Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main goal of this study is to provide a grammatical analysis of small clauses in Afrikaans. A proper analysis of this phenomenon has not yet been attempted in the literature on Afrikaans syntax. However, within the framework of generative grammar, including the most recent versions of Minimalist Syntax, extensive research has been conducted on the small clause phenomenon for a wide range of other languages. In these studies, various types of small clause constructions have been identified. For the purpose of this study, a systematic analysis is given for seven of these small clause construction types, focusing specifically on the Afrikaans data. In order to establish whether the Afrikaans small clause constructions exhibit the same characteristics as those found in other languages, a taxonomy is given of their Dutch, English, West Flemish and Polish counterparts as described by, among others, Hoekstra (1988a, 1992), Bennis, Corver and Den Dikken (1998), Citko (2008) and Haegeman (2010). It is against this background that the characteristics of the different Afrikaans small clause constructions are described. In addition, an explication is given of the various proposals regarding the underlying structure of such constructions. Based on proposals by Oosthuizen (2013), it is argued that a small clause construction is a projection of a particular functional category, namely a defective light verb, sc-v. It is claimed that such a light verb analysis can provide an adequate account of the Afrikaans facts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofoogmerk van hierdie studie is om ’n grammatikale analise van beknopte sinne (“small clauses”) in Afrikaans te verskaf. ʼn Behoorlike analise van hierdie verskynsel is nog nie tevore aangebied in die literatuur oor Afrikaanse sintaksis nie. Binne die raamwerk van generatiewe grammatika, insluitend die mees onlangse versies van Minimalistiese Sintaksis, is daar egter uitgebreide navorsing gedoen oor die verskynsel van beknopte sinne in ʼn verskeidenheid ander tale. In die betrokke studies is verskeie tipes beknopte sin-konstruksies geïdentifiseer. Vir die doel van hierdie studie word ’n sistematiese analise gegee van sewe van hierdie konstruksie-tipes, met spesifieke fokus op die Afrikaanse data. Ten einde vas te stel of die Afrikaanse beknopte sin-konstruksies dieselfde eienskappe toon as dié in ander tale, word ’n taksonomie verskaf van die ooreenstemmende konstruksies in Nederlands, Engels, Wes-Vlaams en Pools, soos beskryf deur onder meer Hoekstra (1988a, 1992), Bennis, Corver en Den Dikken (1998), Citko (2008) en Haegeman (2010). Dit is teen hierdie agtergrond dat die eienskappe van die verskillende Afrikaanse beknopte sin-konstruksies beskryf word. Verder word ʼn uiteensetting gegee van verskeie voorstelle oor die onderliggende struktuur van sulke konstruksies. Gebaseer op voorstelle deur Oosthuizen (2013), word daar geargumenteer dat ’n beknopte sin-konstruksie ’n projeksie is van ’n spesifieke funksionele kategorie, naamlik ’n defektiewe ligte werkwoord, sc-v. Daar word aangevoer dat so ’n ligte werkwoord-analise ’n toereikende verklaring kan bied van die Afrikaanse feite.

Noun clauses are grammatical constructions that are of relevance both to typical language development and impaired language development. These clauses have been part of published techniques for the clinical analysis of language samples, and computer software for the automated analysis of clinical language samples has attempted to identify noun clauses, with limited success. The present study examined the development and clinical use of noun clauses as well as the automated identification of these clauses. Two sets of language samples were examined. One set consisted of 10 children with specific language impairment (SLI) whose age ranged from 7;6 to 11;1 (years;months), 10 peers matched for language development equivalence, and 10 peers matched for chronological age. The second set of samples were from 30 children considered to be typically developing, who ranged in age from 2;6 to 7;11. Language sample utterances were manually coded for the presence of noun clauses (including wh- noun clauses, that- noun clauses, and gerunds.) Samples were then automatically tagged using software. Results were tabulated and compared for accuracy. ANCOVA revealed that differences in the frequencies of WH-infinitive noun clauses and gerunds were significant between the matched groups. "Zero that clauses" (that-noun clauses containing no subordinator that) and gerunds were significantly correlated with age. Kappa levels revealed that agreement between manual and automated coding was high on WH-infinitive clauses, gerunds, and finite wh-noun clauses.

