scholarly journals Composite Abstract Lexical Structure in Interlanguage Production

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. p81
Author(s):  
Xuexin Liu ◽  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Lexical Conceptual Structure ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Abstract Level ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
Japanese English

Most previous studies of difficulties in learning a second/foreign language focused on sources of learner errors caused by cross-linguistic differences in various levels of linguistic structure, but most of such studies remain at a rather superficial level of description. This study explores sources of learning difficulties at an abstract level by studying the nature and activity of the bilingual mental lexicon during interlanguage production. The bilingual mental lexicon is defined as the mental lexicon containing abstract entries called cross-linguistic “lemmas” underlying particular lexeme. This study claims that it is language-specific lemma which drives interlanguage production at three levels of abstract lexical structure: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns. It further claims that it is cross-linguistic lemma variations in abstract lexical-conceptual structure which result in not only inappropriate lexical choices but also errors in interlanguage production of target language predicate-argument structure and morphological realization. Naturally occurring interlanguage production date for the study include several native and target language pairs: Japanese-English, Chinese-English, and English-Japanese. Some typical instances of language transfer involving other language pairs are also cited in support of the argument that the lexical-conceptual approach to interlanguage production is fundamental in any study of the nature of learner errors in interlanguage development.

scholarly journals Codeswitching as Projection of Bilingual Lemmas in Contact

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. p40
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Activation Model ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Pragmatic Information ◽  
Lexical Conceptual Structure ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
Surface Realization

Unlike most previous studies of Codeswitching (CS) focused on describing surface configurations of switched items (i.e., where CS is structurally possible) or the switched items (i.e., what items from another language can be switched), this paper explores formulation processes of bilingual speech and the nature of the bilingual mental lexicon and its activity in CS. More specifically, it applies the Bilingual Lemma Activation Model (Wei, 2002, 2006b) to the data drawn from various naturally occurring CS instances. It claims that the mental lexicon does not simply contain lexemes and their meanings, but also lemmas, which are abstract entries in the mental lexicon that support the surface realization of actual lexemes. Lemmas are abstract in that they contain phonological, morphological, semantic, syntactic and pragmatic information about lexemes. It further claims that lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific and are in contact during a discourse involving CS at three levels of abstract lexical structure: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns. The CS instances described and analyzed in this paper provide evidence that the bilingual speaker’s two linguistic systems are unequally activated in CS, and CS is an outcome of bilingual lemmas in contact.

scholarly journals Interlanguage Driven by Bilingual Abstract Lexical Structure

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. p1
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
First Language ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
Developing System ◽  
Different Sources ◽  
Study Offer

This study explores the nature of interlanguage (IL) in terms of bilingual abstract lexical structure and its role in the formulation and development of IL as learners’ developing linguistic system. Adopting the Bilingual Lemma Activation Model (BLAM) (Wei, 2002, 2003), it assumes that IL is a composite developing linguistic system because at different times different linguistic systems are in contact, such as learners’ first language (L1), the developing IL, and the target language (TL), and each contributes different amounts to the developing system of IL. The important claim of this study is that the mental lexicon contains abstract entries, called “lemmas”, which contain pieces of information about particular lexemes, and the bilingual mental lexicon contains language-specific lemmas, which are in contact in IL speech production. The other important claim of this study is that IL is fundamentally driven by bilingual abstract lexical structure, which contains several discrete but interacting subsystems: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns, and such an abstract lexical structure in IL may have different sources, such as those from learners’ L1 and/or the TL. The typical instances of learner errors discussed in this study offer some evidence that IL is a composite developing linguistic system.

scholarly journals The Composite Nature of Interlanguage as a Developing System

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 5-30
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
First Language ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Composite Nature ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
Developing System

