The Edge of Linguistics lecture series from Prof. Fredreck J. Newmeyer
During Oct 7 to Oct 17, Prof. Newmeyer offered a lecture series on a wide range of linguistic topics in Beijing Language and Culture University.
Lecture 1: The Chomskyan Revolution
Lecture 2: Constraining the Theory
Lecture 3: The Boundary between Syntax and Semantics
Lecture 4: The Boundary between Competence and Performance
Lecture 5: Can One Language Be ‘More Complex’ Than Another?
Background:
Fredreck J. Newmeyer is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the University of Washington and adjunct professor in the University Of British Columbia Department Of Linguistics and the Simon Fraser University Department of Linguistics. He has published widely in theoretical and English syntax.
This is a material given with the purpose of supplying information about Generative Grammar as a focus that is actually taught everywher. This content was recommended by the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Carabobo, the subject´s name is Pedagogical Grammar and there were lots of presentations about the most favourite focusses commonly studied in Adult Education. The presenters´ names: Reina., Anyerlin & Becerrit., Eduardo. We all hope you read it carefully and make most of it.
This is a material given with the purpose of supplying information about Generative Grammar as a focus that is actually taught everywher. This content was recommended by the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Carabobo, the subject´s name is Pedagogical Grammar and there were lots of presentations about the most favourite focusses commonly studied in Adult Education. The presenters´ names: Reina., Anyerlin & Becerrit., Eduardo. We all hope you read it carefully and make most of it.
Part of a full series of ppts on curriculum development available on EFL Classroom - https://community.eflclassroom.com/forum2/topics/elt-curriculum-development
Part of a full series of ppts on curriculum development available on EFL Classroom - https://community.eflclassroom.com/forum2/topics/elt-curriculum-development
The Edge of Linguistics lecture series from Prof. Fredreck J. Newmeyer
During Oct 7 to Oct 17, Prof. Newmeyer offered a lecture series on a wide range of linguistic topics in Beijing Language and Culture University.
Lecture 1: The Chomskyan Revolution
Lecture 2: Constraining the Theory
Lecture 3: The Boundary between Syntax and Semantics
Lecture 4: The Boundary between Competence and Performance
Lecture 5: Can One Language Be ‘More Complex’ Than Another?
Background:
Fredreck J. Newmeyer is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the University of Washington and adjunct professor in the University Of British Columbia Department Of Linguistics and the Simon Fraser University Department of Linguistics. He has published widely in theoretical and English syntax.
This is a brief xplanation of the different functions of texts, as well as the different rhetoric organizations they must follow depending on what the function they have.
A summary of Ferdinand de Saussure's "Course in General Linguisitcs". Largely inspired by the following great blog-entry: http://theendsa.blogspot.com/2007/05/who-hell-is-ferdinand-de-saussure.html
The Edge of Linguistics lecture series from Prof. Fredreck J. Newmeyer
During Oct 7 to Oct 17, Prof. Newmeyer offered a lecture series on a wide range of linguistic topics in Beijing Language and Culture University.
Lecture 1: The Chomskyan Revolution
Lecture 2: Constraining the Theory
Lecture 3: The Boundary between Syntax and Semantics
Lecture 4: The Boundary between Competence and Performance
Lecture 5: Can One Language Be ‘More Complex’ Than Another?
Background:
Fredreck J. Newmeyer is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the University of Washington and adjunct professor in the University Of British Columbia Department Of Linguistics and the Simon Fraser University Department of Linguistics. He has published widely in theoretical and English syntax.
Well known linguists such as De Saussere, F. and Bloomfield, L. main representative theoretician of a school of language called Structuralism. De Saussere, F. belongs to the group of European linguistics who developed studies on the language field at the end of the 19th century and beginning of 20th century while Bloomfield, L. belongs to the group of the North American ones.
Well known linguists such as De Saussere, F. and Bloomfield, L. main representative theoretician of a school of language called Structuralism. De Saussere, F. belongs to the group of European linguistics who developed studies on the language field at the end of the 19th century and beginning of 20th century while Bloomfield, L. belongs to the group of the North American ones.
