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Volume 8
Issue 3
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Languages, Volume 8, Issue 3 (September 2023) – 71 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): This study sets out to provide a typological and areal analysis of the distinct forms and multiple functions of ‘give’ in 27 varieties of Hui Chinese, a lesser-known group of Sinitic languages. Making use of both primary and secondary data, we have identified ten different functions of GIVE. Semantic extension, polygrammaticalization, and cooptation are shown to be the major mechanisms behind the polyfunctionality or polysemy sharing of the morpheme ‘give’. Our study contributes to the understanding of the role that grammaticalization, especially contact-induced grammaticalization, plays in forming linguistic areas. In addition, it casts doubt on the basicness of ‘give’ in assessing the genetic relatedness of languages in the world. View this paper
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24 pages, 2838 KiB  
Article
Acoustic Variability of /ptk/ and /bdɡ/ in Spanish: A Pilot Study
by Brianna Butera
Languages 2023, 8(3), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030224 - 21 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1182
Abstract
Propelled by existing research on stop consonant variability in Spanish, this pilot study provides a preliminary acoustic analysis of stop consonant lenition exhibited by speakers of six different varieties of Spanish in Latin America and Spain to explore the gradient acoustic variability in [...] Read more.
Propelled by existing research on stop consonant variability in Spanish, this pilot study provides a preliminary acoustic analysis of stop consonant lenition exhibited by speakers of six different varieties of Spanish in Latin America and Spain to explore the gradient acoustic variability in the production of /ptk/ and /bdɡ/ among speakers of different Spanish varieties. Using the acoustic correlate of relative intensity, this analysis considers the effect of various linguistic factors (phoneme, lexical stress, point of articulation, sonority) as well as the extralinguistic factor of Spanish variety on the production of stop consonants in initial, intervocalic position. Results display a higher degree of weakening among speakers of Peninsular and Insular varieties of Spanish compared with those of Latin-American varieties such as Colombian, Mexican, and Peruvian. These exploratory data support the gradient nature of consonant lenition and provide a baseline for future research on stop consonant variability across the Spanish-speaking world. Full article
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12 pages, 376 KiB  
Article
A Special (Question) View on Wh-Doubling in Lombard Varieties
by Jacopo Garzonio, Enrico Castro and Jessica Rita Messina
Languages 2023, 8(3), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030223 - 20 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1204
Abstract
In this article, we examine a specific type of Wh-Doubling (WhD) that can be observed in some Northern Lombard varieties. Differently from all the previous types of WhD described for Lombard and other Northern Italo-Romance varieties, in the phenomenon we analyze, the two [...] Read more.
In this article, we examine a specific type of Wh-Doubling (WhD) that can be observed in some Northern Lombard varieties. Differently from all the previous types of WhD described for Lombard and other Northern Italo-Romance varieties, in the phenomenon we analyze, the two wh-forms are identical and display the -ɛ morpheme. Furthermore, in all the varieties where this type of WhD is present, it is associated with the encoding of special questions and cannot be used in true requests for new information. We propose an analysis of this construction assuming a split-CP representation where the higher wh-form activates a functional projection involved in the expression of special questions. We also hypothesize that this construction derives from an interrogative cleft; if this hypothesis is correct, the formation of the -ɛ morpheme and the re-analysis of the cleft as monoclausal are the two sides of the same process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives on Italian Dialects)
17 pages, 1388 KiB  
Article
Unconventional Usage of Gender-Based Japanese Sentence-Final Particles: A Study of wa and no in Youth Conversations
by Yan Wang
Languages 2023, 8(3), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030222 - 20 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1499
Abstract
Japanese society’s traditional gender norms are reflected by sentence-final particles (SFPs) in daily conversation. However, recently, Japanese young people have started to use gendered SFPs in “unclassical” ways. This study mainly examines the usage of the so-called “female” SFPs wa and no by [...] Read more.
Japanese society’s traditional gender norms are reflected by sentence-final particles (SFPs) in daily conversation. However, recently, Japanese young people have started to use gendered SFPs in “unclassical” ways. This study mainly examines the usage of the so-called “female” SFPs wa and no by male speakers. In total, 68 cases of wa (43 by male speakers and 25 by female speakers) and 84 cases of no (47 by male speakers and 37 by female speakers) usage were collected from casual conversations of Japanese college students in TalkBank, a public linguistic database. This study demonstrates that the “female” SFPs wa and no are used more frequently by male speakers than by female speakers. Different from the female speakers’ usage to soften the utterances and enhance conversational rapport, wa and no used by male speakers perform other functions. In particular, wa directly indexes self-centeredness, serving the speaker to express emotion, share personal ideas, or perform speech acts such as teasing or amae in a self-focused way, while no directly indexes truthfulness, which allows the speaker to share a story in a vivid tone, reconfirm the speaker’s prior statement, or provide the speaker’s explanation/reasoning in an assertive tone. This study suggests that the new, unconventional gender-based usages of SFPs reveal the social changes in gender dynamics in modern Japanese society, which should not be overlooked in language education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Translanguaging and Intercultural Communication)
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14 pages, 5106 KiB  
Article
Translating Migration: Art Installations against Dehumanizing Labelling Practices
by Stefania Taviano
Languages 2023, 8(3), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030221 - 20 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1200
Abstract
Migration is commonly described as a threat through images of invasion and flood in Western media. Migrants and asylum seekers tend to be the target of hate speech together with other vulnerable groups and minorities, such as disabled people, and definitions and labels [...] Read more.
