This dissertation examines the role of the native dialect in non-native perception and production in the specific case of Cuban and Peninsular Spanish as native varieties and of English vowels as in hat, hut, hot as the target. In most second language studies, the learners’ native variety is assumed to be homogenous, regardless of their regional variety. Nevertheless, regional varieties differ in non-trivial ways and such differences need to be considered when analyzing second language acquisition. This dissertation takes shape around the main research question of whether potentially systematic differences between vowels in the native dialects of Cuban and Peninsular Spanish would produce matching phonetic differences in non-native perception and production of English vowels. This question was addressed in three experiments that compared native vowels in these Spanish varieties, as well as the perception and production of the target English vowels as in hat, hut, hot by Cuban and Peninsular Spanish learners. Significant cross-dialectal differences were identified in the production of native vowels, namely, locations of /i, o/, durations of /e, a, o/ as well as different variability patterns, which were predicted to influence mapping of sounds in L2 perception and production. In L2 perception, discrimination for advanced and naïve listeners from each dialect was tested with English contrasts as in hat-hut, hut-hot, and hat-hot. No clear native dialect effect could be identified; however, Cuban advanced listeners obtained high error rates with hut-hot. In L2 production, though, dialect-specific patterns were found: Peninsular learners produced vowels as in hat, hut, hot with significant spectral but no durational differences whereas Cuban learners produced vowels as in hut, hot with no significant spectral but with duration differences. I concluded that the native dialect was one of several factors generating the differences between Peninsular and Cuban participants’ perception and production of English vowels as in hat, hut, hot. The conjoint effect of the native dialect, input and learning experience were shown to have contributed to the distinctions. This finding contributes to second language acquisition research because it stresses the need to control for learners’ native dialect. This research contributed new acoustic data on Cuban Spanish and on L2 English. It uncovered specific patterns and interlanguage strategies of Spanish learners of English.

Aquesta tesi explora l'adquisició no-nativa de les propietats del subjecte gramatical en l'anglès i el castellà de nens i adults castellanoparlants i angloparlants, els quals no resideixen en el país de la L2, i contribueix així a la recerca en aquest camp amb noves dades i descobriments.En un enfocament teòric generativista cap a la L2, els efectes de la GU en el desenvolupament no-natiu del subjecte en nens i adults, l'existència d'efectes de transferència de la L1 i el "cluster" de propietats del tradicional Paràmetre del Subjecte Nul romanen sense resoldre's is han de ser analitzats d'acord amb les propostes teòriques més recents. L'estudi es realitza mitjançant dades transversals obtingudes a partir d'experiments de comprensió en nens i adults en dos contextos d'adquisició diferents. L'L2A infantil s'examina en un context d'immersió d'una escola americana a Barcelona i d'una escola espanyola a Londres i l'L2A adulta s'analitza en un context de classe institucional. S'utilitza el mateix mètode experimental pels nens i pels adults: judicis de gramaticalitat i tasques de coerció pels informants de L2 anglès i judicis de gramaticalitat i tasques de preferència pels informants de L2 castellà. No obstant, s'ha utilitzat una versió oral dels experiments pels grups de nens més petits. En el cas de la L2 infantil s'ha analitzat tres grups d'edat per cada llengua i en el cas dels adults tres grups de nivell per llengua, ambdós acompanyats dels seus grups monolingües de control corresponents.La tesi s'estructura al voltant de sis preguntes de recerca, les respostes de les quals representen els descobriments més rellevants:1. L'estadi inicial de la L2 està caracteritzat per la "clustered" transferència de les propietats del subjecte associades amb els valors paramètrics de la L1?2. El desenvolupament de la L2 està caracteritzat per la "clustered" adquisició de les propietats del subjecte associades amb els valors paramètrics de la L2?3. Quines implicacions teòriques es deriven dels resultats d'aquest estudi per les teories de L2A "Partial/Full Transfer" i "Partial/Full UG Access" ?4. Podem mantenir el mateix enfocament teòric cap a L2A per nens i adults?5. Podem mantenir el concepte tradicional de "Paràmetre del Subjecte Nul" entès com a la L1 en la L2?6. Hi ha efectes de direccionalitat d'adquisició entre L2 anglès (per castellanoparlants) i L2 castellà (per angloparlants)?Les dades indiquen presència de "clustered" transferència de les propietats del subjecte des de la L1 en la L2 anglès i castellà de nens i adults. No obstant, la "clustered" adquisició de les propietats del subjecte en la L2 només la trobem en la L2 anglès