Digital Commons Network^™

Discourse Functions And Syntactic Complexity In Synchronous And Asynchronous Communication, Susana Sotillo

Department of Linguistics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The present study investigates discourse functions and syntactic complexity in English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learner output obtained via two different modes of computer-mediated communication (CMC): asynchronous and synchronous discussions. Two instructors and twenty-five students from two advanced ESL writing classes participated in this study. Answers were sought to the following questions: a) Are the discourse functions present in ESL learners' synchronous discussions of reading assignments quantitatively and qualitatively different from those found in asynchronous discussions? And, b) which mode of CMC shows more syntactically complex learner output? The results showed that the quantity and types of discourse functions present in synchronous discussions …

Learning, Motivation, And Self: A Diary Study Of An Esl Teacher's Year In A Japanese Language Classroom, Laura Ruth Hawks

Dissertations and Theses

Using a journal kept during a year in a second-year level Japanese language class, a diary study of an adult's foreign language experience was undertaken by an ESL teacher and graduate student. Kept as a means of releasing the anger, stress, and frustration that initially accompanied the learning experience, the journal provides a basis for the analysis of cultural, pedagogical, and personal variables that affected the learning process.

The introspective and longitudinal nature of the study provides not only a description of the learning environment and teaching method over time, but also illuminates otherwise unobservable aspects of the learning experience, …

Coherence In Theories Relating Mathematics And Language, Carl Winsløw

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Support For And Opposition To English Only Legislation In The Greater Portland Region, Leah Ann Woodruff

Dissertations and Theses

The politics of language is something that all ESL instructors will deal with at some point in their careers. The English Only Movement is an important part of the current trend in language legislation. As ESL instructors we need to understand what motivates people in our communities to support or oppose such legislation, so that we can better prepare our students to operate in that community. Many articles have been written on the English Only Movement, but the vast majority of them are from a historical or politically partisan view. Little research has been done in regard to why this …

The Relationship Between Chinese Character Recognition Strategies And The Success Of Character Memorization For Students Of Mandarin Chinese, Hui-Yen Emmy Chen

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between beginning Chinese language students' character memorization and the strategies they used for the recognition of Chinese characters. In the experiment, a new character teaching approach, the phonetic-ideograph strategy, was introduced to all the subjects during two quarter terms. Subjects participated in the study were divided into two groups depended upon their language backgrounds: the phonographic group and the morphographic group. All the subjects in the phonographic group were English speakers and subjects in the morphographic group were Japanese speakers. All the subjects received the same treatment in the study. …

Np References To Active Participants And Story Development In Ancient Hebrew, Stephen H. Levinsohn

Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session

Ancient Hebrew is compared with two languages that use a conjunction or pre-verbal particle to signal new developments in a narrative. This comparison shows that Hebrew makes a significantly greater number of full NP references to active participants than the other languages. Typically, languages refer to active participants with NPs when the subject remains the same in two contexts: to mark the beginning of a narrative unit and to highlight a speech or action. Such references are found in Hebrew not only in these contexts, but also in connection with new developments.

Quantification With 'All' In Seri, Stephen A. Marlett

Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session

Words meaning 'all' in Seri include a verb, a pronoun (which often cooccurs with a coreferential NP), and an NP modifier. This paper explores the syntax of the constructions in which these words occur. It also explores the scope relationship between these words and negation, which seems to vary depending on a non-surface syntactic relation.

Polar Questions In Seri, Stephen A. Marlett, Mary B. Moser

Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session

Polar questions in Seri are always expressed using an interrogative sentence type which, for such questions, is morphologically distinct, but not syntactically distinct, from declarative sentences. Other facts about polar questions in Seri are described and illustrated as well. (Some of the utterances are linked to sound files and require the Adobe Quicktime plug-in to be installed; this plug-in is normally installed with Acrobat Reader by default.)

Language And Ethnicity Among A Group Of Pentalingual Albuquerqueans, Gregory Thomson

Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session

The Khoja Ismailis of the Indian subcontinent have spoken two languages in a mildly unstable diglossic relationship for centuries. In recent decades many Khoja Ismailis immigrated to East Africa, and many learned three additional languages. Descriptions of the situation in Africa suggested the hypothesis that three of the languages may have stood in a direct relationship to three different concentric levels of ethnic identity, while the other two languages may have been used in different kinds of outgroup interactions. Interviews with Ismailis who have immigrated to Albuquerque from East Africa suggest a possible approach to defining ethnic boundaries involving a …

Seri Dictionary: Sounds And Speech, Mary B. Moser, Stephen A. Marlett

Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session

The Seri language is rich in verbs and expressions for sounds and speech. This paper highlights this domain of the Seri lexicon and discusses sounds made by inanimate objects, animals, and humans.

