published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of teacher motivational strategies on student motivational behavior in Chinese Foreign Language classroom. Specifically, the study attempted to explore the relationship between motivational strategies and student actual classroom behavior and students preference on motivational strategies in enhancing student motivational behavior. The participants were three Chinese foreign language teachers and their Year 8 classes (78 pupils) of the two lowest levels class of Chinese in the school. The study was conducted during the second and third term of the 2010-2011 academic year in an international school in Hong Kong. Using a MOLT observation scheme, a check list of motivated practices, five classes of each teacher were observed to gather data on their motivated behaviors in their classroom. Post lesson interview was also conducted with the students after the observed lessons. It is revealed that teacher motivated practice is associated with student motivational behavior and that Activity-Design-related practices are more prominent factors. On the other hand, it is also discovered that effective motivated practice are varied according to teachers i.e. how teachers employ the strategies in class and the learning environment they provided for students. In short, the findings of the study might provide teacher insights on effective practices that enhance student motivated behavior and implications on classroom practice other that motivational strategies. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This action research explores ways of adapting Task-based language teaching for teaching grammar to Primary six Hong Kong students while maintaining the structural Presentation-Practice-Production approach. It integrates two kinds of focused tasks into the intervention. They are Consciousness-raising tasks and Practice-based tasks. It investigates learners‘perceptions of those two tasks on English grammar learning by collecting questionnaires and conducting interviews. After the first cycle of the intervention, the researcher analyzed the data, students‘performance and works in order to make adjustments for the second cycle. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed to collect data from high, average and low-achieving students. It was found that students were positive towards Consciousness-raising tasks, Practice-based tasks and the intervention. They were generally satisfied with the chances provided for individual and group learning, teacher‘s PowerPoint presentation, teacher support and task sequencing. Implications for future research encompass investigation on the intervention‘s emphasis on a sequence of focused tasks to learn the form, meaning and use of target structures for leading learners to attain accuracy, fluency and complexity in second language acquisition. Most importantly, it suggests that teachers have to be flexible and design suitable tasks according to the target structures, students‘ability and learning style as well as available resources. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

With the implementation of the fine-tuned medium of instruction policy in Hong Kong in September 2010, the era of compulsory mother tongue education has come to an end. Compared with a decade ago, more secondary schools are now teaching content subjects in English, a second language to the majority of students. To ensure that this change can enhance students’ English proficiency without sacrificing their academic achievement, the educational initiative Language Across the Curriculum, or more widely known as Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), aiming at simultaneous content and language enrichment has been widely advocated by Education Bureau. As CLIL is a novel approach in Hong Kong and little is known regarding its implementation, this study was conducted to fill this gap by examining the attitudes and beliefs of the major stakeholders towards CLIL. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a secondary school practising CLIL. Questionnaire survey, classroom observations, focus group interviews with students and semi-structured individual interviews with English and content teachers were conducted to elicit (i) students’ and content teachers’ perceived benefits and challenges of CLIL, and (ii) the measures taken or to be taken to facilitate its execution. The data revealed that CLIL was perceived to bring such benefits as increasing students’ English exposure and reducing their learning anxiety; yet, factors like students’ and content teachers’ lack of English proficiency and the latter’s self-perceived identity as mere content experts seemed to hinder CLIL implementation. To overcome the hurdles, several measures were identified. A case in point is the facilitation of collaboration between English and content teachers. Drawing on the findings, some implications for schools and teachers were suggested and future research directions discussed. / published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

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

As its title suggests, this dissertation examines second/foreign language literature teaching (and learning) with an emphasis on linguistic approaches to the study of literature. The approaches referred to are those which theorise language use - this includes literary texts - as a communicative context, that is, functional grammar and critical discourse analysis. The dissertation argues for the inclusion of literary texts in second/foreign language teaching and learning on the grounds that, at higher education level, the study of literature can develop in students important knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes which are necessary both for their (the students') functioning in a multicultural society, and for the development of a critical civil society, as outlined in current policy documents relating to the transformation of the South African higher education system. The dissertation consists of two distinct parts: a theoretical section, followed by a practical application. In the theoretical section, a rationale is developed for the inclusion of second/foreign language literature. The following critical questions are asked: 1. What place do second/foreign language literary studies have in the present higher education context? - This question is explored against the background of present higher education policy. 2. What place could, or perhaps should, second/foreign language literary studies have, or rather, which knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes can be taught using them? - Here, theories of understanding (Gadamer and Habermas), as well as their bearing on language learning and the development of critical thought, are discussed. 3. Which theories of language and discourse can be used to develop the critical understanding, interpretation and communication skills that are required in society? - The goal of this exploration is to gauge which theories best address the requirement of higher education to produce criticality. To round the dissertation off, an attempt is then made to apply the considerations developed in 1 - 3 in a concrete classroom situation. For this purpose, a teaching and learning project that took place in the second semester of 2000, is described, and its results evaluated and discussed, against the background of what is presently required of higher education in terms of its contribution to society. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

The discourse functions of three Taiwanese particles la, hon and ne are analyzed. These utterance particles occur primarily found in the spoken language, usually conversation. The corpus of the study comprises transcription of recorded face-to-face, telephone, and radio talk show conversation, casual interviews, and church sermons. All three Taiwanese particles express a form of emphasis but in different ways. La has five interrelated functions, depending on the context: 1. To express in an assertion and in an answer to a question; 2. To express a sense of guessing or questioning; 3. To express one's impatience, dislike, or annoyance; 4. To indicate a sense of coaxing; 5. To emphasize each item in an incomplete list. Hon expresses the lowest degree of speaker emphasis of the three particles. It is used to elicit a minimal or a positive response from the addressee. Finally, ne expresses the strongest degree of emphasis of the three. It is usually used to draw the addressee's attention to information that the speaker assumes is new to the hearer. / Department of English

A recent phenomenon widely noted among international volunteer agencies and church mission boards is an increase in the number of older adults offering service in foreign countries. To be effective, these people often need to learn a new language. However, much evidence has shown that older adults have a more difficult time than their younger adult counterparts in acquiring a second language.The case studies in this ethnography describe the language learning experiences of 26 adult students of Spanish during their first trimester at a language school in Central America. Most were planning some type of missionary service in Latin American countries after graduation. There were nine younger learners (20-39 years of age), eight middle-aged learners (40-49) years), and nine older learners (50-65 years). The research centered on these students' language learning self-image and expectations for success. The purpose was to learn more about what happens to adults, especially older learners, as they attempt to acquire a second language in a school located in a naturalistic setting and where classes are comprised of learners of mixed ages. Factors relevant to success and failure were investigated in the hope that language acquisition could be facilitated for these people.The researcher functioned as a participant-observer, taking a full load of classes and also conducting bi-weekly tape-recorded private interviews with the other 25 learners. Other data were obtained from language-learning journals and from observations of the students in their classrooms, community activities, and local homes. The teachers also shared what they had observed over the years about the characteristics of successful adult learners. A mail questionnaire was completed by 47 alumni of the school.The findings illuminated problems some learners have in balancing needs for immersion into the new culture and fellowship with same-culture classmates, finding good conversation partners in the community, obtaining useful types and amounts of error correction from native speakers, learning to shed ethnocentrism, and coping with differences between learning and teaching styles in the classroom. Specific suggestions are offered for adults wishing to obtain the most from their language school investment. / Department of English

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