Syntactic complexity in Finnish-background EFL learners’ writing at CEFR levels A1–B2

The increasing importance of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) has led to research on the linguistic characteristics of its levels, as this would help the application of the CEFR in the design of teaching materials, courses, and assessments. This study investigated whether CEFR levels can be distinguished with reference to syntactic complexity (SC). 14- and 17-year-old Finnish learners of English (N=397) wrote three writing tasks which were rated against the CEFR levels. The ratings were analysed with multi-facet Rasch analysis and the texts were analysed with automated tools. Findings suggest that the clearest separators at lower CEFR levels (A1–A2) were the mean sentence and T-unit length, variation in sentence length, infinitive density, clauses per sentence or T-unit, and verb phrases per T-unit. For higher levels (B1–B2) they were modifiers per noun phrase, mean clause length, complex nominals per clause, and left embeddedness. The results support previous findings that the length of and variation in the longer production units (sentences, T-units) are the SC indices that most clearly separate the lower CEFR levels, whereas the higher levels are best distinguished in terms of complexity at the clausal and phrasal levels.

THE ONTOLOGICAL FEATURES OF VERB PHRASES IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’S VISIONS OF MARS

Verb Phrase (VP) is one of the most important types of phrase for its function. It provides information about the subject of the sentence. Verb Phrase itself has more than one type. It also has ontological aspect, an aspect by which a certain situation is represented. This aspect is made up by features. This study aims at finding out and analyzing the types of VP and their ontological features in National Geographic’s Visions of Mars. By analyzing and understanding the types of VP and their ontological features, readers understand the discourse more. They gain more perspective syntactically. This study employs syntactic approach and is qualitative in nature. The results yield three different types of VP, i.e. action, process, and state where action VP places the highest position. There are four ontological features found in Visions of Mars, i.e. dynamic, agentive, non-evolving, and evolving. The findings imply how Visions of Mars is structured. The deeds are mostly conducted or done by an agent and show prompt situations.

Idiomatic Expressions Analysis in Joker Movie

This research aims to find out the types of idiomatic expressions and to identify the patterns of idiomatic expressions in the Joker movie. This research employed a descriptive qualitative method. In collecting the data, this research used a classification form, documentation, and monolingual dictionaries. The result showed that there were 4 types of idiomatic expressions found in the Joker movie; proverbs, clichés, fixed statements, and slang. The other types of idiomatic expressions such as simile, binomial, and other language were absent from the Joker movie. Moreover, the researcher identified the patterns of the idiomatic expressions in the Joker movie were; noun phrases, transitive verb phrases, verbal phrases, prepositional phrases, pair of words, and sentence pattern. The other patterns of idiomatic expressions such as be + prepositional phrases and alliterative comparison were not consisted in the Joker movie.

Derivational Syntax: a Minimalist Approach to Affixation in Bahasa Indonesia Predicates

<p>This thesis focuses on verbal phrase aspect (vP-aspect) in Bahasa Indonesia (BI). In BI, vP-aspect is morphologically marked on the predicate. I claim that the sufiix -kan marks an aspect, which I refer to as kan-aspect, indicating that the object undergoes change. This is in a stark contrast with i-aspect, where the object is stationary and unchanged. The analysis is based on the notion that the semantics and syntax of a predicate should be analysed within the vP (for instance, Tenny 1987, 1994, Chomsky 1995, Arad 1998, Croft 1998, among others), with the core argument determining the aspectual property of an event structure (Tenny 1987, Arad 1998, Ritter and Rosen 1998). Since this thesis proposes to take into account the -kan and -i distinction as an important aspect in the analysis, the structural location of the two suffixes will take centre stage. This has not been done in the literature on BI that looks at these derivational suffixes. This thesis further develops the analysis beyond verb phrases: it takes into account the syntax of Voice Phrase of sentence structures that include (temporal) Aspect Phrase, Wh-extractions, and Relative Clauses.</p>

Derivational Syntax: a Minimalist Approach to Affixation in Bahasa Indonesia Predicates

