English Language and Literature Commons^™

Dunia Fiksyen Chen Ruoxi : Kajian Koleksi Cerpen Yin Xianzhang, Lai Mooi Lum

Student Works (2000-2009)

Chen Ruoxi has been renowned Chinese fiction writer since the 1970s and Yin xianzhang (Mayor Yin), a collection of six short stories, is set to be her most representative works. The collection depicts the sufferings and hardship of the chinese people during China's Cultural Resolution (1966-1976), in particular the cadres and the intellectuals, who either returned to China from abroad or were locals. The work aroused great interest in the literary circle. Thus, Chen Ruoxi not only became a well-known author, but also was regarded as the pioneer of "The Literature of Hurts". The dissertation aim to study and analyse …

An Investigation Of Subject-Verb Agreement Errors In The Interlanguage Of Esl Learners, Kok Tin Koh

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study seeks to investigate the subject-verb agreement errors in the interlanguage of ESL learners of a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur. Using a self-designed cloze test. a total of 2,454 errors (61.4%) was elicited and categorised into five main categories of singular/plural subject-verb agreement. From the errors and percentage of errors obtained, the most common error was identified and the cause of errors explained. The sub-categories in each main category of errors were compared to determine which area of the singular/plural subject-verb agreement posed more difficulty to the learners. The subject+ auxiliary does/do category accounted for the highest percentage …

An Evaluation Of The Reading Component Of Business English Courses : A Case Study, Tuck Chee Pong

Student Works (2000-2009)

The Business English Courses are compulsory for Business Students at Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College. These courses are aimed at improving the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills of the students. This study is an evaluation of the reading component of the Business English Courses for Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA) students. The reading component emphasized the teaching of nine reading skills that were considered useful to reading. The study attempts to obtain information about the utilization of these reading skills and the benefits derived from utilizing them. In addition, it also seeks to get feedback from both the …

Ethnolectal And Sociolectal Creativity In Malaysian Literature With Specific Reference To The Work Of K.S. Maniam, Gianna Cesarano

Student Works (2000-2009)

The purpose of this study is to highlight those features of the Malaysian varieties of English found in the creative writing of post-colonial author K. S. Maniam, showing how they are used to enhance characterization, foregrounding ethnicity and emphasizing social status, and to authenticate the cultural setting of his works. Although considerable research has been conducted to date on the features of localized varieties of English in postcolonial literature, specific reference to Maniam's works is mostly restricted to literary themes. Textual analysis of selected works by Maniam is conducted, referring to descriptions of the Malaysian varieties of English compiled by …

Extensive Reading And Grammatical Competence : A Case Study, Sukumaran Krishnan

Student Works (2000-2009)

One who reads a lot writes well too. This study sets out to prove this. After years of teaching experience and by observing learners who write well, it was found that reading improves the reader's writing skills. Grammar is part and parcel of good language. Learn the language and you learn the grammar as well. For this study, students were provided with a lot of reading materials. Initially, they were taught reading comprehension. Later they developed those skills. It was found from their compositions that they performed well after reading. For the study, only tenses were studied, because the teaching …

A Discourse Analysis Of Electronic Mail Message In A Local Business Community, Yong Kiang Ng

Student Works (2000-2009)

Communication by electronic mail has become a dominant mode of communication both within and between organisations in the last few years, many of which have developed their own in-house electronic systems. More and more of our students will enter the workforce to find that their job involves using the electronic mail system for communication; therefore we need insights into the nature of this mode of communication, and ascertain ways in which we can assist our students in acquiring "its particular characteristics, in the same way we teach spoken English, writing and the use of telephones" (Murray, 1988: 4). ln light …

A Discourse Analysis Of Three Malaysian Short Stories, Lalitha Velautham

Student Works (2000-2009)

