Constructions and chunks
(2023) Language Learning and Cognition — ISBN: [9783643915177], 105-133, published
Files
2023_ConstructionsChunks.pdf
Open Access - Adobe PDF
- 1.5 MB
Details
- Authors
- Abstract
- Learning a foreign language often appears to be an arduous endeavour. In addition to being a difficult process for many, learners are not always successful, even when they faithfully learn all the important grammar rules. Teachers will surely have wondered why even the most eager learners are often not able to express themselves fluently, despite intensive grammar lessons. As you now know, it is not enough to simply learn a few words in and rules of a new language. The main challenge in communication in a foreign language is to combine words and rules correctly into meaningful sequences. This task proves to be a great challenge given the numerous differences in conceptualisation between languages which requires additional support language classes. Over the past years, cognitive linguistics has developed a myriad of models which can be subsumed under the term construction grammar. These grammar models are not necessarily intended for advancing the learning of a new language, but still provide interesting approaches. The construction grammar framework is holistic,it assumes complex, meaningful word sequences or constructions and regards individual lexemes as linguistic units meant to fill certain gaps in constructions. Construction grammar models make it possible are able to explain the connection between instantiations of a construction and its abstract form with the use of concrete examples. Moreover, construction grammar views the grammar of a language as the inventory of possible constructions. This chapter highlights the principles of this comprehensive grammar model.
- Affiliations
Citations
De Knop, S. (2023). Constructions and chunks. In Jörg Roche & Ferran Suñer (eds) with Kees de Bot, Sabine De Knop, Marianne Hepp, Marina Foschi and Parvaneh Sohrab (ed.), Language Learning and Cognition (pp. 105-133). LIT Verlag. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/233730