LINGUIST List 15.2600

Sun Sep 19 2004

Qs: ESL Teaching/Accents; Compound Verb Structures

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Stanley Dubinsky, Influence of non-English accents in ESL teaching
Paul Listen, Taxonomy: Compound Verb Structures in German and English

Message 1: Influence of non-English accents in ESL teaching

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 04 19:57:59 EDT
From: Stanley Dubinsky <DUBINSK

VM.SC.EDU>
Subject: Influence of non-English accents in ESL teaching


I have a query from an alumna of our program, who is currently teaching
ESL in a rural school district in South Carolina. She writes:

"I need some reseach that shows proof that ESL students will not pick up
 the accent of their Japanese English teacher. Some unwarranted concerns
 have arisen, and I'd like to help dispell the myths."

If anyone can point to references on this issue, or other bits of
information, I will pass these along to her (and will summarize for the
list if there seems to be interest).

Thank you,
Stan Dubinsky

Stanley Dubinsky 
e-mail: dubinskysc.edu
Linguistics Program 
U of South Carolina 
Columbia, SC 29208 
http://www.cla.sc.edu/LING/index.html

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Message 2: Taxonomy: Compound Verb Structures in German and English

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 17:46:53 -0700
From: Paul Listen <p.listen

att.net>
Subject: Taxonomy: Compound Verb Structures in German and English


Dear Linguist Listers,

I have a question about terminology.

1.
Er kann es nicht gemacht haben. He can't have done it.
Er muss gesehen worden sein. He has to have been seen.

Generally, I'm referring to a modal verb conjoined with a perfect
infinitive (whether active or passive). Is there a name for that
structure? I know there are all sorts of interesting things to say
about epistemic meanings and the like, but I am concerned primarily
with the structure and how it can be distinguished from more general
compound tenses with modals such as:

2. preterite: 
 Er konnte es nicht machen. He was unable to do it.
 Er musste gesehen werden. He had to be seen.

3. perfect: 
 Er hat es nicht machen k�nnen. He has been unable to do it.
 Er hat gesehen werden m�ssen. He has had to be seen.

Does anyone know what terminology has been used for the structure(s)
in #1 above, either in German or English? I seem to remember
"disjunctive tense compound" but am unable to confirm.

Regards,
Paul


Paul Listen, Ph.D.
Pea Dot Publications
2410 N. 202nd Place # A205
Shoreline, WA 98133-2734 USA
 <mailto:p.listenatt.net> mailto:p.listenatt.net

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