Migration is commonly described as a threat through images of invasion and flood in Western media. Migrants and asylum seekers tend to be the target of hate speech together with other vulnerable groups and minorities, such as disabled people, and definitions and labels have precise implications in terms of social justice and human rights. Migrant is an umbrella term used to refer to a variety of people who leave their countries of origin. Out-of-quota and dubliner are further labels, together with asylum seekers. Through an interdisciplinary approach, adopting a translation perspective on social justice, I would like to focus on the ways these labelling practices affect migrants’ and asylum seekers’ lives to the point of violating their rights. A clear example is represented by the English term dublined, translated as dublinati/dublinanti into Italian, and with no translation into German. It derives from the Dublin regulations, signed in 2013 and still valid, and indicates those people who want to apply for asylum in a given country but cannot do so because their fingerprints have been taken and registered in another EU country. Classifications of this kind, combined with further categorisations, such as “ordinary” or “vulnerable”, are applied throughout EU countries and languages to determine whether asylum seekers deserve, and are thus granted, asylum or not. They are informed by a dehumanizing view of migration and translate into “bordering practices” which prevent access to reception systems and welfare services. Resistant translation practices, a new language and art activism can contribute to reversing dehumanizing practices by putting displaced people’s identities at the centre. The Sicilian artist Antonio Foresta is the author of the installation Pace Nostra, a symbolic wave made of migrants’ clothes and Caltanissetta inhabitants’ bedsheets, with both an Italian and Arabic title, which translates migration, commonly perceived as “their” drama, into “our” drama, a common human experience, leading to a common goal: peace. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Translating Otherness: Challenges, Theories, and Practices)
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25 pages, 470 KiB  
Article
Differential Effects of Input Quantity and Input Quality on Bilingual Development: A Study with Kurdish–English Adolescents
by Ismael Rafaat Faraj and Twana Saadi Hamid
Languages 2023, 8(3), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030220 - 19 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1771
Abstract
Previous research has shown that both input quantity and quality play a role in dual language learning. However, it is unclear whether input quantity factors (e.g., school input) and input quality factors (e.g., home media input) work similarly in the language development of [...] Read more.
Previous research has shown that both input quantity and quality play a role in dual language learning. However, it is unclear whether input quantity factors (e.g., school input) and input quality factors (e.g., home media input) work similarly in the language development of bilinguals while other potential internal and external factors are controlled for. This paper addressed this issue through investigating the influence of input quantity and input quality factors, both at the individual and group levels, on morphosyntax, vocabulary size, and lexical access ability in the Kurdish-L1 and English-L2 of Kurdish–English bilingual adolescents. Data were collected via a battery of standardized and researcher-developed measures and a detailed questionnaire. The results from backward regressions revealed that higher parental Kurdish proficiency and more exposure to Kurdish input through siblings and reading activities were associated with better Kurdish morphosyntactic skill, while a larger Kurdish vocabulary size was predicted by more exposure to native-speaker input in Kurdish. Both more Kurdish input received in preschool/school and through Kurdish media were related to better lexical access ability in Kurdish. Further, more exposure to English input in preschool/school predicted better English morphosyntactic skill and a larger vocabulary size, whereas higher paternal English proficiency was associated with better lexical access ability in English. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that input quality was more important in explaining Kurdish morphosyntactic and vocabulary size skills and lexical access ability in both languages, while input quantity explained more variance in English morphosyntactic and vocabulary size skills. Out-of-class Kurdish input outweighed instructional input to a certain extent in relation to Kurdish skills and lexical access ability in English, while instructional English input was more important for English morphosyntax and vocabulary size. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Use in the Middle East and North Africa)
24 pages, 4623 KiB  
Article
Singing Songs Facilitates L2 Pronunciation and Vocabulary Learning: A Study with Chinese Adolescent ESL Learners
by Yuan Zhang, Florence Baills and Pilar Prieto
Languages 2023, 8(3), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030219 - 18 Sep 2023
Viewed by 2783
Abstract
The present study assesses the effect of a three-session classroom-based training program involving singing songs with familiar melodies on second-language pronunciation and vocabulary learning. Ninety-five adolescent Chinese ESL learners (M = 14.04 years) were assigned to one of two groups. Participants learned [...] Read more.
The present study assesses the effect of a three-session classroom-based training program involving singing songs with familiar melodies on second-language pronunciation and vocabulary learning. Ninety-five adolescent Chinese ESL learners (M = 14.04 years) were assigned to one of two groups. Participants learned the lyrics in English of three songs whose melodies were familiar to them either by singing or reciting the lyrics, following a native English singer/instructor. Before and after training, participants performed two vocabulary tasks (picture-naming and word meaning recall tasks) and two pronunciation tasks (word and sentence oral-reading tasks). The results revealed that although both groups showed gains in vocabulary and pronunciation after training, the singing group outperformed the speech group. These findings support the value of using songs with familiar melodies to teach second languages at the early stages of learning in an ESL classroom context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Redefining Second Language Acquisition: Multimodal Theory and Practice)
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22 pages, 2646 KiB  
Article
Imperatives in Heritage Spanish: Lexical Access and Lexical Frequency Effects
by Julio César López Otero
Languages 2023, 8(3), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030218 - 15 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 984
Abstract
Along with declaratives and interrogatives, imperatives are one of the three major clause types of human language. In Spanish, imperative verb forms present poor morphology, yet complex syntax. The present study examines the acquisition of (morpho)syntactic properties of imperatives in Spanish among English-speaking [...] Read more.
