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Rasolofo, Andoveloniaina. "Malagasy transitive clause types and their functions /." view abstract or download file of text, 2006. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1196393781&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=11238&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2006.<br>Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 297-307). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.
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Shapiro, David. "Compiling Evaluable Functions in the Godel Programming Language." PDXScholar, 1996. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/5101.
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We present an extension of the Godel logic programming language code generator which compiles user-defined functions. These functions may be used as arguments in predicate or goal clauses. They are defined in extended Godel as rewrite rules. A translation scheme is introduced to convert function definitions into predicate clauses for compilation. This translation scheme and the compilation of functional arguments both employ leftmost-innermost narrowing. As function declarations are indistinguishable from constructor declarations, a function detection method is implemented. The ultimate goal of this research is the implementation of extended Godel using needed narrowing. The work presented here is an intermediate step in creating a functional-logic language which expands the expressiveness of logic programming and streamlines its execution.
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Fernández, Julieta. "The language functions of tipo in Argentine vernacular." ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/626125.
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This article provides a case study account of the language functions of tipo, which is a pragmatic feature of Argentine Spanish vernacular, as used by 10 young adult native speakers of the language (ages 18-25), in the context of oral face-to-face and synchronous technology-mediated written interactions with young adult Spanish L2 learners. An examination of naturally occurring and self-reported language awareness data suggests that tipo has acquired a wide array of pragmatic functions it is a marker of hesitation, exemplification, reformulation, vagueness, and quoted speech. In its non-pragmatic marking uses, it can refer to an unspecified man, preface a hyponym, and be used to make a comparison. Participants' usage patterns, in conjunction with their understanding of sociopragmatic variability in the use of tipo, are discussed as a direction for research in colloquial features of youth vernacular.
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Onitsuka, Yukiko. "Teachers’ Language Choices and Functions in Japanese as a Foreign Language Classroom Instruction." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1535704466237068.
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LICCIARDI, SILVIA. "Umbral calculus a different mathematical language." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Catania, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/491021.
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The thesis is aimed at a thorough exposition of the Umbral Method, relevant in the theory of special functions, for the solution of ordinary and partial differential equations, including those of fractional nature. It will provide an account of the theory and applications of Operational Methods allowing the "translation" of the theory of special functions and polynomials into a "different" mathematical language. The language we are referring to is that of symbolic methods, largely based on a formalism of umbral type which provides a tremendous simplification of the derivation of the associated properties, with significant advantages from the computational point of view, either analytical or to derive efficient numerical methods to handle integrals, ordinary and partial differential equations, special functions and physical problems solutions. The strategy we will follow is that of establishing the rules to replace higher trascendental functions in terms of elementary functions, taking advantage from such a recasting. Albeit the point of view discussed here is not equivalent to that developed by Rota and coworkers, we emphasize that it deepens its root into the Heaviside operational calculus and into the methods introduced by the operationalists (Sylvester, Boole, Glaisher, Crofton and Blizard) of the second half of the XIX century. The method has opened new avenues to deal with rational, trascendental and higher order trascendental functions, by the use of the same operational forms. The technique had been formulated in general enough terms to be readily extended to the fractional calculus. The starting point of our theory is the use of the Borel transform methods to put the relevant mathematical foundation on rigorous grounds. Our target is the search for a common thread between special functions, the relevant integral representation, the differential equations they satisfy and their group theoretical interpretation, by embedding all the previously quoted features within the same umbral formalism. The procedure we envisage allows the straightforward derivation of (not previously known) integrals involving e.g. the combination of special functions or the Cauchy type partial differential equations (PDE) by means of new forms of solution of evolution operator, which are extended to fractional PDE. It is worth noting that our methods allow a new definition of fractional forms of Poisson distributions different from those given in processes involving fractional kinetics. A noticeable amount of work has been devoted to the rigorous definition of the evolution operator and in particular the problem of its hermiticity properties and more in general of its invertibility. Much effort is devoted to the fractional ordering problem, namely the use of non-commuting operators in fractional evolution equations and to time ordering. We underscore the versatility and the usefulness of the proposed procedure by presenting a large number of application of the method in different fields of Mathematics and Physics .
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Sibson, Keith. "Programming language abstractions for the global network." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.368587.
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MENCARELLI, ALESSANDRO. "ACADEMIC LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS IN CLIL DISCOURSE: A CLASSROOM BASED RESEARCH." Doctoral thesis, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2434/546842.
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David Marsh (1994) refers to content and language integrated learning (CLIL) as “situations where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language with dual-focused aims, namely the learning of content, and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language”. Nowadays, CLIL is implemented in a wide variety of educational contexts all over Europe, thus becoming the approach that best provides opportunities for effective second language learning (Lyster 2007). In this new CLIL scenario Italy represents a vanguard. The Reform of the Italian secondary school system (2010) made the implementation of CLIL teaching in at least one foreign language compulsory from the third year of upper secondary language schools and in the last year of schooling. Given its potential for the improvement of learners’ language competences, CLIL discourse is viewed as an interesting area of investigation. It is from these premises that this classroom-based research aims to investigate the extent to which the teaching of scientific school subjects through English can foster the use of the micro academic language function (ALF) of hypothesising as a tool for the process of constructing meaning. The study, which is the first attempt to analyse teacher discourse in the recent Italian context, reports on data collected in 45 lessons in 5 different scientific subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Mathematics, and Physics, taught in three upper-secondary language schools in Milan from February 2015 to January 2016. The analysis aims to investigate in particular how much hypothesising there is in scientific-subject CLIL lessons, how the function of hypothesising occurs and how it is linguistically realized across the lessons. Data have been analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively and compared among the subjects and the CLIL teachers, when possible. Insights from this study aim to contribute to highlighting some issues related to the incidence of hypotheses and their use across different scientific-subject CLIL lessons. In particular, the findings could encourage the CLIL teachers to strengthen their language awareness and efficacy in the second language acquisition process in CLIL lessons, at least with regards to the verbalization of hypotheses. In addition, since findings have to do with the first generation of officially trained CLIL teachers in Italy, this study might well be taken into account by academics and researchers involved in designing language and methodology training for CLIL teachers where there is also an interest in directing the trainee’s attention to the use of ALFs in the CLIL context.
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Hong, Hyo-chang. "Discourse functions of Old English passive word order variation." Virtual Press, 2003. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1259301.
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The purpose of this study was to determine discourse and functional motivation for passive word order variation as shown in three of the major Early Old English prose texts, Orosius, Pastoral Care, and Ecclesiastical History of the English People. The main variation of Early Old English passive word orders are of three types, which this study showed to be distinct in the extent to which passive subjects represent information structure. This study further shows that, while thematicity functions as a main motivating factor for the use of passives, positional variation of passive verbal elements is also an important determinant of the degrees of information structure of passive main clause subjects.<br>Department of English
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Pretorius, Wayne. "Agent rationality, communication and illocution." Thesis, University of Essex, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.304560.
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Zhang, Phyllis Ni. "Word order variation and end focus in Chinese : pragmatic functions /." Access Digital Full Text version, 1994. http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/bybib/11714827.
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Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1994.<br>Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Clifford A. Hill. Dissertation Committee: Franklin E. Horowitz. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-128).
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Evans, Elliott. "The Origin, Functions, and Histories of Germanic Adjective Endings." Thesis, Indiana University, 2019. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=13858651.
