The social bases of language acquisition

A language is composed of conventional symbols shaped by their social-communicative functions. Children acquire these symbols, both lexical and syntactic, in the context of culturally constituted event structures that make salient these functions. In the acquisition process children rely on cultural learning skills (i.e., imitative learning). These skills emanate from their ability to participate intersubjectively with adults in cultural activities (i.e., joint attention), which underlies their ability to understand the ways adults are using particular pieces of language. The development of communicative competence as a whole, including not only lexical and syntactic skills but also various pragmatic skills, depends largely on feedback about communicative efficacy that children receive from different interactants. This feedback is used by children to make further inferences about the conventional functional significance of particular linguistic expressions. This social-pragmatic view of language acquisition obviates the need for a priori, specifically linguistic, format constraints on the language acquisition process.     

Deaf studies meets autistic studies

What might deaf studies and autistic studies have in common? Why, in many cases, is deafness considered to be a norm to be analyzed through linguistic and cultural frameworks, while autism is (still) seen as pathological? Utilizing ethnographic research, participation in two conferences on autism and sign language, and an analysis of deaf peoples’ and autistic peoples’ self-(re)presentation, we attend to sensory solidarities that might exist between deaf and autistic people, communities, and studies. We argue that an analysis of the two fields side-by-side offers important insights into new ways of conceptualizing sociality, identity, and community both in the specific cases of deafness and autism, and more broadly. Additionally, attending to deaf and autistic peoples’ language and communication desires and practices opens up analytic and empirical space for considering interdependent and multimodal communicative approaches.     

语用错误及其原因探析

为了避免交际失败 ,外语学习者不仅要具备语法能力 ,还应具备语用能力。本文试图通过实例分析语用错误及导致语用错误的可能原因 ,探寻外语学习者获得提高语用能力的方法。     

简论语言功能

语言的形式与功能之间并非总密切相关。交际实质上是一系列的交际行为或言语行为 ,而任何言语行为由最少两种或典型的三种分行为组成 :非语内表现行为、语内表现行为和言语表达效果行为。分析言语行为以及语言的各种功能有助于第二语言学习者掌握如何利用语言知识来实现语言的各种功能     

Culture,parenting, and language: Respeto in Latine mother–child interactions

The cultural value of respeto (respect) is central to Latine parenting. Yet, how respeto manifests in the interactions of Latine parents and their young children remains unexamined. Low‐income Mexican immigrant Spanish‐speaking mothers and their 2.5‐year‐old toddlers (N = 128) were video‐recorded during play (M_age = 30.2 months, SD = 0.52), and two culturally informed items of respeto were coded: parent calm authority and child affiliative obedience. Respeto related to standard ratings of mother and child interactions (e.g., maternal sensitivity and child engagement) but also captured unique features of parent–child interactions. Respeto related to mothers' and toddlers' language production and discourse during the interaction, and explained unique variance in language variables above standard ratings of mother–child interaction. This is the first effort to document a culturally salient aspect of dyadic interaction in Mexican immigrant mothers and young children and to show that respeto relates to language use during mother–child interactions.     

Researching social care for minority ethnic older people: implications of some Scottish research

Summary The paper explores issues raised by research on patterns ofwelfare and mutual care among older Pakistani people and theirfamilies, with particular reference to their use, or lack ofuse of social care services. Qualitative interviews were conductedwith (self-defined) minority ethnic older people, professionalsin statutory services and in minority-led community-based groups.The organization of services is discussed, with special referenceto issues of power and control, the role of the voluntary (non-profit)and statutory sectors, the debate regarding the possible needfor specialist versus generic services, and the role of minority-ledinitiatives. Secondly, issues of service staffing are examined,and the dangers of marginalizing minority services and staffreviewed, especially with reference to divisions of labour inservice provision and staff's own perspectives. Thirdly, themethodological implications of the work are explores, includingissues of linguistic and cultural communication and workingwith relatively powerless social groups, whose views are sought.Examining the views of professional social care workers is alsoproblematized, with reference to their gate-keeping role. Itis argued that user perspectives are essential to the developmentof appropriate services for minority ethnic groups. In conclusion,the need to raise these issues in other work is discussed.     

