Annual Review Of Linguistics

Volume 9, 2023

Annual Review Of Linguistics（SSCI一区，2021 IF：3.705）2023年第9卷共发文29篇。论文内容涉及定式句中的提升现象、语言学中的伦理、交互构式、动物互动、环境语言学、阿尔泰语的统一性和内部分化、北非语言状况、韵律凸显、纪录语言学、医患沟通、疾病与语音、语言研究的跨学科趋势、心理语言学的数据分析、非人称代词、动词分类与NLP、形容词的语序、家庭语言、人造语言、发展性阅读障碍、口语能力测评、计算语言学、语言政策与语言规划、语音学理论中的晦暗性、言语行为、回指、社会经济地位与语言学习等。欢迎转发扩散！

往期推荐：

刊讯｜SSCI 期刊《语言学年鉴》2022年第8卷

目录

ARTICLES

■ Retrospect and Prospect, by Paul Kiparsky, Pages 1–28.

■ Raising out of Finite Clauses (Hyperraising), by Erik Zyman, Pages 29–48.

■ Ethics in Linguistics, by Alexandra D'Arcy and Emily M. Bender, Pages 49–69.

■ The Typology of Reciprocal Constructions, by Rachel Nordlinger, Pages 71–91.

■Animal Communication in Linguistic and Cognitive Perspective, by Thom Scott-Phillips and Christophe Heintz, Pages 93–111.

■ Environmental Linguistics, by K. David Harrison, Pages 113–134.

■ The Unity and Diversity of Altaic, by Juha A. Janhunen, Pages 135–154.

■ The Sociolinguistic Situation in North Africa: Recognizing and Institutionalizing Tamazight and New Challenges, by Ali Alalou, Pages 155–170.

■ Prosodic Prominence Across Languages, by D. Robert Ladd and Amalia Arvaniti, Pages 171–193.

■ Recent Advances in Technologies for Resource Creation and Mobilization in Language Documentation, by Andrea L. Berez-Kroeker, Shirley Gabber, Aliya Slayton, Pages 195–214.

■ The Actuation Problem, by Alan C.L. Yu, Pages 215–231.

■ The Role of Health Care Communication in Treatment Outcomes, by Tanya Stivers and Alexandra Tate, Pages 233–252.

■ Language Across the Disciplines, by Anne H. Charity Hudley, Aris M. Clemons, Dan Villarreal, Pages 253–272.

■Some Right Ways to Analyze (Psycho)Linguistic Data, by Shravan Vasishth, Pages 273–291.

■ Impersonal Pronouns and First-Person Perspective, by Hazel Pearson, Pages 293–311.

■ Verb Classification Across Languages, by Olga Majewska and Anna Korhonen, Pages 313–333.

■ Speech Prosody in Mental Disorders, by Hongwei Ding and Yang Zhang, Pages 335–355.

■ Adjective Ordering Across Languages, by Gregory Scontras, Pages 357–376.

■ Homesign: Contested Issues, by Sara A. Goico and Laura Horton, Pages 377–398.

■ Heritage Languages: Language Acquired, Language Lost, Language Regained, by Silvina Montrul, Pages 399–418.

■ Constructed Languages, by Grant Goodall, Pages 419–437.

■ Recent Advances in Chinese Developmental Dyslexia, by Linjun Zhang, Zhichao Xia, Yang Zhao, Hua Shu, Yang Zhang, Pages 439–461.

■ Compositionality in Computational Linguistics, by Lucia Donatelli and Alexander Koller, Pages 463–481 .

■ Postcolonial Language Policy and Planning and the Limits of the Notion of the Modern State, by Sinfree Makoni, Cristine Severo, Ashraf Abdelhay, Pages 483–496.

■ Serialism and Opacity in Phonological Theory, by Kathryn Pruitt, Pages 497–517.

■ The Rational Speech Act Framework, by Judith Degen, Pages 519–540.

■ Assessing Second Language Speaking Proficiency, by Nivja H. de Jong, Pages 541–560.

■ Computational Models of Anaphora, by Massimo Poesio, Juntao Yu, Silviu Paun, Abdulrahman Aloraini, Pengcheng Lu, Janosch Haber, Derya Cokal, Pages 561–587.