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<p> The purpose of this dissertation is to provide an account for why Germanic languages inflect adjectives along the adjective declension choice (ADC)—i.e. as strong or weak—in addition to the typical parameters of gender, number, and case. Specifically, I examine the origin, functions, and histories of Germanic adjective endings. </p><p> The ADC, which developed in prehistoric times, could not have arisen from the Proto-Indo-European individualizing suffix as is typically assumed, since early runic examples directly contradict that account. Instead, geographically peripheral Swedish attest nominal incorporation to express definiteness, which finds corresponding examples in both Runic Germanic and other Indo-European languages and provides a more likely origin for the ADC. </p><p> The modern Germanic languages exhibit different functions for the ADC. In German it conveys syntactic nominal features that would otherwise remain unvalued and result in a crash. In Dutch and Norwegian, it conveys semantic definiteness features. </p><p> The function of the ADC in Proto-Germanic, as demonstrated through a comparison of early Germanic translations of Matthew’s Gospel, was syntactic, though distinct from German. In Proto-Germanic, weak adjectives were bound by determiners and strong adjectives were free and occupied the elsewhere environment. A series of developments happened in the history of German, attested from approximately 800 to 1300 CE. First, possessives and the indefinite article grammaticalized from adjectives into determiners. Second, many nominative inflections phonologically reduced to zero, making most predicate adjectives appear uninflected. Finally, strong attributive adjectives adopted the pronominal paradigm to replace the zero endings. In Norwegian, the system shifted from a syntactic one to a semantic one, with the two competing systems vacillating from approximately 1100 to 1500 CE. The newer semantic system, which eventually won out, aligned weak adjectives with definiteness instead of the older syntactic system in which weak adjectives were bound by a determiner. </p><p> By examining the ADC, I provide an account of a phenomenon that morphosyntactically identifies nearly all Germanic languages, while showing that significant variation in function and historical trajectory exists across the Germanic languages—both past and present.</p><p>
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Thompson, Robin L. "Eye gaze in American Sign Language linguistic functions for verbs and pronoun /." Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2006. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3279427.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2006.<br>Title from first page of PDF file (viewed October 16, 2006). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
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Edwards, Alison. "English in the Netherlands : functions, forms and attitudes." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2014. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.708354.
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Wong, Kwok Yin Wilson. "Functions of cheng-yu in newspaper's special columns." HKBU Institutional Repository, 1998. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/102.
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Iwashita, Mami. "Being affected the meanings and functions of Japanese passive constructions /." Connect to full text, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/677.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2005.<br>Title from title screen (viewed 19 May 2008). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Dept. of Japanese & Korean Studies, Faculty of Arts. Degree awarded 2005; thesis submitted 2004. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.
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Schulte-Nafeh, Martha. "Overt subject pronouns in Cairene Arabic: Pragmatic and syntactic functions." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/280649.
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This dissertation investigates the use of null and overt subject pronouns in Cairene Arabic. The data for the study are: (1) a corpus of 1944 clauses from a movie; and (2) responses of 6 Egyptian consultants regarding their preference for the use/non-use of subject pronouns in those clauses. In indicative sentences, overt pronouns are used about one-third of the time with both first and second person subjects (31.7% and 29.8%, respectively). The percentage for third person subjects is only 6.4%. The claim, made frequently over the last 20 years, that null subjects can only occur in Arabic with predicates that have person marking is shown to be empirically incorrect. Numerous examples of null anaphora with predicates lacking person marking are presented and I argue that the information processing strategies needed to recover the intended subject with such predicates is not qualitatively different from strategies needed to recover null subjects with predicates that do have subject person marking. Referential ambiguity across predicate types was analyzed in order to determine whether or not this ambiguity was playing a role in motivating more overt pronoun use. I found no evidence that this ambiguity leads to increased overt pronoun use. The traditional explanation of overt pronoun use in terms of expressing "emphasis" and/or "contrast" is not illuminating. These terms are not semantic or pragmatic primitives and do not explain the underlying discourse circumstances that lead to overt pronoun use. I explain the use of overt pronouns as resulting from an extra "layer" of meaning implicit in the utterance with the overt pronoun and argue that the added meaning can frequently not be conveyed without the overt pronoun. Once speaker illocutionary intent is taken into consideration, the use of an overt pronoun frequently becomes pragmatically obligatory. The sources of that added, often indirect, meaning are identified through a careful analysis of examples in the corpus which consultants indicated were pragmatically obligatory. In addition, an information processing function of "predicate signaling" is proposed for overt pronouns occurring with definite NP predicates that could be interpreted as new subjects of predication, in the absence of an overt subject pronoun.
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Ghobrial, Shereen. "Supporting shared variables and atomic functions in the EARTH-C language." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape16/PQDD_0003/MQ29700.pdf.
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Kiehl, Kent Anthony. "A neuroimaging investigation of affective, cognitive, and language functions in psychopathy." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/NQ48667.pdf.
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Lushchenko, Alexey. "Interaction between characters in Heike monogatari dialogues: language forms and functions." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/27643.
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This thesis examines language aspects of interaction in dialogue passages of Heike monogatari (The Tale of the Heike, 1371) focusing on the role of language forms in characterization. The main goal of the present study is to assess the role of language variation and analyze how it participates in construction of asymmetries in social status and power between characters. Selected dialogue data is divided into two groups according to the participants and the dominant context: political interaction at court and interaction involving religious matters. Analysis of language forms in each dialogue draws on research by Japanese scholars and covers a wide range of linguistic phenomena such as sound changes, lexical choices, and markers of politeness. Linguistic findings are intended to supplement recent studies of the literary, socio-political, and religious contexts for early medieval narratives. By selecting a specific language style for each interacting character, the author(s) constructed particular images that have shaped audience’s perceptions of the characters. This study brings attention to language variation and clarifies how the socio-political status of characters, their interpersonal relations, and attitudes toward each other are encoded in the language of Heike monogatari dialogues. As such, this study is perhaps the first attempt in English to adopt a sociolinguistic approach to a Japanese pre-modern text, focusing on language properties and shifts in style in Heike monogatari.
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Kusanagi, Yuka. "The roles and functions of teacher gesture in foreign language teaching." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2015. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/357117.
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Language Arts<br>Ed.D.<br>This study is a qualitative and descriptive investigation of teacher gestures in EFL education. The specific aim is to describe the types, roles, and functions of gestures that are produced by native English speaking teachers in English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms in Japan by examining naturally occurring interactions. In addition to teacher gesture, I included some nonverbal behaviors such as suprasegmental features, nodding, and gaze direction so as to understand classroom interaction and communication in EFL classrooms. In order to accomplish these aims I employed a qualitative case study approach in five EFL classrooms at a university in an urban area in Japan. The primary data come from classroom interactions of a native English speaking teacher and his 26 students of one classroom over one semester that were analyzed through a microanalysis of videotapes of the naturalistic classroom interactions. In addition to videotapes, to better understand the interactions that occurred in the classroom, I gathered and analyzed observation notes from my perspective as a peripheral observer. I also collected retrospective stimulated video recall interview data from the teacher and some volunteer students for further analysis. Furthermore, in order to have wider understanding of multimodal foreign language (FL) classroom interactions, I observed four more EFL classes that were taught by two other native English speaking teachers at a university that was situated in a municipal capital in Japan as additional observations and a post-lesson survey with the teachers and students for additional analyses. My aim is not to seek causal explanation but to present plausible descriptions and interpretations of naturally occurring interactions in EFL classrooms. Analysis revealed that various types of teacher gesture were used by the teachers from five EFL classrooms. They were categorized into representational, referential, emphatic gestures, and emblems. The findings were further analyzed for the following functions: In EFL instruction, the teacher’s speech and gestures influence the transmission of knowledge and information as comprehension aids, classroom management, and students' affective states. All three teachers heavily relied on multimodal behaviors, primarily gestures. However, they not only used gestures, but also various nonverbal behaviors. The teachers selected a mode or a combination of modes according to their instructional purposes and personal styles such as giving knowledge and information, and giving directions. It was confirmed that the teachers presented visual input even when learners were not looking at them. The teachers' awareness of their gesture use differed individually. Whereas teacher 1 was not aware of his gesture production, Teacher 2 and Teacher 3 were conscious about their gesture uses and intentionally used certain types of gestures for pedagogy. Student interviews and survey suggested that the students perceived teachers’ gestures positively. Close analysis of the transcribed data suggests that multi-modes of communication including gesture serve to potentially enhance meaning-making in classroom interaction and communication. I assume that integration of these gestural functions of teacher gesture scaffold learning to some extent although the degree of its influence cannot be determined from this study. The teachers’ gestural and speech instruction might contribute to learning, in particular to multimodal semiotic meaning construction for the case of teacher gestures that function as comprehension aids, and that this kind of instruction definitely contributes to classroom management and atmosphere. Students reacted nonverbally to the teachers’ rich input in speech and gestural explanations, and followed the teachers’ speech and gestural directions. In addition, the classroom cohesion was promoted through the use of humor presented by bodily motions such as mimes and the use of students. This finding was confirmed by interview and survey results. This study contributes to the research on gesture in second and foreign language (L2 / FL) education, to the pedagogy of language education and subject matter education in the first language, and possibly to the larger body of research on gesture.<br>Temple University--Theses
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Yang, Dai Fei. "Improving Networked Learning in Higher Education: Language Functions and Design Patterns." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/2465.