Along with declaratives and interrogatives, imperatives are one of the three major clause types of human language. In Spanish, imperative verb forms present poor morphology, yet complex syntax. The present study examines the acquisition of (morpho)syntactic properties of imperatives in Spanish among English-speaking heritage speakers of Spanish. With the use of production and acceptability judgment tasks, this study investigates the acquisition of verb morphology and clitic placement in canonical and negative imperatives. The results indicate that the acquisition of Spanish imperatives among heritage speakers is shaped by the heritage speakers’ productive vocabulary knowledge, lexical frequency and syntactic complexity. Indeed, most of the variability in their knowledge was found in their production of negative imperatives: heritage speakers show a rather stable receptive grammatical knowledge while their production shows signs of variability modulated by the heritage speakers’ productive vocabulary knowledge and by the lexical frequency of the verb featured in the test items. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Approaches to the Acquisition of Heritage Spanish)
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25 pages, 4617 KiB  
Article
Polyfunctionality of ‘Give’ in Hui Varieties of Chinese: A Typological and Areal Perspective
by Wen Lu and Pui Yiu Szeto
Languages 2023, 8(3), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030217 - 15 Sep 2023
Viewed by 2067
Abstract
The morpheme ‘give’ is among the most well-studied lexical items in the realm of grammaticalization. This study sets out to provide a typological and areal analysis of the distinct forms and multiple functions of ‘give’ in 27 varieties of Hui Chinese, a lesser-known [...] Read more.
The morpheme ‘give’ is among the most well-studied lexical items in the realm of grammaticalization. This study sets out to provide a typological and areal analysis of the distinct forms and multiple functions of ‘give’ in 27 varieties of Hui Chinese, a lesser-known group of Sinitic languages. Making use of both primary and secondary data, we have identified ten different functions of GIVE, namely (i) lexical verb ‘give’, (ii) recipient marker ‘to’, (iii) benefactive marker ‘for’, (iv) purpose marker, (v) permissive marker, (vi) passive marker, (vii) pretransitive disposal marker, (viii) allative marker, (ix) locative marker ‘at/in’, and (x) temporal marker ‘till’. The Hui varieties covered in this study generally showcase the syncretism of a minimum of five of the functions above simultaneously. Semantic extension, polygrammaticalization, and cooptation are shown to be the major mechanisms behind the polyfunctionality or polysemy sharing of the morpheme ‘give’. Our study contributes to the understanding of the role that grammaticalization, especially contact-induced grammaticalization, plays in forming linguistic areas. In addition, it casts doubt on the basicness of ‘give’ in assessing the genetic relatedness of languages in the world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Typology of Chinese Languages: One Name, Many Languages)
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27 pages, 3061 KiB  
Article
Neural Activation in Bilinguals and Monolinguals Using a Word Identification Task
by Alejandro E. Brice, Christina Salnaitis and Megan K. MacPherson
Languages 2023, 8(3), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030216 - 14 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1459
Abstract
The study investigated word recognition during neural activation in monolinguals and bilinguals. We specifically examined word retrieval and blood-oxygenation changes in the prefrontal cortex during a code-mixed word recognition task. Participants completed a gating task incorporating monolingual sentences and Spanish-English code-mixed sentences while [...] Read more.
The study investigated word recognition during neural activation in monolinguals and bilinguals. We specifically examined word retrieval and blood-oxygenation changes in the prefrontal cortex during a code-mixed word recognition task. Participants completed a gating task incorporating monolingual sentences and Spanish-English code-mixed sentences while using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure blood-oxygenation changes. Word recognition contained four phonotactic conditions: (1) voiceless initial consonants, (2) voiced initial consonants, (3) CV-tense words, and (4) CV-lax words. Bilingual speakers had word-recognition capabilities similar to monolingual speakers even when identifying English words. Word recognition outcomes suggested that prefrontal cortex functioning is similar for early age of acquisition (AOA) bilinguals and monolinguals when identifying words in both code-mixed and monolingual sentences. Monolingual speakers experienced difficulty with English-voiced consonant sounds; while bilingual speakers experienced difficulties with English-lax vowels. Results suggest that localization of speech perception may be similar for both monolingual and bilingual populations, yet levels of activation differed. Our findings suggest that this parity is due to early age of acquisition (AoA) bilinguals finding a balance of language capabilities (i.e., native-like proficiency) and that in some instances the bilingual speakers processed language in the same areas dedicated to first language processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends and Future Directions in Bilingual Language Acquisition)
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16 pages, 913 KiB  
Article
The Death Taboo: Euphemism and Metaphor in Epitaphs from the English Cemetery of Malaga, Spain
by Eliecer Crespo-Fernández
Languages 2023, 8(3), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030215 - 14 Sep 2023
Viewed by 2199
Abstract
In spite of the fact that taboos change over time, death is still a delicate and sensitive subject in today’s Western societies. Our unwillingness to talk openly about death and dying makes people resort to euphemism as a safe way to talk about [...] Read more.
In spite of the fact that taboos change over time, death is still a delicate and sensitive subject in today’s Western societies. Our unwillingness to talk openly about death and dying makes people resort to euphemism as a safe way to talk about human mortality and related matters. Following Steen’s Deliberate Metaphor Theory, this study discusses the role that euphemistic metaphors play on a sample of 174 gravestone inscriptions from the English Cemetery of Malaga, the oldest Protestant cemetery in Spain, and, at the same time, examines the social and cognitive aspects of metaphor in epitaph writing. The analysis carried out reveals that most of the 96 metaphorical items observed in the gravestone inscriptions present positive connotations. Indeed, the source domains of rest, peace, new life and journey offer an optimistic and comforting approach to death and dying, whereas the domains of loss and separation refer to the target domain of death in negative terms. All in all, the metaphors encountered in the epitaphs are deliberately used both to help the bereaved confront the loss of a loved one and pay tribute to the deceased. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Studies in the Language of Taboos)
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19 pages, 3355 KiB  
Article
Infinitive vs. Gerund Use and Interpretation in Heritage Spanish
by Laura Solano-Escobar and Alejandro Cuza
Languages 2023, 8(3), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030214 - 14 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2384
Abstract
The present study examines the production and interpretation of infinitives among 26 Spanish heritage speakers born and raised in the US and 25 Spanish-dominant speakers from Mexico and Colombia. We tested participants’ knowledge of infinitives as subjects of the clause and as objects [...] Read more.
