Rapid learning of an abstract language-specific category: Polish children's acquisition of the instrumental construction

Rapid acquisition of linguistic categories or constructions is sometimes regarded as evidence of innate knowledge. In this paper, we examine Polish children's early understanding of an idiosyncratic, language-specific construction involving the instrumental case – which could not be due to innate knowledge. Thirty Polish-speaking children aged 2 ; 6 and 3 ; 2 participated in a elicited production experiment with novel verbs that were demonstrated as taking nouns in the instrumental case as patients. Children heard the verbs in sentences with either masculine or feminine nouns (which take different endings in the instrumental case), and were tested with new nouns of the same and of the opposite gender. In both age groups, a substantial majority of children succeeded in generalizing from one gendered form of the instrumental case to the other (especially to the masculine), thus indicating that they have some kind of abstract understanding of the instrumental case in this construction. This relatively early abstract knowledge of an idiosyncratic construction casts doubt on the view that early acquisition requires innate linguistic knowledge

Constructing a second language: some final thoughts

All the papers in this special section address issues central to cognitive linguistics research: usage-based models with their focus on frequency; multi-word units and the relationship between lexical and grammatical knowledge; and the nature of lexical meaning, especially construal or “thinking for speaking”. Cognitive Linguistics is thus clearly a useful paradigm for L2 research. The contributors also emphasise that many of the processes operating in L1 acquisition are relevant in L2A as well. In this paper, I discuss the opposite side of the coin: how cognitively-inspired L2 research can inform work on first language learning and theoretical linguistics, focussing in particular on three issues that have been extensively studied in an L2 context but neglected by the other language sciences: transfer of knowledge between constructions, the role of explicit learning, and individual differences in linguistic knowledg

Investigating the relationship between the speed of automatization and linguistic abilities: data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic

Our research explores the relationship between cognition and language. The focus of this paper is to discuss how we embarked upon remote data collection with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study we investigate cognitive processes of non-verbal intelligence, working memory, implicit statistical learning, and speed of automatization (measured with the multiple-trial Tower of Hanoi puzzle). Here we focus primarily on the speed of automatization, partly because of theoretical interest, and because it is more difficult to adapt to an online format due to the motor component of the task. We established a hybrid method of data collection where the researcher was present online to guide children through a battery of language and cognitive tasks. We used a videoconferencing platform, a digital visualiser, and a physical puzzle which we posted to each child prior to commencing the research sessions. We also designed an online version of the puzzle with support from the Getting Data project. We discuss the methodology of our study and the lessons learned during remote data collection

Cognitive Linguistics’ seven deadly sins

Cognitive Linguistics is an approach to language study based on three central premises: that the function of language is to convey meaning, that linguistic description must rely on constructs that are psychologically real, and that grammar emerges from usage. Over the last 40 years, this approach to studying language has made enormous strides in virtually every aspect of linguistic inquiry, achieving major insights as well as bringing about a conceptual unification of the language sciences. However, it has also faced problems, which, I argue, must be addressed if the approach is to continue to flourish. Some of these are shared with generative linguistics, while some are peculiar to the cognitive approach. The former include excessive reliance on introspective evidence; paying only lip service to the Cognitive Commitment; too much focus on hypothesis formulation (and not enough on hypothesis testing); ignoring individual differences; and neglecting the social aspects of language. The latter include assuming that we can deduce mental representations from patterns of use and equating distribution with meaning. I conclude by sketching out how these pitfalls could be avoided

Polska fleksja jako poligon doświadczalny językoznawstwa kognitywnego

Celem badań przedstawionych w niniejszym artykule jest empiryczna weryfikacja hipotezy, że użytkownicy języka preferują schematy niższego rzędu, a także innej kluczowej hipotezy podejść opartych na uzusie – a mianowicie, że prawdopodobieństwo uogólnienia danego wzorca fleksyjnego zależne jest od frekwencji, a w szczególności frekwencji słownikowej, czyli liczby słów należących do danej klasy fleksyjnej. Przedmiotem badań są końcówki polskiego celownika liczby pojedynczej. Produktywność poszczególnych końcówek mierzono za pomocą metody odmiany pseudosłów, czyli ciągów fonologicznych, które mogłyby być słowami w danym języku, ale nimi nie są. Zadaniem badanego jest użycie pseudosłowa w innej formie.Udostępnienie publikacji Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego finansowane w ramach projektu „Doskonałość naukowa kluczem do doskonałości kształcenia”. Projekt realizowany jest ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Społecznego w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój; nr umowy: POWER.03.05.00-00-Z092/17-00

Inlandsinvestitionen und "deofschorisazija" - ein Paradigmenwechsel in der russischen Finanzpolitik?

Putins zunehmend anti-westliche Ideologie zeigt sich auch in der Wirtschaftspolitik. Seit 2012 fördert die russische Regierung verstärkt Investitionen aus inländischen Kapitalquellen und versucht, russisches Kapital aus Steueroasen in das nationale Wirtschaftssystem zurückzuholen. Beide Maßnahmen sind angesichts der Krise 2008/2009 sowie der derzeitigen Krise vordringlicher geworden, zeigen aber bis jetzt nur mäßigen Erfolg. Es ist unklar, ob diese Initiativen Putins darauf abzielen, russische Oligarchen »patriotischer« zu machen, oder ob sie als Beruhigungsmaßnahme für die Bevölkerung und nationalistische Intellektuelle dienen, die in Russland zunehmend eine Deutungshoheit haben. Angesichts der engen Verflechtung der russischen Wirtschaft mit der globalen Wirtschaft (einschließlich des Netzwerks von Steueroasen) und angesichts der Schwäche des russischen Finanzsystems werden diese Maßnahmen nicht leicht zu realisieren sein

Education and Input as Predictors of Second Language Attainment in Naturalistic Contexts

This study examines the effects of education and input as predictors of adult second language acquisition in naturalistic contexts. L1 Albanian learners of Greek who differed in amount of schooling (from 4 to 16 years) and length of residence (from 8 to 27 years) completed elicitation tasks that tested mastery of gender and number agreement, and past tense morphology. In addition, samples of spontaneous speech were assessed for fluency, grammatical complexity, and lexical richness in order to establish the learners’ overall proficiency in the L2. We hypothesized that education would facilitate attention to form and hence lead to better attainment of grammatical distinctions with relatively low functional load, particularly when these are complex. Quantity of input would be most strongly associated with aspects of language that are most relevant to communication, and in particular, fluency. These predictions were largely confirmed: education accounted for 15% of the variance on adjective number agreement and between 31% and 38% of the variance in performance on past tense morphology, which is considerably more complex. Fluency and clausal density, in contrast, were associated with length of residence but not with education

Ein wirksames Mittel? Russlands kreativer Umgang mit Sanktionen

Sind Sanktionen ein geeignetes Mittel, um Russland zu einer Korrektur seiner Politik gegenüber der Ukraine zu bewegen? Die Antwort auf diese Frage ist umstritten. Uneinigkeit herrscht ebenfalls darüber, wie sehr Sanktionen die russische Wirtschaft tatsächlich beeinträchtigen. In der folgenden Analyse wird die Vielzahl an Methoden aufgezeigt, mittels derer russische Unternehmen versuchen, Sanktionen zu umgehen. Als besonders praktisch erweisen sich die Verbindungen russischer Unternehmen in nichtwestliche Länder – und in Steueroasen. Russlands Wirtschaft passt sich allmählich dem Sanktionsregime an, wodurch Sanktionen an Effektivität verlieren