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Languages, Volume 9, Issue 9 (September 2024) – 27 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): Languages (ISSN 2226-471X) is an international, open access scholarly journal whose central concern is the promotion of understanding of the world’s languages in all its diversity. Languages aims to present discussions and developments of multidisciplinary research and thereby generating broad and practical applications for the study of languages in the current world. Languages welcomes contributions from scholars and researchers working within the framework of any theoretical approach within linguistics. Languages publishes articles, reviews, commentaries, and communications without restrictions on the maximum length of the submissions. The working language is English; however, research on all languages is welcome.
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15 pages, 375 KiB  
Article
Comparative Discourse Strategies in Environmental Advocacy: Analysing the Rhetoric of Greta Thunberg and Chris Packham
by Douglas Mark Ponton and Anna Raimo
Languages 2024, 9(9), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090307 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1480
Abstract
This paper examines the rhetoric and argumentation of two prominent environmental activists, Greta Thunberg and Chris Packham. From the perspective of Ecolinguistics, Thunberg has given voice to a generational movement for change, galvanising young people everywhere through high-profile protests and speeches. Packham represents [...] Read more.
This paper examines the rhetoric and argumentation of two prominent environmental activists, Greta Thunberg and Chris Packham. From the perspective of Ecolinguistics, Thunberg has given voice to a generational movement for change, galvanising young people everywhere through high-profile protests and speeches. Packham represents British mainstream environmentalism, notably as the presenter of the acclaimed nature documentary ‘Springwatch’. We argue that their influence partially stems from their alignment with dominant cultural narratives: Thunberg’s emphasis on intergenerational discord and Packham’s connection to the natural world. We analyse both figures via the lens of the ‘emotionalisation of media discourse’, highlighting argumentation strategies that feature expressions of negative emotions of which anger is a type. Thunberg’s famous ‘How dare you?’ outburst at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit and Packham’s statement to Novara Media, ‘I am more angry now than at any point since my 20s’, exemplify this trend. We explore the pragmatic implications of their argumentative and discursive strategies, suggesting that while both have significantly elevated the profile of ecological activism, their discourse may also have a potentially divisive aspect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Ecolinguistics)
24 pages, 1052 KiB  
Article
German Noun Plurals in Simultaneous Bilingual vs. Successive Bilingual vs. Monolingual Kindergarten Children: The Role of Linguistic and Extralinguistic Variables
by Katharina Korecky-Kröll, Marina Camber, Kumru Uzunkaya-Sharma and Wolfgang U. Dressler
Languages 2024, 9(9), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090306 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 847
Abstract
(1) Background: The complex phenomenon of German noun plural inflection is investigated in three groups of German-speaking kindergarten children: (a) monolinguals (1L1), (b) simultaneous bilinguals (2L1) also acquiring Croatian, and (c) successive bilinguals (L2) acquiring Turkish as L1. Predictions of the usage-based schema [...] Read more.
(1) Background: The complex phenomenon of German noun plural inflection is investigated in three groups of German-speaking kindergarten children: (a) monolinguals (1L1), (b) simultaneous bilinguals (2L1) also acquiring Croatian, and (c) successive bilinguals (L2) acquiring Turkish as L1. Predictions of the usage-based schema model and of Natural Morphology concerning different linguistic variables are used to explore their impact on plural acquisition in the three groups of children. (2) Methods: A longitudinal study (from mean age 3;1 to 4;8) is conducted using two procedures (a formal plural test and spontaneous recordings in kindergarten), and the data are analyzed using generalized linear (mixed-effects) regression models in R. (3) Results: All children produce more errors in the metalinguistically challenging test compared to spontaneous speech, with L2 children being particularly disadvantaged. Socioeconomic status (henceforth SES) and teachers’ plural type frequency are most relevant for 1L1 children, and kindergarten exposure is more relevant for L2 children, while the linguistic variables are more important for 2L1 children. (4) Conclusions: The main predictions of the schema model and of Natural Morphology are largely confirmed. All of the linguistic variables investigated show significant effects in some analyses, but morphotactic transparency turns out to be the most relevant variable for all three groups of children. Full article
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25 pages, 1571 KiB  
Article
Unfolding Prosody Guides the Development of Word Segmentation
by Sónia Frota, Cátia Severino and Marina Vigário
Languages 2024, 9(9), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090305 - 19 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 762
Abstract
Prosody is known to scaffold the learning of language, and thus understanding prosodic development is vital for language acquisition. The present study explored the unfolding prosody model of prosodic development (proposed in Frota’s et al. study in 2016) beyond early production data, to [...] Read more.
