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This research concerns the development of Syrian undergraduates' writing ability in English. The aim of the research was to establish whether students' writing improved during their period of study, and to identify the nature of any changes that occurred. Secondary objectives concerned how previous research and current theories can help us understand and offer explanations for progress or lack of progress. In addition, students were consulted about their attitudes to writing through a questionnaire and interviews. Written data was obtained by sampling first and final year examination scripts, which were (1) objectively analysed for linguistic features to establish measurable characteristics and (2) subjectively evaluated by native speaker teachers of English to take account of factors such as discourse structure and organisation. The thesis consists of nine chapters. Chapter 1 describes the setting of the current research. Chapter 2 describes the data collection and introduces research methods, and this followed in Chapter 3 by a survey of relevant literature on non-native speaker writing. The main body of the linguistic research is reported in Chapter 4 (sentence length and syntactic structure), Chapter 5 (grammatical features and spelling) and Chapter 6 (lexis). The subjective assessment of samples of student writing by native teachers of English is reported in Chapter 7, and the results of the survey into students' attitudes to writing are also reported in Chapter 8. Chapter Nine concludes the thesis with a summary of the findings, implications for teaching and suggestions for further research. The analyses revealed improvements in almost all aspects of students' writing on both objective and subjective measures but particularly in syntactic complexity and vocabulary.

This is a study of how teachers, students and administrators in a particular university's language department in Guanajuato, Mexico, construct the English teachers' professional image. The experiences of ten teachers, fourteen students, and two administrators at the Language Department of the University of Guanajuato in Mexico are explored through data obtained from conversations, narratives, critical incidents, e-mail correspondence and field-notes. This thesis began as an investigation of the construction of the 'native/non-native' debate. However, it arrived at a final point which is concerned about the ways in which individual perceptions are constructed and affected through historical or social pressures. From the data collected key areas emerged, such as: identity, labelling and the socio-political relationship between Mexico and the United States and its consequences. The data shows the polarization that exists between 'native speakers' and 'non-native speakers' themselves concerning aspects such as birthplace, ethnicity and nationality. In order to make sense of this data, I decided to employ the concept of spin to explain how images of the English teacher and speaker are constructed and maintained (or rejected) by participants. This is used as a lens to understand the evolution of the creation of the 'native speaker' image and labels. This helps understand how the 'native speaker' image came to play such a critical —and sometimes apparently harmful— role in the construction of the Other and the Self. Specifically, the 'native speaker' spin was not a point of investigation, but emerged as a significant tool for the discussion of the data as the analysis progressed. Overall this study seems to set a precedent that there is no clear-cut division between 'native' and 'non-native speakers'. Rising awareness of how complex labels operate through discourses, institutions and hiring policies may help to bring about more recognition of commonalities of English teachers as professionals.

This thesis examines the deeper nature of sustainability, through the study of an English language curriculum development project for the creation of a self-access language learning resource centre at a Mexican public university. The research methodology follows broadly qualitative and ethnographic research principles and was influenced by post modern, heuristic and interpretative thought. The overall process has been heuristic, involving extended self-search, self-dialogue and self-discovery through on-going interaction with the context, the collaborators and other types of data. Some aspects of my own journey towards becoming a qualitative researcher arealso described, since this also formed an integral part of the research process. I aimed to create a thick description, through the collection and interrelation of a range of data types. During the interpretation process, numerous concepts and categories emerged as apparently having been closely interconnected during the evolution of the respective project processes, states, behaviours and artefacts. With frequent reference to the data, I will attempt to show that the deeper nature of project sustainability is perhaps more complex than existing descriptions may imply and that therefore existing definitions may be limited. I conclude by suggesting new ways of conceptualizing factors involved in the achievement of project sustainability and some approaches to implementing research in the area. I also suggest that the term “sustainability” may need to be redefined in the discourse of development project managers. Dynamic durability is suggested as a possible alternative, since it includes the attribute of being able to adapt to changing circumstances (Dynamic) yet can still embrace concepts and categories commonly associated with sustainability (Durability). The overall aims of this study are: to push forward the boundaries of existing knowledge and understanding of project sustainability, to stimulate further research and discussion among project managers and collaborators and to support more context-sensitive and Dynamically durable English language curriculum projects (and other development projects) in the future.

