• Refine Query
  • Source
  • Publication year
  • to
  • Language
  • 650
  • 105
  • 96
  • 38
  • 36
  • 19
  • 15
  • 13
  • 12
  • 10
  • 9
  • 9
  • 9
  • 9
  • 9
  • Tagged with
  • 1286
  • 1286
  • 498
  • 359
  • 293
  • 283
  • 244
  • 230
  • 188
  • 156
  • 143
  • 123
  • 122
  • 120
  • 105
  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
301

Vergilius en hiperteks: 'n bespreking van die Aeneidos Electronicum-projek en 'n kritiese vergelykende evaluering van vyf Vergilius webwerwe

Swanepoel, Liani Colette 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil (Modern Foreign Languages. Hypermedia for Language Learning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The ancient Roman poet Vergil’s great literary epic, the Aeneid, is written in Latin. This so-called “dead” language is already almost three thousand years old and had a rich history and extensive influence on the Western world. The most influential development of the modern era is the World Wide Web (WWW). Hypertext drives the Web. The translation of just one book of the Aeneid can be a protracted process for the Latin student. Usually a great deal of information must be consulted to translate just one line into idiomatic Afrikaans or English. Hypertext can manage, link and rapidly make available large amounts of information. A discussion of Aeneidos Electronicum (“The Electronic Aeneid”) – a web-based electronic text commentary of Book I of the epic – shows the effectiveness of hypertext as a medium to facilitate the translation of the Aeneid. Moreover an examination of the Web determines the extent and nature of Vergil’s presence on it. Finally a critical evaluation of five websites provides an overview of the available resources for the reader/researcher of the classical poet and his works on the Web. The Aeneidos Electronicum-project attempts to show how hypertext can be utilised to make the translation of the Aeneid expeditious and translation aid more accessible. The aim of the project is to support and expand Vergil’s place in the field of computer assisted language learning. The examination and evaluation of the classical poet’s presence on the Web wishes to confirm that his and his works’ enduring influence and impact not only exists on paper, but also in cyberspace. Chapter 2 deals with Latin and Vergil respectively. Chapter 3 discusses the theory of good hypertext and web design. Chapter 4 describes and explains the contents, structure, navigation and design of the Aeneidos Electronicum-project. Chapter 5 examines Vergil’s presence on the Web and critically evaluates five websites according to the principles of good web design. Aeneidos Electronicum utilises hypertext’s ability to manage and link large amounts of information to produce an electronic text commentary of Book I of Vergil’s Aeneid. It is web-based and follows the guidelines of good hypertext and web design to be a userfriendly and extremely functional electronic translation aid. Similar websites exist, but its object is to make Latin students’ experience of Vergil and his great epic easy, informative and enriching. Vergil’s presence on the Web is considerable and there is a wide variety of websites with information and interactivity for study of the classical poet and his works available to the student/teacher/researcher as well as the lay person. The random sample of five websites shows not only the application of good and less effective web design principles, but also the predominantly good quality and importance of the presentations. Thus Vergil and his works gain further ground in computer assisted language learning and he lives on in the 21st century with all the possibilities that the Web and hypertext can offer. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die antieke Romeinse digter Vergilius se grootse literêre epos, die Aeneïs, is in Latyn geskryf. Dié sogenaamde “dooie” taal is al ongeveer drieduisend jaar oud en het ’n ryke geskiedenis en omvattende invloed op die Westerse wêreld gehad. Die invloedrykste tegnologiese ontwikkeling van die moderne era is die Wêreldwye Web (WWW). Hiperteks dryf die Web. Die vertaling van net een boek van die Aeneïs kan ’n langdurige proses vir die Latyn-student wees. ’n Magdom inligting moet gewoonlik geraadpleeg word om net een reël in idiomatiese Afrikaans of Engels te vertaal. Hiperteks kan groot hoeveelhede inligting hanteer, verbind en vinnig beskikbaar stel. ’n Bespreking van Aeneidos Electronicum (“Die Elektroniese Aeneïs”) – ’n webgebaseerde elektroniese tekskommentaar van Boek I van die epos – toon die effektiwiteit van hiperteks as ’n medium om die vertaling van die Aeneïs te vergemaklik. Voorts bepaal ’n ondersoek van die Web die omvang en aard van Vergilius se teenwoordigheid daarop. Ten slotte bied ’n kritiese evaluering van vyf webwerwe ’n oorsig van die beskikbare hulpbronne vir die leser/navorser van die klassieke digter en sy werke op die Web. Die Aeneidos Electronicum-projek poog om te toon hoe hiperteks ingespan kan word om die vertaling van die Aeneïs te bespoedig en vertaalhulp meer toeganklik te maak. Die oogmerk van die projek is om Vergilius se plek in die rekenaarondersteunde taalonderrigveld te ondersteun en uit te brei. Die ondersoek en evaluasie van die klassieke digter se teenwoordigheid op die Web wil bevestig dat hy en sy werke se blywende invloed en trefkrag nie net op papier voortleef nie, maar ook in die kuberruim. Hoofstuk 2 behandel onderskeidelik Latyn en Vergilius. Hoofstuk 3 bespreek die teorie van goeie hiperteks en webontwerp. Hoofstuk 4 beskryf en verklaar die inhoud, struktuur, navigasie en ontwerp van die Aeneidos Electronicumprojek. Hoofstuk 5 ondersoek Vergilius se teenwoordigheid op die Web en evalueer krities vyf webwerwe volgens die beginsels van goeie webontwerp. Aeneidos Electronicum benut hiperteks se vermoë om groot hoeveelhede inligting te hanteer en te skakel om ’n elektroniese tekskommentaar van Boek I van Vergilius se Aeneïs teweeg te bring. Dit is webgebaseerd en volg die riglyne van goeie hiperteks en webontwerp om ’n gebruikersvriendelike en uiters funksionele elektroniese vertalingshulpmiddel te wees. Soortgelyke webwerwe bestaan, maar dit het ten doel om Latyn-studente se ervaring van Vergilius en sy grootse epos gemaklik, insiggewend en verrykend te maak. Vergilius se teenwoordigheid op die Web is aansienlik en daar is ’n wye verskeidenheid webwerwe met inligting en interaktiwiteit vir studie van die klassieke digter en sy werke vir die student/onderwyser/navorser asook die leek beskikbaar. Die steekproef van vyf webwerwe toon nie net die toepassing van goeie en minder doeltreffende webontwerpbeginsels nie, maar ook die oorwegend goeie gehalte en belangrikheid van die aanbiedinge. Dus wen Vergilius en sy werke nog verder veld in rekenaarondersteunde taalonderrig en leef hy in die 21ste eeu voort met al die moontlikhede wat die Web en hiperteks kan bied.
302

