scholarly journals Specificity, definiteness, and l2 article production in the l1 serbian /l2 english linguistic environment

Forum ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 153-166
Author(s):  
Marta Velickovic
Keyword(s):  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Strong Tendency ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
Article System ◽  
L2 Instruction ◽  
Omission Errors

Since little research exists on English L2 article production in the Serbian linguistic environment, the goal of this descriptive study was to identify anytrends in L2 article production,as they pertain to definiteness and specificity (following Ionin et al., 2004). In order to measure this production, four contexts were defined based on the following two semantic features: [±specific] and [±definite]. Considering that Serbian is a language with no article system, and a language that codes specificity (Trenkic 2002, 2004), unlikeEnglish which codes definiteness, combinations of these features should indicate particular contexts that may not only identify any possible patterns in the L2 article production of this segment of the population, but also prove useful as a foundation for further research, and the study of the effects that information of this kind could have on L2 instruction. Based on the findings of previous research, most article substitution and article omission errors are expected in the [+definite, ‐specific] and [‐definite, +specific] contexts. The current results indicated that the sample of participants has a strong tendency of overusing the definite article with indefinites, and to a lesser extent the indefinite article with definites. Furthermore, some unexpected fluctuations were noted in the [+definite +specific] and [‐ definite ‐specific] contexts, indicating that the participants have not yet consistently adopted either the category definiteness or specificity.

The Article Systems of Cape Verde and São Tomé Creole Portuguese

1993 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dante Lucchesi
Keyword(s):  
Cape Verde ◽  
The Other ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
Universal System ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Article System ◽  
The One ◽  
Creole Languages ◽  
Further Development

In the study of article systems in creole languages, two opposing models of analysis stand out. On the one hand, Bickerton, in line with his bio-program hypothesis, proposes an article system in which there is a clearly marked distinction between the notions of specific and nonspecific reference. On the other hand, Janson explains the creole article system in terms of its transmission from the lexifier language, and its further development under the influence of the lexifier language. The capacity of these models to account for the article systems of Cape Verde and São Tomé Creole Portuguese is examined in a number of oral texts in these two languages. One feature of the analysis stands out in particular: once a discourse item has been introduced via the indefinite article, which marks it as both specific and new, no further marking of successive occurrences of that discourse item by means of a so-called definite article is necessary or even useful. This feature partially contradicts Jan-son's account and accounts for the failure of these two creoles to conform to Bickerton's universal system. Additionally, the paper considers a number of general principals governing the formation of pidgin and creole languages and the action of specific factors in their genesis.

Young children use shared experience to interpret definite reference

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 1146-1157 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL SCHMERSE ◽  
ELENA LIEVEN ◽  
MICHAEL TOMASELLO
Keyword(s):  
Common Ground ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
Shared Experience ◽  
Joint Actions ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
Shared Experiences ◽  
Communicative Intention ◽  
Linguistic Categories ◽  
Referential Choice

AbstractWe investigated whether children at the ages of two and three years understand that a speaker's use of the definite article specifies a referent that is in common ground between speaker and listener. An experimenter and a child engaged in joint actions in which the experimenter chose one of three similar objects of the same category to perform an action. In subsequent interactions children were asked to get ‘the X’ or ‘a X’. When children were instructed with the definite article they chose the shared object significantly more often than when they were instructed with the indefinite article in which case children's choice was at chance. The findings show that in their third year children use shared experiences to interpret the speaker's communicative intention underlying her referential choice. The results are discussed with respect to children's representation of linguistic categories and the role of joint action for establishing common ground.

scholarly journals The polyfunctional lexeme /fard/ in the Arabic dialects of Iraq and Khuzestan

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-44
Author(s):  
Bettina Leitner ◽  
Stefan Prochazka
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
Epistemic Status ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
Text Corpora ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Spoken Arabic ◽  
Very High

Abstract The primary aim of this paper is to explore the functions of the word /fard/ in Iraqi and Khuzestani Arabic. The study is based on the analysis of various text corpora and the elicitation of further examples from native speakers of the varieties investigated. The analysis of these data has shown that /fard/ is a polyfunctional item. Its various functions are the result of several grammaticalization processes. In the first stage, the noun “individual” has become a quantifier that expresses singularity. From this stage it developed into an intensifier, a marker of approximation and the scalar adverb “only.” It has been demonstrated that, from its use as a presentative marker, it developed toward an indefinite article. In contrast to the definite article, which is a grammatical category in nearly every variety of Arabic, the use of an indefinite article is rarely found in spoken Arabic. In Iraqi and Khuzestani Arabic, /fard/ is an indefinite article that possesses a wide range of applications and only a limited set of constraints. Its use, however, remains optional to a very high degree. Its main function is that of a presentative—i.e., introducing a new referent into a discourse. In addition, it also functions as an individuation marker, as a marker for expressing the speaker’s epistemic status (knowledge/ignorance) regarding a referent, and indicating free choice from a set of potential referents. Related to this last function is its use as a mitigating device in imperatives and polite requests.

scholarly journals La traduction de l’article défini français en indonésien dans le roman Syngué Sabour par Atiq Rahimi

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 00030
Author(s):  
Laras Intan Taslima ◽  
Sajarwa Sajarwa
Keyword(s):  
Research Data ◽  
Romance Languages ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
Sentence Structure ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Article System ◽  
Background Image ◽  
Normal Background

