Linguistics Commons^™

A Comparison Of A Topography-Based Language System And A Selection-Based Language System, Carl Sundberg

Masters Theses

This study examined whether it was easier for developmentally disabled individuals to acquire a topography-based or a selection-based language system. Four moderately and mildly mentally retarded adults served as subjects. Each of the subjects was taught to tact an object by either pointing to its corresponding symbol (with the selection-based paradigm) or making the corresponding sign (with the topography-based system). They were then taught an intraverbal relation by either selecting the symbol, or making the sign which corresponded to an auditory stimulus. Finally, the subjects were tested for the emergence of stimulus equivalence classes. Each subject was trained and tested …

An Evaluation Of The Academic Success Of Students Who Participated In The English For Non-Native Residents Program At Portland State University, Linda Carol Andrews Dunn

Dissertations and Theses

Many programs exist across the United States to prepare non-native English speaking students for academic work. The effectiveness of these programs has been the subject of various research projects, with mixed results. Some have found that the programs they have examined seem to have led to higher achievement among participants. Others have found that it is difficult to show any effect. However, the amount of time and resources devoted to such programs warrants continuing efforts to evaluate their success.

This study compares the academic records of non-native English speaking students who were enrolled in the English for Non-native Residents Program …

The Effect Of A Parent Training Program On Language Delayed Children, Lynn Krupa

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research project was to determine whether a child-centered parent training program requiring minimal training would increase the language skills of LD pre-school children who have normal receptive language. Seven experimental subjects and 6 control subjects were randomly selected from a pool of middle-class families who answered a newspaper advertisement. The parents of the experimental group received 3 individual training sessions over a 3-month period. They were instructed to spend 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 3 months, in a free play situation with their children using the language stimulation techniques they had learned, …

An Approach To Teaching English Composition In Micronesian Cultures, Lori Arlene Weiny

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Study Of Referential And Display Questions And Their Responses In Adult Esl Reading Classes, Susan Lindenmeyer

Dissertations and Theses

The technique of asking questions in the classroom has prevailed in first language classes for many years. This teaching technique has also been widely used in ESL reading classes. Though there has been extensive research about teachers' questions and students' responses in first language classrooms, there is a paucity of studies in second language classrooms.

This is a descriptive study of six experienced college level English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers and their discussions of the same reading selection with ninety-eight non-native speakers in each of their classes. Teacher-led discussions were audiotaped and twenty minutes of each class were …

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 …

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.

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 …

A Comparative Study Of Chinese Efl Reading Instruction And American Esl Reading Instruction, Changhua Wang

Dissertations and Theses

Reading instruction in China and that in the United States are so different that they are not compatible. In fact, they seem to go in opposite directions. This study examined some of the differences between Chinese EFL reading instruction and American ESL reading instruction through analyzing selected tape-recordings of reading classes from China and the United States, and comparing Chinese EFL reading textbooks with American ESL reading textbooks.

This study was intended to answer the following questions.

1. Is a bottom-up method of reading really taught in China while a top-down method is taught in the United States?

2. Compared …

The Test Of English As A Foreign Language Sample Test As A Measure Of Adolescent Language Ability, Paul Gardiner Osborn

Theses and Dissertations

Relative performance on the Test of English as a Foreign Language Sample Test (TOEFL-ST) was explored in sixty native English speaking high school students. Subjects also were administered the Fullerton Language Test for Adolescents and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised. The TOEFL-ST was not difficult for this population, indicating that TOEFL tests taken by foreign speaking college students probably assess a level of native English competency well below the high school level. The three tests, including subtests, appear to measure a wide array of subdomains of language competency. The data do not support the conclusion that any of these …

Tutoring German Esl Students, Sabina Mussgnug

Masters Theses

Tutors of American university writing centers can be invaluable advisors for German ESL students who come to study in the United States. The tutors can directly assist German students in coping with their particular academic and cultural difficulties.

German students must adapt to the American academic conventions to become successful students at their U.S. universities. The tutors can point out to them the features of the American academic standard and show them effective methods for learning and studying in the American environment.

The American academic standard includes the students' almost perfect reading comprehension. Students must be prepared for heavy reading …

Syntactic Complexity, Error And The Holistic Evaluation Of Esl Student Essays, John S. Sparks

Dissertations and Theses

This study was designed to test five hypotheses in order to answer the following general research questions: 1) Are measures of syntactic complexity valid indices of ESL writing quality as measured by the holistic rating of student essays? 2) Would a measure of frequency and seriousness of error reflect evaluators' perceptions of ESL writing quality?