■ Evaluating “Meaningful Differences” in Learning and Communication Across SES Backgrounds, by Yi Ting Huang, Arynn S. Byrd, Rhosean Asmah, Sophie Domanski, Pages 589–608.

摘要

Retrospect and Prospect

Paul Kiparsky, Department of Linguistics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

Abstract In science, we look for the big picture, but in autobiography, it is the details that we care more about. Inevitably, my piece embodies this contradiction. The linguistic parts aim to bring out the unifying themes behind what may look like a hopelessly all-over-the-place curriculum vitae of research and teaching. The autobiographical parts are mostly vignettes of my formative years, places where I have lived, events that have made an impression on me, and people I have crossed paths with.

Key words language change, poetic form, Pāṇini, grammar, autobiography

Raising out of Finite Clauses (Hyperraising)

Erik Zyman, Department of Linguistics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Abstract Classical syntactic theory was designed to permit the type of movement called raising to proceed out of infinitival, but not finite, clauses—a positive result for languages such as English. But crosslinguistic investigation reveals that many languages actually allow raising out of finite clauses (hyperraising), challenging certain commonly assumed locality constraints on movement. This article reviews three types of Minimalist analyses of hyperraising and how they address these challenges, noting the strengths and shortcomings of each. Defectiveness/nonphase analyses commendably tie a clause's ability to launch hyperraising to independent observables, but such analyses struggle to derive the former from the latter. Deactivation analyses boast empirical successes but do not straightforwardly rule out hyperraising in English. Phase-edge analyses also boast empirical successes but face empirical and/or conceptual problems (to which a solution is sketched out) and open questions about learnability. These evaluations are intended to spur syntacticians to develop stronger versions of all three types of analyses, bringing us closer to fully understanding the factors regulating movement, a subcase of the fundamental structure-building operation Merge.

Key words hyperraising, movement, defectiveness/nonphase analyses, deactivation analyses, phase-edge analyses, crosslinguistic variation

Ethics in Linguistics

Alexandra D'Arcy, Department of Linguistics, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Emily M. Bender, Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

Abstract In linguistics, ethics has long encompassed matters typically covered under regulatory oversight, but it is increasingly understood as relational and reciprocal, conferring responsibilities and obligations that extend beyond the work produced for other researchers. Those who study language are also coming to interrogate their professional responsibilities not only in how research is done but also in how research is conceived, framed, reported, discussed, and taught, as part of larger discussions around decolonization, intersectionality, and social justice. In this article, we review existing literature on ethics in linguistics, both as it relates to research and as it relates to broader practices, which we then situate within ongoing conversations across subfields. The overarching frame for our discussion is that ethical practice and scientific validity are aligned, and that dismantling dominant discourses and normative practices will serve to advance the work linguists do in meaningful ways.

Key words ethical praxis, regulatory ethics, relational ethics, scientific validity

The Typology of Reciprocal Constructions

Rachel Nordlinger, Research Unit for Indigenous Language, School of Languages and Linguistics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Abstract Reciprocal constructions involve a complex mapping of semantics onto morphosyntax, requiring multiple propositions to be overlaid onto a single clause and the permutation of semantic roles within the set of participants involved. This complexity challenges the standard processes relating predicates to situations, and thus languages arrive at a great diversity of solutions for how reciprocal situations are encoded within a single clausal structure. Recent typological work has showcased this diversity from different perspectives, but further work is needed to determine how different morphosyntactic and semantic properties interact and what implicational connections and correlations exist with other parts of the linguistic system. Theoretical typologies highlight the importance of reciprocal constructions for our understanding of grammatical structure crosslinguistically.

