This thesis concerns the economic dimensions of second language knowledge and acquisition and the economic implications of language policies. The value of the ability to speak and understand a second language depends on the extent to which it enlarges one's communicative sphere which, in turn, depends on the language abilities of others. This implies that second language acquisition decisions are associated with strategic considerations and spillover effects. Consequently, the equilibrium distribution of language skills may not be socially efficient and policy remedies may be called for. The first essay of the thesis investigates the relationship between earnings, second language knowledge and the distribution of language skills in local labour markets in Canada using census data. We estimate the elasticity of local language complementarity in earnings: a parameter that measures the importance of the linguistic environment in the earnings of the individual as well as the importance of language in the economy generally. The second essay addresses the efficiency of second language acquisition decisions in a theoretical model where bilingualism is rewarded with a higher wage for two reasons. First, language skills constitute a form of human capital in the sense that a worker's productivity is positively related to the proportion of the population with whom she shares a language. Second, language skills serve as a signal of productivity to employers. In general, the private and social benefits of bilingualism do not align due to counteracting network and signalling welfare effects. The third essay concerns the role of language policy in improving social outcomes. A tax-subsidy system is considered under various assumptions about the ability of the government or planner to discriminate between individuals and groups. A Pareto improvement is possible if the government can condition the tax-subsidy system on language acquisition costs but not otherwise. The fourth essay considers the optimal provision of public services when individuals' effective consumption of the services depends on their proficiency in the language they are provided in. The planner faces a trade-off between compensating minority language speakers for their lower wages and encouraging their integration by rewarding higher levels of dominant language proficiency. / Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2013-06-06 12:06:34.747

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The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinally how a child learner acquired verbal morpho-syntax in Japanese in a naturalistic second language (L2) context. Specifically the points of emergence for three verbal morpho-syntactic structures, namely verbal inflection, the V-te V structure and the passive/causative structure, were investigated within a framework of Processability Theory (PT) (Pienemann, 1998b). The subsequent development of these structures was also examined. Unlike earlier research about morpheme orders and developmental sequences in language acquisition which was criticised because of its apparent lack of theoretical underpinnings, Pienemann's Processability Theory (PT)(1998b) connects the processability of morpho-syntactic structure to linguistic theories. Pienemann also claims that this theory can be used to explain the acquisition of a wide range of morpho-syntactic structures and that it is typologically plausible and applicable to any language. In recent times PT has been extensively tested in a range of languages acquired as an L2, including German, English and Swedish (Pienemann, 1998b; Pienemann & Hakansson, 1999) and Italian and Japanese (Di Biase & Kawaguchi, 2002). The findings from these studies support this theory.

This study examines factors that influence the language use of preschool children in a child/parent education program. The Preschool for Child/Parent Education Project was initiated to address concerns for at risk children and their families in the community of Nipawin, Saskatchewan. The families invited to participate in the program were identified as having preschool children who were potentially at risk for school success.<p> The language experiences of four preschool children were observed as they participated in one nine-week child/parent education session. The parents, caregivers and preschool teacher were interviewed regarding their views about the language experiences of the children.<p> The factors that emerged as having an influence on the children's use of language in the preschool program were: play center activities, direct instruction, authentic experiences, parent/caregiver involvement and teacher efficacy. Results showed that the children in the Preschool for Child/Parent Education Project experienced a program that understood the language needs of young children and the powerful influence of a supportive family.<p> Implications are drawn concerning the benefits of providing opportunities for language development and use during the crucial preschool years in a child/parent education program. Recommendations for further research suggest recognition of the effects of early language intervention on young children with difficult life circumstances.

This study examines factors that influence the language use of preschool children in a child/parent education program. The Preschool for Child/Parent Education Project was initiated to address concerns for at risk children and their families in the community of Nipawin, Saskatchewan. The families invited to participate in the program were identified as having preschool children who were potentially at risk for school success.<p> The language experiences of four preschool children were observed as they participated in one nine-week child/parent education session. The parents, caregivers and preschool teacher were interviewed regarding their views about the language experiences of the children.<p> The factors that emerged as having an influence on the children's use of language in the preschool program were: play center activities, direct instruction, authentic experiences, parent/caregiver involvement and teacher efficacy. Results showed that the children in the Preschool for Child/Parent Education Project experienced a program that understood the language needs of young children and the powerful influence of a supportive family.<p> Implications are drawn concerning the benefits of providing opportunities for language development and use during the crucial preschool years in a child/parent education program. Recommendations for further research suggest recognition of the effects of early language intervention on young children with difficult life circumstances.