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The thesis of this study is that two seemingly disparate research disciplines can be coalesced to develop an effective pedagogical framework for educational design in the context of networked learning. That contention is grounded in, and inspired by, the rapid developments in educational technologies which have greatly changed the landscape in teaching and learning in higher education over the last decade. The study attempts to add to the corpus of contemporary learning theory which sees students not merely as passive recipients of knowledge, but as active participants in the learning process, having much greater control over their selection of technological learning tools, learning resources and learning methodologies. This is very much in line with the shift from the traditional focus on content design and knowledge transmission towards a more student-centred design for knowledge co-construction, a development which demands the type of new thinking about the design of learning tasks and learning resources contained in this study. Also set out are new lines of action for the fashioning of a collaborative learning environment, for community interaction and the sharing of knowledge, and for promoting good teaching and learning practice. The central argument of the study is that such pedagogical goals may be attained by juxtaposing the theories of Systemic Functional Linguistics (hereafter SFL) and pattern languages. These have not, thus far, been used in combination. SFL is a well established theory in the study of language, and is used in this thesis to help analyse and classify discourses produced and shared by teachers and students in networked learning. Pattern languages have their origin in architecture. Design patterns can be used as a means of representing and sharing important and specific empirical research results and design experiences. This new knowledge can be used to support and improve the quality of educational design. The study has two central components. The first uses the SFL theoretical framework to demonstrate how text is used as a key medium in networked learning. In other words, it is argued in this section that the quality of texts has a direct impact on the quality of learning and learning outcomes. The quality of text is assessed by means of a detailed discourse analysis of selected texts. This process involves deconstructing, identifying and capturing the linguistic resources and language strategies used in the texts. The detailed discourse analysis also illustrates and reveals how language is used in the construction of knowledge and the promotion of collaboration in teaching and learning. The second component centres on the argument that SFL provides valuable language knowledge which can be represented by using Alexander’s design patterns. New knowledge encoded in these design patterns can be used by teachers and designers as reusable and shared resources to help them improve their design work. The empirical research was carried out in three phases. The first involved a) the identification of text patterns of discourses used in networked learning based on detailed discourse analysis; b) Interviewing experienced academic staff to identify their perspectives on good online teaching practices and success factors. The second phase involved using the data which emerged from these interviews and discourse analysis to model illustrative patterns. (Here, illustrative means that due to the scope of the study, it is only possible to develop a limited number of patterns to illustrate the methods used for pattern development. It is not the intention to develop a full repository of design patterns in this study). In the third (validation) phase the patterns were reviewed by two groups of academic staff, with the aim of improving these patterns. Improved patterns were then tested on a group of educational design students for their usefulness and application. It is concluded from this research that it is possible to develop design patterns which ensure the best use of linguistic resources in both the teaching and learning process. Finally, it is argued that the combination of SFL and pattern languages provides a promising theoretical framework for the complex and demanding task of educational design. Future research could make use of such a framework to explore a fuller application of the pattern- based approach for the representation of new knowledge for educational design. Suggested additional research directions include finding new ways of capturing a new pedagogical approach to mobile learning and blended learning. Also, a promising direction could be the use of SFL Appraisal theory (Martin, 2000) for the investigation on how students construct interpersonal relationships (appraise peer work) in online joint projects. In the conclusion, it is contended that through its exploration of new ground in the use of SFL and pattern language theory in the construction of education design patterns, the study makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of networked learning.
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Yang, Dai Fei. "Improving Networked Learning in Higher Education: Language Functions and Design Patterns." University of Sydney, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/2465.
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Doctor of Philosophy<br>The thesis of this study is that two seemingly disparate research disciplines can be coalesced to develop an effective pedagogical framework for educational design in the context of networked learning. That contention is grounded in, and inspired by, the rapid developments in educational technologies which have greatly changed the landscape in teaching and learning in higher education over the last decade. The study attempts to add to the corpus of contemporary learning theory which sees students not merely as passive recipients of knowledge, but as active participants in the learning process, having much greater control over their selection of technological learning tools, learning resources and learning methodologies. This is very much in line with the shift from the traditional focus on content design and knowledge transmission towards a more student-centred design for knowledge co-construction, a development which demands the type of new thinking about the design of learning tasks and learning resources contained in this study. Also set out are new lines of action for the fashioning of a collaborative learning environment, for community interaction and the sharing of knowledge, and for promoting good teaching and learning practice. The central argument of the study is that such pedagogical goals may be attained by juxtaposing the theories of Systemic Functional Linguistics (hereafter SFL) and pattern languages. These have not, thus far, been used in combination. SFL is a well established theory in the study of language, and is used in this thesis to help analyse and classify discourses produced and shared by teachers and students in networked learning. Pattern languages have their origin in architecture. Design patterns can be used as a means of representing and sharing important and specific empirical research results and design experiences. This new knowledge can be used to support and improve the quality of educational design. The study has two central components. The first uses the SFL theoretical framework to demonstrate how text is used as a key medium in networked learning. In other words, it is argued in this section that the quality of texts has a direct impact on the quality of learning and learning outcomes. The quality of text is assessed by means of a detailed discourse analysis of selected texts. This process involves deconstructing, identifying and capturing the linguistic resources and language strategies used in the texts. The detailed discourse analysis also illustrates and reveals how language is used in the construction of knowledge and the promotion of collaboration in teaching and learning. The second component centres on the argument that SFL provides valuable language knowledge which can be represented by using Alexander’s design patterns. New knowledge encoded in these design patterns can be used by teachers and designers as reusable and shared resources to help them improve their design work. The empirical research was carried out in three phases. The first involved a) the identification of text patterns of discourses used in networked learning based on detailed discourse analysis; b) Interviewing experienced academic staff to identify their perspectives on good online teaching practices and success factors. The second phase involved using the data which emerged from these interviews and discourse analysis to model illustrative patterns. (Here, illustrative means that due to the scope of the study, it is only possible to develop a limited number of patterns to illustrate the methods used for pattern development. It is not the intention to develop a full repository of design patterns in this study). In the third (validation) phase the patterns were reviewed by two groups of academic staff, with the aim of improving these patterns. Improved patterns were then tested on a group of educational design students for their usefulness and application. It is concluded from this research that it is possible to develop design patterns which ensure the best use of linguistic resources in both the teaching and learning process. Finally, it is argued that the combination of SFL and pattern languages provides a promising theoretical framework for the complex and demanding task of educational design. Future research could make use of such a framework to explore a fuller application of the pattern- based approach for the representation of new knowledge for educational design. Suggested additional research directions include finding new ways of capturing a new pedagogical approach to mobile learning and blended learning. Also, a promising direction could be the use of SFL Appraisal theory (Martin, 2000) for the investigation on how students construct interpersonal relationships (appraise peer work) in online joint projects. In the conclusion, it is contended that through its exploration of new ground in the use of SFL and pattern language theory in the construction of education design patterns, the study makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of networked learning.
