Insa Gülzow Livres

The book addresses a controversial current topic in language acquisition studies: the impact of frequency on linguistic structure in child language. A major strength of the book is that the role of input frequency in the acquisition process is evaluated in a large variety of languages, topics and the two major theoretical frameworks: UG-based and usage-based accounts. While most papers report a clear frequency effect, different factors that may be interacting with pure statistical effects are critically assessed. An introductory statement is made by Thomas Roeper who calls for caution as he identifies frequency as a non-coherent concept and argues for a precise definition of what can and cannot be explained by statistical effects.

Insa Gülzow investigates how children acquiring German or English as their first language learn to use intensifiers. Through a comparative analysis of intensifiers and related expressions in both languages, she examines longitudinal production data from six German-speaking and six English-speaking children, focusing on when and in what contexts the German intensifiers selbst/selber and the English x-self (myself, yourself, etc.) emerge. Intensifiers play a crucial role in structuring early discourse by allowing children to position themselves as central participants. The ability to express inclusion or exclusion in various situations is vital during interactions with parents and peers. As children develop, they acquire linguistic and non-linguistic skills that enhance their independence and competence, with intensifiers serving as key tools for negotiating their roles in events. The volume is divided into three parts: the first provides a detailed analysis of selbst/selber and x-self, highlighting the distinction between intensifiers and reflexive pronouns in English and German; the second reviews comprehension studies to connect findings with longitudinal production data; and the third analyzes children's early use of intensifiers and related expressions.

Das Buch erzählt von mutigen Einzelpersonen, die durch ihre Entscheidungen die Geschichte beeinflussten. Es werden bekannte Heldinnen wie Harriet Tubman und Malala Yousafzai sowie weniger bekannte Figuren wie dänische Fischer vorgestellt, die Zivilcourage zeigten und für Menschlichkeit eintraten, oft gegen Anordnungen und Gesetze.