Anforderungen für eine Benutzeroberfläche eines elektronischen Wörterbuches deutscher Kollokationen für afrikaans-sprechende Lerner des Faches Deutsch als Fremdsprache

Reinhardt, Hilma Anka 03 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil (Modern Foreign Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Available dictionaries involving Afrikaans and German do not satisfactorily deal with collocations. Therefore, this study recommends a theoretically grounded design of a user interface for an electronic dictionary of German collocations for foreign language learners of German whose first language or mother tongue is Afrikaans. In order to be able to do so, a set of requirements is drawn up, upon which the electronic collocations dictionary will be based. On the one hand these requirements give consideration to lexicographic factors relevant to the envisaged dictionary; on the other hand a theoretical basis for the presentation of the electronic dictionary according to usability principles and standards is established. The underlying definition of collocations will be discussed as one of the lexicographic factors constituting the learner dictionary of collocations. Being primarily aimed at Afrikaans speaking foreign language learners of German, their usage situation plays an important role. At an intermediate language learning level topics to be conversed about become increasingly complex. As collocations offer adequate means of expressing these increasingly complex ideas, the learners’ need of collocational knowledge increases, even more with regard to the language production than to the language reception. As collocations are not dealt with adequately in available dictionaries involving Afrikaans and German, there is a definite demand for an adequate dictionary for this user group. The envisaged learner dictionary’s function and type will be determined accordingly. In addition to the lexicographic factors underpinning the design of the user interface, international usability standards DIN EN ISO 9241 (amongst others) and practical recommendations for user interface design by Jakob Nielsen (amongst others) are discussed. This discussion makes provision for the theoretically grounded presentation of the envisaged electronic dictionary of German collocations in line with usability standards. Finally, giving consideration to the set of lexicographic and usability requirements drawn up, a user interface design is recommended for the electronic dictionary for foreign language learners of German whose first language or mother tongue is Afrikaans. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Afrikaans / Duitse woordeboeke wat tans beskikbaar is, bied nie genoegsame inligting oor kollokasies nie. Dus word in hierdie studie’n teoreties gebaseerde voorstel vir ’n gebruikerskoppelvlak vir ’n elektroniese woordeboek om Duitse kollokasies op te soek, gemaak. Dié woordeboek is gemik op individue wie se eerste taal of moedertaal Afrikaans is, en wat Duits as ’n vreemde taal aanleer. Om voorstelle vir die aanbieding van so ‘n woordeboek te kan maak, word ’n stel vereistes aanbeveel waarop die elektroniese kollokasie-woordeboek gebaseer sal word. Aan die een kant neem hierdie vereistes die leksikografiese faktore in ag, wat relevant is tot die beoogde woordeboek en aan die ander kant word daar ’n teoretiese basis gelê vir die aanbieding van die elektroniese woordeboek volgens gebruikersvriendelike beginsels en standaarde. Die onderliggende definisie van kollokasies word bespreek as een van die leksikografiese faktore wat die opstel van ‘n kollokasie-woordeboek beïnvloed. Omdat dit primêr gemik is op Afrikaanssprekendes