Research in Education


Book Description




Radical Construction Grammar


Book Description

This book is based on the results of research in language typology, and motivated by the need for a theory to explain them. Croft proposes intimate links between syntactic and semantic structures, and argues that the basic elements of any language are not syntactic but rather syntactic-semantic "Gestalts." He puts forward a new approach to syntactic representation and a new model of how language and languages work.










Constructions in Spanish


Book Description

Constructions in Spanish is the first book-length English-language volume in the field of usage-based and Cognitive Construction Grammar dedicated exclusively to Spanish. The contributions investigate a wide range of constructions from both a synchronic and a diachronic perspective, cutting across morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. The constructionist perspective is also linked to comparative and typological research, to language learning and teaching and to multi-modal discourse analysis. The volume aims both at increasing the visibility of constructionist approaches to Spanish, and at offering data and analyses of Spanish for scholars working on constructional analyses of other languages. The volume thus addresses both scholars in Spanish and Romance linguistics, as it builds connections between more traditional approaches and constructionist approaches, and construction grammarians generally, especially scholars interested in comparative work.




Idolatry and the Construction of the Spanish Empire


Book Description

An ethnohistory on the spiritual and governmental conquest of the indigenous people in colonial Mexico, Idolatry and the Construction of the Spanish Empire examines the role played by the shifting concept of idolatry in the conquest of the Americas, as well as its relation to the subsequent construction of imperial power and hegemony. Contrasting readings of evangelization plays and chronicles from the Indies and legislation and literature produced in Spain, author Mina García Soormally places theoretical analysis of state formation in Colonial Latin America within the historical context. The conquest of America was presented, in its first instances, as a virtual extension of the Reconquista, which had taken place in Spain since 711, during which Spaniards fought to build an empire based in part on religious discrimination. The fight against the “heathens” (Moors and Jews) provided the experience and mindset to practice the repression of the other, making Spain a cultural laboratory that was transported across the Atlantic Ocean. Idolatry and the Construction of the Spanish Empire is a wide-ranging explication of religious orthodoxy and unorthodoxy during Spain’s medieval and early modern period as they relate to idolatry, with analysis of events that occurred on both sides of the Atlantic. The book contributes to the growing field of transatlantic studies and explores the redefinition that took place in Europe and in the colonies.







Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies


Book Description

The construction materials industry is a major user of the world’s resources. While enormous progress has been made towards sustainability, the scope and opportunities for improvements are significant. To further the effort for sustainable development, a conference on Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies was held at Coventry University, Coventry, U.K., from June 11th - 13th, 2007, to highlight case studies and research on new and innovative ways of achieving sustainability of construction materials and technologies. This book presents selected, important contributions made at the conference. Over 190 papers from over 45 countries were accepted for presentation at the conference, of which approximately 100 selected papers are published in this book. The rest of the papers are published in two supplementary books. Topics covered in this book include: sustainable alternatives to natural sand, stone, and Portland cement in concrete; sustainable use of recyclable resources such as fly ash, ground municipal waste slag, pozzolan, rice-husk ash, silica fume, gypsum plasterboard (drywall), and lime in construction; sustainable mortar, concrete, bricks, blocks, and backfill; the economics and environmental impact of sustainable materials and structures; use of construction and demolition wastes, and organic materials (straw bale, hemp, etc.) in construction; sustainable use of soil, timber, and wood products; and related sustainable construction and rehabilitation technologies.