Script Effects And Reading Strategies : Ideographic Language Readers Vs. Alphabetic Language Readers In Esl, Minglang Zhou

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine script effects of the Chinese Language on Chinese ESL/EFL students· reading strategies, in comparison to those employed by ESL students from alphabetic orthographic backgrounds.

Making The Most Of Volunteer Help: A Handbook For Parents And Teachers, Janet Lynn Bond

Graduate Theses

This project is concerned with the importance of parental involvement in children learning to read. Research shows children who view reading as an important and valuable process develop a more positive attitude toward learning to read. Children involved in reading activities at home learn to read earlier and have improved comprehension over children who have no experiences reading in the home. Parent involvement can take place in the home or at school as classroom volunteers. This project contains a volunteer handbook for parents and teachers. Included are characteristics of a volunteer, tips for teachers, suggested activities for the classroom and …

Reading And Listening Enrichment For Esl Students, Karen Aili Liu Lo

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Ua35/11 Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The WKU Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers are representative of work done by students from throughout the university.

• Padilla, Anne. First and Second Language Acquisition: A Comparison
• Scott, Angela. Salted and Unsalted Snacks: Taste Preferences of Second Grade Students in a Rural Area School
• Fuqua, Nancy. Acceptance by High School Students of Muffins Containing Supplemental Soy Polysaccharides
• Mans, Glee. Preference Levels of High School Freshmen for Four Cheese Food Products
• Denney, Pam. Consumer Acceptance of UHT Choclate Lowfat Milk
• Harris, Carla. Jacques-Louis David: Raphael of the Sansculottes
• Vaughn, James. Corporate Reorganization …

Niko Besnier's Review Of Richard A. Benton's The Flight Of The Amokura: Oceanic Languages And Formal Education In The South Pacific, Niko Besnier

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Michael Walsh's Review Of R. M. W. Dixon's The Languages Of Australia, Michael Walsh

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Vol. 6 No. 1 (1982): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

Vol. 6 No. 1 (1982): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

Books Received And Book Notices, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Book Listing for the Vol 6, No 1 Fall Edition of the Pacific Studies Journal

Paul L. Garvin's Review Of Kenneth L. Rehg And Damian G. Sohl's Ponapean Reference Grammar, Paul L. Garvin

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Books Received And Book Notices, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Book Listing for the Vol 5, No 1 Fall Edition of the Pacific Studies Journal

Vol. 5 No. 2 (1982): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

Vol. 5 No. 2 (1982): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

Just Like The Dutch Kids: A Sociolinguistic Study Of A Child's Early Acquisition Of Dutch As A Second Language, Judith Marlow Herby

MA TESOL Collection

opportunity for my family to spend a year in the Netherlands provided me with the occasion to observe my son’s acquisition of Dutch and to discover with him what it is like to become bilingual. This study of his progress begins in the U.S. with his introduction to Dutch as a foreign language at the age of 3 years, 1 month, and continues through his eighth month in the Netherland (age 4,5). Special attention is given to sociolinguistic factors as well as behavior and cultural adjustment. A journal of his verbal and behavioral progress was kept during this time and …

Ways; Socio-Cultural Aspects Of Tesl In Japan, Linda Hiroko Enga

MA TESOL Collection

The objective of this paper is to present aspects of the Japanese society and culture which may directly or indirectly affect the ESL class, specifically in a Japanese college or university. An analysis of these facts and their relevance in the ESL class and teaching techniques which have been used to meet the specific needs of the Japanese ESL students are also given.

Development And Use Of Student-Conducted Interviews With Native Speakers For Use In The Language Class, Janie L. Duncan

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

A Supplementary Reference Guide For Non-Native English Speakers On The Communicative And Cultural Aspects In The Esl Miscellany, Joanne Ching Chao

MA TESOL Collection

This is a supplementary guide designed especially for non-native ESL users to be used in conjunction with The ESL Miscellany. It covers two parts of the book, the Communicative Aspect and the Cultural Aspect. In the Communicative Aspect this guide includes the definitions of all the idioms under the different categories, such as food, music, colors, and religion which appear in The ESL Miscellany. In the Cultural Aspect, six areas have been explained and defined. These are “Famous Americans”, “heroes”, “Historical Sites”, “Dates and Holidays”, “Famous Quotations”, and “Proverbs”.

A Handbook For Esl Teacher Training At Okinawa Christian School, Dan Jerome

MA TESOL Collection

The handbook has been designed for use as the text in a two or three day teacher-training course as well as a reference book of information useful throughout the academic year of the school. Because many of the ESL teachers at the school are inexperienced and/or untrained in the field, the information and suggestions have been written in non-technical language using a question/answer style that attempts to deal with the practical issues with which new teachers are most concerned. More than a “how-to” book, however, the handbook suggests matters of philosophical importance that will help teachers see beyond the immediate …