Digital Commons Network^™

The Development Of Fluency, Syntactic Complexity, And Grammatical Accuracy In Oral Presentations: A Case Of Egyptian Efl Learners, Mayada Mohammad Tawfik Zaki

Theses and Dissertations

Processing theories (Clahsen, 1984; Pienemann, 1997) have argued that the production of subordinate clauses is the last stage in the development of the second language learner. However, these theories did not refer to details about the development of accuracy and frequency of the production of subordinate clauses in second language learners' speech. They also did not investigate the relation between proficiency level and the production of complex syntax. Thus, more knowledge was required about the development of frequency and accuracy of complex syntax in EFL learners, and the relation between this development and proficiency level. Moreover, both second language and …

Investigation Of Science Education Attitudes In Alternative High School Settings, Sarah Jane Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the attitudes of administrators, teachers and students in school settings for at-risk students. Students are considered at-risk if they are not academically successful. Teacher and student science education attitudes were analyzed by survey data and categorization of teaching practices. Additionally, data from classroom videotapes and teacher interviews was collected to support and triangulate survey data. Study participants were selected from two school settings for at-risk students 1) public alternative schools (PAS) and 2) private residential treatment centers (RTC). When the survey questions were analyzed by school type and teacher classification several differences were found between 1) teacher …

The Development Of Two Units For Basic Training And Resources For Teaching English To Speakers Of Other Languages: "Developing A Successful Teaching Personality" And "Managing Classes Of English Language Learners", Iva Crookston

Theses and Dissertations

A team of graduate students from Brigham Young University under the supervision of the main author, Dr. Henrichsen, collaborated on creating a book as well as a website, Basic Training and Resources for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (BTR-TESOL). The entire project consists of ten main sections with nearly fifty units addressing topics that novice teachers should know before teaching English to non-native speakers. The BTR-TESOL project answers the need for material for untrained novice teachers that will help them to be better prepared in a very minimalistic way to face the challenges and responsibilities that teaching of …

Social Skills And Attributions Of Asperger's Syndrome, Louis Fair

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was a single subject design (a) measuring where in social skills ability, a male high school student diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, is deficient based off of 5 subscales of social skills and then (b) creating an intervention focused on improving the areas of weakness to help the student function socially. The five subscales that the skills were grouped under with social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation and autistic mannerisms. A within-subject design was run for t-scores and the student measured to have the biggest area of weakness in the areas of social awareness, …

Graphic Design As Projection, Bret Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

I imagined a world where designing is projecting and where the entire design field is called projection. My research into what it means to be a projector culminates in a participatory creative project that embodies concepts of projection taken from a range of disparate subjects.

Awesome, Hannah Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

Opinions about Linguistics and Phonetics extrapolated to think about art and object-making, followed by an exposition of titles of recent work, including discussions about: stunting in All Star Cheerleading, rainbows, offset halo patterns, the common corn disease Crazy Top, failure, humility and the profound.

African American Children Living In Urban Environments: An Investigation Of Early Literacy And The Influence Of Psychological Strengths And Family Support, Pia Stanard

Theses and Dissertations

Literacy is a basic fundamental skill for academic, professional, and social success in our culture. Children with low exposure to reading can experience reading difficulties, diminished cognitive development, and poor academic outcomes. Inconsistency in the conceptualization of early literacy has hampered research and development of successful, translational early literacy interventions, particularly for children from low-income households. Preschoolers from low-income, urban backgrounds (n = 426), including 221 females and 205 males aged 35 - 60 months (M = 47.46, SD = 6.44) participated in an investigation of the latent factorial structure of early literacy. The study also explored whether children’s psychological …

What Is The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Administrative Advancement In An Urban School Division?, Elizabeth Roberson

Theses and Dissertations

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ADVANCEMENT IN AN URBAN SCHOOL DIVISION? By Elizabeth Roberson, Ph.D. A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Director: Henry T. Clark, Ph.D. Associate Dean of the School of Education The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between emotional intelligence and administrative advancement in one urban school division; however, data acquired in the course of the study may have revealed areas that could be further developed in future studies to increase the …

