scholarly journals Of absent mothers, strong sisters and peculiar daughters: the constructional network of English NPN constructions

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotte Sommerer ◽  
Andreas Baumann
Keyword(s):  
American English ◽  
Theoretical Modeling ◽  
Construction Grammar ◽  
Acquisition Process ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
General Schema ◽  
Skin To Skin ◽  
Absent Mothers ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Cognitive Plausibility

Abstract This paper analyzes symmetric NPN constructions (e.g., day to day, face to face, step by step) qualitatively and quantitatively by examining data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (Davies, Mark. 2008–. The Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA): 570 million words, 1990–present. http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/). The constructions’ frequency and productivity, as well as their semantics and extension potential (i.e., modification, complementation) is investigated (e.g., by conducting collostructional analysis). In terms of theoretical modeling, the paper takes a Usage-based, Cognitive Construction Grammar approach (UCCxG) and sketches the constructional network of this constructional family, postulating various constructional templates on different levels of specificity – among others – the existence of the following subtypes [CNsg,time i after CNsg,time i]Cx (e.g., day after day, night after night), [CNsg,measurement i by CNsg,measurement i]Cx (e.g., inch by inch, step by step) or [CNsg,bodypart i to CNsg,bodypart i]Cx (e.g., skin to skin, shoulder to shoulder). We show how these templates are vertically and horizontally connected to each other. Ultimately, we argue that in a usage-based model which strives for cognitive plausibility it is not always feasible to postulate the entrenchment of an abstract overarching schema (i.e., a ‘mothernode’) like [CNi P CNi]Cx or even [N P N]Cx high up in the network. It is unlikely that speakers abstract such a general schema in a bottom-up acquisition process for this family. Rather, the NPN group is a constructional family characterized by many sister ties and by the absence of mother nodes from which information can be inherited.

Is this mine? Psychological ownership and the social media follower

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline S.L. Tan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Psychological Ownership ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Currency ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine psychological ownership (PO) experienced by followers of social media influencers toward both influencer and the product. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews that were conducted with 30 respondents and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings The study demonstrated that the PO experienced by the follower changes under different conditions resulting from perceived value, social currency and follower activity. Social currency plays a vital role in determining the target of PO, often affecting the narrative by the follower. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the transference of PO between product and influencer as experienced by the follower. It provides an understanding on PO that is experienced in different levels of intensity and changes depending on the motive of the follower; hence, transference of PO occurs and it is not a static.

Social face to face communication — American English attitudinal prosody

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Rilliard ◽  
Donna Erickson ◽  
Takaaki Shochi ◽  
João Antônio de Moraes
Keyword(s):  
American English ◽  
Face To Face

Lessons Learned from ISIS Recruitment in Turkey: A Paradigm Shift in Counterterrorism Is Needed

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suleyman Ozeren ◽  
Suat Cubukcu ◽  
Mehmet F. Bastug
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Rehabilitation Programs ◽  
Transit Country ◽  
Different Levels

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been unprecedentedly effective in recruiting foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs). While Turkey has been a transit country and a major hub for ISIS’s logistical and human resources, it also has become a prolific hotbed for its recruitment. Based on face-to-face interviews and open-source reports, this paper provides an in-depth assessment of ISIS’s recruitment structure and the challenges that Turkey faces in relation to ISIS’s activities and FTFs. We conclude with a set of recommendations and a roadmap for pursuing effective and sustainable policies against ISIS. Overall, Turkey should adopt a paradigm shift on counterterrorism, transform the security and intelligence apparatus, and develop rehabilitation programs that consider the specificity of individuals’ radicalization at different levels.

