Dissertations / Theses: 'Russian language learners'

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Kalenandi, Minerva E. Renee. "Language Learning Strategies of Russian-Speaking Adult ESL Learners." PDXScholar, 1994. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4766.

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In the ESL classroom, there are often cultural differences between learners and teachers. Sometimes these differences can lead to misunderstandings or even conflict. One area where differences between cultures can be seen is language learning strategies and styles. This study explores the possibility that awareness of differences, explicit teaching, and negotiation may help to resolve differences. This study looks at differences between Russian-speaking adult ESL learners and American ESL teachers, with respect to strategy use and preferences. Three aspects are investigated. The first is to see whether there are statistically significant differences ~tween these groups of learners and teachers. The second is to try to form a loose profile of the learners as a cultural group. The third is to see whether or not there is evidence to suggest the validity of explicit teaching of strategies in the ESL classroom. The Strategy Inventory for Language Learners (SIIL), developed by Rebecca Oxford, is one way to assess differences ~tween learners and teachers. A survey including the SIIL and a questionnaire was given to ninety-four subjects. Forty-seven are Russian-speaking adult ESL learners and forty-seven are American-English-speaking ESL teachers or potential ESL teachers taken from a TESOL program. The results of the survey show that, in this case, there are statistically significant differences in preferences for and use of several sets of strategies. A preliminary cultural profile is derived from the SILL results and from anecdotal evidence gathered from the questionnaire. There is some evidence that the explicit teaching of language learning strategies and their use may help resolve some of the classroom conflicts between the two groups studied.

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Dykstra, Lisa Kristine. "On pragmatic perception do learners of Russian perceive the sociocultural weight of the address pronouns? /." Diss., University of Iowa, 2006. http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/66.

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Aleeva, Daria. "Negative Transfer in the Writing of Proficient Students of Russian: A Comparison of Heritage Language Learners and Second Language Learners." PDXScholar, 2012. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/507.

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This study explored the phenomenon of negative transfer from English in the writing of proficient heritage vs. second language learners of Russian. Although a number of studies have examined negative transfer from English into Russian, and other studies have compared the performance of heritage language learners (HLLs) to second language learners (SLLs), little research has investigated the phenomenon of negative transfer in the writing of both HLLs and SLLs and compared the two groups. Thus, this study employed an exploratory approach to empirically investigate the differences in language transfer between the two groups of learners. Specifically, the study addressed the following questions: (1) What are the most common types of negative transfer from English that occur in the writing of students of Russian at the Intermediate High - Advanced levels? (2) Are there differences in types and amount of negative transfer used by HLLs vs. SLLs at comparable levels of proficiency? If so, what are the differences? The research was conducted at the Russian Flagship Program at Portland State University. Participants were 13 advanced students of Russian - 6 heritage speakers of Russian and 7 native speakers of English. The study analyzed the written work of students completed during one quarter. Errors were coded into 13 categories that emerged from the data and frequencies were compared between the groups. The results found that none of the errors were more frequent than 5 per 1000 words. The most common categories were semantic extension, commas after an introductory phrase, lexical borrowings, and null subject errors. However, some categories of errors were associated with only one group, SLL or HLL, and some were not. Specifically, the categories of null subject errors, loan translations, conjunction "yesli/li" (if/whether), adjectives for nationality, and negation errors were found only in the writing of second language learners. There were only two categories limited to the group of heritage language learners: conceptual shift and number errors. The categories of semantic extension, comma after an introductory phrase, lexical borrowings, reflexive possessive pronoun "svoj", capitalization, and preposition errors were found in writing of both groups of students. Overall, second language learners made more transfer errors that heritage learners. Ultimately, this study will be of interest to anyone interested in heritage and second language acquisition of Russian, language transfer in learners of Russian, or the teaching of advanced language courses.

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Evans, Jeremy S. "Exploring the Language of Assessment on Reading Proficiency Exams of Advanced Learners of Russian." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2015. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5651.

