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2017

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Articles 151 - 180 of 387

Full-Text Articles in Linguistics

Directionals In Ngaanyatjarra, Conor Pyle Jun 2017

Directionals In Ngaanyatjarra, Conor Pyle

The ITB Journal

This paper looks at directional morphemes in Ngaanyatjarra, a language spoken in Western Australia. This is part of the suffixing subdivision of Australian languages with both nominals and verbs having rich sets of inflectional and derivational suffixes. Despite this typological categorisation, there are a small number of directional prefixes. Using a Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) account, we look at directional elements, both prefixes and local peripheral case marking suffixes. RRG posits two types of directional operator, at the nucleus and the core. We find that the prefixes are nuclear operators describing the direction of the verb itself; while the …

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A Third Number: Discussing Duals In Lithuanian Language, Jone Bruno Jun 2017

A Third Number: Discussing Duals In Lithuanian Language, Jone Bruno

The ITB Journal

Modern Lithuanian has two grammatical numbers: singular and plural, nevertheless literature sources note the existence of the dual number residue in Lithuanian. This phenomenon is prominent in Austronesian languages as stated by Schwartz (1989:237-238) and there are different types of duals. However, in European languages this phenomenon is not as widely spread. This paper overviews the constructions of such phenomenon and presents results of a small research which looked at the frequency of the usage of dual pronouns and demonstratives in the Lithuanian language. Data for the research was taken from the Corpus of Lithuanian Language compiled by Vytautas Magnus …

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Computing The Lexicon Morphological-Phonological Interface For Irish Sign Language Sign Realisation, Irene Murtagh Jun 2017

Computing The Lexicon Morphological-Phonological Interface For Irish Sign Language Sign Realisation, Irene Murtagh

The ITB Journal

The first modern linguistic analysis of a signed language was published in 1960 by William C. Stokoe, Jr., a professor of English at Gallaudet University, Washington DC, the only college for the deaf in the world. Nearly sixty years on, research in the area of sign language linguistics has established that signed languages are fully developed natural languages with their own syntax, morphology and phonology. The morphology and phonology of signed languages is concerned among with manual and non-manual features. These include handshapes, head, torso, eyebrow, eye, cheek, mouth, nose, chin and tongue movement and also movement of the shoulders. …

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Editorial, Brian Nolan Jun 2017

Editorial, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

I am very pleased to have to the opportunity to introduce the papers in the 27th edition of the ITB Journal.

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How Data-Ink Maximization Can Motivate Learners – Persuasion In Data Visualization, Judith Gottschalk Jun 2017

How Data-Ink Maximization Can Motivate Learners – Persuasion In Data Visualization, Judith Gottschalk

The ITB Journal

This paper discusses both the macro- and the micro-level of persuasion in data visualizations in persuasive tools for language learning. The hypothesis of this paper is that persuasive data visualizations decrease reading time and increase reading accuracy of graph charts. Based on Tufte’s (1983) data-ink maximization principle the report introduces a framework for persuasive data visualizations on the persuasive micro level which employs Few’s (2013) conception of de-emphasizing non-data and emphasizing data-ink. This way persuasive data visualizations for a performance optimizing tool called Learning Journey Online (cf. Gottschalk and Winther-Nielsen 2013) is presented.

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Serial Verb Constructions In Pitjantjatjara And Yankunytjatjara, Conor Pyle Jun 2017

Serial Verb Constructions In Pitjantjatjara And Yankunytjatjara, Conor Pyle

The ITB Journal

This study looks at serial verb constructions in two dialects of the Western Desert language of Australia, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara. With a Role and Reference Grammar analysis, the paradigm allows us to look at the constituents for logical structure, and marking of macroroles. We find that core and peripheral argument phrases are marked by case with ergative nominal marking and accusative pronoun marking. Dependent marking is on the phrase level and there is no verb agreement for number, gender or person marking on the verb. Simple verbs use endings for tense, aspect, mood and status. The operator projection shows the …

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Emotional Facial Expressions In Synthesised Sign Language Avatars: A Manual Evaluation, Robert G. Smith Mr, Brian Nolan Jun 2017

