Lei Chin-Hai, Betty. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 229-243.

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Thesis. 1977. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND HUMANITIES. / Vita. / Bibliography : leaves 231-236. / Ph.D.

Lexical tones have presented great difficulties for second language learners whose native language is non-tonal. A number of recent studies suggest categorical-like perception of lexical tones by native Mandarin speakers. Can native speakers of non-tonal languages acquire categorical representations of lexical tones? Are there any differences between L1 and L2 tone perceptions? This study investigates brain responses to lexical tone categorization for three groups of adult listeners: 1) native English speakers who had no exposure to Mandarin before age 17, but took advanced Mandarin courses as adults; 2) naïve English speakers; and 3) native Mandarin speakers. Two tonal continua were derived from natural speech through interpolation within two tonal contrasts (Tone 1/Tone 4; Tone 2/Tone 3). Firstly, category boundaries were examined through classic identification and discrimination tasks. Secondly, high-density electroencephalography (EEG) was used to record brain responses while participants listened to tones in two oddball paradigms: across-category and within-category. If perception of lexical tones is categorical, cross-category deviants are expected to elicit larger ERP responses (specifically, mismatch negativity (MMN) and P300) than within-category deviants. Both behavioral and ERP results indicate that lexical tones are perceived categorically by native Chinese speakers but not by inexperienced English speakers. Although English learners of Chinese demonstrated categorical perception in behavioral tasks, their ERP response did not differ between within- and across-category conditions, however, significantly greater P300 responses were observed. Acoustic cues and characteristics of L2 phonological learning in adulthood are discussed.

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Despite the widespread adoption of task-based language teaching in English as a foreign/second language (EF/SL), task difficulty has continued to be a controversial issue in task-based assessment. This research explores how feasible it is to implement a task-based approach to testing within the existing Chinese National English Curriculum (CNEC). The central problem that the study has addressed is how task difficulty can be established through the use of a theoretically-motivated analytic scheme, grounded in contemporary task research. The scheme needs to be able to take a test-task as input, and facilitate rating of the test task on a number of dimensions. / Initially, the scheme proposed by Norris Brown, Hudson, and Yoshioka (1998) was explored for validity and practicality in the Chinese context. Since this scheme did not work very effectively, a new analytic scheme for curriculum-based test-tasks was developed through a series of developmental cycles. At the end of this process, an Input-Processing-Output (IPO) task difficulty matrix was established which provided reliable estimates of rated test-task difficulty at both global and analytic levels. The IPO task difficulty matrix designed and used in the series of studies appears to have adequately distinguished between three levels of difficulty of a CNEC theme. / The research establishes (1) that the difficulty of the tasks can be used to sequence effectively both for testing and for teaching; (2) the methods by which the principles of task selection and task difficulty can be used with a wider range of test generators and test users, and (3) that rated task difficulty connects with objective measures of performance as well as conventional ratings of performance. / The scheme provides a practical tool, but also a theoretical perspective on how tasks themselves can be analyzed effectively. The main developmental cycles required experienced and trained ELT professionals to use the analytic rating scheme. A later phase employed less experienced and trained teachers and explored how they could be trained to use the rating scheme. This phase established that the scheme can be used in "non-expert" English language teaching (ELT) situations, provided that there is adequate training. Validity was explored through the use of a range of discourse analysis measures of the writing performance of a number of school-based EFL learners in China. / Luo, Shaoqian. / "October 2007." / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-08, Section: A, page: 3132. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 339-367). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

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哲學家多認為日常關于語意的陳述 (如:「單身漢」意即未婚男性)乃事實陳述，陳述語義事實。這些哲學家大都還認為語義事實有物理基礎。對此本文提出兩重反駁。首先，語義事實並無物理基礎，因此 (物理主義認為)根本不存在語義事實。其次，日常語義話語既不陳述語義事實，也不要求語義事實存在，而應理解為一種虛構。第一章論證第一點 (基于Kripke的論證，但据本文目的作了適當裁剪):任何具備表徵能力的物理系統皆等價於擁有某一獨特、確定功能的機器;若語義事實有物理基礎，則功能事實當有物理基礎，但功能事實並無物理基礎。第二章首先論證日常語義話語不要求語義事實存在 (因我們對其存在與否實無所謂)，其次論證虛構話語 (如「Crotone在意大利的足弓上」)乃理解日常語義話語的最佳模型。將語義話語理解為虛構，非但合理可信，且多有啟發。本文結論認為，自然主義本身雖毋庸置疑，尋求自然主義的意義/表徵理論卻是緣木求魚。 / Many philosophers believe that the folk talk of meaning (e.g. “ ‘Bachelor’ means unmarried man“) states facts about meaning, or semantic facts. Most of them further believe that these facts are grounded in the physical reality. I argue against both views: (1) there are no semantic facts, insofar as they must be physically grounded; (2) meaning-talk does not state semantic facts, is not committed to them, and should instead be understood as a kind of make-believe. Chapter 1 presents an argument for (1), rst expounded (I think) by Kripke and here modied for my purpose. The argument is that any physical system with any representational capacity at all can be regarded as having a unique, determinate function; thus if representation--hence meaning--is physically grounded, so must be the function; but no such function can be physically grounded. Chapter 2 argues, rst, that meaning-talk does not commit us to semantic facts because we are indifferent to their existence. Second, that make-believe utterances (e.g. “Crotone is on the arch of the Italian boot“) more than any other discourse provide a good model for meaning-talk. Construing meaning-talk as make-believe is plausible and illuminating. I conclude that, while naturalism (I believe) is true, the attempt to naturalise meaning and representation is misguided. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Shen, Jian. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-85). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / Introduction --- p.1 / The First Thesis --- p.1 / The Second Thesis --- p.6 / Chapter 1 --- To Repudiate an Ontology --- p.9 / Chapter 1.1 --- Argument for Semantic Anti-Realism --- p.9 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Premise One --- p.12 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Premise Two --- p.14 / Chapter 1.2 --- Naturalisers’ Program --- p.19 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Against Dretske --- p.24 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Against Millikan --- p.28 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Against Fodor --- p.35 / Chapter 1.3 --- An Exegetical Appendix --- p.39 / Chapter 2 --- While Enjoying Its Benefit --- p.43 / Chapter 2.1 --- Argument for Non-Commitment --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2 --- Another Argument for Non-Commitment --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Objections and Replies --- p.46 / Chapter 2.3 --- The Fictionalist Hypothesis --- p.60 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Searching for a Model --- p.60 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Why the Model Is Good --- p.65 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Other Models --- p.71 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Objections and Replies --- p.73 / Conclusion --- p.82 / Bibliography --- p.83

by Li, Chi Ho. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-40). / Abstract --- p.i / Introduction --- p.1 / Mathematical Linguistics in a Nutshell --- p.4 / Two Classical Arguments --- p.8 / The Arguments from Sluicing and Doubling Relative Constructions --- p.11 / The Argument from the English such that constructions --- p.15 / The Argument from German constructions --- p.20 / The Argument from Feature Agreement --- p.23 / The Argument from Unbounded Dependency --- p.28 / Conclusion --- p.35 / Glossary --- p.37 / Bibliography --- p.39