LINGUIST List 14.1314

Wed May 7 2003

Books: Psycholing/Applied Ling: Chipere

Editor for this issue: Marisa Ferrara <marisalinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. f.kennedy, Understanding Complex Sentences: Chipere

		
Title: Understanding Complex Sentences
Subtitle: Native Speaker Variation in Syntactic Competence
			
Publication Year: 2003
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
 http://www.palgrave.com
			
Availability: Available
 
Author: Ngone Chipere				

Hardback: ISBN: 0333986393, Pages: 256, Price: GBP50.00 $78.00
		
Abstract:
			
Is native speaker variation in understanding complex sentences due to
individual differences in working memory capacity or in syntactic
competence? The answer to this question has very important
consequences for both theoretical and applied concerns in linguistics
and education. This book is distinctive in giving an historical and
interdisciplinary perspective on the rule- based and experience-based
debate and in supporting an integrated account. In the study reported
here, variation was found to be due to differences in syntactic
competence and the author argues that sentence comprehension is a
learned skill, displaying many of the general characteristics of
cognitive skills. The book will be stimulating reading for
psycholinguists, theoretical linguists, applied linguists and
educators.

KEY FEATURES

1 Entirely original exploration of a central problem in
psycholinguistics, with innovative attempt to integrate two approaches
2 Offers practical advice, based on his research findings, for
teaching comprehension skills
3 Topicality, particularly in respect to current efforts to teach
first language grammar in the National Literacy Strategy

CONTENTS

List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Finite State and Generative Models
Early Experimental Studies
Connectionist and Symbolic Models
Current Theories of Individual Differences
Long-Term Working Memory
Saussure's Theory of Language
Patterns of Individual Differences
Effects of Recall Training and Comprehension Training
Conclusion
Notes
Appendix
Bibliography
Index

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DR NGONI CHIPERE is Research Fellow in the Department of Education at
Reading University, working on child language development. His
doctoral research in sentence comprehension was undertaken at
Cambridge University and he held a post-doctoral fellowship at the
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate prior to his
current post . He has extensive teaching experience in schools.
			
Lingfield(s): Applied Linguistics
		Cognitive Science
		Psycholinguistics

Written In: English (Language Code: ENG)

 See this book announcement on our website:
 http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=6062