{"title":"Gettin’ sociolinguistic data remotely: comparing vernacularity during online remote versus in-person sociolinguistic interviews","authors":"Matt Hunt Gardner, V. Kostadinova","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2022-0069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2022-0069","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The following paper examines the use of the stable sociolinguistic variable (-ing) across two different interview modalities: “classic” in-person sociolinguistic interviews and identical interviews conducted remotely over online video chat. The goal of this research was to test whether a change in modality results in style-shifting, as quantified by different rates of formal/standard [-ɪŋ] versus informal/non-standard [-ɪn]. Results show that when the internal linguistic constraints governing (-ing) variation are taken into account, there is not a significant difference between modalities, suggesting both modalities are equally formal (or informal). This suggests that remote online video chats are a viable method for collecting sociolinguistic data.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139379907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Disentangling constructional networks: integrating taxonomic effects into the description of grammatical alternations","authors":"Piotr Wyroślak, Dylan Glynn","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2023-0035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2023-0035","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study considers an approach to alternations in which constructions are understood as non-binary choices between non-discrete usage patterns. To these ends, it seeks to develop usage-based methods for the identification and description of constructions without presupposing their level of formal granularity. Instead of deciding a priori what level of granularity is best for making generalizations about grammatical structure, the study aims to integrate the dimension of taxonomic variation into the analysis by treating constructions as combinatory emergent patterns, rather than predetermined discrete objects. Using the behavioural profile approach, we examine a 12-way lexico-constructional choice in Polish arising from the combinatory possibilities of three paradigmatic relations: grammatical aspect (perfective vs. imperfective); grammatical prefix (wy-, za-, na-); and predicate choice from the semantic frame of “stuff-fill” (-pchać/-pychać ‘push’, -pełnić/-pełniać ‘fill’). We analyse the combinations in a sample of 765 examples extracted from the National Corpus of Polish. The results reveal patterns in the use of the prefix-aspect-verb composites, interpretable as speaker choice, and show how those combinatory patterns can be accounted for without the need for positing discrete alternations. Furthermore, although only exploratory, such results call into question the descriptive validity of the traditional grammatical alternation.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"44 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139379869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Concrete constructions or messy mangroves? How modelling contextual effects on constructional alternations reflect theoretical assumptions of language structure","authors":"Dylan Glynn, Olaf Mikkelsen","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2023-0034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2023-0034","url":null,"abstract":"Depending on the theory of language employed, the paradigmatic and lexical variation associated with a given composite form-meaning pair is treated in different ways. First, variation can be treated as independent of the constructional semantics, an approach typical of modular theories. Second, paradigmatic variation can be considered indicative of constructional semantics; its variation constituting networks of closely related families of constructions. This is a common approach in construction grammar. Third, there exists a trend in cognitive linguistics and construction grammar to treat grammatical constructions as non-discrete emergent clusters of many-to-many form-meaning mappings. This study explores the possibility of extending current methods for quantitatively modelling construction grammar to an approach that does not assume discrete grammatical constructions. The speaker choice examined consists of the English future constructions <jats:italic>will</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>BE going to</jats:italic> and their use in contemporary informal British English. The constructions are examined with the behavioural profile approach. Three different regression modelling methods are applied to the grammatical alternations, each operationalizing one of the theoretical assumptions. While the results show that all three approaches are feasible and comparable in predictive accuracy, model interpretation becomes increasingly difficult with added complexity.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"208 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139373403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Investigating the relationship between the speed of automatization and linguistic abilities: data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Ashley Blake, Ewa Dąbrowska","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2021-0145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2021-0145","url":null,"abstract":"Our research explores the relationship between cognition and language. The focus of this paper is to discuss how we embarked upon remote data collection with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study we investigate cognitive processes of non-verbal intelligence, working memory, implicit statistical learning, and speed of automatization (measured with the multiple-trial Tower of Hanoi puzzle). Here we focus primarily on the speed of automatization, partly because of theoretical interest, and because it is more difficult to adapt to an online format due to the motor component of the task. We established a hybrid method of data collection where the researcher was present online to guide children through a battery of language and cognitive tasks. We used a videoconferencing platform, a digital visualiser, and a physical puzzle which we posted to each child prior to commencing the research sessions. We also designed an online version of the puzzle with support from the Getting Data project. We discuss the methodology of our study and the lessons learned during remote data collection.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139373490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Collecting language assessment data in the age of pandemic: a preliminary case study of Chinese EFL learners","authors":"Junyan Guo","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2021-0148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2021-0148","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study reports a preliminary exploration of the online collection of language assessment data in the author’s PhD project under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the challenges the author met, details the adaptations she made, and delineates its implications. Specifically, the data collection in this project involved remotely delivering three vocabulary tests and one speaking task to EFL learners in mainland China and collecting the results of these tests. In this process, the author trialed, pilot-tested, and compared three test-administering modes: first an asynchronous mode (Wenjuanwang), then a synchronous mode (Tencent Meeting), and finally a return to an asynchronous mode (Super Star Learning). It is hoped that this exploratory investigation into these technology-enhanced online methods will add a different perspective and present a multifaceted view for data collection of language assessment research during and after this pandemic.