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

In the domain of second language reading instruction, the teaching of inferencing to young L2 students seems to be a less explored area. The present study aims to investigate the extent to which the explicit instruction approach could enhance my ESL students' inferencing skills in English reading comprehension. It explores the relevance of teaching inferencing to my students, how they drew inferences in English before intervention and how they benefited from the intervention. I used an action research approach to study the effectiveness of my teaching of inferencing to my Primary Six ESL students in Hong Kong over a one-year period. I conducted this project following a two-cycle action research pattern within a seven-step framework. I implemented the project in three phases: Pre-intervention Phase, Intervention Phase One and Intervention Phase Two. Pre-intervention Phase involved baseline studies and think-aloud studies, whilst the intervention phases involved two cycles of teaching and a post-intervention think-aloud study. I used the data from the Pre-intervention Phase for designing the teaching content of the intervention phases. Data sources of this project included the students’ think-aloud protocols, the students’ work, lesson recordings, entries in my reflective journal, and my colleagues’ lesson observation feedback. I focused on the growth of the students’ learning and the effectiveness of the explicit instruction approach when analyzing the data. Findings from the Pre-intervention Phase suggested that the participants needed improvements in L2 inferencing and they were particularly weaker in the awareness of textual cohesion and coherence in informational texts. This had the immediate pedagogical implications that for initiating a reading programme in my school context, I should consider placing inferencing at a higher position; I should adopt different text types when teaching inferencing; and I should design and adopt higher-order thinking tasks more frequently when teaching reading to my students. Findings from Intervention Phase One and Two showed the students’ gradual growth in their inferencing abilities and their understanding of this reading skill. They became more confident in producing inferences while reading in English and showed an understanding of the importance of this skill to reading. Results from the post-intervention think-aloud study showed an increase in terms of the participants’ production of inferencing instances, the variety of inferencing applied by them, and their sense of textual cohesion and coherence. I estimated that the use of the explicit instruction approach had benefited the participants in general despite the fact that their internalization of inferencing was not evident. This study is significant in that it examines how inferencing could be explicitly taught to young ESL students to enhance their English reading competence. It also contributes to the theoretical understanding of inferencing in the teaching and learning of reading in L2. Based on the findings of this action research project, I derived and proposed a set of pedagogical principles for ESL inferencing instructions, pointing to the importance of explicitness in lessons, clarity of lesson outline, using students’ responses, text choice, and curriculum planning. I suggest that front-line L2 teachers make inferencing and other reading skills an important component in their language programmes. Future researchers should explore further on the use of the explicit instruction approach to teach other reading skills to young L2 learners and a wider range of materials to teach inferencing should be used. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

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

The research question of this dissertation is whether the early Cantonese-English contact provides a phonological basis to the development of Hong Kong English (HKE henceforth). The dissertation provides an affirmative answer by studying four Cantonese-English bilingual dictionaries in the mid 19th and early 20th centuries. The empirical evidence from the four bilingual dictionaries reveals three types of phenomena: inheritance, stabilization, and deviation. The phenomenon of inheritance refers to the phonological features discovered in the early Cantonese-English contact that have persisted in modern HKE. The phenomenon of stabilization includes the phonological features of the early Cantonese-English contact that are fortified and regularized in modern HKE. The phenomenon of deviation indicates certain phonological features of the early Cantonese-English contact differ from those of modern HKE. The findings of the dissertation fill two research gaps in the literature of HKE. One research gap is the omission of the English acquisition patterns for average Hongkongers before mass English-language education was implemented in the 1970s. For the Hongkongers who had no access to formal schools, the Cantonese-English bilingual dictionaries were used as the learning materials in self-study or private schools. The other research gap is the lack of a historical perspective into the variations of modern HKE phonology. Most of the studies on HKE are synchronic in nature and fail to realize that the variations may be derived from the two different English acquisition patterns in history. This dissertation reveals that the phonology of the functional bilinguals in HKE (the HKE speakers who could use English for various formal and informal needs) might be influenced by the phonological features of inheritance and stabilization discovered in the early Cantonese-English contact. The findings establish the historical connections behind modern HKE phonology, enhancing the recognition of HKE as an autonomous New English Variety. This enables HKE to be the symbol of solidarity for Hongkongers. This dissertation investigates the historical data from the Cantonese-English bilingual dictionaries that remain largely unstudied for a long time. Transformed into a retrievable dataset, the historical data can be used for linguistic theorizing.

published_or_final_version / Curriculum and Educational Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / English / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

Vocabulary learning plays an important role in second language acquisition. As successful language learners are found to make good use of vocabulary learning strategies to facilitate the learning process, researchers are interested in investigating whether less competent language learners can also benefit from strategy instruction. The present study aimed to examine the relative effectiveness of and attitudes towards the two vocabulary strategies, namely the keyword method and the context method in L2 vocabulary acquisition among 61 Cantonese-speaking Chinese students in Hong Kong. The study involved two classes of Secondary one students studying in a band one English-medium co-educational secondary school. In the first round of the study, Class A and Class B learnt a list of 10 target vocabulary items. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through vocabulary pre-tests, post-tests, questionnaires and interviews. In the second round, Class A and Class B swapped the learning conditions to learn another list of 10 target vocabulary items. The same procedures as for the first round were followed. Findings of this study indicated, first, the superiority of the keyword method over the context method in vocabulary retention. Second, the majority of the participants thought the context method was more useful than the keyword method and preferred the former one in the future. To conclude, this study may be of importance in investigating the effectiveness of the two strategies by Chinese learners in the Hong Kong school context, as well as in providing a better understanding of their attitudes towards the two strategies. / published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

Multiple cognitive-linguistic factors have been found to contribute to narrative writing in English, and this study aims to investigate whether the same applies to writing in Chinese. Taken into account the special characteristics in grammar of the Chinese language and the differences between oral dialect and written language, the present study assessed a total of 117 Hong Kong primary school children in either Grade Three or Five on their performances in a range of cognitive-linguistic skills (i.e., syntactic skills, oral-written translation, discourse skills, and topic knowledge) and narrative writing in Chinese. Results of regression analyses showed that oral-written translation skill is the unique and significant predictor of writing in general. Besides, syntactic skills are more predictive for the writing performance of junior writers, while topic knowledge is more crucial to the writing by senior writers. More specifically, syntactic and oral-written translation skills predict the grammar of writing; topic knowledge predicts the fluency of writing; and discourse skills contribute significantly to the content of writing. These findings shed light on understanding the basis of writing in Chinese and serve as a foundation for future research on writing development and difficulties. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

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