Digital Commons Network^™

Measurement Invariance Of Impact In Bilingual And Monolingual High School Athletes, Hana Cecilia Kuwabara

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Given the reported negative consequences of sport related concussion (SRC), establishing the validity of concussion management tools is essential if they are used to determine the severity of concussion, track recovery or decline, implement effective interventions, and assist in return-to-play decision making. Previous research has found cognitive and symptoms differences on ImPACT, the most widely used SRC assessment measure, between monolingual and bilingual student athletes. Before further investigation of these differences can occur, measurement invariance of ImPACT must be established to ensure that differences are not attributable to measurement error. The current study has two aims: 1) to replicate a …

Systemic Theoretical Instruction: Tense And Aspect In Italian A Sociocultural Study Of American Learners Of Italian, Charles Joseph Panarella, Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

University-level language and second-language classrooms typically use general rules of thumb to teach grammar without considering its conceptual aspects and cultural origins. These general rules of thumb are normally taught using a communicative approach to language teaching which typically places little emphasis on immediate corrective feedback and learner development. Most assessments are static in nature and focus on right and wrong answers rather than their origins (i.e., learner development and microgenesis). The lack of corrective feedback and lack of considering affective factors have the potential to negatively influence language acquisition in terms of motivation and self-efficacy. In addition, foreign language …

The Stability Of The Speech-To-Song Illusion And Individual Differences, Rodica R. Constantine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Music and language are easily distinguishable for the average listener despite sharing many structural acoustic similarities. The Speech-to-Song illusion can give rise to both musical and linguistic percepts by inducing a perceptual switch after listening to multiple repetitions of a natural spoken utterance. As such, it has been used as a tool to control for low-level acoustic characteristics previously shown to drive lateralized brain responses regardless of domain-type, helping to disambiguate the contribution of high- versus low-level processes in both music and speech perception. However, there exists a lack of research on how large a role individual differences such as …

Breaking The Language Barrier: Equitable Assessment In General Chemistry, Eshani Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Because language provides the framework through which knowledge is constructed, it is crucial to consider the ways in which students with limited English proficiencies are able to express their understanding. English language learners (ELLs) make up a significant portion of the student body in the education system and represent many ethnic and racial minorities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) fields (Burke & Mattis, 2007). Despite the national push to build a more diversified, STEM-ready workforce, there is little research that considers the way ELLs are assessed in STEM courses at the postsecondary level. Literature reports that science tests …

Building Categories To Guide Behavior: How Humans Build And Use Auditory Category Knowledge Throughout The Lifespan, Christina M. Vanden Bosch Der Nederlanden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Although categorization has been studied in depth throughout development in the visual domain (e.g., Gelman & Meyer, 2011; Sloutsky 2010), there is little evidence examining how children and adults categorize everyday auditory objects (e.g., dog barks, trains, song, speech) or how category knowledge affects the way children and adults listen to these sounds during development. In two separate studies, I examined how listeners of all ages differentiated the multidimensional acoustic categories of speech and song and I determined whether listeners used category knowledge to process the sounds they encounter every day. In Experiment 1, listeners of all ages were able …

Transplants, Denise Weber

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

transplants is a body of poetry that joys in migration and grafting; in change and self-destruction; in cycles of survival and death; in resurrection and reincarnation. In this collection, I write of saints and prophets as regular people, faulted and accessible, transposed into the landscapes I’ve inhabited: from the deserts of Las Vegas and Mesa Verde in the U.S. to the coasts and jungles of Belize and Costa Rica in Central America. Through their eyes, one may find the profound within things overlooked, and the vulnerability of our mortal condition. transplants draws on not only stolen and transformed identities, but …

Beliefs In Action: Ideologies, Motivations, And Capital Among English As A Second Language Learners, Damon Lasiter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Language learning motivations among immigrants are tied - via language ideologies - to socio-economic position, social networks, and problems encountered by the language learners in their everyday lives. Research into immigrants' reasons for language learning has often overlooked these factors (see Klassen & Burnaby, 1993, and Norton, 1995), but I offer in this thesis that the above factors are foundations for many immigrants' language ideologies - beliefs that people have about language. These language ideologies are, in turn, the foundations upon which one's motivations to learn a language are based. Using a Bourdieuvian paradigm, where inequitable positions of power exist …

Students With Reading Disabilities Participating In Literature Discussions: A Case Study, Elysha Patino O’Brien

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This qualitative case study addressed a lack of research concerning literature discussions for students with learning disabilities in reading. Fourth and fifth grade students with reading disabilities participated in twice-weekly literature discussions, 30- to-60 minutes each, for 12 weeks. The students attended a Title I school and most were Hispanic males. Together, they read and discussed five postmodern picturebooks. The purpose of the study was to understand (a) reader responses to the illustrations, text, and postmodern features of the books, and (b) the individual reader’s response habits. Situated within a sociocultural frame, the theories guiding this study pertained to language …

Strike Out Across The Shoreless Ocean, Julia Claire Paajanen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

What happens between a reader and a poem is none of my business. The world has always been yours; find your own way.

