Book Notice

[Ngoni Chipere]

Understanding Complex Sentences: Native Speaker Variation in Syntactic Competence

Ngoni Chipere

Publisher: Palgrave

Description
Is native speaker variation in understanding complex sentences due to 
individual differences in working memory capacity or in syntactic 
competence? The answer to this question has very important consequences for 
both theoretical and applied concerns in linguistics and education. This 
book is distinctive in giving a historical and interdisciplinary 
perspective on the rule- based and experience-based debate and in supporting 
an integrated account. In the study reported here, variation was found to be 
due to differences in syntactic competence and the author argues that 
sentence comprehension is a learned skill, displaying many of the general 
characteristics of cognitive skills. The book will be stimulating reading 
for psycholinguists, theoretical linguists, applied linguists and educators. 

Contents

Introduction 
Finite State and Generative Models 
Early Experimental Studies 
Connectionist and Symbolic Models 
Current Theories of Individual Differences 
Long-Term Working Memory 
Saussure's Theory of Language 
Patterns of Individual Differences 
Effects of Recall Training and Comprehension Training 
Conclusion 

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