bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ratio Frequency: Insights into Usage Effects on Phonological Structure from Hiatus Resolution in New Mexican Spanish
Authors: Alba Matthew C. 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Mounting evidence shows that frequency of use plays a fundamental role in shaping linguistic structure, including phonological structure (cf. Bybee 2001). Because the study of frequency effects is relatively new, our understanding of how they impact structure continues to be refined. This study explores the effects of several frequency measures on the resolution of hiatus between words in Spanish, and reveals that in addition to the traditional phonological factors, frequency is also involved. Multivariate analyses show that ratio frequency - or the frequency of a two-word string relative to that of one of the words it contains - is a better indicator than straightforward token frequency of the likelihood that the string will be processed as an autonomous unit and undergo concurrent phonological reduction. These findings build on a usage-based model of language, providing important insights into the nature of lexical storage and how this relates to linguistic variation and change.
How Pragmatically Odd! Interface Delays and Pronominal Subject Distribution in L2 Spanish
Authors: Rothman Jason 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Sorace (2000, 2005) has claimed that while L2 learners can easily acquire properties of L2 narrow syntax they have significant difficulty with regard to interpretation and the discourse distribution of related properties, resulting in so-called residual optionality. However, there is no consensus as to what this difficulty indicates. Is it related to an insurmountable grammatical representational deficit (in the sense of representation deficit approaches; e.g. Beck 1998, Franceschina 2001, Hawkins 2005), is it due to cross-linguistic interference, or is it just a delay due to a greater complexity involved in the acquisition of interface-conditioned properties? In this article, I explore the L2 distribution of null and overt subject pronouns of Englishspeaking learners of L2 Spanish. While intermediate learners clearly have knowledge of the syntax of Spanish null subjects, they do not have target-like pragmatic knowledge of their distribution with overt subjects. The present data demonstrate, however, that this difficulty is overcome at highly advanced stages of L2 development, thus suggesting that properties at the syntax-pragmatics interface are not destined for inevitable fossilization.
Research on First Language Acquisition of Spanish Phonology
Authors: Lleó Conxita 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
This paper deals with research on acquisition of Spanish phonology by young children. The beginnings of this discipline are placed within the model of Generative Grammar, at the end of the 1960s. The two main areas of phonology are considered: on the one hand segments, and certain chronological sequences of segment acquisition, and on the other hand prosody, i.e. syllables, stress, intonation and rhythm. The most important issues of acquisition research are presented, including the relationship between perception and production, the role of prosody in acquisition, underlying representations, and the dependency of morphology on prosody. The main models of the field are also discussed, namely rules, parameters and constraints. The beginnings of morphological development and its dependence on phonology are briefly discussed as well. Finally, the acquisition of Spanish phonology in bilingual contexts is also described. The paper deals exclusively with normal first language acquisition, and does not refer to speech language impaired children nor to second language acquisition.
Variation and Second Language Grammars
Authors: Bayley Robert , Preston Dennis R. 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Using sociolinguistic methods, variationists have successfully modeled many of the numerous factors that constrain L2 speakers’ use of variable linguistic forms. However, variationists have been less successful in developing a psycholinguistic model to account for variation in the grammar. In this paper we first describe early studies of L2 variation. Then, using examples from L1 English and L2 and bilingual Spanish, we present a three level psycholinguistic model to account for L1 and L2 variation constrained by social factors only at Level I, by linguistic factors at Level II and change over time at Level III.
The Role of Language Variation in Mental Grammars: An Optimality-Theoretic Perspective
Authors: Colina Sonia 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
This paper argues that language variation plays a critical role in the shaping and understanding of mental grammars and that Optimality Theory is a crucial player in demonstrating the relevance of variation data for advancing our knowledge of mental grammars. It takes the position that experimental, quantitative and variationist studies need to formalize the results of their research (cf. Díaz-Campos & Colina 2006) and propose grammars that generate the variable patterns described, as well as their interaction with non-variable patterns. Similarly, existing formal models of variation need to be tested against quantitative and variable corpora and data, and analyses and predictions need to be compared to evaluate formal accounts of variation (Auger 2001 and Cardoso 2001). The optimality-theoretic studies reviewed show that this is already an emerging and important line of research that opens the doors to unprecedented progress both in variationist and formal phonology.
