Speakers and learners, based on memory and experience, implicitly know that certain language elements naturally pair together. However, they also understand, through abstract and frequency-independent categories, why some combinations are possible and others are not. The frequency-grammar interface (FGI) bridges these two types of information in human cognition. Due to this interface, the sediment of statistical calculations over the order, distribution, and associations of items (the regularities) and the computation over the abstract principles that allow these items to join together (the rules) are brought together in a speaker’s competence, feeding into one another and eventually becoming superposed. In this volume, it is argued that a specific subset of both first and second language grammar (termed ‘combinatorial grammar’) is both innate and learned. While not derived from language usage, combinatorial grammar is continuously recalibrated by usage throughout a speaker’s life. In the domain of combinatorial grammar, both generative and usage-based theories are correct, each shedding light on just one component of the two that are necessary for any language to function: rules and regularities.

Speakers and learners implicitly know that certain language elements naturally pair together based on memory and experience. But they also know, through abstract and frequency-independent categories, why some combinations are possible and others are not. The frequency-grammar interface (FGI) bridges these two types of information in human cognition. Because of this interface, the sediment of a statistical calculation over the order, distribution, and associations of items (the regularities) and the computation over the abstract principles that allow these items to join together (the rules) are brought together in a speaker's competence, then feed into one another, and become superposed. In this volume, it is argued that a specific aspect of both first and second language grammar (termed 'combinatorial grammar') is both innate and learned. While this aspect is not derived solely from language practice, it is continuously recalibrated by usage throughout a speaker's life. In the domain of combinatorial grammar, both generative and usage-based theories can shed light on these issues.

A mainstay of functional linguistics has been the claim that linguistic elements and patterns that are frequently used in discourse become conventionalized as grammar. This book addresses the two issues that are basic to this claim: first, the question of what types of elements are frequently used in discourse and second, the question of how frequency of use affects cognitive representations. Reporting on evidence from natural conversation, diachronic change, variability, child language acquisition and psycholinguistic experimentation the original articles in this book support two major principles. First, the content of people’s interactions consists of a preponderance of subjective, evaluative statements, dominated by the use of pronouns, copulas and intransitive clauses. Second, the frequency with which certain items and strings of items are used has a profound influence on the way language is broken up into chunks in memory storage, the way such chunks are related to other stored material and the ease with which they are accessed to produce new utterances.

The book Multimedia for Accessible Human Computer Interfaces is to be the first resource to provide in-depth coverage on topical areas of multimedia computing (images, video, audio, speech, haptics, VR/AR, etc.) for accessible and inclusive human computer interfaces. Topics are grouped into thematic areas spanning the human senses: Vision, Hearing, Touch, as well as Multimodal applications. Each chapter is written by different multimedia researchers to provide complementary and multidisciplinary perspectives. Unlike other related books, which focus on guidelines for designing accessible interfaces, or are dated in their coverage of cutting edge multimedia technologies, Multimedia for Accessible Human Computer Interfaces takes an application-oriented approach to present a tour of how the field of multimedia is advancing access to human computer interfaces for individuals with disabilities. Under Theme 1 “Vision-based Technologies for Accessible Human Computer Interfaces”, multimedia technologies to enhance access to interfaces through vision will be presented including: “A Framework for Gaze-contingent Interfaces”, “Sign Language Recognition”, “Fusion-based Image Enhancement and its Applications in Mobile Devices”, and “Open-domain Textual Question Answering Systems”. Under Theme 2 “Auditory Technologies for Accessible Human Computer Interfaces”, multimedia technologies to enhance access to interfaces through hearing will be presented including: “Speech Recognition for Individuals with Voice Disorders” and “Socially Assistive Robots for Storytelling and Other Activities to Support Aging in Place”. Under Theme 3 “Haptic Technologies for Accessible Human Computer Interfaces”, multimedia technologies to enhance access to interfaces through haptics will be presented including: “Accessible Smart Coaching Technologies Inspired by Elderly Requisites” and “Haptic Mediators for Remote Interpersonal Communication”. Under Theme 4 “Multimodal Technologies for Accessible Human Computer Interfaces”, multimedia technologies to enhance access to interfaces through multiple modalities will be presented including: “Human-Machine Interfaces for Socially Connected Devices: From Smart Households to Smart Cities” and “Enhancing Situational Awareness and Kinesthetic Assistance for Clinicians via Augmented-Reality and Haptic Shared-Control Technologies”.