The present study examines the production and interpretation of infinitives among 26 Spanish heritage speakers born and raised in the US and 25 Spanish-dominant speakers from Mexico and Colombia. We tested participants’ knowledge of infinitives as subjects of the clause and as objects of a preposition via an elicited production task and a contextualized preference task. The results of both tasks showed less infinitive use by the HSs and overextension of the gerund in contexts where it is not required. The results showed that the gerund overextension was modulated by the syntactic context. There was significantly more use of the gerund as the subject of the clause in both production and interpretation and less use as the object of a preposition. Furthermore, the results showed a significant role for proficiency and language experience in the extent of grammatical reconfiguration. The higher the level of Spanish proficiency and the more exposure and use of Spanish, the more likely the participants were to produce and choose infinitives. Results are discussed along the lines of the activation approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Approaches to the Acquisition of Heritage Spanish)
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14 pages, 2536 KiB  
Article
Climate Change Discourse of Spanish-Speaking Airlines in Corporate Reports
by Pilar Pérez Cañizares
Languages 2023, 8(3), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030213 - 14 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1322
Abstract
The airline industry is currently responsible for more than 2% of greenhouse gas emissions, making it a major contributor to climate change and global warming. The aim of this paper is to investigate how airlines in Spanish-speaking countries communicate their position on climate [...] Read more.
The airline industry is currently responsible for more than 2% of greenhouse gas emissions, making it a major contributor to climate change and global warming. The aim of this paper is to investigate how airlines in Spanish-speaking countries communicate their position on climate change in their corporate reports and whether this has changed over the last few years. To this end, a corpus of 51 corporate reports produced by 5 different airlines between 2003 and 2020 was designed. The reports were subjected to linguistic analysis using computer processing and corpus linguistic methods. The results show large differences between the airlines in the way they communicate their relationship with climate change and suggest the existence of two phases in terms of attention paid to the issue, with a turning point in 2015/2016. In general, climate change tends to be addressed through the reporting of specific data, with limited mention of possible consequences. References to climate change tend to appear in indexes, titles, headings or literal reproductions of reporting standards. This helps to give some prominence to the issue, although there is most frequently no positioning or appraisal of the issue. Full article
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12 pages, 869 KiB  
Article
An Exploratory Study of EFL Learners’ Use of ChatGPT for Language Learning Tasks: Experience and Perceptions
by Yangyu Xiao and Yuying Zhi
Languages 2023, 8(3), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030212 - 13 Sep 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 11382
Abstract
ChatGPT, a general-purpose intelligent chatbot developed by OpenAI, has introduced numerous opportunities and challenges in the field of language education. With its remarkable ability to generate diverse forms of text, answer questions, and provide translations within minutes, ChatGPT has become an influential tool [...] Read more.
ChatGPT, a general-purpose intelligent chatbot developed by OpenAI, has introduced numerous opportunities and challenges in the field of language education. With its remarkable ability to generate diverse forms of text, answer questions, and provide translations within minutes, ChatGPT has become an influential tool in the era of advanced AI technology. However, to what extent ChatGPT can be used to assist students in completing language learning tasks remains largely unexplored. Against this background, this study aimed to investigate students’ experiences with ChatGPT and their perceptions of its role in language learning through a small-scale qualitative study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five students at a top-tier international university in China. Students’ responses revealed that ChatGPT has the potential to serve as a valuable learning partner and aid students in completing language-related tasks. Furthermore, participants exhibited critical judgment in evaluating the quality of ideas and outputs generated by ChatGPT, as well as the ability to modify prompts to maximize learning benefits. Such critical judgment offsets the potential threats to academic integrity posed by ChatGPT. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the potential of ChatGPT in language education by adding empirical evidence from students’ perspectives. This study supports the idea that ChatGPT can work as an effective tool for providing students with immediate feedback and personalized learning experiences. Such findings generate implications for future pedagogical practices in the new era by providing students with personalized guidance, designing technology-embedded language support, and developing students’ lifelong learning skills (e.g., autonomy and evaluative judgment) with the support of ChatGPT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Using ChatGPT in Language Learning)
18 pages, 1116 KiB  
Article
The Role of Online Learning Environments in the Enhancement of Language Learners’ Intercultural Competence: A Scoping Review of Studies Published between 2015 and 2022
by Barbara Muszyńska, Joanna Pfingsthorn and Tim Giesler
Languages 2023, 8(3), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030211 - 11 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1407
Abstract
Developing intercultural competence (IC) through foreign language is believed to lead to rejecting prejudices and stereotypes and fostering bilingualism and biculturalism. Despite the growth of publications on technologies and IC, a significant gap exists between what is known (evidence) and what is done [...] Read more.