Sibilant Voicing in Ecuadorian Spanish
Authors: Colina Sonia 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Highland Ecuadorian Spanish has a unique process of /s/ voicing that differs from other dialects of Spanish in that word-final /s/ is realized as [z] intervocalically (Lipski 1989, 1994, Robinson 1979). Ecuadorian /s/ voicing is problematic for serial models of phonology as well as for some output-to-output analyses within Optimality Theory. It is argued that the data can be accounted for by an optimalitytheoretic analysis that incorporates phonetic underspecification as a strategy to satisfy coda-licensing restrictions. Sibilants without a voicing target remain unspecified until the phonetic component, where they adopt the laryngeal configuration of neighboring sounds and can thus be expected to exhibit gradient and variable voicing. Contrary to existing non-derivational proposals (Bradley 2007, Colina 2006), it is shown that it is not necessary to resort to two levels of representation (lexical and postlexical) to explain the behavior of Ecuadorian Spanish. The analysis proposed also accounts for cross-dialectal variation affecting word-final prevocalic /s/.
Deaccenting in Spontaneous Speech in Barcelona Spanish
Authors: Rao Rajiv 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Recent literature on Spanish intonation assumes that deaccenting occurs when a lexical item fails to cue stress via an F0 rise or some other pitch movement through its stressed syllable. Inspired by the findings and suggestions for future research by Face (2003), the present study fills in research gaps by examining seven potential influences on deaccenting, working with spontaneous speech, and addressing the understudied Barcelona dialect of Spanish. The analysis of 160-170 minutes of spontaneous speech data collected at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona reveals that the odds of deaccenting increase in words that are high frequency in Spanish, have fewer syllables, are verbs or adverbs, are uttered multiple times within a recent timeframe, or are in initial or medial positions of the phonological phrase. Finally, high frequency verbs and adverbs, as well as adverbs, nouns, and verbs with fewer syllables are all especially prone to deaccenting.
Knowledge about Language for Teachers is More than Knowing Grammar Rules
Authors: Bigelow Martha , Ranney Susan 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Knowledge about language (KAL) is an essential and dynamic part of language teachers’ knowledge base used for instruction. Content-based instruction (CBI) calls for the integration of KAL and complex pedagogical skills to teach language through content texts, tasks and communicative functions. This article argues that language teacher preparation should develop KAL alongside pedagogical knowledge and skills in ways that include teachers’ language learning and teaching biographies as well as facts of their teaching contexts. Given that all teachers have gaps in their KAL, cultivating a commitment to exploring language-related issues in their teaching is crucial for the integration of KAL into language teaching that is contextualized in engaging content and real communication. Fostering a spirit of inquiry about learner language and the language needed for learning and communication is more important than the impossible task of learning all of the “rules” of the language.
A Case of Grammaticalization in the Use of the Perfect for the Preterite in Bilbao Spanish
Authors: Burgo Clara 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Research into the use of the Present Perfect in various Romance languages often finds that the Present Perfect is taking over functions previously accomplished through the Preterite. This is also the case in Peninsular Spanish. A key constraint on the alternation of the Present Perfect and the Preterite involves the time-frame distinction of “today” versus “before-today”. Among the various dialects of Spanish spoken in Spain,the regional dialect of Bilbao has been identified as having the highest percentage of “today” Present Perfects. Nonetheless, no community-based study of this dialect has been carried out. This study reports the results of a variationist study of the increasing use of the Present Perfect instead of Preterite in the city of Bilbao, Spain, based on 49 sociolinguistic interviews. Twenty factor groups involving linguistic constraints were analyzed. The findings support the findings of previous research except for the case of telicity, polarity and clause type that were not found to be significant in previous research. In addition, the findings provide new evidence of the significance of the following factors in a multi-variate analysis of the alternation of the Present Perfect and the Preterite: mood, the following verb’s mood, the following verb’s tense and narratives.
Perceptions of Second Person Singular Pronoun Use in San Salvador, El Salvador
Authors: Michnowicz Jim , Place Soraya 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
El Salvador Spanish evidences a tripartite system of pronoun address, with one formal pronoun, usted, and two informal pronouns, tú and vos. The present study addresses attitudes toward pronoun use in San Salvador through the use of a linguistic questionnaire. The choice of pronoun is not dependent solely on the interlocutor whom the speaker is addressing, but also social factors, such as a speaker’s age, gender, and education. Statistical analysis demonstrates that tú is reserved for a few specific situations, and may represent an intermediate level of formality between usted and vos. Tú is reported more frequently by older and moderately educated speakers. Vos, however, is being advanced by younger, welleducated speakers in both frequency and into pragmatic areas that previously belonged to usted. In this way voseo in San Salvador may reflect increased informality and a higher use of regional forms reported in many Spanish varieties.
Beyond “Naturalistic”: On the Role of Task Characteristics and the Importance of Multiple Elicitation Methods
Authors: Geeslin Kimberly L. 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The exploration of the role of naturally-occurring data in studies of second language acquisition begins by assessing the ways in which the term “naturalistic” may apply to second languages. Instead of classifying tasks and the data they elicit as natural or unnatural, this paper presents a view of tasks that is multidimensional, rather than oppositional, and highlights some of the features of tasks that appear to pose significant differences in the data they elicit. Following this review, three cases from the study of the second language acquisition of Spanish are presented. Each case demonstrates how data differ across tasks and builds support for the position that there is no single ideal method for eliciting data. Instead, these cases show that multiple means of elicitation are necessary to fully understand the acquisition of a given construct, with each elicitation task providing unique and essential information about learner language.