wat Duits as ’n vreemde taal aanleer, speel hul gebruiksituasie ’n belangrike rol. Op ’n intermediêre taalvaardigheidsvlak is die onderwerpe waaroor gepraat en wat bespreek word, heelwat meer kompleks en kollokasies bied die moontlikheid om hierdie toenemende komplekse idees uit te druk. Leerders se behoefte aan ‘n grondiger kennis van kollokasies vir taalproduksie, en minder vir taalresepsie, neem dus aansienlik toe. Die Afrikaans / Duitse woordeboeke wat tans beskikbaar is, gee egter nie genoegsame inligting oor kollokasies nie. Daar is dus ’n definitiewe leemte aan ’n woordeboek wat in hierdie gebruikersgroep se behoefte sal voorsien. Die beoogde leerderwoordeboek se funksie en soort word hiervolgens bepaal. Bykomend tot die leksikografiese faktore wat dien as basis vir die ontwerp van die gebruikerskoppelvlak, word internasionale gebruikersvriendelike standaarde soos byvoorbeeld die norm DIN EN ISO 9241 en praktiese aanbevelings vir die ontwerp van ’n gebruikerskoppelvlak deur byvoorbeeld Jakob Nielsen bespreek. Hierdie bespreking maak voorsiening vir die teoreties gefundeerde aanbieding van die beoogde elektroniese woordeboek van Duitse kollokasies wat in pas is met gebruikstandaarde. Laastens word daar op grond van die lys van leksikografiese en gebruikersbehoeftes wat opgestel is, ’n ontwerp van ‘n gebruikerskoppelvlak aanbeveel vir die elektroniese woordeboek vir leerders wie se eerste taal of moedertaal Afrikaans is en wat Duits as ’n vreemde taal aanleer. / GERMAN SUMMARY: Derzeit zur Verfügung stehende Wörterbücher mit Afrikaans und Deutsch behandeln Kollokationen auf ungenügende Weise. Daher wird in der vorliegenden Arbeit eine theoretisch begründete Gestaltung einer Benutzeroberfläche eines elektronischen Wörterbuches deutscher Kollokationen für afrikaans-sprechende Lerner des Faches Deutsch als Fremdsprache vorgeschlagen. Hierzu werden die nötigen Anforderungen erarbeitet, auf die das elektronische Kollokationswörterbuch aufbauen soll. Die Anforderungen werden einerseits aufgrund von lexikografischen Faktoren ermittelt, andererseits wird die theoretische Grundlage für eine gebrauchstaugliche Präsentation des elektronischen Wörterbuches erörtert. Die lexikografischen Faktoren, welche die Konzipierung eines Kollokationslernerwörterbuches beeinflussen, schließen den Kollokationsbegriff ein, welcher dem Wörterbuch zugrunde liegen wird. Des weiteren spielt die primäre Benutzergruppe des anvisierten Wörterbuches bei der Konzipierung eine entscheidende Rolle. Die Wörterbuchfunktion und der Wörterbuchtyp werden daher anhand des Bedarfs des afrikaans-sprechenden Lerners des Faches Deutsch als Fremdsprache mittleren Sprachniveaus ermittelt. Dieser Bedarf ist in der korrekten Verwendung von deutschen Kollokationen in der Sprachproduktion und weniger in ihrem Verständnis während der Sprachrezeption begründet. Die Notwendigkeit, diesen Bedarf zu decken, ergibt sich aus dem unbefriedigenden Umgang mit Kollokationen in den beiden Wörterbüchern, die dem afrikaans-sprechenden Lerner des Faches Deutsch als Fremdsprache derzeit zur Verfügung stehen. Aufgrund des elektronischen Mediums des anvisierten Wörterbuches, werden unter anderem internationale Gestaltungsgrundsätze der Norm DIN EN ISO 9241 sowie praktische Empfehlungen zur Gestaltung von Bildschirmpräsentationen von unter anderem Jakob Nielsen diskutiert. Aufgrund dieser Diskussion wird schlussendlich unter Berücksichtigung und Zusammenführung der erarbeiteten Anforderungen eine Gestaltung einer Benutzeroberfläche eines elektronischen Wörterbuches deutscher Kollokationen für afrikaans-sprechende Lerner des Faches Deutsch als Fremdsprache vorgeschlagen.
303