Notre étude porte sur l’observation de connaissances linguistiques et métalinguistiques chez les adultes francophones apprenant l’Espagnol Langue Étrangère (ELE). Ces connaissances constituent la compétence grammaticale que les apprenants construisent au fur et à mesure qu’ils s’approprient la L2.Dans le but d’observer ces connaissances au stade intermédiaire d’apprentissage — c’est-à-dire au niveau seuil (B1) établi par le Cadre Commun de Référence pour les Langues (Conseil de l’Europe, 2001) —, nous avons procédé à une étude expérimentale auprès de 30 adultes francophones. Notre démarche comporte 2 tâches d’expérimentation : une tâche de décision et une tâche de production orale. La tâche de décision repose sur un test de jugement de grammaticalité : on demande aux participants d’évaluer, dans un temps limité, un corpus des phrases (exposées les unes après les autres, à la fois à l’écrit et à l’oral) dont certaines contenaient une erreur. Le corpus de phrases présenté à nouveau sur papier, on demande ensuite aux participants de donner un jugement définitif (sans mesure de temps de réponse), à partir duquel, s’ils jugent une phrase incorrecte, ils doivent indiquer où se situe l’erreur et l’expliquer. Quant à la tâche de production orale, il a été demandé aux participants de produire un discours descriptif et narratif en L2 espagnol à l’aide d’un stimulus visuel (bande dessinée). Les résultats de nos tâches expérimentales nous ont permis de recueillir des données sur le temps de réponse, sur la capacité de jugement de phrases, sur le type de discours employé pour expliquer l’erreur et sur les structures syntaxiques utilisées spontanément en production orale.Ces données sont analysées et discutées en vue de fournir des pistes sur la capacité des adultes francophones apprenant l’ELE à détecter des erreurs en langue cible et à en expliciter les règles transgressées ; sur les problèmes qu’ils retrouvent dans leur appropriation du système grammatical de l’espagnol ; et sur les connaissances dont ils se servent pour analyser et produire les structures de la langue objet. En outre, les résultats obtenus nous permettent à notre tour d’envisager autrement l’apprentissage de la grammaire de l’espagnol et d’avancer la perspective d’un modèle d’enseignement adapté aux capacités métacognitives et métalinguistiques de l’apprenant francophone. / The framework of our study is focused on the assessment of linguistic and metalinguistic knowledge of francophone adults learning Spanish as a foreign language. This knowledge constitutes the basis of grammatical competence built by learners as they develop skills in the target language.Our aim is the observation of linguistic and metalinguistic knowledge used by francophone adult learners of Spanish as a second language (L2). Thus, we designed and directed an experimental study to 30 French-speakers with a threshold-level in Spanish, based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Council of Europe, 2001). Our approach consisted of two experimental tasks: A decision making task and a task of oral production. The first task was conducted with a grammaticality judgement test in which participants had to evaluate, in a limited response time, a corpus of 36 sentences (presented one after the other, at both written and oral). The second task was conducted with the definitive confirmation of judgments about the corpus. Participants were thus asked to give a final judgement about the correctness of sentences (without measuring response time). If they judged a sentence as incorrect, they have to specify the error and explain it. As for the oral production task, the participants were asked to produce a descriptive and narrative speech in Spanish by using visual stimuli (a comic strip). The results achieved allowed us to collect data on the response time, on the sentences judgment ability, on the type of speech used to explain the error and on syntactical structures used spontaneously in oral speech. Those data were analyzed and discussed with the aim of providing insights on the capacity of francophone adults learning Spanish as a foreign language for detecting and explaining errors in the target language; on their difficulties in acquiring the Spanish grammatical system; and on their knowledge to analyze and produce structures in target language.The results enabled us to reconsider the learning of Spanish grammar otherwise with a view to teaching models adapted to the metacognitive and metalinguistic skills of francophone learners.

This diploma thesis is a sociolinguistic analysis of speeches rendered in English by members of the European Parliament. The aim of this diploma thesis is to analyze the stylistic patterns in speeches of members of the European Parliament based on gender, as a sociolinguistic factor. This thesis is based on three main linguistic disciplines: grammar, stylistics and sociolinguistics. The practical part is based on a research of 100 randomly chosen members of the European Parliament, 50 men and 50 women, whose speeches rendered in English, were transcribed and analyzed by the quantitative method used for a comparison of linguistic features. This thesis predominantly focuses on grammatical analysis of parts of speech and syntax. It also deals with hyper- sentential links: cohesion and coherence. This thesis also includes profiles of MEP which, together with other sociolinguistic researches, help to interpret the results of a grammatical analysis. The practical part is concluded by profiles of hypothetic MEPs who are likely to render their speech in English.

Narrative point of view should be the initial place of focus in the study of prose fiction, but it is often difficult to understand or teach. This study proposes that stage or screen production of narrative fiction may be purposefully structured to enhance the understanding of narrative perspective. The study details grammatical analysis of narrative language and describes implications drawn from that language which influence production decisions. The thesis examines the techniques and technology of stage and screen production which may be manipulated to underscore narrative point of view, suggesting ways in which each medium can borrow from the techniques of the other for point of view production.

The major objective of this thesis is to conduct complex grammatical and lexical analysis of the Chinese language textbook by N. A. Speshnev Vvedenye v kitayskiy yazik. Results of the analysis are compared with textbook written by Oldrich Svarny Introduction to the Study of colloquial Chinese (Uvod do studia hovorove cinstiny) and A Frequency Dictionary of Modern Chinese. Analysis and comparison results serve as a basis for evaluating the coverage of basic vocabulary and grammar used in Speshnev's textbook and its suitability for first-year students of Sinology. The results of lexical analysis include a list of all lexical items used in the textbook, as well as the information on their grammatical function characteristics, meanings, usage and frequency. Grammatical analysis results provide an overview of all grammatical constructions and features that are present in the textbook. Important part of grammatical analysis is introduction of comprehensive view on individual grammar features and comparison of their various perceptions in different grammatical systems. In conclusion, the positives and negatives of Speshnev textbook are evaluated and new suggestions to its use in complex language teaching are presented. Key words Chinese, colloquial Chinese, Chinese grammar, grammatical analysis, lexical...