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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Idioms As A Measure Of Proficiency, Kyle Hugh Vanderniet
Idioms As A Measure Of Proficiency, Kyle Hugh Vanderniet
Theses and Dissertations
This purpose of this thesis is to explore the relationship between idiomatic knowledge and second language proficiency. As the amount of research directly related to this topic is sparse, an in-depth discussion of relevant research and definitions comprises the first part of this paper. Two studies are then presented here that test the relationship between idiomatic knowledge and second language proficiency. A new definition for idioms proposes that all non-compositional phrases, popularized by usage, that is stored, retrieved, and employed as a single lexical unit. The results from more than 400 participants across two studies indicate that the two constructs …
The Relationship Of Three L2 Learning Factors With Pronunciation Proficiency: Language Aptitude, Strategy Use, And Learning Context, Naomi Ofeina Haslam
The Relationship Of Three L2 Learning Factors With Pronunciation Proficiency: Language Aptitude, Strategy Use, And Learning Context, Naomi Ofeina Haslam
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to determine whether language aptitude and the use of language strategies predict pronunciation gains in second language (L2) acquisition. A second goal was to determine whether these factors differed depending on whether learning occurred in an English as a second language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL) learning context. Eighty-six ESL students in the United States and one hundred EFL students in China were asked to take the Pimsleur language aptitude test. The top 15 or 16 and lowest 15 or 16 scorers on this test from each group were asked to …
The Effect Of Language Aptitude And Strategy Use On Esl And Efl Learners' Pronunciation Proficiency, Naomi Ofeina Haslam
The Effect Of Language Aptitude And Strategy Use On Esl And Efl Learners' Pronunciation Proficiency, Naomi Ofeina Haslam
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to determine whether language aptitude and the use of language strategies predict pronunciation gains in second language (L2) acquisition. A second goal was to determine whether these factors differed depending on whether learning occurred in an English as a second language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL) learning context. Eighty-six ESL students in the United States and one hundred EFL students in China were asked to take the Pimsleur language aptitude test. The top 15 or 16 and lowest 15 or 16 scorers on this test from each group were asked to …
The Relationship Between Reported Out-Of-Class English Use And Proficiency Gains In English, Denisa Krizanova Cundick
The Relationship Between Reported Out-Of-Class English Use And Proficiency Gains In English, Denisa Krizanova Cundick
Theses and Dissertations
This study investigated the relationship of out-of-class English use and proficiency gains. It also explored the relationship of gender, proficiency level and native language and the possible effect of these demographics on out-of-class English use and language gains in English. Though some studies have shown that those who spend more out-of-class time using the target language have higher language gain (Seliger, 1977), other studies have not found this to be true (Day, 1985; Freed 1990; Spada, 1986). Some reasons for the discrepancy in findings may be differences in the length of the time data is collected, samples of study participants …
The Role Of Vocabulary Size In Assessing Second Language Vocabulary, Kevin John Zimmerman
The Role Of Vocabulary Size In Assessing Second Language Vocabulary, Kevin John Zimmerman
Theses and Dissertations
This study investigated the role of vocabulary size in assessing learners from various L1 backgrounds and for institutional placement. Participants included native speakers of Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin, who took a test that estimated the size of their productive English vocabulary. First, the vocabulary size of students from each language group was compared and the relationship between vocabulary size and institutional placement level was examined. Then, scores were analyzed to determine how cognates and loan words influenced the participants' performance on the vocabulary test. Further, students' vocabulary size scores were correlated with their placement scores that evaluated reading, writing, …