Endri Shqerra > Quotes

“(Is) Euroepan Identity: The Death of National Era?”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“Eurobarometer 38 [1992, 45] reported that 23% of Europeans believed at the time that national identities would disappear and would be replaced by European identity, whereas 63% believed that the two identities are compatible and can co-exist.”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“According to the study of Euroakademia [2012] “Europe cores the highest in the level of cosmopolitan identity… That is why it is so important to consider cosmopolitanism in the study of European supranational identities”.”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“Displaying the key elements of L1 and L2 acquisition, O’Neill, R. (1998) assesses that acquiring L2 as children acquire their L1 is a “wishful thinking and… based on a profound misconception about the nature of L2 learning - just as it is a misconception about how L1 acquisition occurs”. Hereinafter, O’Neill, R. (1998) maintains that “the best way to explore the differences between the two processes is to view them side-by-side – in parallel”.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“European Identity is a western European continental sense of belonging to a European community. It is post-national identity combined with national elements whose evolution requires a constitution to serve as a social contract which will make Europeans loyal to the constitution.”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“L2 Learners are (55%) affected by their target language and (35%) by their mother tongue. There are both the target language and Morphological Translation Equivalence that pair affixes of the two languages share with each other which enhance the Semantic Transparency of affixes”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“It is the shared identity that democratic countries possess which reduces the likelihood of war between them.”
― Endri Shqerra

“Formal Simplicity: This principle stands for complex words with simple combination of morphemes (car-smoke, wagon-puller) (Clark & Berman, 1984, 548). Derived words, in which affixation causes no shift in stress, are also acquired early by preschool age children (e. g. Neutral suffixed words).”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“Comparing Patty’s results with those of Tyler & Nagy (1989), Lardiere, D. (2006) notes that Patty’s Knowledge of Syntactic Properties of English Suffixes (as demonstrated by Patty’s scores in the nonce-words test) is higher than that of eighth grade English children, while, on the other hand, her ability to choose the proper real-derived word which suits the given syntactic context (as demonstrated by Patty’s scores in the real-word items test), equalizes that of sixth grade English children.
Such results divulge hat there is a disparity between L1 and L2 acquisition of Syntactic Properties of Suffixes.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“The annual rate of vocabulary growth is high to early school age English children. From Anglin (1993, 62) data we may appraise that first to third grade English children acquire 3,000 words per year, and that fourth to fifth grade English children acquire 10,000 words per year. We may assess that the early school years mark a rapid development in English children’s vocabulary.
There is word-formation knowledge which assists early school age English children in such rapid enlargement of their vocabulary (Fowler, et. al., 2003; Nagy & Anderson 1984; Nagy, 1984; White, et. al., 1989; Kuo & Anderson, 2006). Calculating the number of members for each word family present in the textbooks used in elementary schools, Nagy & Anderson (1984, 20) expose that there are 6.88 members for each word family. Reasonably, Nagy (1988, 46) concludes that “there is no doubt that skilled word learners use context and their knowledge of prefixes, roots, and suffixes to deal effectively with new words”.
Certainly such high vocabulary growth is of great interest in L2 acquisition, though, it has been estimated that only the most advanced L2 learners acquire 3,000 words a year. The fourth chapter offers suggestion over the way advanced L2 learners’ acquisition of word-formation devices of their target language may be improved. Doing so, the chapter uses inferences drawn from both L1 and L2 acquisition.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“Eurobarometer 38 survey indicates [1992, 45], in 1992 23% of Europeans believed that the European identity will replace the existing national identities of EU member-states. To date, though, this has not happened, but why not, perhaps a stronger European identity in the near future may partially replace national identities.”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“Globalization and Cosmopolitanism, as we shall also demonstrate in chapter 3, erode national identities and nationalism and result in the creation of a global culture and cosmopolitan identity. Thus, a new identity emerges which differs from national identities. This cosmopolitan identity created by cosmopolitan factors is very important in maintaining peace in the world. It creates a shared identity for all nations. As a result, the formation of “we” the citizens of the world reduces the likelihood of war and increases the international cooperation [Rousseau and Veen 2005, 686] Shared identity possessed by democratic countries may even be the third causal mechanism, after similar norms and structures, in the “democratic peace theory” [2005, 688]. It is the shared identity that democratic countries possess which reduces the likelihood of war between them.”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“The founding fathers of the European Union did not hesitate to speak about their aim, i.e. a European Federation. In 1950, in the establishment of the “Steel and Coal Community”, they suggested that economic interdependence associated with the establishment of a High Authority would lead to a European Federation. Robert Schuman (1886-1963), a Frenchman born in Luxemburg, deeply influenced by his background in the French-German border and a first-hand witness of the calamities of ethnic divisions effected by World War II, through his internationally renowned Schuman Plan (May 09, 1950) deservedly considered amongst the founding fathers of the EU, seemed to be precisely aware of where this endeavour would eventually lead to: “The pooling of coal and steel production will immediately assure the establishment of common bases for economic development as a first step for the European Federation… By pooling basic industrial production and setting-up a new High Authority whose decisions will be binding on France, Germany and other member countries, these proposals will bring to reality the first solid groundwork for a European Federation vital to the preservation of world peace” [Schuman, R. 1950, 1]. In the establishment of the ‘Coal and Steel Community’, Schuman appreciated that the High Authority would function “as a first (mean) for the European Federation” [1950, 1].”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“Alike preschool age Polish children, preschool age Albanian children are presumed to acquire mostly complex words formed according to productive word-formation rules and patterns (i. e., derived words) of their L1 during their preschool age. When enter school, their lexicon is presumed to be enriched mostly by complex words formed according to less productive word-formation rules and patterns (i. e., compound words) of their L1. Even, they are presumed to have acquired most of their L1 derivatives by the fifth grade.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“Knowing root words is a perquisite for L2 learners in recognizing the semantic relationship that words belonging to a word family share with each other. It also assists them in detecting L2 affixes and in acquiring analytically L2 complex words. Presenting a multi-morphemic word to pre-intermediate L2 learners whose root they are not aware of – as pre-intermediate textbooks do - is pointless.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“Subsequently, there exists a civic European demos in political/legal terms, which, alike the European identity, is complementary to the national demos of EU member states.”
― Endri Shqerra

