The Fundamentally Simple Logic of Language: Learning a Second Language with the Tools of the Native Speaker presents a data-driven approach to understanding how native speakers do not use subject and direct object to process language. Native speakers know who does what in a sentence by applying intuitively two simple inferences that are argued to be part of universal grammar. The book explains and exemplifies these two inferences throughout. These two inferences explain the native speaker's ease of acquisition and use, and answer difficult questions for linguistics (transitivity, case, semantic roles) in such a way that undergraduate students and second language learners can understand these concepts and apply them to their own language acquisition. While Spanish is used as the primary example, the theory can be applied to many other languages. This book will appeal to teachers and learners of any second language, as well as linguists interested in second language acquisition, in second language teaching, and in argument structure.

Examining four dichotomies in Spanish, this book shows how to reduce the six to ten rules common in textbooks for each contrast to a single binary distinction. That distinction is a form of totality vs. part, easier to see in some of the dichotomies, but present in all of them. Every chapter is example-driven, and many of those examples come from writing by students. Readers can test out for themselves the explanation at work in the examples provided. Then, those examples are explained step by step. In addition to examples from writing by college students, there are examples from RAE (Real Academia Espanola), from scholars, from writers, from Corpes XXI (RAE), from the Centro Virtual Cervantes, and from the Internet. Many of those examples are presented to the reader as exercises, and answers are provided. This book was written for teachers of Spanish as a second language (L2) and for minors or majors of Spanish as an L2. It will also benefit teachers and learners of other L2s with some of these dichotomies.

Provides a fresh, simpler, and novel approach to understanding and teaching the use of the intransitivizing se. One simple rule that allows learners to intuitively understand and use reflexive sentences. Contains sample exercises for students at all levels. Can be applied in teaching and learning any second language.

The Fundamentally Simple Logic of Language: Learning a Second Language with the Tools of the Native Speaker presents a data-driven approach to understanding how native speakers do not use subject and direct object to process language. Native speakers know who does what in a sentence by applying intuitively two simple inferences that are argued to be part of universal grammar. The book explains and exemplifies these two inferences throughout. These two inferences explain the native speaker's ease of acquisition and use, and answer difficult questions for linguistics (transitivity, case, semantic roles) in such a way that undergraduate students and second language learners can understand these concepts and apply them to their own language acquisition. While Spanish is used as the primary example, the theory can be applied to many other languages. This book will appeal to teachers and learners of any second language, as well as linguists interested in second language acquisition, in second language teaching, and in argument structure.

Examining four dichotomies in Spanish, this book shows how to reduce the six to ten rules common in textbooks for each contrast to a single binary distinction. That distinction is a form of totality vs. part, easier to see in some of the dichotomies, but present in all of them. Every chapter is example-driven, and many of those examples come from writing by students. Readers can test out for themselves the explanation at work in the examples provided. Then, those examples are explained step by step. In addition to examples from writing by college students, there are examples from RAE (Real Academia Espanola), from scholars, from writers, from Corpes XXI (RAE), from the Centro Virtual Cervantes, and from the Internet. Many of those examples are presented to the reader as exercises, and answers are provided. This book was written for teachers of Spanish as a second language (L2) and for minors or majors of Spanish as an L2. It will also benefit teachers and learners of other L2s with some of these dichotomies.

Como entender y como ensenar por y para explora muchos de los problemas que los profesores/as encuentran cuando ensenan el uso de estas dos preposiciones. Este libro proporciona un marco de referencia para la comprension de las sutilezas entre las dos preposiciones, de manera que los profesores/as podran ayudarles a los estudiantes a aproximarse a la manera como los hablantes nativos/as escogen intuitivamente cual usar en cualquier situacion. Este libro muestra con ejemplos de cuatro autores/as distintos que una regla de punto final intencional (destino, fecha limite, meta, objetivo, proposito, recipiente o uso) explica el 95% de los usos de para. Trescientos ejemplos de Corpes XXI y otros 262 ejemplos de tres novelas distintas muestran que dos reglas (causa e intervalo de espacio/de tiempo) explican el 80% de los usos de por. En este libro no se ejemplifican las reglas; mas bien, se formulan desde abajo las reglas necesarias para explicar mas de 600 ejemplos autenticos de por o para de novelas y de Corpes XXI. Disenado para los profesores/as de espanol como segunda lengua, el procedimiento de construccion de las reglas delineado en el libro mejorara la manera como se les ensenara a los estudiantes por y para. Ademas, las conexiones hechas a traves del libro serviran como un modelo para entender mejor otras dicotomias de la gramatica del espanol.

Como entender y como ensenar por y para explora muchos de los problemas que los profesores/as encuentran cuando ensenan el uso de estas dos preposiciones. Este libro proporciona un marco de referencia para la comprension de las sutilezas entre las dos preposiciones, de manera que los profesores/as podran ayudarles a los estudiantes a aproximarse a la manera como los hablantes nativos/as escogen intuitivamente cual usar en cualquier situacion. Este libro muestra con ejemplos de cuatro autores/as distintos que una regla de punto final intencional (destino, fecha limite, meta, objetivo, proposito, recipiente o uso) explica el 95% de los usos de para. Trescientos ejemplos de Corpes XXI y otros 262 ejemplos de tres novelas distintas muestran que dos reglas (causa e intervalo de espacio/de tiempo) explican el 80% de los usos de por. En este libro no se ejemplifican las reglas; mas bien, se formulan desde abajo las reglas necesarias para explicar mas de 600 ejemplos autenticos de por o para de novelas y de Corpes XXI. Disenado para los profesores/as de espanol como segunda lengua, el procedimiento de construccion de las reglas delineado en el libro mejorara la manera como se les ensenara a los estudiantes por y para. Ademas, las conexiones hechas a traves del libro serviran como un modelo para entender mejor otras dicotomias de la gramatica del espanol.