Speakers: Maggie Chen, Yuri Liu
As ACTFL has updated the national standards to promote World-Readiness language learning, language education nowadays is no longer about teaching what a language is like. Rather, it is to provide authentic input and meaningful practice to help learners develop a series of transferable skills, targeted in the ACTFL five “C” goal areas, which enable them to apply their language skills beyond instructional settings and according to a variety of situational needs. In this session, presenters will demonstrate how to establish an authentic and meaningful instructional setting (curriculum design, lesson plan, instructional activities, and materials) that is tightly connected to the ACTFL five “C” goals, in which learners improve their language skills (oral proficiency and literacy), applicable in real-life situations or workplaces. The presenters will also provide sample lesson plans, materials, and activities that can enhance learner engagement.
Speakers: Michelle Cheng, Li Ye
The impact of Standards-Based Grading (SBG) is not just limited to the grading system. It can actually change teachers’ instructional mindset, which in turn can affect everything teachers do in the classrooms. While many have heard about SBG, not many know how it can be implemented and what obstacles they may encounter. In this session, presenters will share firsthand experience in implementing SBG in their Chinese classrooms. From identifying the big ideas (the standards), what and how to measure performance to determining student success criteria, they will explain the steps involved and provide specific examples such as learning targets, unit design and assessments, and additional grading policies.
Speakers: Yuanyuan Lin, Dana Reijerkerk
Mastery of the Chinese characters could probably be considered as one of the most difficult and strenuous tasks for Chinese language learners. The present research is designed to address how Chinese characters are processed and organized in the cognitive approaches between memory and reasoning. In this session, presenters will share the findings, which divulge how fuzzy-trace theory benefits Chinese character learning and helps students to become more independent and effective language learners. The research also suggests that providing assistance to the students to form traces and visual-spatial analysis of the Chinese characters would significantly increase students’ performance. The research procedure, method, data, and results will be shared during the session. This session has implications for the daily classroom practices of using certain techniques to best acquire vocabulary in a second language.
Guided Reading (GR) in English has been approved as an effective strategy of teaching reading skills such as fluency and comprehension. The presenters will discuss how Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) teachers can build up GR into Chinese reading instruction.
Since 2012, Phoenix Tree Publishing has formed close partnerships with Hanban/Confucius Schools/Confucius Classrooms, local schools offering mandarin classes, and countless Chinese teaching organizations in North America to promote Chinese culture and language.
We work with teachers and administrators of schools with students ages ranging from 3 to 18 to create HSK test centers, build support centers, provide training and tutoring opportunities, and develop active, student-oriented learning environments.
Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters, as a public non-profit institution affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education, is committed to providing Chinese language and cultural teaching resources and services worldwide. It strives to satisfy the demands of Chinese learners around the world and contributing to the development of multiculturalism. The new HSK test was launched by exclusively by Hanban in an effort to better serve Chinese language learners, with different tests designed to serve the unique needs of students.
The new HSK is an international standardized exam that tests and rates Chinese language proficiency. It assesses non-native Chinese speakers’ abilities in using the Chinese language in their daily, academic and professional lives. HSK consists of six levels: from HSK Level I to HSK Level VI. For more information about the HSK tests, please visit http://english.hanban.org/node_8002.htm
New Practical Chinese Reader is a series starting from beginner’s level, designed for non-heritage learners. The pedagogical methodology uses language structure as the basis and combines it with functional and cultural knowledge. The third edition has 6 volumes and 30 books in total, including textbooks, workbooks, instructor’s manuals, companion readers, and tests and quizzes.
Chinese for Elementary School
Chinese for Elementary School is the first textbook designed exclusively for Chinese Immersion Programs in North America. Each grade contains book A and book B. Each book has 16 lessons. One lesson one week and 60-90 minutes class time each day (Adjustable). It aligns with 5C, ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, and other national standards.
Systematic curriculum: synergy of literacy study and content subjects
Story-driven and activity-based: entertaining, instructional, and interactive
3-D teaching support: supplementary materials, teaching resources, and professional development programs.
Stories from China is a series of extensive reading textbooks compiled by local Chinese language teachers for intermediate/advanced Chinese students or self-learners.
This series introduces Chinese culture to foreigners and improves their Chinese reading skills while teaching Chinese culture. The textbooks use stories to present vividly and specifically the glorious traditional Chinese cultural points that foreigners are interested in.
This series is divided into 10 volumes, including volumes of history, geography, folk customs, myths and legends, traditional culture, traditional festivals, arts, Chinese language, literature, celebrities, etc. Each volume uses 10 stories to discuss a cultural topic.
