LINGUIST List 8.1250

Mon Sep 1 1997

Qs: URL, Chinese, GB, Ling Systems, Spanish

Editor for this issue: Martin Jacobsen <martylinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. AJDeFaz, Re: 8.1230, Confs: Australian Linguistics Institute 1998
2. Ms.Ann Ng Shuk Han, Request for help of doing an experiment about acquisition of Chinese by English speakers
3. Guo Jieke, Help for questions on innateness of binding theory
4. James Jenkins (PSY), Re: Qs: Miniature Linguistic Systems
5. Mondorf Britta, Re: Computer Corpora of Spoken Spanish and Spoken German

Message 1: Re: 8.1230, Confs: Australian Linguistics Institute 1998

I am having a great deal of trouble accessing the Web SIte for the
Australian Linguistics Institute. Can any one give me any information
on the site? Is it up and running yet? Thanks.

I'm now conducting an experiment about acquisition of Mandarin Chinese
by native English speakers. Unfortunately, I can't find enough
informant (especially advanced learners) to meet the statistical
needs. Therefore, I'm looking for those English speakers who know
Mandarin Chinese to do the experiment, and those people who know some
learners elsewhere and would like introduce them to me. The experiment
takes about 1 hour and it consists of three tasks. It is written in
both the Chinese characters and pinyin. Hence, don't worry if you
can't read the Chinese characters. Remember, every informant is very
important to me. Thanks.

Dear linguists:

I am a graduate student in linguistics and am doing a study of
Chomsky's binding theory. I would be very much obliged if I could get
some feedback concerning the following questions:

1. According to Chomsky, principles in GB theory are innate, i.e. the
binding principles. Have there been any experimental studies to date
that substantiate his views on the innateness of the principles,
especially concerning the binding principles?

2. If knowledge of the binding principles have not been taught by
parents or teachers, can it be claimed on this basis that the above
knowledge is innate?

3. In cases of long-distance binding in Chinese, as in the example
below, the reflexive pronoun ziji (WT<:) can refer to both Xiao Ming
and Xiao Gang,in an experiment carried out on 45 Grade One pupils and
45 Grade Six pupils, none of the Grade One pupils could give a correct
answer (which is ziji can refer to both), while only 16% of the Grade
Six pupils gave the correct answer.

 Xiao Ming jiao Xiao Gang zhao gu ziji.
 Xiao Ming told Xiao Gang to take care of self.

>From the above example, it seems that Chomsky's innateness point of
view doesn't seem to hold. Secondly, could the reason for 16% of the
older pupils giving the correct answer be due to their more developed
cognitive powers of reasoning?

It would be extremely helpful if I could get some specific feedback on
any of the above questions.

Gao Hua 
Foreign Languages Dept.
South China Univ. of Technology

P.S. I am using my supervisor's e-mail address, all feedback can be
sent to the above e-mail address.

We are currently trying to review all empirical research on *Miniature
Linguistic Systems* and comments concerning such research. We have
discovered that there is a considerable body of unpublished work in
Master's Theses and the like that is not indexed anywhere. We would
appreciate references to, copies of, and information concerning the
existance of, such research efforts. The work is generally conceeded
to have begun with E. A. Esper's Language Monograph, #1, 1925. We are
trying to compile a complete bibliography which we will make available
to any interested scholars of course. Please respond to
jenkinsluna.cas.usf.edu Thanks for your help.

James J. Jenkins
Psychology Department
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL 33620-8200
(813) 974-0486

Dear Colleagues,

Does anyone know of computer corpora (if possible coded prosodically)
of spoken Spanish and/or German?

Please contact Mondorfstud-mailer.uni-marburg.de

Thank you, Britta Mondorf