Emotional Facial Expressions In Synthesised Sign Language Avatars: A Manual Evaluation, Robert G. Smith Mr, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

This research explores and evaluates the contribution that facial expressions might have regarding improved comprehension and acceptability in sign language avatars. Focusing specifically on Irish Sign Language (ISL), we examine the Deaf 1 community’s responsiveness to sign language avatars. The hypothesis of this is: Augmenting an existing avatar with the 7 widely accepted universal emotions identified by Ekman [1] to achieve underlying facial expressions, will make that avatar more human-like and improve usability and understandability for the ISL user. Using human evaluation methods [2] we compare an augmented set of avatar utterances against a baseline set, focusing on 2 key …

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Editorial, Brian Nolan Jun 2017

Editorial, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

I am delighted to introduce the 24th edition of the ITB Journal, the academic journal of the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown.

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The Persuasive Tutor: A Bdi Teaching Agent With Role And Reference Grammar Language Interface – Sustainable Design Of A Conversational Agent For Language Learning, Judith Gottschalk Jun 2017

The Persuasive Tutor: A Bdi Teaching Agent With Role And Reference Grammar Language Interface – Sustainable Design Of A Conversational Agent For Language Learning, Judith Gottschalk

The ITB Journal

This paper investigates how an intelligent teaching agent with Role and Reference Grammar [RRG] (cf. Van Valin 2005) as linguistic engine can support language learning. Based on a user-centred empirical design study the architecture of a highly persuasive tool for language learning as an extension of PLOTLearner (http://europlot.blogspot.dk/2012/07/try-plotlearner-2.html) is developed. Based on grounded theory it is shown that feedback and support is of greatest importance even in self-directed computer assisted language learning. Is also shown how this overall approach to language learning can be situated into traditional conversation based learning theories (cf. Laurillard 2009). It is shown that a computationally …

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Headedness In Māori Reflexivity: A Role And Reference Grammar Analysis, Aoife Finn Jun 2017

Headedness In Māori Reflexivity: A Role And Reference Grammar Analysis, Aoife Finn

The ITB Journal

This article will provide an introduction to the Māori language. Particular attention is paid to Māori reflexive construction, which sometimes uses a so-called support form to express reflexivity. It will familiarise the reader with Role and Reference Grammar (RRG), a functionally motivated approach to a grammatical model which accounts for both the form and function of language. RRG provides a robust framework for analysing reflexive constructions. Finally, having considered this framework, the article will account for the occurrence of a reflexive support form in reflexive constructions.

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Editorial, Brian Nolan Jun 2017

Editorial, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

I am delighted to introduce the 23th edition of the ITB Journal, the academic journal of the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown.

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Three-Place Predicates In English: Towards A Unification-Based Computationally Adequate Approach To Role And Reference Grammar, Judith Gottschalk Jun 2017

Three-Place Predicates In English: Towards A Unification-Based Computationally Adequate Approach To Role And Reference Grammar, Judith Gottschalk

The ITB Journal

This paper is concerned with a computational linguistics analysis of Role and Reference Grammar [RRG] (cf. Van Valin and LaPolla 1997; Van Valin (2005) and introduces research work in progress aiming to analyze the computability of RRG. The concept of computational adequacy is introduced as an important external principle from a philosophy of science perspective to sharpen the scientific principles of the area of functional computational linguistics. In addition, a pseudo-code-based meta-language is developed in order to semi-formalize the linking algorithm from semantics to syntax. This paper will show that RRG in its current fashion is not executable on an …

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Persian Cleft Constructions: A Role And Reference Grammar Analysis, Farhad Moezzipour Jun 2017

Persian Cleft Constructions: A Role And Reference Grammar Analysis, Farhad Moezzipour

The ITB Journal

The present paper embarks on the study of Persian cleft construction within the framework of Role and Reference Grammar (RRG henceforth). RRG intends to investigate the interaction of syntax, semantics and pragmatics via the constituent, logical and focus structure as independent but interrelated domains of the paradigm. To start with, an attempt will be made regarding demonstrating the specification role of the cleft construction, which is a universally semantic property of the construction, in the syntactic, semantic and information structures. In Persian clefts, despite that the clefted constituent is the semantic argument of the predicator of the cleft clause, it …

