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Shehata, Asmaa K. "L₁ influence on the reception and production of collocations by advanced ESL/EFL Arabic learners of English." Ohio : Ohio University, 2008. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1218237449.
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Amarius, Sebastian, and Oliver Fredriksson. "Digital games and collocations : A study of the relationship between L2 learners' gaming habits and knowledge of collocations." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Akademin för lärande, humaniora och samhälle, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-44779.
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Digital games are often considered a pastime activity with little to no real or tangible benefits. This, however, is contrary to studies on the usefulness of digital games in second language (L2) learning. There are several aspects of L2 learning that are affected positively by gaming, as well as other extramural English (EE) activities. One of these aspects is vocabulary, which has been proven to be substantially improved by gaming through incidental learning. Collocations are often referred to as word pairs that co-occur more frequently than any other two words. The definition of a collocation is a contested subject, making research and theories around collocations widespread and varied depending on what definition a given author subscribes to. In the present study Howarth’s (1996) definition of collocations has been used. The hard-to-define nature of collocations extends into the act of teaching - collocations are rarely taught because they follow no set rule or pattern. This means that L2 learners must acquire their collocation knowledge incidentally, either in the classroom or through EE activities. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between EE activities, primarily gaming, and the collocation knowledge of 87 Swedish teenagers in upper compulsory school and upper secondary school. This was done through a Productive Collocation Test (PCK) as well as a questionnaire. The results of the study show that students who engage in EE activities are more knowledgeable in terms of collocations than those who do not. Additionally, out of the EE activities included in the questionnaire gaming seems to be the best way to acquire collocation knowledge. The present study concludes that there is a connection between EE activities, especially gaming, and collocation knowledge. Informants that claimed to spend more time per week playing digital games generally scored higher on the collocation test. This was also true for the students who claimed to spend a considerable amount of time on visual media per week. These informants also had knowledge of collocations that very few of the respondents knew, particularly the students who partake in gaming. The findings of the present study suggest that digital games could be used as a tool for teaching collocations. However, more research is required to carry this idea further.
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Urponen, Marja Inkeri. "Ultimate attainment in postpuberty second language acquisition." Thesis, Boston University, 2004. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/32846.
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Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston UniversityPLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
The study examined ultimate attainment m postpuberty second language acquisition and the Critical Period Hypothesis as an explanation for non-nativeness. A grammaticality judgment task acted as an assessment instrument; a subject was considered to be native-like if the individual's subtest score was greater than or equal to the mean ratings of 90% of the control group members. The native-like subtests were totaled into a nativeness score. The study consisted of 6 research questions and followup interviews with the highest scoring and lowest scoring subjects. As a methodological innovation, the selection of Finnish-born spouses of native English speakers (N=104) as subjects controlled background variables (amount and quality ofL2 exposure, amount ofL2 and Ll use, education and language learning); 80% had studied EFL. 55 subjects had age on arrival of 2:16 years and had lived in USA/Canada for 20-60 years. 88% of the control group (N=40) obtained the nativeness score 6 or 5. The grammaticality judgments of 38% of Finnish-born subjects were indistinguishable from the judgments of the control group and contradicted the Critical Period Hypothesis as an only explanation for native-like ultimate attainment. The findings also indicate that Age on Arrival and Age English as a Foreign Language Began are separate age of exposure measures. The best logistic regression model with 11 binary variables predicted nativelikeness with 76.9% accuracy; the significant predictors were Age English as a Foreign Language Began, US Education, and Length of Exposure, but not Age on Arrival. However, the youngest age on arrival group (12-15 years) outperformed all other subject groupings. Their performance did not decline with aging; the nativeness scores of other subjects declined as Age at Testing increased after the peak performance age. ANOV As for Age English as a Foreign Language Began, Length of Exposure, Total Years of Education, and Age at Testing were significant for the 104 and 55 subject groupings. The n-shaped relationship between the nativeness score and Length of Exposure explains their low correlation. Age at Testing impacted on ultimate attainment by confounding with education and other background variables (prior foreign language study, second language proficiency on arrival, multilingualism, etc.).
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Thibeau, Tully Jude. "English prepositions in phrasal verbs: A study in second language acquisition." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/284018.
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This study examines whether grammar instruction treatment, input processing, facilitates in learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) a distinction among sets of phrasal verbs containing prepositions. Input processing emphasizes difficult grammatical forms and provides a model for the behavior of the varying roles of phrasal verb prepositions. Such instruction follows three steps: (i) explaining the relation between a grammatical form and its meaning, (ii) informing learners of language processes that adversely influence the form-meaning relation, and (iii) implementing "structured input" activities that target the form in linguistic input, facilitating form-meaning relations. Prepositions in phrasal verbs perform specific roles for exclusive purposes, for instance in verb-particle constructions eat up, clean out, send on where prepositions mark aspectual properties for "completion-of-activity" (telicity) as well as "affectedness" of phrasal verb objects. ESL students were selected for the control and treatment groups. Each group participated in a pretest and posttest. Each test included three tasks: one comprehension (yes/no multiple choice) and two production (sentence completion and written narration). Time (pretest/posttest) and instruction (informal IP/formal explanation) were independent variables. Scores were the dependent variable. Preposition use is difficult for ESL learners, yet no generalizations explain learning difficulty nor has instruction addressed this difficulty. Input Processing furnishes needed instruction and is consonant with current linguistic theory (Minimalism): Word-order phenomena obey "frame alternations" that shift meaning by varying syntactic configuration (movement to alternate sites in phrase structure). Language acquisition centers on mapping functions linking semantics with syntax; thus, pedagogical practice and linguistic theory are united. Structured input activities are likened to natural input that children are exposed to when they acquire language. Acquisition processes link meaningful items in a mental lexicon to grammatical patterns constructed by a mental computer. Second language learners create links between meaning and form because they make decisions about meaning in input structured to highlight the form in which meaning is conveyed. Statistical analyses show treatment effect for input processing instruction on the comprehension task, so subjects' ability is improved through attention to mapping. Production task data were inconclusive yet revealed significance of frequency of prepositions' functions.
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Swanson, Kimberly Anne Bankart. "Acquisition versus suppression of phonological processes in the second language acquisition of French and English." [Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2007. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3243793.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Depts. of French & Italian and Linguistics, 2007.Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Nov. 17, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-12, Section: A, page: 4529. Advisers: Daniel A. Dinnsen; Albert Valdman.
