Digital Commons Network^™

Communicative Function Use Of Preschoolers And Mothers From Differing Racial And Socioeconomic Groups, Danai Kasambira Fannin, O. A. Barbarin, E.R. Crais

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Purpose: This study explores whether communicative function (CF: reasons for communicating) use differs by socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity, or gender among preschoolers and their mothers. Method: Mother-preschooler dyads (N=95) from the National Center for Early Development and Learning’s (NCEDL, 2005) study of Family and Social Environments were observed during one structured learning and free play interaction. CFs were coded by trained independent raters. Results: Children used all CFs at similar rates but those from low SES homes produced fewer utterances and less Reasoning, while boys used less Self-maintaining and more Predicting. African American (AA) mothers produced more Directing and less …

Topics In Chinese Linguistics Chn 550/450, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Teaching Chinese As A Foreign Language Chn 551.441, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Chinese Instruction And Research Practicum Chn/Edc 552/452, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Advanced Topics In Sociolinguistics Chn/Edc 553/453, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Pass Rates Across Three Language Screeners For Spanish-English Bilingual Children, Mariajose Bosanko

LSU Master's Theses

There is limited research regarding the efficacy of the language screening process, especially for bilingual populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the pass rates of three language screeners when administered to Spanish-English bilingual and ELL children. A total of ten Spanish-English bilingual children enrolled in either Pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade completed each screener. The screeners were: the Preschool Language Scales Spanish Screening Test-Fifth Edition (PLSSST-5; Zimmerman et al., 2012a), the Bilingual English Spanish Oral Screener (BESOS; currently in development; Lugo-Neris et al., n.d.), and the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation-Screening Test (DELV-S; Seymour et al., 2003). …

Learning To Read English, Charles A. Perfetti, Lindsay N. Harris

Faculty Books & Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Experiencing Difficulties: English Language Issues Among Immersed Third Culture Kids, Marlene E. Schmidt

Journal of Cross-Cultural Family Studies

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) are defined as children who have spent a significant part of their developmental years living in, or interacting with two or more cultural environments. The levels, abilities, and use of the heritage language of TCKs returning to their host country from being immersed in a second language environment can cause difficulties. This case study explored the experiences of immersed TCKs using English upon reentry to the United States. The participants are adult TCKs, have English as their heritage language, and were immersed in a second language environment as a child. This research found the following four …

Can Squirrel Monkeys Learn An Abna Grammar? A Re-Evaluation Of Ravignani Et Al. (2013), Stefano Ghirlanda

Publications and Research

Ravignani et al. (2013) habituated squirrel monkeys to sound sequences conforming to an ABnA grammar (nD1;2;3), then tested them for their reactions to novel gram- matical and non-grammatical sequences. Although they conclude that the monkeys ``consistently recognized and generalized the sequence ABnA,'' I remark that this conclusion is not robust. The statistical significance of results depends on specific choices of data analysis, namely dichotomization of the response variable and omission of specific data points. Additionally, there is little evidence of generalization to novel patterns (n D 4;5), which is important to conclude that the monkeys recognized the ABnA grammar beyond …

The Monstrosity Of Language: Frankenstein And The Descent Into Cultural Misrepresentation, Diandra Alvarado

The Oswald Review: An International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Criticism in the Discipline of English

No abstract provided.

Comparison Between Mexican And American Parentese: A Qualitative Case Study, Elayna S. Dyke

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This single case study examines possible cultural implications of the current definition of Parentese, also called caretaker speech, based on the personal accounts of a person who is bilingual in both English and Spanish. This case study was conducted in one interview in order to find possible differences in Parentese with the Spanish language in Mexican culture in contrast to Parentese in the English Language in American culture. The purpose of this study was to find if there were differences between parentese between these cultures, and in which ways they were different. According to the subject’s personal experiences within her …

The Evolution Of La Mexicana In Corridos Popular In The South Texas Borderlands (1930-2016), Gabriela Cavazos

Theses and Dissertations

Corridos have been exhibiting history for almost two hundred years. Moreover, throughout the years, corridos have been demonstrating the cultural shifts of Mexico and the South Texas Borderlands. Corridos represent the spirit of the Mexican and Mexican American culture. They are ballads written to celebrate or to be critical of the life of the protagonists through their accomplishments and actions.

