On the nature of crosslinguistic influence: root infinitives revisited

Producción CientíficaRoot Infinitives (RI) in Spanish have an infinitival marker, while in English they are bare forms. For languages like English, the RI stage has been said to be longer and to have a higher incidence than in Spanish. Within Liceras, Bel, and Perales’ (2006) typology of an RI universal stage, Spanish is a [+Person (P), +Infinitival marker (R)] language while English is [−P, −R]. Our analysis of the English and Spanish RIs produced by English-Spanish bilingual children and English and Spanish monolingual children reveals no interfering influence from English into Spanish and no positive influence from Spanish into English, which suggests that the degree of lexical transparency of the [+P, +R] features of Spanish is not strong enough to trigger acceleration in overcoming the bilingual English RI stage.Junta de Castilla y León y ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación - Ref.VA009P17)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades y ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), (ref. PGC2018-097693-B-I00)Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (HUM2007-62213) and ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) (BFF2002-00442)

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Subject omission/production in child bilingual English and child bilingual Spanish: The view from linguistic theory

Producción CientíficaIn bilingual child language acquisition research, a recurrent learnability issue has been to investigate whether and how cross-linguistic influence would interact with the non-adult patterns of omission/production of functional categories. In this paper, we analyze the omission/production of subject pronouns in the earliest stage English grammar and the earliest stage Spanish grammar of two English–Spanish simultaneous bilingual children (FerFuLice corpus in CHILDES). We base this analysis on Holmberg’s (2005, Is there a little pro? Evidence from Finnish. Linguistic Inquiry 36. 533–564) and Sheehan’s (2006, The EPP and null subjects in Romance. Newcastle: Newcastle University PhD dissertation) formulation of the null subject parameter and on Liceras et al.’s (2012, Overt subjects and copula omission in the Spanish and the English grammar of English-Spanish bilinguals: On the locus and directionality of interlinguistic influence. First Language 32(1–2). 88–115) assumptions concerning the role of lexical specialization in cross-linguistic influence. We have conducted a comparative analysis of the patterns of production/omission of English and Spanish overt and null subjects in two bilingual children, on the one hand, versus the patterns of production/omission of one monolingual English child and one monolingual Spanish child, on the other. The results show that while there is no conclusive evidence as to whether or not English influences the higher production of overt subjects in child bilingual Spanish, the presence of null subjects in Spanish has a positive influence in the eradication of non-adult null subjects in bilingual English. We argue that in a bilingual situation, as compared to a monolingual one, lexical specialization in one of the languages of the bilinguals (the availability of an overt and a null realization of the subject in Spanish) facilitates the acquisition of the other language.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades- FEDER (BFF2002-00442 and HUM2007-62213)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación – Ref. VA046A06)Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC 410-2004-2034

Bilingual early functional-lexical mixing and the activation of formal features

Producción CientíficaWe have argued that the grammatical features spell-out hypothesis (GFSH) (Liceras, Spradlin, Perales, Fernández, & Álvarez, 2003; Spradlin, Liceras & Fernández, 2003a) accounts for the functional-lexical mixing patterns that prevail in the case of Determiner Phrases produced by bilingual (English-Spanish) children. This hypothesis (Liceras, 2002; Spradlin, Liceras & Fernández, 2003b) states that in the process of activating the features of the two grammars, the child, who will rely on the two lexicons, will make codemixing choices which will favor the functional categories containing the largest array of uninterpretable features (Chomsky, 1998, 1999). This implies that in the case of English/ Spanish child acquisition data, mixed utterances such as el book (Spanish Determiner + English Noun) will prevail over mixed utterances such as the libro (English Determiner + Spanish Noun). Thus, in the process of acquisition, children pay special attention to the visible morpho-phonological triggers which lead to the activation of abstract formal features.Faculty of Arts of the University of Ottawa (T-0207-076-77)Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología - FEDER (Project BFF2002-00442

Early Phonological Acquisition in a Set of English-Spanish Bilingual Twins

Producción CientíficaThis study is the first attempt to examine the early phonological development of bilingual twins. It sought to determine the extent to which the phonological acquisition of twins was similar, and the extent to which the phonological acquisition of the two languages was similar. Language samples from twin boys acquiring English and Spanish simultaneously were taken at 18, 19 and 20 months of age, in English and Spanish. The samples were analyzed using nine measures of phonological acquisition. A scale of phonological similarity was developed to quantify comparisons between the languages and between the children. The results indicated that the phonologies of the twins were 92% similar in each language, showing highly similar, but not identical systems. The phonologies of the languages were 71% similar, indicating that being twin did not impede early language separation

Improving the Working Memory During Early Childhood Education Through the Use of an Interactive Gesture Game-Based Learning Approach

One of the most socially and culturally advantageous uses of human–computer interaction is enhancing playing and learning for children. In this paper, gesture interactive game-based learning (GIGL) is tested to see if these kinds of applications are suitable to stimulate working memory (WM) and basic mathematical skills (BMS) in early childhood (5–6 years old) using a hand gesture recognition system. Hand gesture is being performed by the user and to control a computer system by that incoming information. The research was developed using a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test, using both an experimental and control group through three phases: the first one was the prior evaluation of the learner’s skills; a second phase in which the use of the technology was developed; and a final phase of evaluation. In the evaluation phases, working memory was measured using the Corsi task, and the basic mathematical skills using the test for the diagnosis of basic mathematical competencies (TEDI-MATH). The results provide clear evidence that the use of these technologies improved both working memory and basic mathematical skills. We can conclude that the children who used GIGL technology showed a significant increase in their learning performance in WM and BMS, surpassing those who did normal school activitiesS