Linguistic competence/language access services (LAS) in end-of-life and palliative care: a social work leadership imperative

Despite the mandated and moral imperative to advance linguistic competence in all health care contexts, leadership that addresses this area of practice and study in end-of-life and palliative care is not readily obvious. Because social work is ideally suited to lead efforts to advance linguistically-accessible end-of-life and palliative care, social workers are encouraged to assume the challenge. This article focuses on topics that are elementary yet central to discussions on language diversity and leadership initiatives to advance language access in end-of-life and palliative care contexts: importance and function of language, extent of language diversity, inequity related to language diversity, mandates and standards related to language access, and approaches and competencies that contribute positively to language access.     

社会文化心理与语言变异艺术论析

20世纪80年代以后,我国文学作品和人们日常用语中出现了许多超常的语言表现形式,这与社会、文化、心理等对人们的影响分不开。这些愈演愈烈的语言变异现象,无论在表达内容情感,还是表现语气节律色彩等方面,都具有一般语言形式所没有的语用价值。     

Parent–Child Emotional Communication and Children's Coping in Middle Childhood

Parent–child communication regarding children's negative emotions and coping were examined in a sample of 75 5th graders (53% boys) and their mothers and fathers. We predicted that emotionally open communication between a parent and his or her child would be related to children's use of constructive coping strategies. Parents reported on how they react to their child's negative emotions, and children reported on how much they share their negative feelings with each parent. Additionally, emotional communication was measured during a parent–child discussion task involving an event that was upsetting to the child. The results indicated that emotional communication, as reported by mothers, fathers, and children, as well as mother–child observed communication, were related to children's coping strategies. The findings point to a need to assess emotional communication using multiple measures that tap both the child's and the parents’ perspectives and that use different methodologies.     

Toward integrating research on parent–child emotion talk and linguistic theory: A spotlight on parents’ (in)direct communication

Parent–child discussions about emotion are a key socialization influence on children’s socio‐emotional development. Extant research on parent–child discussions about emotion largely focuses on three main types of discourse content: parental elaboration, parental use of emotion labels and explanations, and parental emotion coaching. A new direction involves distinguishing between parents’ direct and indirect communication of discourse content. This distinction may be vital when considering the role of children’s communicative competence in their developing socio‐emotional competence. We integrate literature on (in)direct communication, a concept prominent in linguistics, and emotion socialization. We argue that parental indirect communication can teach children communicative competence in the context of emotion talk. We discuss literature from the developmental and linguistic fields on parents’ teaching of communicative skills, as well as potential cognitive, relational, and emotional functions of indirectness, with communication and its socialization embedded within cultural context. Finally, we suggest new research directions examining the role of parental indirect communication in children’s socio‐emotional development. By integrating developmental and linguistic literatures, we provide a novel approach to the study of parental emotion socialization through parent–child discourse.     

Development of interactive biological motion perception in preschoolers and its relation to social competence

The perception of interactive biological motion (BM) plays an important role in social life. Such social perception enables people to understand the underlying social intentions and social relationships in interactive actions, so that they can anticipate the behavior response in an appropriate manner. Although interaction perception has been widely explored in adults, little is known about preschoolers' developmental trajectory of interaction perception and its further impact on social development. This study explored the development of interaction perception in a dyadic BM situation and its relation to teachers' report of social competence among 3–6‐year olds (N = 119). Children were asked to watch videos of dyadic BM and decide whether two characters were interacting or not. The results suggested that the sensitivity of BM perception continues to develop during the entire preschool age period and is positively associated with children's social competence among children aged 5–6, even after controlling for age and language ability. However, for younger children aged 3–4, language ability rather than perception of social interaction positively correlated with their social competence. Our findings review the rapid development of interactive BM perception in early childhood and highlight the important role of interaction perception in preschoolers’ social development.     

意义研究的哲学渊源及当代走向

意义研究作为现代西方语言哲学的核心,可以追溯到人类哲学思维的发端处。哲学从本体论、认识论到语言哲学,其关注点最终由意识与存在的关系转向语言、语言的意义与世界的关系。意义因而成为英美语言分析和欧陆本体论式语言追问的焦点,呈现出当代语用分析、生存论、解释学等多维深入的局面,并明显表现出了将意义问题哲学化、人文化为语境问题的当代趋势。深入反思以上问题,对当今意义研究无疑具有重大的理论与现实意义。     