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Yoon, Hyunsook. "An investigation of students' experiences with corpus technology in second language academic writing." Connect to this title online, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1109806353.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005.Document formatted into pages; contains 307 p. Includes bibliographical references. Abstract available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2006 March 7.
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Nargis, Sultana Mahbuba. "Sensory Input and Mental Imagery in Second Language Acquisition." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1418370678.
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Song, Min Sun. "The first and second language acquisition of negative polarity items in English and Korean." Thesis, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2003. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=765031621&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1245438531&clientId=23440.
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Aitken, Meghan Elizabeth. "A Study of First Language Background and Second Language Order of Acquisition." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2011. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2674.
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One major topic that often appears in textbooks on second language acquisition (SLA) is that of order of acquisition of morphemes. Much research has been done on the issue in the past, and a particular acquisition order has been accepted by many in the field of SLA for second language learners of English. This order of morphemes is deemed invariant and not affected by the native language of the learner. This thesis examines this claim, using an elicited imitation test to target nine English morphemes. The results show that a learner's native language does indeed have an effect on the order of acquisition of morphemes; however, only a few limited claims can be made regarding this order (for example, Japanese and Korean seem to acquire the auxiliary morpheme earlier than in other languages). Previous research is examined in light of the differences between this and other studies, with a specific focus on methodological issues which could have a significant impact on both results and interpretation of results in studies related to order of acquisition of morphemes.
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Song, Hee-Jeong. "Second language acquisition of pronominal binding by learners of Korean and English." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2012. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/367037/.
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This thesis presents a new study on the L2 acquisition of pronominal binding in Korean and English in order to examine accessibility to Universal Grammar (UG) (Chomsky 1981, 1986, 2000, 2001) in adult L2 acquisition. Specifically, the study examines the L2 acquisition of grammatical knowledge of the Overt Pronoun Constraint (OPC) (Montalbetti 1984) by English learners of Korean and the L2 acquisition of anaphoric binding by Korean learners of English. The first study investigates L2 speakers’ knowledge of the OPC, typically regarded as a universal constraint and a poverty-of-the-stimulus phenomenon. Previous L2 acquisition studies have only explored OPC effects when the pronoun is in subject position but not in object position. The current study aims to address this gap by investigating whether English learners of Korean can obtain nativelike knowledge of the OPC in subject and object positions. 41 English learners of Korean (intermediate and advanced) completed a co-reference comprehension task and a story-based translation task. Results from the experiment show that L2 speakers can successfully achieve nativelike knowledge of the OPC regardless of pronoun position and the study confirms the prediction that universal constraints need not be learnt. The second study focuses on L2 speakers’ knowledge of feature-based languagespecific constraints of anaphoric binding, following Hicks (2009), to examine the L2 acquisition of locality and orientation. 70 Korean learners of English (low-intermediate, intermediate, and advanced) completed a picture verification task and the results show that neither locality nor orientation constraints are properly acquired by most learners. This finding reveals that L2 speakers have difficulty in acquiring new feature configurations of the target grammar. This study also provides new evidence to support the view that cross-linguistic differences in this domain are derived from the interaction between language-specific feature specifications and universal reflexivisation mechanisms. In accordance with the results from the two studies, this thesis argues that while UG plays a significant role in explaining L2 speakers’ convergence to the L2 grammar, consistent with Full Access to UG (Schwartz & Sprouse 1994, 1996), divergence in L2 acquisition is caused by a failure to reconfigure new feature specifications. This is a result which supports the relevant role that Feature Assembly plays in second language acquisition (Lardiere 2008, 2009).
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Vanhanen, Patricia. "Learning while Gaming: Second Language Students’ Acquisition of English Idioms." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Akademin för lärande, humaniora och samhälle, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-34812.
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Idioms are found in every language, and if one wants to master a language it is important to learn and be able to use idioms while communicating. The English language is no exception. As well as in other languages, idioms are used extensively in the English language. There is also a difference between a literal and an idiomatic meaning of a sentence. If one wants to understand different shades of meaning it is important to know the meaning of idiomatic expressions. For example, “break a leg” is an idiom used commonly when speaking. The literal meaning of the sentence would an instruction by the speaker telling someone to break a bone in their leg. However, the idiomatic meaning of this expression is: good luck and do your best. This idiomatic expression is often used among actors when they tell each other to “break a leg” before entering the stage to perform. Furthermore, computers have become an increasingly important and widely used medium of communication over the past two decades. Researchers have viewed this positively, and noted how it is especially helpful when it comes to language development. The aim of this study is to investigate whether playing computer games as a leisure activity improves the usage and knowledge of idioms among students in the secondary school. A total of 22 students participated in the study, 12 male students and 10 female students. The methodology is based on a quantitative method (Dörnyei 2007). The data is collected with the help of questionnaires in which students had to answer questions about their video gaming habits and attitudes towards idioms. Apart from this, they then had to work with idiomatic expressions in three different ways to measure their knowledge of idioms. Even though the data collected is limited, some evidence was found which indicated that playing video games or online computer games does have a noticeable impact on the English language, regarding idioms. The observation measured the participants’ usage and knowledge of idioms. The main conclusion of the study is that video games and online games might influence the players’ language proficiency in a positive way with regards to idiomatic expressions. Moreover, most of the students state that they consider idiomatic expressions important, and that they are necessary to learn to acquire a more nuanced English language.
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Pretorius, Rentia. "The language learning strategy use of isiXhosa-speaking adolescents in the second language acquisition of English." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4132.