Prosody is known to scaffold the learning of language, and thus understanding prosodic development is vital for language acquisition. The present study explored the unfolding prosody model of prosodic development (proposed in Frota’s et al. study in 2016) beyond early production data, to examine whether it predicted the development of early segmentation abilities. European Portuguese-learning infants aged between 5 and 17 months were tested in a series of word segmentation experiments. Developing prosodic structure was evidenced in word segmentation as proposed by the unfolding model: (i) a simple monosyllabic word shape crucially placed at a major prosodic edge was segmented first, before more complex word shapes under similar prosodic conditions; (ii) the segmentation of more complex words was easier at a major prosodic edge than in phrase-medial position; and (iii) the segmentation of complex words with an iambic pattern preceded the segmentation of words with a trochaic pattern. These findings demonstrated that word segmentation evolved with unfolding prosody, suggesting that the prosodic units developed in the unfolding process are used both as speech production planning units and to extract word-forms from continuous speech. Therefore, our study contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying word segmentation, and to a better understanding of early prosodic development, a cornerstone of language acquisition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phonetic and Phonological Complexity in Romance Languages)
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26 pages, 487 KiB  
Article
Bilingualism of Children in Different Multilingual Contexts
by Isabelle Nocus
Languages 2024, 9(9), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090304 - 19 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2184
Abstract
Many parents and professionals believe that learning to speak, read and write in two languages can lead to academic deficiencies due to cognitive overload and the risk of confusion linked to handling two language codes. Therefore, some bilinguals abandon or are tempted to [...] Read more.
Many parents and professionals believe that learning to speak, read and write in two languages can lead to academic deficiencies due to cognitive overload and the risk of confusion linked to handling two language codes. Therefore, some bilinguals abandon or are tempted to abandon one of the two languages, often the first language, in exchanges with their children, in favor of the language of schooling. However, all recent scientific data tend to show that bilingualism is an asset more than a handicap. Nevertheless, these positive results most often concern English-speaking contexts and are not directly transposable to a French-speaking context. Drawing on the results of our work carried out in Oceania and in other territories, this article will deal with bilingual development and the impact of educational systems that promote the heritage or local languages from primary school. More specifically, the oral language of the bilingual, biliteracy and the effects of cross-linguistic transfer will be addressed. Results from both longitudinal studies in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, confirmed by other studies conducted in Sub-Saharan African, show a positive effect of the bilingual education curriculum on local language (Drehu and Tahitian) skills without having negative effects on French. We demonstrated that the expected effects of cross-linguistic transfer are only possible if the pupils learn to read and write in the two languages (local language and French). Additionally, learning to read in one of those local languages makes it easier to learn to read in French, which has a more opaque writing system. Full article
16 pages, 1171 KiB  
Article
A Longitudinal Exploration of Perception and Production of English Codas in CLIL Settings
by Francisco Gallardo-del-Puerto and Esther Gómez-Lacabex
Languages 2024, 9(9), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090303 - 19 Sep 2024
Viewed by 811
Abstract
Second language speech perception and production remain an enduring concern in second language acquisition, as research evidence seems to suggest that there is not a straightforward correspondence between these two speech domains and that their interrelationship seems to be of a complex nature. [...] Read more.
Second language speech perception and production remain an enduring concern in second language acquisition, as research evidence seems to suggest that there is not a straightforward correspondence between these two speech domains and that their interrelationship seems to be of a complex nature. The present proposal intends to contribute to the inspection of such a relationship by observing the development of perception and production skills of English codas longitudinally in a group of secondary school learners in Spain involved in a content and language integrated learning (CLIL) program, which increases exposure and production opportunities. Results point to a slight overall improvement of both sound perception and production skills during a two-year period, the coda sounds exhibiting variable realizations. Many coda sounds were found to be identified and produced at near/ceiling levels while other codas remained at less successful identification and production levels even after two years of CLIL exposure. The correlation analyses performed indicated that the two dimensions tended to correlate when the development for each coda sound was inspected. No correlations were found when students’ individual overall performance in each dimension were examined, attesting individual differences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in L2 Perception and Production)
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18 pages, 382 KiB  
Article
They Do Not Eat a Wife’s Beauty: The Ethnopragmatics of Bette Proverbial Personal Names
by Romanus Aboh, Angela Ajimase and Idom T. Inyabri
Languages 2024, 9(9), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090302 - 16 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1394
Abstract
Names and naming practices convey various nuances of meaning in the Bette sociocultural setting. Against this significant backdrop, this study examines proverbial names as figurative and overt communicative strategies among the Bette people of northern Cross River State in south-eastern Nigeria. The qualitative [...] Read more.
Names and naming practices convey various nuances of meaning in the Bette sociocultural setting. Against this significant backdrop, this study examines proverbial names as figurative and overt communicative strategies among the Bette people of northern Cross River State in south-eastern Nigeria. The qualitative data were elicited through semi-structured interviews and informal interactions from purposively selected twenty name-givers and ten name-bearers of Bette proverbial names. Data were analysed using the ethnopragmatic theory, an approach to language study that sees culture as playing a central explanatory role in meaning-making. Besides functioning as discursive strategies through which people’s worldview is embedded, proverbial names serve as sociocultural sites through which interpersonal relationships are performatively constructed and maintained. This study enriches our understanding of how the Bette people use proverbial names as tools of social control to perform gender, strengthen communal bonds, enhance peaceful coexistence, and enact Indigenous worldview among themselves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Personal Names and Naming in Africa)
12 pages, 343 KiB  
Article
Some Notes on Left-Dislocation in the Homilies of Wulfstan
by Artur Bartnik
Languages 2024, 9(9), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090301 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 634
Abstract
In this paper, I show how pragmatics and syntax are interconnected in Old English by examining the left-dislocation system in Wulfstan’s homilies. Syntactically, this article argues that left-dislocation fits in nicely with the system found in other Old English texts, despite certain superficial [...] Read more.