i castellà dels nens, ja que en els adults, el desenvolupament de la L2 no presenta refixació del tret de la L1 al valor del tret de la L2 i per tant no presenta efectes de "clustering". Pel que fa al desenvolupament del subjecte, els resultats d'aquesta tesi donen suport a la teoria de Full UG Access i Full L1 Transfer (Schwartz and Sprouse, 1996; Schwartz, 1998, 2003, 2004) pel que fa a L2A en els nens, mentre que els resultats dels adults donen suport a la teoria de Partial UG Access i Full L1 Transfer per la L2A adulta (Liceras, 1996, 1998, 2003; Liceras and Díaz, 1999; Hawkins and Chan, 1997 and Tsimpli and Roussou, 1991). Un descobriment final de la tesi fa referència a l'existència d'efectes de direccionalitat d'adquisició, és a dir, el fet que tant en L2A infantil com adulta, les propietats del subjecte s'adquireixen abans en la L2 castellà (pels angloparlants) que en la L2 anglès (pels castellanoparlants), encara que, en el cas dels nens, les diferències són significatives i propiciades lingüísticament, mentre que en el cas dels adults, les diferències responen a causes no lingüístiques.En definitiva, aquesta tesi presenta un estudi complet i bidireccional de les propietats sintàctiques i discursives del subjecte tradicionalment associades al "Paràmetre del Subjecte Nul" i en determina la seva relació i rellevància en el desenvolupament de la L2. / The present study explores the non-native English and Spanish acquisition of subject properties in Spanish and English-speaking children and adults who are not in the L2-speaking country and thus contributes to the amount of research produced in the field by providing new data and findings. Under a Generative Grammar approach to L2A, the effects of UG in subject development in both child and adult L2A, the existence of L1 Transfer effects and the cluster of properties of the traditional Null Subject Parameter in L2A remain unresolved and need to be analysed under more recent theoretical proposals. The study will be carried out by means of cross-sectional data obtained through comprehension experimental tasks conducted on children and adults in two different acquisition contexts. Child L2A is examined in an immersion context of an American school in Barcelona and a Spanish school in London and adult L2A is explored in an institutional classroom setting. The same experimental method will be used for both children and adults, although an oral version of the task will be provided to the youngest groups of informants, namely grammaticality judgement and correction tasks for L2 English informants and grammaticality judgement and preference tasks for L2 Spanish informants. Three age groups per language in the case of child L2A and three level groups per language in the case of adult L2A together with their corresponding control monolingual groups will be tested.The thesis is guided by and built around six research questions, whose answers represent its major findings:1. Is the L2 initial state characterised by clustered transfer of subject properties associated with L1 parameter values?2. Is L2 development characterised by clustered acquisition of subject properties associated with the L2 parameter values?3. What are the theoretical implications of the results of the present research for the Partial/Full Transfer and Partial/Full UG Access positions to L2A?4. Can the same theoretical approach to L2A be maintained for both children and adults?5. Can the notion of "Null Subject Parameter" as in L1A be maintained in L2A?6. Are there any directionality of acquisition differences between English L2A (by Spanish speakers) and Spanish L2A (by English speakers)?Our data reveal that clustered L1 Transfer of the subject properties examined is present in both child and adult L2 English and Spanish. Yet clustered acquisition of L2 subject properties is only found in child L2 English and Spanish, as adult L2 English and Spanish development indicates no resetting of the L1 to the L2 feature value and hence absence of any clustering effects. As far as subject development is concerned, the results of this thesis generally give support to a Full UG Access and Full L1 Transfer position (Schwartz and Sprouse, 1996; Schwartz, 1998, 2003, 2004) for child L2A, whereas results from adult L2A point towards a Partial UG Access and Full L1 Transfer approach to adult L2A (Liceras, 1996, 1998, 2003; Liceras and Díaz, 1999; Hawkins and Chan, 1997 and Tsimpli and Roussou, 1991). A final finding relates to the observation of "directionality of acquisition effects", namely the fact that both in child and adult L2, subject properties are acquired earlier in L2 Spanish (by English speakers) than in L2 English (by Spanish speakers), although in the case of child L2A, differences are significant and linguistically motivated, whereas in the case of adult L2A, differences respond to non-linguistic factors.On the whole, the present thesis provides a thorough and bi-directional syntactic and discursive study of all the subject properties traditionally associated with the Null Subject Parameter and determines their relationship and relevance in L2 development.

