LINGUIST List 10.1747

Wed Nov 17 1999

Qs: Homography,ESL Teaching Tapes, LF-PF Mapping

Editor for this issue: James Yuells <jameslinguistlist.org>



We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

Directory

  • Mahmoud Kassaei, Homography
  • Elizabeth Winkler, ESL/EFL teaching tapes
  • Lotfi, LF-PF mapping

    Message 1: Homography

     Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 07:17:30 +0100 (MET)
    From: Mahmoud Kassaei <mkCoLi.Uni-SB.DE>
    Subject: Homography


    Dear Linguists,

    I am currently working on my PhD thesis on HOMOGRAPHY and HOMOGRAPH DISAMBIGUATION in Text-to-Speech systems and looking for references. Any research material you might know of in this area would be a great help. I would also love to collect homograph examples / lists in any language you might know of. I am aware of homographs in German, English, Persian, and Spanish (when accets are omitted). I will post a summary of this query.

    Thank you very much for your time.

    Regards

    Mahmoud Kassaei

    Message 2: ESL/EFL teaching tapes

     Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 15:35:04 +0500
    From: Elizabeth Winkler <Winkler_Elizabethcolstate.edu>
    Subject: ESL/EFL teaching tapes


    Dear Linguist List members; I am teaching a class in second language acquisition at the undergraduate level. Most of the students are education majors who plan to be classroom teachers. Unfortunately, the university at which I teach has no Intensive English Program to which I could send students to observe and critique various aspects of real language learning and teaching. I would like to get a couple of tapes of classroom interaction - both structured and less structured classroom lessons and activities. No one I know has tapes of themselves teaching that I could copy. Thus, I am coming to the list for help. If you have any tapes that you would be willing to part with or make copies of, please respond to me off the list. I will be happy to cover the cost of tapes and postage. Thank you!

    Best wishes, Elizabeth Winkler

    Dept. of Language and Literature Columbus State University 4225 University Avenue Columbus, GA 31907-5645

    (706) 568-2054 office - business only (706) 221-7168 home

    Message 3: LF-PF mapping

     Date: 16 Nov 1999 22:06:02 EDT
    From: Lotfi <Lotfiwww.dci.co.ir>
    Subject: LF-PF mapping


    Dear Linguists, In Minimalist Program (1995), Chomsky states that '[t]he language L ... generates three relevant sets of computations: the set D of derivations, a subset Dc of convergent derivations of D, and a subset Da of admissible derivations of D. FI (Full Interpretation) determines Dc, and the economy conditions select Da (p. 220)." It is further assumed that "[a] derivation converges at one of the interface levels if it yields a representation satisfying FI at this level, and converges if it converges at both interface levels, PF and LF; otherwise, it crashes (pp. 219-220)." Moreover, it is hypothesized that " there are no PF-LF inter- actions relevant to convergence --which is not to deny, of course, that a full theory of performance involves operations that apply to the (pi, lambda) pair" (p.220)." Now some uneasy (for me, of course!) questions: (1) Suppose the derivation D converges at PF but crashes at LF. This means D crashes in the final run. Now how does PF 'under- stand' that D has crashed at LF, then not to be articulated phonetically? How do PF and LF communicate? Are sensori-motor instructions sent to PF temporarily stored somewhere (where?) so that the case of D is decided on at LF, and then PF is informed (how?) to proceed with the sensori-motor business of D? (2) Two rival derivations have converged but only one of them, say Da, passes the test of optimality at LF. Da must be blocking the less economical but still convergent derivation. How is it signalled to the other interface level to phonetically articulate this single admissible derivation and not the other? How long should PF wait before deciding to articulate a pi (it is too risky to articulate pi even if D has converged at LF as it may simply prove to be less economical than another)? Can one take care of such a mapping between PF and LF without violating the independence assumption of interface levels? Is it the computational system that monitors PF and LF in this respect? Or perhaps all these questions are to be simply dismissed as the concerns of "a full theory of performance" rather than those of the minimalist syntax as a theory of competence? Best, Ahmad R. Lotfi, Ph. D Chair of Eglish Dept. Azad University at Khorasgan, IRAN. - --------------------------------------------------------------