Acquisition of Aspect and Modality: The Case of Past Reference in Turkish (Cambridge Studies in Linguistics)
Cambridge University Press
Edition: New Ed, 8/21/2008
EAN 9780521024013, ISBN10: 0521024013
Paperback, 260 pages, 22.8 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm
Language: English
Ayhan Aksu-Koç's empirical research on Turkish children's acquisition of the past tense forms the basis for this original and important contribution to the current debate among psycholinguistics on the interrelationship between language and cognitive development. Turkish, in its grammar, makes a clear distinction between direct and indirect experiencing, separating personal observation of processes from both inference and narrative. This distinction thus provides an ideal means by which linguistic and nonlinguistic conceptual development can be observed. Dr Aksu-Koç has exploited this to full advantage in her broadly based longitudinal and cross-sectional study, conducted across a wide age range. The data are meticulously analyzed, and the theoretical implications for a neo-Piagetian paradigm are carefully considered.
List of figures
List of tables
Acknowledgements
Symbols and abbreviations
Part I. Tense, Aspect and Modality in Acquisition
1. Introduction
2. Tense, aspect and modality
3. Theoretical and empirical research on the development of temporal reference
Part II. Development of Past Reference in Turkish
From 'Perfect' Aspect to 'Evidential' Modality
4. The empirical study
rationale and hypotheses
5. Longitudinal study of early inflectional development
6. Experimental study of the production of the pasts of direct vs. indirect experience
7. Experimental study of the comprehension and metalinguistic awareness of the pasts of direct vs. indirect experience
8. Production and comprehension of the quotation function
Part III. Conclusions and General Implications
9. Conclusion
Appendix
Notes
Bibliography
Indexes.