The volume of traditional festivals introduces ten most important traditional Chinese festivals, including the Spring Festival, Yuanxiao Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, the Night of Sevens, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Winter Solstice, Laba Festival and Little New Year. Besides these, there are also cultural tips such as staying up all night on Spring Festival Eve, pasting the Spring Festival couplets, watching Spring Festival Gala, guessing the lantern riddles, 24 solar terms, Chinese people’s sense of reunion, the special meanings of the number “9” and the ancestral worship ceremonies, etc.
Authorized by Hanban, HSK Standard Course is developed under the joint efforts of Beijing Language and Culture University Press and Chinese Testing International (CTI). With HSK test papers as its primary source, HSK Standard Course is characterized by a humorous style, familiar topics and a scientific course design. Matching the HSK test in all aspects, from the content, form to the levels, it is a series of new-type course books embodying the idea of “combining testing and teaching, and promoting learning and teaching by testing”. It is suitable for the Confucius Institutes in different countries as well as other Chinese teaching institutions and self-taught learners.
The whole series is divided into six levels matching the HSK test, with one volume for each of Levels 1-3 and two volumes for each of Levels 4-6, totaling nine volumes. With a textbook, a workbook and a teacher’s book in each volume, there are altogether 27 books. The book is illustrated with photos match the style of the test and is printed in full color. An audio CD comes with the book.
This workshop will provide an overview of the policies and initiatives at the state and national levels that supported this implementation, focusing on how this impacts programs like dual language/immersion, heritage language, and the traditional K–12 sequence. Participants will examine recent language research, intercultural competence initiatives, and student learning outcomes that have been used to establish proficiency expectations in different programs. International examples showing the use and alignment of proficiency scales will be presented. Free classroom resources like LinguaFolio will be shared, as well as activities that can help parents and administrators understand proficiency-based learning. Participants will learn about the progress of proficiency-based initiatives and gather resources they can use for professional development.\
Speaker:
Ann Marie Gunter: Ann Marie Gunter is the World Languages Consultant at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the president-elect of the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL). She serves K-12 world language educators, with a variety of state and national initiatives, to implement proficiency-based language programs.
Ryan Wertz: Ryan Wertz is the lead consultant for world languages at the Ohio Department of Education. He is also the current president of the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL). His work supports the proficiency-based efforts of K-12 world language educators and students throughout Ohio and across the country.
Connect Chinese language learning and assessment with the PK-16 focus on literacy and 21st century skills. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) is facilitating an initiative to guide teachers in a process of collaborative inquiry in which they explore an area of literacy to embed in language instruction to improve learners’ performance. Learn and apply strategies for developing engaging tasks in order to practice and assess this literacy-focused application of language skills. Participants practice using Conversation Builder, a free online tool that guides teachers through the design of several rounds of prompts for learners who wish to explore a single focus or topic as they practice conversation strategies and receive feedback from their teacher. In this workshop, educators design interpretive tasks in which learners demonstrate what they understand from what is heard, read, or viewed – without relying on production of Chinese to assess this receptive skill.
Expand the practice of the Presentational Mode beyond formal writing or memorized presentations to focus on tasks that learners would do in their daily life.
Speaker:
Paul Sandrock, Director of Education at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), directs this national organization’s professional development and initiatives around standards, curriculum, instruction, and performance assessment. Previously, Paul was Assistant Director of Content and Learning at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) , coordinating the areas of English language arts, mathematics, international education, and world languages. He earlier served as the DPI state-wide consultant for world languages. Paul taught Spanish for 16 years in middle school and high school and authored The Keys to Assessing Language Performance and Planning Curriculum for Learning World Languages. Paul previously served ACTFL as a board member and president and received ACTFL’s Florence Steiner Award for Leadership in Foreign Language Education, K-12.
The use of digitized lessons and online tech tools are gradually transforming the landscape of K–12 education. This presentation will introduce the concepts of blended learning and flipped instruction, and show how the Chinese American International School (CAIS) and the Chinese program at Lakeside School are developing a set of “flipped classroom” digitized online lessons in Mandarin Chinese to supplement traditional classroom instruction. This demonstration will also model modes of delivery to students and formative assessment techniques delivered via learning management systems. The presentation will conclude with ramifications for improving the learning experience for students as well as thoughts for continued development in blended learning for Chinese programs.
Speaker:
Cheyenne (Xiaoyun) Zhang Matthewson is a Chinese instructor at Lakeside Upper School in Seattle, teaching beginning to advanced level Chinese. She has presented at ACTFL and at the NCLC on teaching advanced level Chinese in high schools and on building a high-functioning Chinese program in a secondary school setting. She has served on the board of directors for the CLTA -Washington State since 2012.