This paper explores the nature of interlanguage (IL) as a developing system with a focus on the abstract lexical structure underlying IL construction. The developing system of IL is assumed to be ‘composite’ in that in second language acquisition (SLA) several linguistic systems are in contact, each of which may contribute different amounts to the developing system. The lexical structure is assumed to be ‘abstract’ in that the mental lexicon contains abstract elements called ‘lemmas’, which contain information about individual lexemes, and lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific and are in contact in IL production. Based on the research findings, it concludes that language transfer in IL production should be understood as lemma transfer of the learner’s first language (L1) lexical structure at three abstract levels: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns, and IL construction is driven by an incompletely acquired abstract lexical structure of a target language (TL) item.

scholarly journals The Bilingual Mental Lexicon and Lemmatic Transfer in Second Language Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. p43
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Language Transfer ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Abstract Approach ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure

There have been numerous studies of first Language (L1) transfer in second Language (L2) learning. Various models have been proposed to explore the sources of language transfer and have also caused many controversies over the nature of language transfer and its effects on interlanguage. Different from most previous studies remaining at a surface level of observation, this study proposes an abstract approach, which is abstract because it goes beyond any superficial observation and description by exploring the nature and activity of the bilingual mental lexicon in L2 learning. This approach adopts the Bilingual Lemma Activation Model (BLAM) (Wei, 2006a, 2006b) and tests its crucial assumptions and claims: The bilingual mental lexicon does not simply contain lexemes but abstract entries, called “lemmas”, about them; lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific; language-specific lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are in contact in L2 learning, lemmas underlying L1 abstract lexical structure may replace those underlying L2 abstract lexical structure. Lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are about three levels of abstract lexical structure: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns. The typical instances of L1 lemma transfer in L2 learning are discussed and explained in support of the BLAM.

scholarly journals Predicate Argument Structure in Haitian Creole

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Massam
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theoretical Terms ◽  
Haitian Creole ◽  
Lexical Conceptual Structure ◽  
Ditransitive Verbs ◽  
The Many ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure

AbstractThis paper outlines the argument properties of Haitian Creole verbs, including intransitive, transitive, and ditransitive verbs, within a lexical framework which includes a level of Lexical Conceptual Structure and a level of Predicate Argument Structure. There is assumed to be a relatively free mapping relation between these two levels in order to explain the many possible variations in argument structure that most verbs exhibit. We see that there are at least two detransitivizing operations in Haitian Creole: one which operates freely and one which must be adverb-licensed. Transitive and ditransitive verbs are classified in terms of which of these operations they may undergo. The paper presents a description of Haitian Creole verb-types in Government and Binding theoretical terms and highlights several problems which Haitian Creole poses for future research.

scholarly journals Co-Indexation in Predicate Argument Structure: The Characteristics of Quechua Ku

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-97
Author(s):  
Simon Van de Kerke
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Internal Argument ◽  
Lexical Conceptual Structure ◽  
External Position ◽  
Theta Role ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure

AbstractThe aim of this article is to give an account of the characteristics of the Quechua verbal affixku. It addresses the question of whether constructions that are reputed to be cases of syntactic NP-movement in other languages can be analyzed in the same way in Quechua. It is claimed that Quechua does not allow the external position to remain without a theta-role in Predicate Argument Structure, in that way excluding syntactic NP-movement. The effect ofkucan be described as: co-index an internal argument with the external position in the mapping from Lexical Conceptual Structure to Predicate Argument Structure. In that way the projection of verbs, that in other languages subcategorize for an empty external position, is licensed.

Thesaurus with Predicate-Argument Structure to Provide Base Framework to Determine States, Actions, and Change-of-States

2016 ◽  
pp. 192-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koichi Takeuchi
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Semantic Structure ◽  
Semantic Role ◽  
Language Resources ◽  
Narrative Processing ◽  
Lexical Conceptual Structure ◽  
Language Resource ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
High Possibility