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Payant, Caroline A. "Learner-Learner Interaction: An Exploration of the Mediating Functions of Multilingual Learners’ Languages in an L3 Foreign Language Classroom." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2012. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/alesl_diss/23.
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Since the mid 90s, an increasing number of researchers have adopted a sociocultural theory (SCT) of mind to investigate the social and cognitive functions of language during learner-learner interaction (Lantolf & Thorne, 2007). Researchers from an SCT perspective have identified that first languages (L1s) serve important cognitive functions (Alegría de la Colina & García Mayo, 2009; Storch & Aldosari, 2010). Swain and colleagues (Swain, 1995; Swain & Lapkin, 1995, 1998) have also illustrated that languaging, a form of verbalization, facilitates the completion of complex linguistic tasks which leads to second language (L2) development (Swain, Brooks, & Tocalli-Beller, 2002). Moreover, researchers have found that task type impacts language development (Storch & Aldosari, 2010; Storch & Wigglesworth, 2003; Swain & Lapkin, 2001). Due to the growing number of multilingual learners in the world today (Hammarberg, 2010), researchers need to expand the scope of the research to include the role(s) of native and nonnative languages on third language (L3) development. Thus, the purpose of the current multiple case study was to investigate the specific mediating functions of multilingual learners’ languages during four types of collaborative tasks and to explore the relationship between languaging and L3 development. A 16-week classroom-based study was conducted in a university French as a foreign language classroom in Mexico with four focal participants. The language produced during learner-learner interaction was examined using three types of analysis: (1) each turn was coded for language and for their specific functions; (2) each Language-Related Episode (LRE) was coded for type and for resolution; and (3) accuracy on individual tailor-made posttest items. Findings uncovered a complex picture of task type effects on the specific mediating functions of language as well as complementary functions of L1 and L3 mediation. Results from the analysis of LREs show that task type impacts the occurrence and resolution of LREs. Accuracy scores from the posttests suggest that L1 and L3 mediation promotes L3 development. Findings are in line with the focal participants’ beliefs. The findings that languages serve various social and cognitive functions during task completion are discussed in light of current ideas from an SCT perspective.
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Barry, Bobbi J. "Needed Narrowing as the Computational Strategy of Evaluable Functions in an Extension of Goedel." PDXScholar, 1996. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4915.
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A programming language that combines the best aspects of both the functional and logic paradigms with a complete evaluation strategy has been a goal of a Portland State University project team for the last several years. I present the third in a series of modifications to the compiler of the logic programming language Goedel which reaches this goal. This enhancement of Goedel's compiler translates user-defined functions in the form of rewrite rules into code that performs evaluation of these functions by the strategy of needed narrowing. In addition, Goedel's mechanism that evaluates predicates is supplemented so that needed narrowing is still maintained as the evaluation strategy when predicates possess functional arguments.
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Fincher, Amanda, and n/a. "Functions of Self-Initiated Self-Repairs in an Advanced Japanese Language Classroom." Griffith University. School of Education and Professional Studies, 2007. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20080613.161329.
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In the current research project the functions of self-initiated self-repairs in an advanced Japanese language classroom were investigated. From the reviewed literature it was found that repairing is possible through monitoring, which includes error detection, and involves attention and memory. Therefore, data was collected on the abilities of the participants in the current research project to repair, monitor and their attention levels and memory. There were seven methods used to collect data; participant observation, classroom interaction tape recordings, a questionnaire, stimulated recall interviews, attention test, memory and attention test and proficiency level assessments. From the participant observation, classroom interaction tape recordings and stimulated recall interviews data was collected on the repairs that the participants made and the way in which they monitored was explored. The questionnaire revealed relevant background information, such as, number of years the participants had studied Japanese, which supplemented other information collected. The attention test and memory and attention tests were used to obtain information on the participants perceptions of their levels of attention and their actual levels of attention and memory respectively. The final data collected was on the participants own perceptions of their speaking proficiency levels in Japanese and an independent judges evaluation of their levels. The results of the data collected on the way in which the participants repaired and monitored showed that overall the participants repaired and monitored in ways that had been discussed in previous research on repairing and monitoring. However, for the first known time, phenomena related to repairing and monitoring, which the researcher terms as communication strategies, are used frequently by the participants and also, that these communication strategies used and repairs made by the participants were not needed to be made. In other words, the participants in the current research project were often repairing errors that had not been made. As for the data collected on the participants attention levels and memory, no significant differences were found between the participants and neither did any differences reflect on the ways in which the participants repaired. From the proficiency level assessments, further evidence was found that supported previous research done on repairing and monitoring as well. Also, it was found that the participants under-estimated their levels of proficiency in comparison to the independent judges evaluations. Therefore, the participants both over repair and under estimate their Japanese speaking abilities. This is seen as detrimental to the participants performances in Japanese. Recommendations are made to use this data provided by Japanese language learners when repairing to guide instruction and to encourage learners to gain fluency by repairing less often than is thought necessary.
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Ezrine, Greer A. "Effects of Language on the Development of Executive Functions in Preschool Children." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2010. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cps_diss/41.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between language skills and the development of executive functions in a normative preschool population over a 3 year period. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to examine models of individual change and correlates of change in the growth of 7 executive skills in a sample of 39 children ages 3 to 5. Results of the analyses revealed significant positive linear growth trajectories over time for 5 of the 7 executive skills measured (p < .05). Maturation alone accounted for a significant amount of variance in nonverbal working memory (Block Span, Stanford Binet-5th Edition (SB-5)) and problem solving skills (Tower, NEPSY). Growth in verbal working memory (Memory for Sentences, SB-5) was predicted uniquely by initial receptive vocabulary (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–3rd Edition) and oral language (Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language) skills, even after considering age. Language variables did not predict rate of change in the 6 other executive skills measured. Thus, the pattern of results extends previous cross-sectional research by documenting that executive skills grow systematically with age in individual children during the preschool period. Furthermore, results suggest that during the preschool years, language ability is an important predictor of growth in working memory for verbal information—a capacity associated both theoretically and empirically with the transition from other- to self-regulation in early childhood. Findings are discussed in relationship to the literature on school readiness and the development of self-regulation. Implications for future research and practice are also suggested.
27
Fincher, Amanda. "Functions of Self-Initiated Self-Repairs in an Advanced Japanese Language Classroom." Thesis, Griffith University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365758.
