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Discussion published In:
Review of Cognitive Linguistics
Vol. 21:2 (2023) ► pp.576–595
Interview

Reflections on the study of language

An interview with Robert D. Van Valin, Jr.

ORCID logo | University of Manchester
ORCID logo | York University

This article reports an interview with Robert D. Van Valin, Jr., which was held on March 2, 2023, with follow-up e-mail exchanges. Robert Van Valin is the primary developer of Role and Reference Grammar (RRG), a syntactic theory whose principles and commitments intersect with those of Cognitive Linguistics (CL). The article discusses RRG vis-à-vis CL and other approaches to the study of language. It aims to raise awareness about the shared principles of RRG and CL, to enhance cross-fertilization between the two approaches and ultimately inspire new research directions in linguistic theory. The paper is organized into three main parts: (i) background information on the birth and development of RRG, (ii) general principles and commitments of RRG and CL, and (iii) specific issues in the study of language.

Keywords: syntactic theory, the lexicon, linguistic constructions, Role and Reference Grammar, Cognitive Linguistics, Computational Linguistics
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Interview:
    • 1.Background: The birth and development of Role and Reference Grammar
    • 2.General principles and commitments of CL and RRG
      • 2.1Cognitive Commitment
      • 2.2Generalization Commitment
    • 3.Specific issues in the study of language
      • 3.1Usage-based analysis
      • 3.2Meaning-centered theories
      • 3.3Lexicon vs. Grammar
      • 3.4Constructions
      • 3.5Computational Linguistics
      • 3.6Future directions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 27 November 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/rcl.00166.ben
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