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Thesis (MA (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Research to date on language learning strategy (LLS) use and its influence on second language (L2) acquisition and proficiency has produced variable results. While many researchers feel that LLSs have an important role to play in L2 learning and teaching, a clear definition and classification of LLSs, as well as clear guidelines for LLS application and training, have yet to be established. LLS use and preference seem to be influenced by various factors such as culture, age, level of L2 proficiency and level of education. Therefore, results of specific studies are not necessarily applicable to different groups of L2 learners. This thesis reports on an investigation into the LLS use of first language (L1) isiXhosa adolescents in the acquisition of English. Using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), the study examines the relationship between LLS use as well as LLS preference and L2 proficiency, with an assessment of the gender differences in LLS use. The study found no significant relationship between LLS use or LLS preference and English proficiency. Also, no significant difference was found between the reported preferred LLSs of female and male participants, although male participants reported significantly more high-frequency LLS use, whereas female participants reported significantly more low-frequency LLS use. Conclusions drawn from the results of the study are discussed, followed by suggestions for future research and a brief discussion of the implications of these results for L2 teaching and learning, specifically in a South African context.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navorsing oor die gebruik van taalleerstrategieë (TLSe) en die invloed daarvan op tweedetaal(T2-)verwerwing het tot dusver uiteenlopende resultate opgelewer. Terwyl baie navorsers van mening is dat TLSe 'n belangrike rol het om te speel in die leer en onderrig van 'n T2, moet 'n duidelike definisie en klassifikasie van TLSe, asook duidelike riglyne vir TLS-aanwending en -opleiding, nog daargestel word. Die gebruik en voorkeur van TLSe word klaarblyklik deur verskeie faktore beïnvloed, insluitend kultuur, ouderdom, vlak van T2-vaardigheid en vlak van opvoeding. Resultate van spesifieke studies is derhalwe nie noodwendig bruikbaar vir verskillende groepe T2-leerders nie. Hierdie tesis lewer verslag oor ‘n ondersoek na die gebruik van TLSe deur T1 isiXhosa adolessente in die verwerwing van Engels. Die studie stel ondersoek in na die verhouding tussen TLS-gebruik asook -voorkeur, gemeet deur die Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), en T2-vaardigheid, met 'n beoordeling van die geslagsverskille in TLS-gebruik. Die studie het geen beduidende verhouding tussen TLS-gebruik of TLS-voorkeur en Engelse vaardigheid gevind nie. Daar is ook geen beduidende verskil tussen die aangeduide TLS-voorkeur van vroulike en manlike deelnemers nie, hoewel manlike deelnemers beduidend meer hoë-frekwensie TLS-gebruik aangedui het, en vroulike deelnemers beduidend meer lae-frekwensie TLS-gebruik aangedui het. Gevolgtrekkings wat op grond van die studie gemaak is, word bespreek, gevolg deur voorstelle vir verdere navorsing en 'n kort bespreking van die implikasies van die resultate van hierdie studie vir T2-onderrig, veral in 'n Suid- Afrikaanse konteks.
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Juffs, Alan. "Learnability and the lexicon in second language acquisition : Chinese learners' acquisition of English argument structure." Thesis, McGill University, 1993. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=41626.
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This thesis investigates the knowledge of semantics-syntax correspondences in second language acquisition (SLA) within the Principles and Parameters framework. A parameter of semantic structure is proposed to account for crosslinguistic syntactic differences between two previously unrelated, and superficially distinct, verb classes: change of state locatives and 'psychological' verbs. Chinese and English contrast in terms of the parameter setting. Experimental evidence indicates that adult Chinese learners of English L2 initially transfer parameter settings, but are able to reset the proposed parameter. However, they only acquire L2 lexical properties and concomitant syntactic privileges with ease when L2 input adds a representation to their grammar. When positive L2 input should pre-empt overgeneralizations based on representation transferred from the L1, it is shown that L1 influence may persist until quite advanced stages of acquisition. The implications of the results are discussed for the parameter setting model of SLA.
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Koussouhon, Leonard Assogba. "Enhancing English literacy skills through literature : a linguistics-oriented Francophone African perspective /." Access Digital Full Text version, 1995. http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/bybib/11791500.
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Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1995.Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Clifford A. Hill. Dissertation Committee: Jo Anne Kleifgen. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 160-169).
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Hu, Yuxiu Lucille. "L1 influence on the learning of English among high school students in Harbin a case study of adverbial placement /." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2006. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B36963586.
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Banjar, Halah. "INTERLANGUAGE IDIOMATICS:THE ACQUISITION OF ENGLISH IDIOMS BY SAUDI LEARNERS." OpenSIUC, 2014. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/1362.
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Mastery of idioms in a second language is an important part of learners' lexical and cultural competence. This study provided insights into the processes that partake in interlanguage idiomatics. It also looked at the role of participants' first language in the comprehension and production of idioms in their second language. Participants were 31 Saudi graduate students' who were learners of English. They were tested in receptive and productive knowledge of 15 English idioms of three types of idiomatic expressions: a) English idioms which have their exact equivalents in Arabic; b) English idioms which are similarly expressed in both languages, and c) English idioms which have no counterparts in Arabic. The data were examined through statistical analysis. Results showed that identical idioms were the easiest to comprehend and produce, followed by similar idioms. Different idioms were the most difficult to comprehend and produce and showed the highest interference from the first language. In addition, a rather unexpected negative correlation was found between participants' length of stay in the US and their knowledge of English idioms. These findings offer insightful implications for the teaching and learning of second language idioms. Most importantly language teachers and researchers should be aware that the acquisition of idioms is influenced by the similarities and differences between idioms in learners' L1s and the target L2. This suggests that building learners' idiomatic knowledge in a second language should be done in a systematic and persistent way. In more general terms, the study's results confirm the trends and patterns reported in previous research about the acquisition of second language idiomatic competence and its important role for the effective comprehension and production of the target language.
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Mazyad, Suleiman Saleem. "Acquisition of tense and aspect by Arabic-speaking learners of English as a second language." Thesis, Durham University, 1999. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1134/.
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Haznedar, Belma. "Child second language acquisition of English : a longitudinal case study of a Turkish-speaking child." Thesis, Durham University, 1997. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1634/.
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Barlow, John Stephen. "Intonation and second language acquisition : a study of the acquisition of English intonation by speakers of other languages." Thesis, University of Hull, 1998. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:3873.