Key words reciprocal, symmetry, valency, typology, morphosyntax

Animal Communication in Linguistic and Cognitive Perspective

Thom Scott-Phillips, Institute for Logic, Cognition, Language, and Information, San Sebastian, Spain

Christophe Heintz, Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary

Abstract Detailed comparative studies have revealed many surface similarities between linguistic communication and the communication of nonhumans. How should we interpret these discoveries in linguistic and cognitive perspective? We review the literature with a specific focus on analogy (similar features and function but not shared ancestry) and homology (shared ancestry). We conclude that combinatorial features of animal communication are analogous but not homologous to natural language. Homologies are found instead in cognitive capacities of attention manipulation, which are enriched in humans, making possible many distinctive forms of communication, including language use. We therefore present a new, graded taxonomy of means of attention manipulation, including a new class we call Ladyginian, which is related to but slightly broader than the more familiar class of Gricean interaction. Only in the latter do actors have the goal of revealing specifically informative intentions. Great ape interaction may be best characterized as Ladyginian but not Gricean.

Key words animal communication, comparative cognition, Washburn, Ladygina-Kohts, Grice, duality of patterning, generativity

Environmental Linguistics

K. David Harrison, College of Arts and Sciences, VinUniversity, Hanoi, Vietnam; Institute of Economic Botany, New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, New York, USA

Abstract Environmental linguistics is an emerging field at the intersection of linguistics and natural sciences. It recognizes the mutual relationship between cultural and ecological diversity, documenting linguistic structures and verbal practices by which speakers conceptualize, encode, and transmit knowledge about the natural world. It surpasses the largely metaphorical and narrative program of ecolinguistics to position language as the preeminent conceptual framework and channel for environmental knowledge. Natural phenomena—as Indigenous experts explain—cannot be understood apart from the languages that encode them, and vice versa. Language diversity is thus the key to safeguarding biodiversity and a balanced human relationship with nature. Environmental linguistics helps decolonize linguistics as our field evolves to prioritize knowledge coproduction over data extraction. Examples from my fieldwork in Tuva cover six domains of knowledge: landscapes, lifeforms, time, sound, memory, and survival. This article reviews recent literature from many cultures, emphasizing works by Indigenous authors.

Key words biodiversity, decolonization, environmental intelligence, native science, Tuva

The Unity and Diversity of Altaic

Juha A. Janhunen, Department of Languages, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Abstract In popular conception, Altaic is often assumed to constitute a language family, or perhaps a phylum, but in reality, it involves a historical, areal, and typological complex of five separate language families of different origins—Turkic, Mongolic, Tungusic, Koreanic, and Japonic—to which Uralic also adheres in the transcontinental context of Ural-Altaic. The similarities between the individual Altaic language families are due to prolonged contacts that have resulted in both lexical borrowing and structural interaction in a number of binary patterns. The historical homelands of the Altaic language families were located in continental Northeast Asia, but secondary expansions have subsequently brought these languages to most parts of northern and central Eurasia, including Anatolia and eastern Europe. The present review summarizes the basic facts concerning the Altaic language families, their common features, their patterns of interaction with each other and with other languages, and their historical and prehistorical context.

Key words diachronic linguistics, areal linguistics, contextual linguistics, language contacts, typological interaction

The Sociolinguistic Situation in North Africa: Recognizing and Institutionalizing Tamazight and New Challenges

Ali Alalou, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA

Abstract This article reviews several issues that are important for understanding the sociolinguistic situation in North Africa, with an emphasis on Morocco. The article surveys the manner in which North Africa's sociolinguistic profile has evolved over the last two decades (2001–2021). The topics discussed here include the tumultuous and chaotic promotion of monolingualism and the relentless efforts to erase and expunge Amazigh identity from North Africa despite the region's long history of linguistic diversity. Based on an imported ideological slant, these attempts to erase Amazigh identity lasted for decades and contributed to the marginalization of Amazigh people and other minorized communities in the region.

Key words North Africa, multilingualism, multiculturalism, Arabic, Tamazight, Dārija, colonization, revitalization

Prosodic Prominence Across Languages

D. Robert Ladd, School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland

Amalia Arvaniti, Department of Modern Languages and Cultures and Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Abstract Current empirical work on prosodic prominence is based on theoretical developments in the mid-twentieth century, in which a generalized notion of stress (in word pairs like English insight/incite and in sentence pairs like THEY left/they LEFT) was replaced by a distinction between an abstract notion of word stress and a concrete notion of phrasal accent or prominence that applies to specific words in an utterance. Much research since then has focused on phonetic and other cues that signal such prominence. Early findings emphasized the role of intonational pitch movements; more recent research demonstrates the importance of other phonetic cues, categorical differences between pitch movement types, and nonphonetic factors like word frequency. However, the definition of prominence itself remains informal and depends on intuitions that are well motivated primarily in European languages. Recent findings point to important differences between languages. These might be accommodated in a more comprehensive theory of word and sentence stress that treats both as manifestations of a hierarchical prosodic structure of the sort assumed in metrical phonology, while at the same time allowing for significant differences of prosodic typology.