This study investigated cognitive factors that might influence Chinese EFL learners’ argumentative essay writing in English. The factors that were explored included English (L2) language proficiency, Chinese (L1) writing ability, genre knowledge, use of writing strategies, and working memory capacity in L1 and L2. Data were collected from 136 university students who received a battery of tests in two sessions. The tests consisted of timed essay writing tasks in L1 and L2, post-writing questionnaires for genre knowledge and use of strategies in the writing process, a timed grammaticality judgment task for L2 grammar knowledge, a receptive vocabulary test and a controlled-production vocabulary test for L2 vocabulary knowledge, and working memory span tasks in L1 and L2. Quantitative analyses using correlations, paired-samples t-test, analysis of variance and multiple regression revealed that L2 language proficiency is the most important predictor of L2 writing, followed by genre knowledge and L2 writing strategies. L1 writing ability and working memory capacity have slight impact as explanatory variables for L2 writing performance in the timed essay writing task.

This report first reviews issues emerging from English usage as a lingua franca, including distinctions among errors and variations in L2 English, attitudes toward L2-accented English, and communication strategies among non-native English speakers. Informed by the English learning as a second language literature, this report provides some suggestions for English teachers in Taiwan to help their students improve interactions with English speakers around the world. These suggestions involve promoting students’ respect for errors and accents in different varieties of English, which is expected to help students improve their own learning habits in order to lower their concerns about their “Taiwanese English.” The suggestions also encourage teachers to integrate issues regarding communication among non-native English speakers into English classes since these issues are often not the focus of traditional English classes in Taiwan. / text

La presente tesis tiene por objetivo identificar para la enseñanza del español una serie de características prosódicas que son comunicativamente importantes. El trabajo también se propone poner de relieve el papel central de la prosodia en la comunicación, así como la necesidad de incorporar esta destreza en las competencias comunicativas de la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras. La tesis integra una colección de cinco estudios, tres de los cuales realizados con un enfoque empírico experimental y dedicados a los temas siguientes: (a) las diferencias en la realización de prominencia prosódica por parte de hablantes de español L2 y español L1 (Estudio I), (b) la transferencia de estrategias pragmáticas del sueco L1 al español L2, manifestada en la realización de los tonos de frontera ascendentes (Estudio II), y (c) la contribución de rasgos prosódicos al acento extranjero percibido en hablantes suecos de español L2 con especial atención al rol desempeñado por los tonos de frontera ascendentes y sus correspondientes valores pragmáticos (Estudio III). El objetivo de estos tres estudios es, por un lado, identificar cuáles son las características prosódicas más importantes para conseguir una interacción exitosa en la L2 y, por el otro, investigar en qué medida estas características han sido adquiridas por los aprendientes investigados. Estudio IV resalta que, a pesar del enfoque comunicativo en la enseñanza LE, se abordan los aspectos suprasegmentales en el currículo sueco así como en los cinco libros de enseñanza E/LE analizados como una competencia aislada que no está integrada en la competencia comunicativa. El Estudio V, al combinar los resultados de los Estudios I-III con los de otros estudios temáticamente relevantes, busca identificar unas características principales, unos Core Prosodic Features, para la enseñanza de la prosodia española a los aprendientes suecos. El estudio recomienda un enfoque basado en la atención a la forma para la enseñanza de estas características en contextos interaccionales. / This thesis sets out to identify a series of communicatively important prosodic features for the teaching of Spanish in a Swedish context. The present work also aims to highlight both the central role played by prosody in communication and the need for this skill to be integrated in the communicative competences of second language teaching and learning. The thesis comprises a collection of five studies, three of which use an experimental approach to investigate the following: (a) differences in the realization of prosodic prominence by L2 and L1 speakers of Spanish (Study I); (b) the transfer of pragmatic strategies from L1 Swedish to L2 Spanish, manifested in the realization of rising boundary tones (Study II); and (c) the contribution of the type of L2 prosody displayed by Swedish learners to a percieved foreign accent, focusing, focusing especially on the role played by rising boundary tones and their pragmatic values  (Study III). These initial studies describe some of the main prosodic characteristics of the L2 product as compared to Spanish L1, and identify prosodic features of Spanish L1 that are of importance to acquire for interactional success in the L2. Study IV highlights the fact that, despite the emphasis on a communicative approach in L2 teaching, the approach to the teaching of prosody in the Swedish curriculum and the L2 Spanish text books studied tends to be addressed as a separate skill, that is not integrated in the descriptions of the communicative competences. Study V, by combining the results of Studies I-III with those of other thematically relevant studies, proposes some main features, so-called Core Prosodic Features (CPFs), for the teaching of Spanish prosody to Swedish learners. The identification of the CPFs also enables a future evaluation of the form-focused teaching approach suggested.