Full textAbstract:
In the current research project the functions of self-initiated self-repairs in an advanced Japanese language classroom were investigated. From the reviewed literature it was found that repairing is possible through monitoring, which includes error detection, and involves attention and memory. Therefore, data was collected on the abilities of the participants in the current research project to repair, monitor and their attention levels and memory. There were seven methods used to collect data; participant observation, classroom interaction tape recordings, a questionnaire, stimulated recall interviews, attention test, memory and attention test and proficiency level assessments. From the participant observation, classroom interaction tape recordings and stimulated recall interviews data was collected on the repairs that the participants made and the way in which they monitored was explored. The questionnaire revealed relevant background information, such as, number of years the participants had studied Japanese, which supplemented other information collected. The attention test and memory and attention tests were used to obtain information on the participants’ perceptions of their levels of attention and their actual levels of attention and memory respectively. The final data collected was on the participants’ own perceptions of their speaking proficiency levels in Japanese and an independent judge’s evaluation of their levels. The results of the data collected on the way in which the participants repaired and monitored showed that overall the participants repaired and monitored in ways that had been discussed in previous research on repairing and monitoring. However, for the first known time, phenomena related to repairing and monitoring, which the researcher terms as communication strategies, are used frequently by the participants and also, that these communication strategies used and repairs made by the participants were not needed to be made. In other words, the participants in the current research project were often repairing errors that had not been made. As for the data collected on the participants’ attention levels and memory, no significant differences were found between the participants and neither did any differences reflect on the ways in which the participants repaired. From the proficiency level assessments, further evidence was found that supported previous research done on repairing and monitoring as well. Also, it was found that the participants under-estimated their levels of proficiency in comparison to the independent judge’s evaluations. Therefore, the participants both over repair and under estimate their Japanese speaking abilities. This is seen as detrimental to the participants’ performances in Japanese. Recommendations are made to use this data provided by Japanese language learners when repairing to guide instruction and to encourage learners to gain fluency by repairing less often than is thought necessary.<br>Thesis (Professional Doctorate)<br>Doctor of Education (EdD)<br>School of Education and Professional Studies<br>Faculty of Education<br>Full Text
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Vorvick, Janet. "Evaluable Functions in the Godel Programming Language: Parsing and Representing Rewrite Rules." PDXScholar, 1995. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/5195.
Full textAbstract:
The integration of a functional component into a logic language extends the expressive power of the language. One logic language which would benefit from such an extension is Godel, a prototypical language at the leading edge of the research in logic programming. We present a modification of the Godel parser which enables the parsing of evaluable functions in Godel. As the first part of an extended Godel, the parser produces output similar to the output from the original Godel parser, ensuring that Godel modules are properly handled by the extended-Godel parser. Parser output is structured to simplify, as much as possible, the future task of creating an extended compiler implementing evaluation of functions using narrowing. We describe the structure of the original Godel parser, the objects produced by it, the modifications made for the implementation of the extended Godel and the motivation for those modifications. The ultimate goal of this research is production of a functional component for Godel which evaluates user-defined functions with needed narrowing, a strategy which is sound, complete, and optimal for inductively sequential rewrite systems.
29
Tai, Chung-pui. "Literacy practices and functions of the Zhuang character writing system." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2005. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B30730661.
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Tai, Chung-pui, and 戴忠沛. "Literacy practices and functions of the Zhuang character writing system." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2005. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B30730661.
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Elder, Chi-Hé Mary. "On the forms of conditionals and the functions of 'if'." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2015. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.708812.
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Licciardi, Silvia. "Umbral Calculus A Different Mathematical Language." Doctoral thesis, Università di Catania, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10761/3941.
Full textAbstract:
The thesis is aimed at a thorough exposition of the Umbral Method, relevant in the
theory of special functions, for the solution of ordinary and partial differential
equations, including those of fractional nature. It will provide an account
of the theory and applications of Operational Methods allowing the "translation"
of the theory of special functions and polynomials into a "different"
mathematical language. The language we are referring to is that of symbolic
methods, largely based on a formalism of umbral type which provides a
tremendous simplification of the derivation of the associated properties, with
significant advantages from the computational point of view, either analytical
or to derive efficient numerical methods to handle integrals, ordinary and
partial differential equations, special functions and physical problems solutions.
The strategy we will follow is that of establishing the rules to replace
higher trascendental functions in terms of elementary functions, taking advantage
from such a recasting.
Albeit the point of view discussed here is not equivalent to that developed
by Rota and coworkers, we emphasize that it deepens its root into the Heaviside
operational calculus and into the methods introduced by the operationalists
(Sylvester, Boole, Glaisher, Crofton and Blizard) of the second half of the XIX century.
The method has opened new avenues to deal with rational, trascendental
and higher order trascendental functions, by the use of the same operational
forms. The technique had been formulated in general enough terms to be
readily extended to the fractional calculus. The starting point of our theory
is the use of the Borel transform methods to put the relevant mathematical
foundation on rigorous grounds.
Our target is the search for a common thread between special functions,
the relevant integral representation, the differential equations they satisfy
and their group theoretical interpretation, by embedding all the previously
quoted features within the same umbral formalism.
The procedure we envisage allows the straightforward derivation of (not
previously known) integrals involving e.g. the combination of special functions
or the Cauchy type partial differential equations (PDE) by means of
new forms of solution of evolution operator, which are extended to fractional
PDE. It is worth noting that our methods allow a new definition of fractional
forms of Poisson distributions different from those given in processes involving
fractional kinetics.
A noticeable amount of work has been devoted to the rigorous definition
of the evolution operator and in particular the problem of its hermiticity
properties and more in general of its invertibility. Much effort is devoted to
the fractional ordering problem, namely the use of non-commuting operators
in fractional evolution equations and to time ordering.
We underscore the versatility and the usefulness of the proposed procedure
by presenting a large number of application of the method in different
fields of Mathematics and Physics .
33
Moreira, Carlos Eduardo Manzoni. "Descoberta de cross-language links ausentes na wikipédia." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/95074.
Full textAbstract:
A Wikipédia é uma enciclopédia pública composta por milhões de artigos editados diariamente por uma comunidade de autores de diferentes regiões do mundo. Os artigos que constituem a Wikipédia possuem um tipo de link chamado de Cross-language Link que relaciona artigos correspondentes em idiomas diferentes. O objetivo principal dessa estrutura é permitir a navegação dos usuários por diferentes versões de um mesmo artigo em busca da informação desejada. Além disso, por permitir a obtenção de corpora comparáveis, os Cross-language Links são extremamente importantes para aplicações que trabalham com tradução automática e recuperação de informações multilíngues. Visto que os Cross-language Links são inseridos manualmente pelos autores dos artigos, quando o autor não reconhece o seu correspondente em determinado idioma ocorre uma situação de Cross-language Links ausente. Sendo assim, é importante o desenvolvimento de uma abordagem que realize a descoberta de Cross-language Links entre artigos que são correspondentes, porém, não estão conectados por esse tipo link. Nesta dissertação, é apresentado o CLLFinder, uma abordagem para a descoberta de Cross-language Links ausentes. A nossa abordagem utiliza o relacionamento entre as categorias e a indexação e consulta do conteúdo dos artigos para realizar a seleção do conjunto de candidatos. Para a identificação do artigo correspondente, são utilizados atributos que exploram a transitividade de Cross-language Links entre outros idiomas bem como características textuais dos artigos. Os resultados demonstram a criação de um conjunto de candidatos com 84,3% de presença do artigo correspondente, superando o trabalho utilizado como baseline. A avaliação experimental com mais de dois milhões de pares de artigos aponta uma precisão de 99,2% e uma revocação geral de 78,9%, superando, também, o baseline. Uma inspeção manual dos resultados do CLLFinder aplicado em um cenário real indica que 73,6% dos novos Cross-language Links sugeridos pela nossa abordagem eram de fato correspondentes.<br>Wikipedia is a public encyclopedia composed of millions of articles written daily by volunteer authors from different regions of the world. The articles contain links called Cross-language Links which relate corresponding articles across different languages. This feature is extremely useful for applications that work with automatic translation and multilingual information retrieval as it allows the assembly of comparable corpora. Since these links are created manually, in many occasions, the authors fail to do so. Thus, it is important to have a mechanism that automatically creates such links. This has been motivating the development of techniques to identify missing cross-language links. In this work, we present CLLFinder, an approach for finding missing cross-language links. The approach makes use of the links between categories and an index of the content of the articles to select candidates. In order to identify corresponding articles, the method uses the transitivity between existing cross-language links in other languages as well as textual features extracted from the articles. Experiments on over two million pairs of articles from the English and Portuguese Wikipedias show that our approach has a recall of 78.9% and a precision of 99.2%, outperforming the baseline system.A manual inspection of the results of CLLFinder applied to a real situation indicates that our approach was able to identify the Cross-language Link correctly 73.6% of the time.