This study is a comparison of the human presence in the text of Robert Henryson’s Fables , and that of William Caxton’s 1481 edition of The History of Reynard the Fox (Blake:1970). The individual examples of Henryson’s Fables looked at are those that may be called the ‘Reynardian’ fables (Mann:2009); these are The Cock and the Fox; The Fox and the Wolf; The Trial of the Fox; The Fox, the Wolf, and the Cadger, and The Fox, the Wolf, and the Husbandman. These fables were selected to provide a parallel focus, through the main protagonists and sources, with the text of The History of Reynard the Fox. The reason for the choice of these two texts, in a study originally envisaged as an examination of the human presence of Henryson’s Fables, is that Caxton’s text, although a translation, is precisely contemporary with the Fables, providing a specifically contemporary comparison to Henryson, as well as being a text that is worthwhile of such research in its own right. What may be gained from such a study is that the comparison of the contemporary texts, from Scotland and England, with parallel or similar main protagonists, may serve to sharpen the focus on each. The aspect of the human presence to be examined may be seen in the research question. 1. What are the functions of the different strands of human presence in the two texts? The principal method used is the gathering of specific instances of human presence in the two texts, and the categorising or coding of such instances, with the aid of the qualitative-data computer program QSR N6. The human presence was thus categorised under the separate aspects of i) The tangible human presence (actual human characters who are actors within the narrative). ii) The human as social context, present in the social situations and behaviour of the animal protagonists. iii) The human presence as narrator, both within and outside of the narrative. iv) The human presence in the transmission and reception of the two texts. The resulting categories of human presence were used to generate a theory concerning the functions of the human presence within the texts. The findings for the research question are as follows: The human presence in the text serves a far more explicit moral function in the Fables than in Reynard, where it serves a primarily entertaining and satirical function. The less explicit moral function of the human presence in Reynard is found beyond the text, in the reader reception.

This research assessed students’ self-perception of communicative competence in EFL in a Mexican university. I argued there was a gap in the knowledge available in the field at the tertiary education level in Mexico that needed filling because of the impact that self-perception has on individuals’ decisions to act, in this case, to engage in communication acts in the foreign language. The objectives guiding my research were: first, to address the information gap; second, to test the scale created for this study (CCQ); and third, to explore influences on students’ self-perceptions in this context. Self-perception and its cognitive (efficacy) and affective (confidence) elements were proposed as the aspects of the self-concept to be addressed. Evidence supported identifying Language Identity, Attribution Theory, and Ideal and Ought-to Self Theory as emerging frameworks to understand students’ self-perceptions. Willingness to communicate was also related to this research. A mixed methods approach was followed: A quantitative survey (CCQ) assessed self-perception for a sample of first year university students (n=372); PCA was conducted on the scale and reliability was established (Cronbach alpha .950). Descriptive statistics of background variables displayed the characteristics of the sample. Independent samples t-tests explored differences between self-perception and two-group variables, while one-way between groups ANOVA was applied to variables with three or more groups. Effect size (eta square) helped determine the strength of the relationships found. Two focus group sessions (n=5) comprised the qualitative component of the inquiry (investigated with exploratory thematic analysis), designed to explore influences sustaining participants’ self-perceptions and concepts about English in the era of globalisation. CCQ analysis provided an overall mean score (M=2.98), suggesting a moderately positive self-perception among the sample. Contrastingly, qualitative data revealed that participants’ self-perceptions, constructed from social and personal influences, were constantly short of the communicatively competent ideal and ought-to selves. The analysis suggested complex interrelationships between self-confidence and self-efficacy were behind consistently fragile self-perceptions of communicative competence in EFL in this setting. The tension between the data (highlighted by the complementary use of mixed methods of data collection), and the contextual and methodological limitations are discussed. The implications of the investigation include both macro and micro levels of analysis. Further recommendations include longitudinal studies and individual interviews to collect richer data about participants’ personal experiences in EFL. The contributions to knowledge are: First, the inquiry addressed the knowledge gap about students’ self-perceptions of communicative competence at university in the EFL context. Second, a new context-specific scale measuring self-perception (CCQ) was developed and validated for the university setting. Third, I offer a theoretical model relating self-perception, self-efficacy, and self-confidence, and a proposition of the influence of the theories identified on the social context and the self. In conclusion, university students’ self-perceptions of communicative competence were analysed and the outcome showed an overall picture of moderately positive self-perception among the cohort. Further analysis revealed a contrasting story of very low perceptions among individual students and the influences shaping self-perceptions were explored.