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The Assignment Of Grammatical And Inherent Gender To English Loan Words In Lithuanian Discourse, Jone Bruno Jun 2017

The Assignment Of Grammatical And Inherent Gender To English Loan Words In Lithuanian Discourse, Jone Bruno

The ITB Journal

The aim of this study was to analyse the gender assignment patterns and processes to English loan nouns that were inserted into Lithuanian language during the process of natural speech. Construction Morphology and the Morpheme-based Model were fused for the purpose of the analysis creating the Integrated Construction Morphology Model which allowed the detailed analysis of phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic procedures. The main focus of this research is the change that occurs in the word level while inserting an L2 item into L1 discourse. The findings revealed that masculine gender was assigned as a default gender regardless of stem …

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A Role And Reference Account Of Interrogative Sentences In Lakhota, Avelino Corral Esteban Jun 2017

A Role And Reference Account Of Interrogative Sentences In Lakhota, Avelino Corral Esteban

The ITB Journal

This article has investigated interrogative sentences in Lakhota within the framework of Role and Reference Grammar (hereafter RRG) (Van Valin, 1995; Van Valin and LaPolla, 1997), with the aim of explaining their structure as well as finding out the restrictions on ´wh´-question formation that this language exhibits. By means of this study, we will be able to verify the close relationship that also exists between the interrogative words and the indefinite pronouns in this language, see the constraints on linking in simple ´wh´-questions and give an account of the subjacency effects that block the formation of ´wh´-questions involving complex constructions. …

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Slavic Psycholinguistics In The 21st Century, Irina A. Sekerina Jun 2017

Slavic Psycholinguistics In The 21st Century, Irina A. Sekerina

Publications and Research

This article provides an update on research in Slavic psycholinguistics since 2000 following my first review (Sekerina 2006), published as a position paper for the workshop The Future of Slavic Linguistics in America (SLING2K). The focus remains on formal experimental psycholinguistics understood in the narrow sense, i.e., experimental studies conducted with monolingual healthy adults. I review five dimensions characteristic of Slavic psycholinguistics—populations, methods, domains, theoretical approaches, and specific languages—and summarize the experimental data from Slavic languages published in general non-Slavic psycholinguistic journals and proceedings from the leading two conferences on Slavic linguistics, FASL and FDSL, since 2000. I argue that …

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An Acoustical Analysis Of The American English /L, R/ Contrast As Produced By Adult Japanese Learners Of English Incorporating Word Position And Task Type, Braden Paul Chase Jun 2017

An Acoustical Analysis Of The American English /L, R/ Contrast As Produced By Adult Japanese Learners Of English Incorporating Word Position And Task Type, Braden Paul Chase

Theses and Dissertations

Adult Japanese learners of English (JLEs) are often stereotyped as being unable to produce or perceive the English phonemes /l/ and /r/. This study analyzed acoustic samples of /l/ and /r/ obtained from intermediate-level Japanese speakers in two variable contexts: word positions (initial/final) and task type (controlled/free). These tokens were subjected to acoustic analysis which is one way of comparing oral productions of native and non-native English speakers. Previous research has identified a lowered third formant (F3) as the hallmark of an American English /r/ as produced by a native speaker, independent of word position or task type. The results …

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Taking The "Foreign" Out Of The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, Jared Benjamin Sell Jun 2017

Taking The "Foreign" Out Of The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, Jared Benjamin Sell

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety in the language classroom is an important issue because it affects student performance (Woodrow, 2006). The majority of research conducted has focused on anxiety or apprehension that language learners experience in a foreign language classroom, including students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Only a few studies have been done, however, that address the needs of learners experiencing anxiety in an ESL setting. Data were gathered from 179 students attending a university sponsored intensive English program using a modified version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986) and focus groups. Initial …

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Saisiyat Morphology, Daniel Kaufman Jun 2017

Saisiyat Morphology, Daniel Kaufman

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

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Details In Testimony: How Hedge Words Influence People’S Perceptions Of Victim Testimony Credibility, Justine B. Rayborn Jun 2017

