Browsing by Author "Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-"
Now showing 1 - 20 of 93
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Itemá/a and de/de In French and Spanish(1990) McHugh, Emily; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-This thesis is a comparative analytical study of the prepositions a/a and de/de in French and Spanish respectively. I have chosen these prepositions due to their extensive semantic ranges and because they possess the greatest number of syntactic uses as compared with other prepositions. It is important to state that this thesis is by no means an exhaustive study of aid, nor does it attempt to be, however it should serve as a survey of the varying environments in which aid appear. Since spoken language serves as the most accurate representation of the current trend of language, the data I have chosen for analysis come from spoken language and reference is made to the written language solely for the purpose of making distinctions. The written language often reflects archaisms which might also be classified with elevated speech which stands in contrast to what is ordinarily said. The two main sections of the thesis are: 1) the historical background of the preposition, which will include its Greek influence into Latin, the two classes of prepositions, the function of the preposition, the debate over category identification, the Latin ancestors of aid, and various influences on preposition selection - the choice of a particular preposition over another and the amount of arbitrariness involved; and 2) the presentation of compiled data for analysis and discussion based on the system employed by Maria Luisa LOpez in her Problemas y Metodos en el Antilisis de Preposiciones . I will also pay special attention to idioms and to verbs which. have a pronominal and non-pronominal counterparts [e.g., se decider d/ decider de (Fr) & decidirse a / decidir (Sp)]. The Spanish personal accusative empty a will also be examined. At the end of the thesis I will present the statistical results of the questionnaire used to test data on informants and how these results contributed to my generalizations and provided ideas for future research.
- ItemAccessibility of Universal Grammar in Second Language Acquisition: a Debate, a Synthesis, and their Consequences(1997) Ko, Uri; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-
- ItemAcquiring a Common Dialect: The speech of military brats(2001) Tyson, Jennifer; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-
- ItemThe Acquisition of Syntax: An Overview and a Case Study of L2 Japanese(2008) Black, Rebecca; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-Is it possible to reset our intuitions about sentence structure when learning a new language? Many differences between languages, such as word order differences, are thought to arise from different parameter settings. The questions of whether, to what extent, and how learners of new languages can acquire the parameter settings of the new language are widely debated, with many competing theories advanced. After providing an overview of the Principles, and Parameters framework and its significance in the study of second language acquisition, I outline a Minimalist view of parameters and word order variations. I then turn to theories of second language acquisition, summarizing and discussing competing theories about the initial state, the process of parameter resetting (or lack thereof), and the final state. In the end I argue for a theory that incorporates transfer from the first language and the possibility of parameter resetting in some form. However, the precise process by which parameter resetting may take place in second language acquisition, and the differences from the process of first language acquisition, remain unclear; no falsifiable theory fits all the data convincingly. Finally, I present and analyze my own data collected from students of Japanese at Swarthmore College. I argue that my data shows evidence of first language transfer, as well as the influence of non-linguistic cognitive strategies in second language learning. I suggest some possibilities for future research to begin to address some of the remaining questions. In deepening our understanding of the process of learning new languages, we can both add to and refine our theories of syntax and neurolinguistics, and better equip ourselves to teach language effectively.
- ItemAlternative Sign Language: Morphological and Phonological Structure in North Central Desert Australian Sign Languages(1996) Voss, John; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-
- ItemAmerican Sign Language and Phonological Universals(1996) Kingsbury, Kathryn; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-
- ItemAn Analysis of Various Instructional Methodologies Used In Spanish-English Elementary Bilingual Programs(1998) Andrade, David; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-
- ItemAnother look at liaison in French: a theoretical overview and discussion(1989) Denham, Kristin E.; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-
- ItemCan neural networks learn language the same way humans can?(1998) Tyson, Na'im; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-
- ItemCan We Get That In Writing? Black English Features in the Writing of Young Children(1993) Duke, Nell K.; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-A compendium of factors point to a need for both academic and professional attention to Black English in early writing. First, recent trends in literacy education emphasize writing as an integral part of emergent literacy. Children are doing much more writing much earlier than was previously the case. These programs are based heavily on the interdependence of oral and written language and thus encourage reliance on natural speech as a means of developing literacy. In so doing, they stimulate the writing of Black English as never before. Second, young Black English speaking children, still in the early stages of literacy, have often had little exposure to conventional written dialects and the forces which support them. As a result, they may be more likely to include Black English in their writing. Third, the Black English with which children are operating may, in some respects, be more different from Conventional Classroom English than it has previously been. Finally, research suggests that teacher knowledge of and attitudes toward Black English has a significant impact on students in many ways. This may extend to their facilitation of literacy acquisition among Black English speaking children. Educators who elicit writing from early elementary school students will encounter unprecedented levels of Black English influence. The information and training provided for those confronting dialect issues is of great importance.