Adam Ross has taught Chinese language in both K-12 and university settings for over 20 years, and is presently working as Program Manager for Digital Chinese Initiatives at the Chinese American International School (CAIS) in San Francisco. In addition to his work in schools, he has led numerous workshops in starting and building Chinese language programs and in using online tools to support student learning in Chinese classes. He also has served as a Team Leader consultant for many STARTALK student and teacher programs across the US.
Focusing on a collaborative approach to teaching, participants will sample hands-on, highly engaging integrated arts lessons to introduce students to Chinese language, culture, and history, and will examine methods to increase intercultural and language competencies to enhance the support of Chinese culture and language throughout the school community. Teachers will learn how to use the various arts disciplines to kick-start classroom studies in order to deepen and enrich students’ experiences and understanding, to open dialogue for discussion, and to make authentic connections between students’ home cultures and those they have chosen to study.
Currently there is an increased demand for Chinese language teachers across the U.S. The majority of today’s Chinese teachers are faced with the daunting realization that teaching in U.S. schools is tremendously different from their own schooling experiences; numerous factors contribute to this contrast. This study specifically focused on classroom management and discipline and examines how teachers address the challenges of working across the languages and cultures of U.S. schooling. Through a carefully designed sequence of blended learning activities, this study provided participants multiple opportunities to explore and examine introspectively critical considerations that directly influence transitioning into a learner-centered classroom, utilizing various classroom management skills and strategies with millennial learners. Data collection instruments included two online surveys, a group interview, and online discussion board threads. Results indicate that there remains a great deal to be done in this area to assist Chinese teachers.
Speaker:
Marjorie Hall & Sherry Steeley
Dr. Marjorie Hall Haley is tenured Professor of Education at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. She is a former Spanish, French, German, and ESL teacher of 14 years.She teaches Foreign Language methods and ESL methods courses as well as doctoral courses in Brain-compatible Teaching and Learning, Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition Research. She is actively involved in ongoing action research projects with teachers at local, national, and international levels. Dr. Haley’s research and publication record is wide. Her most recent books are, Content-Based Second Language Teaching and Learning: An Interactive Approach (2nd Ed.) (2014) and Brain-compatible Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners (2010). In addition, she is a featured scholar in the WGBH and Annenberg/CPB video, “Valuing Diverse Learners” available at www.learner.org
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
The Art Pastor's Guide to Sabbath | Steve ThomasonSteve Thomason
What is the purpose of the Sabbath Law in the Torah. It is interesting to compare how the context of the law shifts from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Who gets to rest, and why?
Instructions for Submissions thorugh G- Classroom.pptxJheel Barad
This presentation provides a briefing on how to upload submissions and documents in Google Classroom. It was prepared as part of an orientation for new Sainik School in-service teacher trainees. As a training officer, my goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient with this essential tool for managing assignments and fostering student engagement.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...
The Chomskyan Revolution - Prof. Fredreck J. Newmeyer
1. Class 1:
The Chomskyan Revolution
1
FREDERICK J . NEWMEYER
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, UNIVERSITY
OF BRITISH COLUMBIA,
AND SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
2. MY GOAL IN THESE CLASSES
2
To present the progression of ideas in
linguistic theory as they have developed.
To take one topic in each class and chart its
development over the decades.
3. MY GOAL IN THESE CLASSES
3
LECTURE 1: THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION
LECTURE 2: CONSTRAINING THE THEORY
LECTURE 3: THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN SYNTAX AND
SEMANTICS
LECTURE 4: THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN COMPETENCE AND
PERFORMANCE
LECTURE 5: THE TREATMENT OF GRAMMATICAL
COMPLEXITY (at Peking University)
4. SAUSSURE IS A GOOD STARTING POINT
4
FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE
1857-1913
Cours de linguistique
générale,
published in 1916
5. SAUSSURE IS A GOOD STARTING POINT
5
All of the important strands of modern linguistics
can be found in Saussure’s Cours.
Saussure himself was primarily an Indo-
Europeanist.
He accepted the Neogrammarian idea of the
regularity of sound change.
6. SAUSSURE IS A GOOD STARTING POINT
6
But Saussure’s greatest contribution went beyond
the assumption of mere regularity.
Saussure posited a series of sounds for PIE that had
no reflexes in any known IE language.
He was led to this hypothesis by thinking of PIE as a
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM.