Developing intercultural competence (IC) through foreign language is believed to lead to rejecting prejudices and stereotypes and fostering bilingualism and biculturalism. Despite the growth of publications on technologies and IC, a significant gap exists between what is known (evidence) and what is done (practice) at the levels of decision making and course design. This scoping review, guided by the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, is conducted to systematically map peer-reviewed literature, taking a longitudinal perspective to update the existing reviews, identify knowledge gaps, and provide a new conclusion to the topic investigated. A transparent, replicable review protocol was designed a priori. A formal Advisory Group was established to incorporate various perspectives and ensure the applicability of the review findings. The main findings suggest that the concept of IC is not uniformly defined across the studies examined, and the development and dynamic nature of the concept is not captured. Numerous studies rely on chosen aspects of the construct only. Still, most of them report largely positive findings concerning the development of IC in FL online learning environments. It is possible that this high number of positive findings includes some cases of type II error or false positives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Cross-Cultural Communication in Digital and Non-digital Environments: Language and Intercultural Interaction)
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11 pages, 354 KiB  
Editorial
The Pragmatics and Argumentation Interface
by Steve Oswald
Languages 2023, 8(3), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030210 - 08 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1470
Abstract
It can be argued that linguistic aspects of argumentation have attracted scholarly attention ever since the foundation of rhetoric, which originally developed as the study of means of persuasion, and thus, to a fair extent, that linguistics plays an important role in the [...] Read more.
It can be argued that linguistic aspects of argumentation have attracted scholarly attention ever since the foundation of rhetoric, which originally developed as the study of means of persuasion, and thus, to a fair extent, that linguistics plays an important role in the study of argumentation at large [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pragmatics and Argumentation)
18 pages, 6058 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Methods for Analyzing Second Language Lexical Tone Production
by Alexis Zhou and Daniel J. Olson
Languages 2023, 8(3), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030209 - 05 Sep 2023
Viewed by 2070
Abstract
The production of L2 lexical tone has proven difficult for learners of tonal languages, leading to the testing of different tone training techniques. To test the validity of these techniques, it is first necessary to capture the differences between L1 and L2 tone [...] Read more.
The production of L2 lexical tone has proven difficult for learners of tonal languages, leading to the testing of different tone training techniques. To test the validity of these techniques, it is first necessary to capture the differences between L1 and L2 tone datasets. The current study explores three analyses designed to compare L1 and L2 tone: (1) using a single deviation score, (2) using deviation score calculations for specific regions of tone productions, and (3) applying a complexity-invariant distance measure to the two time series datasets. These three analyses were tested using datasets sampled from a previous study testing the effects of a visual feedback paradigm on the production of L2 Mandarin tone. Results suggest the first two analyses, although useful for providing an overall evaluation of how L2 speakers’ pretest versus posttest productions compare to L1 speakers, lose critical information about tone, namely pitch height, contour, and the timing of the production. The third analysis, applying the complexity-invariant distance measure to the datasets, can provide the pertinent information lost from the first two analyses in a more robust manner. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Speech Analysis and Tools in L2 Pronunciation Acquisition)
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18 pages, 809 KiB  
Article
The Pleasure and Pain in Taboo Exploitation
by Keith Allan
Languages 2023, 8(3), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030208 - 04 Sep 2023
Viewed by 4089
Abstract
The taboo exploitation examined in this essay is swearing. Swearing intersects in complex ways with the giving and taking of pleasure and concomitantly coping with pain or, conversely, craving to inflict pain. Swearing is normally restricted to colloquial styles because it is commonly [...] Read more.
The taboo exploitation examined in this essay is swearing. Swearing intersects in complex ways with the giving and taking of pleasure and concomitantly coping with pain or, conversely, craving to inflict pain. Swearing is normally restricted to colloquial styles because it is commonly perceived to breach the rules of courtesy by offending against standards of good taste and good manners. The breaking of this taboo is an emotional release. Swearing has a special place in our neural anatomy, perhaps accounting for: (a) its effectiveness displaying pleasure and managing pain or the hypoalgesia and other physiological effects in laboratory studies; (b) for the tendency of any disparaging denotation or connotation to dominate the interpretation of the immediate context. I recognize five frequently synchronous functions for swearing from the utterer’s as well as the audience point of view: (i) The expletive function, often marking attitude to what is said. (ii) Abuse, insult, banter. (iii) Spicing up the message. (iv) Expression of social solidarity. (v) The discourse function. There is an additional from an audience point of view: (vi) Characterizing an individual’s behavior. For every function, the degree of pleasure and/or pain and the kind of taboo exploitation is assessed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Studies in the Language of Taboos)
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20 pages, 2352 KiB  
Article
Investigating Adaptation to And-Coordination in English: An ERP Study
by Edith Kaan
Languages 2023, 8(3), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030207 - 02 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1063
Abstract
According to certain approaches to adaptation, readers and listeners quickly adjust their processing of sentences to match properties of recently encountered sentences. The present preregistered study used ERP (event-related brain potentials) to investigate how and when readers change their processing in response to [...] Read more.
