Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: leaves 53-57.

Huang, Zeping. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 195-211). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in Chinese.

This study examined incidental receptive and productive vocabulary gains within conversation-class interactions. Eleven Mexican learners of English attended four videotaped conversation lessons where 40 target words were incorporated in different types of exposure. Stimulated recall interviews with students highlighted the effect of cognates, learners' access to passive vocabulary, and use of their vocabulary knowledge in learning related words. Posttests revealed a correlation between frequency and receptive/productive gains. Mean scores showed that words mentioned with synonyms were learned most often, followed by task-essential words and last those mentioned without explanation. A two-way ANCOVA revealed main effects for cognates, and a statistical interaction between cognate status and types of exposure. A statistical correlation was found between receptive and productive gains. Aptitude scores correlated with productive gains but not with receptive gains. The results provide implications for ESL teachers who consider incidental learning of vocabulary within their conversation lessons.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This research aims at investigating the relationships between linguistics self confidence, achievements and performance and giving new pedagogical insights to the educators concerning language learning motivation by implementing a combination of task-based research and Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency (CAF) performance evaluation model. Six English as Second Language (ESL) learners were invited to participate in an oral task and complete a self confidence evaluation questionnaire. Their performance, based on the CAF framework, was then compared and contrasted according to their confidence level. It was found that the higher confident students are more accurate in their speech production, and are also better at communicative and discussion skills. However, neither did they demonstrate a large amount of talk as in some past literature, nor did they display a very complex language. They instead articulated more false starts and made more repetitions as they self-corrected their utterances during the task. Compared to the lower-confident group, these learners surprisingly contribute fewer arguments, particularly counter-arguments such as rebuttals. These behaviors were explained by Foster and Skehan’s attention theory and Levelt’s prioritization in production. In addition, the inter-dependent relationships between linguistics self confidence, achievements and performance are proposed. Finally, Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System is especially addressed, as it seems applicable in solving the research findings that there is a discrepancy between the L2 ideal self and actual self of these ESL learners. / published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This dissertation analyzes the production and functions of the conjunctions and, but, so, and then as discourse markers in English as a Second Language (ESL) students' oral narratives. Two types of narratives are analyzed: a non-guided, or spontaneous narrative, and a picture-guided-narrative. Narratives of forty three ESL students are included in the analysis as well as narratives from six native speakers.This study indicates that l) the ESL students attach a narrowly defined meaning to and, but, so, and then, 2) the ESL students use and, but, so, and then to link previous sentences or ideas. or refer back to ideas, less than for any other function, 3) the ESL students do not use a greater number of occurrences of and, but, so, and then in the picture-guided-narrative than in the non-guided-narrative, and 4) the ESL students misuse conjunctions in similar ways regardless of their native language (LI ); that is, although the influence from a student's Ll may result in specific problems of transfer, some patterns of conjunction errors are unrelated to the Ll and may be indicative of a more general problem. / Department of English

A survey of the use of standard and prestige in general descriptions of English, and of Canadian English in particular, reveals terminological confusion caused by the similarity of the two concepts and by cultural differences among the national dialects being discussed. This work argues, however, that these concepts can and should be distinguished. Once working definitions for both terms are formulated, they are tested against data from the Survey of Vancouver English. Vancouver English reveals little or no evidence of prestige, defined as "that variety (or those forms) used by the highest socio-economic group and emulated by others." The absence of a highest socio-economic group sufficiently well established to provide forms for others to emulate may explain this result, since, in Vancouver, social homogeneity seems to complement the geographical homogeneity that typifies Canadian English. While Vancouver English does reveal evidence of standard, defined as "that variety used by the majority of speakers and typified by correctness," the evidence also suggests that the notion of standard may need to be refined. The effect of various social factors on correctness is analyzed in order to provide a more precise notion of what "correctness" reflects, and education is found to contribute significantly to correctness. Furthermore, consideration of the four processes of standardization -- selection, codification, elaboration of function and acceptance -- in Canadian English confirms the importance of education to standardization and suggests not only that a standard exists in Canadian English but also that Canadian English is a standard variety distinct from other varieties of English. Standard is thus redefined to reflect more directly the role of correctness and the centrality of the four processes to standardization. The study concludes with a brief reconsideration of standard and prestige in light of these Canadian findings and suggests directions for further research. / Arts, Faculty of / English, Department of / Graduate

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics