Research unit for French, Italian and Comparative Linguistics - FRANITALCO

Research

The research unit brings together those members of the Linguistics Department (Leuven and Courtrai) who dedicate their work to theoretical or applied research in the field of French, Italian and/or Comparative Linguistics.

French and Italian are research objects in their full right. However, comparative research between the Romance languages also belongs to the priorities of the research unit, as does contrastive linguistics on French and Dutch. The research unit does both synchronic and diachronic research.

All linguistic components are covered, viz. phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. For French, one should add natural language processing and historical linguistics.

Theoretical research is devoted in particular to grammaticalization theory and construction grammar, and to the history of linguistics. Applied linguistics regards first and foremost the teaching of French as a foreign language (FLE), and Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL).

Although most scholars are active in more than one field, each domain is represented by one or two coordinating staff members.

• 1. French Linguistics
• 1.1 Phonetics and prosody
• 1.2 Syntax and semantics
• 1.3 Lexicon and morphology
• 1.4 History of the French language
• 1.5 History of French linguistics
• 1.6 Natural language processing
• 1.7 Computer-Assisted Language Learning
• 2. Italian Linguistics
• 2.1 Syntax
• 2.2 History of Italian Linguistics
• 2.3 Sociolinguistics

1. French Linguistics

1.1 Phonetics and prosody (coord. P. Mertens)

Research on spoken French focusses on the analysis of prosody in speech corpora, both interviews and spontaneous speech. As for other languages, the intonation of French consists of a limited set of pitch contours, which are used systematically in speech. The research questions are: (a) what are the pitch contours of French, (b) which are their audible and acoustic characteristics, (c) how may they be combined within an utterance, (d) what is the relation between the prosody of an utterance and its syntactic structure. The latter point automatically leads to a syntactic analysis of spoken French, applied to speech corpora.

In order to work with objective, verifyable data, the corpus analysis uses an automatic transcription of prosodic features (Prosogram). This research re-uses existing speech corpora; they are enriched by additional annotation. New corpora of spoken French are created to meet specific needs.

1.2 Syntax and semantics (coord. B. Lamiroy, L. Melis)

Research topics:

• Valency (B. Lamiroy, P. Lauwers, L. Melis, P. Mertens)
• Comparative study of Romance languages :
• Grammaticalization theory (B. Lamiroy, K. Van Goethem) ;
• Information structure and syntax (K. Lahousse)
• Adjectival constructions and construction grammar (P. Lauwers) ;
• Word order : dislocation, cleft sentences, existential sentences and subject inversion (K. Lahousse) ;
• Topicalisation markers (T. Velghe);
• Contrastive linguistics French-Dutch :
• A grammar of Dutch for French native speakers (K. Lahousse, P. Lauwers, B. Lamiroy, G. Vanderbauwhede, K. Van Goethem) ;
• NP : determiners (G. Vanderbauwhede, P. Desmet, P. Lauwers) ;
• VP : the "subjonctif" (P. Van Keirsbilk, P. Desmet, P. Lauwers).

1.3 Lexicon and morphology (coord. B. Lamiroy, P. Swiggers)

Research topics:

• French idioms: project on "expressions idiomatiques du français de France, comparé au français de Belgique, du Canada et de la Suisse" (BFQS) (B. Lamiroy);
• Verbal morphology of Romance languages, in particular with regard to infixes (B. Lamiroy, C. Meul, P. Swiggers);
• Metalexicography, terminography and etymology (P. Swiggers):
• Theoretical approach of metalexicography (in collaboration with G. Petrequin, ATILF-Nancy);
• Metalexicographic analysis of bilingual dictionaries (French-Dutch; French-Spanish; Spanish-Dutch);
• Lexicography and etymology (in collaboration with ATILF-Nancy);
• Applications of terminography on linguistic terminology.

1.4 History of French (coord. M. Goyens)

Research in the field of French diachronic linguistics is concentrated on language change in the field of syntax, lexicology and semantics. Special attention is paid to translation as a witness to language change. The following themes are currently focused:

• historical syntax: the evolution of nominal constituents and determiners, connectors and verbal constructions;
• medieval translation strategies, and more generally the linguistic features of translation (T. Swaenepoel);
• historical sociolinguistics: the language use and the perception of French and Dutch in medieval Flanders (C. Peersman);
• historical lexicography: the development of scientific terminology in French, in collaboration with the Aristoteles Latinus (Institute of Philosophy) (E. Dévière, I. Van Tricht).

1.5 History of French linguistics (coord. P. Swiggers)

Examen de l'évolution de la grammaticographie et de la linguistique française (et romane), depuis les origines jusqu'à l'époque contemporaine.

Principaux thèmes de recherche :

• l'évolution du système des parties du discours ;
• l'évolution du modèle historico-comparatif (depuis le 16e siècle) ;
• l'évolution des théories morphologiques et syntaxiques au 19e et au 20e siècle ;
• conceptions théoriques en linguistique diachronique ;
• métahistoriographie (méthodologie et épistémologie de l’historiographie linguistique).