This is a study that investigates the nativization of rhetorical strategies in three Malaysian short stories. Based on a framework for the analysis of nativization of rhetorical strategies by Kachru (1986), this study investigates rhetorical strategies such as native similes and metaphors, transfer of rhetorical devices for "personalizing" speech interactions, translation of proverbs and idioms, culturally dependent speech styles and syntactic devices. These strategies are investigated to detennine the types of cultural presuppositions drawn upon by the writer to create innovative linguistic realizations that exist in a non-native English context . The data for this study consists of three short …

A Study Of Learners' Perception Of An Effective Business Negotiation, Zarina Othman

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study examines learners' perception of an effective business negotiation. It focuses on Business English learners at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia . The study was conducted due to the general concern amongst ESP instructors at the Language Faculty regarding the effectiveness of learners' performance in the negotiation task. Many instructors have raised the question of whether learners have actually understood and learnt about business negotiations through the simulated task in the classroom and whether they could actually perform effectively in the real world business negotiations. In search of the answers, the study adopted the effective strategies in negotiations by Cotton & …

A Study Of Students' Reports Based On 'Acceptability' Standards For Business Reports In The Workplace, Shahizan Shaharuddin

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study is a qualitative exploration of target situation requirements for written business reports. lts main objective is to determine whether a selected group of business students are able to write an analytical report that meets with the 'acceptability' standards for business reports in the workplace. Two Senior Managers from a local organisation in Kuala Lumpur provided the necessary information on the criteria and features they believed to be important in a report as well as the extent to which the students' work met with these criteria. The study made use of the case study method, utilising questionnaires. interviews and …

Nathaniel Hawthorne, Samuel Goodrich, And The Transformation Of The Juvenile Literature Market, Sarah Wadsworth

English Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Review Of Contesting The Gothic By James Watt, Diane Hoeveler

English Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Review Of Unnatural Affections: Women And Fiction In The Later 18th Century By George Haggerty, And Empowering The Feminine: The Narratives Of Mary Robinson, Jane West, And Amelia Opie, 1796-1812 By Eleanor Ty, Diane Hoeveler

English Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

"I Am No Mean Player Myself": Games And Recreation In Irish Mythology, Julie Lynn Perenchio

Masters Theses

Superhuman heroics in myth certainly succeed in capturing our immediate attention, but it takes a more human touch of talent and fallibility to make heroes personally appealing to readers. In Irish mythology, immortals and humans engage in a marvelous variety of recreational activities, and show universally-felt emotions and tendencies, like competitive spirits, creativity, and tenacity. Far from being idle entertainment, play makes significant impacts on the lives of Irish heroes, individually, socially, and culturally. For example, chess games, even between complete strangers, can cause the upheaval of one's lifestyle and test not only the intellectual powers of players, but also …

Victorian Philosophies Of Useless Work Versus Work For The Mind: Carlyle, Ruskin, Morris, And Marx, Marlaina Easton

Masters Theses

In my Thesis, I will investigate the dominant perceptions of work that spanned the Victorian Period. One of the most important authors of criticism dealing with work in the early part of the Victorian Period was Thomas Carlyle (1845). John Ruskin then became a counterpoint to Carlyle throughout the middle of the century (1862). And although he agreed with much of what Carlyle said, he brings new notions of work to the Victorian Period. William Morris then offered a completely different point of view on the issue of work at the latter part of the Victorian Period (1885). I will …

Delight, Subversion And Truth In The Canterbury Tales: Chaucer's Talking Birds, Terri Benson Blair

Masters Theses

Geoffrey Chaucer mentions birds over 240 times throughout The Canterbury Tales (Tatlock and Kennedy). This frequent allusion to birds is significant, especially since three of his twenty-four tales are actually about birds. What makes these three tales particularly fascinating is that their bird protagonists have the gift of speech. This study examines Chaucer's use of bird imagery in The Canterbury Tales, in particular, his use of talking birds in "The Squire's Tale," "The Nun's Priest's Tale" and "The Manciple's Tale." My theory is that Chaucer uses bird imagery and talking birds to question the sovereign power of the fourteenth-century …

Scam, 2000, Judy Halls, Les Howard

Literary Reviews Through the Ages

No abstract provided.

