This study tested the hypotheses that phonological memory contributes to vocabulary and grammatical development in young Spanish-English bilinguals, and that the relation between phonological memory and both vocabulary and grammar is language-specific. Phonological memory skill was the percentage of consonants correctly repeated (PCC) in English, and Spanish Nonword Repetition (NWR) tasks at 22 months. Vocabulary size and grammatical complexity were measured at 25 months using the English and Spanish versions for the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories. Nonword repetition accuracy was significantly related to both subsequent vocabulary size and grammatical complexity within and across languages after controlling for the percentage of input in English. The relations were not significantly higher within than between languages. The results suggest that in these young Spanish-English simultaneous bilinguals phonological memory is a language-general ability that contributes to the development of vocabulary and grammar in both English and Spanish. / by Marisol Parra. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

by Li Fuyin. / "December 2002." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-276). / 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 Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

In this thesis I explore the phonological nature of newly acquired perceptual representations by highly proficient late-learners of English whose L1 is Spanish, specifically in the case where two different L2 sounds are being initially mapped onto the same L1 category. I claim that these perceptual representations are not phonemic; rather, what these learners acquire are phonetic representations that can be discriminable under certain conditions in a manner similar to that of native speakers, but that are nevertheless identified as tokens of the same L1 category. Since speech perception is a categorisation process where the acoustic input is mapped onto the existing phonemic categories, then late-learners will use their L1 representations when perceiving acoustic input; and will therefore have no need to create new perceptual categories. An alternative hypothesis holds that late-learners can bootstrap new perceptual categories by means of UG access, which allows them to bypass the default categorisation process and notice the difference between their L1 categories and the actual L2 input, so that new perceptual categories can be created. This thesis focuses on the acquisition of the perceptual contrast between the open-mid back unrounded vowel /2/ and the low back unrounded vowel /A/, both of which are mapped onto the same L1 perceptual category /a/. Two experiments were conducted. Subjects were divided in three groups: one of native speakers (NS), a group of highly proficient nonnative speakers of English with Spanish as L1 (NNS-A), and a group of L1 Spanish speakers who were nonproficient in English (NNS-B). The experiments included identification, discrimination and rating tasks along synthesised /A - 2/ vowel continua (7-step and 5-step). The results showed that unlike the NS group, both groups of nonnative speakers categorised the tokens along the /2 - A/ continuum randomly when using L2-like labels; and showing a strong preference towards /a/ when using L1-like labels. Discrimination, on the other hand, differed according to the task: discrimination of adjacent tokens yielded similar results across the three groups, but nonadjacent tokens showed that the NNS-A group is more sensitive than the NNS-B group and less sensitive than the NS group. Finally, prototypicality ratings showed that while NS considered the endpoints of the continuum as good exemplars of the categories /A/ and /2/, both groups of nonnative speakers rated all tokens along the continuum as equally good instances of /a/. From these results I conclude that while late-learners of L2 English do not create new phonemic categories for /A/ and /2/, they are able to perceive a difference that nevertheless does not seem to be enough to create a category split. These findings have implications for a theory of learnability in SLA, since it suggests that latelearners have partial access to UG insofar as input alone leads to learning within the phonetic domain but not to creation of new phonemic categories.