This thesis reports on a mixed methods classroom research study carried out at a British university. The study investigates the effectiveness of two different explicit teaching approaches, Illustration – Interaction – Induction (III) and Present – Practice – Produce (PPP) used to teach the same spoken discourse markers to two different groups of Chinese learners at the same level of language competency. It was hypothesised that one explicit teaching approach would be more effective than the other in terms of both short and longer term acquisition and both would be more effective than no teaching when viewed objectively with test data and subjectively by the learners themselves. Thirty six Chinese learners (fourteen male, twenty two female) at the same level of language proficiency were assigned to three groups, experimental group 1 (III), experimental group 2 (PPP) and group 3 (control). The average age of the learners was twenty two and all were taking a three week pre-sessional in academic English. Each experimental group received ten hours of explicit instruction on the target language. The control group received no instruction on the target language. The III group were taught using activities which presented the language in context and encouraged them to notice features of the target language by sensitising them to differences between spoken and written modes of language and by comparing the target language with their first language. This group were not given any practice of the target language in class. The PPP group were taught using activities which presented the language in context, checked meaning and form and provided them with opportunities to practice in class. The hypothesis was tested through the use of a free response speaking test used as a pre-test, an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test of eight weeks. The tests were analysed for the amount of target DMs used and learners were rated for interactive ability, discourse management and global achievement. In addition, diaries kept by each learner in the experimental group and focus group interviews were analysed to assess the extent to which this qualitative data supported or added to the quantitative data. Raw counts of the target DMs and interactive ability, discourse management and global test scores indicated that both experimental groups outperformed the control group in the immediate post-test in terms of the target DMs used but that this was weaker in the delayed test. Raw interactive ability, discourse management and global scores weakened in the immediate post-test but improved in the delayed test, suggesting that the increase in use of target DMs did not have an impact upon these scores. Univariate analysis of the pre- and post-tests, using one-way ANOVAs, indicated statistically significant differences between the experimental PPP group and the control group in terms of a higher mean usage of the target DMs in the immediate post-test, whilst the III group's score did not indicate a statistically significant difference when compared to the PPP and control groups. The analysis of the interactive ability, discourse management and global scores did not demonstrate statistically significant differences between the groups. The qualitative results were analysed with Computer Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS (CAQDAS) software and supported some of the findings from the test results. This data demonstrated that both groups felt that instruction on the target language was of value to them and the PPP group found their method to be generally more useful, which tallied with their better performances on the tests. The III group showed more evidence of having noticed aspects of language, such as the difference between the target language and their first language and how these spoken forms differ from written ones, although both groups displayed some metalinguistic awareness. Both groups were generally in favour of practice within the classroom but also expressed some strong doubts about its usefulness and articulated a desire for a different kind of practice to be used in class, based on rehearsal for real world tasks. This suggested the need to re-conceptualise practice within III, PPP or other teaching frameworks.