Naturalistic and Elicited Data in Grammatical Studies of Codeswitching
Authors: MacSwan Jeff , McAlister Kara T. 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The authors discuss the merits of naturalistic and elicited data in the study of grammatical aspects of codeswitching. Three limitations of naturalistic data are discussed, including the problems of negative evidence, induction, and unidentified performance error. The authors recommend the use of language surveys as a tool for overcoming limitations of elicited grammaticality judgment data.
¿Mejor o peor español? Actitudes lingüísticas de universitarios hispanohablantes en Estados Unidos
Authors: Montes-Alcalá Cecilia 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The present study aims to explore the linguistic attitudes towards the different regional varieties of Spanish in a group of college-educated native speakers of Spanish. A survey was conducted among participants from diverse Spanishspeaking countries who lived in the United States. The main goals of the study were, in the first place, to determine whether these individuals were able to spontaneously attribute more (or less) prestige to a specific Spanish variety over others. Second, I attempted to analyze the rationale - whether explicit or implicit - behind their choice of a certain variety as more (or less) prestigious. Finally, I examined the extent to which their linguistic attitudes were motivated (or not) by any sort of ethno-linguistic loyalty towards their own speech communities. The results of the study substantiate previous research carried out in this field, but also reveal unforeseen findings, especially in regards to the less prestigious varieties.
Spanish Morphophonology
Authors: Colina Sonia 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
In recent years a sizable number of morphophonological phenomena have attracted considerable attention from Spanish phonologists. This article presents a current view of the controversies within the context of two recurring topics: the validity of morphophonological generalizations and the interaction of morphological and phonological processes. Some of the processes discussed are velar and coronal softening, diphthongization, word-classes, stem formatives, nasal depalatalization, diminutive formation and the nature of final -e. It is shown that some phenomena cannot be said to be synchronically active (i.e. coronal and velar softening, final epenthesis, diphthongization, and depalatalization), consisting instead of lexicalized alternants. Plural epenthesis, on the other hand, is argued (contra Bonet) to be an active phenomenon. Pluralization and diminutive formation are said to be morphophonological, not just phonological. Finally, the article addresses the connection between the interaction of morphological and phonological processes to the design of the morphophonological component of the grammar, introducing the issue of a derivational element in non-derivational models of phonology.
The Phonology-Morphology Interface in Judeo-Spanish Diminutive Formation: A Lexical Ordering and Subcategorization Approach
Authors: Bradley Travis G. , Smith Jason 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
In this article we examine diminutive formation in Judeo-Spanish, which has not been treated before in the generative literature. The distribution of diminutive suffixes is shown to be predictable based on an interaction of morphological and phonological properties, which is a recognized hallmark of diminutive formation in Spanish more generally. Judeo-Spanish also presents some interesting twists not commonly found in other varieties of Spanish. A formal analysis is developed in Optimality Theory that builds upon recent work on allomorph selection involving lexical ordering and subcategorization. A comparison with previous analyses of other Spanish varieties shows that our approach can account for the behavior of nominal class markers in diminutivization, as well as the alternation of diminutive allomorphs, while avoiding the proliferation of language- and morpheme-specific constraints. Furthermore, our account sheds new light on the moraic status of glides in rising and falling diphthongs and of the trill in word-medial intervocalic position.
Eyetracking Methodology: A User's Guide for Linguistic Research
Authors: Sagarra Nuria , Hanson Aroline Seibert 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
During the past decade, the use of behavioral (e.g. picture/word naming, self-paced reading, eyetracking) and electrophysiological (e.g. event-related potentials) quantitative experimental techniques historically associated with psychology has flourished in linguistics. These techniques are shaping linguistic theories in new ways and it is important to understand how they can contribute to our field. This article focuses on the use of eyetracking, a research methodology that measures eye positions and movements through a device called an eyetracker. In linguistics, eyetracking is generally employed for studying language processing during comprehension and production. The paper is organized as follows. Section 1 presents the benefits of eyetracking for linguistic research. Section 2 explains terminology commonly used in eyetracking studies and discusses issues relevant for stimuli creation and data analysis. Section 3 compares the eyetracker models employed in linguistic studies and provides useful links to obtain further information. Finally, Section 4 summarizes representative eyetracking research on Spanish and Portuguese.
