Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Data Base Design For Research In Comparative Zapotec, Anita C. Bickford

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the nature and content of a comparative data base for the Zapotec languages of Mexico that may be produced. Many questions are discussed: how to sub-divide and list the Zapotec languages and dialects; what data format will be most accessible to researchers as well as to field workers with data to add; computer software considerations (designing computational tools); how to handle non-cognates with shared meanings, non-overlap of glosses (i.e., one Zapotec gloss covers several Spanish words, or vice versa), semantic shifts and secondary meanings, and other problems such as special characters, free variation, elisions, etc.; whether to …

The Effect Of Media On The Listening Comprehension Scores Of Intermediate Esl Students, Marian Tyson

Dissertations and Theses

The use of videotapes has become widespread in ESL classes in recent years. The decline in cost of tapes and VCR equipment has assisted in the spread of this technology. These tapes are often used in listening comprehension classes and may replace or supplement the use of audiotapes. However, research has not established that the addition of the visual element, especially in the movie or TV type context of many videos, is an advantage to the language learner.

A total of seventy-six students participated in a listening comprehension recall exercise. Thirty-nine students viewed a videotape segment, and the remaining thirty-seven …

The Michif Technique: Code-Switch Cue, Carol Starzer Wildeman

Theses and Dissertations

The Michif technique is a method of language modification which encourages code-switching by introducing a third language as a cue. The method targets syntax modification and does not apply to phonetic modification.

The technique derives its name from the Michif Language which is the cue language used in the study. The learning of Michif is not a long-range goal of this study, but rather through the use of Michif code-switching can be fun and nonthreatening.

The Michif technique follows the bidialectical view which encourages the use of code-switching in formal environments and the use of the vernacular while in informal …

Relative Clauses In Koine Greek: A Transformational Approach, Martin M. Culy

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I consider the unique set of facts presented by relative clauses in Koine Greek. I give a thorough overview of relativization in Koine including idiomatic usages of the relative pronoun. In particular, I examine the phenomena of internally-headed relative clauses, attraction and inverse attraction.

I give a basic overview of the Greek language, discussing both the historical context as well as the facts of Koine syntax and morphology that are pertinent to the understanding of this thesis.

I provide a basic typology of Koine relative clauses discussing relativization strategy, examples where a relative pronoun is used for …

Chinese Voices: Towards An Ethnography Of English As A Second Language, Diane Niblack Fox

Dissertations and Theses

This study draws on ethnographic methods to provide background information for the English as a Second Language teacher who looks out at the classroom and asks, "Who are these Chinese students?" The goal is to let Chinese students describe for themselves their experiences learning English, both in China and in the United States.

Basic Clause Structure In Veracruz Huastec, Peter G. Constable

Theses and Dissertations

Huastec is a Mayan language spoken in east-central Mexico. It is considered important in Mayan studies since it alone represents a distinct branch within the Mayan family of languages; however, there is, in fact, relatively little published work on Huastec, especially on Huastec syntax. This thesis fills in some of this lacuna with a description of several aspects of Huastec clause structure.

A general overview of Huastec grammar is presented in chapter 2, followed by several chapters each of which focuses on a separate topic of Huastec clause structure. The analyses in these chapters are presented within the theoretical frameworks …

Development Of Morphological Forms In Four-Year-Old Children, Catherine Anderson Thompson

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate morphological development in 4-year-old children. Two tests were utilized and compared to see if there was a significant difference between the expression of meaningful and nonmeaningful words. The first test, a modified version of the Test for Examining Expressive Morphology (TEEM), used meaningful words to assess allomorphic variations of six bound morphemes. The second test, a modified version of Berko's Test of English Morphology (BTEM), assessed the same allomorphic variations, but it used nonmeaningful words.

Correlation Of Preschoolers' Performance On Three Language Comprehension Tests, Alissa Clare Nordlund

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, (PPVT-R) and receptive subtest of the Preschool Language Scale (PLS), and between the PPVT-R and the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language-Revised (TACL-R), as well as determine how the tests compare in identifying children in need of further evaluation in the area of receptive language. The reasoning behind the goal of this study was to determine that if the three tests showed a strong, positive correlation and identified the same children as needing further assessment, then perhaps the test which was easier and …

Meristic And Morphometric Comparison Of Three Juvenile Alosa Species: Blueback Herring, A Aestivalis; Alewife, A Pseudoharengus; And American Shad, A Sapidissima, Joseph C. Desfosse

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Maternal Linguistic Input To Normal And Expressive Language Delayed Toddlers, Terril Joy Elwood

Dissertations and Theses

Research suggests that the linguistic environment of the expressive language delayed child is different from that of his peers. Does this difference actually exist and if so, what are its characteristics? The purpose of this study was to describe the linguistic characteristics of mothers' input to children with normal language acquisition and those of mothers of expressively delayed toddlers; and to identify any differences between these groups. Though considerable research exists in this area, few studies have dealt specifically with large groups of expressively delayed toddlers.

Sex-Related Morphological Differences In The Dentition Of Anolis Oculatus, Kevin William Grierson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Types Of Phonological Processes Occurring In Normal Black English Speakers, Eileen Rella

Dissertations and Theses

Black English (BE) is a rule-governed linguistic system with its own phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. BE is a dialect, not a disordered variation of standard English (SE). When compared to SE, BE phonology has been described in terms of omissions, substitutions, and additions. This study looked at normal BE speakers in Portland, Oregon and described their dialectal differences in terms of phonological processes.

Preferred Perceptual Learning Styles Of Chinese Students, Alex Albert Pia

Dissertations and Theses

The basis for this study was work done by Joy Reid (1987) of Colorado State University. Reid's work analyzed the pref erred perceptual learning styles of several groups of English as a Second Language students and one group of American students. The learning styles concept has been established on the theory that students have a particular mode through which they learn best. The learning styles analyzed in this study were: auditory, visual, kinesthetic, tactile, individual, and group. The objectives of this study were to determine the relationships that exist between the preferred perceptual learning styles of P.R.C. and American students …