The Acquisition of Aspect and Modality: The Case of Past Reference in Turkish

by Ayhan Aksu-Koç

• ISBN13: 9780521024013
• ISBN10: 0521024013
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-02-13
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Aksu-KoÝ'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 psycholinguists on the interrelationship between language and cognitive development. Turkish, in its grammar, makes a clear distinction between direct and indirect experience, separating personal observation of processes from both inference and narrative. This distinction thus provides an ideal method of observing linguistic and neurolinguistic conceptual development. Aksu-KoÝ exploits this technique to its full advantage in a study conducted across a wide range of ages. The data are meticulously analyzed and the theoretical implications for a neo-Piagetian paradigm are carefully considered.

Table of Contents

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.