<p>This thesis focuses on verbal phrase aspect (vP-aspect) in Bahasa Indonesia (BI). In BI, vP-aspect is morphologically marked on the predicate. I claim that the sufiix -kan marks an aspect, which I refer to as kan-aspect, indicating that the object undergoes change. This is in a stark contrast with i-aspect, where the object is stationary and unchanged. The analysis is based on the notion that the semantics and syntax of a predicate should be analysed within the vP (for instance, Tenny 1987, 1994, Chomsky 1995, Arad 1998, Croft 1998, among others), with the core argument determining the aspectual property of an event structure (Tenny 1987, Arad 1998, Ritter and Rosen 1998). Since this thesis proposes to take into account the -kan and -i distinction as an important aspect in the analysis, the structural location of the two suffixes will take centre stage. This has not been done in the literature on BI that looks at these derivational suffixes. This thesis further develops the analysis beyond verb phrases: it takes into account the syntax of Voice Phrase of sentence structures that include (temporal) Aspect Phrase, Wh-extractions, and Relative Clauses.</p>

Struktur Frasa Verbal Bahasa Melayu Riau Dialek Kampar: Teori X-Bar

There have been several research studies that discussed verb phrases. But only some researchers analyse the X-bar theory concerning regional languages in Riau. The author attempts to demonstrate the structure of verb phrase in the Malay dialect of Kampar by using the X-bar theory.This study aims to find and analyse the rules structuring verb phrases contained in the Malay dialect of Kampar. This research was conducted through a field observation by using the descriptive method. According to the findings of the study, it is found that the principles for creating verb phrase structures in Kampar dialect were. 1) FV ---> V+N, ŋikIʸ umpʷIɁ ‘(me)motong rumput’/ Cut the grass; 2) FV ---> V+Spes, bagoɣaɁ lo ‘memasak’/ cook; 3) FV ---> Spes+V, ola makan ‘sudah makan’/ have got the food; 4) FV ---> NEG+V+Spes, ndaɁ dataŋ do ‘tidak datang’/ did not come; 5) FV ---> V+V, paʸ makan ‘pergi makan’/ get to eat; 6) FV ---> Adj+V, paya ŋasʷoňo ‘susah mengasuhnya/menjaganya’/ its hard to take care of; and 7) FV ---> V, motoŋ ‘menoreh/menyadap karet’/ tap the rubber. Key words: Riau Malay, Kampar Dialect, Verb Phrase Structure, X-Bar Theory

The Implications of the Levels of Linguistic Analysis in the Hadith of the Victorious Sect

This study deals with the hadith of the Victorious Sect, which is considered an important principle of loyalty and disavowal in Islam and a testimony of the Prophet Mohammed's (SWS) prophecy. This is a Mutawatir (consecutive) hadith narrated by nearly twenty companions. Using an analytical descriptive method, the present study examines the hadith's words and phrases at different linguistic levels: phonetic, morpho-syntactic, and semantic. Results at the phonetic level show that there is a prevalence of voiced, unaspirated, and explosive sounds that have strong impact on the listener. At the morphosyntacticlevel, results show a prominent presence of the nominal structures that indicate stability and permanence, with some use of verb phrases that indicate renewal, continuity and interactiveness. It seems that the morphosyntactic structures play a great role in determining the semantic interpretations of this hadith with its multiple narrations. This is evident not only through theuse of structures indicating eternal existence and presence across times to confirm meaning and to engrave it in the minds of listeners, but also through the connotations of generalization, specification, focus, emphasis, contrast, and others. All are intertwined in a linguistic harmony in which all linguistic levels - sound, form and structure - perform their function in the fullest and most meaningful way.

Action-Depicting Gestures and Morphosyntax: The Function of Gesture-Speech Alignment in the Conversational Turn

The current study examines the role of action-depicting gestures in conversational turns by focusing on their semantic characteristics and temporal position in relation to their verbal affiliates (action verbs or more complex verb phrases). The data are video recordings of naturally occurring interactions in multilingual construction sites in Norway. The analysis distinguishes two modes of action depiction: generic depictions, which represent the action as a general type, and contextualized depictions, which in addition include deictic references to the spatio-material environment or iconic representations of the specific manner of action performance. These two modes typically occupy different positions in the turn. Generic depictions are mostly initiated before the verbalization of the action or are synchronized with it, while contextualized depictions mostly start simultaneously with the verbalization and extend beyond the verb phrase or the turn. The pre-positioned and synchronized generic gestures are shown to serve as a practice for facilitating recognition of the verbalized action and may be temporally manipulated in order to pre-empt understanding problems in the face of reduced common linguistic resources. The post-positioned contextualized depictions serve instead to add specifying information about aspects of the action referred to and thereby to complement or supplement the meaning of the verb phrase, securing understanding of action specifics. The study contributes to research on gesture-speech synchrony by demonstrating how variation in the alignment of action depiction and syntax is used to direct the recipient’s attention toward different interactional goals.