In this paper, I show how pragmatics and syntax are interconnected in Old English by examining the left-dislocation system in Wulfstan’s homilies. Syntactically, this article argues that left-dislocation fits in nicely with the system found in other Old English texts, despite certain superficial structural differences. The unexpected high number of demonstrative resumptives is accounted for by the accumulation of formulaic structures in one homily. Pragmatically, LFD performs a number of discourse functions. The main function is a generalizing one, as LFD introduces new topics in the discourse. This case study also shows that other functions traditionally linked with LFD can be found in Wulfstan’s texts. For instance, demonstrative resumptives show some degree of topic shifting and can be accompanied by the contrastive function. By contrast, personal pronoun resumptives can mark topic continuity with specific referents. Since the corpus data are necessarily limited because only one file from the YCOE is examined, some claims are not verifiable. A good example is the assumption found in the literature that personal pronoun resumptives in LFD tend to land low in the clause. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corpus-Based Linguistics of Old English)
18 pages, 442 KiB  
Article
Mothers’ Education, Family Language Policy, and Hebrew Plural Formation among Bilingual and Monolingual Children
by Julia Reznick and Sharon Armon-Lotem
Languages 2024, 9(9), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090300 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1210
Abstract
The present study examines the role of maternal years of education and family language policy (FLP) in monolingual and bilingual children’s acquisition of Hebrew plural morphology. The case of the Hebrew plural system is especially interesting when examining the influence of the above [...] Read more.
The present study examines the role of maternal years of education and family language policy (FLP) in monolingual and bilingual children’s acquisition of Hebrew plural morphology. The case of the Hebrew plural system is especially interesting when examining the influence of the above factors on morphological performance, given that it demands both a mastery of morphological rules (characterized by a high degree of transparency in Hebrew) and a lexicon-based mastery of exceptions. Participants were 146 children, 74 bilinguals (heritage language: Russian; societal language: Hebrew) and 72 Hebrew monolinguals, aged 5–8 (kindergarten, first grade, and second grade), from the same schools and neighborhoods. A Hebrew pluralization, sentence completion task that included 99 items from two categories: fully regular words whose plural forms are based on a morphological rule and non-regular words whose plural forms (also) require lexical and/or morpho-lexical knowledge. The parents of the bilingual children filled out a questionnaire with questions on background variables (e.g., maternal education) and language practice in both languages by different family members and language use at home. The findings indicated that maternal education contributes differently and distinctly to the linguistic performance of children from different linguistic backgrounds. For monolingual children, an increase in the number of years of maternal education is associated with an increase in the likelihood of success in the lexical and morpho-lexical aspects of Hebrew. By contrast, for bilingual children, no significant contribution of maternal education to children’s performance was found. For bilingual participants, their performance in the lexical and morpho-lexical aspects of the Hebrew plural system was consistently influenced by FLP across all school settings—increased use of Russian at home was associated with a lower likelihood of success in the societal language. FLP characteristics were not found to be related to maternal education. These findings have clinical implications for both assessment and intervention processes when working with bilingual children. Full article
29 pages, 2920 KiB  
Article
Acoustic Analysis of Vowels in Australian Aboriginal English Spoken in Victoria
by Debbie Loakes and Adele Gregory
Languages 2024, 9(9), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090299 - 12 Sep 2024
Viewed by 808
Abstract
(1) Background: Australian Aboriginal English (AAE) is a variety known to differ in various ways from the mainstream, but to date very little phonetic analysis has been carried out. This study is a description of L1 Aboriginal English in southern Australia, aiming to [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Australian Aboriginal English (AAE) is a variety known to differ in various ways from the mainstream, but to date very little phonetic analysis has been carried out. This study is a description of L1 Aboriginal English in southern Australia, aiming to comprehensively describe the acoustics of vowels, focusing in particular on vowels known to be undergoing change in Mainstream Australian English. Previous work has focused on static measures of F1/F2, and here we expand on this by adding duration analyses, as well as dynamic F1/F2 measures. (2) Methods: This paper uses acoustic-phonetic analyses to describe the vowels produced by speakers of Aboriginal Australian English from two communities in southern Australia (Mildura and Warrnambool). The focus is vowels undergoing change in the mainstream variety–the short vowels in KIT, DRESS, TRAP, STRUT, LOT, and the long vowel GOOSE; focusing on duration, and static and dynamic F1/F2. As part of this description, we analyse the data using the sociophonetic variables gender, region, and age, and also compare the Aboriginal Australian English vowels to those of Mainstream Australian English. (3) Results: On the whole, for duration, few sociophonetic differences were observed. For static F1/F2, we saw that L1 Aboriginal English vowel spaces tend to be similar to Mainstream Australian English but can be analysed as more conservative (having undergone less change) as has also been observed for L2 Aboriginal English, in particular for KIT, DRESS, and TRAP. The Aboriginal English speakers had a less peripheral vowel space than Mainstream Australian English speakers. Dynamic analyses also highlighted dialectal differences between Aboriginal and Mainstream Australian English speakers, with greater F1/F2 movement in the trajectories of vowels overall for AAE speakers, which was more evident for some vowels (TRAP, STRUT, LOT, and GOOSE). Regional differences in vowel quality between the two locations were minimal, and more evident in the dynamic analyses. (4) Conclusions: This paper further highlights how Aboriginal Australian English is uniquely different from Mainstream Australian English with respect to certain vowel differences, and it also highlights some ways in which the varieties align. The differences, i.e., a more compressed vowel space, and greater F1/F2 movement in the trajectories of short vowels for AAE speakers, are specific ways that Aboriginal Australian English and Mainstream Australian English accents are different in these communities in the southern Australian state of Victoria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue An Acoustic Analysis of Vowels)
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26 pages, 490 KiB  
Article
Reading and Memory Skills of Children with and without Dyslexia in Greek (L1) and English (L2) as a Second Language: Preliminary Results from a Cross-Linguistic Approach
by Maria-Ioanna Gkountakou and Ioanna Talli
Languages 2024, 9(9), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090298 - 11 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1161
Abstract
The focus of the present paper is twofold; the first objective is to examine how children with dyslexia (henceforward DYS children) and typically developing children (henceforward TD children) performed in Greek (first language; L1) compared to English (second language; L2) in reading, phonological [...] Read more.