Details In Testimony: How Hedge Words Influence People’S Perceptions Of Victim Testimony Credibility, Justine B. Rayborn

Student Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine whether hedge words and the age of a memory can influence the way participants (mock jurors) perceive an alleged sexual assault victim’s credibility. Prior research has demonstrated many issues that can affect the accuracy of memory for childhood events such as childhood amnesia, fragmented and distorted memories, false memories and source monitoring errors and the way in which jurors’ decisions can be swayed based on verbal cues to confidence. Here, we further investigated whether jurors' decisions are sensitive to the age of the memory—an event that happened in the recent or distant …

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Languaging At Work: The Language Socialization Of Support Staff In The Healthcare Workforce, Kristen E. Schlapp May 2017

Languaging At Work: The Language Socialization Of Support Staff In The Healthcare Workforce, Kristen E. Schlapp

Graduate Masters Theses

This thesis presents findings from an ethnographic study of adult English Language Learners (ELLs) who are support staff employees in a large metropolitan hospital and are taking integrated English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at their work site. This research is rooted in a theoretical framework that intersects studies on discourse (Fairclough, 1995; Gee, 2008), language socialization (Burdelski & Cook, 2012; Flowerdew, 2013; Vickers, 2007), and agency and identity development (Norton, 1997, 2006, 2010; van Lier, 2008) to discuss the experience of adult ELLs who enter an English-dominant healthcare workplace. The teacher-researcher used ethnographic methods to examine: (a) the …

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Towards A Linguistically Motivated Irish Sign Language Conversational Avatar, Irene Murtagh May 2017

Towards A Linguistically Motivated Irish Sign Language Conversational Avatar, Irene Murtagh

The ITB Journal

Avatars are life-like characters that exist in a virtual world on our computer monitors. They are synthetic actors that have, in more recent times, received a significant amount of investigation and development. This is primarily due to leverage gained from advances in computing power and 3D animation technologies. Since the release of the movie “Avatar” last year, there is also a broader awareness and interest in avatars in the public domain. Ishizuka and Prendinger (2004) describe how researchers, while endeavouring to develop a creature that is believable and capable of intelligible communication, use a wide variety of terms to describe …

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The Precore Slot In Icelandic: A Topological Analysis Of V2-Clause Structure Within Role And Reference Grammar, Judith Gottschalk May 2017

The Precore Slot In Icelandic: A Topological Analysis Of V2-Clause Structure Within Role And Reference Grammar, Judith Gottschalk

The ITB Journal

This paper aims to present an analysis of the precore slot [PrCS] in Icelandic within the theory of Role and Reference Grammar [RRG] (cf. Van Valin 2005). Based on the analysis of the PrCS in German by Diedrichsen (2008), an analysis of simple main declarative active voice sentences in Icelandic will be presented. The topological model of Danish sentence structure developed by Diderichsen (1945, 1964), which was adopted for Icelandic in Thráinsson (2007), will be used to analyze the layered structure of the clause [LSC] in Icelandic. It will be shown that the PrCS in V2-languages, such as Icelandic, has …

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Using Learning Styles To Optimise Lecturer And Learner Experience And Results In An Institute Of Education, Dawn Duffin, Geraldine Gray May 2017

Using Learning Styles To Optimise Lecturer And Learner Experience And Results In An Institute Of Education, Dawn Duffin, Geraldine Gray

The ITB Journal

The past decade of social policy making and legislative change in Ireland has led to a ‘broader range of individuals’ accessing higher education (ITB, 2006, HEA 2005, Duffin forthcoming). This means that class groups contain a greater range of diversity of learning behaviours than hitherto. The process of accommodating this range of learning behaviours within curriculum development and assessment poses a challenge for lecturers and students alike. This paper suggests how understanding the relationship of learning styles to cognitive processing can provide sound research support to the use of learning styles profiling to create conditions for optimal achievement in terms …

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N + N Compounds In German: An Analysis Within Role And Reference Grammar, Judith Gottschalk May 2017

N + N Compounds In German: An Analysis Within Role And Reference Grammar, Judith Gottschalk