34
Wong, King-Wah, and 王景華. "An analysis of matriculants' writing with special reference to communicative functions." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1993. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31956877.
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Hughes, Maureen Eliabeth. "Teachers and other adults as talk-partners for pupils in nursery and reception classes." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.241540.
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Ståhlberg, Andreas. "The Functions of the Narratee in Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day." Thesis, Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Education, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-1639.
Full textAbstract:
<p>Since its publication in 1989, Kazuo Ishiguro’s third novel, The Remains of the Day, has received a great deal of attention. It has been the object of criticism as well as acclaim and even been turned into film. It is the purpose of this essay to explore reader communication and characterisation The Remains of the Day by analysing its narratee, i.e. the receiver of the narrator’s story within the text. This entails the application of a reader response approach on the level of the narrative. More precisely, the investigation focuses on the functions of the narratee in the areas of reader communication and characterisation of the narrator and main character of the novel, Stevens.</p><p>I argue that the narratee, as an agent of the narrative, has two prominent functions in the novel: the first is as a tool for the author in the characterisation of the narrator of the story, and the second is as a device for achieving communication between author and reader. My thesis is that the narratee is not utilised in a mere supportive capacity in the novel, but as a primary way of achieving reader communication and characterisation of the narrator. Thus, methodologically this investigation is performed in part by reconstructing the narratee, and in part by analysing the communicative situation contained in the narrative.</p><p>The investigation yields ample evidence to support that the narratee, as a device of the narrative, is utilised as a primary way of achieving reader communication and characterisation of the narrator in the novel. The narratee’s indirect influence in the novel is surprisingly tangible and the narratee is revealed as a major mover of the narrative. In addition to this, the analysis shows that the narrator can also be his own narratee. In this regard Stevens’s role in the narrative is twofold: he is both the narrator, who tells his story, and the narratee, who receives the story. The duality serves to highlight and reconcile the complexities and idiosyncrasies of his conflicted character, as well as make the narrative more accessible to the reader.</p>
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NOVELLINO, MARCIA OLIVE. "PHOTOGRAPHS IN AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE BOOK: AN ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONS AND MEANINGS." PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, 2007. http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=10597@1.
Full textAbstract:
PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO<br>Os livros didáticos atuais de inglês como língua
estrangeira refletem uma
característica da sociedade ocidental: a forte presença de
imagens. Considerando
que as práticas sociais, profissionais e acadêmicas
requerem o conhecimento de
imagens e a capacidade de produzi-las, é importante
entender como o estudo de
imagens possa ser integrado no ensino. Autores como Kress
e van Leeuwen
(2000) e Unsworth (2004) clamam por um maior letramento
visual já que a
comunicação visual tem se tornado freqüente nos livros
didáticos de inglês. Um
dos elementos visuais de destaque é a fotografia. As
fotografias são imagens de
grande versatilidade podendo ser utilizadas tanto na
documentação de dados
legais, históricos, médicos e científicos, quanto em livro
didático de inglês como
língua estrangeira. Essa dissertação investiga as funções
que as fotografias
exercem nas atividades pedagógicas sugeridas pelo livro
didático, de que maneira
os significados nas fotografias são negociados, e como
ocorrem as relações sociais
entre o produtor da imagem e observador. Utilizando
análise qualitativa, essa
pesquisa se apóia na Gramática do Design Visual elaborada
por Kress e van
Leeuwen (2000) para a análise de imagens, baseada nos
aportes teóricos da
Gramática Sistêmico-Funcional de Halliday (1994, 2000). A
análise mostra que
as fotografias ilustram, dão apoio visual às atividades,
aproximam alunos e
professores do mundo real existente fora da sala de aula,
trazem significados para
dentro do livro didático. A análise aponta também a
importância de mais
pesquisas na área da multimodalidade em livros didáticos e
no desenvolvimento
de novas metodologias de análise visual.<br>EFL course books reflect a characteristic of contemporary
Western society:
the strong presence of images. Considering that social,
professional and academic
practices demand knowledge of images and ability to
produce them, it is
important to understand how the study of images can become
an integral part of
language study. Authors such as Kress and van Leeuwen
(2000) and Unsworth
(2004) argue for the need for visual literacy as visual
communication has become
more prominent in EFL course books. One of the most
evident visual elements is
the photograph. Photographs are versatile images that can
be used in legal data, in
historic, medical and scientific documentation, as well as
in EFL course books.
This dissertation investigates the functions of
photographs in the activities
suggested in an EFL course book, the negotiation of
meanings in photographs,
and the social relations between the producer of the image
and the observer. This
research uses a qualitative analysis of images following
Kress and van Leeuwen`s
(2000) The Grammar of Visual Design, which is based on the
theory of Systemic
Functional Grammar by Halliday (1994, 2000). The analysis
of the course book
shows that photographs illustrate arguments, bridge the
students` and the teacher`s
world with the real world outside the classroom, and bring
meanings into the
course book. It also points out the importance of
conducting more research on
multimodality in EFL course books and developing new
methodologies for visual
analysis.
38
Reesink, Ger P. "Structures and their functions in Usan, a Papuan language of Papua New Guinea /." Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : J. Benjamins, 1987. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb34939623k.
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Bonfieni, Michela. "Bilingual continuum : mutual effects of language and cognition." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/31365.
Full textAbstract:
One of the main findings of research on bilingualism in the last twenty years is the fact that both languages are always active, to some extent, and interact with each other. This interaction gives rise to a computationally complex feature of the bilingual mind, namely that the two languages compete with each other. Many studies have addressed the linguistic consequences of this competition (e.g. differences in linguistic attainment), while others have instead addressed the cognitive consequences (e.g. training effects on cognitive control). These two strands of research, when brought together, can shed light on the dynamics of language processing and of its relationship with other cognitive abilities; however, they do not often converge. The first aim of this thesis is to seam them together. The second aim of this thesis is to understand the effects of specific aspects of language experience on linguistic and non linguistic abilities. A critical assumption I make is that bilingualism is not a dichotomous variable, but rather a continuum, characterised by several aspects such as linguistic proficiency, age of acquisition, and daily exposure. All of these factors interact with each other to give rise to potentially infinite types of bilingual experiences, and arguably modulate how bilinguals deal with competing languages. However, the effects of these factors on linguistic and non linguistic abilities are poorly understood. Hence, in this thesis I examine if the bilingual experience affects other cognitive abilities (study 1), how the ability to handle this competition is modulated by experience (study 2), and how it affects language processing (study 3). To examine how specific dimensions of the bilingual continuum affect these abilities, I compare four populations of bilinguals, whose linguistic experience ranges from late bilinguals who are immersed in their native language and are passive users of their second language, to early highly proficient bilinguals who use both languages actively. My first study examines cognitive control performance and shows that high active proficiency and early age of acquisition, together, represent beneficial circumstances for the ability to modulate cognitive control; however, their effects are not strong enough to override individual variability. The second study investigates how the bilingual experience modulates the ability to access the two languages separately, overcoming the competition between them at different levels. This could be at a local level, i.e. the level of the individual linguistic representation (e.g. naming time of a specific word), or at a global or whole language level (e.g. overall naming latencies across languages). The results show that proficiency affects local competition, and age of acquisition affects global competition, whereas daily language exposure regulates competition at both the local and the global levels. My third study examines the processing of pronouns, which are particularly demanding linguistic structures. It shows that active proficiency and age of acquisition, together, define circumstances in which pronoun processing may vary between individuals, independently of structural differences between their languages. This suggests that bilinguals with long-term exposure to more than one language and high active proficiency may use some linguistic structures in the same way as individuals with different linguistic backgrounds, i.e. explicitly interpret them in similar ways, but process them in marginally different ways. Through these studies, this thesis brings together research on linguistic and cognitive aspects of bilingualism by identifying three dimensions of the bilingual experience - proficiency, exposure and age of acquisition - and their effects on language processing, language control and cognitive control.