- ItemThe Case of Predicates: Questions of Control and Binding(2000) Wolter, Lynsey; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-
- ItemChinese Phonology(1988) Bender, Conrad; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-This paper will address the very large topic of Chinese phonology. Obviously, this topic cannot be fully explored in a paper of this length. Rather than provide an exhaustive study, I shall attempt to give an introduction to Chinese phonology, and then note some particular problems in the study of Chinese phonology. The first part of the paper will deal with some broad historical events that influenced Chinese linguistics. The second part will go into a detailed study of the phonemic inventory of Chinese, looking at the theories espoused by several different phonologists, and the advantages and disadvantages of each theorist's view. The third section will deal with tone in Chinese -- exploring different ways to define and describe tone and tone sandhi in Chinese. Finally, several recent phonological models will be presented and discussed in view of their ability to handle the data of Chinese.
- ItemChomskyan Linguistics and Wittgensteinian Philosophy of Language: Contrast, Conflict, and Hopes for Reconciliation(1992) Wagner, Peter; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-In this paper I consider two radically opposing views of language and human linguistic competence. One is Chomsky's generative program in theoretical linguistics; the other is the approach to language presented by Wittgenstein in his Philosophica) Investigations. ·My purpose in this is to critically evaluate generative theory as it seems to be in conflict with Wittgenstein's work in the Investigations. As shall become clear, there are many obstacles to making such an evaluation.
- ItemCommunication Deficiency in Adult MR(2008) Yen, Betsy; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-It is virtually impossible to imagine a life with the perpetual inability to express one's thoughts, feelings, and needs. For the Mentally Retarded, this plight has become entwined with their daily lives, and for Mentally Retarded Adults, this frustration has persisted for an especially extensive amount of time. When considering the logistics of language acquisition and communication in people with Mental Retardation (MR), researchers often attribute language deficits in people with MR purely within the boundaries of cognitive science and psycho linguistics, without giving much credence to sociological or individual, circumstantial factors-and the therapeutic methods that have derived from this existing research reflect this discrepancy. However, it is crucial to be cognizant of the fact that MR Adults are an extremely unique group, and it is for this reason that prescribed methods of therapy that prove effective in other language groups are ineffective on adults with MR. This thesis examines the communication deficits that MR Adults encounter based on the observations of24 adults, ages 27-65, who are all similar in the fact that they are Mentally Retarded, but diverse in the severity oftheir condition, their personal and medical histories, and their social situations. We become conscious of the obvious but often overlooked fact that adults undergo developmental milestones contingent on external factors that often modify their cognitions. By observing the characteristic communicative plights-both in a theoretical and applied framework-- among MR Adults, we establish the functions of cognition, ability, and environment with respect to MR and linguistic expression. We assess the relative importance of the nature/nurture dichotomy in language acquisition, and then we examine the speculative success of adopting a directly interventional approach that is less dogmatic and more individualized.
- ItemThe Community of the Deaf in Nicaragua: Language Acquisition and Educational Policy(1990) D'Alonzo, June; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-; Smulyan, Lisa; Kegl, Judy
- ItemConditions and Effects of Homophony in Chinese(1998) Runkle, Patrick; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-In this thesis, I will look at one particular phenomenon that not only deeply piqued my interest as a stUdent of Chinese, but also illuminates phonological issues not found in Western linguistics: Homophony. My study of Chinese homophony will look at two key areas: First, I will look at the historical record of Chinese, in order to shed some light on how the phenonmenon arose. Second, I will look at the effects in the language of homophony, including a trial that I hope to run in order to clarify some important questions. Before the meat of my thesis can begin, however, some serious background on the Chinese language is necessary.
