Digital Commons Network^™

English-To-Ipa Transcription, Riley Roberts

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to create a tool that could automate English-to-IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription. Research was done to determine what would be required to perform such a transcription. After researching and experimenting with existing tools, it was determined that developing the signal processing and Artificial Intelligence model portion of the application would be too intensive to successfully complete within the timeframe of this project.

The choice was made to develop an iOS application, with the Python library Allosaurus used to do the speech processing and as the Artificial Intelligence model. This model was then deployed in …

Assessing The Views Of Haitian Evangelical Leaders Regarding Christ-Centered Preaching From The Old Testament, Stevenson Dorcélus-Cetoute

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Preaching is an absolute necessity, great preaching more so to transform society and advance God’s kingdom. Great preaching is that what points to Christ in every text from Scripture New Testament as well as Old Testament. Based on Luke 24 and other fundamental texts this study shows preaching Christ from the Old Testament is warranted. The purpose of the study however was to find out the attitude of Haitian leaders/pastors/preachers regarding Christocentric preaching and also ascertain if they are willing to know more whatever their knowledge is currently on the issue. This quantitative study uses the survey method, and we …

The Latinx Community, Anti-Black Racism And Forward- Looking Collective Moral Responsibility, Julisa Jazsmine Fernandez-Rivera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the literature on collective responsibility, theorists have utilized different methods in order to argue collective responsibility can be attributed to collectives. Some theorists have referred to Strawsonâ??s account of participant reactive attitudes in order to support their claims that certain collectives can be the appropriate targets of reactive attitudes (2008). According to Strawson (2008), attributing reactive attitudes, such as guilt, praise, hurt feelings, obligation, etc. towards others and ourselves is what constitutes moral responsibility. Though Strawsonâ??s account only focuses on individual responsibility, theorists, such as Deborah Tollefsen and Kay Mathiesen, have extended his account to support their claims about …

The Impact Of Verb Type On The Variability Of The Comp-Trace Effect, Haydee Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The C-t effect has been extensively researched with regards to its variability, however, matrix verbs have not generally been taken into account. The present study investigates whether verbs believe, doubt, know, realize, say and think differ in the strength of the C-t effect they induce— exploring syntactic analyses, epistemicity and grammaticalization to possibly identify what characteristics of verbs dictate the strength of the C-t effect. Subjects (n=44) were asked to complete 1 of 2 Grammaticality Judgement Tasks (GJT), which asked them to rate the grammaticality of items which included matched items with that involving both subject extractions, constructions without extractions, …

¡Sí Se Puede!: Understanding The Experiences Of Latina Students During Their Doctoral Journey At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Flor Del Rocio Acevedo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The existing body of literature on Latinas has mostly been focused on the undergraduate student experience (Hernandez, 2002; Hurtado et al., 1996; Kena et al., 2016; Tinto & Goodsell, 1994; Torres, 2004). Additionally, despite the increasing participation of women in graduate education since the 1980s (Walker et al., 2008), Latinas have been and continue to be underrepresented in doctoral programs and the professorate (Myers, 2016). In spite of recent increases in enrollment, Latinas attained just 8.8 percent of the doctoral degrees awarded from 2018-2019 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020). As Latinas are projected to account for a third of …

Experiences Of Latin American Au Pairs In El Paso, Texas: Perceptions And Challenges In A Border Context, Nathaly Carolina Hernandez Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

For the last three decades, the French term Au Pair has been used to name the exchange program that allows foreign young people (primarily women) the possibility to immerse themselves in American culture while living, working, studying, and traveling in the United States. Within the context of globalization in which we live, this program has experienced significant growth in Latin America and Europe, among others. The purpose of this exploratory study was to explore and make visible the concerns raised by female Au Pairs from Latin America who participate in the program in El Paso, Texas, a border community along …

Environmental Justice Issues And Sea Level Rise In Frontline Communties Along The Gulf Coast, Karla Michel Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Sea level rise poses a great threat to coastal areas and our way of life. As flooding increases in frequency and intensity across the country, vulnerable populations become a target to its impacts. The U.S. dedicates much research to risk communication and climate change adaptation strategies; however, these coastal areas are home to a large percentage of underserved and underrepresented communities that can be challenging to meaningfully engage. The impacts of short-term sea level rise combined with long-term sea level rise will not only cause flooding, erosion, and intrusion of saltwater into freshwater resources but also increased financial consequences, such …

Rooting For Spices, Carlos Emilio Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The overarching theme of my thesis combines elements of magical realism with historical people, events, indigenous (Taino/Borike’n) spirituality, and folktales of Puerto Rico. Specifically, I researched, learned, wrote about, and explored the island’s dense history, political struggles, and importance to the colonizing countries of Spain and the United States. The proposed project required significant research time to depict these subjects, people, places, and stories with greater accuracy. I used what I discovered and applied it in chronological sections depicting the island’s historical narrative. I also attempted to employ a process of historical recall referred to as postmemory by Marianne Hirsch. …