The ITB Journal

The aim of this paper is to analyze German N + N compounds consisting of nominal roots [hence N + N compounds] within the theory of Role and Reference Grammar [RRG] (Van Valin and LaPolla 1997, Van Valin 2005). The basis for this analysis of German N + N compounds is the Layered Structure of the Word [LSW] as developed in Nolan (2010). The LSW is analogous to the Layered Structure of the Clause [LSC] and the Layered Structure of the Noun Phrase [LSNP] as they are used in RRG. Besides the description of German N + N compounds, this …

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Construction Grammar As Applied To Core English Modality, Kelli Slimp May 2017

Construction Grammar As Applied To Core English Modality, Kelli Slimp

The ITB Journal

The current study seeks to apply Construction Grammar to the phenomenon of modality. To facilitate a thorough application and analysis, examples of both epistemic and root modal verbs of English are considered. Specifically, those verbs of English chosen for the current study are CAN/MAY and MUST/SHOULD. Motivation for these choices is provided as well as a brief look at the other types of modal verbs existent in the language. In applying Construction Grammar to modality, the research poses the following hypotheses: 1) there are varying types of modality in English; 2) these modal variations are realized uniquely and; 3) an …

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The Noun Phrase In Bamunka: Towards A Complexity Analysis, Ciara Browne May 2017

The Noun Phrase In Bamunka: Towards A Complexity Analysis, Ciara Browne

The ITB Journal

A member of the the Grassfields Bantu family, the Bamunka language of Western Cameroon is spoken by approximantely 31, 000 speakers. Having begun the process of transcribing the lanaguge into written form just six years ago the principles and intricacies of its grammatical system are becoming evident. This paper will look in particular at the noun phrase in Bamunka and draw some conclusions as to the distribution of complexity found therein.

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Storage Of Linguistic Knowledge In The Mental Lexicon: An Approach Within Role And Reference Grammar, Judith Gottschalk May 2017

Storage Of Linguistic Knowledge In The Mental Lexicon: An Approach Within Role And Reference Grammar, Judith Gottschalk

The ITB Journal

This paper aims to give an account of a theory of a mental lexicon for German verbs of motion within the theory of Role and Reference Grammar [RRG] (cf. Van Valin 2005). The issue of how Aktionsarten in general and particularly verbs of motion, with their various alternations, are structured and how they are stored in an RRG-compatible lexicon is investigated. A time line model for RRG-Aktionsarten based on Reichenbach (1947) is developed to give a description of the structure of events assumed within RRG. Human knowledge is often represented in terms of inheritance networks. In this paper I use …

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Event Structure Of Prepositional Nuclear Junctures In Persian: A Role & Reference Grammar Account, Zari Saeedi May 2017

Event Structure Of Prepositional Nuclear Junctures In Persian: A Role & Reference Grammar Account, Zari Saeedi

The ITB Journal

In the present research study an attempt has been made to analyze one group of complex predicates or nuclear junctures (NJs) in Persian (as an Indo-European language) in terms of its event attribute within the framework of Role and Reference Grammar (Van Valin & Lapolla 1997, Van Valin 2005). These complex predicates fuse with the prepositional phrases and the impoverished forms of the verb referred to as ‘light verb’ (Cattell 1984). In this study a distinction is made between predicative and non-predicative prepositions providing some examples along with schematizing their layered structure of the clause. To determine the verb class …

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Polysemy And Homonymy And Their Importance For The Study Of Word Meaning, Amanda Mccaughren May 2017

Polysemy And Homonymy And Their Importance For The Study Of Word Meaning, Amanda Mccaughren

The ITB Journal

In this article we examine the concepts of polysemy and homonymy. After a broad overview of the topic we focus on the treatment of several examples in dictionaries and indicate how listing problems can arise. We look at how polysemy and honomymy are dealt with in Chinese - a language rich in ambiguous words full of connotations and associations and we look at some of the ensuing problems facing Chinese dictionary writers and suggest a user friendly model for ambiguous lexical entries. We explore how several English words such as the polysemous preposition 'over' can be dealt with in terms …

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