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In the field of second language acquisition (SLA) research, the study of intonation, and prosodic systems generally, suffers from a considerable under-representation.This has far-reaching consequences. From the large body of empirical work on various aspects of SLA over the last three decades, a great deal has been turned to pedagogical use. Indeed, the field of SLA is closely linked to that of language pedagogy, as the dual acquisition theoretical and pedagogical character of many current journals and conferences shows.However, the mutually nourishing relationship between SLA research and language teaching suffers if either component is inadequate.In the case of intonation, this is exactly the case. At a time when the processes of SLA are under analysis from a wide range of linguistic, psychological and sociolinguistic perspectives, relatively little is known, even on a simple descriptive level, about the acquisition of intonation. There is no body of studies of L2 intonational form comparable, for example, to the 'morpheme studies' or to studies of 'developmental sequences' which informed much thinking in the field in the 1970s and 1980s (see Ellis 1994, Ch.3); no substantial body of work, that is, which might form the basis of further research.The present study aims to contribute to current knowledge on the acquisition of intonational form in second languages. It seeks to provide a detailed account of how certain aspects of L2 English intonation develop, both in terms of their phonetics, and also in terms of the linguistic and discoursal ends to which they are put. The study is divided into two parts:Part One: in which the theoretical and descriptive bases of the study are established. It deals first with aspects of intonational form in English, describing in detail the prosodic systems which are employed to mark various aspects of informational structure within the spoken language, and also considers briefly the current state of language teaching in these areas (Chapter One). Then a review of research into the acquisition of sound systems in second languages is presented, looking particularly at intonational form and other aspects of prosodic production and perception (Chapter Two).Part Two: in which the experiments which have been undertaken as part of this study are presented. Firstly, the procedural and analytical aspects of these experiments will be described (Chapter Three). The findings will then be presented and discussed (Chapters Four to Seven). Finally, findings will be summarised and some general conclusions drawn (Chapter Eight).
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Johnston, Kathryn Marie. "Lexical Bundles in Applied Linguistics and Literature Writing: a Comparison of Intermediate English Learners and Professionals." PDXScholar, 2017. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3482.
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Lexical bundles (fixed sequences of three to four words) have been described as building blocks of discourse, both written and spoken (Biber & Barbieri, 2007), and as a useful mechanical device for creating writing that is suited for its academic field (Hyland, 2008). Having noticed that the academic theses of my students at Longdong University in Qingyang, China seemed very different from professional writing in their fields, I created a thesis project that addressed the question of how professionals in their fields were using bundles and how the learners' use of these bundles in terms of frequency, structure, and function varied from the professionals' use.
In order to answer this question, I compiled four corpora of writing in literature and applied linguistics, representing professional and learner writing in each field. I used concordancing software in order to identify four-word lexical bundles that occurred at least 20 times per 100,000 words and over a range of four texts. I then did a three-part analysis which looked at frequency, structure, and function of these bundles.
The results of the study reveal that professionals in applied linguistics and literature use bundles with different frequency, display different choices of lexical items to fill structural bundles, and use functional bundles differently. These differences seem to reflect the rhetorical needs of each discipline. Further, the learners in each field displayed differences in their use of bundles as compared to the professionals' use. Learners in applied linguistics used more types and tokens of bundles overall, while learners in literature used fewer. Both groups of learners relied more on repetitive use of certain bundles than did the professionals.
Implications of this study are discussed for teaching and curriculum development. The findings can be applied to teaching through creating awareness-raising and guided practice opportunities for the students to see how bundles are used in professional writing and to help them apply this understanding to their own writing.
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Park, Hyeson. "Child second language acquisition and grammatical theories: The Minimalist Program and optimality theory." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/252897.
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The aim of linguistic theory is to explain what knowledge of language consists of and how this knowledge is acquired. Generative linguistics, which had set out to achieve this goal, has recently seen the development of two main approaches to Universal Grammar (UG). One is the Minimalist Program (MP) and the other is Optimality Theory (OT). In the MP framework, language is claimed to be acquired through parameter setting, while in OT language acquisition is viewed as a constraint reranking process. In this study, I compare the two evolving linguistic theories in relation to child L2 acquisition phenomena; that is, how and whether the two different approaches to UG could be used to account for language development in real time. The database for this study was a corpus of natural and elicited-interview speech collected by the National Center for Bilingual Research from six Korean children learning English as an L2 in a bilingual education school program. Two constructions, null arguments and wh-questions produced by the Korean children in their developing L2 English, were chosen for in-depth investigation. The data analysis shows that (1) the children dropped few subjects from the early stages, (2) the children dropped more objects than subjects, (3) the children did not apply subject-verb inversion in why -questions, and (4) of the wh-questions, when-questions were one of the last to appear in the children's developing English. It was examined whether these four findings could be explained within the MP and the OT frameworks. The MP and OT in their present forms, however, do not seem to be able to fully account for the data. I have proposed some adaptations of the theories and explored plausible explanations. The overall picture emerging from the study is that the gradual nature of language development can best be explained as being a result of the incremental acquisition of the lexicon. The relationship between linguistic theory and acquisition studies, especially second language acquisition studies, has been unidirectional, from theory to acquisition (SLA) studies. It is to be hoped that this study may contribute to connecting the gap between linguistic theory and SLA studies, and making their relationship more bidirectional.
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Man, So-shan Susan. "First language influencing Hong Kong students' English learning." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2006. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B36897784.
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Montrul, Silvina A. "Transitivity alternations in second language acquisition : a crosslinguistic study of English, Spanish and Turkish." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/NQ44520.pdf.
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Zhang, Yanyan. "A corpus-based study of the forms and functions of BE in the interlanguage grammars of Chinese learners of English." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2008. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/869.
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Scarborough, Courtney E. "THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: POIESIS AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE MULTILINGUAL SUBJECT." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/229.
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This study explores relationships between second language acquisition (SLA), poetic language, and embodied cognition and its connection to second language speakers’ linguistic self-formation, or their distinct ways of speaking and thinking. In particular, this study examines processes by which second language (L2) learners’ subjective realities are constructed and demonstrates that these processes are inherently poetic, emerging from a combination of the constraining structures of the language system and second language speakers’ phenomenological experiences. The context of the study is a poetry-making activity the researcher designed and took place in the English Department Writing Center at California State University, San Bernardino. Data was collected from a total of four participants through video and audio recordings of the poetry-making activities. Data analysis incorporated multimodal methods associated with conversation analysis and intertextuality. Findings demonstrate that poetic features the L2 participants deploy are crucial to their sense-making and linguistic self-formation. The author encourages readers to consider the importance of creativity and self-expression in second language learning as it occurs in social activity.
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Koo, Kyosung Koo Kyosung. "Effects of using corpora and online reference tools on foreign language writing a study of Korean learners of English as a second language /." Thesis supplement (Stimulated recall data, Korean):, 2006. http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/65.
