published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Philosophy

This three-article dissertation emerges from interests in corpus linguistics (CL), corpus-based discourse analysis, and corpus-informed pedagogy for second language (L2) writing classrooms. A brief summary of each article follows: Article #1: Using the localized, place-based discourse of the Rosemont Copper Mine debate of southern Arizona, the first article produces a corpus-based discourse analysis of texts from the primary interest groups involved in the mine proposal. The ecolinguistic analysis details linguistic patterns within the interest groups' texts and discusses how these grammatical and semantic features form rhetorical constellations, i.e. patterns of linguistic features performing a shared rhetorical purpose, within the debate. Findings show that the industry group produces rhetoric of authority, certainty, and dominion through deployment of particular constellations of lexicogrammatical features while the linguistic elements in the environmental advocacy texts construe uncertainty, doubt, aesthetic value, and environmental stewardship. Article #2: The second article details an integration of geographical information system (GIS) and CL techniques with an ecolinguistics-informed analytical framework for the analysis of the same contentious environmental debate from southern Arizona. The application of GIS and CL procedures enabled the mapping of place name mentions present within two interest group corpora as well as the frequency of particular semantic tags and semantic tag sets that co-occur with specific places prominent in the debate. The findings and the GIS visualizations exhibit how different interest groups refer to and represent geographical places within their discourse and how these references to places index ideological positions towards the environment. Article #3: The final article details a study in which twenty-one international students in the second course of an undergraduate writing program sequence at a U.S. university studied the local debate regarding the Rosemont Copper Mine. The participants analyzed texts from two primary interest groups, a local, environmental group and an international mining company, and participated in a series of corpus-aided activities using corpus data derived from texts from the opposing groups. The contrastive analyses made possible through the study of texts and corpus data from the two sharply distinct groups enabled students to notice, analyze, and discuss the meaningful and purposeful variation in word choice and rhetorical strategies present in the texts, the data, and the debate. The article provides a model for how corpus data can be integrated into writing classrooms for advancing students' abilities to analyze language and increase rhetorical awareness. The introductory chapter provides an overview of the Rosemont Copper Mine debate, ecolinguistics, and corpus linguistics. This opening chapter is followed by three articles (corresponding to Chapters 2, 3, and 4), and the dissertation concludes with a discussion of implications of the findings and potential for future research.

In contemporary foreign language pedagogy, effective teaching of intercultural communicative competence cannot be separated from the use of technology. Web 2.0, social media, mobile devices, online and blended learning, and wearing technology have made it nearly impossible to develop effective courses without basing them on the target culture. Teaching culture, however, is not salient in foreign language teaching; it is the most neglected part (Sercu, 2005) and culture has to defend its legitimacy to be integrated in teaching languages, just as Kramsch (1995) put it "...culture, in order to be legitimate, has always had to justify itself" (p. 85). As a result, teachers devote around 20% of their teaching time to teaching culture (Castro, Sercu & García, 2004). In recent years, nevertheless, there has been a shift in understanding, implementing and integrating teaching culture in foreign language settings (Bayyurt, 2006, Chamberlin-Quinlisk, 2012; Gonen & Aglam, 2012; Castro, et. al., 2004; Byram, 2002), but at a slow pace (Castro et al., 2004; Sercu, García, & Castro, 2005). The situation of teaching culture using technology in Arabic is not as advanced as for other foreign languages and the attempts to remedy the problems are limited. Although interest in learning Arabic has noticeably increased in the last twenty years, educational institutions are far from ready to absorb the new enrollments. The lack of the integration of culture and technology in the Arabic teaching context has led to conducting three interrelated studies in this dissertation which investigated: teaching culture in Arabic: Teachers' and learners perspectives; teaching culture in Arabic: learners' perspectives on blended learning setting; and teaching culture in Arabic: Learners' affect of Arabic Hypermedia. The results of the three studies showed that the teachers and the learners understand the important role that culture plays, but statistically significant differences exist between teachers' and learners' views of some of the aspects of culture teaching. The results also show that learners had positive feelings towards the blended setting and the Arabic Hypermedia. Finally, in a call for teaching language as culture using technology, the dissertation suggests practical pedagogical implications for teaching foreign language and Arabic language.