Evaluación continuada automática de Fundamentos de Programación en C

En este trabajo se describe el uso de un sistema de evaluación automática como herramienta de apoyo para el aprendizaje y seguimiento continuado de los alumnos de la asignatura de Fundamentos de Programación del primer curso de las titulaciones de los grados de Ingeniería en Tecnologías Industriales y de Ingeniería Química impartidos en la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM) desde el curso 2010-11. El sistema de evaluación se implementa mediante uno de los módulos de la plataforma AulaWeb desarrollada en la UPM. Se analizan además los resultados obtenidos considerando que las calificaciones obtenidas en los ejercicios programados pueden tenerse en cuenta en la calificación final de la asignatura como parte de la evaluación continuada durante el periodo académico de acuerdo con la metodología propuesta en el Proceso de Bolonia para los estudios universitarios

Beyond the subject DP versus the subject pronoun divide in agreement switches

Producción CientíficaPrevious code-switching literature argues that no switch takes place between a pronoun and a verb, while Determiner Phrases (DPs) do code-switch. This paper uses code-switching acceptability judgment data elicited from three groups of English–Spanish bilinguals (2L1 children, L2 English children and L2 English adults) to test: (i) van Gelderen & MacSwan’s (2008) PF disjunction theorem intended to account for the DP/pronoun divide; and (ii) an agreement version of the analogical criterion (Liceras et al. 2008) which is based on Pesetsky & Torrego’s (2001) double-feature valuation mechanism intended to account for the different status of third person versus first and second person pronominal subjects. We show that the PF disjunction theorem is clearly rooted in the mind of the bilingual and that the Spanish dominant bilinguals can ‘relax’ its requirements to value person agreement features as predicted by the double-feature valuation mechanism.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - FEDER (HUM2007-62213 and BFF2002-00442)Faculty of Arts of the University of Ottawa - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (410-2004-2034)International Council for Canadian Studies - Department of Foreign Affairs (10-CEA-A

Imagen producto-país y crisis en el sector hortícola español: clasificación e impacto en el mercado

[EN] This research provides a conceptual framework to analyse the concept of ‘crisis’ and its multiple origins in the Spanish horticultural sector, the largest horticultural exporter in Europe. For this purpose, this study provides a typology of crises and a classification according to their nature, reasons, and temporary impact. Consequently, this research reviews and chronologically classifies the harmful campaigns that have originated several of those crises. Additionally, the impact on the perceived product-country image is analysed through an empirical research based on the results of a survey of consumers in several European countries.[ES] Esta investigación proporciona un marco conceptual para analizar el concepto “crisis” y sus orígenes en el sector hortícola español, el mayor exportador hortícola de Europa. Para este propósito, este estudio proporciona una tipología de crisis y una clasificación de acuerdo con su naturaleza, motivos e impacto temporal. En consecuencia, esta investigación revisa y clasifica cronológicamente las campañas inter-nacionales perjudiciales que han originado varias de esas crisis. Además, el impacto en la imagen percibida del producto-país se analiza a través de una investigación empírica basada en los resultados de una encuesta dirigida a consumidores finales en varios países europeos.Serrano-Arcos, MM.; Pérez-Mesa, JC.; Sánchez-Fernández, R. (2018). Product-country image and crises in the Spanish horticultural sector: Classification and impact on the market. Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales - Agricultural and Resource Economics. 18(1):111-133. doi:10.7201/earn.2018.01.05SWORD11113318

CD44 In Sarcomas: A Comprehensive Review and Future Perspectives

Factor de impacto: 6,244 Q2It is widely accepted that the tumor microenvironment, particularly the extracellular matrix, plays an essential role in the development of tumors through the interaction with specific protein-membrane receptors. One of the most relevant proteins in this context is the transmembrane protein CD44. The role of CD44 in tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis has been well established in many cancers, although a comprehensive review concerning its role in sarcomas has not been published. CD44 is overexpressed in most sarcomas and several in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown a direct effect on tumor progression, dissemination, and drug resistance. Moreover, CD44 has been revealed as a useful marker for prognostic and diagnostic (CD44v6 isoform) in osteosarcoma. Besides, some innovative treatments such as HA-functionalized liposomes therapy have become an excellent CD44-mediated intracellular delivery system for osteosarcoma. Unfortunately, the reduced number of studies deciphering the prognostic/diagnostic value of CD44 in other sarcoma subgroups, neither than osteosarcoma, in addition to the low number of patients involved in those studies, have produced inconclusive results. In this review, we have gone through the information available on the role of CD44 in the development, maintenance, and progression of sarcomas, analyzing their implications at the prognostic, therapeutic, and mechanistic levels. Moreover, we illustrate how research involving the specific role of CD44 in the different sarcoma subgroups could suppose a chance to advance towards a more innovative perspective for novel therapies and future clinical trials.This review was funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, grant numbers PI20CIII/00020, DTS18CIII/00005, Asociacion Pablo Ugarte, grant numbers TRPV205/18; Asociación Candela Riera, Asociación Todos Somos Iván & Fundación Sonrisa de Alex, grant numbers TVP333-19, TVP-1324/15;ASION, grant number TVP141/17. R.M.M-FdM is supported for a grant of the Spanish Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER).S