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Yusa, Mayuko. "Acquisition of Japanese Null Arguments by Second Language Learners." The Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1524200688600588.
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Long, Kathryn Ann. "Self-perceptions of non-native English speaking teachers of English as a second language." PDXScholar, 2003. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3605.
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The purpose of the present study was to examine the self-perceptions of effective non-native English speaking teachers (non-NESTs) of English as a Second Language (ESL) regarding their teaching behaviors. The study also sought to discover the relationship between effective non-NEST perceptions of their teaching behaviors and stereotypes for those behaviors. It further sought to define what experiences have contributed to their non-conformation if their perceptions do not fit the negative stereotypes of teaching behaviors of non-NESTs.
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Nozaki, Saori. "Japanese Lexicalization Patterns of Motion Events and its Acquisition by Advanced-level English-speaking Learners of Japanese." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557160637689757.
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Bennett, Susan. "Second language acquisition of reflexive binding by native speakers of Serbo-Croatian." Thesis, McGill University, 1993. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=41534.
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This thesis examines the role of transfer of first (L1) language properties and access to knowledge of Universal Grammar in second language (L2) acquisition. Two empirical components are included: a study of the syntax of anaphora in Serbo-Croatian and an experimental study of second language acquisition of reflexive binding. Data from field work on the coreference properties of anaphors in Serbo-Croatian are discussed in terms of standard, parameterized, LF movement, and Relativized SUBJECT approaches to Binding Theory. Recent versions of the theory identify a categorial distinction between morphologically simple ($ rm X sp circ$) and complex (XP) anaphor types as a crucial factor in determining coreference relations between reflexive pronouns and their syntactic antecedents.The predictions of a morphological approach to the Binding Theory were tested in a study of the acquisition of the binding properties of English XP reflexives by native speakers of Serbo-Croatian, a language with $ rm X sp circ$ reflexives. Acquisition of the English binding pattern by this group of L2 learners requires recognition of the morphological complexity of English reflexives. Prior to reanalysis, learners are predicted to produce an incorrect L1 coreference pattern in the L2 environment.
Two sentence comprehension tasks were administered to adolescent and adult Serbo-Croatian speaking L2 learners of English and similar groups of English native speaker controls. Picture identification and multiple choice comprehension tasks produced convergent results with significant differences between control (n = 47) and L2 learner (n = 73) interpretations of reflexives in complex noun phrases and object control infinitival sentences. Their pattern of interpretation shows evidence of transfer of the $ rm X sp circ$ anaphor type found in Serbo-Croatian to the target grammar and suggests L2 learners are able to apply a deductive system constrained by Universal Grammar to compute binding domains in second language acquisition.
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Blumenthal, Laura F. "Self-Efficacy in Low-Level English Language Learners." PDXScholar, 2014. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1622.
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Accounting for differences in second language proficiency attainment is an important area of inquiry in the study of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Accounts of the language acquisition process have generally come from cognitive or psychological perspectives, which view language learning as primarily an internal mental/emotional process, or from sociocultural or critical perspectives that emphasize the influence of the learner's social environment. Research on variability in language learning has also failed to take into account the learning experiences of low-level learners.
This study adopted a social-psychological perspective on language acquisition that focused on the role of self-efficacy in learning, and applied this perspective to understudied learners.
This study interviewed four low- to intermediate-proficiency English language learners (ELLs) from Mexico about their experiences and their self-efficacy beliefs about their ability to use their English. Their accounts of their experiences learning and using English were analyzed qualitatively and four major themes were found: the role of English language interlocutors, the participants' self-assessment of their abilities, structural obstacles to learning, and the participants' experiences of and responses to challenges. The results also explored students' expressions of self-efficacy, and the ways in which their levels of efficacy helped or hindered their ability to successfully engage in interactions with English speakers.
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Gressang, Jane E. "A frequency and error analysis of the use of determiners, the relationships between noun phrases, and the structure of discourse in English essays by native English writers and native Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean learners of English as a Second language." Diss., University of Iowa, 2010. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/507.
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Second language (L2) learners notoriously have trouble using articles in their target languages (e.g., a, an, the in English). However, researchers disagree about the patterns and causes of these errors.
Past studies have found that L2 English learners:
*Predominantly omit articles (White 2003, Robertson 2000),
*Overuse the (Huebner 1983, Master 1987, Parrish 1987, Tarone & Parrish 1988, Thomas 1989, Ionin 2003), or
*Overuse a (Leung 2001).
Previously proposed explanations of the causes of article errors include:
*Learners have incorrect or incomplete semantic representations (Tarone & Parrish 1988, Hawkins & Chan 1997, Goto Butler 2002, Ionin 2003), or
*Learners have complete, correct semantic representations for articles, but difficulty choosing the lexical form during production due to stress on mental processing or phonological limitations (Lardiere 1998, Bruhn de Garavito & White 2000, White 2003, Goad, White, & Steele 2003).
Prior studies have focused on articles, which identify discourse relationships, but have not considered other morphemes that do so as well, such as pronouns and demonstratives. Furthermore, they have focused on L2 errors in isolation and not in the context of a full discourse or contrasted with first language (L1) input. This study examined the use of articles and other discourse morphemes in 20 L1 and 20 L2 English essays. L2 essays were produced by L1 Chinese and Korean writers at two proficiency levels. The essays' noun phrases (NPs) were marked for part-of-speech, co-reference, syntactic position, and other discourse-relevant features. L2 errors were identified and categorized.
Frequency data showed that L2 proficiency level more often indicated significant differences in discourse construction than L1. No significant difference between L2 and L1 writers was when considering all articles together. Breaking this down, students used a/an significantly less than L1 writers, but the use of the was not significantly different. In contrast, the error analysis showed most L2 mistakes being made in the use of the, with almost none in the use of a/an. Together the frequency and error data give a richer understanding of discourse and article use in L2 production.
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Bester, Zaan. "An investigation into the ability of South African students at Stellenbosch University to interpret implicatures in their second language English." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71635.
