Longman Dictionary of

PE2379 ch05.qxd 24/1/02 16:06 Page 420
pro
This term is used in GOVERNMENT/BINDING THEORY when discussing
embedded sentences with infinitives, e.g.
aI wanted to leave
bI wanted Anita to leave
c It is time to leave
The proposed D-STRUCTURE for these sentences would be
dI wanted [PRO to leave]
e I wanted Anita [PRO to leave]
f It is time [PRO to leave]
In d and e the element PRO behaves like an anaphor. In d it refers to I
and in e it refers to Anita. In f PRO does not behave like an anaphor but
more like a pronoun referring to someone or some people outside the sentence
(see BINDING PRINCIPLE).
pro n
also little pro
This term is used in GOVERNMENT/BINDING THEORY when discussing
declarative sentences which do not have an overt subject (see PRO-DROP
PARAMETER).
proactive inhibition n
also proactive interference
the interfering effect of earlier learning on later learning. For example, if
a learner first learns how to produce questions which require AUXILIARY
VERB inversion (e.g. I can go Can I go?) this may interfere with the learning
of patterns where auxiliary inversion is not required. The learner may
write *I don’t know where can I find it instead of I don’t know where I
can find it. By contrast, retroactive inhibition/interference is the effect of
later learning on earlier learning. For example, children learning English
may learn irregular past-tense forms such as went, saw. Later, when they
begin to learn the regular -ed past-tense inflection, they may stop using
went and saw and produce *goed and *seed.
problematize v
see DECONSTRUCT
problem-posing n
a teaching strategy first developed by the Brazilian educator, Paolo Friere
and sometimes used in second language teaching and having the following
characteristics:
1A topic of concern or interest to students is identified. It should pose a
problem for which there are several possible solutions.
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