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Kong, Ying Yuk. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-142). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter CHAPTER ONE: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO: --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.4 / Chapter 2.2 --- Corrective Feedback --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Focus on Form (FonF) --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Different Forms of Corrective Feedback --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- The Role of Corrective Feedback in SLA --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Summary --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3 --- Interaction and Language Development --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Input during Interaction and SLA --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Output during Interaction and SLA --- p.17 / Chapter 2.4 --- Definition(s) of Recasts --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Long's Definition of Recasts (2007) --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Other Forms of Recasts in Classroom Settings --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Summary --- p.21 / Chapter 2.5 --- The Supporting Side FOR the Role of Recasts --- p.21 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- High Frequency of Occurrence --- p.21 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Increase Learners' Noticing --- p.22 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Empirical Support --- p.23 / Chapter 2.6 --- The Opposing Side AGAINST the Role of Recasts in SLA --- p.23 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Recasts and its Ambiguity --- p.23 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Recasts， Repair and Uptake --- p.24 / Chapter 2.6.3 --- Summary --- p.28 / Chapter 2.7 --- Recasts and its Saliency --- p.29 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- General Overview of the Forms of Recasts in Previous Studies --- p.29 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- : Doughty and Varela (1998) --- p.30 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- Leeman (2003) --- p.31 / Chapter 2.7.4 --- Lowen and Philp's Study (2006) --- p.34 / Chapter 2.7.5 --- Summary --- p.35 / Chapter 2.8 --- Noticing and SLA --- p.35 / Chapter 2.8.1 --- Attention，Noticing and Understanding --- p.36 / Chapter 2.8.2 --- Difficulty in Operationalizing 'Noticing' --- p.38 / Chapter 2.8.3 --- Summary: Saliency of Recasts，Noticing and Uptake --- p.40 / Chapter 2.9 --- The Notion of Learnability --- p.41 / Chapter 2.9.1 --- Processability Theory (PT) --- p.41 / Chapter 2.9.2 --- Relationship between Learnability and Provision of Feedback --- p.44 / Chapter 2.10 --- Pilot Study (2007) --- p.45 / Chapter 2.10.1 --- The Aim of the Pilot Study --- p.45 / Chapter 2.10.2 --- Methods --- p.45 / Chapter 2.10.3 --- General Results and Discussions --- p.47 / Chapter 2.10.4 --- Modification of the Instrumentation --- p.49 / Chapter 2.10.5 --- Summary --- p.50 / Chapter 2.11 --- Research Questions --- p.51 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- METHODOLOGY --- p.54 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.54 / Chapter 3.2 --- Participants --- p.54 / Chapter 3.3 --- Target Structure --- p.55 / Chapter 3.4 --- Materials --- p.56 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Testing Tasks --- p.56 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Treatment Tasks --- p.57 / Chapter 3.4.3. --- Others --- p.58 / Chapter 3.5 --- Design --- p.58 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Salient Recasts vs. Non-Salient Recasts --- p.58 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Participants ´ة Developmental Level --- p.59 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Participants ' Responses to Recasts --- p.60 / Chapter 3.6 --- Procedures --- p.61 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Pre-Test --- p.62 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Treatments --- p.63 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Post-Test and Delayed Post-Test --- p.63 / Chapter 3.7 --- Data Processing --- p.64 / Chapter 3.8 --- Data Analysis --- p.65 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- GENERAL STATISTICAL RESULTS FROM SPSS --- p.66 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2 --- General Results --- p.67 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- General Mean Scores of the Testing Tasks --- p.67 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Participants ' Responses to Recasts --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3 --- Answer to Research Question 1 --- p.77 / Chapter 4.4 --- Answer to Research Question 2 --- p.84 / Chapter 4.5 --- Answer to Research Question 3 --- p.89 / Chapter 4.6 --- Answer to Research Question 4 --- p.97 / Chapter 4.7 --- Conclusion --- p.100 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- DISCUSSION --- p.103 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.103 / Chapter 5.2 --- Discussion about Each Research Question --- p.103 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Discussion about Research Question 1 --- p.104 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Discussion about Research Question 2 --- p.108 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Discussion about Research Question 3 --- p.111 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Discussion about Research Question 4 --- p.116 / Chapter 5.3 --- "Input Saliency, Uptake, Noticing and Long-term Memory" --- p.119 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Input Saliency vs. Noticing --- p.120 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Input Saliency vs. Uptake vs. Noticing --- p.123 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Input Saliency vs. Input´ةs Long-term Memory --- p.124 / Chapter 5.4 --- Conclusion --- p.126 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX --- "PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS, LIMITATION AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH" --- p.127 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.127 / Chapter 6.2 --- Pedagogical Implications --- p.127 / Chapter 6.3 --- Limitations of the Current Study --- p.131 / Chapter 6.4 --- Suggestions for Future Research --- p.133 / REFERENCES --- p.135 / APPENDIX I TESTINF TASK / APPENDIX II TREATMENT TASK / APPENDEX III-VIII SPSS Outputs