Discourses in accounts of rape by sex offenders in Limpopo province, South Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 008124632096055
Author(s):  
Mandu Selepe ◽  
Graham Lindegger ◽  
Kaymarlin Govender
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Dress Code ◽  
Sexual Offences ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Sex Offences ◽  
The Government ◽  
Sexual Power ◽  
Absent Mothers

South Africa is known for having the highest number of sexual violence cases in the world. In response to these reports, the government has declared rape as a priority crime, and various measures have been put in place to address this scourge. Despite these measures, rape statistics have continued to escalate. It is against this background that this study sought to explore accounts of sexual offences, particularly reports of rape, from a sample of sex offenders. Data were drawn from five Correctional Centres in the Limpopo province. Nineteen sex offenders were selected through a purposive sampling approach and interviewed face-to-face. Discourse analysis was used to identify and analyse the patterns of talk that sex offenders drew upon to account for their sex offences. Findings revealed that ‘blame’ was the most dominant discourse cited. The ‘rhetoric of blame’ revolved around uncontained sexual desires, sexual entitlement, absent mothers, provocative dress code by women, and unfair laws that discriminated men when they asserted their sexual power in relationships with women. Multi-sectoral intervention strategies are recommended for deconstructing blame discourses that perpetuate rape offences in South Africa.

scholarly journals Online interaction in higher education: Is there evidence of diminishing returns?

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonatan Castaño-Muñoz ◽  
Teresa Sancho-Vinuesa ◽  
Josep M. Duart
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Optimum Level ◽  
Online Interaction ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Diminishing Returns ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Face To Face Learning ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Interaction Intensity

<p>Online interaction is considered to be a key aspect of effective e-learning and improved academic achievement. However, few studies have examined how effectiveness varies with the degree of interaction intensity. Using data for 17,090 students from three Catalan universities, in this paper we study the productivity associated with five different levels of interaction intensity in learning. We also compare the results obtained for fully online education with those for face-to-face learning. The analyses show that interaction in online education has diminishing returns, while in face-to-face learning it does not do so in a pure way. These results have implications for determining the optimum level of interaction that should be sought when designing courses and educational policies.</p>

Do semantic modal maps have a role in a constructionalization approach to modals?

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Closs Traugott
Keyword(s):  
Construction Grammar ◽  
Levels Of Abstraction ◽  
Semantic Maps ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Conceptual Schemas

My aim in this paper is to show that, in modified form, semantic connectivity maps of the kind developed in van der Auwera & Plungian (1998) and van der Auwera (2013) can be useful for showing the development over time of relationships among polysemous constructions. Since these maps pertain primarily to meaning and are intended as contributions to cross-linguistic generalizations rather than to language-specific grammars, their purpose might seem orthogonal to construction grammar, in which form–meaning pairs are the basic units of grammar. I propose that the semantic maps can usefully be rethought as being of two kinds: schema-construction maps that represent relationships between abstract, conceptual schemas linked to underspecified form, and micro-construction maps that represent relationships between specific constructions. These two kinds of maps capture both form and meaning since they represent form–meaning pairings, but at different levels of abstraction. They can also capture direction of changes, as tendencies at the schema level and specific trajectories at the micro-level. My case study is the development of the marginal modals better, rather, sooner (see Denison & Cort 2010, van der Auwera & De Wit 2010). I show that better is significantly different in distribution and meaning from rather and sooner, and that, although they form a family of micro-constructions, they do not form a tight-knit group. This can be captured well by modified semantic maps.

scholarly journals ìSPEAK: Using Mobile-Based Online Learning Course to Learn ‘English for the Workplace’

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (08) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Karmila Rafiqah M. Rafiq ◽  
Harwati Hashim ◽  
Melor Md Yunus ◽  
Helmi Norman
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Learning ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Communicative Ability ◽  
Massive Online Open Courses ◽  
Learning Platforms ◽  
Open Courses ◽  
Different Levels

<p class="0abstract">Due to the rise of the digital era, various industries demand employees with a proficient communicative English skills, but many are still not up to par with the demands. One solution for this is to provide communicative English trainings for employees, especially support staffs, yet face-to-face trainings have many limitations, which can be overcome through mobile learning. Due to the fact that mobile learning can be accessed anytime and anywhere by anyone, the Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) is one of the platforms that can be used to curb the issue. This paper aimed to identify the perceptions of support staffs towards using ‘ìSPEAK: English for the Workplace’ in MOOC. A total of 30 respondents were selected through purposive sampling and a survey through a 4-point Likert scale questionnaire was given out. The main findings showed that overall, the support staffs have a positive attitude towards using ìSPEAK. Nevertheless, half of them were unsure of the reliability of the sources available in the course. However, the findings of this study implied that ìSPEAK could be one of the training alternatives for support staffs to improve and increase their communicative ability. Future research can look into designing and developing various modules of communicative English in various mobile learning platforms, which could cater to different levels of proficiency of learners.</p>

scholarly journals OH + OKAY in informing sequences: On fuzzy boundaries in a particle combination

