11.2258, Qs: Ling Theory & Ancient Lang,Lang Acquisition

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-11-2258. Wed Oct 18 2000. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 11.2258, Qs: Ling Theory & Ancient Lang,Lang Acquisition

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1)
Date:  Fri, 13 Oct 2000 17:25:37 +0200
From:  "Gert Young" <ANCIENT6 at AKAD.SUN.AC.ZA>
Subject:  Modern Linguistic Theory Applied to Ancient Languages

2)
Date:  Mon, 16 Oct 2000 15:14:24 -0400
From:  "Osburne, Andrea (English)" <OsburneA at mail.ccsu.edu>
Subject:   Comparing Language Acquisition Courses

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Fri, 13 Oct 2000 17:25:37 +0200
From:  "Gert Young" <ANCIENT6 at AKAD.SUN.AC.ZA>
Subject:  Modern Linguistic Theory Applied to Ancient Languages

Hi,

Just a comment on introductory linguistic material. I find a lot of
them frustrating because they describe grammatical phenomena in
terms of the features of English. I understand that they need a
point of reference, but it would be nice to find more than just
mention of grammatical rules and principles as they apply to
English.

I'm interessted in studying the grammars of ancient (non-living)
languages using the tools provided by the modern linguistic theory
(read specifically the Government and binding theory and the newer
Minimalist programme), but most introductory material I've seen on
these theories halt after describing some general principle as it
applies to english.
I would very much like to see how the sub-theories and rules of the
above mentioned paradigms describe the grammars of languages
with rich inflectional systems (i.e Latin or Greek). Can anyone point
me in a direction?

Thanks
Gert


-------------------------------- Message 2 -------------------------------

Date:  Mon, 16 Oct 2000 15:14:24 -0400
From:  "Osburne, Andrea (English)" <OsburneA at mail.ccsu.edu>
Subject:   Comparing Language Acquisition Courses

Perhaps someone can assist us with a dispute that has arisen on our campus.
For many years our department has offered courses in linguistics, including
both first and second language acquisition, and one or another of the
language acquisition courses has regularly been taken with no problem by
students in various teacher certification programs where courses in first or
second language acquisition have been required by state authorities.

Recently the university curriculum committee has been told by the Modern
Language department that students in a new certification program in Spanish
cannot take these established courses, but must take duplicate courses to be
offered in the Modern Language department, because language acquisition
processes are not basically the same regardless of the language to be
acquired and students preparing to be "world" language teachers must take a
different course in language acquisition from that taken by students
preparing, for example, to be teachers of English as a second language, or
English as a foreign language, for that matter.

Would anyone like to comment on this claim? Note that we are
talking here about a course in language acquisition, not methods and
materials, where, while methods are still the same, materials and
curricula indeed differ.

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