Sentential Word Order and the Syntax of Question Particles

Polar question particles in languages with VO word order pose a problem for the otherwise robust Final-Over-Final Constraint, which rules out a head-final phrase immediately dominating a head-initial phrase (Holmberg 2000). This paper offers a description of these particles and the constraint, and offers data supporting the hypothesis that these final particles are different from their initial counterparts in a fundamental way

Null Subjects in Northeast English

This paper presents data and analysis relating to null subjects in spoken colloquial English. While English is not a „pro-drop? language (i.e. subjects must usually be overt), a corpus of speech collected on Tyneside and Wearside in 2007 shows that null subjects are permitted in finite clauses in certain contexts. This paper analyses these examples and follow-up questionnaires, and compares the data with the other types of null subject described in the literature (pro-drop, topic-drop, early null subjects, aphasics? null subjects and „diary-drop?), ultimately concluding that the colloquial English phenomenon is most closely related to diary- drop

The Names of Us English: Valley Girl, Cowboy, Yankee, Normal, Nasal, and Ignorant

A commonplace in United States (hereafter US) linguistics is that every region supports its own standard; none is the locus (or source) of the standard. Historically that is a fair assessment, for no long-term centre of culture, economy and government has dominated in the US

Cultivating Classroom Spaces as Homes for Learning

Our action research ethnography explores sixth grade students’ perceptions of their classroom space as conducive or distracting to their learning experiences. Issues of physical environment, students’ self-governance, and disciplinary management are explored. We conclude by offering recommendations for other educators to consider