Testing Acceptance Of Language Difference In Academia: Perceptions In A First-Year Composition Classroom, Crystal Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

In response to Bawarshi’s collective call for educators to be “more responsive and responsible users and teachers of English,” and motivated by the research of Michelle Hall Kells, I argue that it is necessary for educators to introduce first-year writing students to the historical and sociopolitical aspects of language use in academia through implementing lessons that focus on facets of language diversity. After describing a lesson plan focused on language diversity, I then analyze student feedback using Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis as a lens. I also discuss the results of a Likert scale implemented during the three-phase study. Student …

Wayne Booth's Rhetoric Of Pluralism, William John Ordeman

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I will be examining the arguments Wayne C. Booth put forth for Pluralism in rhetorical studies. I will show how Booth believed that ethical criticism, not only in literary criticism but in all disputation, must take place in order for us to understand each other and objective values. Booth believed that our differing opinions and arguments may not be reconcilable, but by employing “listening rhetoric”, a method of paying close attention to the arguments of those who disagree with us, we can arrive at truths that are shared within a community. I juxtapose Booth with both Positivists …

Behavioral And Neuroanatomical Assessment Of Transgenic Mouse Models Of Language-Related Developmental Disorders, Amanda R. Rendall

Doctoral Dissertations

Language encompasses an ability to acquire and integrate complex cognitive systems in order to communicate with others, and inherited factors are thought to play a key role in modulating these emergent skills. In recent years, the role of genetics in language has gained focus and attention, based on accumulating empirical knowledge about the genes, proteins, and cellular machinery involved. In particular, disruption to various mechanisms has been shown to relate to impairments in language -- as seen in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, dyslexia and SLI. Mouse models can serve as a useful tool in studying the genetic modulators of …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Spatial Frequencies To The Left And Right Of Central Vision During Reading: Evidence From Reading Times And Eye Movements, Timothy R. Jordan, Victoria A. Mcgowan, Stoyan Kurtev, Kevin B. Paterson

All Works

© 2017 Jordan, McGowan, Kurtev and Paterson. Printed words are complex visual stimuli containing a range of different spatial frequencies, and several studies have suggested that various spatial frequencies are effective for skilled adult reading. But while it is well known that the area of text from which information is acquired during reading extends to the left and right of each fixation, the effectiveness of spatial frequencies falling each side of fixation has yet to be determined. To investigate this issue, we used a spatial frequency adaptation of the gaze-contingent moving-window paradigm in which sentences were shown to skilled adult …

Latino Mothers’ Responsiveness And Bilingual Language Development In Young Children From 24 Months To 36 Months, Rica Ramirez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study examined the role maternal responsiveness had on shaping Spanish and English language development in bilingual two year-old children. Because children who are bilingual language learners are oftentimes coming from low socioeconomic families it is essential that we investigate the ways in which they develop language in order to better serve this population. Maternal responsiveness is one source in which we can examine early language development of young bilingual children. Eight Latino mother-child dyads were observed and assessed at three time points. Each observation was coded for maternal responsive behaviors. Regression and multilevel modeling was used in order …

Book Review: Talking Conflict: The Loaded Language Of Genocide, Political Violence, Terrorism, And Warfare, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

The language used to describe conflict situations, whether military, political, or personal, has the potential to help resolve or escalate. Terms such as “collateral damage,” “ethnic cleansing,” and “final solution” often refer to historical events, but can also be used to condemn or endorse particular points of view in political speeches, the media, and local debate. Euphemisms, oxymorons, propaganda, jargon: all come into play. The nuanced and powerful rhetoric of conflict is the topic of Talking Conflict, an interesting and wide-ranging encyclopedia discussing the impact of linguistics, political science, journalism, and other fields on the language of conflict.

Effects Of Language Immersion Versus Classroom Exposure On Advanced French Learners: An Erp Study, Alexandra Claire Brito

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

University students often report making significant advances in their second language (L2) ability after immersion in a nonnative language through study abroad. The degree to which late L2 learners can become nativelike in terms of L2 performance and brain processing is unclear in second language acquisition research. The link between L2 proficiency and learning context has been characterized in previous research, yet the role of learning experience in attaining nativelike brain processing of L2 remains to be elucidated. This study contrasts learners with advanced French proficiency who have attained this level with no, little, or more immersion experience through study …

Adverbial Clauses And Speaker And Interlocutor Gender In Shakespeare’S Plays, Theresa Mcgarry, Kelsey Kiser

ETSU Faculty Works

This study draws on previous findings regarding adverbial clauses in relation to speaker and interlocutor gender in a corpus of current actual speaker data. Our aim is to examine those same relations in a corpus of Shakespeare’s comedies and histories. Mondorf (2004) investigated four types of adverbial clauses in a corpus of modern speech and found that the women used more causal, conditional and purpose clauses than the men, while the men used more concessive clauses. Mondorf’s explanation for this difference is that women use the three clause types that mitigate the speaker’s commitment to the truth of the proposition, …

The Role Of Language In The Development Of Temporal Cognition In 6- To 10-Year-Old Children, Danielle Denigris

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ability to represent and make sense of time requires the mental representations of the ordering of events and temporal relations, abstract time concepts, natural biological rhythms, the self and other through time, and causal relationships. This representational ability undergoes significant refinement in middle childhood concurrent with advances in children’s language and nonverbal skills. This study explored the representational development of temporal cognition, diachronic thinking, and behavioral prediction in relation to a battery of language and nonverbal abilities with the aims of confirming age-related improvements, exploring whether disparate measures are indices of an underlying ability, and examining the role of …

Language And The Manipulation Of Truth, Krissy Ford, Rachel Bellande

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit explores the ways in which language--a way of knowing that we unconsciously use and depend on every second of the day--easily serves more as a manipulative enemy than a trustworthy friend.

