The research presented in this thesis investigated whether second language learners who learn via a familiar orthography (i.e. Pinyin) differed from second language learners who learned via a non-familiar orthography (i.e. Zhuyin) in their perception of English-Mandarin sound contrasts. The assumption was that significant differences in perceptual performances between experimental groups could be attributed to the orthography’s influence in the categorization of Mandarin sounds. Also investigated in this research was the degree of confusability of particular Mandarin sounds based on their relative similarities to their English counterparts. The data were obtained from thirty-two native Canadian English speaking participants through a series of experimental tasks – pre-test > training phase > post-test. The pre- and post-tests assessed the participants’ sensitivities to English-Mandarin contrasts in an oddity discrimination task. Between the two tests, the participants underwent a short training phase where they learnt Mandarin via the orthographic medium assigned to their group. Perceptual performance of the participants was measured in terms of error rates (ER), a-prime (A’) and response times (RT). The hypotheses concerning orthographic influence were not supported by the results. Three-way repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that there were no significant differences in the perceptual performances of the three groups for any of the three measures of the dependent variable. The lack of significant differences is discussed in terms of: 1) the strength of the established L1 orthographic system, 2) the cognitive load placed on the participants, and 3) the insufficient time given for the development of new symbol-sound associations within the new L2 orthographic system. The hypotheses concerning the degree of confusability were confirmed. The statistical analyses revealed three groups of perceptual sensitivity; 1) a highly sensitive group, 2) a slightly sensitive group, and 3) an insensitive group. These results are discussed in terms of acoustic saliency and models of speech processing. This is the first systematic study to investigate the potential influence of the L1 orthographic code on second language speech perception. Two major conclusions were drawn from the results. First, Mandarin instruction via Pinyin appears to have slight advantage over instruction via Zhuyin as the conflict between the two orthographic systems appears to neutralize any potential benefits. Second, participants exhibit varying degrees of perceptual sensitivity to L1-L2 sound contrasts due to the type of differences between the native and nonnative sounds.

The theories of spaced rehearsal have established recurring encounters as a key aspect in vocabulary retention. However, how and how often these review sessions should be scheduled is still a controversial debate. This study reports on a large-scale study at the University of Victoria in the fall of 2008 on Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition (SLVA). Over a period of 13 weeks 117 students practiced 200 German lexical items using a multimodal vocabulary learning web application and research tool ViVo. First, this study contrasted the rehearsal conditions of graduated intervals and uniform spaced intervals studied in 5 practice sessions. Second, it contrasted frequency test conditions. Students who had practiced 2 or 3 times were compared to students who had practiced 4 or 5 times. Results showed no significant difference between uniform interval spacing and graduated interval spacing even though students studying on a uniform practice schedule demonstrated slightly higher test results. With regard to frequency, students practicing 4 or 5 times significantly outperformed those students studying only 2 or 3 times.

This thesis explores ways in which 12 learners of Japanese as a foreign language transform morphologically complex verbs taught as whole words. Written data, collected via a grammar test, and oral data, collected via think-aloud protocols, were used to explore verb-form transformation to the gerund (-te) form. These data were analysed to determine processes participants utilised during derivations. Resulting data indicate participants (1) are largely unaware of morphology, (2) cannot identify consonant-final verb-roots, (3) focus on verb-final characters during categorisation, (4) derive the gerund using prior knowledge – generally grammar rules, (5) link to vocabulary, morphological, phonological, and grammar knowledge during derivations, and (6) differ in performance as measured by the grammar test through utilising types of knowledge differently and in combinations. This implies current pedagogy may not heed learning preferences of learners. This thesis identifies types of knowledge involved during verb transformation tasks and suggests research into task-appropriate lessons.