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Researchers have intermittently treated the topic of the language in which reading comprehension test questions should be presented in, or language of assessment (LoA). The overall consensus has been that questions in L1 lead to better scores and that questions in L1 should be used for reading comprehension particularly at the beginning levels. However, minimal research has been conducted at the advanced level, and no research has been found where proficiency items, empirically validated, were utilized in testing instruments. Furthermore, explanatory data from qualitative analysis has been sparse. The present research endeavored to satisfy these areas of needed research. It was found that a group of advanced learners of Russian performed better when MC questions were presented in English. Student attitudes, as revealed by survey items, depicted questions in L2 as more difficult. It was additionally found that vocabulary was one of the major factors in difficulty. Matters pertaining to validity and face validity surfaced and were designated, along with gathering other qualitative data, as the recommended direction of future research.

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Vinogradova, Zoia. "Motivational orientations of American and Russian learners of French as a foreign language." Thesis, Purdue University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10245072.

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This study seeks to examine and compare motivational orientations of French learners across different dimensions: cultural background (USA vs. Russia), educational modality and age (college students vs. private courses learners), gender, and time of studying foreign language. 613 American and Russian learners of French completed the questionnaire addressing 10 motivational factors to study French language. Despite differences in nationality, age, educational background and learning experience, all groups of participants produced nearly identical motivational rankings. The rankings are topped by the Travelling orientation, which seems to be universally appealing, followed by the orientations within the Idealistic motivational cluster (Aesthetic Factors, Culture, Knowledge, and Ideal Self). The Pragmatic motivational cluster (Instrumental orientation, which is sometimes coupled to Emigration and Friendship dimensions) is by far less important. This disposition is also confirmed by the qualitative data. With regard to specific orientations it has been found that US learners score consistently higher in Sociability motivation, whereas Russians score higher in the Peers’ Encouragement and Aesthetic categories. In regard to gender differences, this study shows that male students appear to be more personable, e.g. among American learners males consistently outscore females in the Friendship category. Referring to age differences, it was found that the overall level of motivation tends to decline with age.

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Dugarova, Esuna. "Behaviours of Wh-elements in English and Russian learners' L2 Chinese Wh-questions." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.608932.

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Panferov, Suzanne Kathryn. "Exploring the Literacy Development of Russian and Somali ESL Learners: a Collaborative Ethnography." Columbus, OH : Ohio State University, 2002. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1028234878.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2002.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 413 p.: ill. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Keiko Samimy, College of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 399-413).

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Stroh, Evgenia Nikolayevna. "The Effect of Repeated Reading Aloud on the Speaking Fluency of Russian Language Learners." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2012. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3325.

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The current study examines the effect of repeated reading aloud upon speaking fluency. Because there is little evidence in the literature that the practice of repeated reading aloud can have a positive effect upon speaking fluency, the primary goal of this study was to investigate this relationship further. For the purposes of the study, speaking fluency was defined as fluidity and smoothness of speech with little pausing and hesitation. It is measured by evaluating the following fluency features: speech rate, number of pauses, length of pauses, phonation/time ratio, and articulation rate. The repeated measures experimental design of the study involved current and former Brigham Young University students learning Russian as a foreign language. They were divided into two groups: control and experimental. The participants in the experimental group performed repeated reading aloud activities daily, while those in the control group read the same passages silently. All participants took weekly speaking tests consisting of simple speaking prompts. The final post-test included both reading aloud and speaking tests. The speech samples collected from the tests were evaluated using computer-based analysis as well as scores from three raters who are native speakers of the Russian language. The statistical analysis and comparison of these scores revealed mixed results. The rater scores did not exhibit any statistically significant difference between the groups, which could be attributed to overall low inter-rater reliability and short duration of the experiment. On the other hand, the computer-generated scores for mean length of pauses, phonation/time ratio, and speech rate of the experimental group were better than those of the control group. This difference proved to be statistically significant based on the results of one-way and repeated measures ANOVA analyses. Unfortunately because of the high attrition rate and short duration of the study, these results cannot be generalized. Therefore further research is necessary to confirm or reject these findings

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Todd, Elizabeth Christel. "The Use of Dictionaries, Glosses, and Annotations to Facilitate Vocabulary Comprehension for L2 Learners of Russian." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2014. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4115.

