Literacy is widespread, but little is known about its effect on cognitive processes. Research suggests that learning to read is beneficial because it fosters awareness of the structure of language, and orthographic images of words and letters may provide memory anchors for speech. The general hypothesis of this thesis is that orthographic images aid oral language activities. Adults who are illiterate perform poorly on initial phoneme manipulation tasks, suggesting that learning to read fosters phonemic knowledge. However, literate adults may use orthographic images to aid phoneme manipulation, so this conclusion may be false. In the 11 experiments reported in this thesis, literate English speakers performed phoneme deletion/addition tasks with word and non word items - half had orthographically matched stimuli and responses (wage-age), and half were mismatched (worth-earth). Longer reaction times were expected for orthographically mismatched than matched items. The results of experiments are discussed in some detail. Future experiments are suggested to validate the models, and to investigate further the role of orthographic images in oral language activities. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (M.A. (African Languages))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Western Seminary, Portland, Or., 2000. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-197).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

A sonification is a nonverbal speech act and might sound like “wa-UM-eii”, or “wooosh!” The purpose of this study was to investigate a choreographer’s use of sonification in dance instructions, to see if there are different types of sonifications and if the use of these might differ with a change in context. Video material capturing the rehearsals of a noted dance company was analyzed using a cognitive ethnography-based approach. Nine different types of sonifications were identified and described according to purpose, and a context-based analysis showed that certain kinds of sonifications occurred more frequently in some contexts than others. The results suggest that sonification used in dance instruction can serve multiple different purposes – the three main purposes described here are these: to communicate the quality of a movement, to facilitate communication between choreographer and dancers, and to coordinate the dancers as a group.

No description available.

Studies in African languages beyond the common core of linguistics are lacking. This motivates this dissertation which investigates the use of Kikoongo, a Bantu language, focusing on natural data produced by the Maniaanga of BesiNgombe region, Bas-Zaire, Zaire. The data are referred to as palavers. These consist of three complex speech events namely, wedding, bereavement and reconciliation viewed as instances of `conflict' management. Each of them is taken not only as a speech event but also as a highly structured sociocultural unit with linguistic implications.The study of palavering as a speech behavior aimed at resolving disputes (Frake 1979) contributes to Pragmatics as defined by Levinson (1983) and Leech (1983). This study provides a body of information that supports the new discipline as an adequate means for demonstrating that any language is an entity that is divisible into units of a higher order than sentences and/or utterances. The fundamental approach adopted to analyze this unit is that of ethnographyof `speaking' (Hymes 1972) and discourse or text analysis, especially, conversation analysis (CA). This approach is descriptively adequate for this study because palavering is basically an extended verbal exchange between two representatives (spokesmen) of two parties who may allow duetting (Falk 1979) and audience involvement or response elicitation whenever appropriate. Speaking publicly, the main participants generate most of the speech intended to achieve their goals as geared toward dispute resolution. The involved speakers operate systematically, following an elaborate code of conduct.This study demonstrates that the pragmatic competence required for palavering consists of paralinguistic and linguistic behaviors which make a palaver an essential institutionalized instrument of survival in Koongo society. In the end of such an event the speakers project a structurally and functionally coherent macro-unit. This appears through the use of metalinguistic terms that also demonstrate that their activity consists in an attempt to find a compromise according to established norms. The participants perform their speech acts within the confines of a mind-unifying event. / Department of English