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Iwashita, Mami. "Being Affected: The meanings and functions of Japanese passive constructions." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/677.
Full textAbstract:
Amongst the multiple and diverse meanings and functions passive constructions hold, this study considers that the primary function of passives in Japanese is to portray an event from the point of view of an affected entity. The thesis identifies three types of affectedness in Japanese passive constructions: emotive affectedness, direct / physical affectedness, and objective affectedness. Emotive affectedness, often referred to as 'adversative' meaning, has drawn attention from many researchers. It has been strongly associated in the past with the syntactic category called the 'indirect passive', but is actually also observed in many instances of the 'direct passive'. Direct / physical affectedness is detected mainly in the construction here referred to as the 'direct sentient passive'. This meaning is common in passives in many other languages, including English. The last type 'objective affectedness ' is primarily associated with 'non-sentient passives', more specifically with what is here called the 'plain passive'. Many previous researchers have claimed a complete and apparently transparent correlation between syntactic and semantic distinctions of the Japanese passive. The present study rejects these direct correlations. In analysing authentic data, it becomes evident that the correlation is much more subtle than has generally been recognised, and that is a matter of degree or continuum, rather than a discrete, black and white issue. To reflect this view, this study proposes separate sets of categories for syntactic and semantic distinctions. The ultimate aim of this study is to reveal how Japanese passives are actually used in real contexts. In order to achieve this aim, detailed examination of authentic written and spoken data is conducted. Some findings of the data analysis in the present study contradict previous claims, such as the finding of a large proportion of passives with a non-sentient subject and very low frequency of occurrence of indirect passives. This research also finds that, although more than half of the propositional meanings in the passive data examined are 'negative', a considerable number of passives still appear in a proposition with a neutral or positive meaning. Another prominent finding regarding propositional meaning is that it seems to be related to the degree of centrality of the passive subject to the event. With regard to the syntactic classification of passive, in particular, it is observed that the lower the degree of the centrality of the subject of the passive to the event, the greater the likelihood that the passive clause involves a negative proposition.
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Mirjana, Vidanović. "Sumiranje redova sa specijalnim funkcijama." Phd thesis, Univerzitet u Novom Sadu, Prirodno-matematički fakultet u Novom Sadu, 2003. https://www.cris.uns.ac.rs/record.jsf?recordId=73367&source=NDLTD&language=en.
Full textAbstract:
Disertacija se bavi sumiranjem redova sa specijalnim funkcijama. Ovi redovi se posredstvom trigonometrijskih redova svode na redove sa Riemannovom zeta funkci­jom i srodnim funkcijama. U određenim slučajevima sumacione formule se mogu dovesti na takozvani zatvoreni oblik, što znači da se beskonačni redovi predstavljaju konačnim sumama. Predloženi metodi sumacije omogućavaju ubrzanje konvergencije, a mogu se primeniti i kod nekih graničnih problema matematičke fizike. Sumacione formule uključuju kao specijalne slučajeve neke formule poznate iz literature, ali i nove sume, s obzirom da su opšteg karaktera. Pomoću ovih formula sumirani su i redovi sa integralima trigonometrijskih i specijalnih funkcija.<br>This dissertation deals with the summation of series over special functions. Throughtrigonometric series these series are reduced to series in terms of Riemann zeta andrelated functions. They can be brought in closed form in some cases, i.e. infiniteseries are expressed as finite sums. Closed form formulas make it possible to accele­rate the convergence of some series, and have many applications in various scientificfields as well. For example, closed form solutions of the boundary value problem inmathematical physics can be obtained. Summation formulas include particular casesknown from the literature, but because of their general character one can come tonew sums. By means of these formuláis the sums of series over integrals containingtrigonometric or special functions have been found.
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Al-Otaibi, Abdullah Munahi Majed. "Identifying the English communication needs of Kuwaiti student soldiers at the Military Language Institute in Kuwait." Thesis, Cardiff University, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.344027.
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McAteer, Erica. "Typeface effects in written language : functions of typeface change for signalling meaning within text." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 1989. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/1105/.
Full textAbstract:
Typeface change is one of the resources of written language which, in combination with other paralinguistic signs available to that system (use of space, punctuation, syntax manipulation are examples), can facilitate the author's intended interpretation. The thirteen studies undertaken for this research project explored the effects of typeface manipulations upon subjects' interpretations of brief texts, testing the efficiency of two conventional forms of emphasis, capital letters and italic print. Studies one to four specifically addressed issues of distinction between the two typefaces. It was found that both forms of typeface could function to intensify certain adjectives on a simple measurement scale, with capital letters providing quantifiably `more' to a referent than italics, as italics did over plain case. Both typefaces were tested for their ability to provide modulatory or contrastive emphasis for a word, where it was found that effects differed between the typefaces, suggesting divergent functions. Subjects' responses to a direct request to describe differences between capital and italic print, supported these findings. Studies five to nine examined the effects of typeface change and sentence sequence upon texts, by asking subjects to rank versions where these variables were manipulated. Strong concordances were found to be linked to information structure within the texts. Study ten took the same set of texts and presented versions individually to subjects in a story continuation task. The effects of emphasis and information sequence which were found suggest again the importance of content, which cooperated or conflicted with other paralinguistic signals in a text. The `foregrounding' effect of typeface emphasis on secondary information increased its availability for the production of continuation content. Studies eleven to thirteen looked at typeface change as a facility for signalling theme maintenance or enhancement, operating to disambiguate texts by reinforcing their `default' or natural readings, as well as its efficiency in signalling theme shift by contrastive emphasis. Different strategies of typeface emphasis were found to function for each of these requirements. Throughout all the studies, both forms of typeface emphasis were tested, either in contrast or in combination. Evidence accumulated to suggest that capital letters functioned best for providing modulatory emphasis, italic print for contrastive. Outside this issue of individual differences, typeface change itself was found to be an efficient strategy for indicating the author's intended interpretation to the reader.
44
Oliva, Ana Maria. "Traditions of thought in Bakhtin's notions of the functions of language and of 'understanding'." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.521827.
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Magogwe, Joel M. "Language attitudes in relation to language functions: An investigation of the attitudes of the Botswana Cambridge 'O' Level Senior Certificate (COSC) students." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1995. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1181.
