Extending a Gradient Symbolic approach to the native versus non-native contrast: The case of plurals in compounds

Veríssimo, João

doi:10.1017/s1366728916000134

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Constraint-based approaches to language such as Harmonic Grammar and Gradient Symbolic Computation (e.g., Smolensky et al, 2014), which allow for representations to be graded and linguistic constraints to be weighted, offer a promising way forward. Recently, this approach has also been applied to bilingualism (e.g., Goldrick, Putnam, & Schwartz, 2016; Veríssimo, 2016). We believe that this represents a fruitful line of research for further developing the SSH using formally more explicit models for capturing gradual differences between L1 and L2 grammatical processing.…”

Section: Developing the Shallow Structure Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Constraint-based models that conceive of linguistic constraints as not only being violable but also associated with a specific strength or weight (e.g., Goldrick et al, 2016; Smolensky et al, 2014) offer a way of capturing such gradedness. Following these proposals, Veríssimo (2016) constructed a set of Harmonic Grammars to model the performance of both the L2 and the L1 speakers tested by Murphy (2000). In Veríssimo’s account, the same compounding constraints formed part of both the L1 and the L2 model, but the weights were different.…”

Section: Developing the Shallow Structure Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We believe that the idea of gradient differences between L1 and L2 grammars as assumed by the SSH can be better implemented with these kinds of model than in a framework that enforces binary decisions ("known" vs. "unknown"). Furthermore, as illustrated by Veríssimo's (2016) model, using constraint-based approaches allows us to quantify the extent to which L2 performance relies on grammatical versus nongrammatical information.…”

Section: Variability Of Grammatical Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Some Notes on the Shallow Structure Hypothesis

Clahsen

Felser

2017

Stud Second Lang Acquis

152

110

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Since the Shallow Structure Hypothesis (SSH) was first put forward in 2006, it has inspired a growing body of research on grammatical processing in nonnative (L2) speakers. More than 10 years later, we think it is time for the SSH to be reconsidered in the light of new empirical findings and current theoretical assumptions about human language processing. The purpose of our critical commentary is twofold: to clarify some issues regarding the SSH and to sketch possible ways in which this hypothesis might be refined and improved to better account for L1 and L2 speakers’ performance patterns.

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Section: Developing the Shallow Structure Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Developing the Shallow Structure Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Variability Of Grammatical Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Some Notes on the Shallow Structure Hypothesis

Clahsen

Felser

2017

Stud Second Lang Acquis

152

110

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“…Other commentators apply the framework laid out in the keynote article to other phenomena of bilingual language performance. Van Hell, Cohen and Grey (2016) demonstrate that the model is flexible enough to account for variable lexically-specific effects on code mixing, and Veríssimo (2016) applies the model to gradient differences between native and non-native language processing. In their response, Goldrick et al (2016b) readily admit the current limitations of their proposal and welcome the extensions to other phenomena.…”

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confidence: 99%

Variability and its limits in bilingual language production

Abutalebi

Clahsen²

2016

Bilingualism

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Experimental and other empirical research on language is faced with the fact that language performance exhibits a high degree of variability at all linguistic levels. Variability is found across languages, across speech communities within one language, across individuals within one speech community and even within the same individual. Bilingual language use adds a further source of variability to this already complicated picture. On the other hand, there are aspects of language and language use that are constrained, stable, or robust and that are less (or not at all) subject to variability, for example, possible options that are not chosen in any language or kinds of error that are never produced. Several familiar ways of dealing with the variability of language use and its limits have turned out to be unsatisfactory. One approach has been to simply abstract away from variability with constructs such as the ‘ideal speaker–hearer’ (who – to our knowledge – nobody has met so far). Another strategy is to average across individuals, which sometimes results in arbitrary mean scores or mean activation patterns that are hard to replicate for individuals, even for those who took part in a given study. A third solution when confronted with variability in language use is to take it at face value, positing that every language, every speech community, and even every individual is different, an approach that essentially gives up on discovering any kind of generalizations. While none of these strategies appears to us to be particularly fruitful, the problem of how to deal with variability in language performance and its limits remains.

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Constraints on subject-verb agreement marking in Turkish-German bilingual speakers

Uygun

Felser

2021

LAB

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Turkish 3rd person plural subjects normally appear with verbs that are unmarked for number. Following earlier findings which indicate that Turkish heritage speakers (HS) accept overt plural marking more readily compared to monolingually raised Turkish speakers, the present study investigates to what extent bilingual speakers are sensitive to grammatical, surface-level and semantic constraints on Turkish plural agreement marking. A scalar acceptability judgement task was carried out with non-bilingual Turkish speakers residing in Turkey and Turkish-German bilinguals residing in Germany. Our experimental design involved manipulating both subject animacy and subject position. Participants’ judgement patterns confirmed Turkish speakers’ general preference for unmarked verb forms, which was modulated both by subject animacy and by subject position. Significant differences were observed between lower proficiency HS on the one hand, and monolinguals and advanced proficiency HS on the other, suggesting that the relatively subtle interplay between different types of constraint on number agreement marking is affected by heritage language conditions. We found no evidence for simplification or optionality reduction in the lower proficiency HS’ judgements, however. We innovate on previous research by using Gradient Symbolic Computation modelling to capture between-group differences in the relative weightings of the constraints under investigation.

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Extending a Gradient Symbolic approach to the native versus non-native contrast: The case of plurals in compounds

Cited by 4 publications

References 5 publications

Some Notes on the Shallow Structure Hypothesis

Some Notes on the Shallow Structure Hypothesis

Variability and its limits in bilingual language production

Constraints on subject-verb agreement marking in Turkish-German bilingual speakers

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