Key words prosodic prominence, pitch accent, lexical stress, Rapid Prosody Transcription, metrical phonology, prosodic typology

Recent Advances in Technologies for Resource Creation and Mobilization in Language Documentation

Andrea L. Berez-Kroeker, Shirley Gabber, Aliya Slayton, Department of Linguistics, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Abstract Language documentation as a subfield of linguistics has arisen over the past roughly two and a half decades more or less simultaneously with the widespread availability of inexpensive hardware and software for creating, storing, and sharing digital objects. Thus, in some ways the history of advancements within the discipline is also a history of how technological tools have been developed, tested, adopted, and eventually abandoned as newer technologies appear. In this article we examine some recent technologies used both for creating documentary resources, usually considered to include recorded language events in a variety of genres and settings and enough annotation to make them decipherable, and for then mobilizing those resources so that they can be used and shared in language learning, reclamation, revitalization, and analysis.

Key words language documentation, technology, recent advances, resource creation, resource mobilization

The Actuation Problem

Alan C.L. Yu, Phonology Laboratory, Department of Linguistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Abstract The actuation problem asks why a linguistic change occurs in a particular language at a particular time and space. Responses to this problem are multifaceted. This review approaches the problem of actuation through the lens of sound change, examining it from both individual and population perspectives. Linguistic changes ultimately actuate in the form of idiolectal differences. An understanding of language change actuation at the idiolectal level requires an understanding of (a) how individual speaker-listeners’ different past linguistic experiences and physical, perceptual, cognitive, and social makeups affect the way they process and analyze the primary learning data and (b) how these factors lead to divergent representations and grammars across speakers-listeners. Population-level incrementation and propagation of linguistic innovation depend not only on the nature of contact between speakers with unique idiolects but also on individuals who have the wherewithal to take advantage of the linguistic innovations they encountered to achieve particular ideological projects at any given moment. Because of the vast number of contingencies that need to be aligned properly, the incrementation and propagation of linguistic innovation are predicted to be rare. Agent-based modeling promises to provide a controlled way to investigate the stochastic nature of language change propagation, but a comprehensive model of linguistic change actuation at the individual level remains elusive.

Key words actuation, incrementation, propagation, individual differences, sound change, cognitive processing style, agent-based modeling

The Role of Health Care Communication in Treatment Outcomes

Tanya Stivers, Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Alexandra Tate, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Abstract The physician–patient relationship has evolved significantly in the past century. Physician authority has been reduced while patients have been empowered. This review focuses on face-to-face clinical care and argues that current physician–patient relations range from partnerships between social actors who each play critical roles in negotiating care to a more adversarial duel in which both participants advocate for goals that are not necessarily shared. While the former is the hope of increased patient involvement, the latter is increasingly common. Through our discussion of existing studies, we document that while high levels of patient participation are beneficial to treatment outcomes, this engagement also has a dark side that threatens treatment outcomes. We discuss some communication resources patients use that affect treatment outcomes, exemplify how patient engagement affects physician communication, and discuss some strategies that current research finds effective for communicating about treatment with today's engaged patients.

Key words physician–patient, conversation analysis, negotiation, decision making, social interaction

Language Across the Disciplines

Anne H. Charity Hudley, Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

Aris M. Clemons, Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Dan Villarreal, Department of Linguistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Abstract This article reviews the study of language across disciplines. We focus on epistemological and methodological frameworks in the study of language broadly within linguistics departments and across disciplinary areas that concentrates on the organizational structure across departments, degree programs, organizations, and professions. We then emphasize emerging transdisciplinary trends in the study of language and communication. We highlight pressing research required to recenter humans and the human communicative experience. We use examples from lexical and morphological investigations to illustrate the complexity and relevance of the study of language across areas and paradigms.