Most bilingual lexical models assume that L1 and L2 either share the same semantic system, or are distinguished at the semantic level but connected through lexical associations. For example, the Revised Hierarchical Model (Kroll & Stewart, 1994) assumes the stronger access from L2 to concepts via the L1 lexical representation at the early stage of L2 acquisition and direct access to concepts after L2 proficiency is achieved. However, the model is not well supported by subsequent empirical evidence, and encounters difficulty in explaining cross-language priming data. The recently developed Sense Model (Finkbeiner, M., Forster, K., Nicol, J., & Nakamura, K., 2004) assumes a direct access from the L2 form to its related meaning and argues for the representational asymmetry in lexical semantics between L1 and L2. This model was designed to account for the translation asymmetry and task effect in the masked priming literature: L2-L1 priming is not observed in lexical decision due to the small proportion of L1 senses activated by the L2 prime; however, the category provides a context which restricts L1 sense activation and thus enhances the effectiveness of the L2 prime in semantic categorization. This dissertation reports the results of several semantic categorization experiments designed to test several assumptions of the Sense Model. Experiments 1-4 investigated whether the Category Restriction Hypothesis assumed by the Sense Model was empirically supported when congruence effects are minimized. The results showed that translation priming could be obtained for exemplars when congruence effects were controlled, but that there were no effects for non-exemplars, as predicted by the Sense Model. Subsequent experiments showed that category size is an important variable, since L2-L1 priming was not obtained with large categories (e.g., living thing), which was taken to indicate that a large category is ineffective as a 'focusing' device to enhance the activation of L2 semantic senses. Finally, it was shown that the priming asymmetry in lexical decision was not due to differential degrees of semantic activation of the prime in L1 and L2.

In the field of L2 (second language) writing, a great number of studies have been done to explore learners’ writing processes and writing strategies since the last three decades. However, the relationship between learners’ strategy use and writing performance is still not clear-cut, and researchers still debate about whether L1 (first language) writing processes and strategies are similar to or different from L2 writing processes and strategies. To explore these controversial issues, this study has examined the L1 and L2 academic writing processes of 35 Chinese ESL (English-as-a-second-language) learners by using concurrent think-aloud protocols and retrospective interviews. In line with previous strategy studies, the findings of present study also revealed that learners selected, used, and evaluated a wide range of writing strategies (i.e., approach, rhetorical, communication, cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and social strategies) in both L1 and L2 tasks. Moreover, the results of qualitative and quantitative analyses indicated that the overall pattern of strategy use by learners was similar between L1 and L2. Specifically, learners tended to transfer their approach, rhetorical, communication, and cognitive strategies across languages. As for the correlations between writing strategies and writing scores, statistical tests did not detect any significant relationships between learners’ strategy use and their writing performance in either the L1 writing task or the L2 writing task. One main implication suggested by the present study is that learners should not only be encouraged to reflect on their L2 writing performance and strategy use, but also be provided with the opportunities to reconsider and reflect on how they usually approach and process L1 writing tasks. / Graduate