Real-time interactive visualization aiding pronunciation of English as a second language

Dorina, Dibra January 2013 (has links)
Computer assisted language learning (CALL) comprises a wide range of information technologies that aim to broaden the context of teaching by getting advantages of IT. For example, a few efforts have been put on including a combination of voice and its visual representation for language learning, and some studies are reporting positive outcomes. However, more research is needed in order to assess the impact caused by specific visualization styles such as: highlighting syllables and/or wave of sound. In order to explore this issue, we focused at measuring the potential impact that two distinct visualization styles and its combination can have on teaching children the pronunciation of English as a second language. We built a prototype which was designed to assist students while learning pronunciation of syllables. This system was employing two different real-time interactive visualization styles. One of these visualization styles utilizes audio capturing and processing, using a recent technology development: Web Audio API.We evaluated the effect of our prototype with an experiment with children aged from 9 to 11years old. We followed an experimental approach with a control group and three experimental groups. We tested our hypothesis that states that the use of a combined visualization style can have greater impact at learning pronunciation in comparison with traditional learning approach.Initial descriptive analyses were suggesting promising results for the group that used the combined visualization prototype. However, additional statistical analyses were carried out in order to measure the effect of prototype as accurately as possible within the constraints of our study. Further analyses provided evidence that our combined visualizations prototype has positively affected the learning of pronunciation. Nonetheless, the difference was not big comparing to the system that employed only wave of sound visualization. Ability to perceive visual information differs among individuals. Therefore, further research with different sample division is needed to determine whether is the combination of visualizations that does the effect, or is the wave in itself. Slitting groups based on this characteristic and perform the testing will be considered for the future research.Eventually, we can be confident to continue exploring further the possibility of integrating our proposed combination of two visualization styles in teaching practices of second language learning, due to positive outcomes that our current research outlined. In addition, from a technological perspective, our work is at the forefront of exploring the use of tools such as Web Audio API for CALL.
304

CLIL and CBI in Relation to Motivation in the ESL classroom / CLIL och CBI i relation till motivation i ESL klassrummet

Mårtensson, Nora, Östrand, Ella January 2023 (has links)
In this paper we explore language learning in relation to motivation. The correlation between teachers' didactic choices and their relation with the learners is crucial to create motivation. When we did our research of how these things correlated, we mainly focused on the effects that CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and CBI (Content Based Instruction) had on motivation among learners. We used the database ERIC and searched for articles relating to CLIL, CBI, ESL (English as a Second Language) and motivation. We discovered that CLIL and CBI are teaching methods that allow the teacher to find subjects that are interesting to the students and use these to build motivation among the learners. Motivation grows by interactions and an understanding about the subject. We found a wide range of research that supported the approach of implementing CLIL and CBI in language learning. As a result of our findings we propose greater consideration in Swedish schools regarding the use of CLIL and CBI.
305

Students’ Self-Efficacy Perceptions of Second Language Learning: Experiences in a Short-term Study Abroad

Añorga, Angel Gamaliel 27 May 2016 (has links)
No description available.
306

An evaluation of the feasibility of using Moodle to develop an online learning program for the Grade 12 Literature component of the First Additional Language syllabus in South Africa

Van Rooyen, Marinda 03 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil (Modern Foreign Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The decline in the Grade 12 pass rate in South Africa has been a cause for widespread concern. While this decline in is the result of the interplay of many factors, one of them is undoubtedly that teachers and pupils often find themselves in situations where they do not have access to adequate resources. This study is a formative evaluation of material that was created with the Moodle learning management system, in order to provide teachers and learners with resources that can be made readily available online. These resources are accessible from computers and cellular phones with internet connectivity. The resources not only provide content, but also learning activities that can be used either by individual learners, or with a teacher in a classroom environment. In the absence of a teacher, the activities could also provide meaningful feedback to aid learners in the learning process. Two courses were created in the Moodle Learning Management System that cover work prescribed for Grade 12, English First Additional Language for the period 2009 to 2010; namely the prescribed short stories and the play, Nothing But The Truth by John Kani. A number of activities are evaluated according to usage and feedback that they provide. The outcome of the study is that it is possible to provide learners with online learning materials which will enable them to prepare thoroughly for the final examinations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die daling in die Graad 12 slaagsyfer veroorsaak kommer in baie geledere. Alhoewel hierdie daling die gevolg kan wees van baie faktore, is een van die redes dat onderwysers en leerlinge hulle dikwels in 'n situasie bevind waar hulle nie die nodige toegang tot die nodige leermateriaal het nie. Hierdie studie doen ‘n formatiewe evaluering van die leerprogram wat ontwerp is met behulp van Moodle, 'n leerbeheerstelsel, om onderwysers en leerders van die nodige leermateriaal te voorsien. Die leermateriaal is toeganklik vanaf beide ‘n rekenaar en 'n selfoon met internet toegang. Hierdie leermateriaal verskaf nie net statiese inligting nie, maar bevat leeraktiwiteite wat deur leerders op hulle eie gebruik kan word, of saam met 'n onderwyser in 'n klaskamer. In die afwesigheid van 'n onderwyser kan die leermateriaal ook die nodige terugvoering verskaf, sodat dit leerders kan help in die leerproses. Twee kursusse is ontwerp as deel van 'n Moodle stelsel wat van die voorgeskrewe werk dek vir Graad 12, Engels Eerste Addisionele Taal vir die tydperk 2009 tot 2010; naamlik die voorgeskrewe kortverhale en die verhoogstuk, Nothing But The Truth, deur John Kani. 'n Aantal aktwiteite word evalueer ten opsigte van die gebruik en ook die terugvoering wat dit voorsien. Die resultate van die studie is dat dit wel moontlik is om voldoende studie materiaal aan Graad 12’s besikbaar te stel wat hulle kan gebruik om voor te berei vir die eindeksamen.
307