The goal with this chapter is to discuss the possibility of language resources in determining the states, actions, and change-of-states of characters in narratives. An overview of previous work on linguistic theory and language resources is given then the Predicate-Argument Structure Thesaurus (PT), a Japanese language resource constructed based on the extended framework of the Lexical Conceptual Structure (LCS), is proposed. The PT provides hierarchical clusters of synonyms for 11,900 predicates and 22,000 example sentences annotated with semantic role labels. Each concept has an abstracted LCS, and example sentences are attached to each concept. By virtue of the structure, a correlation of the arguments between other clusters can be determined. The semantic structure of the PT is investigated to enrich generated texts of narratives, and the high possibility of lexical semantics contributing to narrative processing is revealed.

scholarly journals Interlanguage as an Outcome of Bilingual Systems in Contact

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. p33
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Transfer ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Abstract Level

Most previous studies of interlanguage regarded commonly observed learner errors as a universal or developmental phenomenon and related language transfer in second language learning to the developing interlanguage system itself. Though language transfer is often defined as one of the processes responsible for interlanguage, the relationship and interaction between the learner’s first language and the target language is largely ignored. This study assumes that any interlanguage system is “composite” in nature because in second language learning several linguistic systems come into contact, and each contributes different amounts to the developing interlanguage system. It further assumes that the bilingual mental lexicon contains abstract elements called “lemmas” about individual lexemes, and lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific and are in contact in interlanguage production. Based on some research findings, this study concludes that language transfer or learner errors in interlanguage production should be understood as lemma transfer of the learner’s first language abstract lexical structure; the developing interlanguage system is driven by an incompletely acquired abstract lexical structure of a target language item. This study treats interlanguage as an outcome of bilingual systems in contact at a rather abstract level to provide an explanatory account of second language acquisition.

Portuguese converted deverbal nouns: Constraints on their bases

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-107
Author(s):  
Alexandra Soares Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Word Formation ◽  
Lexical Item ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Lexical Semantic ◽  
The Third ◽  
Lexical Conceptual Structure ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of this paper is to analyse the constraints that govern the formation of Portuguese converted deverbal nouns (‘CDNs’). To this end, we have analysed a total of 1323 converted deverbal nouns. The first type of constraints investigated are those found at the prosodic level: these deal with the configurational formatting of the minimal root. We will focus on the relationship between these constraints and the semantic and phonological identification of the lexical item in perceptual terms. The second level of constraints may be characterised as morphophonological-pragmatic. Many verbs contain morphological units that block the formation of CDNs because their [+Latinate] character has a certain stylistic effect in terms of pragmatic usage. The third level of constraints pertains to lexical-conceptual structure combined with argument structure.We will show that (i) the constraints on the bases of CDNs are not exclusively founded on morphological incompatibilities between derivational affixes and other morphological units with which they join. Thus, a derivational mechanism that does not involve affixation, such as conversion, is also ruled by restrictions on the bases. (ii) Structural constraints – based on argument structures and on prosodic, morphological and lexical-semantic structures – are interwoven with processing and pragmatic conditions. (iii) Word formation is organised in structures that have interfaces with each other.

scholarly journals The Light Verb “Suru” in Japanese Lexical-Conceptual Structure and Sources of Leaning Difficulty

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. p352
Author(s):  
Xuexin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Learning Difficulty ◽  
Light Verb ◽  
Lexical Conceptual Structure ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Surface Description

As frequently observed in second or foreign language learning, the Japanese light verb “suru” may course much learning difficulty. Most previous studies focused on the surface description of “suru” in terms of its role in some particular Japanese lexical structure or verbal formation in a particular syntactic environment. This paper assumes that the light verb “suru” drives certain particular Japanese lexical-conceptual structure, and language-specific lexicalization patterns must be learned as such. It offers a linguistic analysis of the sources of the light verb “suru” in structuring particular verbalization patterns and relates this analysis to potential sources of learning difficulty in second or foreign language learning. Instances of cross-linguistic influence or learner errors in learning the Japanese lexical-conceptual structure driven by “suru” are from some early stage American students learning Japanese as a foreign language. This paper implicates a lexicon-driven approach to teaching Japanese lexicalization patterns.

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