>
> In trying to master a foreing language, a native American/English
> speaker undoubtedly will experience considerable difficulty learning the
> several varients of TO BE (as in Italian, STARE and ESSERE), and will fare far
> worse with the subjunctive conjugations. We simply cannot make the easy
> transition from the certainties of IS to the completely different mood MIGHT
> BE. "I hope that he HAS arrived," in contrast to the subjunctive, "I hope that
> he MIGHT HAVE arrived," where, in the user of the foreign language clearly
> distinguishes the two moods by using very different verbs.
>
> If we "think" in constructivist frameworks, we should find ourselves
> using language which expresses tentativeness as we frame our observations.
>
> Any comment???
> Jim Mancuso
>
Jim -
I was wondering if you are aware of any ways that this reflects the
psychology of the people who use language this way? I am of the group
that believes that the way people use language determines much about the
way they think. Any comments that you would care to make would be of
interest to me.
Jack Gerber
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%