“Denying Cross-linguistic Influence, Communicative Approaches seem to surmise that, as in L1 acquisition, L2 word-formation morphemes possessing Semantic Transparency and Productivity will be acquired early by pre intermediate L2 learners, and even may be the sole morpheme pre intermediate L2 learners acquire; which, as we shall demonstrate, is not necessarily the case for pre intermediate L2 learners.
A second assumption we deduce from Communicative Approaches is that, as in L1 acquisition, L2 learners will show a similar sensitivity for L2 productive word-formation rules and patterns (e. g. noun-noun compounds, compounding in general etc.) with that of English children acquiring their L1; which, as we shall argue below, is not in all occasions true for pre intermediate L2 learners.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“The post-national character of the European identity alongside cosmopolitanism and globalization are gradually eroding national identities of EU member states. Notwithstanding, national identities in the EU are still strong, as the European identity shall not supersede them, since their compatibility enables their symbiosis and parallel development.”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“identities nowadays are dynamic and shift together with peoples’ loyalty and economic incentives. Such a shift has been facilitated by peoples’ multiple identities and loyalties. Thus, EU’s single market and political unity consequently influence the adaption of the European identity as a collective identity of the European political community. The role of new developments in information and transportation technology to this end is indispensable in making communication between cultures possible thereby eroding bases on which national identities were once constructed. Nationalism is declining, opening thus the way to European identity and even to a world cosmopolitan identity.”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“Knowledge of Lexical Semantic Relationship: represents children’s ability in recognizing that two words share a common word base.In other words, it symbolizes children’s ability in recognizing the semantic relationship that words belonging to a word family share (e. g. argue, argument).
The result of our tests seem to argue that there is no difference in the Knowledge of Lexical Semantic Relationship both English and Albanian pupils possess”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“The Communicative Approaches (the focus on meaning approaches) uphold that adults acquire their L2 through “subconscious learning process that allow them to pick up language ‘naturally’, as in the first language acquisition’’ (Markee 1996, 25). According to this view, the mastery of grammar (i. e. word-formation devices) comes naturally, through extended exposure to the target language (L2), similar to the way children become aware of word-formation’s devices of their mother tongue (L1).
In contrast, Ullman, M. T. (2001, 1) upholds that “linguistic forms whose grammatical computation depends upon procedural memory in L1 are posited to be largely dependent upon declarative/lexical memory in L2”. In short, L2 learners have a limited acquisition capacity of linguistic forms (word-formation rules) compared to native children (Clahsen 2006; Ullman, M. T. 2001). The implication here is that L2 learners acquire L2 complex words as a unit rather than analytically.
Yet, there is Cross-linguistic influence which affects L2 learners’ linguistic development and performance. Though, Cross-linguistic influence is both positively and negatively. Pre intermediate L2 learners are assisted by positive Cross-linguistic influence in their acquisition of L2 word-formation devices. On the other hand, Cross-linguistic influence diverts L2 learners from the natural order of acquiring L2 word-formation devices; impeding them in attaining an early native-like manifestation of their target language.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“Lardiere, D. (2006) conducted Tyler & Nagy’s (1989) test to Patty; a Chinese speaking who has obtained master degree in USA Universities and has reached near native-like competence in English. In her test Lardiere, D. (2006) analyzed Patty’s Knowledge of Syntactic Properties of English Suffixes, i. e., Patty’s ability to recognize the part of speech of the derivatives by their suffixes (e. g. aggressive and workable are adjectives).
Comparing Patty’s results with those of Tyler & Nagy (1989), Lardiere, D. (2006) notes that Patty’s Knowledge of Syntactic Properties of English Suffixes (as demonstrated by Patty’s scores in the nonce-words test) is higher than that of eighth grade English children, while, on the other hand, her ability to choose the proper real-derived word which suits the given syntactic context (as demonstrated by Patty’s scores in the real-word items test), equalizes that of sixth grade English children.