(1) Every choice is correct.

(2) Everything is true.

(3) What is anything, unless so far as it is enjoyed?

All you have to do is see the course, and when you see it, go.

Attrition Of Esl Foreign-Born Hispanic Students At Csn, Luis B Ortega

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative naturalistic study examined the retention barriers for foreign-born Hispanic English as Second Language (ESL) students that dropped out of the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) ESL for-credit program and the need for services they perceived would have helped them succeed. The participants for this study were foreign-born Hispanics who were taking ESL 110B, ESL 111B and ESL 120B (levels 1, 2, and 3) during the 2005-2006 academic year and have since dropped out. The main focus of the study was on institutional and social factors that affected the retention rate of this population at CSN. Four in-depth interviews …

On Breaking Ground: Second Language Literacy And Language Learning Through Sociocultural Practices, Ana Christina Iddings

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study was concerned with (a) how second language children actually learn as a result of their social interactions; (b) the learning trajectory of second language students from apprentice to full participation in communities of practice; and (c) how this learning influences, and is reciprocally influenced by, the social, cultural, and historical context as learners become members of community practice. These questions were investigated under the lens of sociocultural theory, which emphasizes leaning in relationship with others and with materials over time within the social context; This was a qualitative study involving genetic methodology (Vygostky, 1981) which aims to understand, …

Gertrude Stein, Vladimir Nabokov And The Language Of Exile An Analysis Of Writing Strategies Beyond The Nation, Edith Manuela Gelu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzes three texts by Vladimir Nabokov---Lolita, Pale Fire and Speak, Memory---and three by Gertrude Stein---"Patriarchal Poetry", "Poetry and Grammar" and The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas---employing theoretical concepts from Deleuze and Guattari's Kafka: Toward a Minor Literature to argue that both writers use specific writing strategies to resist the category of nation and the traditional view of exile as an essentially painful experience. While Nabokov thematizes exile frequently, his views on nation and exile reside at a deeper level, visible as undermining conventional means of understanding language. I read in his concern for misrepresentation the overarching strategy of …

Impact Of Peer Tutoring Sessions On Oral Language Vocabulary In Early Childhood Inclusive Settings, Claire Therese Tredwell

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Researchers agree that developing high quality programs using evidence based practice and active participation from students with disabilities, who receive instruction with typical peers, is critical to overall student achievement and success of inclusive practice (Bailey, McWilliam, Buysse, & Wesley, 1998; Villa, Thousand, Meyers, & Nevin, 1996; Volz, Brazil, & Ford, 2001). Identifying what interventions are necessary in order to support the developmental objectives and positive outcomes of young children remains a priority concern (Cavallaro, Ballard-Rosa, & Lynch, 1998). This study addressed the following questions: (a) Do peer tutoring sessions in early childhood settings increase oral language vocabulary in students …

Becoming Phonemically Aware: A Study On The Role Of Assistance In Language Learning, Carey W Roybal-Benson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This was a Sociocultural study of second language learning involving Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978; & Newman and Holzman, 1993), phonemic awareness (Adams, 1990, Lieberman & Shankweiler, 1985), and dynamic assessment (Campione and Brown, 1987; Feuerstein, 1979; and Budoff, 1987). This inquiry was aimed at understanding how assistance functions in second language learning, uncovering student abilities in collaboration through an L2 dynamic assessment of phonemic awareness, and determining what information is available with an L2 dynamic assessment of phonemic awareness. This investigation illuminated teacher-to-student and student-to-student assistance in assessing/learning a second language during a Dynamic Assessment of L2 …

The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Language Learning On English Language Learners With And Without Disabilities In An Elementary School Setting, Christine Kay Beaird

