Cross-linguistic influence in word order

The present study investigated cross-linguistic influence (CLI) in the word order of Dutch-English bilingual children, using elicited production and acceptability judgment tasks. The goal was to examine whether monolingual and bilingual children produced and/or accepted V2 word orders in English, as in * Yesterday painted she an apple. We investigated whether the likelihood of CLI was related to language dominance, age at testing, and the degree of surface overlap (i.e., V2 word orders with auxiliaries versus main verbs). Even though none of the participants produced V2 word orders in English, in the acceptability judgment task bilingual children were more likely to accept V2 word orders than monolingual peers. Whilst monolinguals sometimes accepted V2 word orders with auxiliaries, bilinguals did so significantly more often (constituting a quantitative difference) and with main verbs, too (implying a qualitative difference). Therefore, we conclude that CLI can occur independently of surface overlap and that it can lead to both quantitative and qualitative differences between bilinguals and monolinguals. The likelihood of CLI was predicted by language dominance, but not by age. Some bilinguals still accepted V2 word orders at age ten, suggesting that in some cases CLI may be more persistent than previously thought.

Testing an Analytical Model for Predicting Subsurface LNAPL Distributions from Current and Historic Fluid Levels in Monitoring Wells: A Preliminary Test Considering Hysteresis

Knowledge of subsurface light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) saturation is important for developing a conceptual model and a plan for addressing LNAPL contaminated sites. Investigators commonly predict LNAPL mobility and potential recoverability using information such as LNAPL physical properties, subsurface characteristics, and LNAPL saturations. Several models exist that estimate the LNAPL specific volume and transmissivity from fluid levels in monitoring wells. Commonly, investigators use main drainage capillary pressure–saturation relations because they are more frequently measured and available in the literature. However, main drainage capillary pressure–saturation relations may not reflect field conditions due to capillary pressure–saturation hysteresis. In this paper, we conduct a preliminary test of a recent analytical model that predicts subsurface LNAPL saturations, specific volume, and transmissivity against data measured at a LNAPL contaminated site. We call our test preliminary because we compare only measured and predicted vertical LNAPL saturations at a single site. Our results show there is better agreement between measured and predicted LNAPL saturations when imbibition capillary pressure–saturation relations are employed versus main drainage capillary pressure–saturation relations. Although further testing of the model for different conditions and sites is warranted, the preliminary test of the model was positive when consideration was given to capillary pressure–saturation hysteresis, which suggests the model can yield reasonable predictions that can help develop and update conceptual site models for addressing subsurface LNAPL contamination. Parameters describing capillary pressure–saturation relations need to reflect conditions existing at the time when the fluid levels in a well are measured.

The rise of the going to future in Tyneside English

This paper investigates the relative frequencies of the two major syntactic markers of future time expression (FTE), be going to and will in the Diachronic Electronic Corpus of Tyneside English (DECTE). In particular, the rise in the frequency of be going to will be examined in the light of current theories of grammaticalisation. The various grammatical constraints that have been identified in the literature as determining the distribution of will versus be going to will be investigated. It will be shown that a number of interesting changes have occurred within the fifty-year period covered by the data-set. In specific areas of grammar, contrasts have been maintained (e.g. first person versus the other persons in the favouring of will), strengthened (e.g. subordinate clauses versus main clauses in the favouring of going to), weakened (e.g. the dominance of will in contexts of distal future reference) or even introduced (e.g. the apodoses of if-clauses emerging as a syntactic niche for the favouring of will).