Apparently, there is Morphological Translation Equivalence that pair derivatives and suffixes of the two languages share with each other which has enhanced Patty’s Knowledge of Syntactic Properties of L2 suffixes, even though her ability in choosing the proper derivational form which suits the given syntactic context has remained equal to that of sixth grade native children. Hence, the variation between L1 and L2 acquisition of Syntactic Properties of Suffixes is caused by L1 influence.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“Smith [1991] admits that for Europe - whose nations had a common origin too - this was a new form of nationalism. Napoleon used common origin in the consolidation of the French nation. Nazis further deepened the argument on common origin by manipulating and transforming common origin into the superiority of the Aryan race which should also be kept clean. Doing so, they added a second doze to the consolidation of their national identity. Two forms of nationalism, which independently could arise national feelings and even equate the nation with the religion, would lead to stronger emotional appeal and to what Hayes (2016) calls a substitution of religion by nationalism.”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“Hence, L2 learners easily detect the L2 stem when its counterpart is a stem in pupils L1, or, in other words, when the counterpart of the L2 derived word is a derived word in pupils’ L1 which L2 learners can decompose.
We may also uphold that the transfer of decomposition capability of L1 derivatives to L2 derivatives is more evident when the pair derivatives of the two languages share Morphological Translation Equivalence (i. e., when the pair roots and affixes of the two languages share Translation Equivalence and the same rule for their combinations applies in both languages). On the other hand, L2 learners are presumed to be less likely to decompose the L2 derivative when its counterpart is not a derived word in pupils’ L1.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“(Is) European Identity: The Newly European Demos?”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“Morphemes’ order stipulated by Extended Level Ordering, as we shall also demonstrate in this book, corresponds with the order morphemes and word-formation rules are acquired by English children. Inflection morphemes are acquired first by English children, and even before word-formation morphemes. Root compounds are also the complex words acquired early by preschool age English children (Anglin, 1993; Berko, 1958). Level 2 affixes (e. g., Neutral suffixes) are also acquired by English children during their preschool age (Tyler & Nagy, 1989); though less than compound words. Morphemes and word-formation rules belonging in Level 4 (e. g., Non-neutral suffixes) are acquired last.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“L2 learners do not naturally acquire L2 productivity. Perhaps - in addition to their incapability to unconsciously acquire their L2 linguistic rules - there is their arbitrary, or rather their nonnative-like acquisition of L2 productive morphemes and productive word-formation rules, which impede them from attaining an early native-like manifestation of their target language, even if they may possess a larger vocabulary compared to pre school age native children.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“Vassallo [2007, 4] attributes the failure of the constitution in France to the long time between the announcement of the referendum and the voting, which gave time to the Opposition party to organize itself, presenting the European Constitution as conflicting national interests thereby turning it to a matter of high domestic politics. [Vassallo, F. 2007, 4]. The “No” camp (the opposition party) managed to shift the loyalty of the people who identified themselves first on national bases and then as Europeans. Their shift in loyalty, which affected their voting behavior, happened for reasons of national interest. “About one third of the voters cast their vote because of their general opinion on the social and economic situation in France” [Vassallo, F. 2007, 5].”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?

“Semantic Transparency of L2 word-formation morphemes is enhanced by L2 itself (i. e., by Semantic Transparency, Formal Simplicity and Productivity degree they own in pupils’ L2), and, second, by Orthographic & Phonological Overlap and/or by the degree of Morphological Translation Equivalence they share with their counterparts in pupils’ L1.”
― Endri Shqerra, Acquisition of Word Formation Devices in First & Second Languages: Morphological Cross-linguistic Influence

“Though a constitution was not yet reality at the time, we can say that there were these post-national elements like civic rights and duties which enabled for the first time the emergence of the Swiss identity and nation approximately five centuries after this community was first created in the 13th century.”
― Endri Shqerra, European Identity: The Death of National Era?