TAVARES, Maria da Glória Guará. Pre-task planning, working memory capacity, and L2 speech performance. 2008. 236f. Tese (Doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Pós-graduação em Letras/inglês e Literatura Correspondente, Florianópolis, 2008. / Submitted by anizia almeida (aniziaalmeida80@gmail.com) on 2016-09-09T11:59:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2008_tese_mggtavares.pdf: 1165475 bytes, checksum: 852a777e4cdd48f0e8e4a4c30db7d5c4 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-09-13T16:57:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2008_tese_mggtavares.pdf: 1165475 bytes, checksum: 852a777e4cdd48f0e8e4a4c30db7d5c4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-13T16:57:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2008_tese_mggtavares.pdf: 1165475 bytes, checksum: 852a777e4cdd48f0e8e4a4c30db7d5c4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Research on task-based planning provides evidence of trade-off effects among the goals of fluency, accuracy, and complexity of L2 performance in the context of learners’ limited attentional resources (e.g., Foster & Skehan, 1996; Menhert, 1998; Yuan & Ellis, 2003). However, there is a lack of empirical investigation on the role of working memory within the effects of planning on L2 performance. The present study investigates the relationship among pre-task planning, working memory capacity, and L2 speech performance. More specifically, it addresses the question whether individual differences in working memory capacity plays a role in performance under planning conditions and in the processes learners engage in when they plan. A population of 50 students from Letras Licenciatura, Letras Secretariado, and Cursos Extracurriculares at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina was divided in two groups: control and experimental. Participants in the control group performed a working memory test, two narrative tasks under a no-planning condition, and a retrospective interview. Participants in the experimental group performed a working memory test, two narrative tasks (one under a no-planning and one under a planning condition), a retrospective online protocol, and a retrospective interview. L2 speech performance was assessed in terms of fluency, accuracy, and complexity. In general, results show that under a no-planning condition, working memory capacity significantly correlates with L2 speech accuracy (for the control group) and L2 speech fluency (for the experimental group). Under a planning condition, working memory capacity significantly correlates with L2 speech fluency and complexity. As for the impact of planning on performance, there was a significant effect on L2 speech accuracy and complexity, but not on fluency. Results also show that learners engage mainly in organization of ideas, rehearsal, lexical searches, and monitoring when they plan an oral task. Moreover, higher spans employ significantly more metacognitive strategies during planning when compared to lower spans. Results were discussed in terms of the working memory capacity model proposed by Engle, Kane, and Tuholski (1999), according to which individuals differ in the capacity for controlled attention in face of interference; and studies on task-based planning (e.g.,Ortega, 1999, 2005; Foster & Skehan, 1996; Menhert, 1998; Yuan & Ellis, 2003). Pedagogical implications were also pointed out suggesting that planning is as a task implementation condition that can be employed in the L2 classroom with the aim of drawing learners’ attention to form. / As pesquisas sobre o planejamento dentro da abordagem de ensino baseado em tarefas evidenciam efeitos de troca atencional entre os aspectos da fluência, acurácia e complexidade do desempenho em L2 devido à limitação dos recursos atencionais dos aprendizes (Foster & Skehan, 1996; Menhert, 1998; Yuan & Ellis, 2003). Entretanto, há uma carência de investigação empírica sobre o papel da memória de trabalho mediante os efeitos do planejamento no desempenho oral em L2. O presente estudo investiga a relação entre planejamento pré tarefa, capacidade da memória de trabalho e desempenho oral em L2. Mais especificamente, ele investiga se diferenças individuais na capacidade de memória de trabalho afetam tanto o desempenho oral em condições de planejamento quanto os processos nos quais os aprendizes embarcam quando planejam uma tarefa oral. Uma população de 50 alunos dos cursos de Letras Licenciatura, Letras Secretariado e Cursos Extracurriculares foi dividida em dois grupos: controle e experimental. Participantes do grupo controle foram submetidos à coleta de dados que consistiu de: um teste de memória de trabalho, duas tarefas narrativas sob a condição de não planejamento e uma entrevista