The Role of Play : A literature study on playful learning in the early elementary EFL classroom

Leo, Fia January 2017 (has links)
Young students learn through active and playful encounters with their environment. The Curriculum for Compulsory School (Lgr11) states the importance of play in students’ active learning. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the role that has been ascribed to play in research on early English language learning. The main questions address how play can be used to promote language learning in the early primary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom and other methods teachers may use that benefit students’ language development. The method used for this thesis is a systematic literature review with a qualitative approach. Six studies were included in the analysis. The analysis shows that playful methods of teaching can help the teacher to develop students’ English skills. Research has shown that playful encounters during language learning help students feel more motivated and dedicated to learning a foreign language. The results indicate the importance of the teacher having knowledge regarding what is being taught, how it is supposed to be learned, and why it is meaningful for the students in their own personal language development. Based on the thesis results further research is needed to understand the teachers’ methods of teaching English as a Foreign Language in the early primary classroom. / <p>Engelska</p>
308

"Say It Fast, Fluent and Flawless" : formulaicity in the oral language production of young foreign language learners

Gheitasi, Parvin January 2017 (has links)
This thesis reports on a study, which investigated the process of early foreign language learning in a classroom context and the functions of multi-word units of language known as formulaic sequences in the oral language production of young foreign language learners. A classroom with 11 students in the age range 9 to 11 years was observed and video recorded for 16 sessions (90 minutes per session). The observations were accompanied by two elicitation tasks. 10 sessions out of the 16 sessions of the collected speech samples were transcribed chronologically. In the next step, formulaic sequences were identified based on pre-established criteria, which were further developed during the analysis. The data was analyzed in order to identify the functions of formulaic sequences in learners’ oral language production in addition to the inter-learner variations in the application of formulaic sequences for different functions. The results revealed evidence of incidental learning of formulaic sequences from input; the language input provided instances for the learners to learn multi-word units. In addition, formulaic sequences played different roles in the language production of the learners. These sequences helped young language learners to overcome their lack of knowledge, to improve their fluency, and to enjoy some language play. Formulaic sequences were used as a strategy to economize effort on processing and also to buy time for processing. The findings of the study suggested that language users might introduce dis-fluency in the production of their sequences in order to buy time for further processing. Moreover, the data provided examples illustrating communicative functions of formulaic sequences where the use of formulaic sequences was affected by the relationship between the speaker and listener. The analysis revealed that although all the learners applied formulaic sequences in their language production, there was a great variation among individual learners in their intention and the extent of the application of formulaic sequences. Some learners used these sequences to be able to extend their utterances and produce more of the language, whereas other learners used them to avoid further language production. In sum, it seemed that individual learners' different personalities, needs or limitations served as explanation for the application of formulaic sequences in different contexts.
309