Rewriting The Graduate Experience: A Study Of The Writing Experiences Of University Of Texas At El Paso Graduate Students Across Disciplines, Jennifer L. Wilhite

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Graduate writing can manifest as a barrier to successful and timely degree completion as writing is the primary modality in which graduate programs use to evaluate depth of learning and quality of knowledge created. Native language status, inexperience with advanced academic genres, time away from the academy, and socialization struggles are factors that can aggravate writing challenges. The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand the graduate writing experiences of twelve women returning to the academy. The study asks if writing manifests as a barrier to completing their graduate programs, ascertains what kinds of graduate-level writing supports they …

The Posthuman Paradox: Acknowledging What Matters Through Affective Rhetoricity, Alison Wells Zepeda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation advances a theory of affective rhetoricity through personal narrative and an integrative literature review as a methodological approach. The project draws on a theoretical framework constructed from intra- and extra-disciplinary theories of posthumanism, affect, language, material feminism, object-oriented ontology, new materialism, and rhetoric through which collisions between objects and language are examined as arguments for affective rhetoricity as a revised way of understanding rhetoric’s force. The study culminates with ethical and pedagogical implications for the rhetoric and writing classroom, what it means to enact an ontological disposition toward writing, and an exploration of our human capacity to write …

God Damn, Robi Mahan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

God Damn is a poetic collection that delves into the complex relationship between a daughter and her father, who has recently suffered from a stroke. As her father grapples with Aphasia, a neurological disorder which has rendered him with a uniquely limited vocabulary, the author must confront her beliefs about life, death, and the great beyond. The collection recounts the authors childhood with her father, an outspoken atheist from a small town, and how the ideals he has taught her influence the way she navigates life with a man who has lost his ability to speak.

Translingual Practices For The Development Of Latinx Teacher Candidates: A Pedagogy For The Border, Alcione N. Ostorga

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This article explores the application of translingual pedagogies within a course on the development of bilingualism for Latinx bilingual teacher candidates (BTCs) in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Using a self-study methodology, it examines the application of translanguaging pedagogies for Latinx BTCs, and their evolving language ideologies. The participants were mostly emergent bilinguals (EBs) whose native Spanish language development was negatively impacted by hegemonic educational practices in the local K-12 schools. Therefore, while the first aim of my pedagogical practices was to promote learning of the content of the course, a second aim was to promote the development of academic Spanish language …

Relationship Between Mothers’/Caregivers’ Reported Learning Difficulty And Internalizing Symptoms (Anxiety And Depression) Of Children Aged 5–17 Years In Ghana, Queen Angela Norman, Nutifafa Eugene Yaw Dey, Kenneth Owusu Ansah, Francis Arthur-Holmes, Henry Ofori Duah, Pascal Agbadi

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Studies have reported different factors associated with anxiety and depression among children and adolescents. However, studies examining the relationship between learning difficulties and internalizing symptoms of Ghanaian children is scarce. The only study available found that 152 students with learning difficulties who visited a psychology clinic for psychological assessment had high levels of stress and anxiety (Asare & Danquah, 2016). While the study provided preliminary evidence of the relationship between learning difficulties and internalizing symptoms, it had some methodological challenges. For instance, the study used a relatively smaller sample size and subsampled children in Accra. Our study used a nationally …

Analyzing Student Writing: A Multiple Case Study Exploring Kindergarten Teacher Knowledge Of Early Writing Development, Nanette Mills Watson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The developmental nature of early writing warrants targeted instruction in writing concepts and skills in kindergarten classrooms. Given the complexity of writing and early writing development, research into kindergarten teacher knowledge of early writing development and how this influences instructional practices is appropriate.

To conduct this research, data was collected from an online questionnaire, a semistructured interview, and student writing sample analysis tasks of five kindergarten teachers. Qualitative data analysis was conducted and provided descriptions of individual teachers’ instructional practices for writing and an in-depth description of the proposed teacher-student interactions from the student writing sample analysis tasks. Findings revealed …

An Investigation Into The Feasibility Of Streamlining Language Sample Analysis Through Computer-Automated Transcription And Scoring, Carly Fox

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of the study was to investigate the feasibility of streamlining the transcription and scoring portion of language sample analysis (LSA) through computer-automation. LSA is a gold-standard procedure for examining childrens’ language abilities that is underutilized by speech language pathologists due to its time-consuming nature. To decrease the time associated with the process, the accuracy of transcripts produced automatically with Google Cloud Speech and the accuracy of scores generated by a hard-coded scoring function called the Literate Language Use in Narrative Analysis (LLUNA) were evaluated. A collection of narrative transcripts and audio recordings of narrative samples were selected to …