- ItemDead Education in Italy: Formulating Methods to Increase Literacy Among the Deaf Population(2006) Alberti, Joe; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-; Harrison, K. DavidThis thesis sets out to examine the ways in which using an all sign language approach can help increase literacy among Deaf children in an enrichment setting in Italy. The children are fifth grade students mainstreamed at the local elementary school in a mostly oral education program with a little Total Communication instruction from an assistant. By working with no more than two children at any given time in an after-school setting, proven literacy methods for hearing students are used along with other new methods in an effort to increase the level of literacy in the children participating in the the study. While neither child is a native sign language user, the sign language is still the most easy to use and best understood language for instruction for the children. Aside from using games and activities to activate the children's interest in learning the workings of the written language, other techniques involving all forms of literacy are used with mixed success. In the end, the most effective lessons were the ones in which the pace of the lesson was tailored especially for the students delivered in a modified Total Communication approach by using the written language simultaneously with sign language instruction. By illustrating the differences between the two languages throughout our lessons, the children were able to better understand the written language without using the oral language for instruction.
- ItemDeclaration, Childhood Understanding, and the Contents of Natural Language(2013) Duncan, Robin; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-We may reasonably expect that children as young as three years old understand the difference between socially constructed facts and bare facts of nature. This assumption is reasonable because children at this age do understand rules for correct performance of speech acts and the scope of normative rules. Declarations, as defined by John Searle, constitute a class of speech acts which bears aptly on socially constructed and not bare facts, thus, experiments that demonstrate childhood understanding of the rules governing apt use of declarations could be taken to demonstrate an understanding of the distinction between the two types of facts.
- ItemDeconstructing the Origins of Latin American Spanish: The Case of Ecuador(2013) Grady, Khalia; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-The Spanish spoken today in the Latin American is diverse in many components of grammar. Between every country there exist drastic contrast in the lexicon, syntax, and phonology. These dissimilarities are so vast that even within each country one can find handfuls of regionals dialects that further greaten the linguistic multiplicity of Latin American Spanish. One unique aspect of Latin American Spanish is the linguistic differences between the lowland/coastal and highland/inland varieties that exist throughout several countries. Although scholars agree on the current diverse state of Latin American Spanish they dispute over the origins of these two varieties (lowland vs. highland), and what other factors beside origin might be responsible for the linguistic diversity. In this thesis I focus on the history of Latin American Spanish with an emphasis on Ecuadorian Spanish. I deconstruct the theories that describe Latin American Spanish and the history of Latin American Spanish. I examine the indigenous, pro-andalucismo, and anti-andalucismo theories in relation to Iberian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, and Ecuadorian Spanish. Through examining the various arguments of different linguists I conclude that the aforementioned theories are not sufficient to stand on their own and fully account for Latin America's linguistic diversity. I propose that instead these theories be combined together and that rather than imposing a blanket theory over all of Latin American Spanish that each countries history and linguistic situation be taken into account.
- ItemDefiniteness as a feature relevant to the conjugation of verbs in the Hungarian language(1998) Epstein, Neil; Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-The purpose of this article is to say as much as possible about the Hungarian "Objective Conjugation". Hungarian verbs inflect not only for tense, mood, and subject person and number, but also according to certain features of the direct object In the bulk of the cases where this phenomenon is relevant, the verb inflects differently according to whether or not the DO is a "definite" NP. In the latter case, the verb draws from a set of inflective endings collectively called the Objective Conjugation, hereafter referred to as OC. Various theories for what triggers DC endings, as welt as theories on Object pro-drop licenced by said endings, will be described. The article will also explore the degree to which the DC morphology fuses with subject-inflective endings on the verb. Throughout, prominent theories will be peppered with the author's own opinionated viewpoints. I sincerely hope that, after reading this article, the reader will get a flavor for why this is such an interesting set of questions for linguists studying Hungarian, and for linguistics in general.