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of the English Language Learners Instructional System (ELLIS) on oral language, written language, and reading achievement among students who are English language learners with and without disabilities. Additionally, levels of teacher satisfaction with computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and the use of ELLIS were assessed. Participants were 78 third, fourth, and fifth grade students with and without disabilities enrolled in a public elementary school. All participants were of Hispanic descent and were identified as being Non- or Limited-English Proficient based on the Language Assessment Scales (LAS) (CTB Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 1994). Twelve of …

The Differential Impact Of Language Skills On The Wages Of Hispanic Men And Women, Annette Marie Tanori

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study will look to expand on the work that has been done in regards to the earnings of Hispanics. When compared to other minority groups, Hispanics traditionally earn less. The average household income for Hispanics is 22% less than the national average household income of {dollar}42,000 a year. This study will examine the effect that the language penalty, which is the estimated difference in wages between English and non-English speakers holding other important factors constant, has on the earnings of Hispanic men and women. The data used in the study is taken from the United States Census Bureau, 2000 …

Embodied Language Performance: Mediational Affordances Of Dramatic Activity For Second Language Learning, John Richard Haught

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the unique mediational affordances a drama based approach to second language learning provides. From the perspective of Sociocultural theory, the nature of learning is greatly determined by the mediational means employed and this study revealed the importance of modeling and imitation and multiple perspective taking that arose from the recursive process of rehearsal to be instrumental in the students' understanding and growing mastery of English. This recursion process occurs within instructional conversations which serve to level the relations of power between teacher and learner, resulting in a more authentic learning environment. In short, drama introduces alterity …

Language, Conflict And Identity: The Hispanic Experience, Jan Henry Oller

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an attempt to create a theoretical model which could be applied to the study of any situation where a history of ongoing migration and asymmetrical power relationships in constant flux between two or more groups, nation states, or other entities is present. It is the conception and application of a theoretical framework with which to view transnational identity on a different level, one focusing on the historical antecedents of current situations, pan-identities, and language as the main identity marker among transnationals.

Secondary English Language Arts Teachers' Perceptions And Implementation Of Change Policy, Denise De Vito

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Research regarding educational reform in the United States has examined change in public schools, including changes in the role of the teacher. Secondary teachers have been studied regarding school leadership, work atmosphere, and resource availability, but research specific to secondary English Language Arts teachers' perceptions of how policy implementation affects them in their day to day practice is lacKing Factors of change and the effects on teachers' attitudes reflect how teachers as participants of change cope with change reform; This qualitative research study sought a descriptive understanding of practicing secondary English Language Arts teachers and their perceptions regarding the scope …

The Design And Implementation Of An Input/Output Subsystem For A Farsi Language Search Engine, Ronald L Young

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The question posed in this thesis is whether it is feasible to use commonly available computer hardware and software equipment found in the United States for querying a web-based native Farsi language search engine. A document conversion utility consisting of a C program called html2unicode was constructed to convert the native language web pages into a common format. A Javascript keyboard application and corresponding embeddable web server was developed to make native Farsi language input and output accessible to a search engine. Although there are some issues inherent in the conversion of Farsi web pages into a format suitable for …

"Some Of Us Are Learning Spanish And Some Of Us Are Learning English": A Comparison Of Second Language Programs In Texas, Lore Carrera-Carrillo

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Dual language education programs are gaining momentum throughout the United States as exemplary means of educating both language minority and language majority students. There is considerable evidence that learning through the native language has many advantages for language minority students. Specifically, it allows them to gain important content knowledge in their native language that will make the English they encounter more comprehensible as they enhance their overall cognitive and social development. Additionally, dual language education facilitates the development of both basic and advanced literacy in two languages for language majority students; Research results demonstrate that dual language education programs can …

Graphic Organizers, Activity, And The Positioning Of Language And Learners: An Ethnographic Case Study, John Allan Unger

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

There were two main purposes for this research and one parallel purpose. One main purpose was to investigate how learners of English in an EFL/ESL context, who were also teachers of English and/or learning to be teachers of English, perceived and responded to different types of graphic organizers and associated activities. These graphic organizers and activities were presented at a university in Northern Thailand through an advanced reading comprehension course for preservice and inservice teachers taught by the primary researcher. The second main purpose was to explore, synthesize, and apply theories of mediated activity and research methods originating from or …

Language In Las Vegas: Esl Training Programs In Las Vegas Casino Hotels, Craig Hamilton Hermann

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The study was focused on ESL training for employees within the Casino hotel industry in Las Vegas, Nevada. The overall purpose of the study was to explore the degree to which ESL training programs were being implemented within and/or in use by the casino hotel industry in Las Vegas. While the a review of the literature had suggested that ESL efforts were being employed by the industry, little was known as to overall parameters of the efforts being undertaken with respect to the size, content, and modes of delivery. Therefore, the research questions underlying the study were as follows: (1) …

