Children perceive stories in particular ways and they use the rules and the roles depicted in their content to negotiate and formulate their everyday world (Wolf and Heath, 1992). This qualitative research study investigates children's construction of meaning and use of fairy tale narratives in a Greek second language learning environment. Twenty-two participants from the Canadian Greek Heritage Language School participate in the study. The students are asked to reflect on their engagements with specific Greek fairy tales, and then to express the ideas and feelings produced through their interaction with these cultural texts. The study highlights the salient role of texts in processes of identity formation, their influence on the definition of values, and their contribution to the installation of notions regarding the community and the future. Many theorists argue that the analysis of cultural texts from this perspective can lead individuals to challenge social constructs.

En esta tesis se investiga la adquisicion de las palabras compuestas del espanol por hablantes del fines. La investigacion se centra en dos tipos de compuestos, i.e. los compuestos N-N (coche cama) y los deverbales (matamoscas), empezando por un analisis comparativo de estos compuestos del espanol y del fines. En el caso de los compuestos N-N, la productividad minima de los compuestos del espanol en comparacion con los del fines se explica a partir del 'Parametro de los compuestos' (Snyder, 1995), mientras que la direccionalidad opuesta del nucleo y del modificador se basa en la propuesta del 'Marcador de palabra' (Harris, 1991; Piera, 1995). Las diferencias mas importantes entre los compuestos deverbales en las dos lenguas son la direccionalidad y la estrategia de formacion, las cuales se explican con el modelo LMBM de Beard (1995). Las hipotesis se basan en la influencia del L1 en la adquisicion de las diferencias mencionadas. La parte empirica de la tesis consiste en un estudio con 19 hablantes de fines, 13 de nivel intermedio y 6 de nivel avanzado. Los compuestos se obtuvieron a partir de dos pruebas, una de dibujos y otra de parafrasis para las que los aprendices debian proporcionar el compuesto correspondienete. Los resultados confirman la influencia del L1 tanto en el cas o de los compuestos N-N como de los deverbales. La variacion en la productividad de los compuestos N-N se explica con la propuesta de Snyder. Por lo que se refiere al 'Marcador de palabra' los resultados indican que no parece formar parte de la representacion mental del la Interlengua de los sujetos. Por lo que se refiere a la direccionalidad de los deverbales, ademas de ser mas problematica su adquisicion, lo cual puede explicarse por el hecho de que la opcion del fines---como la del ingles---represente una estructura marcada.

This study investigated the lexical inferencing made by Libyan EFL medical students at a Libyan university when they encountered unfamiliar words in English texts. The researcher examined the effect of learners' level of reading competence on their lexical inferencing with respect to the knowledge sources and types of contextual cues they used in the process, their rate of success in inferring the correct meanings of the target words, and their rate of vocabulary learning and retention of previously unknown words. The study also examined the effect of learners' knowledge of the Arabic language on their inferencing. Based on the results of a reading comprehension proficiency test (CanTEST), 20 students, 10 from each of two distinct levels of reading ability (i.e., intermediate and advanced) were randomly selected for the study. Two pretests were used: Nation's (1990) Vocabulary Levels Test to assess the students' size of vocabulary; and, the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) (Paribakht & Wesche, 1993, 1997; Wesche & Paribakht, 1996), to measure their level of knowledge of the target words. Think-aloud procedures were used during the individual interview sessions. At the end of the interviews, retrospective protocols were collected from the participants about their experiences. These sessions were tape-recorded. The learners were given the VKS again at this point to measure word learning. Two weeks after the individual interview sessions, a post-test (VKS) was administered again to assess learners' rate of retention of the previously unfamiliar target words. Results revealed that both proficiency groups used similar types of knowledge sources and contextual cues when inferencing, but in different proportions. Sentence level meaning and discourse level meaning were the types most frequently used by both groups. A taxonomy of knowledge sources and contextual cues used by the learners in inferencing was developed. Results indicate successful learning of some of the previously unfamiliar target words and retention of some new lexical knowledge. L1 influence is apparent at multiple levels of the language system (e.g., interpretation of semantic cues, lexical knowledge and collocations), sometimes misleading the reader and other times facilitating successful inferencing. Pedagogical implications of the findings of the study and suggestions for further research are presented.

Using data collected by Wesche (1992), this study examines the effect of the use of French as a second language on the performance of subjects in receptive skills (listening and reading comprehension) and productive skills (speaking and writing). Language use is presented as one of three major factors (together with the initial level of proficiency, and the role of motivation) reported from earlier research (Harley, 1994) as relevant to the maintenance of language skills. Results of earlier investigations (Bahrick, 1984; Clark & Jorden, 1984) have already shown that the level of proficiency may influence long-term retention of knowledge. Similarly, the role of motivation has been studied extensively by a number of researchers (Gardner, 1982; Gardner, Lalonde and MacPherson, 1985; Gardner, Lalonde, Moorcroft and Evers, 1985; Gardner, Moorcroft and Metford, 1989; Gardner and Lysynchuk, 1990) and it is now generally accepted that attitudes affect motivation which in turn influences the long-term retention of learned material (Moorcroft and Gardner, 1987). Just as motivation is seen as a crucial component in language learning, it stands to reason that to maintain a level of performance, it is important to benefit from a supportive external environment (Edwards, 1977). The more practice is available to subjects who wish to maintain their skills, it seems, the more likely they are to be successful in doing so. This research attempts to establish a relationship between the use of the language after learning has occurred and the difference between pre and post test measures using the data collected by Wesche (1992). A number of specific independent variables will be examined, specifically the number of university courses taken in French, the number of books read in French, the number of movies seen in French, the number of hours of television watched in French, and the number of other activities in French.