The term heritage language (HL), which only emerged in the context of language policy during the 1990’s, refers to immigrant, refugee, and indigenous languages whose target group of learners have either previously learned the language as a first language (L1) or home language, or have some form of heritage connection to the language (Cummins, 2005). The bilingual nature of these individuals is ambiguous, as variables related to literacy and oral proficiency in the first language are significantly influenced by geographical, cultural, academic, and sociolinguistic factors prevalent to the context in which the speaker is situated. The topic of HL is the subject of a growing number of studies in second language acquisition as well as bilingual education. Given that an increasing number of immigrants from around the world continue to make the United States their place of permanent residence, the country’s educational focus needs to take into account the needs of heritage language learners (HLL), especially as that focus shifts from the exclusive teaching of foreign languages to incorporating the maintenance and linguistic competence of our multilingual inhabitants. / text

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A proposta do presente estudo é investigar a aquisição de comportamento verbal em uma pesquisa longitudinal com uma criança de desenvolvimento típico dos dezoito meses aos dois anos de idade, adotando como unidade de análise os operantes verbais propostos por Skinner (1957). O objetivo do trabalho é analisar as respostas verbais emitidas pela criança e pelo acompanhante em situações naturais em termos de operantes verbais e tentar identificar relações entre a emissão de operantes do acompanhante e da criança, de maneira a investigar possíveis padrões de interação na aquisição de comportamento verbal. Foram registradas e transcritas trinta e quatro sessões com duração média de quinze minutos por semana. Os dados foram analisados baseados em categorias criadas a partir dos operantes verbais propostos por Skinner (1957). Os resultados apontam um aumento abrupto na frequência acumulada da emissão das categorias de tatos, mandos, ecóicos e intraverbais da criança a partir dos vinte meses de idade. Esse aumento também ocorre simultaneamente na frequência acumulada da emissão das mesmas categorias do acompanhante. A categoria mais emitida pela criança foi a de tatos, enquanto que a categoria com mais emitida pelos acompanhantes foi a de mandos / The purpose of the present study is to investigate the acquisition of verbal behavior in a longitudinal research with a typical development child from eighteen months of age until two years old, adopting as unit of analysis Skinner´s (1957) verbal operants. The aim of the present work is to analyze verbal responses emitted by the child and the caretakers in a natural setting in terms of verbal operants and try to identify relations between the emission of operants by caretakers and the child, investigating possible interaction patterns in the acquisition of verbal behavior. Thirty four sessions of fifteen minutes of duration were registered per week and then transcript. Data were analyzed based upon categories created from Skinner´s verbal operants (1957). Results show a rapidly increase in the emission of tact, mand, echoic and intraverbal categories of the participant after twenty months of age. This increase also happened simultaneously in the emission of the same categories of the caretaker. The most emitted category of the child was the tacts, while the most emitted category by the caretaker was the mands

A proposta do presente estudo é investigar a aquisição de comportamento verbal em uma pesquisa longitudinal com uma criança de desenvolvimento típico dos dezoito meses aos dois anos de idade, adotando como unidade de análise os operantes verbais propostos por Skinner (1957). O objetivo do trabalho é analisar as respostas verbais emitidas pela criança e pelo acompanhante em situações naturais em termos de operantes verbais e tentar identificar relações entre a emissão de operantes do acompanhante e da criança, de maneira a investigar possíveis padrões de interação na aquisição de comportamento verbal. Foram registradas e transcritas trinta e quatro sessões com duração média de quinze minutos por semana. Os dados foram analisados baseados em categorias criadas a partir dos operantes verbais propostos por Skinner (1957). Os resultados apontam um aumento abrupto na frequência acumulada da emissão das categorias de tatos, mandos, ecóicos e intraverbais da criança a partir dos vinte meses de idade. Esse aumento também ocorre simultaneamente na frequência acumulada da emissão das mesmas categorias do acompanhante. A categoria mais emitida pela criança foi a de tatos, enquanto que a categoria com mais emitida pelos acompanhantes foi a de mandos / The purpose of the present study is to investigate the acquisition of verbal behavior in a longitudinal research with a typical development child from eighteen months of age until two years old, adopting as unit of analysis Skinner´s (1957) verbal operants. The aim of the present work is to analyze verbal responses emitted by the child and the caretakers in a natural setting in terms of verbal operants and try to identify relations between the emission of operants by caretakers and the child, investigating possible interaction patterns in the acquisition of verbal behavior. Thirty four sessions of fifteen minutes of duration were registered per week and then transcript. Data were analyzed based upon categories created from Skinner´s verbal operants (1957). Results show a rapidly increase in the emission of tact, mand, echoic and intraverbal categories of the participant after twenty months of age. This increase also happened simultaneously in the emission of the same categories of the caretaker. The most emitted category of the child was the tacts, while the most emitted category by the caretaker was the mands

The purpose of this study was to examine the persistence of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students at a large multi-campus community college/baccalaureate degree-granting institution in South Florida. The study aimed to determine whether there was a relationship among a specific set of independent variables, background and defining variables (age, enrollment status, prior college education, gender, race, ethnicity, and marital status), academic integration variables (academic goal and first semester GPA), social integration variables (faculty interaction, college facilities and grounds, sense of community, college services, and student life), and environmental variables (family responsibilities, employment status, outside encouragement, and financial aid) and the dependent variable, EAP student persistence. The variables were extrapolated both from student academic transcripts and from an adapted version of the State University of New York (SUNY) Student Opinion Survey-Form A (ACT, 2006). T test and chi square analyses were performed. No relationship was found between any of the independent variables and the dependent variable. The thirteen respondents had high first semester GPA, favorable environmental support, and were socially integrated into the institution. / by Pradel R. Frank. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.