published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

A student's proficiency in a language is usually assessed by measuring his competence in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing. Foreign language training programs differ in the emphases placed on the development of each of these four basic language skills. Some of these differences are directly related to the specific needs of particular student populations while others are related to the method of instruction the teacher has adopted. [...]

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published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

Thesis (MEd (Faculty of Education and Social Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / This study emphasized the important role of phonological and phonemic awareness and understanding of letter-sound correspondence in elementary reading in a grade 1 class. The importance of preparatory activities preceding reading is strongly emphasized when looking at strategies for delays to cope in beginning reading. The ability of learners to develop auditory and visual perceptions and discernment between sounds and sound patterns are described as predictors of successful reading. Early and continuous monitoring of initial reading skills are an important aspect to reduce and prevent reading barriers. Action Research is conducted in a grade 1 class with learners who have not received grade R instruction and who at age 5 ½ years already enrolled at the school. The learners are young and do not receive enough stimulation at home. They already show barriers to learning in the effective use of language and learning with school entry. Due to the large backlogs of these learners the focus is on phonological awareness and phonemic awareness in elementary reading of the young child. The development of phonological and phonemic awareness and the organization and importance of teaching phonics in context, as a method of reading to strengthen skills at grade 1 learner in a poor language environment is investigated. A variety of teaching strategies in reading approaches is investigated in the study. The findings of the effect of phonological awareness and phonemic awareness in elementary reading are discussed. Learning Programmes such as the ‘Foundation for Learning’ of the National Department of Education (DoE) introduced to schools should be taught thoroughly. The view of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED 2006: 3) who expressed the approach to Literacy as “explicit teaching of phonics within a balanced approach to reading” is held. This approach allows major challenges to educators and learners in a poor language environment. Educators' methodology of teaching reading should be adjusted and should be focused on the teaching of phonics in context to maintain a balance between phonic and balanced approach to reading.

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.

Lam Wai Yung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-133). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / Table of contents --- p.v / Chapter Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1 .1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purposes of The Study --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1 --- Phonological Awareness and Reading --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Word recognition and reading --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Relationship between phonological awareness and reading performance --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- Two Views About Levels of Phonological Awareness --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Linear view of levels of phonological awareness --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Hierarchical view of levels of phonological awareness --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- Measurement of Phonological Awareness --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Various task types --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Various levels of difficulty of phonological tasks --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Task analysis studies --- p.23 / Chapter 2.4 --- Development of Levels of Phonological Awareness --- p.26 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Developmental sequence of phonological awareness --- p.26 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Underlying reasons for the sequential development --- p.29 / Chapter 2.5 --- Levels of Phonological Awareness and Reading --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Syllable awareness and English reading --- p.31 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Phoneme awareness and English reading --- p.32 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Onset-rime awareness and English reading --- p.34 / Chapter 2.6 --- Chinese Reading English as A Second Language --- p.39 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Orthographic and phonological differences between Chinese and English --- p.39 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Influence of learning Chinese on phonological awareness - --- p.41 / Chapter 2.6.3 --- Phonological awareness development in Chinese children - --- p.44 / Chapter 2.6.4 --- Effects of first language learning on reading English --- p.49 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- METHOD --- p.54 / Chapter 3.1 --- Subjects --- p.54 / Chapter 3.2 --- Tasks --- p.55 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Syllable level tasks --- p.57 / Chapter 3.2.1.1 --- Syllable detection --- p.57 / Chapter 3.2.1.2 --- Syllable deletion --- p.58 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Onset-rime level tasks --- p.58 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Onset-rime detection --- p.58 / Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Onset-rime deletion - --- p.59 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Phoneme level tasks --- p.60 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Phoneme detection --- p.60 / Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- Phoneme deletion - --- p.61 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Word recognition test --- p.62 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- The Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices --- p.62 / Chapter 3.3 --- Procedure --- p.63 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- RESULTS --- p.64 / Chapter 4.1 --- Descriptive Data --- p.64 / Chapter 4.2 --- Patterns of Phonological Awareness --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- The performance of three graders in the tasks of three levels of phonological awareness --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Patterns of phonological development --- p.76 / Chapter 4.3 --- Measuring Phonological Awareness: Detection Vs. Deletion --- p.82 / Chapter 4.4 --- Predicting English Word Reading Performance --- p.92 / Chapter 4.5 --- Summary of Results --- p.95 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- DISCUSSION --- p.98 / Chapter 5.1 --- Patterns of Phonological Awareness --- p.98 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Progressive development in phonological awareness over grade --- p.98 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- The characteristics of phonological development in Hong Kong children --- p.103 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Developmental progression from large via medium to small units --- p.107 / Chapter 5.2 --- Measurement of Phonological Awareness --- p.110 / Chapter 5.3 --- Phonological Awareness and Word Reading --- p.114 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.120 / Chapter 6.1 --- Major Findings --- p.120 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Patterns of phonological awareness --- p.120 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Measurement of phonological awareness --- p.120 / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Phonological awareness in predicting English reading --- p.121 / Chapter 6.2 --- Limitations --- p.122 / Chapter 6.3 --- Implications and Recommendations --- p.123 / Chapter 5.6.1 --- Pedagogical implications --- p.123 / Chapter 5.6.2 --- Future research recommendations --- p.124 / References --- p.126 / Appendixes --- p.134

This study investigated whether East Asian learners of English (n=8) studying in the US acquired more accurate intonation patterns (compared to native-speaker norms) after receiving five weeks of tutoring focusing on four basic intonation patterns (definite statements, wh-questions, yes/no questions, and tag questions) and using oral reading as the primary practice technique. The study also assessed the students' affective reaction to the teaching method through interviews. The study found that the learners significantly improved their intonational accuracy (based on the judgments of three native speakers who listened to single-sentence recordings [n=868] from questionnaires, exit interviews, and pre- and post-tests) and that they were generally amenable to the teaching technique.