Investigating Recommended Language Instruction Of Complex Literary Texts: A Content Analysis Of Close Reading Lesson Plans For Elementary Grades, Michelle Flory

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Expectations have been placed upon elementary teachers from the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts to guide students through close readings of informational and literary texts. This content analysis examined online close reading lesson plans to determine common objectives in elementary close reading lessons using literary text and to delineate which aspects of language are recommended for close reading instruction. Lessons for primary and intermediate grade levels were stratified and highlighted which instructional moves and student tasks are recommended for making complex language in texts more comprehensible. Key findings indicate a lack of alignment in lesson planning between …

Metaphors Of International Law, Harlan G. Cohen

Scholarly Works

This chapter explores international law in search of its hidden and not-so-hidden metaphors. In so doing, it discovers a world inhabited by states, where rules are mined or picked when ripe, where trade keeps boats forever afloat on rising tides. But is also unveils a world in which voices are silenced, inequality is ignored, and hands are washed of responsibility.

International law is built on metaphors. Metaphors provide a language to describe and convey the law’s operation, help international lawyers identify legal subjects and categorize situations in doctrinal categories, and provide normative justifications for the law. Exploring their operation at …

Does Whispering Improve Children’S Memory? Comparing Auditory Vigilance And Salience Hypotheses, Christina M. Barnes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Oral communication is one of the primary tools children use to learn new information and speech registers can deliver additional meaning to the words someone uses. Cirillo’s (2004) vigilance hypothesis states “Whispering can affect the psychobiological state of recipients, and in particular raise their auditory vigilance” (Cirillo, 2004, p. 76). Building on this theory, the current study investigates the role of whispering and children’s memory by examining a whispering vigilance, whispering salience which focused on the changes between normal and whisper registers, and combined vigilance and salience hypotheses to determine if whispering contributes to the recall of information. Using video …

International Students In The Campus Carry Debate: A Descriptive Phenomenological Inquiry, Andre Richardo Grant

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study purposefully sampled 15 graduate international students at a Southern University (SU). Semi-structured interviews were used to determine their perceptions and attitudes regarding the implementation of campus carry policies at the institution. The study aimed to answer the following research questions: How has the implementation of the campus carry policy at SU impacted international students’ perceptions of their experiences at the institution? How has the implementation of campus carry policies at SU influenced international students’ perceptions of the social ecology of the institution? and How did SU formally include international students in the on-campus campus carry policy …

Listening To Voices Of Latinx Immigrants In Rural America, Jacqueline Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to capture and gain an understanding of Latinx immigrants’ lived experiences during their transitions from their native countries to rural Arkansas. Using purposeful criterion-based sampling, the population of interest was five Latinx immigrant students and families who migrated from their native countries to the state of Arkansas. The analytic strategy included a single-case model of each family’s transcription, two-case model, cluster analysis to identify likeness, document portrait, and subtheme development. The structural descriptions that formed the essence of the experience resulted in three themes: education, migration, and emotional experiences. The three overall …

The Effects Of Watching Text-Relevant Video Segments On Reading Comprehension Of Culturally Unfamiliar Texts With Adult English Language Learners Supported By The Schematic Information-Processing (Sip) Model Of Reading Comprehension, Amirreza Karami

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to investigate the effects of watching text-relevant video segments on reading comprehension of a culturally unfamiliar text when technical words are present or absent. Therefore, 44 adult English Language Learners (ELLs) with higher-intermediate to advanced English language proficiency levels from the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) School of Languages located in the Dominican Republic were chosen and randomly assigned to two different groups: control vs. experimental.

First, the researcher compared two different types of reading instruction—traditional text-based vs. video-based reading instruction supported by the Schematic Information-Processing (SIP) model of reading …

Panimulang Pagsusuri Sa Gamit Ng Tabletop Game Na Isabuhay Bilang Estratehiya Sa Pagtutura Ng Wika, Mariyel Hiyas Concha Liwanag

Journal Article

This paper evaluated the tabletop game Isabuhay as a strategy for teaching language in college level. The first part of the paper discusses the concept of game-based learning and its examples in different disciplines. This is followed by the discussion of the experiences of the students and the teacher in using the game as part of their class. Lastly, the game was evaluated using the principles of game-based learning by James Paul Gee. In the evaluation, the game was able to follow the principles of "empowered learner" and the creation of space for problem-solving and understanding, however, there are parts …

Multiple Approaches To Auditory Rhythm: Development Of Sustained Musical Beat And The Relation To Language, Development Of Rhythmic Categories Via Iterated Production, And A Meta-Analytic Study Of Neural Entrainment To Beat, Karli Marie Nave

