Discusses differences between text and dialog. Characteristics of dialog--ellipsis, use of function-words, valence-reductions, specific sentence models, placement of sentence elements, sentence depth, internal sentence structure--set limits to the teachability of dialog. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

The purpose of the study reported here was to do an automata-theoretical and experimental investigation of the learning of the syntax and semantics of a second natural language. The main thrust of the work was to ask what kind of automaton a person can become. Various kinds of automata were considered, predictions were made from them, and these…

Cites evidence showing that the "natural order" found using the Bilingual Syntax Measure to measure morpheme order is not an artifact of the test. (Author/AM)

Examines syntactic and semantic constructions of French verbs denoting and causing emotions; and lists these verbs according to infinitive, "active" adjective, and "passive" adjective. (Text is in French.) (AM)

Examines syntactic difficulties encountered by the student of French in expressions requiring the use of the relative pronouns "qui" and "que". (RL)

A model of language transfer is proposed. It examines the nature of language transfer, identifies which language phenomena are transferred, and predicts conditions for language transfer occurrence. The model includes notions of language universals, language distance, and surface language phenomena. (PMJ)

Examines whether thematic verb-raising is optional in second-language learners' grammars, investigating data from a native Chinese speaker whose English grammar has fossilized with regard to verbal agreement morphology. Data show that, despite omission of regular agreement suffixation in about 96% of obligatory contexts, thematic verbs are never…

Suggests that in acquiring two languages from birth, bilingual children separate their grammars from very early on. Focuses on the acquisition of syntax in a generative framework. Argues that cross-linguistic influence can occur if an interface level between two modules of grammar is involved, and the two languages overlap at the surface level…

Studies the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of the referential "renjia" (people-home) in mandarin Chinese, especially the one that allows a specific reference reading. A step-by-step comparison between the usage of the specific referential people-home and that of the Mandarin Chinese bare reflexive "ziji" (self) is provided. Shows why…

The article by Clahsen and Felser (CF) on grammatical processing in language learning is a timely and much-needed synthesis of research on this topic. It correctly identifies both morphological processing and syntactic processing as key areas that require attention. This commentary raises two issues: the relationship between the grammar and the…

This keynote article proposes a new model of language development based on processing, the sole mechanism of acquisition for the Acquisition by Processing Theory (APT). The language module--adapted from Jackendoff's distinction between integration (building complex structures) and interface (facilitating information transfer at the intersections…

This study investigated the performance of native and non native speakers of Modern Greek language on morphology and syntax tasks. Non-native speakers of Greek whose native language was English, which is a language with strict word order and simple morphology, made more errors and answered more slowly than native speakers on morphology but not…

This study compares quantitative and qualitative results for task-based second language (L2) grammar instruction conducted as whole-class, teacher-led discourse (TLD) versus small-group, learner-led discourse (LLD). Participants included 78 English-speaking adults from six university classes of beginning L2 Spanish, with two assigned to each…

The present paper looks at the growing population of Russian heritage speakers from a linguistic and psycholinguistic perspective. The study attempts to clarify further the notion of heritage language by comparing the linguistic performance of heritage speakers with that of monolinguals and second language learners. The amount of exposure to…