retrospectiva. Participantes do grupo experimental foram submetidos à coleta de dados que consistiu de um teste de memória de trabalho, duas tarefas narrativas (uma na condição de não planejamento e outra na condição de planejamento), um protocolo verbal e uma entrevista retrospectiva. O desempenho oral foi medido através da fluência, acurácia e complexidade. Em geral, os resultados mostram que na condição de não planejamento, há correlação significativa entre capacidade de memória de trabalho e fluência (para o grupo experimental), assim como também, entre capacidade de memória de trabalho e acurácia (para o grupo controle). Na condição de planejamento, há correlação significativa da capacidade de memória de trabalho com fluência e complexidade. Os resultados mostram também que o planejamento levou a diferenças significativas em acurácia e complexidade e que os alunos focam principalmente em organização de idEias, buscas lexicais, ensaio e monitoramento quando planejam uma tarefa oral em L2. Os resultados indicam ainda que o número de estratégias metacognitivas utilizadas durante o planejamento é significativamente maior para participantes com maior capacidade de memória de trabalho. Os resultados foram discutidos com base no modelo de memória de trabalho proposto por Engle, Kane e Tuholski (1999), segundo o qual, indivíduos se diferenciam em termos da capacidade de controle da atenção em condições de interferência; e também com base nos estudos sobre planejamento pré tarefa (Ortega, 1999, 2005; Foster & Skehan, 1996; Menhert, 1998; Yuan & Ellis, 2003). Implicações pedagógicas também foram apontadas sugerindo que o planejamento é uma condição de implementação de tarefas a qual pode ser adotada em sala de aula com o objetivo de chamar a atenção dos aprendizes para o foco na forma.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:42:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1253982 bytes, checksum: f1f9be936c7da6fa5ae321cdc78468e5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-09-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The idealization and construction of this quantitative and experimental work are justified on the contribution proposal with the Linguistic research of Brazil, being emphasized the importance of Experimental Psycholinguistics in a sub-branch, the Linguistic Processing. It is important highlight that this research we make possible to discuss and to observe certain point even as the syntactic processor of the language, the parser habitually behaves in a differentiated reality of the one that acts. From this point on, several questions are lifted up. Would the parser use the same strategy used in the speaker's native L1 (language) to process content of L2? What would happen when the processor was begun to analyze a L2 possessor's of divergent parameters of L1 content? How the language processor resist processing syntactic would structures no corresponding or simply no existent in the L1? Would it be possible that items as work memory and proficiency level of the L2 learners could influence somehow in this processing? We will discuss with larger robustness on those and other subjects in elapsing of the work. / A idealização e construção deste trabalho de característica quantitativa e experimental se justificam na proposta de contribuição com a pesquisa Linguística do Brasil, ressaltando-se a importância da Psicolinguística Experimental em seu sub-ramo, o Processamento Linguístico. É importante destacarmos que esta pesquisa nos possibilita discutir e observar até determinado ponto como o processador sintático da linguagem, o parser se comporta em uma realidade diferenciada da que habitualmente atua. A partir deste ponto, diversos questionamentos são levantados. O parser utilizaria a mesma estratégia empregada na L1(língua nativa do falante) para processar conteúdo da L2? O que ocorreria quando o processador fosse posto a analisar conteúdo de uma L2 possuidora de parâmetros divergentes da L1? Como o processador da linguagem reagiria ao processar estruturas sintáticas não correspondentes ou simplesmente não existentes em sua L1? Seria possível que itens como memória de trabalho e nível de proficiência dos aprendizes de L2 pudessem influenciar de alguma maneira neste processamento? Discutiremos com maior robustez sobre essas e outras questões no transcorrer do trabalho.