The Impact Of Full-Day And Half-Day Kindergarten On The Language Arts Achievement Scores Of First-Grade Students, Stefanie M Kujaczynski

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Full-day kindergarten programming is an increasing trend in early childhood education settings. Many school districts are beginning to offer such programs based on the needs and opinions of teachers and parents. These districts are making substantial financial commitments to this programming prompted by the belief that full-day kindergarten will produce greater academic gains for children, more specifically at-risk children; This study investigated the impact of full-day and half-day kindergarten program enrollment on the language arts achievement scores of 237 first grade children considered to be at risk for academic failure. Gender differences and program enrollment differences were the primary categories …

Anxiety As An Affective Factor For Adult Korean Students Learning English As A Second Language, Bokyung Murray

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this study was anxiety related to second language learning, and more specifically, to that of adult Korean students studying ESL; Three research questions were addressed: (a) Do adult Koreans learning ESL have a high degree of classroom anxiety? (b) If so, can this be attributed to some aspects of their cultural heritage or previous educational experience? (c) What concepts contained within sociocultural theory may serve to ameliorate this classroom reaction?;A total of 49 students studying ESL at a major southwest university participated in this study. A background questionnaire and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale were used …

An Equal Educational Opportunity For Language Minority Students: A Legal Analysis Of Language Education After Lau, Roger J Gonzalez

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

An Equal Educational Opportunity for Language Minority Students: A Legal Analysis of Language Education After Lau is a legal/historical study that examined the current legal standards applicable to the education of language minority students in the United States. This was achieved by analyzing the jurisprudence emerging from the interpretation and application of the Lau v. Nichols Supreme Court decision; Several questions were considered during the research of this dissertation. These included: How has the legal precedent established in Lau v. Nichols been interpreted and applied by subsequent law cases involving the education of language minority students? What role has the …

Sex, Gender And Genesis: A Cixousian Exploration Of Language In The Gay Marriage Debates, Nancy Jean Martin

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

How does language structure patriarchy? How are gendered language and creation story imagery evidenced in contemporary debates on gay marriage? Helene Cixous suggests that Western thought is organized around binary, hierarchical oppositions---the most fundamental of which are male over female and masculine over feminine. Language and its connections to psychological and her/historical origins are central to her work. Cixous suggests that the separation of male and female, masculine and feminine, result in a war of sexual difference. I explore these themes with a feminist deconstruction of Internet sites in support of and against gay marriage. I then utilize Cixous's feminine …

The Language Of Sovereignty: Lucien Bouchard And The Separatist Movement In Quebec, Christine Elizabeth Smith

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The separatist movement in Quebec currently has a forceful leader in Lucien Bouchard As a staunch advocate of the cause, the Premier plays a vital role in relevant public discussion. The unique aspect in this case is the bilingual component to the debate on sovereignty; separatist appeals must be made to both English-speaking and French-speaking audiences Johannesen's (1975) ethical evaluative criteria for human communication, four Bouchard speeches, two in each language, are analyzed toward an exegesis of the potential to sway voters. The resulting implications indicate a significant difference in the theoretical framework for sovereignty established by Bouchard within each …

Language Games And Computer-Aided Composition, Ryan M Moeller

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Wittgenstein's theory of the "language game" looks at the specific context in which language finds meaning. This theory significantly influences composition theory and practice within the problematic context of the computer-aided classroom, a much more complex and fast-paced environment than the traditional composition classroom. Students face a challenging, semester-long language game of creating a context from learning and meaning by actively participating in the rule-making processes of language. As a result, they are responsible for creating and maintaining their own language games by negotiating their ways through chatrooms (synchronous discussions), email (asynchronous discussions), virus complications, and other technological problems. Therefore, …

The Effects Of Early Intervention On Young Handicapped Children Who Are Nonverbal Or Have Limited Expressive Language Skills, Joyce Mott Anderson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of early intervention services on sixteen young handicapped children who were nonverbal or exhibited limited expressive verbal skills. It was proposed that these children would make gains in all areas of development including cognitive, receptive language, expressive language, fine motor, gross motor, self-help, and social/emotional as a result of carefully and systematically planned intervention. The subjects in this study had expressive language delays ranging from eight to thirty-three months. All children participated in an early intervention learning center that provided services noncategorically using a wholistic and transdisciplinary approach; The findings …