Thesis (M. A. (English Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2003 / Refer to the document

Writing instruction and assessment in foreign language courses have traditionally relied on independent writing tasks, which require learners to compose essays in response to short prompts. Concerns with the limitations of independent writing tasks (e.g., inauthenticity) have resulted in increased interest in integrated/source-based writing tasks. Integrated writing tasks require learners to use sources in their writing and thus resemble academic writing more closely than do independent writing tasks. A review of the research literature has revealed a significant lack of studies investigating both composing processes and written products in response to integrated writing tasks, French as a second language writing, source-based writing on a computer, and the use of modalities other than print sources (e.g., visual and audio sources). This study addresses the identified research gaps by investigating French learners’ composing processes, written products, and perceptions in response to an integrated writing task in which the participants read a passage, visually examine a graph, listen to an audio recording, and then write a persuasive essay based on the three sources. Participants were 38 university students enrolled in third-year French language courses. Data included think-aloud protocols, screen recordings, notes, essays, questionnaire responses, and interviews. Data analysis focused on (a) composing processes and time allocated to them; (b) total amount, location, attribution, and degree of transformation of language integrated from the sources into the essays; and (c) perceptions of the integrated writing task and source use. Results indicate that the French learners actively interacted with the sources and integrated them into their writing in a variety of ways. Despite a relatively high percentage of the total amount of textual borrowing in the essays, the participants’ tendency to acknowledge and transform language from the sources pointed to their developing abilities and skills in appropriate source use. Most students liked writing an essay in response to the integrated writing task and viewed the three sources as valuable resources for language, content, and organization. Finally, pedagogical implications for student writing in upper-level foreign language courses are discussed. By incorporating integrated writing tasks along with traditional independent writing tasks, instructors can diversify their practices in writing instruction and assessment, increase the authenticity of writing tasks, and prepare students for their future foreign language courses, academic studies, and professional pursuits.

Using interpretive qualitative research methods, this dissertation study examines how a telecollaboration in a social networking site affects learners’ intercultural competence development. In particular, it explores the changes in learners’ understanding of the concept of culture, as well as their understanding of their own and target cultures. Additionally, this study investigates what role the medium of the exchange plays in the project. Finally, it analyzes three individual learners’ experiences in an online intercultural exchange. Two intact classes of college-level language learners—U.S. students learning Spanish and Colombian students learning English—participated in an eight-week telecollaboration using Facebook. Each week students shared information about their own culture and reacted to the posts about the target culture made by the students in the partner class. This study analyzed 14 U.S. students’ experiences and learning, based on their pre- and post-telecollaboration questionnaires, reflexive portfolios, and pre- and post-telecollaboration one-on-one interviews. Data analysis demonstrated that the participants experienced a notable development in their intercultural competence. In particular, participants showed a more detailed understanding of the concept of culture, as well as the reasons for cultural learning and awareness. The activity of explaining their own culture to foreigners led the participants to an ongoing analysis of their own culture and, therefore, facilitated development in their understanding of the home culture. Specifically, participants were able to take a critical stance in their analysis and evaluate their own culture from the position of an outsider. Finally, participants gained knowledge about Colombian culture and developed an ability to analyze cultural products and practices, as well as infer information about cultural perspectives from that analysis. In general, the telecollaboration enabled participants to develop critical cultural awareness and change their worldviews from more ethnocentric to more ethnorelative. In regard to the use of Facebook, this popular social networking site proved to be uniquely suitable for a telecollaboration. It gave the participants an opportunity to create a personal learning environment that was accessible whenever and wherever they needed it. It also facilitated a bridging between participants’ learning and leisure online activities. The three case studies demonstrated that while any type of learner can benefit from telecollaboration, their experiences and the degree of intercultural competence development are individual. In addition, the development of intercultural competence appeared to be non-linear, which demonstrates the difficulty of its assessment. Based on the findings, the researcher concludes that telecollaboration facilitates the development of intercultural competence and, thus, is an effective way of addressing the challenge of culture instruction in foreign language courses. Additionally, the unique properties of social networking sites make them an easily accessible platform for telecollaboration projects.