Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ossetian: Revisiting Inflectional Morphology, Bela G. Hettich

Theses and Dissertations

Ossetian, a language of the Northeastern group of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European stock of languages, has not received as much linguistic attention as it deserves. A few major studies on Ossetian were written in the 19th and 20th centuries, most of them in Russian. While these works are a solid foundation in the study of Ossetian, its description is not complete.

The present work, written in English, offers Ossetian to a wider international audience. Relying on new developments in linguistic theory, it reexamines phenomena in the inflectional morphology of Ossetian.

The preliminary chapter on phonology provides an overview …

Oroko Orthography Development: Linguistic And Sociolinguistic Factors, Dan T. Friesen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the variety of linguistic and sociolinguistic factors that need to be considered in order to develop a good Oroko orthography. Oroko is a Bantu A language of the Southwest Province of Cameroon, Africa. The thesis starts with an overview of the Oroko's location, population, classification, and language development status. The linguistic factors discussed are based largely on analyses of two lists: a 118-word list of nine Oroko dialects and an 821-word list of four Oroko dialects (included in the appendix). Consistent phonetic and phonemic alternations are examined in detail. The next chapter discusses the sociolinguistic issues that …

The Awara Verbal System, Susan R. Quigley

Theses and Dissertations

Awara is a language in the Wantoat family spoken by the Awara people of Papua New Guinea. Though it has been mentioned in papers written about the Finisterre-Huon languages and about the Wantoat language (another language in the Wantoat family), it has not been described in depth.

This paper presents a description of the verbal system of the Awara language. The major grammatical constructions described are 1) the verbal morphology, 2) serial-verb constructions, 3) clause chaining, and 4) subordination.

Interesting aspects of the language shown here are 1) the variety of clause types based on the type of subject-indexing suffix, …

Valence Change And Oroko Verb Morphology (Mbonge Dialect), Lisa Friesen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the valence changing processes that are indicated by Mbonge verbal morphology. Mbonge (Mbóñgá) is a dialect of Oroko (Orókó), an agglutinative Bantu A language of Cameroon with very rich morphology. After a brief overview of the structure of Mbonge verbs, attention is concentrated on the verbal suffixes which affect valence. Five suffixes—passive, stative, reflexive, reciprocal, and anticausative—are used to decrease valence. Five other suffixes—causative, indirect agent causative, indirect effector causative, applicative, and instrumental—are used to increase valence, as is the syntactic combination of bola 'do/make' plus another verb.

Suffixes which do not affect valence are also briefly …

基督教中文聖經性別內包語言研究, Sin Nga So

Theses & Dissertations

過去三十年，西方在女性主義思潮的帶動下，掀起了對語言性別主義的批判，同一時期，翻譯學朝文化研究的方向發展，使性別、語言與翻譯成為了互相影響、經常互相指涉的研究領域。本文採用描述性的研究進路，探討自由主義女性主義者所倡導的內包語言在基督教中文聖經譯本中的使用情況。

八十年代中，內包語言被引進到英文聖經翻譯，掀起了連串的討論。本文會在西方（尤其美國）學者的研究基礎上，從女性主義切入，釐清內包語言在聖經翻譯的語境中的本質，以及衍生出來的概念，然後將聖經主要的中文譯本 界分為傳統版本和內包版本。最後借用安德烈‧勒菲弗爾（André Lefevere）的理論，分析贊助者的意識形態如何支配中文聖經的內包版本。

Making The Connection Between Teaching And Learning, Pierre Babineau

MA TESOL Collection

In this paper I describe as well as analyze how I learn compared to how I teach. It provides a history of my language learning of Japanese as well as a description of my studies about teaching in the SMAT program at SIT. An analysis of how my language learning and English teaching changed is included, along with how I was able to make connections between the two. The paper concludes with a list of things I have learned from such a study.

Developing Listening Comprehension Competence In Japanese English As A Foreign Language Learners, Masahiro Fujita

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to investigate a model for developing listening comprehension competence on the part of Japanese learners of english as a foreign language, with a view toward promoting practical and communicative english competence.

The Effects Of Computer Assisted Language Learning And Specially Designed Academic Instruction In English On Second Language Acquisition, George Edward Williams

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of instruction for second language acquisition. The first method used a computer based software program known as English Language Learning Instructional System (ELLIS). The second method used Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE).

What's In A Word?: Connotation In Teaching English To Speakers Of Other Languages, Marie Linnea Bozzetti-Engstrom

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis focuses on connotative meaning routinely ignored or difficult to locate in the available ESL textbooks and dictionaries. This perceived absence led to the following study: a review of ESL textbooks, a review of standard monolingual English and learner dictionaries, and a survey of ESL instructors.

Integrating Technology Into The English As A Second Language Curriculum: Computer-Assisted English Language Learning, Ibrahem Rotha Pen

Theses Digitization Project

The project integrates computer technology with English as a second language curriculum and instruction. It utilizes the World Wide Web to deliver computer-assisted instruction in English grammar, reading and conversation. Moreover, the project shows the impact of computer technology in helping students develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and meaningful and applicable skills for employment.

Examining English As A Second Language: Textbooks From A Constructivist Perspective, Juliana Theresa Reineman

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this thesis is to question the methodological practices of ESL textbooks.