Through the IB Literature and Theory of Knowledge courses, this cross-curricular unit tackles the philosophical and epistemological question: to what extent does language manipulate truth? It's not a matter of if language tricks us, but to what extent language tricks us. As for truth? Well, what is truth anyway?

In the TOK curriculum, students will examine the abstract concepts of "truth" and "language" through autodidactic projects, researching …

Haitian Linguistic And Cultural Practices: Critical Meaning-Making Spaces For Haitian Learners, Marie L. Cerat

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is concerned with the effects of the exclusion of Haitian linguistic and cultural practices in the education of Haitian learners. Through qualitative data collection and analysis, a set of texts and narratives in the Haitian Creole language, Rara and Vèvè practices were inventoried, reviewed and described. Moreover, a series of focus groups and ethnographic interviews were conducted with Haitian adolescents and Haitian parents with school age children living in New York. These interviews revealed that Haitians deeply value their cultural knowledge, and view them as resources for knowledge preservation and knowledge production. Textual analysis also shows that Haitians …

Catalan: The Renaissance Of Europe’S “Stateless” Language: A Paradigm For The Irish Language Revival?, Aidan Collins

The ITB Journal

This paper looks at the history of the struggle to keep Catalan – the “stateless” language - alive. Throughout the period of Franco, Catalan suffered almost devastating oppression. It came close to extinction and was kept alive by language enthusiasts determined to preserve an integral part of the Catalan culture. As a result, Catalan today not only survives but flourishes, reaping the benefit of benevolent and progressive government programs. Have we, in Ireland, a lesson to learn from the success of Catalan?

Understanding Culture And Language, Mario R.J. Corbin

The ITB Journal

A consequence of human evolution that has had the most profound impact on human nature and human society was the emergence of culture. A term credited uniquely to humans, however over the course of the last century new developments in animal behaviour have been introduced, indicating perhaps that our understanding of culture is too limited, despite there being a vast amount of theoretical approaches to culture. Before we can further attempt to understand whether or not culture can be attributed to animals, we must first closely examine the concept of culture from a human perspective, including a detailed analysis of …

Current Perspectives On The Role Of Gender In Second Language Acquisition (Sla) Research, Karen Feery

The ITB Journal

This paper outlines current perspectives on the role of gender in second language acquisition (SLA) research. Neither a singular field of research relating specifically to gender and SLA nor a theory of gender and SLA exist as yet. However, the distinct and well-established fields of language and gender studies and the field of SLA strongly underpin this topic area and a gradual emergence of research relating specifically to the role of gender in SLA is evident.

The Importance Of Play, Mario R.J. Corbin

The ITB Journal

“Play makes an important contribution to the social development of an infant. It allows the individual to gain personal knowledge of other group members; permits certain social skills to be practiced, such as fighting, without risk of injury; and helps the individual to establish long term friendships.” Vince Smith (2003: 86)

Transformation Through Drawing And Gesture, Mckenzie Gibson

Masters Theses

Drawing is a unique human invention that reveals an individual’s thoughts, knowledge, and expression of “being;” it is the manifestation of human activity and energy; it represents thought (relating to the mind) and physicality (as executed by the hand and the body) through the manipulation of materials (the world around me).

Process is the embodiment of human passion, energy, expression, conceptualization from idea to form, and the connection of hand and mind. It is a succession of verbs realized in the practice of making. I joke that every piece of work I’ve made “has my blood, sweat, and tears in …

Integrating Language And Content In Mainstream Biology Classrooms - The Experiences Of English Language Learners, Yasmeen Tawfik

Theses and Dissertations

Globalization has vastly enhanced the mobility of people and ideas, in turn changing the world’s educational landscape and increasing the proportion of nonnative English speakers within English learning environments. Although research exists on English Language Learner (ELL) pedagogies and on international education as two separate bodies, few studies have examined the experiences of ELLs learning science within the multicultural environment of international schools. The purpose of the study is to answer three questions: 1) ELLs experience the integration of language and content within mainstream science classes? 2) Which, if any, aspects of their classroom experience do they find problematic, and …

A Mother Of A Problem: How The Language Of Inequality Affects Maternity Leave Policies And Women In Law Firms, Hannah Arenstam

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

No abstract provided.