Universal Grammar

Hello Everybody,

1) Read Unit 7 (Universal Grammar) from your book and visit the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_grammar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principles_and_parameters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirahã_language
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,414291,00.html

2) Then answer the following questions:
1. If you already know a second language and start learning a third, what is the initial state?
2. What is the Criticism to UG? Answer this question by referring to Piraha People in particular.

Tuncer Can

SLA Quiz

Hi,

Go to this website and check yourselves, there are some quizzes about second language acquisition. After doing them write a comment on them

http://www.lang.ltsn.ac.uk/materialsbank/mb044/FirstLangAcq.htm

Good Luck,

Tuncer Can

Project LENA

Hello Everybody,

See and read about the following project on "Enhanced Language Development" on http://www.lenababy.com/ and write its possible implications for foreign language learning.

Good Luck,

Tuncer Can

How would you frame the SLA research?

Hi All,

This week you have 2 questions to answer.

1. How would you frame the SLA research?
2. Make a hypothesis on the following data from your book(p.18). After examining the following data write your own hypothesis about the acquisition of "plural in English". Remember the 4 hypotheses we studied on the acquisition of "continuous" in English.

1) I bought a couple of towel.
2) There is many kind of way you make baklava.
3) Just a few month he will finish from his studies.
4) There is a lot of mosquito.
5) How many hour?

Good luck,

Tuncer Can

Evaluation of the class: SLA

Hello Everybody,

Remember that we talked about the evaluation of the class. I'd very much appreciate if you could post your evaluations about our lesson, you don't need to write your names or numbers, if you don't want to. Please evaluate our class in terms of

1. What you disliked most?
2. What you liked most?
3. Way of conducting our class?
4. Materials we used in the class?
5. The reading materials we used in the class?
6. The technology we used both in and out of the class?
7. Teacher?
8. Yourselves?
9. Gains from the Class?
10. Any other aspect you think deserves mentioning?

Thank you and good luck in your finals,
then have a very relaxing holiday.

Tuncer Can

Universal Grammar

Hello Everybody,

1) Read Unit 7 (Universal Grammar) from your book and visit the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_grammar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principles_and_parameters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirah%C3%A3_language
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,414291,00.html

2) Then answer the following questions:
1. If you already know a second language and start learning a third, what is the initial state?
2. What is the Criticism to UG? Answer this question by referring to Piraha People in particular.

Tuncer Can

Functional Approach to Acquisition

Hello Everybody,
This week we studied Functional Approach to Language Acquisition.

1.Read the following citation:
“Functionalists maintain that the communicative situation motivates, constrains, or otherwise determines grammatical structure…..” (Nichols, J. (1984, p 97). Functional theories of grammar. Annual Review of Anthropology, 13, 97-117.)

2. In the light of this citation find examples (at least two) of this kind where the situation effects the use of a particular grammatical structure, in Turkish or English.

(For Example: we use different "Modal Verbs" when we ask for money from a) our parents; b) our teahcher; c) a stranger)

I wish you all success for your mid-terms,

Tuncer Can