According to certain approaches to adaptation, readers and listeners quickly adjust their processing of sentences to match properties of recently encountered sentences. The present preregistered study used ERP (event-related brain potentials) to investigate how and when readers change their processing in response to recent exposure to sentences of a particular structure. We presented English speakers (n = 36) with three virtual blocks of English sentences with and-coordination ambiguities. In the first and third block, the ambiguity was always resolved towards a noun phrase (NP-) coordination; in the second block, the structure was always a clausal (S-) coordination. We manipulated the plausibility of the critical noun after the conjunct. N400 and P600 plausibility effects were probed to see to what extent the reader preferred an NP- coordination or expected the sentence to continue differently. Our results suggest that readers change their processing as a function of recent exposure but that they do not immediately adapt to the target structure. Furthermore, we observed substantial individual variation in the type and change in response over the course of the study. The idea that structural adaptation is immediate and a direct reflection of the properties of the recent context therefore needs to be fine-tuned. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Syntactic Adaptation)
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0 pages, 1100 KiB  
Article
Mediated Bricolage and the Sociolinguistic Co-Construction of No Sabo Kids
by Salvatore Callesano
Languages 2023, 8(3), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030206 - 31 Aug 2023
Viewed by 2757
Abstract
Sociolinguistic styles and the resultant ascribed identities are understood as the product of simultaneous variables, leading to the notion of bricolage, or the co-occurrence of variables and their collective indexical meanings. Relatively little attention has been paid to these processes as they manifest [...] Read more.
Sociolinguistic styles and the resultant ascribed identities are understood as the product of simultaneous variables, leading to the notion of bricolage, or the co-occurrence of variables and their collective indexical meanings. Relatively little attention has been paid to these processes as they manifest on social media platforms. The goal of the current paper is to understand which linguistic and thematic features co-occur in the online production of the no sabo kid style and identity, which manifests as a form of linguistic discrimination towards U.S. Latinx youth. “Hashtag communities” were used to locate posts about no sabo kids on TikTok (N = 95), and videos were automatically and manually coded for salient linguistic and discursive resources in the online no sabo kid community. The results show the co-occurrence of code-switching and phonological and lexical variation, alongside discursive themes, namely ‘proficiency’, ‘ethnicity’, and ‘performative lexical gaps’. I argue that the no sabo kid hashtag community is a mediated manifestation of ideologies surrounding U.S. Latinx bilinguals, where a supposed lack of proficiency in Spanish and grammatical blending of Spanish and English index inauthentic ethnicity. Mediated instantiations of sociolinguistic styles shed light on how linguistic features become enregistered through multimodality and semiotic bricolage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Meanings of Language Variation in Spanish)
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19 pages, 2592 KiB  
Article
An Airflow Analysis of Spanish and English Anticipatory Vowel Nasalization among Heritage Bilinguals
by Ander Beristain
Languages 2023, 8(3), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030205 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1175
Abstract
Gestural timing overlap between a vowel and subsequent nasal consonant results in the vowel being articulatorily nasalized. Research has shown that such degree of coarticulation varies cross-linguistically (e.g., English exhibits a greater gestural timing overlap than Spanish). This phenomenon has mainly been investigated [...] Read more.
Gestural timing overlap between a vowel and subsequent nasal consonant results in the vowel being articulatorily nasalized. Research has shown that such degree of coarticulation varies cross-linguistically (e.g., English exhibits a greater gestural timing overlap than Spanish). This phenomenon has mainly been investigated in monolingual samples, and with only a small number of studies focusing on second and heritage language gestural timing patterns of nasality; the role of bilingualism in this respect is thus an open question, which is the focus of the current study. Sixteen second-generation US-born heritage bilinguals participated in this experiment. Their degree of bilingualism was assessed via the Bilingual Language Profile. They completed two separate read-aloud tasks: one in Spanish (heritage language) and one in English (second language). Simultaneous oral and nasal airflow were collected via pressure transducers from words that included phonetically oral and nasalized vowels. Results indicate that heritage bilinguals increment the degree of vocalic nasalization from Spanish to English. Nevertheless, their degree of bilingualism did not yield statistical significance in phonetic performance. The current study is the first one implementing aerodynamic methods with a heritage bilingual population and presents data for the possibility to possess two segment-to-segment timing strategies in heritage grammars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Approaches to the Acquisition of Heritage Spanish)
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23 pages, 2172 KiB  
Article
Indexing Deficiency: Connecting Language Learning and Teaching to Evaluations of US Spanish
by Gabriella Licata
Languages 2023, 8(3), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030204 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1806
Abstract
The examination of language attitudes towards US Spanish variables unearths indexical meanings rooted in deficit perspectives, particularly in educational contexts. Standard language ideologies undergird pedagogical practice and learning experiences in second language (L2) and heritage language (HL) Spanish classes. The present study utilizes [...] Read more.
The examination of language attitudes towards US Spanish variables unearths indexical meanings rooted in deficit perspectives, particularly in educational contexts. Standard language ideologies undergird pedagogical practice and learning experiences in second language (L2) and heritage language (HL) Spanish classes. The present study utilizes dual research paradigms of social cognition (matched guise technique (MGT); implicit association test (IAT)) to determine if varying experiences with (Spanish) standard language ideologies in academic settings condition bias towards standardized Spanish (SS) and US Spanish (USS) repertoires. L2 and HL students as well as teachers of Spanish (n = 81) have more positive associations of SS in both the MGT and IAT, demonstrating that standard language ideologies influence perceptions of language acquisition and academic language learning. No correlations between the bias measures were reported yet attitudes did not differ, suggesting that attitudes are stable and reflected in both early learnings of social information and lived experiences throughout formative education. These results contribute to a growing body of research that examines how monoglossic ideologies reinforce and reproduce the stigma associated with features of US Spanish(es). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Meanings of Language Variation in Spanish)
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38 pages, 562 KiB  
Article
Disentangling Words, Clitics, and Suffixes in Uyghur
by Travis Major, Connor Mayer and Gülnar Eziz
Languages 2023, 8(3), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030203 - 30 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1283
Abstract
Turkic languages have been shown to form words using a wide range of word-formation strategies, such as suffixation, cliticization, and auxiliaries. The present paper offers a detailed description of word formation in Uyghur, compares the patterns in Uyghur with the prior literature on [...] Read more.