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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Due to increasing concern about the low levels of throughput at university level, and with an ever-growing awareness of the important role that students’ academic literacy plays in academic success, Stellenbosch University implemented language support courses in various faculties across the campus. In addition, the massification of higher education means that the demographic profile of the student population in university classrooms has changed, and lecturers are increasingly faced with students from a variety of multicultural contexts. It is within this context that a study was done to determine to what extent linguistic and cultural background affects a speaker’s ability to derive meaning from conversational and, by extension, academic implicatures in English. Previous studies have found that native speakers (NSs) and nonnative speakers (NNSs) of English infer different meanings when confronted with particular types of implicature and that NNSs tend to interpret certain types of implicature correctly more often than others. First-year students at Stellenbosch University with a variety of mother tongues were asked to complete a questionnaire containing various types of implicatures. Their responses indicated significant differences in the accuracy with which NSs and NNSs interpreted certain types of implicatures, and in the meanings they arrived at. The thesis considers possible reasons for these differences, and discusses the implications of the study’s results for academic literacy/language support courses offered at South African universities.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Te midde van toenemende kommer oor die lae deurvloeikoerse op universiteitsvlak, en ’n al groter bewustheid van die beduidende impak van studente se akademiese geletterdheid op akademiese sukses, het die Universiteit Stellenbosch taalondersteuningskursusse in verskeie fakulteite op kampus geïmplementeer. Daarbenewens het die massifikasie van tersiêre onderwys tot gevolg dat die demografiese profiel van die studentebevolking in universiteitsklaskamers verander het, en dosente kom toenemend in aanraking met studente vanuit diverse kulturele kontekste. Binne hierdie konteks is ’n studie onderneem om vas te stel in watter mate ’n spreker se vermoë om die betekenis van geïmpliseerde taalgebruik (in alledaagse gesprekke en by implikasie ook akademiese taal) te bepaal, deur taal en kulturele agtergrond beïnvloed word. Navorsing het getoon dat moedertaalsprekers en nie-moedertaalsprekers van Engels verskillende betekenisse toeken wanneer hulle met sekere tipes geïmpliseerde taalgebruik in aanraking kom, en dat nie-moedertaalsprekers sekere tipes geïmpliseerde taalgebruik meer dikwels korrek interpreteer as ander. Eerstejaarstudente aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch met ’n verskeidenheid moedertale is gevra om ’n vraelys met verskillende tipes geïmpliseerde taalgebruik te voltooi. Die response het getoon dat daar beduidende verskille is in die akkuraatheid waarmee moedertaalsprekers en nie-moedertaalsprekers sekere tipes geïmpliseerde taal interpreteer, en in die betekenisse wat hulle daaraan toeken. Die tesis bespreek moontlike redes vir hierdie verskille, sowel as die implikasies van die studie se resultate vir akademiese geletterdheids- /taalondersteuningskursusse wat by Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite aangebied word.
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To, Lai-ming Helen, and 杜麗明. "Linguistics self confidence and oral task performance of English as second language learners in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/192986.
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This research aims at investigating the relationships between linguistics self confidence, achievements and performance and giving new pedagogical insights to the educators concerning language learning motivation by implementing a combination of task-based research and Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency (CAF) performance evaluation model. Six English as Second Language (ESL) learners were invited to participate in an oral task and complete a self confidence evaluation questionnaire. Their performance, based on the CAF framework, was then compared and contrasted according to their confidence level. It was found that the higher confident students are more accurate in their speech production, and are also better at communicative and discussion skills. However, neither did they demonstrate a large amount of talk as in some past literature, nor did they display a very complex language. They instead articulated more false starts and made more repetitions as they self-corrected their utterances during the task. Compared to the lower-confident group, these learners surprisingly contribute fewer arguments, particularly counter-arguments such as rebuttals. These behaviors were explained by Foster and Skehan’s attention theory and Levelt’s prioritization in production. In addition, the inter-dependent relationships between linguistics self confidence, achievements and performance are proposed. Finally, Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System is especially addressed, as it seems applicable in solving the research findings that there is a discrepancy between the L2 ideal self and actual self of these ESL learners.published_or_final_version
Linguistics
Master
Master of Arts
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Onraet, Lauren Alexandra. "English as a Lingua Franca and English in South Africa : distinctions and overlap." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6545.
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Thesis (MA (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.Bibliography
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the prevalent, typical linguistic and discursive features of English as it is used as a shared medium of communication by speakers who do not share a first language in the Western Cape (i.e. as a lingua franca). These features were compared to those found in certain second-language varieties in South Africa, namely Black South African English, Cape Flats English and Afrikaans English. Fourteen female students from the University of Stellenbosch between the ages of 18 and 27 from various first language backgrounds were recruited for the data collection. A closed corpus was created in which recordings were made of semi-structured conversations between the participants, paired in seven groups of two speakers each. These recordings were then transcribed. In order to identify and analyse the English as a lingua franca (ELF) phenomena that arose, reference was made to the various linguistic features and methods of analysis of ELF suggested in House (2002), Seidlhofer (2004) and Meierkord (2000), amongst others. These features were then analysed and compared with the features reported in the literature on second-language varieties of English in South Africa. The study reveals that the South African ELF spoken by the participants displays similar features to the ELF(s) spoken in Europe, although certain European ELF features that occur in South African ELF are used to fulfil different functions. The study disclosed three ELF phenomena which have not been reported as such in the European ELF literature and therefore seem to be unique to the South African ELF context. Specifically, these are auxiliary dropping (AUX-drop), explicit self-doubt of a speaker‟s own ELF proficiency, and thinking aloud. Finally, certain South African ELF features are also reported to be features of South African second-language varieties (e.g. AUX-drop).