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rhythm is ubiquitous to human communication, coordination, and experience of music. In this dissertation, I address three empirical questions through three different methodologies, all of which contribute to the growing body of literature on human auditory rhythm processing. In Chapter 2, I present a registered report detailing the results of independent conceptual replications of Nozaradan, Peretz, Missal, & Mouraux (2011), all using the same vetted protocol. Listeners performed the same tasks as in Nozaradan et al. (2011), with the addition of behavioral measures of perception. In neuroscience, neural correlates to musical beat perception have been identified, yet little to no …

Plausible Retaliation: Using Modern Pleading Standards As A Blueprint For First Amendment Retaliation Claims, Amy L. Moore

Law Faculty Scholarship

This Article examines the Supreme Court’s evolving doctrine governing First Amendment retaliatory arrest claims, focusing on the Court’s decision in Nieves v. Bartlett and its imposition of a lack-of-probable-cause requirement as a threshold element. Tracing the doctrinal development from Mt. Healthy City School District Board of Education v. Doyle through Hartman v. Moore, Reichle v. Howards, Lozman v. City of Riviera Beach, and Nieves, the Article argues that the Court improperly imported retaliatory prosecution logic into the arrest context without adequately accounting for modern pleading standards under Twombly and Iqbal. The Article contends that requiring …

Sheltered English Immersion In Massachusetts: Examining The Reflections Of Career And Technical Teachers With Regard To A Mandated “One-Size-Fits-All” Professional Development Model, Rebecca Nault Swasey

All Theses And Dissertations

Educators in Massachusetts have sought to use multiple professional development models to fill the gap of what bilingual programs once provided. A consequence of the 2002 vote indicated that all teachers have the responsibility to teach language to English language learners (ELLs) in Massachusetts. With all this change in federal and state policy, the only modification to the teacher preservice model for career and technical teachers was the addition of one required professional development series on providing sheltered English immersion to ELLs in their vocational-technical programs. However, the current SEI professional development model may not be able to provide for …

Healing Rites : A Performance Autoethnography, Auryn Rotten

Postgraduate

The following is an exegesis that accompanies a performance in film. Together they reveal an autoethnographic journey of a researcher-filmmaker that contributes to the open-ended examination of the human experience through the language of art. The study explores a disruptive, trauma-informed healing ritual of “wounding while healing”. The artistic and scholarly practice is guided by the theoretical principles of art-based research throughout the process. Centring around the lived experience of the researcher as a survivor of sexual assault; the knowledge generated through the work is motivated by a political and personal desire to provoke change. Correspondingly, the film performance interrupts …

Writing Myths: Interpreting And Translating Meaning, Naomi Robinson

Postgraduate

Myths and stories are integral communication devices that cross both lived and shared experience while manifesting through internal and external meaning-making processes. To determine the nature of myths in and as popular culture, this project sought to use practise-led methods. In addition to storytelling and thematic analysis, this project involved the interpretation and adaptation of an ancient myth into a modern television series. By considering television shows as conduits of socio-political agendas, the creative process culminating in this exegesis highlighted how the perpetual influence of myths through knowledge, reference, and experience can be manipulated to drive cultural change.

As an …

Deep Learning Based Speech Enhancement And Its Application To Speech Recognition, Ju Lin

All Dissertations

Speech enhancement is the task that aims to improve the quality and the intelligibility of a speech signal that is degraded by ambient noise and room reverberation. Speech enhancement algorithms are used extensively in many audio- and communication systems, including mobile handsets, speech recognition, speaker verification systems and hearing aids. Recently, deep learning has achieved great success in many applications, such as computer vision, nature language processing and speech recognition. Speech enhancement methods have been introduced that use deep-learning techniques, as these techniques are capable of learning complex hierarchical functions using large-scale training data. This dissertation investigates the deep learning …

Exegesis: Mark 6:30-44, Younggwang Kim

Masters Theses

Jesus’ feeding the five thousand is the only miracle that the four Gospels commonly recorded among the miracles Jesus Himself performed. The feeding miracle episode is like the gem, which changes light colors slightly depending on how people see it. However, some scholars try to approach it only in a particular direction and partially understand it. Based on the literary-historical-theological methodology, this thesis has a focal point to disclose the compressive and multi-dimensional implications. The exegesis of Mark 6:30-44 begins with the refinement of interpretive methodology. The methodology of this thesis prudently considers both the traditional perspective and recent research. …

Reflip Type: Developing Visual Strategies For Teaching Typography To Collegiate Students With Dyslexia, Brittany D. Strozzo

Masters Theses

In educational facilities today, the approaches to teaching typography to college students with dyslexia are limited. This thesis provides a research-based pedagogy for teaching typography to students in a way that accommodates the visual, processing, and auditory differences present in students with dyslexia. Through the analysis of the learning disability itself, existing material for graphic designers with dyslexia, and current accessibility standards for those with dyslexia, this thesis offers a practical solution to provide a more balanced learning experience for all students, especially those with dyslexia. The aim of this study was to examine the current graphic design standards and …