Teaching Constructions in the Language Classroom: Hungarian Modal Existential wh-constructions

Abstract

This paper investigates the teaching of constructions (Goldberg 2006) through the example of the Hungarian modal existential wh-construction (MEC). After describing the schematic MEC for form and function, we present corpus data from Old to Modern Hungarian to show how the frequency and productivity of the construction increased over time, and how the pattern became associated with particular lexical expressions. Our analysis shows that while the abstract MEC-template associated with a general default meaning is highly productive, lexically, and grammatically fixed MEC-expressions are associated with distinct meanings, and they display a higher degree of invariability. Based on this, we propose to place various MECs along a scale of idiomaticity (Michaelis 2017) – arguing that in language teaching, all MEC-types must be paid attention to. Finally, we suggest ideas for the teaching of various MEC-constructions in the language classroom with the help of corpora and follow-up activities.