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek heersende, tipiese eienskappe van Engels wat beskryf word as linguisties en diskursief, spesifiek soos die eienskappe voorkom in Engels as ‟n gemeenskaplike vorm van kommunikasie tussen sprekers in die Wes-Kaap wat nie ‟n eerste taal gemeen het nie (m.a.w. waar Engels as ‟n lingua franca gebruik word). Dié eienskappe is vergelyk met ander wat gevind is in sekere tweedetaal-variëteite in SuidAfrika, naamlik Black South African English, Cape Flats English en sg. Afrikaans English. Veertien vroulike studente van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch tussen die ouderdomme van 18 en 27 en met ‟n verskeidenheid eerstetaal-agtergronde is gebruik vir die datainsameling. ‟n Geslote korpus is gevorm bestaande uit opnames van semi-gestruktureerde gesprekke tussen die deelnemers. Laasgenoemde is verdeel in sewe groepe van twee sprekers elk. Hierdie opnames is later getranskribeer. Ten einde die relevante Engels-aslingua-franca (ELF)-verskynsels te identifiseer en te analiseer, is daar eerstens gekyk na verskeie linguistiese eienskappe en metodes van analise van ELF soos voorgestel deur, onder andere, House (2002, 2009), Seidlhofer (2004) en Meierkord (2000). Hierna is die waargenome eienskappe geanaliseer en vergelyk met die eienskappe wat gerapporteer is in die literatuur oor tweedetaal-variëteite van Engels in Suid-Afrika. Die studie toon dat die Suid-Afrikaanse ELF wat deur die deelnemers gebruik word, soortgelyke eienskappe vertoon as ELF in die Europese konteks, met die uitsondering dat sekere Europese ELF-eienskappe wat in Suid-Afrikaanse ELF voorkom, plaaslik ander funksies vervul. Drie ELF-verskynsels wat nie as sodanig in die literatuur oor Europese ELF gerapporteer is nie, is gevind en is dus waarskynlik eiesoortig aan die Suid-Afrikaanse ELF-konteks. Dít sluit in hulpwerkwoord-weglating (sg. AUX-drop), eksplisiete uitspreek van onsekerheid oor ‟n spreker se eie ELF-bevoegdheid, en hardop dink. Ten slotte is daar ook gevind dat sekere Suid-Afrikaanse ELF-eienskappe tegelykertyd eienskappe van Suid Afrikaanse tweedetaal-variëteite is, soos bv. weglating van die hulpwerkwoord.
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Butler, Clayton Dale. "The role of context in the apology speech act : a socio-constructivist analysis of the interpretations of native English-speaking college students /." Full text (PDF) from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3008292.
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Kasai, Chise. "The age effect in second language acquisition : production and discrimination of English /l/ and /r/ by Japanese children and adults." Thesis, University of Essex, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.391660.
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Ged, Geneva. "Conscious Reconstruction: The Effects of Second Language Acquisition on Self-Perception of Gender Identity." TopSCHOLAR®, 2013. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1317.
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Gender interacts with other facets of English Language Learners’ social identity like race and ethnicity to guide their learning experiences, desires, and outcomes; however, much of traditional Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) research has focused on how motivation and language learning beliefs differ between male and female English as a Second Language/English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) students with the intent to identify difference, if it exists. English Language Learners who are studying abroad or who have immigrated to the United States have already established a gender identity influenced and created by their experiences in their first language and culture. Yet, immersion in a new culture and acquiring a second language may cause these students to re-evaluate their perceptions of gender roles and influence their choice of language, as previously found by Gordon (2004) and Schmenk (2004). This thesis attempts to break from this tradition of ‘differential tendencies’ research in the creation of two pilot surveys, one of which was tested, that attempt to solicit information on English Language Learner’s perceptions of their own gendered identity and their consciousness of the catalyst for identity change that is learning a second language. In this case, an English pilot survey asked 32 ESL students to evaluate their beliefs about their own perceptions of gender identity, their conscious choice of language utilization, and their perception of their inclusion in American culture; from that survey, a second has been created but not piloted. A conclusion is drawn that incorporates research about the appropriateness of addressing developing gender identity by teachers inside of the classroom.
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Tang, Gladys W. L. "Second language acquisition of the English interrogatives : the effect of different learning contexts on the SLA of three groups of Chinese learners of English." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.253761.
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This study is an attempt to investigate the interlanguage (IL) development of Cantonese learners of English whose exposure to the target language (TL) is mainly from the classroom context and with little or no informal exposure outside the classroom. Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research to date suggests that naturalistic SL learners largely follow a universal route of development. The issue of concern of the present research is whether acquiring the TL in a classroom context involves the same or different processes of SLA and how the learning context shapes the qualitative development in terms of the degree of analyticity and automaticity of IL knowledge. An equally important issue in relation to SLA in the classroom situation is the development of metalinguistic knowledge and in what principled way this type of knowledge assists or hinders the learner's development. Within this framework of investigation, an empirical distinction is drawn between the learner's development of IL knowledge and the extent to which he is able to retrieve this knowledge in production. In the present study, three groups of learners were identified. Two groups of subjects were sampled from the Hong Kong learning context, where English is regarded by and large as a second language. One of the two groups was chosen from the English medium environment, and the other was from the Chinese medium environment. The third group of subjects was drawn from Guangzhou, one of the southern provinces of China, where the medium of instruction is Chinese while English is treated as a foreign language. Although these three groups of subjects share the same Li background, they are differentiated by the availability of informal exposure and the degree of explicitness of grammar teaching received. The English interrogatives were chosen as the target language structure for investigation because they represent one of the taught language items commonly found in the syllabus. Four elicitation tasks were administered: an oral elicitation task, a written dialogue completion task, a grammar correction task and a timed grammaticality judgment task. From the perspective of the general theory of second language acquisition, the results suggest that the classroom learners as identified in the present study largely conformed to the universal `sequence of development' and exhibited similarities in their orders of development. However, it was found that certain features of the learner's order of development at the level of knowledge did not necessarily coincide with that established in his production. Furthermore, an adequate explanation for IL development, as far as this study is concerned, needs to take into account the learner's Li as well as the other types of knowledge at his disposal, as differences were found in the present study which may be traceable to these parameters. In terms of the effect of learning context on second language development, the results suggest that (i) the different learning contexts as identified leads to certain differences in the subjects' IL development as well as the qualitative development of their IL knowledge, (ii) the provision of explicit instruction seems to be more beneficial for more advanced learners than beginners; and when informal exposure is not available in the learning context, and (iii) the availability of informal exposure of the kind found in the present study seems to promote initial IL development at a faster rate than that found in learning contexts in which informal exposure is not usually available.
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Hadjioannou, Adamantia. "The role of corpus linguistics in a lexical approach to college level English-as-a-foreign-language pedagogy." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2791.
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This project offers methods for English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) undergraduate students to improve their English skills following a lexical approach to language incorporating the methodology of corpus linguistics research.
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Bailey, Stacey M. "Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1204556485.
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Dickey, Zachary R. L. "The Role of Semantics in Prohibiting The Acquisition of a Native-like Semantic Competence: Understanding Why ` Jason Hit Tommy ’ and Why `Tommy Was Hit by Jason ’." University of Toledo Honors Theses / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=uthonors1386932531.