方言能力、语言环境与城市移民创业行为

本文旨在探讨方言能力对城市移民创业行为的影响和对语言环境的调节效应。基于“身份认同理论”，以2010年和2012年中国家庭追踪调查（CFPS）数据为样本，通过区分移民方言能力的沟通属性与文化属性，建立基于线性概率模型的创业决策模型和基于多元回归模型的创业收入模型。研究发现，方言能力的文化属性使移民创业的概率增加1.8%。在采用“双胞胎样本”方法排除样本选择偏误和内生性后，这一结果依旧稳健存在。分样本回归分析发现，方言能力只对教育水平较低的移民有显著的正向影响，对拥有不同物质资本的个体没有敏感性。进一步分析发现，方言能力对移民创业决策的促进作用在语言种类较少和普通话普及程度较低的地区更加明显，但对创业收入没有上述影响。本文有助于揭示语言在移民创业活动中的重要作用。     

语用交际中认知主体的信息处理——兼谈语境的构成

真正直接制约语言运用的语境是言语交际主体头脑中所认知的语境。理解时对语境认知角度把握稍有不同,推理出的言语含义就会有很大差别。语境因人的存在而构成,我们自始至终应关注人们对于语境的能动适应,自始至终不能脱离语用交际参加人的研究。     

Children's Attention to Others' Beliefs during Persuasion: Improvised and Selected Arguments to Puppets and People

Until now children's attention to the beliefs of people they wish to persuade has been examined experimentally via tasks that were artificial in important respects. To determine whether such research has underestimated children's psychological perspective taking, two studies that manipulated task elements pertinent to ecological validity were conducted. Children in three age groups (3, 4/5, and 6/7 years) were asked (forced‐choice and open‐ended formats) how best to persuade puppets and people, with differing beliefs, to pet and play with various toy animals. Children offered as many or more belief‐relevant arguments in response to forced‐choice as to open‐ended questions. Only the oldest group attended to beliefs more when persuading a person compared with a puppet. Even on more realistic tasks, significant improvement with age across task formats confirmed a developmental trajectory in line with extant reports of children's belief reasoning. The findings support the idea that enhanced social competence corresponds specifically to children's increasing attention to beliefs in social interactions such as persuasion.     

Broadening the Conceptual Lens on Language in Social Work: Difference, Diversity and English as a Global Language

Language is infused in multiple dimensions of human behaviour,and social work is essentially a language-centred activity.Yet, despite the pivotal position of language to many socialwork activities, its significance has rarely been explored interms of difference. Moreover, the linguistic diversity thatcharacterizes the local and global contexts in which many practitionersoperate has been given minimal attention in the social workliterature. In this paper, I contend that how language is conceptualizedin social work both shapes and constrains the way that practitionersperceive issues relating to linguistic diversity. The papermaps out the limitations of some of the existing conceptuallens used for viewing language in relation to the multilingualmilieu in which social work takes place. It also draws attentionto the global pre-eminence of English, the significance of bilingualismand the limitations of a monolingual frame of reference forsocial work. A case is made for augmenting the existing knowledgebase on language with a multidisciplinary approach to languagethat incorporates bilingual perspectives. Rather than providinga definitive model for understanding language, I suggest thatsuch an approach expands the conceptual landscape for exploringlanguage and difference in social work.     

Family contact in foster care in Portugal. The views of children in foster care and other key actors

This is a pilot study on the sensitive issue of how children and young people experience family contact in foster care, and the views of key adults in their lives on the same issue. There is a special focus on the children's experiences, opinions, and feelings. The study is a response to the relative scarcity of literature on family contact based on the experiences of children and adults in caring roles. This is a qualitative and exploratory study, with a sample of 10 children and young people in care in the district of Porto, aiming to identify key issues and areas for further examination. The results allow us to conclude that the possibility of maintaining contact is positively evaluated. However, perspectives on the relationships involved, and on the reactions to and difficulties associated with visits, revealed considerable disagreement among the actors. A possible set of implications drawn from the findings pointed out to the importance of developing a monitored cooperation that improves communication processes in order to take into account the children's and young people's views in the decision‐making process; and to develop more attentive and open working relationships with parents throughout the foster care placement.     

从图式理论看母语在英语口语教学中的积极作用

根据二语习得理论,母语及母语文化在英语口语表达交际中不只是起负迁移的作用,母语图式提供口语交际的认知基础,同时母语文化图式可以作为英语口语文化背景的参照体系。因此教师在教学中可以适当地、有策略性地调用母语图式,运用母语认知和母语文化来辅助口语教学。