The role of phonetic detail within the language system and its interplay with other kinds of linguistic information represent a hotly debated territory. In the current volume, different types of phonetic nuances are examined with a particular focus on their relation to phonological, morphological, and semantic/pragmatic phenomena. These three interfaces - the phonetic-phonological, the phonetic-morphological, and the phonetic-semantic/pragmatic one - are investigated from a variety of angles and by consistently taking the rapport between phonetics and phonology into consideration. In doing so, we provide an up-to-date picture of research dealing with the interaction of distinct linguistic areas, and also discuss the question if and when phonology is needed to mediate between phonetics and other linguistic domains.

Different components of grammar interact in non-trivial ways. It has been under debate what the actual range of interaction is and how we can most appropriately represent this in grammatical theory. The volume provides a general overview of various topics in the linguistics of Romance languages by examining them through the interaction of grammatical components and functions as a state-of-the-art report, but at the same time as a manual of Romance languages.

This volume showcases studies that recognize and provide evidence for the inseparability of lexis and grammar. The contributors explore in what ways these two areas, often treated separately in linguistic theory and description, form an organic whole. The papers in Section I (Setting the Scene) introduce some of the key methodological approaches and theoretical positions at the lexis-grammar interface, while Section II (Considering the Particulars) contains papers that report on case studies and show concrete applications of the central methods and theories. Exploring the Lexis-Grammar Interface is a stimulating collection of papers for anyone who wishes to learn more about and get fresh state-of-the-art perspectives on language patterning.

This book addresses the key role of phraseology in second language acquisition and instruction. It is divided into three main sections: Extracting and Describing Phraseological Units investigates the role played by native and learner corpora in the extraction and description of multiword units, two initial and crucial steps in informing language pedagogy; Learning Phraseological Units deals with the learning aspect, an oft-neglected yet essential dimension of phraseology in second/foreign language pedagogy, this section also addresses issues in new literacies; and Recording and Exploiting Phraseological Units focuses on pedagogical tools, notably monolingual and bilingual dictionaries and textbooks. This stimulating collection presents cutting edge research in the field and identifies major avenues for future theoretical and applied work. It is of particular relevance to researchers and teachers interested in the patterned nature of language.

This volume provides a broad coverage of the intersection of sociolinguistic variation and language acquisition. Favoured by the current scientific context where interdisciplinarity is particularly encouraged, the chapters bring to light the complementarity between the social and cognitive approaches to language acquisition. The book integrates sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic issues by bringing together scholars who have been developing conceptions of language acquisition across the lifespan that take into account language-internal and cross-linguistic variation in contexts of both first and second language acquisition as well as of first and second dialect acquisition. The volume brings together theoretical and empirical research and provides an excellent basis for scholars and students wanting to delve into the social and cognitive dimensions of both the production and perception of sociolinguistic variation. The book enables the reader to understand, on the one hand, how variation is acquired in childhood or at a later stage and, on the other, how perception and production feed into one another, thus building up our understanding of the social meanings underpinning language variation.

Portuguese-Spanish Interfaces captures the diversity of encounters that these languages have known and explores their relevance for current linguistic theories. The book focuses on dimensions along which Portuguese and Spanish can be fruitfully compared and highlights the theoretical value of exploring points of interaction between closely related varieties. It is unprecedented in its scope and unique in bringing together leading experts in a systematic study of similarities and differences between both languages. The authors explore the common boundaries of these languages within current theoretical frameworks, in an effort to combine scholarship that analyzes Portuguese and Spanish from multiple subfields of linguistics. The volume compares structures from both synchronic and diachronic points of view, addressing a range of issues pertaining to variability, acquisition, contact, and the formation of new languages. While it provides an up-to-date resource for scholars in the field, it can also be a useful companion for advanced students.