Key words study of language, linguistics, transdisciplinary trends, linguistics as a discipline

Some Right Ways to Analyze (Psycho)Linguistic Data

Shravan Vasishth, Department of Linguistics, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany

Abstract Much has been written on the abuse and misuse of statistical methods, including p values, statistical significance, and so forth. I present some of the best practices in statistics using a running example data analysis. Focusing primarily on frequentist and Bayesian linear mixed models, I illustrate some defensible ways in which statistical inference—specifically, hypothesis testing using Bayes factors versus estimation or uncertainty quantification—can be carried out. The key is to not overstate the evidence and to not expect too much from statistics. Along the way, I demonstrate some powerful ideas, including the use of simulation to understand the design properties of one's experiment before running it, visualization of data before carrying out a formal analysis, and simulation of data from the fitted model to understand the model's behavior.

Key words experimental linguistics, data analysis, Bayesian methods, hypothesis testing, Bayes factors, uncertainty quantification

Impersonal Pronouns and First-Person Perspective

Hazel Pearson, School of Languages, Linguistics, and Film, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

Abstract Impersonal pronouns are prototypically used in generic sentences to make generalizations about people. Yet they are unlike bare plural people or indefinite singular a person in that they exhibit a sensitivity to first-person perspective. This relationship can be seen in (a) inferences of first-person experience associated with use of these pronouns, (b) additional meaning components carried by impersonally used personal pronouns involving a presumption of empathy or (dis)agreement, and (c) their interpretation in attitude reports, including referential dependency on the attitude holder and the de se/de re distinction. I survey recent findings on the perspectival interpretation of impersonal pronouns including English generic one, German man, French on, and Italian si, as well as impersonally used personal pronouns like English you and German ich and du. I end by identifying some common themes emerging from recent formal semantic analyses of impersonal pronouns. One of the key notions here is the treatment of impersonals as Heimian indefinites, which in generic contexts get bound by the generic operator.

Key words impersonal pronouns, perspective, attitude reports, de se, indexicality, genericity

Verb Classification Across Languages

Olga Majewska and Anna Korhonen, Language Technology Lab, Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Abstract Recent developments in language modeling have enabled large text encoders to derive a wealth of linguistic information from raw text corpora without supervision. Their success across natural language processing (NLP) tasks has called into question the role of man-made computational resources, such as verb lexicons, in supporting modern NLP. Still, probing analyses have concurrently exposed the limitations of the knowledge possessed by the large neural architectures, revealing them to be clever task solvers rather than self-taught linguists. Can human-designed lexical resources still help fill their knowledge gaps? Focusing on verb classification, we discuss approaches to generating verb classes multilingually and weigh the relative benefits of undertaking expensive lexicographic work and outsourcing the task to untrained native speakers. Then, we consider the evidence for the utility of augmenting pretrained language models with external verb knowledge and ponder the ways in which human expertise can continue to benefit multilingual NLP.

Key words verb classification, multilingual NLP, knowledge augmentation of neural models, crowdsourcing

Speech Prosody in Mental Disorders

Hongwei Ding, Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai

Yang Zhang, Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Abstract In response to uncovering brain mechanisms underlying vocal communication and searching for biomarkers for mental illnesses, speech prosody has been increasingly studied in recent years in multiple disciplines, including psycholinguistics. In this article, we provide an up-to-date synthesis of the theoretical foundation and empirical evidence to profile linguistic and emotional prosody in the proper characterization of mental disorders, including schizophrenia, autism, Alzheimer's disease, and depression. Our review reveals a need to develop theoretically motivated and methodologically integrated approaches to the study of context-driven comprehension and expression of pragmatic-affective prosody, which will help elucidate the core features of socio-communicative problems in individuals with mental disorders. We propose that comprehensive models within and across the conventional cognition-emotion-language trichotomy need to be developed to integrate current findings and guide future research. In particular, there needs to be due emphasis on investigating multisensory and cross-modal effects in normal and pathological prosody research. Our review calls for multidisciplinary efforts to address the challenging issues to inform and inspire the advancement of linguistic theories and psychiatric diagnosis and treatment.