The purpose of this thesis is to document and analyze the experiences and beliefs of a cross section of the second language Cree learning and teaching community regarding perceived hurdles in Cree language acquisition. Very little applied linguistic research has been done involving indigenous languages in Canada, especially ones focusing on adult learners; as a result this study was conceived of as being exploratory in nature, opening ground for further research. The research questions were as follows: what are the major challenges facing adult second language learners of Cree? And secondly, what are the solutions used by learners to overcome these challenges? Seven participants were interviewed from across western Canada, two learners, three teachers, and two participants who had been heavily involved in both learning and teaching. The interviews covered participants’ history with the language, exploring challenges, learning approaches, and goals. The findings suggested that the most significant challenges facing learners were affective challenges such as anxiety; in addition the nature of resources available to learners and teachers was a significant challenge. The study highlighted the connection between methodologies and challenges, suggesting that challenges which appear specific to a particular language are often instead the result of the methodological approach. It also highlighted some areas of disconnect between teacher and learner views on challenges. This thesis also examines the pedagogical implications of this research. / Graduate / 0279 / 0290 / 0727 / mccreery@uvic.ca

The goal of this thesis is to present a detailed study of the second language acquisition (SLA) of English aspect by native speakers of Slavic languages. A parameterized distinction between English and Slavic aspect is proposed, in order to account for the subtle differences between English and Slavic telic and alelic sentences. Thus the thesis opens a new area of parameter research in SLA and studies in depth the mental representation of aspect in interlanguage. / It is proposed that, the four aspectual classes of verbs (Vendler 1967), viz. accomplishments, achievements, activities and states, can be represented in four different phrase structure templates, projecting from the verb's lexical semantical structure and making reference to the properties of the object. It is argued that the four templates are language universals, and the parameterized distinctions between languages involve the syntactic positions of meaning-based primitive predicates like CAUSE, BECOME and BE (Dowty 1979). It is at this level that the English-Slavic contrast receives an explanation. / Based on the syntax-theoretical treatment of Slavic and English aspect, the them investigates the process of SLA of aspect in Slavic speakers at three levels of proficiency in English: low intermediate, high intermediate and advanced. L2 learners are found to be capable of resetting the aspectual parameter value to the English setting, thus successfully acquiring a property of language almost never taught in language classrooms. / The thesis also studies the acquisition of a cluster of constructions, which syntactic research relates to the English value of the aspectual parameter, and which have been found to appear together in the speech of English children (Snyder & Stromswold 1997): Double Objects, Verb-Particles and Resultatives. Results indicate that every one of these constructions forms part of this aspect-related cluster and that knowledge of aspect and knowledge of the cluster co-occur. / The results of the experimental studies bring new evidence to bear on the theoretical choice between direct access to the L2 value (Epstein, Flynn Martohardjono 1996, Flynn 1996) or starting out the process of acquisition with the L1 value of a parameter (Schwartz & Sprouse 1994, 1996), supporting the latter view.

This thesis examines the L2 acquisition and L1 attrition of aspectual properties in Spanish. Specifically, it investigates preterite versus imperfect distinctions and the ongoing value of the Spanish present tense among English-speaking L2 learners and long-term Spanish immigrants. In contrast to previous research which explains L2 learners’ difficulties as a result of either maturational constraints or morphosyntactic development, this study provides a supplementary explanation focusing on L1 transfer of the semantic patterns of tense morphemes. The study proceeds by comparing data from L2 learners with that of long-term Spanish immigrants. Unlike what is argued for L2 acquisition difficulties, the difficulties immigrants may have with tense and aspect cannot stem solely from impairment reasons. These immigrants acquired the L2 as adults. Therefore, to the extent that L2 learners share similar patterns of errors with adult immigrants, L2 speakers’ difficulties cannot be unequivocally linked to causes related to impairment. Instead, following a selectional approach to aspectual variation (De Swart, 1998), it is argued that transfer of the selectional patterns of tense morphemes offers a more encompassing explanation of the difficulties L2 speakers face with tense and aspect. Data collection involved two truth-value judgment tasks, two acceptability judgment tasks and two elicited production tasks. Twenty long-term immigrants, twenty English-speaking L2 learners of Spanish, and twenty native speakers of Spanish serving as control participants took part in the study. Results show incorrect activation of aspectual patterns by both experimental groups and similar patterns of difficulties in some of the conditions under investigation. I conclude that transfer from the other language offers a more adequate explanation of the difficulties L2 learners face