The inclusion of film is becoming ever-more popular in the field of First Year College Writing Classes for NES and NNES students around the country. Many of the reasons for this are self-evident. Film frequently offers a strong emotional appeal to NNES students and more opportunities to access what may otherwise be linguistically inaccessible material (e.g., Stempleski, 1990; Kasper, 2000). In addition, film offers a pleasant alternative to the use of literature in a First Year Writing Class which can often intimidate or discourage many NNES students due to its linguistic complexity (McKay, 1982). What is less clear, however, is how film's inclusion may contribute to the development of academic writing skills in similar or different ways from print texts, such as short stories, poems, and essays. Therefore, this dissertation will compare the benefits and challenges of using film and print texts in a First Year College Writing Class for NNES students. From data gathered from student essays, interviews, surveys, and field notes, the current study addresses the following research questions: (1. What linguistic and rhetorical features characterize the style of academic discourse NES and NNES students produce about films compared to print texts? (2. What challenges do NNES freshman composition students face writing academic essays about films compared to writing about print texts? (3. What academic strategies do they say they use to try to overcome these challenges? Do any academic strategies correspond with particular linguistic and rhetorical features? (4. What are NNES students' opinions regarding watching and writing about films in a university composition class? Do students consider watching and writing about a film comparable as an academic activity to reading and writing about a print text? The study aims to contribute to the field of Second Language Writing literature by considering the impact of the choice of text form, either a movie or a print text, on NNES students' motivation and ability to write academic, college-level essays. Further, it will explore in what ways students' cultural, educational and linguistic backgrounds affect the ways they approach writing about a film and a print text. This knowledge should be especially helpful for Writing Program Administrators and First Year College Writing Teachers for NNES students. It should be noted that, as a result of this dissertation's findings, the researcher has changed his approach toward the use of film in a First Year College Writing class for NNES students. Descriptions of activities the researcher currently uses before and after screening a film are included in the final chapter of this dissertation.

In recent years a paradigm shift has occurred in second language acquisition and applied linguistics, moving away from a monolingual approach toward a multilingual one that emphasizes the social, political, and historical contexts of languages in contact. Scholarly recognition of multilingualism has led to research studies focusing on multilingual practices such as code-switching in a range of contexts and genres, e.g., film, hip hop, advertising and social networking sites. These studies reflect a shift in research focus from spontaneous speech to scripted texts, and also from the communicative to the symbolic function of code-switching, as seen in studies of Mock Spanish (Hill, 1998) and linguistic fetishism (Kelly-Homes, 2005). The emphasis on the symbolic and ideational is reflected in an increased interest in multimodality and how language interacts with other semiotic codes (e.g., visual imagery, gesture, dress, body ornamentation, and soundtrack) to convey messages of identity and ideology. Recently, several scholars have called for an expanded framework that would incorporate systematic multimodal analysis in studies of multilingualism in popular culture texts (Androutsopoulos, 2012; Stamou, 2014). The present study responds to this call with a genre-based project incorporating a sociolinguistic and multimodal studies approach with critical discourse analysis and genre analysis, which focuses on a comparison of three different types of popular culture texts: 1) a bilingual English-Spanish film from the U.S. (From Prada to Nada), 2) multilingual music videos from Japan (by the artist Mona AKA Sad Girl), and 3) a bilingual television ad from the U.S. (by Taco Bell). The study adapts and extends O'Halloran et al.'s (2011) model of multimodal critical discourse analysis based on social semiotic theory (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2001) to examine how semiotic codes work together to either reinforce or challenge racial, linguistic, gender, and age-related stereotypes and dominant discourses. This model draws from Bakhtin's notion of heteroglossia and intertextuality and Barthes' concept of myth to examine how language and other multimodal features at the micro-level interact with macro-level discourses to create multi-layered meanings. The dissertation also explores how creators of popular culture texts utilize intertextual references to convey meaning through multiple semiotic codes and how texts become re-contextualized as they circulate globally. Taking into account the multiplicity of readings by diverse audiences, which in part depend on viewers' familiarity with intertextual references, this study addresses issues of reception by analyzing re-mediatized discussions about the texts in online comments, reviews, and articles, in order to gain added insights into the variety of ways the texts are interpreted. The findings of this study show how multilingual, multimodal features in popular culture texts cross genre, linguistic, national, and ethnic boundaries by means of global (re)circulation and local (re)contextualization through the agency of re-mediatization, which is made possible because of internet technology. In the process of recirculation these features become "semiotic metaphors" (O'Halloran 1999, 2008), representing discourses of identity and ideology which are in turn re-interpreted, influencing the way language, visual images and auditory modes are used to create new meanings in different contexts. By showing how semiotic metaphors cross many different types of borders, this study helps to account for emerging local-global hybrid identities and linguistic hybridization and supports previous calls for a more localized perspective of transnationalism (Lam & Warriner, 2012). Finally, it substantiates the need to move beyond traditional monolingual and monomodal notions of language and culture toward a more multi-dimensional view that transcends traditional boundaries.