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Technology is changing education. Just 30 years ago, instructors were using slow, inefficient technology such as projectors and reels of film, whereas today they have instant access to video from anywhere in the world. This capability has the potential to change the way that language is being taught and learned. Instead of students relying solely on their teacher and textbook for linguistic input, they have access to the Internet which holds a seemingly endless amount of information. This study was inspired by the belief that it is possible to maximize the potential benefit from that availability by implementing the theory that people learn language best when they have access to comprehensible input (Buri, 2012; Crossley, Allen, & McNamara, 2012; Krashen, 1985; Shintani, 2012; Zarei & Rashvand 2011). It also implements the belief of some second-language acquisitions theorists that subtitled video provides language learners with more comprehensible input than non-subtitled video alone (Borrás & Lafayette, 1994; Chun & Plass, 1996; Danan, 2004; Di Carlo, 1994). Thus, this study used interactive subtitled video to investigate the effects of three word definition types on participants' vocabulary comprehension and involved the selection of 120 Russian (L2)words of equal difficulty that were randomly sorted into one of four groups -- three treatments and a control group. Each treatment group contained 30 Russian words with a different type of definition in English (L1): dictionary definitions, which provided the viewers with the definition they would find in the bilingual dictionary; glosses which provided the viewers with the exact meaning of the word only as it pertains to the given context; and annotations which provided an explanation to clarify a word's use in different contexts or its non-traditional uses. Participants totaled 53 men and women ages 18-30 from 4 countries, US, Canada, Germany, and Sweden, who were advanced L2 learners of Russian. To control for the possible effects of a pretest, some of the subjects took a vocabulary pretest, and then all subjects watched a film in Russian with Russian subtitles, which was immediately followed by a vocabulary posttest. Results showed that annotations were most conducive to vocabulary gains, followed by glosses, dictionary definitions, and no definition, respectively. Although this was not the case for all participants, this outcome did hold for the majority, and several possible reasons for this outcome are discussed.

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Ookhara, Olga Iongkhionovna. "Understanding the Experience of Successful Study Abroad Students in Russia." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2014. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4116.

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The present study was designed to understand the retrospective account of the learning experience of four successful learners of Russian who made substantial oral gains as measured by the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) during a semester study abroad (SA) program in Moscow, Russia. Each participant made as much as two sublevels' improvement on the ACTFL scale, even those who began with Advanced level proficiency. Specifically, the study examines what students believe, how they exercise their agency, cope with constraints, and take advantage of affordances in out-of-class contexts. The qualitative data includes semi-structured interviews while quantitative data consists of pre- and post-program OPI scores. This research addresses the question of second language learning in a foreign language immersion program through thick description and through cross-case analyses. Findings were interpreted in relation to van Lier's theory of the ecology of language learning (2004) and the notion of affordances which suggests that if learners are proactive and outgoing (or initiate interactions) they will perceive language affordances as valuable and will use them. This theoretical approach provides a means to understand how most students were able to improve in oral performance while lacking meaningful contact with native speakers (NSs) or struggling to make friends with them. Regardless of the difficulties encountered during their time in Russia, students exercised their agency through participating in more self-initiated non-interactive activities without being directed by others. Each of the students perceived the meaning of his or her learning experience in a different way, demonstrating how the SA experience is highly individualized. This study argues that regardless of students' individual differences, they have one key principle in common: autonomous behavior. Further research is needed to investigate what fosters learners' autonomy and contributes to learners' self-efficacy.

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Batluk, Liilia. "Modality and Method: A Comparison of Russian and English Epistemic Modal Verbs through SFL and its Implications for Second Language Learners." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Sektionen för humaniora (HUM), 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-17810.