The Michael Chekhov Technique: In The Classroom And On Stage, Josh Chenard

Theses and Dissertations

Referred to by Constantin Stanislavski as “My most brilliant pupil,” Michael Chekhov’s approach to acting is founded in an understanding of the artist as a whole being whose thoughts, feelings, desires, voice, and physical body are intimately interwoven. The Michael Chekhov technique trains these aspects jointly while encouraging the actor to fully explore and utilize his or her unlimited, rich, and fertile imagination. I have seen the powerful benefits of this technique as an actor (which I have been utilizing for 13 years) and as a teacher and director (for almost 10 years). In my thesis, I will firstly describe …

We Are Clay People: The Struggle Against Choctaw Communal Dissolution, 1801-1861, Gary Coleman Cheek

Theses and Dissertations

Acculturation has become an integral part of scholarship about Native Americans in the Southeast. Recent studies have focused on trade the eighteenth century and Choctaw entry into the American market economy during the beginning of the nineteenth century. This study analyzes acculturation from 1801 to 1861, carrying the story about cultural change and persistence through the Removal era and to the American Civil War. It argues that while Choctaws acculturated to survive, prosper, and protect autonomy in a changing world, they continuously battled communal dissolution, which threatened to destroy their nation. Some individuals attempted to promote new methods of subsistence, …

The Effects Of Embedded Phonological Awareness Training On The Reading And Spelling Skills Of Kindergarten Students, Sarah Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Phonological awareness is the ability to attend to and recognize the sound structure of a language. This skill is known to be important for learning to spell and read and a lack of phonological awareness skills is linked with reading difficulties. Previous research has shown phonological awareness training improves phonological awareness skills, as well as certain aspects of reading (such as word decoding) and spelling (spelling phonetically consistent words). The research is inconclusive as to whether phonological awareness training improves broad-based reading and spelling skills. This may be due to the method of instruction. Systematic (explicit) phonological awareness training has …

Normalizing The Immediate And Early Postpartum Period: A Teaching Module For Nursing Students, Cate Edlebeck

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Differential Use Of Language By Adolescents Across Modes Of Written Communication, Kris A. Vossler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how adolescents in a small urban setting in the upper Midwest use alternative modes of written communication (i.e., text messaging, email, instant messaging, and social networking) for discourse purposes in order to identify ways in which these modes could be utilized by non speaking individuals. This study explored the factors related to choice of mode, including identity of the communication partner, number of communication partners, purpose of the communication, and personal preferences of the individual.

This qualitative study followed grounded theory methodology and used interviews as the primary means of data collection. …

Negotiating The Gray Areas Of Ethical Decision Making: Deaf Therapists Working In The Deaf Community, Denise Alice Thew

Theses and Dissertations

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing psychologists, who provide services to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community, face unique dilemmas when dealing with overlapping relationships. Similar to psychologists from other small or rural communities, dual relationships are generally unavoidable. The ethical guidelines for psychologists do not provide for the exceptional struggles that many Deaf therapists face in this regard.

This study was conducted to explore the decision-making patterns that Deaf therapists have used in negotiating nonsexual, multiple relationships with clients. Ten taped interviews were conducted to collect preliminary data on the overlapping relationship dilemmas of participants who are Deaf, licensed therapists and have been …

The Representation Of Salvation In The Sayings Of The Desert Fathers, Paul A. Ferderer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines four prominent works of monastic literature composed during the third through the sixth centuries and contrasts the representations of salvation within them. The Lives of Constantine and Antony, The Lausiac History and The Sayings o f the Desert Fathers discussed conceptions of salvation in some of the earliest forms of monastic literature. The contention of this thesis is that in relation to the major works of monastic literature composed during the same period, The Sayings, articulated an existential dimension of salvation experienced as deliverance from sin and manifested in restored communion between God and the believer. Using …

