Future Directions in Formulaic Language Research

Research tends to go in cycles of innovation,consolidation and confirmation,then reflection.Formulaic language research seems currently to be moving into a reflective phase,offering considerable potential for new ideas feeding the next round of innovation.Research into formulaic language goes back 150 years at least,with several strands developing somewhat independently,including patterns in native language (including first language acquisition),language disorders and second language learning.My own work was an attempt to identify a single explanation that accounted for them all.New technologies now provide additional ways to explore and evaluate the evidence,most notably through corpus linguistics,and eye and brain activity monitoring.Five key claims,all with potential implications for L2 research and teaching,indicate the scope for future research:1.Although we talk of an 'idiomatic' nativelike way of speaking,in fact there is considerable variation in what is idiomatic:what should be taught? 2.The acquisition of idiomaticity is driven by the need to belong and survive:can this be replicated in the classroom? 3.Although formulaic language seems to reduce the speaker' s processing,the hearer' s processing may be the more important consideration:does 'accommodation' affect the learner's experience adversely? 4.Corpus linguistics forces a careful evaluation of the true role of frequency in idiomaticity:are materials writers beguiled by corpus data? 5.We cannot consider formulaic language patterns independently of knowing the purpose of the text in which they occur,including its genre:are L2 teaching materials broad enough?There are key opportunities for researchers in China to exploit aspects of the Chinese writing system and approach to education,to answer questions that cannot be easily answered in the west.Issues include the role of memorisation in language learning,the role of literacy in our perception of linguistic units,and the universality of patterns in acquired language disorders.

Use of Geomatic Approaches to Characterize Arqa River Basin: A Typical Coastal Lebanese River

Water resources in Lebanon are one of the major threatened natural resources, since they spread on different geographic locations creating a network of permanent and temporary watercourses that govern the socio-economy and livelihood. However, lately, these watercourses, and certainly the rivers and streams, are witnessing unfavorable impacts that make them with less benefit and use. In addition, most of the Lebanese river basins have not been characterized due to the newly physical challenges of climate change and the human interference. Hence, characterization of the Lebanese river basins must be obtained in order to monitor the changing of physical and anthropogenic parameters. This can help for better conservation and adaptation approaches, notably for climate change. Arqa River, a coastal Lebanese river in North Lebanon is a typical example. In this study, Arqa River basin and the occupied streams among it have been studied using new advanced geomatic techniques. These techniques are based on the treatment of digital geo-spatial data in systematic approaches. ArcGIS is the software which is used to elaborate and manipulate (data interrelation, measures, overlapping, ordering, etc.) the geo-spatial data. Thus, the geometric and morphometric analysis were obtained for the river catchment and the existing tributaries. This will be a primary tool for further applications including water resources management in the river system. This can be utilized in the execution of dams, mountain lakes, man-made channels and in mapping flood-prone areas. In addition, the obtained characterization of this basin will be helpful in mapping erosion processes and estimation of the infiltration capacity, plus monitoring surface water flow. It is a typical approach of analysis that can be applied for the rest of Lebanese river systems in order to attain a better water resources management. This study shows that the use of geomatic techniques is a very helpful tool in the study of basins morphometry, and it can give valuable measures which cannot be applicable by conventional tools of analysis. In addition, it serves in reducing time of analysis with least cost, as well as it can cover rugged and remote areas.

Children＇s Expression of Voluntary Motion Events in English and Chinese

尽管人类对空间的认知可能具有一定的普遍性,但人类对同一空间事件的表达却因为语言的差异而千差万别。本研究旨在探讨英汉儿童如何表达基于动画的自主性运动事件。我们发现英语及汉语在空间表达上的类型学差异制约着儿童在小句层面上惯于表达的信息成分的类型及数量。汉语儿童在空间表达上的语句比同龄英语儿童的语句具有更高的信息密度,并且差异显著。这主要是因为汉语中的动词复合形式极大地促进了多重语义成分在同一小句中的同时体现。另外,英语儿童在3至5岁之间经历了空间表达方式上的重要发展,而相比之下汉语儿童的空间表达从3岁起就展现出了一些与成人的空间表达极为相似的特征。本研究揭示了语言独特性因素在语言习得中所起的重要作用。

作为跨话语实践的翻译（英文）

本文基于翻译研究的文化转向与批评话语分析的相关理论,将翻译理解为一种跨话语实践,也就是说,翻译是将源话语挪移到另一社会、文化与政治语境中进行重新表征,以生产目标话语的行为。从这样的视角出发,我们凸显出翻译中不同来源意识形态的接触与互动以及译者所肩负的文化政治任务。这要求译者在原文理解过程中展开面向翻译的批评话语分析,进而准备译文书写。最后,文章提出处理相应译文生产的三种翻译策略,即非批评性翻译、中性化翻译与激进性翻译,后两者也可合称为批评性翻译。