Russian Aspect: From Theory to Pedagogy Laura A. Janda Universitetet i Tromsø laura.janda@hum.uit.no John Korba University of North Carolina korba@email.unc.edu

Some of the great advantages of Cognitive Linguistics are that… It is based on general cognitive capacities (embodied experience, metaphor) It does not require mastery of a theoretical/terminological artifice This makes it possible to take the results of scholarly research and translate them into pedagogical materials (cf. Janda & Clancy 2002, 2006)

Interplay between theory and pedagogy A theoretical model is developed to account for a linguistic phenomenon The model is extended to apply to an entire subsystem in a language and present it to learners The extended model reveals new research opportunities and amendments to theoretical model Comparison with theoretical model suggests further pedagogical strategies

Overview What is the cluster model of Russian aspect? Metaphorically motivated implicational hierarchy Advantages over “pair” model Cluster databases Linguistic database Pedagogical database Implications for pedagogy Online resource Suggested teaching strategies and materials Further implications Type & token frequency Entrenchment

The cluster model of Russian aspect An extension of the pair model Four types of Perfectives Natural Perfective (NP): написать, сыграть Specialized Perfective (SP): переписать, выиграть Secondary Imperfective: переписывать, выигрывать Complex Act Perfective (CA): пописать, поиграть, почихать Single Act Perfective (SA): чихнуть

1. The cluster model of Russian aspect Metaphorical motivations A completable activity is travel to a destination Natural Perfective: написать, сыграть Specialized Perfective: переписать, выиграть A non-completable activity is motion without a destination Complex Act Perfective: пописать, поиграть, почихать A granular activity is made up of individual cycles Single Act Perfective: чихнуть

1. The cluster model of Russian aspect The Implicational Hierarchy: A>(NP/SP)>CA>SA Activity щипатьi ‘pinch/pluck’ > (Natural/Specialized Perfective) о(б)щипатьp ‘pinch/pluck’/выщипатьp ‘pluck out’ > Complex Act пощипатьp ‘pinch/pluck a while’ > Single Act щипнутьp ‘pinch/pluck once’

1. The cluster model of Russian aspect Implicational hierarchy accounts for 12 cluster structures: A+NP (key #1) A+NP+SP (key #2) A+NP+SP+CA (key #3) A+NP+SP+CA+SA (key #4) A A+CA A+CA+SA A+SP A+SP+CA A+SP+CA+SA A+NP+CA A+NP+CA+SA One more cluster type exists, but is rare: NP (perfectiva tantum)

1. The cluster model of Russian aspect Advantages of cluster model Gives more information than pair model alone Makes it possible to expect and interpret many more verbs, including ones often not listed in dictionaries Integrates aspectual “anomalies” such as bi-aspectual verbs and motion verbs Not really any harder to learn

2. Cluster databases Linguistic database 306 clusters Multiply stratified sample Fully represents all non-productive verb classes Samples of all productive verb classes

2. Cluster databases Pedagogical database 266 clusters Based on verbal lexicon of Nachalo and V puti All clusters based on verbs with high token frequency; very little representation of verbs with low type frequency

Linguistic Database Pedagogical Database A+NP+SP+CA (key cluster 3) 18.3% A+NP (key cluster 1) 36.1% A+NP+SP (key cluster 2) 18% 19.5% A+SP+CA 16.7% 13.2% A+NP+SP+CA+SA (key cluster 4) 10.5% 6.8% 8.8% A+CA 5.3% A+CAP 8.5% A+SP 4.9% A+SP+CA+SA 7.5% A+NP+CA 4.1% A+CA+SA 5% A 2.3% 3.8% 1.1% 2% 0.8% A+NP+CA+SA 0.3% NP 0.4% 0%

3. Implications for pedagogy Online resource: http://hum.uit.no/lajanda/clusterfrontpage.html Suggested teaching strategies Option A: Gradual build-up of clusters Option B: Clusters based on motion verbs Suggested teaching materials See exercises on handout

4. Further implications Type & token frequency Entrenchment

Bibliography Isačenko, A. V. Grammatičeskij stroj russkogo jazyka v sopostavlenii s slovackim – Čast’ vtoraja: morfologija. Bratislava: Izdatel’stvo akademii nauk, 1960. Janda, Laura A. “A User-friendly Conceptualization of Aspect”, Slavic and East European Journal 47 (2003): 251–281. Janda, Laura A. “Aspectual clusters of Russian verbs”, Studies in Language 31:3 (2007), 607-648. Janda, Laura A. “What makes Russian Bi-aspectual verbs special”, to appear in: Dagmar Divjak and Agata Kochanska, eds. Slavic Contributions to Cognitive Linguistics. Cognitive Linguistics Research. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. Forthcoming. Janda, Laura A. and John J. Korba. “Beyond the pair: Aspectual clusters for learners of Russian” Forthcoming. (Provisionally accepted for Slavic and East European Journal). Kagan, Olga and Frank Miller. V puti: Russian Grammar in Context. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1996. Lubensky, Sophia et al. Nachalo, book 1 & 2. McGraw Hill, 2002. Sasse, Hans-Jürgen. 2002. Recent activity in the theory of aspect: Accomplishments, achievements, or just non-progressive state? Linguistic Typology 6, 199-271. Tatevosov, Sergej.“The parameter of actionality”. Linguistic Typology 6 (2002): 317-401.