Movement Without Motion: The Rhetoric Of Conservative Counter-Claims To Global Warming Theory, William Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Many U.S. conservatives view government mandates to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases as a threat to the economy of the developed world. Conservative think tanks have adopted a common rhetoric to instill doubt about proposed mandates in the minds of elected officials, the media, and the public. Using a survey of the websites of 14 conservative think tanks, this thesis analyzes counter-claims to global warming theory to identify rhetorical artifacts that typically characterize conservative responses to issues, and to show how rhetorical theory can help anticipate the nature of such responses. The research identifies unifying speech codes – such as …

Epicene Pronoun Use In Modern American English, Robin Montgomery Watson

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional prescriptive grammar for English states that the epicene or gender neutral pronoun for third person singular use is he. Research into speaker perceptions has clearly demonstrated that he is not perceived as neutral. Research has also shown traditionally proscribed epicene pronouns such as he or she and singular they to be commonly used, despite the long-standing proscriptions against them. The author examines the endurance of such proscribed options through the lens of markedness theory, considering the impact of cultural values on speakers' epicene pronoun choices. Gender in language is also considered, as well as Kuryłowicz‘s 4th Law of …

The Influence Of Language Production, Comprehension, And Pragmatic Judgment On Solitary-Passive Withdrawal In Children, Rachel Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies examining withdrawal in children with language impairment (LI) have found that these children are more socially withdrawn than their typically developing peers. It seems reasonable to assume that a causal relationship exists between language deficits and withdrawal. However, there is growing evidence that different subtypes of withdrawal have varying social consequences and language may not be closely linked to each subtype. In the present study, subtests from the Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language (CASL; Carrow-Woolfolk, 1999) were used to evaluate specific language skills and the Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (TBRS; Hart & Robinson, 1996) was used to evaluate …

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 …

Even Satan Spoke Hebrew, Gilad Elbom

Theses and Dissertations

A novel preceded by a scholarly introduction, EVEN SATAN SPOKE HEBREW employs a variety of metafictional devices—collage, appropriation, borrowing, minoring, framing, indeterminacy, textual parody, obtrusive narration, structural constraints—in an attempt to propose a deliberate departure from the concepts of mimetic art, verisimilitude, and believability. Set in Jerusalem and Los Angeles, it revolves around an aspiring writer who insists on working in a foreign language, a self-professed exile accused of betraying her homeland, national identity, and mother tongue. When her first novel disappears—somehow she manages to misplace the only copy of her manuscript—she embarks on an intertextual journey in search of …

Essential 500 Wordlist For The Foundations Program At The Brigham Young University's English Language Center, Inho Jung

Theses and Dissertations

In order to help ESL students in the Foundations Program at BYU's ELC, I have developed a 500-word list of essential English vocabulary. This list attempts to reach one of the goals of the institute's curriculum, which is to develop systematic, integrated vocabulary instruction. Published literature reveals that studying with a list in conjunction with explicit instruction can enhance L2 vocabulary learning when the instruction is systematically integrated with other skills and activities. The literature also shows the importance of learning the most frequent and essential words first, which can be found in the General Service List and the Academic …

Instructional Readers: Teaching Content Through Vocabulary, Rachel E. Wood

Theses and Dissertations

This project resulted in the creation of a prototype for a new book series entitled Instructional Readers that will be linguistically engineered to assist English-language learners in acquiring academic and content-based vocabulary in the sciences. The development of the prototype represented a process of trial and error, with decisions firmly grounded in extensive research concerning linguistic features that assist vocabulary growth while reading. The end result, the prototype entitled Cellular Transport, reflects the author's best attempt to combine these features. The project write-up details the steps used in writing the prototype to aid in the creation of similar instructional …

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 Effects Of Video Self-Modeling On Elementary Students' On-Task Behavior As A Response To Intervention, Anika Kronmiller Bales

Theses and Dissertations

Effective interventions are imperative for students who are at-risk for academic failure. Response to Intervention (RTI), a service delivery framework, is gaining momentum in schools as it aims to provide effective and appropriate interventions of varying degrees. Frequently used in the form of a three-tier process, RTI addresses academic and behavioral deficits for students first at a school-wide level; next, at an individualized level; and finally, at a more intense individualized level. This study examined the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) as a Tier 2 RTI for two students in general education classrooms. Both students exhibited low rates of on-task …