Applications Of The I-Thou-It Framework To Teaching English As A Foreign Language In Macedonia, Zora Busovska

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is based on David Hawkins’ framework of the I-Thou-It with an expanded and personalized interpretation. It aims at defining more precisely the roles of the I, the Thou, and the It in the author’s classroom. The paper also cites research related to this framework and compares the findings, differences and similarities of author’s research with those of other researchers. The paper examines each of the roles and the interplay that takes place between and among them.

The paper explains the advantages of the subject-centered classroom, i.e. dominance of the It. Thus, the emphasis of the paper is on …

The Effectiveness Of Using Computer Assisted Instruction In Teaching English As A Foreign Language In A Japanese Secondary School (Fukuoka, Japan), Robert Guy Chartrand

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines the history and the current state of computer-assisted language teaching and learning to provide a context for the present study. A discussion of teaching English using computer-mediated communication in japan is also described along with the explanation of the courseware used. The study involved one hundred eighty-six high school students learning Oral Communication 1 in a traditional classroom environment and in a computer classroom environment using Dynamic English 1 courseware. The participants were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively before and after five lessons to determine their progress and attitudes towards CALL. The students’ results were analyzed and compared. …

Don’T Be Afraid To Communicate With Americans: Research About Low Self-Esteem Japanese Students In The United States. How Esl Teachers Can Build Students’ Self-Esteem In The Class., Mami Tanaka

MA TESOL Collection

This project is a research paper about low self-esteem Japanese students who have a hard time communicating with Americans in spite of the fact that their English ability is high enough. It is based on my private teaching experience with one of many Japanese students in Boston. This paper is composed of two sections. The first section shows that low self-esteem can be one of the main obstacles to foreign language acquisition for Japanese students. The second section is about what we can do as ESL teachers.

Exploiting The Auditory, Visual, And Kinesthetic Modalities In The Language Lab, Christine P. Brennan Mori

MA TESOL Collection

The primary purpose of this paper is to introduce new methods of maximizing the traditional language lab by overlaying a framework of the perceptual modalities on different classroom activities.

Question Forms And Their Use: A Self Reflective Examination Of The Use Of Questions And Feedback In Two Self Observed Taught Lessons, Chris Mangham

MA TESOL Collection

This project is a self reflective study examining my use of question forms in two self observed lessons. The second lesson having been planned and taught in a way that was informed by findings resulting from the first lesson. The question forms examined were taken from a variety of sources and are defined in this paper. The main aim of the project was to discover if, through awareness of how I use questions, it was possible to increase the fluency of student responses. A further aim was to see if students were able to use more of their language skills …

The Speech Act Of Request: A Comparative Study Between Korean Esl Speakers And Americans, Soong-Hee Koh

Theses Digitization Project

This is a comparative study of Korean students' request forms and aspects of their culture that has not been recognized in the field of speech. This offers an explanation for miscommunication between Korean speakers of English and native speakers of English. Lastly, this study provides empirical information about how Korean students use request forms and how Koreans' politeness strategies differ from Americans'.

English Language Institute In Greece: A Business Proposal, Roumpini Alkaterini Papadomichelaki, Lash Keith Vance

Theses Digitization Project

The aim of this project is to propose a model for a private English language school in Greece with an emphasis on English for business purposes.

Three Surveys On Adult Esol Pronunciation: Teachers, Students, Textbooks, Hortensia Louro Bernal

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study used three instruments to examine the current state of the teaching of ESOL pronunciation. These instruments included a survey of 62 teachers, another survey of 508 ESOL students, and a comparative study of ten pronunciation textbooks in widespread use since 1990. The purpose of the study was to characterize the teaching of pronunciation at present through the voices of the teachers, the opinions of the students, and the content of the textbooks. The study also identified the approaches and types of activities being proposed by the experts and recommended additional activities as well as a rationale for their …

Book Of Mormon Stories Diglot Reader On Computer, Neal S. Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

This report describes the design, development, and evaluation of a computer-based diglot reader of the Book of Mormon Stories of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Di means two and glot means language, thus a diglot reader combines two languages into one reader in order to teach a person to read in a new language. The program, which runs on both Macintosh and Windows computer platforms, contains fifteen chapters of the Book of Mormon Stories and introduces about four hundred Spanish words. This report includes a literature review on the diglot method and related materials, a description of …

The Effects Of Computer-Based Metacognitive Strategy Training For Adult Second Language Learners, Heidi D. Hyte

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a metacognitive language learning strategy training program that was implemented into computer-assisted language learning (CALL) software on second language learners' independent use of metacognition and language learning strategies (LLS). Questions under investigation included what effect this metacognitive training had on learners' independent use of metacognition, the differences in use of metacognitive strategies between fast and slow language learners, and the effect of learners' perceptions of metacognition on their use of LLS and specific metacognitive strategies.

The subjects included 239 missionaries learning Spanish as a second language at the Missionary …

Writing In The Contact Zone: Three Portraits Of Reflexivity And Transformation, Laurene L. Christensen

Dissertations and Theses

Culture is at the core of language teaching. Because classrooms are contact zones (Pratt 1991), teachers must have a well-developed sense of their own intercultural competence so that they may better facilitate the cross-cultural discovery inherent in language teaching. Teacher preparation programs need to provide opportunities for new teachers to increase their intercultural awareness. The purpose of this research was to qualitatively understand the experiences of pre-service teachers in a required culture-learning class at a large urban university. Specifically, the focus of this study was the completion of a mini-ethnography project designed to give the students a cross-cultural exchange. Since …