There is an ever-increasing demand for higher education in Malaysia. In order to fulfil this demand, the government has introduced numerous measures to expand higher education opportunities. These plans have included the expansion and development of distance education. Prior to the mid-1992, only one public university, i.e., University Sains Malaysia, offered distance learning courses. Presently, six out of the eight public universities are participating in off-campus/distance education schemes. The distance learning courses offered by these universities can be divided into two categories: content courses and language courses. Research into the effectiveness of the distance learning content courses has been undertaken, but so far, no research has been carried out on the distance learning language courses. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the effectiveness of the distance learning English Proficiency Programme of one of these universities, i.e., Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, in meeting the learning needs of the distance learners. This thesis undertakes three studies that investigate the distance learners' conception of their learning styles in learning English, their approaches to studying in general and their perceptions of their English Proficiency Courses. On-campus learners are included to enable a comparison to be made. The thesis adopts an integrated approach comprising both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The instruments used are questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires are adapted from those of Willing's (1988) and Entwistle and Ramsden's studies (1983). The semi- structured interviews are used to elicit information regarding distance learners' views of their English Proficiency Courses. The data are analysed statistically (with the used of SPSS 9.0) as well as qualitatively. The purpose of this research is to devise a strategy for developing a distance learning English as a Second Language programme suitable for university learners in Malaysia and, possibly, to provide insights which might be applicable to other similar contexts.

The aim of this thesis is to provide a detailed account, within a 'systemic' framework of those properties of English sentences containing modal verbs, which will allow us to make predictions about the potential directiveness of some such sentences but not others, about ambiguity of communicative function, and about certain social properties of directives. Part I develops a model suitable for describing all the relevant aspects of modalised directives. We argue that no systemic model so far proposed Is, by itself, adequate for this task. We also show that the communicative function of an utterance is to be accounted for, not at the semantic level, but in terms of discourse function. Illocutionary properties are seen as relevant to the Interpretation of discourse function from the meanings of sentences uttered in contexts. A multi-level model, based on the principles of Hudson's 'daughter dependency' grammar, is proposed. Part II provides descriptions of three areas crucial to an account of modalised directives, using the framework set up in Part I. A network and realisation rules for the discourse level are proposed, and the role of directives in discourse discussed. There follows a formalised account of the semantic properties underlying mood, and the meanings of the modals. In Part III we predict, from the semantics of mood and modalisatlon, which modalised sentences will be acceptable as directives, and which of the acceptable sentences will be classified as orders, requests and suggestions, when used directively In a given social context. We also predict that, again in a given social context, certain forms of directive will be regarded as more polite than others. The results of an informant programme designed to test these hypotheses are then presented, and found to corroborate very strongly the predictions made.

This dissertation arises from an attempt to answer the question whether it is possible to teach conversational skills through literature; and, if 'yes', how any benefit can be made accessible to both privileged and non-privileged sections of society. The stimulus for the present study derives from the view that, in order to develop the capacity of students in the EFL language class, the teaching of language should be taught using literary pieces and should move away from a teacher-centred approach towards a student-centred one. Having used an activity-based and process-oriented integrated approach as a framework, the present study illustrates the impact of the proposed way of literature teaching in an EFL context, specifically in the context of Bangladesh. It is designed to encourage students to experience literary texts directly as a part of a process of meaning creation that develops their thought processes, imaginative faculties and interpretative skills and ultimately has a strong impact on their speaking ability. Such a systematic approach to literature teaching in developing learner's speaking skills, therefore, is likely to enable teachers to have a more student-centred classroom. The present study also utilises the devised teaching activities based on prediction initiating personal growth, in an actual teaching/learning context in a selected research environment and explores students' responses to the proposed approach. The study groups involved in the research consist of two comparable groups: an experimental group (EO) and a control group (CG). The EG was exposed to the proposed teaching approach, whereas the CG followed the usual traditional teaching methods. The data for the study were gathered through interviews, questionnaires, observation sheets and field notes. Qualitative and quantitative investigation techniques were applied to the data and they were compared and contrasted for both the groups. The analyses of the data revealed significant differences between the groups in the nature of the students' responses to the teaching approaches. It was observed that there was a considerable relationship between the teaching methodologies employed in both classes, and levels of motivation, involvement and appreciation of the literary text under study and finally in the development in oral expression. The findings suggested that application of the teaching approach proposed by the study notably changed the classroom dynamics in a positive way.