Turkic languages have been shown to form words using a wide range of word-formation strategies, such as suffixation, cliticization, and auxiliaries. The present paper offers a detailed description of word formation in Uyghur, compares the patterns in Uyghur with the prior literature on Turkic, offers explicit diagnostics for suffixes and clitics, and proposes a morpho-syntactic analysis for each strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theoretical Studies on Turkic Languages)
26 pages, 1636 KiB  
Article
Contextual Variables as Predictors of Verb Form: An Analysis of Gender and Stance in Peninsular Spanish Requests
by Lori Czerwionka, Bruno Staszkiewicz and Farzin Shamloo
Languages 2023, 8(3), 202; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030202 - 29 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1116
Abstract
The current experiment employs a variational pragmatics perspective to explore how the contextual variables of power, distance, and imposition jointly affect social groups’ and individuals’ choice of verb forms in requests in Madrid, Spain. Using a mixed-method approach to explore the requests of [...] Read more.
The current experiment employs a variational pragmatics perspective to explore how the contextual variables of power, distance, and imposition jointly affect social groups’ and individuals’ choice of verb forms in requests in Madrid, Spain. Using a mixed-method approach to explore the requests of 111 Spanish speakers from Madrid, quantitative analyses determined the level of significance and hierarchical order of the predictor variables of power, distance, and imposition on verb form and also the distribution of verb forms by gender, with male and female participants exhibiting significant differences. Additionally, certain participants demonstrated decreased sensitivity to contextual factors, adopting more categorically indirect or direct request strategies. The examination of both gendered request patterns and the stances that single participants adopt through their verb-form selections contributes to our understanding of the social moves that are made by all speakers, not just those who fall within the gendered norms. The results highlight the different frames and social meanings attached to these forms at the micro- and macro-social levels, providing new insight into the complex relationship among linguistic variables, contextual factors, and social groups and individuals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Meanings of Language Variation in Spanish)
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37 pages, 47148 KiB  
Article
Aspectual se and Telicity in Heritage Spanish Bilinguals: The Effects of Lexical Access, Dominance, Age of Acquisition, and Patterns of Language Use
by Gabriel Martínez Vera, Julio César López Otero, Marina Y. Sokolova, Adam Cleveland, Megan Tzeitel Marshall and Liliana Sánchez
Languages 2023, 8(3), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030201 - 29 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1602
Abstract
While differences in the production and acceptability of aspectual inflectional morphology between Spanish–English heritage and monolingually raised speakers of Spanish have been argued to support incomplete acquisition approaches to heritage language acquisition, other approaches have argued that differences in access (e.g., lexical access) [...] Read more.
While differences in the production and acceptability of aspectual inflectional morphology between Spanish–English heritage and monolingually raised speakers of Spanish have been argued to support incomplete acquisition approaches to heritage language acquisition, other approaches have argued that differences in access (e.g., lexical access) to representations for receptive and productive purposes are at the core of some of the unique characteristics of heritage language data. We investigate these issues by focusing on the effects of lexical access, dominance, age of acquisition and patterns of language use in heritage Spanish–English bilinguals. We study aspectual se in Spanish, which yields telic interpretations, in expressions such as María se comió la manzana ‘María ate the apple (completely)’ and Maria ate the apple (where completion may not be reached). Our results indicate that se generates telic interpretations for the heritage and monolingually raised group with no group effect. Heritage speakers showed no English effects in terms of lexical access, age of acquisition, patterns of language use or dominance. This suggests that the heritage group did not differ from their monolingually raised counterparts and showed no evidence of incomplete acquisition of telicity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Approaches to the Acquisition of Heritage Spanish)
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22 pages, 1699 KiB  
Article
I Don’t Think You like Me: Examining Metaperceptions of Interpersonal Liking in Second Language Academic Interaction
by Pavel Trofimovich, Rachael Lindberg, Anamaria Bodea, Thao-Nguyen Nina Le, Chaoqun Zheng and Kim McDonough
Languages 2023, 8(3), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030200 - 29 Aug 2023
Viewed by 2622
Abstract
People often think about how they are perceived by others, but their perceptions (described as metaperceptions) are frequently off-target. Speakers communicating in their first language demonstrate a robust phenomenon, called the liking gap, where they consistently underestimate how much they are liked by [...] Read more.
People often think about how they are perceived by others, but their perceptions (described as metaperceptions) are frequently off-target. Speakers communicating in their first language demonstrate a robust phenomenon, called the liking gap, where they consistently underestimate how much they are liked by their interlocutors. We extended this research to second language (L2) speakers to determine whether they demonstrate a similar negative bias and if it predicts willingness to engage in future interactions. We paired 76 English L2 university students with a previously unacquainted student to carry out a 10 min academic discussion task in English. After the conversation, students rated each other’s interpersonal liking, speaking skill, and interactional behavior, provided their metaperceptions for their partner’s ratings of the same dimensions, and assessed their willingness to engage in future interaction. We found a reliable interpersonal liking gap for all speakers, along with speaking skill and interaction behavior gaps for female speakers only. Only the female speakers (irrespective of their partner’s gender) seemed to factor metaperceptions into their willingness to engage in future communication. We discuss the implications of these initial findings and call for further work into the role of metaperception in L2 communication. Full article
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22 pages, 461 KiB  
Article
(Mis)pronunciations of Hispanic Given Names in the U.S.: Positionalities and Discursive Strategies at Play
by Paola Enríquez Duque
Languages 2023, 8(3), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030199 - 28 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1110
Abstract
This qualitative study examines the indexical nature of given names and their role in self-positioning within diverse social contexts. The study centers on the pronunciation of Hispanic given names in the United States. The analysis is grounded in interviews with six young adults [...] Read more.