The focus of the present paper is twofold; the first objective is to examine how children with dyslexia (henceforward DYS children) and typically developing children (henceforward TD children) performed in Greek (first language; L1) compared to English (second language; L2) in reading, phonological awareness (PA), rapid automatized naming (RAN), working memory (WM), and short-term memory (STM) tasks. Our second goal is to investigate DYS children’s performance compared to that of TD children in the L1 and L2 domains mentioned above. Thirty-two (DYS = 16; TD = 16) school-aged children (9;7–11;9 years old; Mage = 130.41), basic users of English (level ranging from A1 to A2), carried out a battery test in L1 and L2, respectively, including reading, PA, STM, and WM tasks. More specifically, the tasks were the following: word and nonword decoding, reading accuracy and reading fluency, word and nonword reading per minute, PA, RAN, nonword repetition, as well as forward, backward, and digit span sequencing. This is a work-in-progress study, and preliminary results reveal that DYS students exhibit important reading and memory deficits in both languages. The data analysis indicated that DYS children have particular difficulties and statistically significant differences in L1 and L2 compared to TD in all tasks. In conclusion, this is the first study, at least in Greek, which assesses both reading and memory skills of DYS children in L2. The results reveal deficits in both languages, and the overall findings contribute to theories on the transfer of difficulties of linguistic skills between L1 and L2, while memory scores also underline this co-occurrence. Future implications of this study include a combination of reading and cognitive activities in the teaching methods of English teachers to improve DYS children’s overall performance in learning English as L2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Facets of Greek Language)
14 pages, 372 KiB  
Article
Size Matters: Vocabulary Knowledge as Advantage in Partner Selection
by Michael Daller and Zehra Ongun
Languages 2024, 9(9), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090297 - 6 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2254
Abstract
Partner selection can be studied from different disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, and economics. However, linguistic perspectives have been neglected. That is why we need an interdisciplinary approach that includes language. The present article investigates how important the vocabulary size of a potential [...] Read more.
Partner selection can be studied from different disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, and economics. However, linguistic perspectives have been neglected. That is why we need an interdisciplinary approach that includes language. The present article investigates how important the vocabulary size of a potential partner is for marital choice. Our theoretical framework is mainly that of biological markets which are still being widely used. This framework assumes that human decisions are made on a rational basis, e.g., about the characteristics that a potential partner brings into a marriage such as economic assets (wealth, education), psychological traits (intelligence, kindness, fairness), or signs that show physical and mental health. Partner selection takes place on a biological market where assets are displayed and are part of the negotiation for the best partner. We argue that vocabulary knowledge is such an asset, which is acquired through lengthy and costly education and distinguishes potential partners (or their parents) who can afford the accumulation of this form of human capital. Markets are not fully transparent and our knowledge about a potential partner might be incomplete or even distorted through false information or even cheating as one can clearly see from advertisements in online dating. However, we cannot pretend, at least not over a longer period of time, to know words that are not at our disposal. This present study is based on data from 83 couples after more than 15 years of marriage. Their vocabulary scores correlate highly and it is possible that this correlation is the result of accommodation through marriage. However, through partialling out statistically the years of marriage we conclude that the vocabulary size of each partner was an important factor already right at the beginning of their relationship. Those with higher human capital in vocabulary attract similar partners, and this holds for males and females as well as vice versa. Our participants are all Turkish–English sequential bilinguals and the question is whether it is vocabulary knowledge in the first or the second language that plays a crucial role in partner selection. Our results show that both languages are important. We argue that it is not knowledge of words at the surface level but that it is knowledge of conceptual concepts underlying both languages that serve as a display of human capital on the biological market of partner selection. Full article
43 pages, 11069 KiB  
Article
Maintenance of Lexical Pitch Accent in Heritage Lithuanian: A Study of Perception and Production
by Jessica Kantarovich
Languages 2024, 9(9), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090296 - 3 Sep 2024
Viewed by 896
Abstract
This study investigates how the unique circumstances of heritage language acquisition impact prosody, an understudied aspect of heritage speech. I examine the perception and production of lexical pitch accent by two generations of heritage Lithuanian speakers in Chicago (n = 13), with [...] Read more.