1.6 Natural language processing (coord. P. Mertens)

This research aims at the construction and use of software, computer systems and lexical databases for automatic analysis and synthesis of French, both in texts and in speech, in a declarative, rule-based framework.

The following programs, modules and systems have been built:

• lemmatisation, morphological analysis and generation ;
• syntax parsers (in particular for dependency grammars) ;
• tagging;
• grapheme-to-phone conversion; syllable segmentation of phonetic transcription;
• text-to-speech synthesis; prosody generation and synthesis of prosody in speech;
• automatic transcription of prosody using Prosogram;
• collocation analysis;
• software for corpus consultation using Internet (applied to Elicop corpus).

Lexical databases containing morphological and syntactic information play a central role in this declarative approach. This explains the creation of morphological databases for French (Morlex) and of a valency dictionary Dicovalence, specifying valency of verbs in French.

1.7 Computer-Assisted Language Learning (coord. P. Desmet)

This main focus of this research is how to create effective electronic language learning environments. In many of the running projects French is the language studied. For this line of research our research unit takes part in the research group itec (www.kuleuven-kortrijk.be/itec), based at K.U.Leuven KULAK and focussing on educational technology across disciplines.

Research topics:

• Adaptive language learning system through the analysis of tracking & logging data (M. Vandewaetere, K. Wauters, A. Soylu);
• Mobile language learning (M. Montero Perez) ;
• Serious gaming for language learning (F. Cornillie);
• Corpus CALL and parallel corpora (H. Paulussen);
• Electronic language learning environments based on authentic audiovisual materials (B. Louwagie, A.-S. Noreillie);
• Effectiveness of grammar checkers & writing aids (B. O’Regan).

2. Italian Linguistics (coord. S. Marzo)

2.1 Syntax (coord. S. Marzo)

Descriptive Italian linguistics with focus on syntax and the tension between usage and norm in modern Italian, especially regarding to written language. Research topics include: the passive voice, the infinitive constructions, the verbal moods, the factual and modal verbs, the elision and the clitic pronouns.

2.2 History of Italian linguistics (coord. S. Marzo)

• historical research on Italian grammars from the XVIth century onwards: origin and evolution of the Italian grammars and their role in the Italian questione della lingua. Research on the bilingual edition of Acarisio’s grammar (Leuven, 1555) and on the first Italian grammar for a Dutch speaking audience by L. Meijer (Amsterdam, 1672)
• the first Italian grammars in the Low Countries (evolution of grammatical categories, terminography, terminology) (S. Szoc, P. Swiggers).

2.3 Sociolinguistics (coord. S. Marzo)

Langage change and language variation:

• the language of Italian migrants in Belgium: a.o. influences of Dutch and of Italian substandard varieties, impact of social factors on language variation, questions regarding language maintenance and language loss;
• language code in migrant literature;
• youth language, sms language.

Projects

A. Running Projects

French Linguistics: Syntax and Semantics

• Topicalisation markers in French (project sponsored by the Flemisch Science Foundation : FWO G.0632.09, B. Lamiroy, director, P. Mertens and K. Lahousse, co-directors) ;
• Tournesol Project: scientific cooperation between the Flemish Community (Vlaamse Gemeenschap) and the French CNRS (Laboratoire LATTICE, Paris 3): comparative study of topic marking in French and Dutch (B. Lamiroy, director).

French Linguistics: Lexicon and Morphology

• BFQS project: study of Belgian French for the development of an on-line dictionary of French idioms from Belgium (B), France (F), Québec (Q) and Switzerland (S) (B. Lamiroy, director).

French Linguistics: Diachrony

• Science in Text and Context. The Development of French Medical Terminology in Evrart de Conty's Problemes against the Background of Medieval Medical Discourse. (OT/10/23; promoter: M. Goyens; co-promoter: P. De Leemans, Institute for Medieval and Renaissance studies);
• Diachronex. Supporting material with diachronic linguistics courses (Didactic project on diachronic linguistics, H. Cuyckens, promoter, M. Goyens, co-promoter).

History of French linguistics

• Participation in the DFG project (with Romanisches Seminar, Univ. Göttingen): "Grammatikographie des Französischen zwischen Maas und Rhein";
• Participation in the NSF/NEH project (USA) “Collected Works of Edward Sapir” (P. Swiggers: edition of CWES, vol. I & II);
• Participation in the project of the University of Granada (Junta de Andalucía) on language teaching and language description in Andalucia ;