Other excerpts from the Seri dictionary have been published in the 1997, 1998 and 1999 Work Papers. The complete dictionary was published in 2005 and updated in 2010. The second edition is available here: mexico.sil.org/resources/archives/42821

Searching And Search Engines: When Is Current Research Going To Lead To Major Progress?, Elizabeth D. Liddy

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

For many years, users of commercial search engines have been hearing how the latest in information and computer science research is going to improve the quality of the engines they rely on for fulfilling their daily information needs. However, despite what is heard, these promises have not been fulfilled. While the Internet has dramatically increased the amount of information to which users now have access, the key issue appears to be unresolved – the results for substantive queries are not improving. However, the past need not predict the future because sophisticated advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) have, in fact, …

Error Analysis And Curriculum Development In An Efl Classroom In Taiwan, Meng Teh Wu

MA TESOL Collection

It is the premise of this paper that errors provide invaluable information for guiding teachers and learners in the process of language acquisition. They offer insights for the teacher in constructing curricula and help the students with their ingerlanguage development. Errors should not be regarded as negative indicators. They are significant guide posts in the learning process. When and how to correct errors and what errors to correct has been the focus of Error Analysis studies. In this respect this paper is no exception. Special emphasis has been laid, however, on how to translate theoretical concepts into the author’s classroom …

Esl Mentoring: An Empowering Tool, Maria Cristina Tur

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this IPP will be a qualitative case study of the mentoring program at Hostos Community College, City University of New York. I will learn the working of the mentoring program. I will examine the mentor’s role and strategies in helping her two protégés. I will reflect upon the relevance of a Mentoring Program as a tool in facilitating the acquisition of ESL. Finally, I will explain the advisor/advisee program at Intermediate School 184 in the South Bronx in whose pilot program I participated.

The Importance Of Community Building In The Efl Classroom, Svitlana Trofymenko

MA TESOL Collection

This paper argues that success in the EFL classroom depends less on techniques and materials, and more on the relationships between the class members and the educational climate. It asserts that, because the creation of a sense of community facilitates learning in different ways, the most important talk of a teacher is to foster a sense of community between students in the language classroom as well s to challenge them with linguistic tasks. A classroom community can increase student motivation and self-esteem. It can reduce extreme anxiety and maximize student-student interaction in the EFL classroom. It can also facilitate co-operation …

Comings And Goings: Considerations And Reflections On The English Program In Korea (Epik), Kiama Robinson

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines both practical considerations for sojourners who are planning to work overseas in South Korea’s English Program in Korea (EPIK) and reflections on the author’s experiences with this program. The first section of the paper presents pre-departure, arrival and descriptions of what the school and housing might consist of, followed by reflections on the author’s direct experiences through three paradigms: world view, intercultural adjustment, and culture shock. While the main focus of this paper is on native English speakers participating in EPIK, the practical considerations and discussion may also be generally helpful for hosting organization as well as …

The Evolution Of A Reflective Practitioner: One Teacher’S Story, Anne K. Reagan

MA TESOL Collection

Becoming a reflective practitioner requires and active, disciplined process as well as support from colleagues according to the experiences of one elementary school Spanish teacher. This paper provides an overview of the learning experiences in a MAT graduate program that shaped this teacher’s initial thoughts about reflective teaching. It also reviews several experts’ ideas on reflective thought and teaching. Finally, it narrates and analyzes her experience of creating a reflective teachers’ group using a text as the impetus for discussion. The conclusion offers ideas for future development of a reflective teachers’ group.

Written Feedback In The Classroom And Beyond, Karen Gould Peltola

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is an in-depth look at the experimentation with and use of written feedback with middle school foreign language students and their parents. It includes my own learning about giving written feedback, the process by which I have trained my students to give written feedback, and finally the extensions of written feedback beyond the classroom, to the parents. Examples of written feedback forms and formats are included, as well as completed examples.

Motivating Adolescents To Be Active Participants In The Language Learning Process, Kier Merill

MA TESOL Collection

Motivating adolescents to be active participants in their own language learning process is a challenge faced by all middle and high school language teachers. This paper provides and overview of tone teacher’s experiences in the struggle to motivate her own students. it also supplies some useful ideas on activities that work to motivate students both inside and outside the classroom. The appendices include step by step plans to help guide other teachers in carrying out some of the activities in their own classes.

“Pass The Remote…! Interactive Classroom Review For The 21st Century: Bringing Remote Response Pads Into Your Classroom, Lisa Michelle Lucas

MA TESOL Collection

This project describes a form of computer-assisted interactive classroom instruction, which is particularly useful in the ESL context. Not only does this project show how to integrate instruction with ever advancing technology, it also demonstrates how to integrate interactive class work with the diverse and relevant learning styles of each learner in the classroom. This project will show how easy it is to use this technology in conjunction with thematic units or projects-whatever the level of the ESL student. Enclosed are examples of instructional materials, created for the ESL High Beginner and examples of how they relate to the paper …

Rising Off The Plateau In Learning Arabic, Daniel Scott Linquist

MA TESOL Collection

Experiencing plateaus in second language learning is a common experience, especially for language student studying Arabic or one of the other languages considered more difficult. Some of the causes for the plateau experience in Arabic are its complex grammar, its vast amount of vocabulary, and the different roles of Modern Standard Arabic and the spoken dialects of Arabic.