This study investigates how the unique circumstances of heritage language acquisition impact prosody, an understudied aspect of heritage speech. I examine the perception and production of lexical pitch accent by two generations of heritage Lithuanian speakers in Chicago (n = 13), with a qualitative comparison to one normative native speaker also living in Chicago. The speakers participated in the following: (1) a perception task requiring them to identify meaning distinctions between pairs of words that differ only by accent; and (2) a production task in which they produced sentences containing nine nominal declensions, where pitch accent plays a morphological role. In task (1), speakers across the board were not able to identify meaning distinctions in accent-based minimal pairs, irrespective of their frequency, and were more accurate at perceiving pairs that differed on the basis of segmental phonological features. However, HSs with more education perceived more accent-based distinctions, as did HSs who were more engaged in the Chicago community. Older HSs maintained more distinctions than either the NS or the younger HSs, which suggests a change in progress in the language or the Chicago Lithuanian community. In task (2), none of the speakers consistently used pitch to signal word-level prominence. Instead, all speakers relied on changes in duration and vowel quality to signal word-level prominence, suggesting that, for these speakers, there has been a shift to a stress-accent system. The older HSs also patterned more like the NS in their retention of the expected stress in the nominal declensions. Dialect was also determined to play a role in the retention of standard accent patterns in both perception and production. Full article
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12 pages, 321 KiB  
Article
Retelling the Story of the Birds and the Bees in the Age of Biodiversity Extinction
by Richard John Alexander
Languages 2024, 9(9), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090295 - 3 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1331
Abstract
John Lovejoy coined the term biological diversity in 1980, made the first projection of global extinction rates, and 43 years later we are still discussing biodiversity and extinction in an inconsequential fashion. Extinction signs include the loss of millions of birds in the [...] Read more.
John Lovejoy coined the term biological diversity in 1980, made the first projection of global extinction rates, and 43 years later we are still discussing biodiversity and extinction in an inconsequential fashion. Extinction signs include the loss of millions of birds in the UK since 1970 and the decline in insects. Goulson summarizes in detail the scientific and biological evidence for the many species extinctions. Although most people do not notice the declines in insects, the loss of bees has been noted when bees’ use as pollinators began to be harnessed as a corporate and commercial activity. This is linked to intensive agricultural practices. The lobbying power of agrochemical companies shapes agricultural practices that directly impact the well-being of all species. Critical ecological discourse analysis of insect decline and the issues related to it is employed, going back to the famous speech given by Michael Halliday. Then corpus linguistic methods scrutinize material from the website of Syngenta, an agrochemical company. We ask whether the website of such a firm can uncover the necessary circumstances for such biodiversity. A corpus-assisted critical analysis of Syngenta’s business report, looks at computer-generated concordances of some of the relevant content words, like ‘crop’, ‘sustainable’, ‘soil’, ‘control’, ‘biodiversity’ and ‘water’. Hopefully, this study will encourage researchers to provide more indications of the disappearance of so many species, and not just birds and insects. But, to really achieve effective protection of biodiversity much more is needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Ecolinguistics)
18 pages, 419 KiB  
Article
Loanword Phonology of Spanish Anglicisms: New Insights from Corpus Data
by Linda Bäumler
Languages 2024, 9(9), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090294 - 31 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1140
Abstract
Previous research shows that several factors influence the adaptation of English phonemes in Spanish Anglicisms: speaker age, English proficiency, and geographic distance from the U.S.A, among others.Due to globalization, increased mobility, and the ubiquitous availability of English media, the question arises whether these [...] Read more.
Previous research shows that several factors influence the adaptation of English phonemes in Spanish Anglicisms: speaker age, English proficiency, and geographic distance from the U.S.A, among others.Due to globalization, increased mobility, and the ubiquitous availability of English media, the question arises whether these factors are still relevant in today’s world. For the present study, 70 speakers from Mexico and Spain read a word list containing Anglicisms aloud. A generalized linear mixed effects model was applied to analyze which factors directly influence pronunciation. Results show that the realization of Spanish grapheme-phoneme correspondences plays a major role in the adaptation process. Moreover, the analysis shows that it is exposure to the English language that mainly influences the pronunciation: the more exposure speakers from both countries have to the English language, the more likely they are to imitate the English pronunciation instead of the realization of Spanish grapheme-phoneme correspondences. Finally, the analysis revealed differences not only between the phonemes and the speakers but also between the words included in the study and once more highlighted that every word has a history of its own. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phonetics and Phonology of Ibero-Romance Languages)
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21 pages, 1579 KiB  
Article
Altaic Elements in the Chinese Variety of Tangwang: True and False Direct Loans
by Julie Pauline Marie Lefort
Languages 2024, 9(9), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090293 - 31 Aug 2024
Viewed by 976
Abstract
This paper foccusses on the Tangwang language, a Chinese variety spoken in southern Gansu that has been in contact with the Dongxiang language, a Mongolic language. Tangwang is believed to be a highly altaicised variety, as it demonstrate several traits that are usually [...] Read more.