This study investigated relationships between individual learner differences and the learning of two English structures that differed in their grammatical difficulty. Using a quasi-experimental design, 66 secondary-level learners of English as a foreign language from three intact classes were provided with four hours of instruction on two L2 structures –one considered relatively easy to learn (i.e., past progressive) and the other relatively difficult to learn (i.e. passive construction). The participants were pretested on their knowledge of both structures and posttested immediately after the instruction. Learners’ progress was measured via written grammaticality judgment tests (GJT) and oral production tasks (OPT). The instruments to measure individual learner differences included a computerized language aptitude test, an L1 metalinguistic awareness test, a motivation questionnaire, a backward digit span test, and a learner retrospection questionnaire. The results revealed that aptitude and motivation were the two variables that significantly contributed to learners’ gains with respect to the ‘passive’ and that L1 metalinguistic awareness explained significant variation in learners’ gains regarding the ‘past progressive’. These relationships were observed with learners’ performance on the written but not oral measures. A detailed analysis of the aptitude test components revealed that the grammatical inferencing subtask was significantly related to L2 gains on the ‘passive’ – again only with respect to learners’ performance on the written GJT. The results also revealed that learners with different aptitude profiles (i.e., low, medium, high) benefited differently from instruction on the two target features. High aptitude learners performed better than low aptitude learners on the ‘passive’ as measured by the GJT posttest. With respect to the ‘past progressive’ only learners in the medium aptitude profile group improved significantly on the written GJT. These findings confirm that language aptitude holds a role in language learning but that there are other factors (i.e., motivation and L1 metalinguistic awareness) that also contribute to L2 progress. These results also provide evidence from a classroom-based study that the grammatical difficulty of what is to be learned is a factor in determining what cognitive abilities L2 learners rely on in their efforts to learn a new language.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 676-721). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / 721 leaves, bound in 2 v. ill. 29 cm

<p>This research used diary studies and interviews with five Japanese learners of English to investigate the different affective, cognitive and social factors that affected their learning of English in Cape Town between 2004 and 2005. The findings of this study corroborate arguments put forward by Gardner that factors such as learning goals, learning strategy, attitude, motivation, anxiety, self-confidence and cultural beliefs about communication affect the acquisition of a second language and correlate with one another.</p>

Form-focused instruction makes up an important part of the literature on second language acquisition research. Current approaches to second language instruction have called for an integration of message-focused and form-focused instruction in the L2 classroom. At the same time, a growing interest is the pedagogical applications of form-focused research, which proposes a means of addressing form in the classroom using various instructional options, some of which involve incidental and pre-planned focus on form.This study examined the nature and occurrence of pre-planned and incidental focus on form in two secondary school ESOL classrooms, and what thinking underlay the two teachers' practices in choosing a particular option. The study reports on the methods and approaches that two teachers employed in the context of their own ESOL classrooms, in which form-focused instruction occurred, and explored the extent to which different levels of experience influenced the instructional decisions of two ESOL teachers.The results showed that there was a considerable amount of attention to form in lessons that purported to be 'communicative' and certainly were so. It also became clear that in these classes, a focus-on-form was not just a reactive phenomenon, it was also proactive since the students played an important part in both initiating and responding focus on form episodes. Much of the focus on form that arose was triggered by a problem in using English accurately, not by a problem in communication. That means that, although the lessons were 'communicative', the students regularly paid attention to language for its own sake.It is suggested that both pedagogy and teacher education/development may benefit from a perspective in which both good and not-so-good practice is seen as cognitive and reflective activity.