Rising off the Plateau in Studying Arabic is a thesis project, which analyzes this second language learner’s attempt to make significant progress in studying Modern Standard Arabic. The project was based on a self-directed, semi-intensive Arabic language program, which prioritized the reading …

The Effect Of Educational Kinesiology On Second Language Acquisition, Tina Lynne Haverstick

MA TESOL Collection

This thesis is a summary of my experience working with the theory of Educational Kinesiology (Edu-K) in the foreign language classroom environment. It may serve as a guide for anyone who is interested in tapping into the full potential of students’ brains within a structured learning environment.

A case study is presented here examining the effects of educational kinesiology on two groups of kindergarten students I taught simultaneously in my EFL classroom in Taiwan.

I chose to assess their attitudes toward different classroom activities, including those geared toward improving listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as the overall attitude …

Drama Methodology And Its Usage In Removing Barriers To English Language Acquisition In Japanese University Students, C Malcom Barry Duff

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines how drama methodology can be used to remove barriers to English acquisition and to encourage English language production in Japanese university students. The effect of the affective filter and Monitor use in language production will be covered. The use of drama methodology will be analyzed and its usage in the classroom evaluated. The use of drama techniques to create lessons will be demonstrated.

Unleashing The Writer Within: A Workshop Based Writing Course Designed To Release Student Fears, Cultivate Creativity And Develop Editing Skills, Kimberly Sue Connelly

MA TESOL Collection

Establishing a community of learners in a language classroom produces a fertile environment in which to teach any and all language skills. Building community was the focus of the Writing Workshop that I designed and taught to large classes of high beginner to advanced immigrants, refugees, and international students in a college level ESL program. The activities I developed for the first weeks connect students to each other through creativity, music and art, authorize students to set their own goals, encourage them to examine their writing anxieties, and allow them to explore their identities as writers. By breaking down fears …

Using Innovative Language Learning Methods With Mombusho Textbooks, Janet Melinda Beane

MA TESOL Collection

This paper shows how chapters from two different textbooks at different levels might be taught using several different methods. The paper begins with a discussion of my reasons for choosing this topic and goes on to lay out what I feel a method needs to consider in order to be a good method. In the next section, I go on to introduce various innovative language teaching methods such as ALM, TPR and the Silent Way. For each method I include a short section of background information including the principles and techniques of each lesson. Then I contrast a typical lesson …

African Film: A Dynamic Medium For A High School French Class Cultural Curriculum, Denise Elizabeth Dunn Barstow-Girel

MA TESOL Collection

Culture can be an integral part of the French foreign language class when students learn French language and Francophone culture through a content-based approach using the medium of African films. Founded on the pedagogical value of a thematic study of issues aimed at raising linguistic, cultural, and global awareness in adolescent, fourth or fifth year high school French students, I developed this cultural curriculum focused on Francophone African culture. While learning the French language, students will gain knowledge of West African cultures including historical aspects, and the role of the French language in this region.

Tenant Partners For Community Education: A Family Literacy Project, Pamela J. Anderson

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this paper is to discuss, describe, and evaluate a family literacy program I developed as a pilot project for Southeast Asian immigrant families with elementary school-aged children living in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco.

I will give an overview of this project and review recent research on the different approaches to family literacy. Using a working definition of family literacy based upon current research and implementation in the field, the Indochinese Housing Family Literacy Project-a description of its structure and expected outcomes, lesson plans, and useful findings from current working programs-will be explored and described. Finally, …

Building A Teacher Education Program For Efl Teachers: From Process To Product, Eliana Santana

MA TESOL Collection

This IPP contains a teacher education program for a school in the north of Brazil. It also shows the process I used in order to construct it. It shows the context for which the program was developed, the state-of-the-art in TESOL teacher preparation, as well as my own beliefs and assumptions about how learning teaching takes place. Then, it presents the needs analysis as well as the curriculum designed for the program.

The Affect Of Writing On The Internet, Jane Hoelker

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a description of the development, objectives, implementation and results of an advanced composition course conducted on the Internet with IWE (International Writing Exchange) of the Helsinki University of Technology. The purpose of the course was to motivate students of English who were discouraged during the difficult IMF era in Korea in 1998. During the 90's the majority of English Education majors at Pusan National University in Korea had studied and/or traveled overseas for extensive periods of time during their undergraduate career. But, in 1998 opportunities for overseas travel and study had been greatly curtailed due to IMF …

The Role Of Universal Grammar In Second Language Acquisition: An Experimental Study Of Spanish Esl Students' Interpretation Of Lexical Pronouns, Mary Kathleen Kevari

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Writing, Computers, And Rhetorical Situations: A Composition Odyssey, Kristine Louise Potter

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis, an autoethnography, explores my own, personal experiences using technology in various writing situations: my writing process, collaborative publishing, my M.A. internship, online tutoring, and my first experience teaching college English composition in a computer classroom.