Full textAbstract:
This research study attempts to assess the language attitudes among Botswana Cambridge '0' level Senior Certificate (COSC) students in relation to the official functions of Setswana and English. The study assumes that: (1) there is a general positive attitude towards English and Setswana and that allows for bilingualism; (2) the students are instrumentally motivated to learn English because of the socio-economic gains associated with it; (3) the students are integratively motivated symbol of nationhood to learn Setswana because Setswana is a and attitudes among L2 learners political independence; (4) in Botswana arc influenced language by the functions the language is perceived to perform at least as much as by the identification of the learners with the speakers. Subjects' attitudes were evaluated using a questionnaire in which some statements of social and political attitudes were included since they have direct influence on language. The subjects consisted of 240 Form V students randomly selected from four different senior secondary government schools. Four other Form V subjects were interviewed from the fifth government senior secondary school. The schools were randomly selected from urban and rural areas within Botswana. In addition, two lecturers from University of Botswana were interviewed.
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Onoe, Atsushi. "Functions of Ne and its uses by learners." The Ohio State University, 1997. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1116612263.
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Craig, Sydney G. "The Effect of intended audience on language functions in written argument at two grade levels." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/27231.
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Despite the emphasis in current composition theory on the importance of the intended audience for written composition, there is little evidence of audience effects on written composition before students reach high-school. In contrast, there is considerable evidence of audience effects on children's oral language. The present study explores the possibility that the lack of evidence of audience effects on written composition is an artifact of the measures that have been used. Measures for this study were derived from studies of children's oral language in the hope that they might provide insight into the effects of audience on written composition.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of audience on the use of five language functions (Controlling, Relational, Informing and Interpreting, Theorizing and Projecting) in written arguments by students in grades 6 and 11. Students wrote four compositions, one on each of two topics for each of two audiences, with presentation of audiences and topics counterbalanced. Audiences were teacher and best friend which are differentiated in terms of relative status. One hundred nine complete sets of four compositions were subjected to functional analysis.
Statistical analysis revealed audience effects for three functions. Students at both grades used more of the Controlling function and the Relational function for the audience of best friend, and more of the Theorizing function for the audience of teacher. Compositions intended for the high-status audience were more objective, more impersonal, and contained less diversity of function. In contrast, compositions intended for the same-status audience were more conversational, more personal, and contained more diversity of function. Analysis also revealed grade and topic effects.
Results of this study suggest that audience effects can be discerned in compositions by students in elementary school if appropriate measures are used. This study thus provides empirical support for the emphasis on audience in current composition theory. It also signals the need for new meaasures in further studies of audience effects on written composition.<br>Education, Faculty of<br>Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of<br>Graduate
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Arvidsson, Staffan. "Actors and higher order functions : A Comparative Study of Parallel Programming Language Support for Bioinformatics." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för informationsteknologi, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-242739.
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Parallel programming can sometimes be a tedious task when dealing with problems like race conditions and synchronization. Functional programming can greatly reduce the complexity of parallelization by removing side effects and variables, eliminating the need for locks and synchronization. This thesis assesses the applicability of functional programming and the actor model using the field of bioinformatics as a case study, focusing on genome assembly. Functional programming is found to provide parallelization at a high abstraction level in some cases, but in most of the program there is no way to provide parallelization without adding synchronization and non-pure functional code. The actor model facilitate parallelization of a greater part of the program but increases the program complexity due to communication and synchronization between actors. Neither of the approaches gave efficient speedup due to the characteristics of the algorithm that was implemented, which proved to be memory bound. A shared memory parallelization thus showed to be inefficient and that a need for distributed implementations are needed for achieving speedup for genome assemblers
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Bernardi, M. "The relationship between executive functions and motor coordination : longitudinal impact on academic achievement and language." Thesis, City, University of London, 2018. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/20001/.
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The reciprocal interactions between the motor and cognitive systems are critical during development. The thesis investigates this relationship by exploring Executive Functions (EFs) in children with typical and atypical motor coordination, and the effect of this association on academic and language outcomes. Study 1: EFs are higher-order cognitive processes needed for goal-directed behaviour. They involve flexibility of thinking, inhibition of unhelpful responses, strategy development and manipulation of diverse information simultaneously. Children with poor motor skills or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have demonstrated problems with EFs. However, no studies have explored the development of EFs in DCD longitudinally. Study 1 investigated changes in EFs in children with poor motor skills over two years. Children aged 7-11 years were assessed twice, two years apart, on verbal and nonverbal measures of EFs: executive-loaded working memory; fluency; response inhibition; planning; and cognitive flexibility. Typically developing children (TD: n=17) were compared to those with a clinical diagnosis of DCD (n=17) and those with identified motor difficulties (MD: n=17), but no formal diagnosis. Developmental gains in EFs were similar between groups, although a gap between children with poor motor skills and TD children on nonverbal EFs persisted. Specifically, children with DCD performed significantly more poorly than TD children on all nonverbal EF tasks and verbal fluency tasks at both time points; and children with MD but no diagnosis showed persistent EF difficulties in nonverbal tasks of working memory and fluency. Both groups demonstrated EF difficulties over two years, which may impact on activities of daily living and academic achievement, in addition to their motor deficit. Study 2: Academic underachievement has been identified in children with DCD. However, it is unclear whether it extends to all academic domains and whether it is explained by EF abilities, which play an important role in educational attainment and are poorer in DCD. Study 2 examined academic achievement performance in children with and without motor coordination impairments, taking into account the contribution of EF skills. Children with DCD (n=17) and children with MD (n=32) were compared to TD children (n=41) in measures of reading, spelling and mathematics. Two composite scores of verbal and nonverbal EF respectively were included in the analyses. There was no evidence of academic difficulties in children with MD. Children with DCD demonstrated poorer mathematical ability compared to their TD peers, but performed as accurately on all other academic tasks. These differences in mathematics in the DCD group were still evident after EF was controlled for in the analyses. Nonverbal EF did not predict performance in any of the academic achievement tasks, whereas verbal EF was a significant predictor of mathematical ability. Study 3: Motor coordination is fundamentally interrelated with both EF and language, which in turn are related to each other. Recent investigations on the relationship between EF and language have failed to understand the direction and nature of this association, suggesting a third factor may be involved. Study 3 explored the role of motor coordination in the relationship between EF and language. Measures of verbal EF, nonverbal EF, expressive and receptive language were administered to children with DCD (n=23), MD (n=57) and TD (n=71). A moderation model was tested using Group as the moderating variable, and, next, using motor coordination as a continuous moderating variable (i.e., across groups). Both directions of the association between EF and language were investigated. The relationship between EF and language was not different between groups in any domains, hence Group was not a significant moderator. When using continuous motor skills data, motor coordination was a significant moderator when EF was the predictor of language outcomes, but not when language was the predictor of EF outcomes. Specifically, the interaction between motor coordination and EF had significant effects on language, as the association between EF and language was positive and significant at low and moderate levels of motor skills, but not at high levels of motor skills. In conclusion, in this thesis interactions between EF and motor coordination produced complex effects on academic and language outcomes.
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Caldwell, Tamara Lynn. "A retrospective study of the Clinical evaluation of language functions elementary screening test (CELF-S)." PDXScholar, 1991. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4169.
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One of the more widely-used methods for pinpointing children in need of more in-depth language evaluation is screening. One language screening instrument designed to accomplish this in an effective and efficient way was the Clinical Evaluation of Language Functions Elementary Screening Test (CELF-S) (Semel & Wiig, 1980).
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the CELF-S in identifying those children in a second grade setting, who were in need of more thorough evaluation. This study sought to answer the following questions: 1) What is the percentage of false negatives produced by the CELF-S?, and 2) What is the percentage of false positives produced by the CELF-S?