A Study of Nominal Predicate Sentences Under the Framework of Cognitive Grammar

Cognitive grammar,as a linguistic theory that attaches importance to the relationship between language and thinking,provides us with a more comprehensive way to understand the structure,semantics and cognitive processing of noun predicate sentences.Therefore,under the framework of cognitive grammar,this paper tries to analyze the semantic connection and cognitive process in noun predicate sentences from the semantic perspective and the method of example theory,and discusses the motivation of the formation of this construction,so as to provide references for in-depth analysis of the cognitive laws behind noun predicate sentences.

Functional and cognitive grammars

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the functional approach and cognitive approach to the nature of language and its relation to other aspects of human cognition.The paper starts with a brief discussion of the origins and the core tenets of the two approaches in Section 1.Section 2 discusses the similarities and differences between the three full-fledged structural functional grammars subsumed in the functional approach:Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar(SFG),Dik's Functional Grammar(FG),and Van Valin's Role and Reference Grammar(RRG).Section 3 deals with the major features of the three cognitive frameworks:Langacker's Cognitive Grammar(CG),Goldberg's Cognitive Construction Grammar(CCG),and Croft's Radical Construction Grammar(RCG).Section 4 compares the two approaches and attempts to provide a unified functional-cognitive grammar.In the last section,the author concludes the paper with remarks on the unidirectional shift from functional grammar to cognitive grammar that may indicate a reinterpretation of the traditional relationship between functional and cognitive models of grammar.

From Theoretical Grammar to Grammatical Competence:An Empirical Study

In China,English teachers usually take a three-step approach to grammar teaching,namely,the presentation—practice—production principle(3P Principle).This method consists of both“morphology”and“syntax.”It adopts the traditional mode of grammar teaching,including knowledge presentation,grammar exercises,and grammatical competence production,which will inevitably lead to time consumption and low efficiency in grammar learning.This study is about cultivating English majors'grammatical competence through the theoretical mode of grammar teaching.The research results show that the theoretical mode of grammar teaching helps cultivate learners'grammatical competence.

Making Meaning through Prepositions:A Model for Teacher Trainees

This paper proposes a cognitive-semiotic model for teaching English prepositions within teacher training programs.The model is presented as a three-session grammar module that involves 1)creating an environment for the learners to see prepositional polysemy as multiple ways of viewing Trajector(TR)-Landmark(LM)spatial configurations(Tyler&Evans,2003,2005)and 2)guiding them to make meaning through prepositions in the context of Radden and Dirven’s(2007)event schemas.This is a simplex to complex inventory of constructions for talking about world events(i.e.the material,psychological and force-dynamic world events)that can be presented as manipulations of a basic TR-LM spatial configuration.Such a module is useful for native and non-native English teacher trainees alike considering that it allows for covering prepositional polysemy and use in a systematically graded manner,a manner that may help teacher trainees to learn to prepare conceptually-linked,graded materials for teaching prepositions to EFL(English as a foreign language)learners.