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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 an 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.
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Understanding Complex Sentences Native Speaker Variation in Syntactic Competence Ngoni Chipere Understanding Complex Sentences Understanding Complex Sentences Native Speaker Variation in Syntactic Competence Ngoni Chipere © Ngoni Chipere 2003 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2003 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 0–333–98639–3 hard back This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Chipere, Ngoni, 1965– Understanding complex sentences : native speaker variation in syntactic competence / Ngoni Chipere. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–333–98639–3 1. Grammar, Comparative and general—Syntax. 2. Psycholinguistics. 3. Language and languages—Variation. I. Title. P295.C485 2003 415—dc21 2003042939 10 9 12 11 8 10 7 09 6 5 08 07 4 06 3 05 2 04 1 03 Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne I dedicate this book to my parents – Benjamin Nyikadzino and Mary Virginia Chipere. Contents List of Figures xiii List of Tables xiv Preface xv Acknowledgements xvi 1 Introduction 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1 Rule-based and experience-based approaches The dual nature of linguistic cognition Ericsson and Kintsch’s theory Saussure’s theory Implications Graph theory Summary 2 Finite State and Generative Models 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The experience-based approach 2.2.1 Background to Hockett 2.2.2 The finite state model 2.3 The rule-based approach 2.3.1 Background to Chomsky 2.3.2 The generative model 2.4 Descriptive limitations of each ap