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">French article belongs to the determiner, which has an important role in French sentence structure. French is one of the Romance languages having the article system for each noun. French articles indicate the <i>genre</i> and the number of a noun, so that each noun should be accompanied by an article. The definite article is the main point in this research. The definite article in the novel <i>Syngué</i> <i>Sabour</i> by Atiq Rahimi is translated into Indonesian in the novel <i>Batu Kesabaran</i>. The translation of the novel Syngué Sabour of French into Indonesian is interesting to analyze because of differences of the determiner system both languages. The diversity of translation forms French articles in <i>Syngué Sabour</i> novel is the main source of this research data. The different forms of translation of the articles in French are ranked according to the form of the translation in Indonesian, with an equal equivalent or zero form. This research aims to identify the variety of forms and factors in the formation of various forms of translation of French articles in the novel <i>Syngué</i> <i>Sabour</i> (<i>Pierre de Patience</i>).<o:p></o:p></p>

scholarly journals The Definite and Indefinite Articles of Spanish (or Castilian) Language in Context

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-127
Author(s):  
Sonia Montero Gálvez
Keyword(s):  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
The Common ◽  
Communicative Context ◽  
The Way

The present paper addresses the contrast between the definite article (el/la/los/las) and the indefinite article (un/a/os/as) from a cognitive approach that not only poses a single meaning for each kind of article, but also highlights the pragmatic (or contextual) aspects that underlie that meaning and establish the use of one form or another. The article’s meaning is shaped by the way we conceptualize the reference: the definite article implies an inclusive reference characterized by the uniqueness of the referent, while the indefinite article implies an exclusive reference characterized by the lack of uniqueness. The possibility to choose one or other way depends on contextual aspects related to the common knowledge shared by the interlocutors, the communicative context (linguistic and situational) and the space (physical or mental) where the referent is located.

scholarly journals Indonesian Students’ Comprehension Of The French Articles (Les Articles): The Case Of Manado State University French Language Education Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W E Sekeh
Keyword(s):  
Education Program ◽  
Language Education ◽  
French Language ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
State University ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
School Year ◽  
Article Type ◽  
Article Usage

 In French language, articles play an important role and one of the basic French skills is mastery of article usage. The objective of this study is to describe students’  performance and mastery of French articles. The research used descriptive research method. Data of the study were obtained by giving written tests of French language articles to French Language Education Program students enrolled in the 2018/2019 school year. The research instrument consisted of questions in the form of loose questions and questions in the form of text / short discourse. Data analysis used descriptive statistics analysis. Study result shows that students’ mastery of French article is quite low (Mean=48.28). However, there is difference in performance of each article type. Mastery of definite article is the highest (Mean=60.78)Keywords: definite article; indefinite article; partitive article; performance; mastery

Determiners and the deictic system

2021 ◽  
pp. 201-248
Author(s):  
Martin Maiden ◽  
Adina Dragomirescu ◽  
Gabriela Pană Dindelegan ◽  
Oana Uță Bărbulescu ◽  
Rodica Zafiu
Keyword(s):  
Definite Article ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
System P ◽  
History Of

How did the definite article evolve morphologically from Latin ILLE? What is the determiner al and how did it evolve? What is the history of the indefinite article? How does locative and adverbial deixis work? What is the function of the formatives -a, -le, and -și?

Un análisis cognitivo-funcional de la concordancia verbal con construcciones (pseudo)partitivas del tipo [N1 + de + N2]

Revue Romane ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrien Verveckken ◽  
Bert Cornillie
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Side Effect ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Corpus Analysis ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Alternative Account ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Verbal Agreement ◽  
Linguistic Account

In this paper we present a corpus-based, cognitive-linguistic account of the singular/plural agreement alternation with binominal constructions belonging to the [N1singular + de + N2plural]-type. From a syntagmatic point of view, plural agreement reflects a shift from N1 as the head of the Noun Phrase towards N1 being a quantifier to N2. This view is in line with grammaticalization theory and holds for many examples, yet there are important counterexamples where we find a singular verb despite N1 being used as a quantifier. The Hispanic linguistic literature mentions several factors that would favor plural agreement with N2 such as an indefinite article, the distance between the verb and the subject, the position of the subject and pseudopartitive rather than partitive use. The corpus analysis will show that these factors are not conclusive. Our alternative account has recourse to the concept of lexical persistence and shows to what extent the quantifier use of N1 retains semantic features associated with the head use of N1. We argue that verbal agreement phenomena can be motivated by the interaction between lexical persistence and the morpho-syntactic and semantic criteria listed in literature. Lexical persistence is thus not a side effect of the grammaticalization process, but a crucial dimension of binominal constructions in that it allows us to explain quantifier uses of N1 with a singular verb.

scholarly journals Article choice, theory of mind, and memory in children with high-functioning autism and children with specific language impairment

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
JEANNETTE SCHAEFFER ◽  
MEREL VAN WITTELOOSTUIJN ◽  
AVA CREEMERS
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
Phonological Memory ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Indefinite Article

ABSTRACTPrevious studies show that young, typically developing (TD) children (<age 5) and children with specific language impairment (SLI; >age 5) make errors in the choice between a definite and an indefinite article. Suggested explanations for overgeneration of the definite article include failure to distinguish speaker from hearer assumptions, and for overgeneration of the indefinite article failure to draw scalar implicatures, and weak working memory. However, no direct empirical evidence for these accounts is available. In this study, 27 Dutch-speaking children with high-functioning autism, 27 children with SLI, and 27 TD children aged 5–14 were administered a pragmatic article choice test, a nonverbal theory of mind test, and three types of memory tests (phonological memory, verbal, and nonverbal working memory). The results show that the children with high-functioning autism and SLI (a) make similar errors, that is, they overgenerate the indefinite article; (b) are TD-like at theory of mind, but (c) perform significantly more poorly than the TD children on phonological memory and verbal working memory. We propose that weak memory skills prevent the integration of the definiteness scale with the preceding discourse, resulting in the failure to consistently draw the relevant scalar implicature. This in turn yields the occasional erroneous choice of the indefinite articleain definite contexts.

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