French Linguistics: Computer-Assisted Language Learning

• IBBT-project LLINGO: Language Learning in an interactive game environment (P. Desmet and itec colleagues)
• IBBT-project MAPLE: Mobile, Adaptive & Personalised Learning Experience (P. Desmet and itec colleagues);
• IOF-Kennisplatform (Industrial Research Fund – Knowledge Platform): Harnessing collective intelligence in order to make e-learning environments adaptive (P. Desmet and itec colleagues);
• Dutch Parallel Corpus (P. Desmet);
• Cobalt: COmmunication et Brassage culturel à travers l’Apprentissage des Langues et des Technologies (P. Desmet);
• "Savoirs numériques 5962" : plateforme d’apprentissage des langues du Conseil régional Nord-Pas-de-Calais (P. Desmet);
• Language portal. An electronic exercise and test environment for bachelorstudents in language & literature (D. Vandebosch, P. Desmet, F. Truyen, L. Van der Stockt);
• CLARIN: Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure (I. Schuurman, P. Desmet, H. Paulussen);
• Survey on Language Competences in Flanders. (R. Janssen, P. Desmet, S. Gielen, L. Heyvaert, P. Lauwers);
• Periodic evaluation of the mastery of standards for French in secondary school (third degree) in Flanders (R. Janssen, P. Desmet).

B. Recent Projects

French Linguistics: Syntax and Semantics

• A Grammar of Dutch for French native speakers [ project sponsored by the Research Council of the KULeuven OT/97/09 and OT/02/20, and by the Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union, The Hague)].

French Linguistics: Diachrony

• La traduction des traités de biologie au moyen âge : étude comparative des traducteurs et de leurs stratégies dans la langue des savants et dans la langue populaire [OT/01/06, octobre 2001 - septembre 2005];
• De la langue source à la langue cible au moyen âge: l’expression du mouvement et du changement dans les traductions médiévales des Problèmes d’Aristote [FWO: G.0110.03; janvier 2002 - décembre 2006];
• La science en texte et contexte. Les traductions médiévales des Problemata d’Aristote et le développement et positionnement du vocabulaire médical [OT/05/15; octobre 2005 - septembre 2009].

French Linguistics: Computer-Assisted Language Learning

• An electronic learning grammar (Alfagram);
• Interactive learning and testing environments on frequent errors by speakers of Dutch learning French (Vous dites?!, B. Lamiroy & P. Desmet) and on lexical problems (Alfaflex);
• A learning environment on writing (Discours-parcours);
• Electronic tests for French (Lingu@flex, OBPWO)
• Integrated language learning environments (multimedia language center K.U.Leuven KULAK, BLCC-project on Commercial French);
• IDIOMA-TIC (II) – creation and implementation of knowledge oriented language tasks through an authoring tool for e-learning [Flemish Min. of Education, ‘Convenantmiddelen’, Jan. 2003 – Oct. 2005];
• Integration of IDIOMA-TIC in Toledo [OOP, Jan. 2005 – Febr. 2006];
• "Integrated Language Learning Environment" pour des professionnels [LRD, sept 2002 – oktober 2005];
• Periodic evaluation of the mastery of standards for French in primary school and in secondary school (first degree) in Flanders.

Doctoral theses

Current Ph. D. students

• Tom Velghe (K. Lahousse, P. Mertens)
• Tine Swaenepoel (M. Goyens)
• Sara Szoc (S. Marzo, P. Swiggers)
• Dimitrios Kotsifas (P. Mertens)
• Pascale Van Keirseblick (P. Desmet)
• Frederik Cornillie (P. Desmet)
• Maribel Montero Perez (P. Desmet)
• Brendan O’Regan (P. Desmet)
• Nico Lioce (P. Swiggers)
• Ildiko Van Tricht (M. Goyens)
• Tom Velghe (K. Lahousse & P. Mertens)

Recent Ph. D. Theses

2012

• Soylu, A., De Causmaecker, P. (sup.), Duval, E. (sup.), Desmet, P. (sup.) (2012). Exploiting metadata, ontologies and semantics to design/enhance new end-user experiences for adaptive pervasive computing environments., 222 pp.
• Wauters, K., Van Den Noortgate, W. (sup.), Desmet, P. (cosup.) (2012). Adaptive item sequencing in item-based learning environments, 249 pp.

2011

• Vandewaetere, M., Clarebout, G. (sup.), Desmet, P. (cosup.) (2011). Learner control for adaptive learning: The importance of learners' perceptions, 268 pp.
• Claire Meul (B. Lamiroy, P. Swiggers)
• Gudrun Vanderbauwhede (P. Desmet, P. Lauwers)

2009

• Ana Drobnjakovic (dir. B. Lamiroy)
• Catharina Peersman (dir. M. Goyens)
• Elisabeth Devière (dir. M. Goyens)

2008

• Annelies Bloem (dir. M. Goyens)
• Toon Van Hal (dir. P. Swiggers)

2007

• Liesbeth Mortier (dir. B. Lamiroy, L. Melis)
• Frédéric Pain (dir. P. Swiggers)

2006

• Kristel Van Goethem (dir. L. Melis, B. Lamiroy)
• Alexander Loengarov (dir. B. Lamiroy, P. Swiggers)
• Stefania Marzo (dir. S. Vanvolsem)
• Ann Bertels (dir. D. Geeraerts, B. Lamiroy)

2005

• Paul Sambre (dir. L. Melis)
• Stijn Verleyen (dir. P. Desmet, P. Swiggers)