This paper foccusses on the Tangwang language, a Chinese variety spoken in southern Gansu that has been in contact with the Dongxiang language, a Mongolic language. Tangwang is believed to be a highly altaicised variety, as it demonstrate several traits that are usually absent in this language family are are reputed ‘typical’ of the Turkic-Mongolic languages. However, most of these traits are present in the other northwestern chinese varieties and are the result of reanalysis, thus, it is difficult to trace their exact origin. This paper aims at analyzing the influence of Mongolic languages on Tangwang from the perspective of borrowings, and in particular direct loans. Taking the formally identical features that are shared in Dongxiang and Tangwang as a starting point, we will try to determine which form can be seen as a direct borrowing due to the adstratal influence of Dongxiang and which one is probably due to an earlier altaic influence. We will try to classify which form is a ‘true’ direct loan from Dongxiang and which form could be the evidence of an earlier substrate. From the results, and based on the existing models on languages contact, we will try to understand which mechanisms from relexification, grammaticalization, and language shift is the most probable in the case of Tangwang. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Typology of Chinese Languages: One Name, Many Languages)
39 pages, 6630 KiB  
Article
‘No’ Dimo’ par de Botella’ y Ahora Etamo’ Al Garete’: Exploring the Intersections of Coda /s/, Place, and the Reggaetón Voice
by Derrek Powell
Languages 2024, 9(9), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090292 - 30 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1342
Abstract
The rebranding of reggaetón towards Latin urban has been criticized for tokenizing Afro-Caribbean linguistic and cultural practices as symbolic resources recruitable by non-Caribbean artists/executives in the interest of profit. Consumers are particularly critical of an audible phonological homogeneity in the performances of ethnonationally [...] Read more.
The rebranding of reggaetón towards Latin urban has been criticized for tokenizing Afro-Caribbean linguistic and cultural practices as symbolic resources recruitable by non-Caribbean artists/executives in the interest of profit. Consumers are particularly critical of an audible phonological homogeneity in the performances of ethnonationally distinct mainstream performers, framed as a form of linguistic minstrelsy popularly termed a ‘Caribbean Blaccent’ that facilitates capitalization on the genre’s popularity by tapping into the covert prestige of distinctive phonological elements of Insular Caribbean Spanish otherwise stigmatized. This work pairs acoustic analysis with quantitative statistical modeling to compare the use of lenited coronal sibilant allophones popularly considered indexical of Hispano-Caribbean origins in the spoken and sung speech of four of the genre’s top-charting female performers. A general pattern of style-shifting from interview to sung speech wherein sibilance is favored in the former and phonetic zeros in the latter is revealed. Moreover, a statistically significant increased incidence of [-] across time shows the most recent records to uniformly deploy near-categorical reduction independent of artists’ sociocultural and linguistic backgrounds. The results support the enregisterment of practices popularized by the genre’s San Juan-based pioneers as a stylistic resource—a reggaetón voice—for engaging the images of vernacularity sustaining and driving the contemporary, mainstream popularity of música urbana. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interface between Sociolinguistics and Music)
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20 pages, 335 KiB  
Article
“She’ll Never Be a Man” A Corpus-Based Forensic Linguistic Analysis of Misgendering Discrimination on X
by Lucia Sevilla Requena
Languages 2024, 9(9), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090291 - 30 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1342
Abstract
Misgendering is a form of microaggression that reinforces gender binarism and involves the use of incorrect pronouns, names or gendered language when referring to a transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individual. Despite growing awareness, it remains a persistent form of discrimination, and it [...] Read more.
Misgendering is a form of microaggression that reinforces gender binarism and involves the use of incorrect pronouns, names or gendered language when referring to a transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individual. Despite growing awareness, it remains a persistent form of discrimination, and it is crucial not only to understand and address misgendering but also to analyse its impact within online discourse towards the TGNC community. The present study examines misgendering directed at the TGNC community present on platform X. To achieve this, a representative sample of 400 tweets targeting two TGNC individuals is compiled, applying an annotation scheme to manually classify the polarity of each tweet and instances of misgendering, and then comparing the manual annotations with those of an automatic sentiment detection system. The analysis focuses on the context and frequency of intentional misgendering, using word lists to examine the data. The results confirm that misgendering perpetuates discrimination, tends to co-occur with other forms of aggression, and is not effectively identified by automatic sentiment detection systems. Finally, the study highlights the need for improved automatic detection systems to better identify and address misgendering in online discourse and provides potentially useful tools for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Forensic and Legal Linguistics)
14 pages, 854 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Formal and Informal Pronouns of Address on Product Price Estimation
by Helen de Hoop, Ward Boekesteijn, Martijn Doolaard, Niels van Wel, Lotte Hogeweg and Ferdy Hubers
Languages 2024, 9(9), 290; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090290 - 30 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 936
Abstract
Previous literature has examined the effect of using a formal or informal second-person pronoun on consumers’ appreciation of an advertisement and the advertised product and their purchase intention. This is the first study that additionally examines the effect of the use of either [...] Read more.
Previous literature has examined the effect of using a formal or informal second-person pronoun on consumers’ appreciation of an advertisement and the advertised product and their purchase intention. This is the first study that additionally examines the effect of the use of either pronoun on product price estimation. In a between-subjects web experiment, Dutch participants evaluated product ads in which either an informal or formal pronoun of address was used, or no pronoun of address at all (the control condition). Dependent variables were attitude towards the ad and the product, purchase intention, and price estimation. The results show that the use of the formal pronoun leads to a higher estimate of the price of the advertised product, while a higher price estimate may increase the purchase intention. Full article
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20 pages, 1553 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Role of Input Factors in Harmonious Bilingual Development in Children
by Ekaterina Tiulkova, Vanda Marijanović, Jean-François Camps and Barbara Köpke
Languages 2024, 9(9), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090289 - 28 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1126
Abstract
This study delves into the concept of Harmonious Bilingual Development (HBD), characterizing families where linguistic situations do not adversely affect their well-being. Following a recently proposed holistic framework on Harmonious Bilingual Experience (HBE), this research aims to discern the relationship between input factors [...] Read more.