Esta Tese situa-se na área de Semiótica e Lingüística Geral do Departamento de Lingüística da Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas da Universidade de São Paulo. Tem por tema os processos semióticos da construção do sentido no ensino-aprendizagem da Língua Inglesa (L2) com vistas à interação educador-educando. Está fundamentada nos pressupostos teóricos da Semiótica Discursiva Greimasiana (1979), complementados por alguns aspectos da Psicanálise Lacaniana (1966), incluindo a teoria da comunicação de Jakobson (1969). A hipótese que orienta o estudo realizado considera que o discurso pedagógico viabiliza um modo de aplicação metodológico adequado às necessidades do educando adulto, bem como um olhar sensível às dificuldades encontradas, por ele, em seu processo de aquisição de uma língua estrangeira. Assim, tanto um quanto outro constroem percursos possíveis para chegarmos ao objeto de valor (Ov) dos sujeitos envolvidos nesse processo, em especial, o educando. O corpus desta pesquisa é constituído pela parte teórica, que sustenta a argumentação desta Tese, e pela parte observacional, que se refere à análise dos problemas do educando no processo de aquisição da L2. O procedimento metodológico adotado foi teórico-analítico e descritivo durante o processo de ensino-aprendizagem. Os passos seguidos, para esse procedimento, basearamse no modelo lingüístico-pedagógico, proposto pela pesquisadora: 1ª etapa - entrevista (needs analysis), testes oral e escrito; 2ª etapa - revisão dos conteúdos lingüísticos e exercícios escritos e orais; e 3ª etapa - desenvolvimento e aprofundamento dos conteúdos lingüísticos. O objetivo principal deste trabalho é contribuir para uma postura diferenciada na relação que se estabelece entre educador e educando, e os objetivos específicos são: 1) identificar sistemas de significação verbais, não verbais e sincréticos e verificar como se dá, nesses sistemas e no processo de enunciação, a conversão dos modelos mentais, em estruturas semióticas e sua manifestação em discurso; 2) buscar as possibilidades de aplicação desses processos ao ensino de língua inglesa para falantes do português como língua materna; e 3) examinar em que medida os modelos mentais e os processos de semiotização desses modelos podem ser transpostos para outra semiótica-objeto, em fase de aquisição de competência pelo mesmo sujeito. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que a hipótese foi adequada e os objetivos atingidos, satisfatoriamente. Além disso, os resultados provaram que o mal-estar do educando, advindo de um processo falho na interação entre educador e educando, na transmissão de um saber lingüístico, pode ser superado não só por um olhar sensível, mas também pela instauração de um processo de ensino-aprendizagem eficaz e adequado às necessidades do educando adulto. / This Thesis is set in the field of Semiotics and General Linguistics of the Department of Linguistics of Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas da Universidade de São Paulo [School of Philosophy, Arts and Human Sciences of the University of São Paulo]. Its theme is the semiotical processes of the construction of meaning in the \"teaching-learning\" of English Language (L2) aiming at the \"teacher-learner\" interaction. It is based on the theoretical premises of Greimasian Discursive Semiotics (1979), supplemented by some aspects of the Lacanian Psychoanalysis (1966), including the communication theory of Jakobson (1969). The hypothesis that guides the accomplished studies considers that the pedagogical discourse enables a methodological way of application appropriated to the needs of the adult learner, as well as a sensitive look at the difficulties found by him/her in his/her acquisition process of a foreign language. Therefore, both teacher and learner create possible paths for us to get to the object of value (Ov) of the individuals involved in this process, especially the learner. The corpus of this research is constituted by the theoretical part, that supports the argumentation of this Thesis, and by the observational part, that refers to the analysis of the learner\'s problems, in the L2 acquisition process. The adopted methodological procedure was a theoretical analytical and descriptive one, during the process of \"teaching-learning\". The steps followed for this procedure were based on the linguistic pedagogical model proposed by the researcher: 1st stage - interview (needs analysis), oral and written tests; 2nd stage - review of the linguistic contents and oral and written exercises; and 3rd stage - development and profound study of the linguistic contents. The main purpose of this project is to contribute to a different attitude in the relationship established between the teacher and the learner, and the specific purposes are: 1) to identify verbal, non-verbal and syncretic meaning systems and to verify how, in these systems and in the enunciation process, the conversion of mind models into semiotic structures and its manifestation into discourse happen; 2) to seek the possibilities of applying these processes to the teaching of English language for the speakers of Portuguese as the mother tongue; and 3) to study to what extent the mind models and the semiotization processes of such models can be transposed to another semiotic object, in the competence acquisition phase by the same individual. The results obtained showed that the hypothesis was appropriate and the purposes were satisfactorily reached. In addition, the results proved that the learner uneasiness, arising from an ineffective process of the interaction between the teacher and the learner in the transmission of the linguistic knowledge, can be overcome not only by a sensitive look, but also by the establishment of a \"teaching-learning\" process that is effective and appropriate to the needs of an adult learner.