Pecan Grove Review Volume 5, St. Mary's University

Pecan Grove Review

Creative writings by students, faculty, and staff of the St. Mary's University community.

Dear Knucklehead: Wise Up, Chris Crowe

Faculty Publications

Dear Chris:

I am a dear friend writing to you from the futurethe year 2000, in fact-to share some hindsight that will go a long way in helping to get your brand-new career off to a better start. Trnst me on what I'm about to tell you, pal; I know you better than anyone does.

Let me get right to the point: You are a Knucklehead.

You're twenty-three years old, the ink on your diploma is barely dry, you're about to start your career as a high school English teacher, and you are too naive, obtuse, and self-conscious to know …

Going Public: Letters To The World, Deborah Dean

Faculty Publications

When we consider why most of us write, the reasons tend to focus on expressing ourselves, particularly to an audience. We want our voices to be heard, our thoughts to be given substance and weight. We want someone to know and care about what we have to say In essence, we want to be published. Because of that, we are willing to spend time with our thoughts, to wrestle with them as we try to shape them into a form that will have meaning for others, and we are willing to revise/ reshape/rethink what we write so that it becomes …

The Comic Hero And Heroine In David Lodge's Later Fiction, Gayle Grimmell Whitaker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

No abstract provided.

Gendering The Scottish Ballad: The Case Of Anne Bannerman’S Tales Of Superstition And Chivalry, Diane Hoeveler

English Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Fantasy, Trauma, And Gothic Daughters: Frankenstein As Therapy, Diane Hoeveler

English Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Gothic Drama As Nationalistic Catharsis, Diane Hoeveler

English Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Archibald Henderson Collection, Sarah Wadsworth

English Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Does A Rising Intonation At The End Of A Spoken Statement Affect A Witness's Credibility?, Genevieve L. Willis

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Past research has shown that the speech style employed by 11 witness in a jury trial may affect their credibility (Erikson, Lind, Johnson, & ()'Barr, 1978). One common linguistic device used by witnesses is a rising intonation, which is defined as the inflection of a speaker’s tone that occurs at the end of a spoken passage. Past research has shown that the use of a rising intonation in speech can add a questioning tone to a passage or signify that the speaker is unsure of what they are saying (Smith and Clark. 1993). If a witness uses a rising intonation …

Chaucer's Troilus And Criseyde In Male Homosocial Contexts: The Politicization Of Same-Sex Desire, Richard E. Zeikowitz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

I explore the dynamics of homosociality in late medieval culture, investigating both Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde and its cultural and political environments. I articulate two conflicting attitudes toward male same-sex relations: one affirming and celebratory, the other homophobic. I conclude that Chaucer's poem both replicates and generates a late medieval sociocultural discourse characterized by tension between normative male same-sex behavior and the potential politicization of such behavior.

In the introductory chapter, I survey important recent historical and feminist criticism of Troilus and Criseyde and situate my project within the current debate regarding definitions of premodern sexuality. In chapter 2, part …

An Evaluation Of An Esp Course At A Polytechnic In Malaysia, Kee Fong Yoo

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study evaluates the Al04 Commercial English 1 (CE 1) course at the Ungku Omar Polytechnic (PUO). It is specifically aimed at determining the perceptions of first year commerce students and language teachers with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of the course, and their recommendations for improvement. Two sets of questionnaires were administered to a total of 70 respondents, comprising 37 Certificate in Business Studies (CBS) and 26 Diploma in Business Studies (DBS) students, and 7 language teachers. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 students and 5 teachers. Data gathered from the questionnaires was analyzed using frequency …

Enhancing Reading Abilities Of Low Proficiency Learners Through Manageable Reading Texts : A Case Study, Aig Bee Tan

Student Works (2000-2009)

The purpose of this study is to help a selected group of low proficiency learners enjoy reading. This study will further investigate what particular reading strategies arc effective for the students and further examine to what extent reading can improve the writing of these learners. The study revealed that the informants enjoyed reading and the use of reading strategies enhanced their understanding of what they read It also showed that prior reading can improve writing performance.

The ‘Outrageous, Delmer Davis

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.