Key words mental disorders, speech prosody, prosody recognition, prosody production, pragmatic prosody, affective prosody

Adjective Ordering Across Languages

Gregory Scontras, Department of Language Science, University of California, Irvine, California, USA

Abstract Adjective ordering preferences stand as perhaps one of the best candidates for a true linguistic universal: When multiple adjectives are strung together in service of modifying some noun, speakers of different languages—from English to Mandarin to Hebrew—exhibit robust and reliable preferences concerning the relative order of those adjectives. More importantly, despite the diversity of the languages investigated, the very same preferences surface over and over again. This tantalizing regularity has led to decades of research pursuing the source of these preferences. This article offers an overview of the findings and proposals that have resulted.

Key words adjective ordering preferences, word order, modification, cross-linguistic regularities

Homesign: Contested Issues

Sara A. Goico, Center for Language, Interaction, and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Laura Horton, Language Sciences Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Abstract The term homesign has been used to describe the signing of deaf individuals who have not had sustained access to the linguistic resources of a named language. Early studies of child homesigners focused on documenting their manual communication systems through the lens of developmental psycholinguistics and generative linguistics, but a recent wave of linguistic ethnographic investigations is challenging many of the established theoretical presuppositions that underlie the foundational homesign research. Sparked by a larger critical movement within Deaf Studies led by deaf scholars, this new generation of scholarship interrogates how researchers portray deaf individuals and their communication practices and questions the conceptualization of language in the foundational body of homesign research. In this review, we discuss these contested issues and the current moment of transition within research on homesign.

Key words homesign, sign language, deaf, linguistic ethnography, sociolinguistics, language emergence

Heritage Languages: Language Acquired, Language Lost, Language Regained

Silvina Montrul, Department of Linguistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA

Abstract  A heritage language is a sociopolitically minority and/or minoritized language acquired as the first or one of the first languages in a bilingual or multilingual context. Heritage languages are typically acquired under conditions of reduced exposure and are often used less than the majority language during late childhood and adolescence. Heritage languages show structural differences and changes at all levels of linguistic analysis from baseline grammars that arise from the complex interaction between the nature and quantity of input and the age of bilinguals. Although many situations give rise to heritage languages, this article focuses on immigrants and their children and reviews foundational studies of the linguistic properties of heritage languages; studies of age effects that have shed light on critical differences between first, second, and heritage language acquisition; and recent studies of heritage language relearning and reactivation. The implications of the study of heritage languages for bilingualism and society and for the language and cognitive sciences are discussed.

Key words heritage languages, heritage speakers, native speakers, bilingualism, L1 attrition, reactivation, relearning

Constructed Languages

Grant Goodall, Department of Linguistics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA

Abstract Linguistic research focuses primarily on the thousands of naturally occurring languages, but there are also languages that have been consciously created by individuals. There are four main types of these constructed languages. First, so-called philosophical languages were created in the seventeenth century as a way to better capture the reality of the world. Second, many international auxiliary languages were constructed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a way to solve practical problems of international communication. Third, many languages have been created in recent decades for the purposes of fiction (e.g., novels, film, television), especially in the realms of science fiction and fantasy, or simply as an enjoyable hobby. Fourth, it is now common to construct languages for use in psycholinguistic experiments. Each of these types of constructed languages presents interesting research questions and deserves increased attention from linguists.

Key words constructed languages, philosophical languages, international auxiliary languages, Esperanto, conlangs, psycholinguistics

Recent Advances in Chinese Developmental Dyslexia

Linjun Zhang, School of Chinese as a Second Language, Peking University, Beijing, China

Zhichao Xia, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

Yang Zhao, School of Chinese as a Second Language, Peking University, Beijing, China

Hua Shu, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

Yang Zhang, Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Abstract Chinese developmental dyslexia (DD) research provides important insights into the language-universal and language-specific mechanisms underlying dyslexia. In this article, we review recent advances in Chinese DD. Converging behavioral evidence suggests that, while phonological and rapid automatized naming deficits are language universal, orthographic and morphological deficits are specific to the linguistic properties of Chinese. At the neural level, hypoactivation in the left superior temporal/inferior frontal regions in dyslexic children across Chinese and alphabetic languages may indicate a shared phonological processing deficit, whereas hyperactivation in the right inferior occipital/middle temporal regions and atypical activation in the left frontal areas in Chinese dyslexic children may indicate a language-specific compensatory strategy for impaired visual-spatial analysis and a morphological deficit in Chinese DD, respectively. The findings call for further theoretical endeavors to understand the language-universal and Chinese-specific neurobiological mechanisms underlying dyslexia and to design more effective and efficient intervention programs.