Over the years, scholars have gained much insight into language choice and code-switching patterns; however, the research in this area on children and second language (L2) learners has been limited with few exceptions (Fuller, 2009; Potowski, 2004, 2009; Reyes, 2001, 2004; Zentella, 1997). In particular, little research has compared simultaneous (2L1) bilingual children, those who acquired both languages before age three, and sequential (L2) bilingual children, those who learned an additional language after age three. In order to draw these beneficial comparisons, the current dissertation investigates the language choice and code-switching patterns of 2L1 and L2 bilingual children from kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade classrooms of a Spanish immersion program. The data include over 150 hours of participant observation as well as interviews with students, parents, and teachers and a core dataset of 12 hours of fully transcribed spontaneous classroom audio-recordings. The analysis of language choice patterns yields a Dynamic Model of Social Structures which offers a unique venue from which to consider how various social structures impact language choice as well as how individuals enact social identities through linguistic behaviors. The study of the communicative functions reveals that L2 and 2L1 bilingual children alike use Spanish and English for a wide variety of communicative functions. Finally, a study on the grammatical patterns and strategic discourse functions of code-switching reveals that grammatical switch-points of 2L1 and L2 bilingual code-switching are very similar and that L2 bilinguals code-switch for a variety of strategic purposes, not only to compensate for a gap in knowledge. In conclusion, this dissertation provides substantial contributions to several fields. For the field of linguistics, the study reveals that 2L1 and L2 bilingual children exhibit similar grammatical switch points. For sociolinguistics, the Dynamic Model of Social Structures contributes a conceptual tool for the analysis of language choice, which integrates individual language behaviors and social identities. Additionally, a sociolinguistic analysis reveals how 2L1 and L2 bilingual children code-switch for a variety of discursive functions. For the field of education, the results argue for the reconceptualization of code-switching as a resource, demonstrating that code-switching and diverse language choices are used for strategic purposes which often support language learning. In sum, this study sheds light on language choice and code-switching patterns among 2L1 and L2 bilingual children, contributing to the scarce research on this population and allowing a beneficial comparison between the two groups.

Η αξιολόγηση της επίδοσης τόσο των Ελλήνων και όσο και των αλλοδαπών μαθητών κρίνεται αναγκαίο να είναι περισσότερο αντικειμενική και βασισμένη σε κριτήρια ούτως ώστε το σχολείο να προωθεί την ισότητα. Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η αξιολόγηση της επίδοσης στο γλωσσικό μάθημα Ελλήνων και αλλοδαπών μαθητών καθώς και η διερεύνηση της εξελικτικής τους πορείας στις τάξεις του Γυμνασίου. / Τhe performance assessment of Greeks and foreign students is considered necessary to be more subjective and based on criteria so as school promotes equality. The aim of the present essay is the performance assessment in greek language lesson of both Greeks and foreign students as well as the investigation of their progress during secondary education classes.