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Yamamoto, Natsuki. "The use of modals in ESL academic writing." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1999. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1727.
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Ene, Simona Estela. "The Last Stages of Second Language Acquisition: Linguistic Evidence from Academic Writing by Advanced Non-Native English Speakers." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195720.
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Second Language Acquisition (SLA) researchers have yet to map the developmental stages language learners go through as they approach the target language. In studies of ESL writing, the term "advanced learner" has been applied indiscriminately to learners ranging from freshman ESL composition to graduate students (Bardovi-Harlig and Bofman, 1989; Chaudron and Parker, 1990; Connor and Mayberry, 1996; Hinkel, 1997, 2003). There is a need to examine the advanced stages of SLA in order to refine SLA theories and pedagogical approaches.A corpus of texts written by eleven graduate students in applied linguistics who are non-native-English speakers from several linguistic backgrounds was analyzed to determine the texts' lexical, morphological, and syntactic fluency, accuracy, and complexity. A sub-corpus of papers by seven native-English-speaking peers was used for comparison. The texts were sit-down and take-home examinations written in a doctoral program at the end of the first semester and three years later. Surveys and interviews were conducted to supplement the corpus with ethnographic data.This dissertation defines data-based criteria that distinguish four quantitatively and qualitatively distinct developmental stages: the advanced, highly advanced, near-native, and native-like stages. Advanced learners make more frequent and varied errors (with articles, prepositions, plural and possessive markers, agreement and anaphors), which can be explained by linguistic transfer. Native-like writers make few errors that can be explained by overgeneralization of conventions from informal English and working memory limitations (just like native speakers' errors). Throughout the four stages, errors (i.e., incorrect forms that reflect lack of linguistic knowledge (Corder, 1967)) became less frequent, and more of the incorrect usages appeared to be mistakes (occasional slips).This dissertation supports Herschensohn's (1999) proposal that SLA is a process of transfer followed by relearning of morpho-syntactic specifications. Syntax was used with the greatest accuracy (Bardovi-Harlig and Bofman, 1989), while lexicon (especially function words) was the weakest. In addition, length of stay in an English-speaking country and amount of interaction with native speakers were proportional with accuracy. An important pedagogical recommendation is that (corpus-assisted) language teaching should continue until the target language is reached.
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Postica, Adina M. "Changing Focus: From Second / Foreign Language Teaching to Communication Learning." See Full Text at OhioLINK ETD Center (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing), 2006. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?toledo1147275010.
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Perez, Ambar A. "LANGUAGE CULTURE WARS: EFFECTS OF LANGUAGE POLICY ON LANGUAGE MINORITIES AND ENGLISH LEARNERS." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/577.
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This thesis investigates the intertextuality of language policy, K-12 TESL pedagogies, and EL identity construction in the perpetuation of unjust TESL practices in these contexts. By examining the power structures of English language ideology through critical discourse analysis of recent California language policy, this thesis demonstrates English language teaching’s intrinsically political nature in K-12 education through negotiations and exchanges of power. Currently, sociolinguistic approaches to TESL and second language acquisition acknowledge the value of language socialization teaching methods. This requires the acceptance of cognition, not as an individual pursuit of knowledge containment and memorization, but cognition as a collaborative and sociohistorically situated practice. Thus, this project also examines the power structures in place that negotiate and enforce these ideologies and how these practices influence pedagogy and EL identity construction.
Many English users are second language (L2) users of English yet authorities of English use tend to consist of homogenous, monolingual English users, or English-sacred communities, not L2 users of English. Often, this instigates native speaker (NS) vs. non-native speaker (NNS) dichotomies such as correct vs. in-correct use, and us vs. them dichotomies. These are the same ideologies that permeate the discourse of California’s Proposition 227 and some pedagogies discussed in the data of this research perpetuating culture wars between monolingual and multilingual advocates and users.
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Wistrand, Ida. "Analysis of the English language produced by a Swedish 4-year-old child in the light of the innatist perspective : A case study." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-84410.
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This is a case study that focuses on the oral proficiency in English manifested by the 4-year-old sonof the author. He speaks Swedish as his L1 like his both parents but has been exposed to Englishsince he was one year old from using a tablet. The child’s spoken production was recorded andtranscribed with a focus on the plural-forms and the genitive. An important field that this case studyis motivated by is how child language development may be connected to the concept of innatism,that language is based on innate principles (Lightbown & Spada, 2013:20) as it has been found that anumber of languages are acquired according to predictable patterns and processes (Moskowitz,1994:621-627) such as a the u-shaped learning process and over-generalization which has beenfound when investigating both L1 and L2 acquisition (Abrahamsson, 2013:663). The aim of thisstudy is to find possible similarities within the learning process: whether L2 acquisition follows thesame developmental patterns as in L1 acquisition by analyzing the recordings mainly targeting theplural and the genitive morphemes produced by a 4-year-old L2 speaker of English. Findings in thisresearch revealed that the child demonstrated a similar developmental pattern in the form of theu-shaped learning process (Abrahamsson, 2013:663).
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Shimabukuro, Misuzu. "Fossilization in Japanese adult advanced English learners and linked instruction as intervention." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2007. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3201.
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The objective of this project is to investigate the items and factors that may be prematurely stabilized in advanced adult second-language learners' interlanguage, in order to propose effective instructional interventions.
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Meininger, Heidi. "Swedish adolescents' understanding of concrete and abstract English proverbs." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för språkstudier, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-172447.
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The aim of this essay is to find out how well Swedish adolescents understand concrete and abstract English proverbs, if concrete proverbs are easier to understand than abstracts ones, if there are differences between boys’ and girls’ and between monolinguals’ and bilinguals’ understanding of these. In a multiple-choice questionnaire, Swedish 7th to 9th graders read 15 short stories followed by three choices. They were then asked to mark the alternative they thought best described the proverb in each sentence. The results in this study show that, generally, concrete proverbs are easier to understand than abstract ones and that proverb understanding steadily increases in adolescence. Furthermore, the difference between boys and girls as a whole was not significant, nor between monolinguals and bilinguals. However, differences between different language groups were immense.
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Ziegler, Nathan E. "Task Based Assessment: Evaluating Communication in the Real World." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1192757581.
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