Three experiments are reported that examined whether stem complexity plays a role in inflecting polymorphemic words in language production. Experiment 1 showed that preparation effects for words with polymorphemic stems are larger when they are produced among words with constant inflectional structures compared to words with variable inflectional…

The paper reviewed studies in word-level processing skills and related areas, and profiled how the development of L2 word recognition and integration skills would contribute to autonomous "kango" (Chinese originated words or words created from Chinese originated words) vocabulary learning. Despite the fact that the acquisition of a…

According to the aspect hypothesis (Andersen & Shirai, 1996; Bardovi-Harlig, 2000), perfective morphology emerges before imperfective morphology, it is first used in telic predicates (achievements and accomplishments) and it later extends to atelic predicates (activities and states). The opposite development is hypothesized for imperfective…

In written French, the acquisition of the nominal plural ("-s") occurs earlier and faster than the acquisition of the verbal plural ("-nt") (Totereau, Thevenin & Fayol, 1997, "Learning to Spell"). The reasons for this difference are not well known. The objective of the present research is to test two alternative hypotheses, which may provide an…

This study was designed to simultaneously investigate the influence of phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness skills on the ability to spell inflected verbs in structured spelling tasks. Children in grades 1, 2, and 3 (n = 103) spelled inflected past and progressive tense verbs and completed awareness tasks. Developmental changes…

Contesting the monolingualist assumptions in composition, this article identifies textual and pedagogical spaces for World Englishes in academic writing. It presents code meshing as a strategy for merging local varieties with Standard Written English in a move toward gradually pluralizing academic writing and developing multilingual competence for…

Criticizes M. Halle's theory of morphology in word formation as too strong a generalization. (CK)

The study examined whether deaf children's gesture systems are structured at the morpheme level of analysis. A 3-year-old deaf child from the authors' previous study was selected and all of his characterizing signs produced during a 2-hour naturalistic play session in his home were videotaped. Each sign was coded in terms of its handshape, motion,…

Concerns the language development of four children between the ages of 19 and 26 months, as they progressed from single-word utterances to a mean length of utterance of 2.5 morphemes. The observed developmental sequence is described and possible linguistic and cognitive explanations for it are discussed.

Components of word analysis and synthesis that are important for vocabulary development instruction are word structure and morphemes. Morpheme study includes bases, prefixes, suffixes, epenthetic elements, and affixation processes. Word structure includes capitalization, abbreviations, contractions, number, possessives, and affixed words.…

Beginning readers must be made aware of the differences between elements of language such as words and sentences before reading instruction can proceed successfully. (MKM)

Until now, irregular sound change due to frequency has been considered as something sporadic, affecting only vocabulary, whereas, irregular sound change due to frequency, which concerns reductions in morphemes as well, especially inflectional ones, is the third essential factor of linguistic evolution, in addition to regular sound change. In any…

Research supported by the Institute of Latin American Studies and the Canada Council. (DD)

Research supported by a grant from the American Council of Learned Societies. (RS)

Special issue devoted to the study of generative grammar in German-speaking countries. (VM)