Frequency Effects in Language Acquisition: Defining the Limits of Frequency as an Explanatory Concept

Published by De Gruyter Mouton 2007

Frequency Effects in Language Acquisition

Defining the Limits of Frequency as an Explanatory Concept

Edited by: Insa Gülzow and Natalia Gagarina

Volume 32 in the series Studies on Language Acquisition [SOLA]

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110977905

Overview
Contents

About this book

The book addresses a controversial current topic in language acquisition studies: the impact of frequency on linguistic structure in child language. A major strength of the book is that the role of input frequency in the acquisition process is evaluated in a large variety of languages, topics and the two major theoretical frameworks: UG-based and usage-based accounts. While most papers report a clear frequency effect, different factors that may be interacting with pure statistical effects are critically assessed. An introductory statement is made by Thomas Roeper who calls for caution as he identifies frequency as a non-coherent concept and argues for a precise definition of what can and cannot be explained by statistical effects.

Author / Editor information

Insa Gülzow and Natalia Gagarina, Zentrum für Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft (ZAS), Berlin, Germany.

Topics

I-VI Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	I
Introducing the frequency debate in studies of language acquisition Insa Gülzow and Natalia Gagarina Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Opening statement
What frequency can do and what it can't Tom Roeper Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	23
The acquisition of determiners
The role of input frequency in article acquisition in early child Swedish Ute Bohnacker Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	51
Testing the effects of frequency on the rate of learning: Determiner use in early French, German and Italian Tanja Kupisch Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	83
Input frequencies across development
The acquisition of non-agent subjects in child Hebrew: The role of input Sigal Uziel-Karl and Nancy Budwig Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	117
The role of input frequency in early language production: Children’s usage of Serbian prepositions Maja Savić and Darinka Anđelković Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	145
Characteristics of maternal input in relation to vocabulary development in children learning German Christina Kauschke and Gisela Klann-Delius Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	181
What happens when adults often use infinitives? Natalia Gagarina Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	205
Frequency mismatches between caregiver input and child language
Structural versus frequency effects in L1 acquisition of the passive and impersonal in Serbian Milja Djurkovic Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	237
The (non-) effect of input frequency on the acquisition of word order in Norwegian embedded clauses Marit Westergaard and Kristine Bentzen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	271
Factors determining the acquisition of animacy in Czech Denisa Bordag Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	307
(Non-)Frequentist perspectives within UG
A note on acquisition in frequency-based accounts of binding phenomena Jason Mattausch and Insa Gülzow Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	331
Principles, parameters and probabilities Rosalind Thornton, Stephen Crain and Graciela Tesan Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	359
Comments
The role of frequency in language acquisition Katherine Demuth Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	383
Counting grammars Charles Yang Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	389
List of contributors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	407
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	411

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Mouton
Audience: Academics, Institutes, Libraries
Pages
- Front matter: 6
- Main content: 416
Keywords: Language acqusition; Theories of Language Acquisition.

eBook

Published: May 3, 2011
ISBN: 9783110977905

Hardcover

Published: November 20, 2007
ISBN: 9783110196719