This study delves into the concept of Harmonious Bilingual Development (HBD), characterizing families where linguistic situations do not adversely affect their well-being. Following a recently proposed holistic framework on Harmonious Bilingual Experience (HBE), this research aims to discern the relationship between input factors and the bilingual children’s social–emotional and behavioral skills (SEBS). While input undoubtedly plays a major role in bilingual development, more insight is needed on the quantity and quality of input necessary to foster HBD. A total of 36 five-year-old children with Russian and French as their first languages participated in our study. Children’s language exposure and input quality, as well as parental attitudes, beliefs and strategies regarding language transmission, were assessed with parent questionnaires and activity journals. Additionally, parents assessed their children’s SEBS using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified family profiles which support HBD. We found that the quantity of Russian input, as measured by current exposure, does not directly correlate with SEBS. However, less than 30% of weekly input in Russian appears insufficient for achieving HBD. Furthermore, our study suggests that engaging in at least one extra-curricular activity in Russian, e.g., Saturday school, coupled with parental impact belief, aligns with a family profile experiencing more HBD. These results are coherent with previous studies on harmonious bilingualism, and emphasize the interplay of quantitative and qualitative input factors, as well as SEBS, for achieving HBD. Full article
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7 pages, 313 KiB  
Editorial
Introduction to the Special Issue: Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese
by Patrícia Amaral
Languages 2024, 9(9), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090288 - 25 Aug 2024
Viewed by 709
Abstract
This Issue focuses on morphosyntactic variation and change in Portuguese [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)
18 pages, 694 KiB  
Article
Are All Conversational Turns Equal? Parental Language Input and Child Language in Children with Hearing Loss during Daily Interactions
by Hiltje P. Muller, Michel R. Benard, Annerenée Meijer, Deniz Başkent and Evelien Dirks
Languages 2024, 9(9), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090287 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1464
Abstract
(1) Background: Conversational turns between parents and children contribute to the language development of children. This study aimed to examine parental language input during interactions with high numbers of conversational turns (focused interactions) and those with fewer turns (regular interactions) in children with [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Conversational turns between parents and children contribute to the language development of children. This study aimed to examine parental language input during interactions with high numbers of conversational turns (focused interactions) and those with fewer turns (regular interactions) in children with hearing loss at home. (2) Methods: Twelve children (aged 18–47 months) with hearing loss and their parents participated. Each child wore a Language ENvironment Analysis system digital language processor for 2 days to record all conversations between the parent and child. Focused interactions were characterized by high conversational turns, while regular interactions were defined by median conversational turns. The quantity of language input was reflected by the number of words parents used during the interaction, and the quality was reflected by the mean length of parental utterances, the use of low- and high-level facilitative language techniques, lexical diversity, and the use of (de)contextualized talk. (3) Results: During focused interactions, parents exposed their children to more words than during regular interactions, while the opposite was found for lexical diversity. The quality of parental language input did not differ between the two types of interactions. Parental language input was associated with children’s spontaneous language. (4) Conclusion: Not all conversational turns are equal but are nonetheless associated with children’s language development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Input Effects in Atypical Language Development)
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15 pages, 364 KiB  
Article
Maintaining the Indigenous Udmurt Language beyond the Community: An Autoethnographic Analysis
by Svetlana Edygarova
Languages 2024, 9(9), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090286 - 23 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1048
Abstract
In this article, I emphasize the importance of maintaining and transmitting indigenous languages to the next generations, and I explore the motivations and difficulties of indigenous language speakers to do so when living far away from their native language community. The article is [...] Read more.
In this article, I emphasize the importance of maintaining and transmitting indigenous languages to the next generations, and I explore the motivations and difficulties of indigenous language speakers to do so when living far away from their native language community. The article is an autoethnographic analysis that amplifies the insider’s perspective and reflects on my own thoughts, perceptions, and emotional reactions regarding my language use practices. Specifically, I analyze the use of the Udmurt language with my children and the process of writing a blog in Udmurt. As a researcher of the Udmurt language, I use my previous sociolinguistic studies in the analysis and place it within the broader context of indigenous peoples from Russia. Indigenous languages often involve the use of multiple languages simultaneously, including language mixing, which is entirely natural. In societies with a monolingual language ideology, such practices are seen as signs of linguistic incompetence, leading to feelings of shame or inferiority among indigenous speakers. This negatively impacts the preservation of indigenous languages. Raising sociolinguistic and emotional awareness about how indigenous languages function and sharing personal experiences, including negative ones, can help overcome these challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linguistic Practices in Heritage Language Acquisition)
22 pages, 2872 KiB  
Article
Albanian as a Heritage Language in Italy: A Case Study on Code-Switching within DP
by Gloria Cocchi and Cristina Pierantozzi
Languages 2024, 9(9), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090285 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1138
Abstract
In this pilot work, we are going to discuss several aspects concerning the Albanian language spoken in the Italian territory by immigrants of different generations. After an excursus on heritage languages in general, and Albanian as a heritage language in particular, we present [...] Read more.