Italiano e italiani a Berlino. Varietà e generazioni a confronto

Ghilardi, Marta 24 May 2018 (has links)
Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung ist die Beschreibung der Varietäten der italienischen Sprache, wie sie von in Berlin lebenden italienischen Auswanderern gesprochen werden. Die Stichprobe, die sich aus 64 Informanten zusammensetzt, wurde ausgehend von deren Bildungsgrad in zwei Gruppen aufgeteilt, die wiederum nach erster und zweiter Generation unterteilt wurden. Die insgesamt vier Gruppen bestehen aus jeweils 16 Informanten. Die Analysen erfolgten auf soziolinguistischer und sprachlicher Ebene. Für die erste Untersuchung wurde eine Studie zum Phänomen des language shift durchgeführt, bei der die Einstellungen zu den Sprachen im Repertoire der Gemeinschaft untersucht wurden. Die Analyse ergab zum einen, dass es zwei verschiedene Sprachgemeinschaften mit zwei Repertoires gibt, die sich nicht vollkommen überschneiden, und zum anderen, dass ein unterschiedlicher Grad der Integration innerhalb der deutschen Gemeinschaft festzustellen ist. Die soziolinguistischen Ergebnisse wurden durch die anschließende Analyse der sprachlichen Merkmale bestätigt, die die beiden Gruppen der ersten Generation nach dem Bildungsgrad und der unterschiedlichen Dialektverwendung unterscheiden. In der Gruppe mit niedrigem bis mittlerem Bildungsgrad zeigt sich eine Verschiebung von der varietà popolare hin zur Umgangssprache, während in der Gruppe mit mittlerem bis hohem Bildungsgrad eine Verschiebung vom neo-standard hin zur Umgangssprache erkennbar ist. Interessant ist jedoch die Analyse der jeweiligen Gruppen der zweiten Generation, aus der – unabhängig von der Herkunft der Eltern – viele gemeinsame Merkmale ersichtlich werden. Dies lässt sich tendenziell durch den längeren Kontakt mit der deutschen Gesellschaft erklären, der zu einem Rückgang des Italienischgebrauchs führt. / The present dissertation investigates the varieties of spoken Italian used by members of the Italian community in Berlin from a sociolinguistic perspective. The aim is to determine whether there are different Italian linguistic communities in Berlin and how they differentiate from one another. The sample consists of 64 participants, 32 from the first generation and 32 from the second, further divided according to their educational degree. The study takes into account the relationship between linguistic codes and domains of language use, whilst exploring the language shift phenomenon. The qualitative analysis of the data reveals that two linguistic communities with two specific repertoires have gradually taken shape. This is confirmed by the linguistic analysis of the Italian varieties spoken by the participants. The educational degree and the different use of the heritage Italo-Romance dialect of the informants emerged as sociolinguistic variable. The variety of the first generation with low educational degree and extensive use of the dialect shares linguistic features both of the “italiano popolare“ (i.e. the variety of Italian spoken by those individuals who learned as their native language an Italo-Romance dialect) and of the colloquial variety of Italian. On the contrary, the variety of the first generation with a high educational degree and a restricted use of the dialect shares linguistic traits both of the neo-standard and of the colloquial variety. Findings of the second generation groups indicate that the parent's background seems to have a marginal effect on the linguistic variety. This could be due to the second generation participants being exposed to the German society for a longer period of time, causing a decline in their competency of the Italian language.
310

Culture Learning in Spanish Companion Book Websites: An Analysis of Tasks

Cresswell, Angela 06 November 2008 (has links)
The Internet with its World Wide Web feature opened up a whole new frontier for language-culture learning that foreign language textbook authors have integrated into their programs. Designing tasks that progress beyond promoting learners' passive consumerism and reiteration of facts remains a goal and a challenge. Thus, three research questions characterized this study that sought to examine the on-line tasks associated with six current Spanish textbook programs. The design focused on an analysis of these tasks in light of prevailing culture learning concepts and other pedagogical paradigms posited by reputable foreign language educators to determine if they filled the gap left by textbooks in facilitating second culture acquisition. The first question asked for evidence that learners were encouraged to recognize their own cultural conditioning. Evidence was present only to a miniscule degree. The second question sought to determine the extent of opportunities provided to learn about the target culture - Hispanic - as they mirrored the objectives of the perspectives on culture learning. Low-level thinking skills and a predominance of tasks concerning products, in contrast to those concerning behavioral practices or perspectives, characterized the extent of target-culture learning. The third question sought to discover if learners were engaged in process-based tasks, whether they were prompted to identify authentic problems, suggest solutions, and apply new vii knowledge. Evidence for these situations was minimal. Additional findings revealed factual information questions to be a majority with a few tasks inviting learners to respond to hypothetical and creative situations. Results indicate that in this early stage, the World Wide Web remains an authentic venue for culture learning; however, future directions ought to include expanding the scope of adjunct tasks as they complement the multiple presentations of culture in the companion textbook chapters.

Page generated in 0.1495 seconds