Key words Chinese developmental dyslexia, linguistic profiles, brain abnormality, susceptibility gene, language universal, language specific

Compositionality in Computational Linguistics

Lucia Donatelli and Alexander Koller, Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland Informatics Campus, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany

Abstract Neural models greatly outperform grammar-based models across many tasks in modern computational linguistics. This raises the question of whether linguistic principles, such as the Principle of Compositionality, still have value as modeling tools. We review the recent literature and find that while an overly strict interpretation of compositionality makes it hard to achieve broad coverage in semantic parsing tasks, compositionality is still necessary for a model to learn the correct linguistic generalizations from limited data. Reconciling both of these qualities requires the careful exploration of a novel design space; we also review some recent results that may help in this exploration.

Key words compositionality, computational linguistics, neural networks, neurosymbolic models, semantic parsing

Postcolonial Language Policy and Planning and the Limits of the Notion of the Modern State

Sinfree Makoni, Department of Applied Linguistics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

Cristine Severo, Department of Portuguese Language, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

Ashraf Abdelhay, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Doha, Qatar

Abstract In this review, we discuss the limits of the concept of the modern nation-state to explore language issues in postcolonial contexts, as in Africa. We argue in favor of a revision of the history of the field of language policy and planning (LPP) and sociolinguistics, paying attention to how the colonial issue has been erased and downplayed. We first explore the colonial history of LPP and how this field contributed to frame African multilingualisms as problems to be solved. Second, we briefly discuss how the contemporary understanding of citizenship in Africa is entangled with the colonial history of a particular version of the state in Africa; we focus on Sudan as an example. We problematize the construct of “developing nation” inscribed in the methodological nationalism that characterizes the early LPP framework, which reverberates in contemporary public policies. By doing so, we advocate for a perspective of language that is historically and locally embedded, following a politics that recognizes the importance of Southern epistemologies to language studies.

Key words nation-state, postcolonial approach, LPP, Southern perspectives, Sudan

Serialism and Opacity in Phonological Theory

Kathryn Pruitt, Department of English, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Abstract Opacity is a natural language phenomenon where a phonological process is rendered non-surface-true by virtue of its interaction with other processes. Phonologists have long been fascinated with opaque generalizations both from a typological standpoint (What kinds of non-surface-true generalizations are found?) and a theoretical one (Which formal tools permit an analysis of opacity?). This review aims to (a) discuss the breadth of non-surface-true generalizations in light of phonologists’ (often implicit) working definitions of opacity and (b) address opacity as a flashpoint in one of the larger debates in generative phonology, between the rule-based serial approach of Chomsky & Halle's Sound Pattern of English and constraint-based parallel Optimality Theory. A conclusion offered here is that the well-known problems Optimality Theory faces with some kinds of opacity are due not to its lack of serialism but to the fact that such processes are input-motivated rather than output-motivated.

Key words opacity, Optimality Theory, Harmonic Serialism, rule ordering, parallelism

The Rational Speech Act Framework

Judith Degen, Department of Linguistics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

Abstract The past decade has seen the rapid development of a new approach to pragmatics that attempts to integrate insights from formal and experimental semantics and pragmatics, psycholinguistics, and computational cognitive science in the study of meaning: probabilistic pragmatics. The most influential probabilistic approach to pragmatics is the Rational Speech Act (RSA) framework. In this review, I demonstrate the basic mechanics and commitments of RSA as well as some of its standard extensions, highlighting the key features that have led to its success in accounting for a wide variety of pragmatic phenomena. Fundamentally, it treats language as probabilistic, informativeness as gradient, alternatives as context-dependent, and subjective prior beliefs (world knowledge) as a crucial facet of interpretation. It also provides an integrated account of the link between production and interpretation. I highlight key challenges for RSA, which include scalability, the treatment of the boundedness of cognition, and the incremental and compositional nature of language.

