Exploring the Translatability of Emotions: Cross-Cultural and Transdisciplinary Encounters ed. by Susan Petrilli and Meng Ji (review)

Abstract

rules or rules of thumb rather than (formal) rules that actually exist in the mental grammar of speakers. This leads to the conclusion that intransitivization with se does not need the concepts of verber and verbed. A simple rule using the traditional semantic roles and concepts is enough to explain intransitivization and replacement with se. For example, we can say that “in a transitive sentence, the participant that is more like an agent or a causer is the subject, and this participant is the one that is replaced by se.” In addition, while the author emphasizes throughout the book that se intransitivization applies to all cases, there are a few functions of se that do not seem to receive a plausible explanation through intransitivization. For example, while the author recognizes that in a sentence such as Ella se bebió el café, se contributes a meaning of telicity, the argument seems to be made that there is also intransitivization. However, it does not seem credible that the subject (Ella) is being replaced by se in sentences of this type. This book will be of particular interest to teachers and learners of Spanish, as well as linguists interested in second language acquisition or second language teaching. It can be a good source of information and examples that can serve as the basis for a debate on how to define and use semantic roles in language teaching and learning. Carlos Benavides University of Massachusetts Dartmouth