David Stringer

Meet the Faculty

Assistant Professor, Second Language Studies
Associate Member, Cognitive Science Program
Associate Member, East Asian Studies Center

Education

Ph.D. 2005. Linguistics, University of Durham, UK
M.A. 1998. Language Acquisition, University of Durham, UK
B.A. Hons. 1991. Hispanic Studies, University of Manchester, UK

Contact Information

e-mail: ds6@indiana.edu
office: Memorial Hall 310
phone: (812) 855-5992

Research Interests

First and second language acquisition; L2 syntax and morphology; lexical and conceptual semantics

Personal Statement

My research deals primarily with how children and adults acquire the mappings between the semantics of words and the syntax of sentences, as they are exposed to their first language and then subsequent languages. I pursue a generative syntactic approach to the relationship between lexical meaning and grammar, while drawing on insights from other research traditions such as cognitive linguistics and conceptual semantics.

My current projects are largely concerned with the linguistic realization of motion events, and how mismatches between the first and second language representations of spatial predicates can create problems for second language acquisition. Contrary to neo-constructionist approaches to motion events, which argue that crosslinguistic differences are syntactic in nature, I am investigating the extent to which languages have a shared syntax of motion events, with the lexicon as the locus of language variation in this domain.

I am also pursuing collaborative research with Kathleen Bardovi-Harllig in the area of second language attrition. We have developed a model for longitudinal assessment in order to identify which aspects of linguistic knowledge and performance are more vulnerable during periods of disuse. In this model, populations are defined as sets of variables which are subject to change following shifts in discrete time periods (e.g. periods of formal instruction, overseas residence, or reduced input). It is hoped that empirical investigations on the basis of this framework will result in more targeted pedagogical materials to promote the retention of second language knowledge.

Another current research topic is the development of World Englishes as viewed from the linguistic perspective of second language studies, especially second language varieties of English undergoing standardization in postcolonial societies.

More generally, my research interests extend to all formal aspects of first and second language acquisition.

Courses Recently Taught

At IU Bloomington (2006~)

S511: Second Language Syntax

S531: Child Second Language Development

S532: Models of Second Language Acquisition

S622: World Englishes

S600: Topics in SLS: L2 Lexical Semantics

S690: Independent Readings in Second Language Studies:

The PP domain in SLA: Prepositions, postpositions and particles

T101: Writing English Sentences

T501: Academic Writing for International Graduate Students

At Mie University Japan (2002-2006)

First Language Acquisition

Second Language Acquisition

Acquisition of the Lexicon

Acquisition of Morphology

Sociolinguistics of World Englishes

Introduction to Semantics

Introduction to Linguistics

Language and Politics

English Academic Writing

English Conversation

Publications

Stringer, D. (under review). Motion Events in Child Language: Universal Grammar and Lexical Relativity. (Book manuscript)

Stringer, D. (under review). Phonomimesis and directional predication in the acquisition of L1 Japanese and L2 English. Japanese and Korean Linguistics 18.

Stringer, D. Burghardt, B., Seo, H.K., and Wang, Y-T. (under review). Straight on through to Universal Grammar: Spatial modifiers in second language acquisition. Second Language Research.

Stringer, D. (under review). The gloss trap. In Z-H Han and T. Cadierno (eds.), Linguistic Relativity in Second Language Acquisition. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Stringer, D. (in press). The lexical interface in L1 acquisition: What children have to say about radical concept nativism. First Language.

Bardovi-Harlig, K. & Stringer, D. (in press). Variables in Second Language Attrition: Advancing the State of the Art. Studies in Second Language Acquisition. References

Stringer, D., Burghardt, B., Seo, H.K. & Wang, Y-T. (2009). L2 acquisition of P-modifiers: Fine-tuning the linguistic expression of trajectories. In J. Chandlee, M. Franchini, S. Lord, & M. Rheiner (Eds.), BUCLD 33: Proceedings supplement of the 33rd annual Boston University Conference on Language Development: 1-13.

Stringer, D. (2008). What else transfers? In R. Slabakova, J. Rothman, P. Kempchinsky and E. Gavruseva (eds.), GASLA 9: Proceedings of the 9^th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Conference, 233-241. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla.

Stringer, D. (2007). Motion events in L2 acquisition: A lexicalist account. In H. Caunt-Nulton, S. Kulatilake and IH. Woo (eds.), BUCLD 31: Proceedings of the 31st annual Boston University Conference on Language Development, Vol. II: 585-596. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla.

Stringer, D. (2007). Extending the PP hierarchy: The role of bare nominals in spatial predication. In T. Scheffler, J. Tauberer, A. Eliam, and L. Mayol (eds.), Penn Working Papers in Linguistics (PWPL) Vol.13.1: Proceedings of the 30th Annual Penn Linguistics Colloquium: 379-392.

Stringer, D. (2006). Coming and Going, Toing and Froing: VP/PP Parallels in L1 Acquisition. In Y. Ostu (ed.), Proceedings of the Seventh Tokyo Conference on Psycholinguistics, 247-271. Tokyo: Hitsuji Shobo.

Stringer, D. (2006). Lexical mismatches as a source of errors in comparative linguistic analysis. Philologia 37: 137-160.

Stringer, D. (2006). The development of PATHS: Spatial complexity and the multiple predicate strategy. In S. Unsworth, T. Parodi, A. Sorace, and M. Young-Scholten (eds.), Paths of Development in L1 and L2 Acquisition, 135-160. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Stringer, D. (2006). Typological tendencies and universal grammar in the acquisition of adpositions. In P. Saint-Dizier (ed.), Syntax and Semantics of Prepositions, 57-68. Dordrecht: Springer.

Hattori, N., S. Ayano, D. Herrick, D. Stringer and K. Sugisaki (2006). Topics in Child Japanese. In Y. Ostu (ed.), Proceedings of the Seventh Tokyo Conference on Psycholinguistics, 103-119. Tokyo: Hitsuji Shobo.

Stringer, D. (2005). Children’s structuring of motion events: Syntactic universals and lexical variation. In Y. Ostu (ed.), Proceedings of the Sixth Tokyo Conference on Psycholinguistics, 319-343. Tokyo: Hitsuji Shobo.

Stringer, D. (2005). Paths in First Language Acquisition: Motion through Space in English, French and Japanese. Doctoral dissertation, University of Durham.

Stringer, D. (2003). Acquisitional evidence for a universal syntax of PP. In P. Saint-Dizier (ed.), Proceedings of the ACL-SIGSEM Workshop on The Linguistic Dimensions of Prepositions and their Use in Computational Linguistics Formalisms and Applications, 44-55. Toulouse: IRIT.

Stringer, D. (2003). Splitting the conceptual atom: Acquisitional evidence for semantic decomposition. Durham Working Papers in Linguistics9: 81-94.

Stringer, D. (2002). Predication of path in French and Japanese. Durham Working Papers in Linguistics, 8: 153-166.

Stringer, D. (2002). The syntax of paths and boundaries. In M. Andronis, C. Ball, H. Elston and S. Neuvel (eds.), CLS 37: The Panels. Papers from the 37th Meeting of the Chicago Linguistics Society, Vol. 2: 139-154.

Stringer, D. (2001). Syntactic and conceptual mechanisms in argument selection. Durham Working Papers in Linguistics, 7: 111-125.

Stringer, D. (2000). ‘Ground rules’: Locative verbs in first language acquisition. Newcastle and Durham Working Papers in Linguistics, 6: 145-157.

Stringer, D. (1998). Semantic Conflation in the Acquisition of Locative Verbs: Theoretical Investigations and Empirical Evidence. MA dissertation, University of Durham.