Key words probabilistic pragmatics, computational pragmatics, experimental pragmatics, experimental semantics, context

Assessing Second Language Speaking Proficiency

Nivja H. de Jong, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics and Leiden Graduate School of Teaching, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands

Abstract In today's global economy, most people all over the world need to speak a second language (L2) for study, work, or social purposes. Assessment of speaking, either in the classroom or as an external exam, is therefore an important task. However, because of its fleeting nature, the assessment of speaking proficiency is difficult. For valid assessment, a speaking test must measure speaking proficiency without construct-irrelevant variance, for instance, due to tasks, raters, and interlocutors. This article begins by bringing together insights from different disciplines to develop a multi-componential construct of speaking proficiency, which includes linguistic and strategic competencies. Because speaking usually takes place in conversation, the ability to take part in interaction, including rapid prediction, is described as part of the speaking construct. Next, the factors that need to be controlled when making a speaking assessment are discussed. Finally, challenges and ideas for future research are briefly described.

Key words speaking proficiency, language assessment, interaction

Computational Models of Anaphora

Massimo Poesio, Computational Linguistics Lab, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

Juntao Yu, Natural Language and Information Processing Lab, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom

Silviu Paun, Abdulrahman Aloraini, Pengcheng Lu, Janosch Haber, Computational Linguistics Lab, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

Derya Cokal, Prominence in Language SFB, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

Abstract Interpreting anaphoric references is a fundamental aspect of our language competence that has long attracted the attention of computational linguists. The appearance of ever-larger anaphorically annotated data sets covering more and more anaphoric phenomena in ever-greater detail has spurred the development of increasingly more sophisticated computational models; as a result, the most recent state-of-the-art neural models are able to achieve impressive performance by leveraging linguistic, lexical, discourse, and encyclopedic information. This article provides a thorough survey of anaphora resolution (coreference) throughout this development, reviewing the available data sets and covering both the preneural history of the field and—in more detail—current neural models, including research on less-studied aspects of anaphoric interpretation such as bridging reference resolution and discourse deixis interpretation.

Key words anaphora, anaphora resolution, coreference, corpora for anaphora, neural models for coreference, bridging reference, discourse deixis, Winograd Schema Challenge

Evaluating “Meaningful Differences” in Learning and Communication Across SES Backgrounds

Yi Ting Huang, Arynn S. Byrd, Rhosean Asmah, Sophie Domanski, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

Abstract Socioeconomic status (SES) differences in language development are ubiquitous, but existing research has yet to wrestle with how language gaps reflect (a) differences in relevant concepts for communication, (b) comprehension strategies to access meanings, and (c) production practices that express social identity. In child-directed input, parents use verbs to describe similar concepts across SES, and the largest gaps emerge when frequent meanings are being conveyed. During comprehension, children acquire infrequent aspects of grammar across SES but differ in context-specific strategies for interpreting likely meanings. In production, children are sensitive to sociolinguistic implications and adopt context-specific strategies to signal social identity. This suggests that language is a flexible medium for communicating thoughts and that SES effects signal latent differences in meanings and identities across social classes. Whether language gaps contribute to achievement gaps may depend on the extent to which learning and communication draw on these meanings and value these identities.

Key words socioeconomic status, language processing, language development, parental input, syntactic parsing, sociolinguistics

期刊简介

The Annual Review Of Linguistics, in publication since 2015, covers significant developments in the field of linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and their interfaces. Reviews synthesize advances in linguistic theory, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, language change, biology and evolution of language, typology, as well as applications of linguistics in many domains.

《语言学年鉴》自2015年起出版，涵盖语言学领域的重大发展事件，包括语音学、音系学、形态学、句法学、语义学、语用学和它们间的接口。本年鉴综合了语言学理论、社会语言学、心理语言学、神经语言学、语言演变、生物性和语言演化、类型学研究以及语言学在许多领域的应用发展研究。

官网地址：

https://www.annualreviews.org/journal/linguistics

推  荐

今日小编：young

审     核：心得小蔓

转载&合作请联系