The present research explores the possibility of differentiating problem-solving operations generating success and difficulty to spellers at kindergarten and Grade 1. Four kindergarten girls and four kindergarten boys were identified in each of three schools. Two boys and two girls believed by their teachers to be advanced in spelling development and two boys and two girls perceived by their teachers to be delayed in this regard constituted the sample. The Dionne observation table was used to enrich the data collection methodology used by Case by recording, in individual sessions, all verbal and non-verbal operations performed by each of the subjects while attempting the research tasks in June of the kindergarten year, during the first week of February of Grade 1, and during the last week of May of Grade 1. Visual protocols, verbatim transcripts, and photocopies of invented spellings produced provided the experimental data. Based on the literature and on the protocols collected, the researcher constructed coding grids to describe 32 data related operations and 24 cognitive control related operations observed during the invented spellings of the target words. The two grids were used to analyze the invented spelling processes of the 19 subjects for whom there was complete data from all three data collection sessions. Videotapes were replayed as often as required to complete the coding grids. Differences in relative frequency distributions of use of each operation were calculated by ability and gender. Differences in progression over time between three data collection points within a one year time frame were examined for all subjects, for subjects by ability group, and for subjects by gender group. A difference of 25% or more was established as a discerning pattern for the purpose of the research. Strong and weak spellers used the same data related operations when inventing spellings. The sequence in development was the same for both groups, but operations emerged at a faster pace in strong spellers. Patterns of differences by ability were discerned for most consonant, vowel, and meaning related operations. Patterns of differences by gender emerged for only two data related operations--3-consonant blend and -ing ending. Patterns of differences by ability were discerned for some cognitive control operations in all five categories established during coding: Response style, focus of attention, articulation of plan, memory, and automatic production. No patterns of differences by gender were discerned. The Dionne Observation Table offered an elegant elaboration to verbal protocols as a means of interpreting cognitive processes, especially for subjects at the interrelational and early dimensional stages of thought for whom cognitive developmental limitations affect verbal protocol productions. Through the interpretation of cognitive operations made possible by its use, the extent of progress made by weak spellers in both data related and cognitive control related operational use has been underscored. The research opens an avenue for exploration of the extent to which operations can be taught to children in this young age group. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using IRT models to equate test versions of an English second language (ESL) test through the use of subsets of linking items. The test was designed to measure global comprehension at the intermediate level, of listening and reading texts and general knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and structure as measured by a cloze text. The data were subsets of listening, reading and cloze items used on two or more occasions. The procedure used was to ascertain the stability of the item parameter estimates from correlations and other descriptive measures. The estimates were obtained using three estimation methods (LOGIST, BILOG, NoHarm) and three IRT models. In addition the unidimensionality of the data sets was examined using a method described by Gessaroli and De Champlain (1991). The results suggest that IRT models may not be suitable with test data such as those used in this study. Failure could not be consistently linked to too few candidates, issues of statistical dimensionality, too few items, or the difficulty of the material in which the target subsets were embedded. If an expanded study yields similar results, then the issue is one of validity, whether the definition of ESL global comprehension at the intermediate level is compatible with how an ability is defined under an IRT model.

Although the haiku form is popular, the deceptively simple Japanese poem is controlled by rigorous rules which are difficult to apply in English due to basic differences of language and poetic tradition. It is important that would-be writers of English haiku be aware of the problems. The three-line Japanese haiku grew from the first three lines of linked verse which was popular in seventeenth-century Japan. The spirit of Zen Buddhism permeates haiku and behind the respect for nature and common things found in haiku lies the long history of oriental religions. Arts related to Zen Buddhism, all stressing the moment of enlightenment, also have exercised an influence upon haiku. Yet Zen itself, and haiku as a poetry form are compatible with western religious thought and poetics. A one-stanza poem containing only three lines, at first sight, seems foreign to English prosody, but closer examination shows that it is not necessarily foreign. Although division into five, seven and five syllables seems arbitrary, and the total of seventeen syllables seems light, the reasons for the form and the methods of compensating for the brevity are solid. One of the methods of adding weight to the form is the traditional use of a word indicating one of the seasons and thus conscripting all the beauty of nature. Special haiku techniques also add consequence to the brief poetry form. Simple diction ensures a limpidity which is the special cachet of haiku. Natural imagery uses an object in nature as a sufficient symbol: assonance alliteration and onomatopoeia are used much in the same manner in both languages; special Japanese techniques are compensated for in some measure by English punctuation, "kennings", and syntactical pivoting. Verbal dexterity, found in Japanese haiku does have equivalent forms in English literature and some of these are examined, as is the use of allusion, enjambment, rhyme and rhythm. It was recommended that haiku poets should deepen their knowledge of Japanese haiku as a foundation for a truly native English haiku tradition based on the western Judao-Christian culture. With regard to the spirit of haiku, the avoidance of studied profundity and of sentimental devices such as anthropomorphism was recommended; with regard to the form, greater attention to the method of syllable counting, punctuation and tone and avoidance of slavish imitation was advised. Haiku is seen to be possible in English and highly advantageous to English letters. 1Joan Giroux, master's thesis presented to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ottawa, Ontario, July 1968, iii--143 pp.

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