This qualitative study examines the indexical nature of given names and their role in self-positioning within diverse social contexts. The study centers on the pronunciation of Hispanic given names in the United States. The analysis is grounded in interviews with six young adults who recognize that their names have Spanish and English variants, and it demonstrates that bearers’ phonological awareness plays a critical role in distinguishing name variants and mispronunciations, as evidenced through metalinguistic comments. These distinctions are additionally shaped by personal criteria. By examining the participants’ narratives and one participant’s discursive strategies in particular, I show that the pronunciation of given names constitutes a significant linguistic resource intentionally mobilized and managed to negotiate social positionings. Moreover, this research highlights that conferring Hispanic given names in the U.S. constitutes a sociocultural strategy that extends beyond an indexical ethnocultural naming practice across generations. This practice is found to be a means of fostering and maintaining intergenerational relationships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Meanings of Language Variation in Spanish)
22 pages, 3769 KiB  
Article
Multilingualism as a Functional Element, a Useful Category for the Study of the Construction and Translation of Linguistically Diverse Discourse
by Lorena Hurtado-Malillos
Languages 2023, 8(3), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030198 - 23 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1086
Abstract
This article is a discursive and equivalence-generating study of the use of the multilingual property as a narrative transmission mechanism in audiovisual texts. Specific functions can be constructed and different events and aspects of the plot can be presented through the introduction of [...] Read more.
This article is a discursive and equivalence-generating study of the use of the multilingual property as a narrative transmission mechanism in audiovisual texts. Specific functions can be constructed and different events and aspects of the plot can be presented through the introduction of linguistic variation and its deliberate application to achieve defined purposes. The analysis is based on functionalist approaches to the study of fiction and translation and on the binary branching classification model of solution types for determining textual problems in translation based on the form these adopt. This article presents the findings of multilingual property identification and translation related to the application of this forms- and functions-based approach. Several classifications of solution types are also developed with representative examples extracted from film and series. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends, Challenges and Discoveries in the Translation of Multilingualism in Fiction)
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18 pages, 3268 KiB  
Article
Embracing the Disrupted Language Teaching and Learning Field: Analyzing YouTube Content Creation Related to ChatGPT
by Belle Li, Xiaojing Kou and Curtis J. Bonk
Languages 2023, 8(3), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030197 - 22 Aug 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5158
Abstract
Since late 2022, dozens of YouTube channels focusing on a diverse array of topics related to language learning with generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have rapidly emerged. This study explores the implementations and perspectives of YouTube content creators who now constitute an [...] Read more.
Since late 2022, dozens of YouTube channels focusing on a diverse array of topics related to language learning with generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have rapidly emerged. This study explores the implementations and perspectives of YouTube content creators who now constitute an increasingly important segment of the ecosystem of language teaching and learning. A mixed methods netnographic approach was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. A total of 140 videos were identified and analyzed, and an in-depth content analysis was conducted to uncover underlying themes. Four main categories of creators were identified: educators, learners, technology professionals, and e-learning providers. Educators, especially English and Japanese teachers, were the majority, followed by learners and technology field professionals. This study highlights the benefits, drawbacks, and concerns associated with the integration of AI tools in language learning. By examining this rapidly evolving phenomenon, the study contributes towards an understanding of the role and impact of generative AI tools in language education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Using ChatGPT in Language Learning)
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24 pages, 2601 KiB  
Article
Toeing the Party Line: Indexicality and Regional Andalusian Phonetic Features in Political Speech
by Matthew Pollock
Languages 2023, 8(3), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030196 - 16 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1089
Abstract
Performative style is an important sociolinguistic variable among politicians, who accomplish agentive goals through speech. Examining 32 Spanish politicians, this article focuses on four Andalusian Spanish phenomena: the fronting of /t͡ʃ/ and the deletion of coda /s/, resyllabified intervocalic onset /s/, and intervocalic [...] Read more.
Performative style is an important sociolinguistic variable among politicians, who accomplish agentive goals through speech. Examining 32 Spanish politicians, this article focuses on four Andalusian Spanish phenomena: the fronting of /t͡ʃ/ and the deletion of coda /s/, resyllabified intervocalic onset /s/, and intervocalic /d/. The analysis first looks at overall community production norms for the variants then turns to examine the style-shifting patterns of one individual who deviates from these norms. This individual is examined through a consideration of lectal focusing in interaction to track moment-by-moment variation. While coda /s/ and intervocalic /d/ deletion show usage patterns governed by regional and contextual factors, the deletion of onset /s/ and fronted /t͡ʃ/ reflect social variation and style-shifting. While politicians do not blindly follow partisan norms, normative expectations exist at the regional level that they can choose to depart from due to individual motivations and political affiliation in order to carry out identity work. This study combines quantitative examinations of community and individual variation to contribute to our understanding of style-shifting behavior in political speech and how politicians use linguistic tools to take on oppositional identities in the public sphere. Full article
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5 pages, 309 KiB  
Book Review
Book Review: Traugott (2022). Discourse Structuring Markers in English. A Historical Constructionalist Perspective on Pragmatics. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins. ISBN: 978-90-272-1091-3
by Mengmin Xu and Fuyin Li
Languages 2023, 8(3), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030195 - 14 Aug 2023
Viewed by 900
Abstract
The cognitive-constructionist approach to language has significantly gained prominence, with recent developments expanding its exploration into language change [...] Full article
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