The Development Of Modality In Greek And English Child Language

Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 2, University of Freiburg (Englisches Seminar), course: HS: The Syntax and Semantics of the English Verb Phrase, 4 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Numerous studies concerning the acquisition of modality in first language have been published. Linguists have carried out many experimental and longitudinal studies in order to find out how the modality category develops in child language. To obtain straight-forward results researcher practice pilot studies with children subjects. This method has proved to be effective for the gathering of useful data about the development of modality. The comparison and the studies of the obtained results should help to give a clear-cut insight into the ontogenesis of modality. This term paper reports about an experimental and longitudinal study of the development of modality of Greek children realized by the linguist Ursula Stephany. Further an analysis of the acquisition of modality of American English speaking children has been done in order to compare the differences and the common characteristics of the development of modality in two distinct languages. Before starting to observe the process of modality development I will give a brief introduction on modality and on its sub-types. The latter play an important role for the understanding of the process of modality acquisition. The term paper's chapter about modality is based on Frank Palmer's Mood and Modality.

This book deals with the development of modality from a crosslinguistic perspective and is closely related to two earlier volumes on the development of verb and nominal inflection in first language acquisition (SOLA 21 and 30) both methodologically and theoretically. Each of the fourteen contributions studies the early development of the form and function of expressions of deontic and dynamic agent-oriented modality or epistemic and evidential propositional modality in one of fourteen languages belonging to different morphological types and language families (seven Indo-European and seven non-Indo-European). The analyses are mainly based on longitudinal observations of children in their 2nd and 3rd years of life in conversational interaction with their caregivers, mostly the mothers. Main issues addressed are the development of directives and modulations of information in terms of certainty and evidentiality, also taking into account children’s developing social-pragmatic and cognitive skills. One of the main findings is that agent-oriented and propositional modality may develop in parallel depending on the typological characteristics of the language acquired. The decisive factor is whether notions of propositional modality are grammaticized and obligatorily expressed in the language. The findings are interpreted within non-nativist theoretical frameworks (Usage-based theories, Natural Morphology).

Modality in Language Acquisition / Modalité et acquisition des langues

Situated within the long-established domain of temporality research in Second Language Acquisition, this book aims to provide an update on recent research directions in the field through a range of papers which explore relatively new territory. Those areas include the expression of modality and counterfactuality, the effect of first language transfer, aspectuo-temporal comprehension, aspectuo-temporal marking at a wider discursive level, and methodological issues in the study of the acquisition of aspect. The studies presented explore English and French as second languages, involving both child and adult learners from a range of first language backgrounds in both instructed and naturalistic learning contexts. The studies draw on both spoken and written data which explore various facets of the learners’ second language comprehension and production. The volume offers new, but complementary insights to previous research, as well as pointing to directions for future research in this burgeoning field of study.

This volume brings together a collection of 18 papers that look into the expression of modality in the grammars of natural languages, with an emphasis on its manifestations in naturally occurring discourse. Though the individual contributions reflect a diversity of languages, of synchronic and diachronic foci, and of theoretical orientations — all within the broad domain of functional linguistics — they nonetheless converge around a number of key issues: the relationship between 'mood' and 'modality'; the delineation of modal categories and their nomenclature; the grounding of modality in interactive discourse; the elusive category 'irrealis'; and the relationship of modal notions and categories to other categories of grammar.

Experts from psycholinguistics and English historical linguistics address core factors in language change.

An invaluable resource for students and professionals alike with an interest in child language acquisition.