7. SAUSSURE IS A GOOD STARTING POINT
7
A few years later a linguist suggested that these ‘mystery
sounds’ might be laryngeals.
Decades later the first extensive texts in Hittite — an
ancient IE language — were discovered and decoded.
Hittite turned out to have sounds (probably laryngeals)
in precisely the positions posited by Saussure for PIE!
Saussure’s ‘structuralist thinking’ had been confirmed.
8. SAUSSURE IS A GOOD STARTING POINT
8
The basic idea of the Cours is a ‘structuralist’ one,
though Saussure did not use the term.
The idea is that language as a whole can be divided
into langue (language/competence/I-language) and
parole (speech/performance) and that langue can be
studied as a formal system.
Between the two world wars, this idea was being
worked out in different ways in different countries.
9. STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS
9
The Prague School, with its focus on language
universals.
NIKOLAÏ TRUBETZKOÏ ROMAN JAKOBSON
1890-1938 1896-1982
10. STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS
10
The Prague School in many ways is the
intellectual ancestor of generative grammar:
Universals
Markedness
Relating facts about grammar to language
acquisition, language pathology, etc.
But this was all in phonology. Their view of
syntax was a very ‘functionalist’ one.
11. STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS
11
The Copenhagen School (Glossematics), with its
focus on formal relations among elements.
LOUIS HJELMSLEV
1899-1965
12. STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS
12
The London School, now best known for its work on
suprasegmental phenomena.
J. R. FIRTH, 1890-1960
13. STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS
13
The London School linguists can be considered
the founders of the field of applied linguistics.
They believed that if a theory is correct it should
be applicable to practical concerns, such as
language teaching.
M. A. K. HALLIDAY
15. STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS
15
CHAO YUEN REN (ZHAO YUANREN)
1892-1982
The greatest Chinese structuralist
President of the Linguistic
Society of America in 1945
16. AMERICAN STRUCTURALISM
16
American structuralism, famous for its attention to
methodology and numerous studies of Amerindian
languages.
EDWARD SAPIR, 1884-1939 LEONARD BLOOMFIELD, 1887-1949
17. AMERICAN STRUCTURALISM
17
American structuralism was the most direct ancestor
of generative grammar. Zellig Harris, one of the most
prominent American structuralists, was the teacher of
Noam Chomsky.
ZELLIG HARRIS, 1909-1992 NOAM CHOMSKY
18. AMERICAN STRUCTURALISM
18
American structuralism was famous for its
commitment to empiricism.
Only observables and generalizations about
observables were admissible.
This followed from the positivist philosophy of
science that was dominant in English-speaking
countries from the 1920s to the 1960s.
19. AMERICAN STRUCTURALISM
19
The idea was to start with the lowest, most
observable, levels, and to build a grammar from that
point:
1. phonetics
2. phonemics
3. morphology
4. syntactic categories
5. relations governing the distribution of syntactic
categories.
20. AMERICAN STRUCTURALISM
20
Each level was built up by procedures of
segmentation and classification from the next lower
level:
[pʰɑrkʰɨŋ] phonetic representation
/parkiŋ/ phonemic representation
{park+iŋ} morphemic representation
[V [Npark] [PARTiŋ]] syntactic representation
21. AMERICAN STRUCTURALISM
21
Because (in theory) you couldn’t discover the
syntactic categories of a language until after you had
done the phonemics, no phonemic statement could
refer to a syntactic category.
A big problem:
Verbs often have final stress in English: perMIT,
transPORT, conCEIVE, reFUND
Nouns often have initial stress: PERmit,
TRANSport, CONcept, REfund
22. AMERICAN STRUCTURALISM
22
Meaning (semantics) was also a big problem for
American structuralists.
Meanings are essentially unobservable.
There was no way to arrive at them by procedures of
segmentation and classification
So many American structuralists did not talk about
meaning at all.
23. AMERICAN STRUCTURALISM
23
By the late 1940s, Zellig Harris was working out
procedures for relating sentence types to each other.
He called the result of these procedures
‘transformations’.
N1 V N2 <-> N2 is V-ed by N1 (passive transformation)
N1 V N2 <-> it is N2 that N1 V (cleft transformation)
But these transformations were stated directly on the
surface.
24. STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS
24
What all of the approaches to structural
linguistics had in common was the idea that
a grammar is an inventory of elements in a
structural relationship to each other.
At the same time, these models posited very
little ‘below the surface’.
25. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
25
The field of
linguistics underwent
a major change of
direction as a result
of the work of Noam
Chomsky in the early
and mid 1950s.
NOAM CHOMSKY
27. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
27
Generative grammar was different from all previous
approaches in that it was syntax-centred.
Saussure for the most part thought that syntax was part
of parole.
Saussure felt that because speakers have a ‘choice’ of
what syntactic construction to use, syntax was part of
language use.
But Chomsky saw rule-governed creativity as central to
competence/langue.
28. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
28
What made Syntactic Structures
important?
1. Looking at a grammar as a ‘theory of a language’
2. Stressing the irrelevance of methodology
3. Providing evidence for the autonomy of syntax
4. The abstractness of particular grammatical analyses
29. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
29
1. Looking at a grammar as a ‘theory of a
language’
That is, the twin tasks of:
Characterizing the notion ‘possible human
language’
For any particular human language, providing
the best (that is, most psychologically realistic)
analysis of that language.
30. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
30
2. Stressing the irrelevance of methodology
Scientists don’t care how somebody arrived at their
theory (Kekulé on the structure of benzene)
The only important thing is whether the theory
adequately models reality.
So all of the structuralists’ procedures get thrown out
the window.
31. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
31
• 3. Providing evidence for the autonomy of syntax.
• Chomsky argued that syntax had a patterning of its
own, independent of meaning, function, and
discourse.
• The American structuralists believed that too, but
for them it was a consequence of their methodology.
• Chomsky provided empirical evidence for autonomy
(the next class).
32. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
32
4. The abstractness of particular grammatical analyses
Mary must have be en be ing se en
perfect progressive passive
The elements of the English auxiliary are both overlapping and discontinuous.
There was no way for structuralist methodology to come up with an adequate
analysis.
33. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
33
Chomsky’s solution:
Posit 2 classes of elements: verbal (v) and affixal (af)
Posit an abstract phrase structure rule:
AUX Tense (Modal) (have + en) (be + ing) (be + en)
af v v af v af v af
• Posit an abstract transformational rule:
af + v v + af
34. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
34
Mary must have + en be + ing be + en see
Mary must have been being seen
This analysis extends to capture the placement of
supportive do in sentences like Did Mary see the
play? and Mary did not see the play.
35. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
35
Syntactic Structures also emphasized and re-emphasized
the need for ‘simplicity’ and ‘economy’
in grammatical description.
This would become a major theme in later
minimalist theorizing.
36. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
The idea of ‘elegant’ grammatical descriptions did not —
of course — start with Chomsky:
“Grammarians rejoice
more over the saving of
half a mora than over
the birth of a son.” (the
ancient Indian
grammatical tradition) INDIAN STAMP HONOURING
PANINI
36
37. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
“Saussure’s dearest concern
was to cast the theory of
language into the mould of a
mathematical treatise.”
(Robert Godel)
FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE
1857-1913
37
38. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
The American structuralists —
Chomsky’s teachers — were the
most adamant of all that
linguistic descriptions need to
be formal, simple and elegant.
ZELLIG HARRIS, 1909-1992
38
39. EARLY GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
39
The striving for elegance is the one factor that unites
all mainstream versions of generative grammar
throughout its history — including early
transformational grammar, Generative Semantics,
and the Minimalist Program.
And it is a factor largely rejected by most
functionalists and cognitive linguists.
40. GENERATIVE PHONOLOGY
40
At the same time in the early 1950s, Morris Halle
(along with Chomsky and others) was developing a
generative approach to phonology.
MORRIS HALLE
42. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
42
There were many changes to the theory between
1957 and 1965, the publication date of Chomsky’s
Aspects of the Theory of Syntax.
Most of these are still assumed to be correct.
Given the tiny number of generative grammarians at
the time, most were made by Chomsky and his
colleagues and students at MIT.
43. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
43
1. A separate lexicon.
Syntactic Structures:
VP V (NP) (PP)
NP (DET) N
PP P NP
V run, eat, think, persuade, …
DET the, a, this, …
N book, boy, John, Mary, …
P in, of, over, …
44. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
44
By the early 1960s, each word was listed in a separate
lexicon, with its own idiosyncratic properties:
boy N, +human, +animate, /bɔi/
hit V, +physical action, +___NP, /hit/
elapse V, +time, +____#, /ilæps/
on, P, +space, /ɔn/
The separate lexicon simplified the phrase structure rules
and allowed for the statement of purely lexical
generalizations.
45. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
45
The lexicon also solved the problem of
subcategorization.
Here are some generalizations:
The noun boy is human and common
The noun book is nonhuman and common
The noun Charlie is human and proper
The noun Egypt is nonhuman and proper
• Before a separate lexicon the would be two very
cumbersome ways of stating this generalization:
46. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
46
N -> N human
N nonhuman
N human -> N human and common
N human and proper
N nonhuman -> N nonhuman and common
N nonhuman and proper
N human and common -> boy,...
N human and proper -> Charlie,...
N nonhuman and common -> book,...
N nonhuman and proper -> Egypt,...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
N -> N common
N proper
N common -> N common and human
N common and nonhuman
N proper -> N proper and human
N proper and nonhuman
N common and human -> boy,...
N common and nonhuman -> book,...
N proper and human -> Charlie,...
N proper and nonhuman -> Egypt,...
47. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
47
Here’s how to do it with a separate lexicon with
features:
+HUMAN -HUMAN
+COMMON boy book
-COMMON
(PROPER)
Charlie Egypt
48. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
48
The early 1960s also saw a solution to the ‘traffic rule’
problem: how rules interact with each other.
It seemed clear that some rules were optional and some
were obligatory:
PARTICLE MOVEMENT (optional): I looked the
answer up and I looked up the answer (both are
grammatical).
AFFIX HOPPING (obligatory): You can’t leave the
auxiliary like *Mary must have + en be + ing be +
en see
49. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
49
It seemed clear that rules had to be ordered with respect
to each other:
The subject of a passive gets nominative case, even
though it started out as an object:
He saw her.
She was seen by him.
*Her was seen by he.
So Case Marking has to apply after Passive.
50. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
50
The next traffic problem to solve was the order in
which transformations apply when there are several
clauses in one single sentence.
I think that Mary knows that Bill wants to leave.
I think S Mary knows S Bill wants Bill leave
The question was ‘What gets embedded first, second, etc.?’
51. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
51
1964: Grammatical rules apply on the most deeply embedded clause first,
then the next most deeply embedded clause, that is starting from the bottom
and moving to the top.
CHARLES FILLMORE, 1929-2014
52. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
52
Mary knows
Bill wants
Bill leave
I think
53. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
53
It was quickly realized that, if that is true, we don’t
need embedding transformations at all!
The phrase-structure rules can generate one object,
now called DEEP STRUCTURE.
Transformational rules CYCLE from the bottom to
the top.
54. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
54
Mary knows
Bill wants
Bill leave
I think
55. THE EARLY DAYS OF GENERATIVE SYNTAX
1964: The Katz-Postal Hypothesis: Transformations
do not change meaning (= everything for
interpretation is in the Deep Structure)
PAUL POSTAL
55
JERROLD KATZ, 1932-2002
56. THE 1965 ASPECTS OF THE THEORY OF
SYNTAX MODEL, THE ‘STANDARD THEORY’
56
57. MAJOR INFLUENCES ON GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
57
I. Structural linguistics
II. Developments in mathematics and formal logic
A. The axiomatic-deductive method: starting with a small
number of axioms and procedures, one derives (generates) a
set of propositions (Harwood)
B. Recursive function theory (Gödel, Church, Turing, Kleene,
Post)
C. Constructional system theory: reformulating philosophical
propositions in a mathematical language (Carnap)
D. Simplicity measurements of formal systems (Goodman)
58. MAJOR INFLUENCES ON GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
58
III. Developments in the philosophy of science
Before the 1950s, empiricism was dominant in
Anglo-American philosophy.
The idea of empiricism: All knowledge comes from
experience.
The old idea was that scientists observe, measure,
and generalize, but not much more.
59. MAJOR INFLUENCES ON GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
59
But empiricism had begun to break down by the 1950s.
Empiricists tried and tried to characterize what makes a
statement ‘scientific’.
First idea: a statement is scientific if it can be directly
verified by empirical evidence.
NO!! That would rule out general laws (and also rule out
historical sciences – evolution, historical linguistics, etc.)
60. MAJOR INFLUENCES ON GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
60
Second idea: a statement is scientific if it can
be falsified by observational evidence.
NO!! That would rule any statement with an
existential quantifier (‘For every compound
there exists a solvent’; ‘There exists a galaxy
more massive than ours’).
61. MAJOR INFLUENCES ON GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
61
Third idea: a statement is scientific if it can be given
an operational definition, that is, linked to
observation by a set of procedures.