Technology in Phonetic Science: Setting Up a Basic Phonetics Laboratory
Authors: Simonet Miquel 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The present paper discusses some techniques and procedures used in experimental phonetic research. The use of technology and its recent widespread availability have been instrumental in our developing a better understanding of the basic processes of human speech production and perception. Specifically, this paper reviews some of the uses of the software package Praat for acoustic and perceptual research, as well as software products such as R, Akustyk, SuperLab, and E-Prime, among others. Finally, we offer some remarks on the basic equipment (hardware) one would need to purchase in order to carry out modern experimental phonetic research in the field as well as in the laboratory.
Spanish Differential Object Marking: An Empirical Study of Implicit and Explicit Instruction
Authors: Zyzik Eve , Marqués Pascual Laura 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
This article examines the impact of instruction on L2 learners’ ability to recognize and produce differential object marking in Spanish as measured by three written tasks: a grammatical preference task, a cued sentence production task, and a discourse-length narrative task. These assessment measures are hypothesized to tap both implicit and explicit knowledge based on criteria proposed by Ellis (2005) and Ellis, Loewen, Elder, Erlam, Philp & Reinders (2009). English-speaking learners (n = 123) were randomly assigned to one of three instructional treatments: input flood, enhanced input flood, and explicit grammar. The results indicate a significant advantage for the explicit grammar group on the preference task and the cued sentence production task. The remaining two groups showed modest improvement after the treatment, but with no significant differences between them. These results confirm the advantage of explicit instruction vis-à-vis more implicit treatments, although this advantage seems to be limited to controlled assessment measures.
Tense-Aspect Distinctions within the Subjunctive Mood in the Spanish of Native Speakers and Second-Language Learners
Authors: Gudmestad Aarnes 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The current study constitutes the first empirical investigation of the complete repertoire of tense-aspect forms of the subjunctive mood in Spanish. In this study, I identify the frequency of use of the full range of tense-aspect forms of the subjunctive mood (e.g. present, pluperfect) that native speakers and five proficiency levels of second-language learners use in mood-choice contexts and seek to determine the linguistic contexts (i.e. functions) in which these forms occur. The results show that native speakers use the present, imperfect, and pluperfect subjunctive forms more frequently than other subjunctive forms and that they use these three forms in a range of linguistic contexts. The analysis also demonstrates that learners use these three forms in largely the same contexts as the native speakers and that they restructure the strength of their form-meaning associations as they become more proficient in the target language.
Enhancing Dialogue between Variationist Sociolinguistics and Minimalist Syntax: Plural Agreement in Afro-Bolivian Spanish
Authors: Sessarego Sandro 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
This paper analyzes processes of variable number agreement marking in Afro- Bolivian Spanish (ABS) Determiner Phrases (DPs). In line with several sociolinguistic studies of this kind (Guy 1981, Poplack 1979, 1980, Scherre 2001, etc.), this work provides detailed VARBRUL statistical analyses for the cases of plural marking variability found in this dialect. However, differently from traditional sociolinguistic accounts, results are explained by adopting recent minimalist assumptions on agreement and feature valuation processes (Frampton & Gutman 2000). In doing so, the present study attempts to enhance dialogue between variationist sociolinguistic and generative theory.
Overt Language Attitudes and Linguistic Identities among Multilingual Speakers in Northern Belize
Authors: Balam Osmer 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The current study examines Mestizo adolescent and post-adolescent speakers’ overt language attitudes towards their language varieties and bilingual/trilingual codeswitching. Results show that contrary to previous studies where code-switching has typically been negatively perceived even by the speakers themselves, codeswitching has thrived in Belize, particularly among post-adolescent speakers, because they are positively predisposed to code-switching and associate it with their multilingual identity. In contrast, the use of monolingual varieties of Spanish is marked and pejoratively perceived, especially among high school speakers. Interview data revealed that an incipient trend among younger high school speakers is to employ more Belizean Kriol and less Northern Belizean Spanish and codeswitching. This is a trend which merits further investigation as it may be pointing to the genesis of a strong pan-Afro-Belizean linguistic identity among younger Belizeans which cuts across ethnic lines, and which consequently holds implications for issues of language dominance, language shift, and language policy and planning in Belize.
Como in Commute: The Travels of a Discourse Marker across Languages
Authors: Kern Joseph 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The present investigation is a mixed-method study combining quantitative and qualitative analyses to explore the use of como as a discourse marker in the Spanish spoken in Southern Arizona, based on a corpus of twenty-four sociolinguistic interviews of young male and female Spanish-English bilinguals. In the speech of these bilinguals, the discourse marker como mirrors the grammaticalization of the focus and quotative discourse functions of like in English. The results of this study on the diffusion of the focus and quotative como to another Spanish-English bilingual community add to our knowledge of how discourse markers can travel both within and between communities as well as across languages and time.