In this pilot work, we are going to discuss several aspects concerning the Albanian language spoken in the Italian territory by immigrants of different generations. After an excursus on heritage languages in general, and Albanian as a heritage language in particular, we present the results of both a sociolinguistic and a linguistic survey conducted among some Albanian immigrants in Italy. The former aims at investigating the contexts of use of Albanian and Italian languages, the participants’ competence in both of them and their attitude towards code-switching. The latter is focused on the participants’ judgments of the acceptability of different types of mixed Italian–Albanian DPs, i.e., DPs where D and N are expressed in different languages, and the theoretical implications that emerge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)
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4 pages, 246 KiB  
Editorial
Introducing the Special Issue Terminology in the Digital World
by Giorgio Maria Di Nunzio, Rute Costa and Federica Vezzani
Languages 2024, 9(9), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090284 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 680
Abstract
This Special Issue is dedicated to the 2nd International Conference on “Multilingual digital terminology today: Design, representation formats, and management systems” (MDTT 2023) (Di Nunzio et al [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terminology in the Digital World)
22 pages, 1034 KiB  
Article
New Words with -ment in Present-Day English: Their Properties and the Distinction between Functional and Lexical Categories
by Ryohei Naya
Languages 2024, 9(9), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090283 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 992
Abstract
Derivational affixes are not always automatically classified into functional or lexical categories. Although they are treated differently in various approaches, a shared view contends that the status of a suffix is controversial when it forms categorially incoherent words. However, it is debatable even [...] Read more.
Derivational affixes are not always automatically classified into functional or lexical categories. Although they are treated differently in various approaches, a shared view contends that the status of a suffix is controversial when it forms categorially incoherent words. However, it is debatable even when it forms words of a single category. This study argues that the Bifurcated Lexical Model proposed by Joseph E. Emonds is promising in this respect. With two subcomponents of the lexicon that, respectively, store functional and lexical morphemes, the model allows an affix to behave both as a functional and a lexical morpheme. This study demonstrates that the model can successfully account for the properties of the deverbal noun-forming suffix -ment in Present-Day English. The -ment nouns newly retrieved from the Oxford English Dictionary Online include instances in which -ment attaches to non-verbal elements and converted words. While such nouns may pose potential challenges to the perspective of an affix as a functional morpheme, their existence is not surprising but rather predictable within the model that allows for the flexibility of an affix in the dichotomy between functional and lexical categories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Word-Formation Processes in English)
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17 pages, 2039 KiB  
Article
Becoming Protactile: Interactional Foundations of Protactile Language Development and Language Emergence
by Jenny C. Lu, Jelica Nuccio, Halene Anderson and Terra Edwards
Languages 2024, 9(9), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090282 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1033
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many DeafBlind children were left without access to educational services when schools went remote. This article presents findings from a project that brought DeafBlind adults into the homes of DeafBlind children during a historically unprecedented time, when a new [...] Read more.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many DeafBlind children were left without access to educational services when schools went remote. This article presents findings from a project that brought DeafBlind adults into the homes of DeafBlind children during a historically unprecedented time, when a new language was emerging among DeafBlind people who call themselves “Protactile”. In analyzing interactions between the DeafBlind adults and children, we have gained new insights into how novel communication channels are forged intersubjectively. We focus our analysis on Jelica, a DeafBlind member of the research team and experienced Protactile educator, and her interactions with two DeafBlind children. Grounding her extensive field notes in an anthropological theory on intersubjectivity, her insights show how they gradually became attuned to each other and their environment, thereby laying the foundation for intention attribution and joint attention. Jelica does this, in part, via frequent use of “Protactile taps”, which have attention-modulating and demonstrative functions among adults. Jelica’s taps perform a “meta-channel” function to direct the child to use particular parts of their bodies for communication and exploration. This study shows how Jelica establishes an operable environment, within which the vocabulary and grammar she exposes them to will take on situated meaning. This research builds on previous work on language emergence by showing that both children and adults contribute to language emergence as they adjust to one another in the unfolding of interaction. Finally, this research calls attention to the need for DeafBlind adults to have institutional authority to shape communication practices for DeafBlind children. Full article
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45 pages, 2281 KiB  
Article
Exploring Lexical Bundles in the Move Structure of English Medical Research Abstracts: A Focus on Vocabulary Levels
by Motoko Asano, Kensuke Hirosuna and Miho Fujieda
Languages 2024, 9(9), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9090281 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1161
Abstract
Research article abstracts, the second most-read part of research papers after titles, generally follow disciplinary conventions, which are often manifested in their language use. This study analyzed lexical bundles or multi-word sequences in move texts of a one-million-word corpus of English-language medical research [...] Read more.
Research article abstracts, the second most-read part of research papers after titles, generally follow disciplinary conventions, which are often manifested in their language use. This study analyzed lexical bundles or multi-word sequences in move texts of a one-million-word corpus of English-language medical research article abstracts, with particular attention to vocabulary levels. The most frequent lexical bundles, such as “the primary end point was”, often occurred once per text and predominantly took part in realizing a move. The coverage of the first thousand New General Service List was 63.6% for the entire corpus but was around 80% for bundles in Move 3, describing principal results, and those in Move 4, evaluating the results. Many of the sequences were research-oriented bundles, used to express research contexts. The bundles were made up of relatively accessible word items, but the sequences occurred to realize highly specific research contexts. The findings suggest that becoming familiar with the bundle may need increasing awareness of disciplinary conventions such as guideline adherences and statistical procedures. This study may offer insights on the need for learners to familiarize themselves with these bundles. Full article
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