NO!! Many terms in science cannot be defined
operationally: ‘ideal gas’, ‘perfect vacuum’.
We could calculate the speed of light before we knew
what light was. Atomic theory before atoms. Genetic
theory before genes.
62. MAJOR INFLUENCES ON GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
62
The dominant current idea: A theory is scientific if it
is:
A. Formal
B. Explanatory and predictive
C. Simple
D. Empirically testable
These were the criteria that Chomsky used in
Syntactic Structures and elsewhere.
63. MAJOR INFLUENCES ON GENERATIVE GRAMMAR
63
IV. Developments in psychology
Empiricist philosophy has a counterpart in psychology:
behaviourism
Behaviourism says that there are no innate
predispositions: all behaviour is a result of stimulus,
response and reinforcement.
Behaviourism was also on the retreat by the 195os (the
problem of planning, for example)
64. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
64
Syntactic Structures was published in 1957. By 1965
(if not earlier) there was talk of a ‘Chomskyan
Revolution’ in linguistics.
How did they theory succeed so quickly (at least in
the United States)?
Many linguists found the foundations of the theory
plausible and the analyses convincing.
65. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
65
The sheer amount of effort that Chomsky and his
colleagues went into publicizing the theory.
Between 1957 and 1969 Chomsky published 6 books,
20 articles and reviews in refereed journals, and 25
articles in edited volumes. In addition to English, he
published in Hebrew, French, and Japanese.
The unusual situation of MIT.
66. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
66
The expansion of the American university
system.
The 1960s were a period of confrontation.
Pure good luck: The 9th International
Congress of Linguists, held in Cambridge,
Massachusetts in 1962.
67. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
67
Before the 1970s virtually all generative grammarians
were American men.
Things are very different today.
Most would agree that well over 80% of the most
prominent generative grammarians are not in the US.
Four out of the last five presidents of the Linguistic
Society of America have been women.
68. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
68
It has always been the goal of the MIT department to get
beyond Americans working on English.
Of the six faculty members in the MIT Linguistics
Department in the late 1960s, four were known primarily
for their work in languages other than English:
Kenneth Hale for Amerindian and Australian;
G. Hubert Matthews for Amerindian;
Paul Kiparsky for general Indo-European;
Morris Halle for Russian.
Chomsky wrote a partial generative grammar of Hebrew
before working on English.
69. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
69
Of the 28 doctoral dissertations written in linguistics at MIT in the 1960s, 17 dealt primarily
with languages other than English:
Stephen Anderson (West Scandinavian)
George Bedell (Japanese)
Thomas Bever (Menomini)
James Fidelholtz (Micmac)
James Foley (Spanish)
James Harris (Spanish)
Richard Kayne (French)
Paul Kiparsky (various languages)
Sige-Yuki Kuroda (Japanese)
Theodore Lightner (Russian)
James McCawley (Japanese)
Anthony Naro (Portuguese)
David Perlmutter (various languages)
Sanford Schane (French)
Richard Stanley (Navajo)
Nancy Woo (various languages)
Arnold Zwicky (Sanskrit)
70. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
70
Generative Linguistics in the Old World, founded in
1977.
JAN KOSTER JEAN-ROGER VERGNAUD HENK VAN RIEMSDIJK
1945-2011
71. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
71
Generative linguistics was developed in Taiwan
before the PRC.
Tang Ting-Chi (Ph. D. University of Texas, 1972)
Mei Kuang (Ph. D. Harvard University, 1972)
Both became important figures in Taiwanese
linguistics.
72. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
72
Tang and Mei taught or inspired some of the leading
Taiwanese generative linguists:
C.-T. JAMES HUANG Y.-H. AUDREY LI W.-T. DYLAN TSAI
73. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
73
Generative grammar started making an impact in
mainland China in the 1980s.
NING CHUNYAN XU LIEJIONG
74. THE CHOMSKYAN REVOLUTION: SOME
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
74
In 1985 and 1987 Ning organized two Harbin
Conferences on Generative Grammar at Heilongjiang
University.
They were attended by 400 linguists from inside
China and 60 from outside China.
Halliday had many connections with China.
He studied at both Beijing University and Lingnan University in the late 1940s
Lecturer in Chinese at Cambridge in 1950s
ch [ʈʂʰ] voiceless aspirated retroflex sh [ʂ] voiceless retroflex fricative x [ɕ] voiceless alveopalatal fricative
The first two were Halliday’s teachers
Lü is still cited today