With rising demand for a workforce that can work cross-culturally (Mangan, 2011; Orahood, Woolf, & Kruze, 2008), it is not surprising that study abroad numbers continue to increase to a range of countries, destinations, and program types (Open Doors, 2012). However, while study abroad is often touted as the ideal means to incite linguistic and cultural competence, the reality of student learning is not a given (Alred & Byram, 2002; de Nooy & Hanna, 2003; Einbeck, 2002; Freed, 1995; Kearney, 2010; Kinginger, 2008; Kinginger, 2009; Rivers, 1998; Wilkinson, 2000). If higher education wishes to endorse study abroad as a means to acquire the crucial knowledge, skills, and attitudes of a globalized workforce (Miller, 2009), it is imperative that colleges and universities promote and integrate study abroad into the curriculum to foster the development of 21st century global citizens. In order to examine what businesses actually valued in hiring, Trooboff, Vande Berg, and Rayman (2007) surveyed employers and found not only that they valued study abroad as a form of international education, but also that they specifically valued many intercultural skills. However, on average, the respondents did not believe that studying abroad led to the enhancement of these skills, echoing the dominant discourse of study abroad being a frivolous endeavor for wealthy white women (Gore, 2005). Trooboff et al. (2007) noted that students need to be better trained to translate their experiences for their potential employers. In a similar vein, Root and Ngampornchai (2012) recommended that students be trained in intercultural communication to better help them articulate their learning. Nevertheless, Deardorff (2008) noted that intercultural training should not be limited to pre-departure orientation, but that a series of workshops or even a course could help address intercultural learning needs. While a number of courses of this nature have been offered either before departure or upon return (eg. With rising demand for a workforce that can work cross-culturally (Mangan, 2011; Orahood, Woolf, & Kruze, 2008), it is not surprising that study abroad numbers continue to increase to a range of countries, destinations, and program types (Open Doors, 2012). However, while study abroad is often touted as the ideal means to incite linguistic and cultural competence, the reality of student learning is not a given (Alred & Byram, 2002; de Nooy & Hanna, 2003; Einbeck, 2002; Freed, 1995; Kearney, 2010; Kinginger, 2008; Kinginger, 2009; Rivers, 1998; Wilkinson, 2000). If higher education wishes to endorse study abroad as a means to acquire the crucial knowledge, skills, and attitudes of a globalized workforce (Miller, 2009), it is imperative that colleges and universities promote and integrate study abroad into the curriculum to foster the development of 21st century global citizens. In order to examine what businesses actually valued in hiring, Trooboff, Vande Berg, and Rayman (2007) surveyed employers and found not only that they valued study abroad as a form of international education, but also that they specifically valued many intercultural skills. However, on average, the respondents did not believe that studying abroad led to the enhancement of these skills, echoing the dominant discourse of study abroad being a frivolous endeavor for wealthy white women (Gore, 2005). Trooboff et al. (2007) noted that students need to be better trained to translate their experiences for their potential employers. In a similar vein, Root and Ngampornchai (2012) recommended that students be trained in intercultural communication to better help them articulate their learning. Nevertheless, Deardorff (2008) noted that intercultural training should not be limited to pre-departure orientation, but that a series of workshops or even a course could help address intercultural learning needs. While a number of courses of this nature have been offered either before departure or upon return (eg. Brewer & Solberg, 2009; Downey, 2005), it appears that only one study to date examined the process of intercultural learning as it relates to study abroad (Anderson & Cunningham, 2009). The current study attempts to fill the gap in research by examining the effectiveness of a three-credit general education course in intercultural communication on the process of becoming interculturally competent. Additionally, it also examined the ability of post-study abroad students who enrolled in this course to articulate what they had learned while abroad in comparison with post-study abroad students who had not enrolled in the course. While most of the students (n = 33) participating in this study had enrolled in the course in intercultural communication were preparing to study abroad, there were also a number of participating students (n = 6) who had previously studied abroad. In this mixed-methods research, whose findings are reported in three separate, yet related, articles, answers to the following research questions were sought: 1. How does intercultural competence develop in post-study abroad students over the span of a semester-long course focused on the development of intercultural communication skills through critical reflection? The first article of this dissertation examines the process of unpacking the study abroad experience two students went through upon return to the home campus through the lens of experiential learning (Kolb, 1984), transformative learning (Mezirow, 2000), and ethnocentric versus ethnorelative worldviews (Bennett, 1993). The second article uses these same frameworks to investigate the learning process for four pre-study abroad students enrolled in this same course to answer the question: 2. Are there noticeable differences in the development of intercultural competence in pre-study abroad students who are enrolled in a semester-long course focused on the development of intercultural competence? Lastly, the third article examines how post-study abroad students articulated their learning abroad differently by answering the question: 3. Are post-study abroad

No description available.

This sociolinguistic study examines the functions and motivations of code-switching, which is used here to mean the use of more than one language in the same conversation. The conversations studied here take place in a very particular context: one-on-one speaking sessions in a study abroad program in Morocco where English is the L1 and Arabic the L2 of the students, and the opposite applies to their speaking partners. The conversations in this study are conducted in Arabic, and the study focuses on code-switching from Arabic to English in spite of whether the L1 of the speaker is Arabic or English. The functions of code-switching in this study are examined from the perspective of two well-known competing sociolinguistic approaches to code-switching: (1) the markedness model (Myers-Scotton, 1993, 1998; Myers-Scotton and Bolonyai, 2001), based on micro and macro-levels of analysis, and (2) the conversational code-switching approach (Auer, 1984, 1995, 1998; Li Wei 2002), based on micro-levels of analysis. Application of the markedness model showed that marked instances of code-switching were used for a variety of functions, such as (1) strengthening solidarity between speakers; (2) taking care of business and show seriousness and authority; (3) adding aesthetic effects; and (4) playing with words for the sake of joking. The model also showed that unmarked switches served different functions such as (1) requesting the meaning of vocabulary and expressions; (2) asking for accommodation (repetition and speaking slower); (3) bridging a communication gap; (4) and providing expressions and the meaning of vocabulary when circumlocution does not work. The conversational code-switching approach revealed the following functions of code-switching: (1) quotations and reported speech; (2) reiteration (for clarification); (3) change of participant constellation (selection of addressee); (4) language play; and (5) language negotiation. Both approaches proved effective in analyzing the Arabic-English data in this study. However, the analysis shows that the markedness model has an advantage over the conversational code-switching approach. The data shows evidence that speakers' choices are based on rationality rather than on sequential structure. Participants code-switch based on their own goals and what linguistic codes are available to them to achieve these goals.