts for all differences between the two terms, including differences in use in measure…

A discussion of verb intransitivization in English grammar looks at different verb classes that allow or do not allow this phenomenon. The semantic primitive of involvement is a phenomenon that attempts to find related features in sentences where intransitivization occurs. Semantic involvement patterns are assigned in the subject or direct object…

A nonlinear approach to phonology that is more constrained than linear theory is proposed. The theory disallows rules of feature changing, resulting in a stronger, more consistent, and more interesting theory. Specifically, it is suggested, and tested with data from Chukchi, that dissimilations and other nonassimilatory rules are rules of feature…

Two instances of unaccusative verb mismatches in Japanese are examined. An unaccusative mismatch is the situation in which a different accusative diagnostic singles out different classes of intransitive verbs within and across languages. One type of unaccusative mismatch has to do with group C verbs, or verbs of manner with protagonist control.…

The concept of grammatical servitude, defined as the absence of semantic choice in linguistic constructions, minimizes dependence on intuition and subjective judgment in syntactic analysis. It also causes the researcher to neglect important communicative resources of the speaker. To remedy this problem, the use of semantics in syntactic analysis…

This study attempts to account for the distributional restrictions of Japanese head-internal relative clauses, and the restrictions on accessibility of noun phrases to head internal relativization in terms of the Empty Category Principle (ECP). The data indicate that there is a subject/object asymmetry in the distribution of the head - internal…

An analysis of Kilega, a Bantu language spoken in eastern Zaire, focuses on the relative positions of subject and verb and agreement patterns, with particular attention to WH-movement. It is found that Kilega is a subject-verb-object language, but exhibits some variant patterns. WH-movement triggers verb-subject inversion and shifts agreement. The…

A study of reciprocals in Japanese compares two kinds: (1) a verbal suffix "aw"; and (2) an NP argument "otagai." Although "otagai" appears to be taken care of by syntactic binding theory, it is proposed that there is no evidence for the existence of a syntactic position of the object NP in the case of "aw." The suffix can be characterized as…

Recent proposals concerning the relationship between thematic structure and syntactic structure, including the idea of thematic hierarchy, when used with certain language-specific properties, offer insight into some problems concerning the Mandarin Chinese phrase structure condition (PSC). The PSC is such that the internal structure of XP contains…

It is proposed here that second language learners can acquire a system of reflexive binding, both local and long-distance, that is different from that found in their native language, and individual subject data are offered to support this claim. First, some general properties of the syntactic behavior of reflexives and reflexive constructions are…

Problems emerging from previous analyses of epenthesis in Japanese verbal endings are discussed and a crucial relationship between epenthesis and assimilation is argued. The focus is on the occurrence of /i/-epenthesis with certain root-final consonants. The analysis, which incorporates the view that assimilation is accomplished by means of…

Spanish language teachers are encouraged to introduce popular sayings, figures of speech, and proverbs into the language curriculum, both as a means of maintaining the usage of the expressions and to bring variety to the language taught. Definitions, characteristics, origins, and general uses of such expressions are outlined. Some of the most…

A study examined the pattern of formation of glides in a sample of 18 Niger-Congo languages that have substantial glide formation. It is noted first that four basic pattern dualities exist, with language-specific variations, determine by whether or not: (1) glide formation applies to both front and round first vowels or round first vowels only;…