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The causative/anticausative alternation has been the topic of much typological and theoretical discussion in the linguistic literature. This alternation is characterized by verbs with transitive and intransitive uses, such that the transitive use of a verb V means roughly "cause to Vintransitive" (see Levin 1993). The discussion revolves around two issues: the first one concerns the similarities and differences between the anticausative and the passive, and the second one concerns the derivational relationship, if any, between the transitive and intransitive variant. With respect to the second issue, a number of approaches have been developed. Judging the approach conceptually unsatisfactory, according to which each variant is assigned an independent lexical entry, it was concluded that the two variants have to be derivationally related. The question then is which one of the two is basic and where this derivation takes place in the grammar. Our contribution to this discussion is to argue against derivational approaches to the causative / anticausative alternation. We focus on the distribution of PPs related to external arguments (agent, causer, instrument, causing event) in passives and anticausatives of English, German and Greek and the set of verbs undergoing the causative/anticausative alternation in these languages. We argue that the crosslinguistic differences in these two domains provide evidence against both causativization and detransitivization analyses of the causative / anticausative alternation. We offer an approach to this alternation which builds on a syntactic decomposition of change of state verbs into a Voice and a CAUS component. Crosslinguistic variation in passives and anticausatives depends on properties of Voice and its combinations with CAUS and various types of roots.
Class features as probes
(2008)
In this article, we adress (i) the form and (ii) the function on inflection class features in minimalist grammar. The empirical evidence comes from noun inflection systems involving fusional markers in German, Greek, and Russian. As for (i), we argue (based on instances of transparadigmatic syncretism) that class features are not privative; rather, class information must be decomposed into more abstract, binary features. Concerning (ii), we propose that class features qualify as the very device that brings about fusional infection: They are uninterpretable in syntax and actas probes on stems, with matching inflection markers as goels, and thus trigger morphological Agree operations that merge stem and inflection marker before syntax is reached.
It has often been noticed that one syntactic argument position can be realized by elements which seem to realize different thematic roles. This is notably the case with the external argument position of verbs of change of state which licenses volitional agents, instruments or natural forces/causers, showing the generality and abstractness of the external argument relation. (1) a. John broke the window (Agent) b. The hammer broke the window (Instrument) c. The storm broke the window (Causer) In order to capture this generality, Van Valin & Wilkins (1996) and Ramchand (2003) among others have proposed that the thematic role of the external argument position is in fact underspecified. The relevant notion is that of an effector (in Van Valin & Wilkins) or of an abstract causer/initiator (in Ramchand). In this paper we argue against a total underspecification of the external argument relation. While we agree that (1b) does not instantiate an instrument theta role in subject position, we argue that a complete underspecification of the external theta-position is not feasible, but that two types of external theta roles have to be distinguished, Agents and Causers. Our arguments are based on languages where Agents and Causers show morpho-syntactic independence (section 2.1) and the behavior of instrument subjects in English, Dutch, German and Greek (section 2.2 and 3). We show that instrument subjects are either Agent or Causer like. In section (4) we give an analysis how arguments realizing these thematic notions are introduced into syntax.
The German word also, similar to English so, is traditionally considered to be a sentence adverb with a consecutive meaning, i.e. it indicates that the propositional content of the clause containing it is some kind of consequence of what has previously been said. As a sentence adverb, also has its place within the core of the German sentence, since this is the proper place for an adverb to occur in German. The sentence core offers two proper positions for adverbs: the so-called front field and the middle field. In spoken German, however, also often occurs in sentence-initial position, outside the sentence itself. In this paper, I will use excerpts of German conversations to discuss and illustrate the importance of the sentence positions and the discourse positions for the functions of also on the basis of some German conversations.
Das bresilionische Deitsch unn die deitsche Bresilioner : en Hunsrickisch Red fo die Sprocherechte
(2006)
This paper is a contribution of the area of linguistic policies to the discussion of linguistic rights of speakers of minority languages in Brazil. The text, bilingual in Portuguese and Hunsrückisch, one of the varieties of German immigration languages spoken in Brazil, was presented by the authors (as native speakers and translators), in the Legislative Seminar on Creation of the Book of Language Registers, organized by the Institute of National Artistic Heritage (IPHAN), Institute of Investigation and Development in Linguistic Policies (IPOL) and Education and Culture Committee of the Chamber of Representatives, in Brasília, on March 2006. The idea of the Book of Languages contributes to the recognition of Brazilian linguistic diversity, represented by approximately 210 languages, from which 180 are autochthonous (indigenous) and around 30 are allochthonous (of immigration). Its recognition as an immaterial (virtual) cultural heritage is seem as an important act in favor of speakers’ linguistic rights and against linguistic prejudice that comes along with the use of minority languages in contact with the Portuguese language. This work is inserted in this perspective and it comes along with a supportive bibliography and a map of bilingual areas in the south of Brazil.