Gendered Distances: A Methodological Inquiry Into Spatial Analysis As An Instrument For Assessing Gender Equality In Access To Secondary Schools In Mukono District, Uganda, Patrick Richard Wawro

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on how accessibility to secondary schools in the Mukono District of Uganda is related to the sex and gender of the student and the distance that separates the student's home from the school they attend. This research is methodological inquiry exploring the use of spatial analysis, specifically how cognitive and metric distances can be used as alternatives to gross enrollment rates (GER) and net enrollment rates (NER) for assessing gender equality in realized accessibility to secondary schools. Student home locations were collected for 756 secondary students, including 437 boarding students and 319 day students from 8 different …

An Ontological Analysis Of Mainstream Addiction Theories: Exploring Relational Alternatives, Wiley Benjamin Hill Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals and societies have long struggled to understand and confront, by constructive means, the nemesis of addiction. No other human ill has provoked more concern, accounted for more suffering, or elicited greater consequence than addiction in all its diverse forms. Although alcoholism and drug abuse symbolize the traditional essence of addiction; compulsive sexuality, pathological gambling, eating disorders, tobacco use, etc., are also believed to have addictive properties according to contemporary concepts. Numerous commendable theories and therapies have been offered down through history to explain and mediate addictions conceptually enigmatic and therapeutically resistant nature. As this paper will clarify, many of …

Development And Use Of Microsatellite Markers For Genetic Diversity Analysis Of Canahua (Chenopodium Pallidicaule Aellen), Amalia Vargas

Theses and Dissertations

Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) is a poorly studied, annual subsistence crop of the high Andes of South America. Its nutritionally value (high in protein and mineral content) and ability to thrive in harsh climates (drought, extreme elevations, etc.) make it an important regional food crop throughout the Andean region. The objectives of this study were to develop genetic markers and to quantify genetic diversity within cañahua. A set of 43 wild and cultivated cañahua genotypes and two related species (C. quinoa and C. petiolare) were evaluated for polymorphism using 192 microsatellite markers derived from random genomic …

The N400 Event-Related Potential In Children Across Sentence Type And Ear Condition, Laurie Anne Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the neurophysiology of semantic language processing in children, ages 5 to 12 years. A well-established marker of semantic processing, the N400 event related potential (ERP), was analyzed within and across child age groups. Child N400s were recorded in response to correct sentences, semantically incorrect sentences, and syntactically incorrect sentences. N400s were also recorded across ear condition to examine potential processing differences. Children across all age groups consistently demonstrated N400s in the semantic error condition. N400s were also regularly observed in the syntactic error condition; especially, for younger children. Younger children also demonstrated N400s even in response to …

Out Of Shape, Out Of Line: East Meets West, Claudia Weisner-Combecher

Theses and Dissertations

My art is about reduction, simplicity, and color. I use geometric or organic shapes, straight or flowing lines, and bright colors. All of these elements are reduced to their minimal essence. In my paintings, I like to show the creative process by layering paints and exposing subsurface materials and textures. This allows room for contemplation and interpretation. On one hand, my art is influenced by my appreciation for Minimalist art, an art form of visual simplicity in form and content. On the other hand, my art is inspired by my interest in Asian art, intensified by a recent trip to …

Developing A Curriculum Evaluation Model For The English Language Center At Brigham Young University, Rie Teraoka

Theses and Dissertations

Evaluation is an important process in any language program curriculum to determine whether the program is meeting the needs of students, teachers and others who are involved in the program. The English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University (BYU) is a unique institution that functions as 1) a language school for students from different backgrounds and with various purposes of learning English and 2) as a lab school for undergraduate and graduate students studying TESOL at BYU to have practical teaching experiences. Because of these two purposes, there are constant changes to the curriculum at the ELC. Evaluation is …