The expression of certainty and uncertainty in Italian speaking children
Epistemic modality expresses the speaker’s attitude of certainty/uncertainty toward the fact/event mentioned in the proposition. In conversation, the use of epistemic modality informs the listener on how much s/he should rely on the pieceof information offered. Languages express epistemic modality i...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Bologna
2014-04-01
|
| Series: | Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://rpd.unibo.it/article/view/4294 |
| _version_ | 1818982306745942016 |
|---|---|
| author | Maria Silvia Barbieri |
| author_facet | Maria Silvia Barbieri |
| author_sort | Maria Silvia Barbieri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Epistemic modality expresses the speaker’s attitude of certainty/uncertainty toward the fact/event mentioned in the proposition. In conversation, the use of epistemic modality informs the listener on how much s/he should rely on the pieceof information offered. Languages express epistemic modality in many ways. In the Italian language epistemic modality is expressed by the modal verbs dovere “must” and potere “may”, “can”, but also by other grammatical devices: nouns e.g. possibilità “possibility”, adjectives e.g. possibile “possible”, adverbs e.g. possibilmente “possibly”, forse “perhaps”. Though children’s use of modal verbs has been the most extensively investigated issue in the study of modality acquisition, modal verbs may not be the most frequently used linguistic means. This study investigates the elicited production of expressions of certainty/uncertainty in typically developing Italian children. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T17:45:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-df3b9ec51ae4464f8f14276ed1be0b39 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1970-2221 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T17:45:07Z |
| publishDate | 2014-04-01 |
| publisher | University of Bologna |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica |
| spelling | doaj.art-df3b9ec51ae4464f8f14276ed1be0b392022-12-21T19:31:01ZengUniversity of BolognaRicerche di Pedagogia e Didattica1970-22212014-04-019111513510.6092/issn.1970-2221/42943962The expression of certainty and uncertainty in Italian speaking childrenMaria Silvia BarbieriEpistemic modality expresses the speaker’s attitude of certainty/uncertainty toward the fact/event mentioned in the proposition. In conversation, the use of epistemic modality informs the listener on how much s/he should rely on the pieceof information offered. Languages express epistemic modality in many ways. In the Italian language epistemic modality is expressed by the modal verbs dovere “must” and potere “may”, “can”, but also by other grammatical devices: nouns e.g. possibilità “possibility”, adjectives e.g. possibile “possible”, adverbs e.g. possibilmente “possibly”, forse “perhaps”. Though children’s use of modal verbs has been the most extensively investigated issue in the study of modality acquisition, modal verbs may not be the most frequently used linguistic means. This study investigates the elicited production of expressions of certainty/uncertainty in typically developing Italian children.http://rpd.unibo.it/article/view/4294language developmentpragmatic developmentmodality acquisitionepistemic modality |
| spellingShingle | Maria Silvia Barbieri The expression of certainty and uncertainty in Italian speaking children Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica language development pragmatic development modality acquisition epistemic modality |
| title | The expression of certainty and uncertainty in Italian speaking children |
| title_full | The expression of certainty and uncertainty in Italian speaking children |
| title_fullStr | The expression of certainty and uncertainty in Italian speaking children |
| title_full_unstemmed | The expression of certainty and uncertainty in Italian speaking children |
| title_short | The expression of certainty and uncertainty in Italian speaking children |
| title_sort | expression of certainty and uncertainty in italian speaking children |
| topic | language development pragmatic development modality acquisition epistemic modality |
| url | http://rpd.unibo.it/article/view/4294 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariasilviabarbieri theexpressionofcertaintyanduncertaintyinitalianspeakingchildren AT mariasilviabarbieri expressionofcertaintyanduncertaintyinitalianspeakingchildren |