In diesem Aufsatz wird der Entwicklungsprozess des digitalen Lehr- und Lernspiels 'Berlin 3D entdecken!', das in Kooperation von Bursaer und Jenaer DaF-DozentInnen entwickelt wurde, unter technischen und didaktischen Aspekten vorgestellt. Digitalspiel-basiertes Fremdsprachen Lernen (DGBLL) und Gamifizierung sind gegenwärtige Tendenzen im computerbasierten Fremdsprachenlernen. Die Millenium-Generationen, die sog. Digital Natives, lernen durch digitale (Lern-)Spiele diverser Art (Prensky 2001). Während die Jugendlichen digitale Sprachlernspiele als neues Material willkommen heißen, bleiben die Lehrpersonen aus verschiedenen Gründen eher skeptisch, was oft kritisiert wird (Allsop et al. 2013, Blume 2017, Chandler 2013, Emin-Martinez & Ney 2013, Gerber & Price 2013, Wagner & Mitgutsch 2009). Doch die Kritik an den Lehrenden ist nicht gerechtfertigt, da fast alle Spiele dieser Art als Medium zum individuellen Lernen in außerschulischen Kontexten konzipiert worden sind und sich daher nur bedingt in den Unterricht integrieren lassen. Es bleibt offen, wie Lehrende ein Selbstlernmedium im Unterricht verwenden können. Der entscheidende Grund zurückhaltender Einstellungen von Lehrenden ist, dass derzeit kein digitales Spiel vorhanden ist, das sie in ihren DaF-Klassen zu unterrichtlichen Zwecken einsetzen können, d.h. es gibt kein digitales Lehrspiel! Um zur Lösung dieses Problems beizutragen, wurde ein digitales DaF-Lehrspiel entwickelt: 'Berlin 3D entdecken!' Durch dieses Spiel können DaF-Lehrende in eigenen Klassen spielend lehren. Auf dem Sprachniveau B1+ liefert das Spiel landeskundliche Informationen über fünf Sehenswürdigkeiten in Berlin Mitte. Als RPG (Role Play Game) konzipiertes Spiel enthält es 3D-Modelle von historischen Bauten, die von Avataren realitätsnah erkundet werden. Durch 3D-Präsentationen, interaktive Übungen und einen Abschlusstest bietet das Spiel die Möglichkeit, es in den Unterricht zu integrieren. Es wurden vier Grundversionen des Spiels entwickelt: für PC, Smartboard, Web und Mobil (Android & IOS).
Rezension zu Stefan Neuhaus: Märchen. Tübingen, Basel (A. Francke) 2005. 391 S.
Obwohl die zeittypischem Literaturverständnis geschuldete Zuordnung von André Jolles längst revidiert und das Märchen von der Forschung als sozusagen komplexe Form rehabilitiert wurde, fehlen neuere Überblicksdarstellungen zu der gerade für die Allgemeine und Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft höchst interessanten Gattung. Diese Lücke zu schließen ist ambitiöses Ziel des vorliegenden Bandes.
O presente artigo tem como objetivo apresentar e analisar experiências envolvendo a postagem de perguntas e respostas na plataforma 'Yahoo! Clever' no ensino de alemão como língua estrangeira, focando nos aspectos da autenticidade de situações e do desenvolvimento da autonomia e motivação dos aprendizes. Para isso, foi apresentado o planejamento e a realização de uma sequência didática em um curso livre para público universitário do nível A2 (QECR). Além da descrição da sequência, foram analisados os resultados das atividades na forma de postagens no website, além de excertos de entrevistas com alguns aprendizes. A partir da análise desses dados, foi possível perceber que atividades envolvendo a plataforma podem criar situações autênticas, engajando os aprendizes a interagir com a comunidade do site de forma significativa, mas também podem ser encaradas pelos aprendizes de forma inautêntica, o que leva a postagens artificiais que podem acarretar respostas negativas por parte da comunidade. Por fim, discute-se o papel do professor em levar os aprendizes a refletirem sobre a interação em ambientes não controlados.