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This study is intended to shed light on similarities and differences in terms of functional structure of the clause when modality is expressed by use of modal operators in Russian and English, in order to arrive at findings which inform, and are applicable to, the process of English language acquisition by the Russian learner. The need for the investigation was prompted by the author’s work experience in the field of English teaching, and the lack of explicit guidance in available textbooks currently used in Russian schools and institutions with regard to the particular issue highlighted. While learning the subject of Systemic Functional Linguistics, I drew parallels between the functional structures in the two languages, the purpose of which is to provide a roadmap which facilitates the learning and teaching of English modality to the Russian learner. The approach of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), focusing on the metafunctions as the correspondence in the sociolinguistic message of the clause, is used as a basis for comparing the functional structures in both languages. The investigation of functional grammar features is carried out in order to spotlight both the similarities and the differences inherent in expressing a degree of probability of an event or statement indicated, not only by the choice of an appropriate modal verb, but also its placement within the clause. The role of the social context in which the text is set is noted as significant for delivering the precise meaning of the message. Hence, the proposition will be pursued through further investigation in the field of modality, and viewed from perspectives of sociolinguistics.

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Banzina, Elina. "The Role of Secondary-stressed and Unstressed-unreduced Syllables in Word Recognition: Acoustic and Perceptual Studies with Russian Learners of English." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1340114580.

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Brattos, Alexandra. "The Effect of Stress Presentation Mode on Stress Acquisition Among Advanced Learners of Russian." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2012. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3140.

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The purpose of this research was to test the effect of stress presentation mode on stress acquisition of advanced learners of Russian. The study attempted to determine if advanced learners of Russian are able to place stress more correctly on words in specific texts after receiving various treatments or receiving no treatment. Participants were Brigham Young University students studying Russian as a second language at the third-year level or higher. They were randomly assigned into three groups: a group that received no treatment, a treatment group that read words with graphically marked stress, and a treatment group that heard texts read by a native speaker. All participants completed a pretest, a treatment (in the second and third groups), and a posttest. The pretest and the posttest consisted of a reading task: the participants read 12 sentences taken from 12 different texts. The same words from the texts were used in the treatment to expose the participants to the sentences again in order to determine if the treatment made a difference in the acquisition of correct stress. The treatment was different for each group. Group 1 (A) read texts marked with stress, Group 2 (B) read the same texts but without stress marked; rather, they heard a native speaker of Russian read the texts on a recording, and Group 3 (C) read the same texts but without stress marked graphically or hearing a native speaker. The results of the research reject the hypothesis that aural presentation of stress as opposed to a visual only presentation leads to improved acquisition of stress. However, based on the analyses of the data, overall findings rendered some interesting and unexpected results and observations. First, although the treatment for group A appears to be more effective than that for groups B and C, all groups showed improvement after completing the treatment. This strongly suggests that reading, whatever form it takes, can be a useful tool in facilitating control of stress. Second, group A had more participants that fell into the "fast" reading category, and fast readers scored significantly higher than slow or medium speed readers. This suggests that the faster one reads the better one controls stress, or the better one controls stress the faster one reads.

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Driagina, Viktoria V. Lantolf James P. "Crossing and bridging spaces in a second language a corpus-based investigation of motion talk by American learners of Russian /." 2007. http://etda.libraries.psu.edu/theses/approved/WorldWideIndex/ETD-2191/index.html.

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Smékalová, Marie. "Aktivizující metody ve výuce ruského jazyka na základní škole." Master's thesis, 2015. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-349389.

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The objective of this diploma thesis is to explore the possibilities of using Learner- centred methods in teaching Russian language. The thesis deals with Learner-centred methods in teaching Russian language at elementary schools and offers a didactic material based on this methodology. Withn the theoretical framework of the thesis the basic concepts are defined as well as the Communicative approach towards language teaching is characterised and discussed. Learner-centedred methods are viewed not only as a useful tool for more effective language learning, but also as an unseparable part of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Drawing on CLT, the communicative criterion is applied in the following classification of Learner- centered methods. Using the Learner-centered methodology, the practical part of the thesis offers a didactic material. The materiel is intended for Rusisan language students and was tested in Elementary schools. In the last part of the thesis the material is analyzed. On the basis of this analysis conclusions are drawn and possibilities of Learner-centered methods in Russian language teaching are described. KEYWORDS: teaching methods, Learner-centered teaching methods, foreign language teaching, Russian language teaching, didactic material

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Russian language learners'

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