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139126229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Differential indexing in Kamang: a viewpoint alternation","authors":"Katherine Walker","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2023-0052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2023-0052","url":null,"abstract":"In Kamang (Alor-Pantar, Indonesia), some verbs alternate between indexing the S or P argument with a prefix (from several different series) and occurring unprefixed; that is, Kamang has differential argument indexing. Through a qualitative study of a spoken-language corpus, this paper investigates the alternation between one of the prefix series and zero-marking. Previously described as indicating increased patientivity on intransitive motion and posture verbs, the alternation is here analysed in terms of a shift in event view: unprefixed verbs express events holistically, while prefixed verbs shift the viewpoint towards the “elaboration phase”, the temporal and causal middle and end of an event. Elaboration constructions are associated with resultative and completive semantics and, relatedly, greater affectedness of the undergoer argument. Cross-linguistically, such constructions (e.g., resultatives and middles) are frequently subject to lexical restrictions, and the same applies to the Kamang alternation.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139064465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Getting “good” data in a pandemic, part 1: assessing the validity and quality of data collected remotely","authors":"V. Kostadinova, Matt Hunt Gardner","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2023-0170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2023-0170","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The articles presented in this special issue contribute to recent scholarship on remote data collection. The topics covered can be described in terms of two focal areas. The first focus is on the ways in which research can be adapted to remote data collection, and the second on the ways in which data collected remotely should be considered alongside data collected using “traditional” methods. The overarching epistemological question uniting these focal areas is whether remote data collection yields data of substantive quality. While varied in their aims and approaches, the studies presented suggest that remote data collection methods can be used on a par with traditional approaches, thus aligning with the findings of already existing scholarship on remote data collection methods. The detailed findings presented in the papers provide valuable methodological information for further development of methods in sociolinguistics and related areas. Though these studies originated in conditions when remote data collection was the only option, they reveal the suitability of remote data collection methods beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote methods can get “good” data; the experience of conducting fieldwork during the pandemic, while a challenge, was a catalyst for creativity, innovation, and enrichment in the field.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"45 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138946474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"On the semantics of (negated) approximative kaada in Classical Arabic: a case for embedded exhaustification","authors":"Abdel-Rahman Abu Helal","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2022-0106","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2022-0106","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it proposes a compositional semantic analysis for approximative <jats:italic>kaada</jats:italic> in Classical Arabic which has the property of being a clause-level rather than predicate-level operator: [KAADA α] is paraphrased as [α is false but there exists β close to α such that β is true]. The analysis is based on the integrated semantics of Penka (Penka, Doris. 2006. Almost there: The meaning of almost. <jats:italic>Proceedings of Sinn und Bedeutung</jats:italic> 10. 275–286) in which the negativity component of <jats:italic>kaada</jats:italic> is interpreted as part of its lexical meaning within a situation semantics framework. It also makes a novel use of the concept of <jats:italic>semantic closeness</jats:italic> among situations in terms of the intuitively appealing dimension of the relative completion of an event. Second, the paper presents and analyzes an instance of a puzzle noted by most descriptive Classical Arabic grammarians (see, for example, al-Ahmad, Ayman. 2021. Dalalit KAADA l-manfiah fi l-Qurʾaan l-kareem. <jats:italic>Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Literature</jats:italic> 9(2). 838–859) in which negated <jats:italic>kaada</jats:italic> has an interpretation where the negativity implication disappears altogether. The paper offers a solution to the puzzle based on a previous suggestion made by Kilbourn-Ceron (Kilbourn-Ceron, Oriana. 2016. Embedded exhaustification: Evidence from <jats:italic>almost</jats:italic>. <jats:italic>Journal of Semantics</jats:italic> 34(1). 43–60) in which an instance of embedded exhaustification appears to apply in approximatives in certain contexts in such a way that the negativity inference is obscured.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"120 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138580503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Constraction: a tool for the automatic extraction and interactive exploration of linguistic constructions","authors":"Hengbin Yan, Yinghui Li","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2022-0122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2022-0122","url":null,"abstract":"A central task in empirical and quantitative language studies is the extraction of linguistic constructions important to linguistic theory and application. The great number and variety of such constructions increasingly necessitates computer-assisted extraction, which often proves challenging as it entails a simultaneous analysis of multiple layers of linguistic information latent in large-scale corpora. To address this, we present Constraction, an open-source tool for the automatic extraction and interactive exploration of linguistic constructions from arbitrary textual corpora. Constraction features a generic algorithm that integrates customizable layers of linguistic annotation (e.g., lexical, syntactic, and semantic) to identify constructional patterns of varying sizes and abstraction levels. Its browser-based interface allows users to configure various extraction parameters and enables visual, interactive exploration of the extracted patterns. We demonstrate the utility of Constraction through case studies and discuss its potential applications in language research and pedagogy.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"97 4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138573997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Contextualized word senses: from attention to compositionality","authors":"Pablo Gamallo","doi":"10.1515/lingvan-2022-0125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2022-0125","url":null,"abstract":"The neural architectures of language models are becoming increasingly complex, especially that of Transformers, based on the attention mechanism. Although their application to numerous natural language processing tasks has proven to be very fruitful, they continue to be models with little or no interpretability and explainability. One of the tasks for which they are best suited is the encoding of the contextual sense of words using contextualized embeddings. In this paper we propose a transparent, interpretable, and linguistically motivated strategy for encoding the contextual sense of words by modeling semantic compositionality. Particular attention is given to dependency relations and semantic notions such as selection preferences and paradigmatic classes. A partial implementation of the proposed model is carried out and compared with Transformer-based architectures for a given semantic task, namely the similarity calculation of word senses in context. The results obtained show that it is possible to be competitive with linguistically motivated models instead of using the black boxes underlying complex neural architectures.","PeriodicalId":55960,"journal":{"name":"Linguistics Vanguard","volume":"507 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138506196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}