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 816-836
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Couper-Kuhlen
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
American English ◽  
Interactional Linguistics ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Third ◽  
Weak Boundaries ◽  
Compound Particle

Abstract This study explores fuzzy boundaries, or weak cesuras, in the particle combination OH + OKAY as used in informing sequences in ordinary English talk-in-interaction. The focus is on the third position in such sequences, where OH + OKAY responds to information that has been solicited by the speaker in a prior turn. Based on a collection of approximately 45 instances of OH + OKAY in recent American English telephone and face-to-face interactions, this study adopts the methodology of Conversation Analysis and Interactional Linguistics to examine the prosody and phonetics of OH + OKAY as a feature of turn design. It asks: (i) when does the speaker use a combination of OH and OKAY in the third position rather than a simple OH or OKAY? and (ii) to what extent does the prosodic–phonetic delivery of OH + OKAY contribute to an interpretation of what the turn is doing? The study finds that (i) OH + OKAY is used when responding to a solicited informing that not only supplies information but also accomplishes another action with consequences for the recipient and (ii) if OH + OKAY is delivered with a strong cesura between its parts, its actions are distributed in separate turn-constructional units, creating a multi-unit turn that proposes sequence closure. If the cesura in OH + OKAY is weak, the component parts are fused into a compound particle that can preface more talk by the same speaker. Weak boundaries between OH and OKAY can be exploited by participants for the purposes of turn construction and epistemic positioning.

scholarly journals Features of orality in the language of fiction: A corpus-based investigation

2021 ◽  
pp. 096394702110477
Author(s):  
Andreas H. Jucker
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
American English ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Soap Operas ◽  
Narrative Fiction ◽  
Santa Barbara ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Status

This paper explores the pervasiveness of features of orality in the language of performed fiction. Features of orality are typical of spontaneous spoken conversations where they are the result of the ongoing planning process and the interaction between the interlocutors, but they also occur in the context of performed fiction (movies and plays) and in narrative fiction (e.g. novels). In these contexts, they are not the result of the spontaneous planning process but are generally produced to imitate such processes. In this paper, I explore a small range of such features (contractions, interjections, discourse markers, response forms and hesitators) in four corpora of performed fiction that have recently become available ( Corpus of American Soap Operas, TV Corpus, Movies Corpus and Sydney Corpus of Television Dialogue) and compare their frequency patterns with spontaneous face-to-face conversations in the Santa Barbara Corpus of Spoken American English and with narrative fiction and academic writing in the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). The results confirm that the selected features of orality are used regularly in performed fiction but less frequently than in spontaneous face-to-face interactions while they are rare in narrative fiction and almost entirely absent in academic writing. The results also show that the status of the transcriptions contained in these corpora needs to be assessed very carefully if they are to be used for a study of pragmatic features.

An Exploratory Study of Blended Learning Activities in Two Classes

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugenia M.W. Ng
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Group Meetings ◽  
Online Debate ◽  
Different Levels

Though there are a number of research studies on the adoption of a blended learning approach to enhance learning, few comparative studies have examined the use of this approach for inter-class activities. Two undergraduate classes at different levels of study participated in an online discussion, an online debate, and two face-to-face debates. Data were gathered for triangulated analysis from a questionnaire that solicited participants’ opinions, from focus group meetings, and from tracked statistics provided by the learning platform. The tracked statistics showed that the participants often read online postings but not many of them expressed their opinions online. Both the responses to the questionnaire and the opinions expressed in the focus group meetings showed that they preferred a face-to-face approach to an online learning approach. Furthermore, the students embraced the opportunity to interact with another class when preparing and having face-to-face debate.

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