This thesis concerns the economic dimensions of second language knowledge and acquisition and the economic implications of language policies. The value of the ability to speak and understand a second language depends on the extent to which it enlarges one's communicative sphere which, in turn, depends on the language abilities of others. This implies that second language acquisition decisions are associated with strategic considerations and spillover effects. Consequently, the equilibrium distribution of language skills may not be socially efficient and policy remedies may be called for. The first essay of the thesis investigates the relationship between earnings, second language knowledge and the distribution of language skills in local labour markets in Canada using census data. We estimate the elasticity of local language complementarity in earnings: a parameter that measures the importance of the linguistic environment in the earnings of the individual as well as the importance of language in the economy generally. The second essay addresses the efficiency of second language acquisition decisions in a theoretical model where bilingualism is rewarded with a higher wage for two reasons. First, language skills constitute a form of human capital in the sense that a worker's productivity is positively related to the proportion of the population with whom she shares a language. Second, language skills serve as a signal of productivity to employers. In general, the private and social benefits of bilingualism do not align due to counteracting network and signalling welfare effects. The third essay concerns the role of language policy in improving social outcomes. A tax-subsidy system is considered under various assumptions about the ability of the government or planner to discriminate between individuals and groups. A Pareto improvement is possible if the government can condition the tax-subsidy system on language acquisition costs but not otherwise. The fourth essay considers the optimal provision of public services when individuals' effective consumption of the services depends on their proficiency in the language they are provided in. The planner faces a trade-off between compensating minority language speakers for their lower wages and encouraging their integration by rewarding higher levels of dominant language proficiency. / Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2013-06-06 12:06:34.747

The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinally how a child learner acquired verbal morpho-syntax in Japanese in a naturalistic second language (L2) context. Specifically the points of emergence for three verbal morpho-syntactic structures, namely verbal inflection, the V-te V structure and the passive/causative structure, were investigated within a framework of Processability Theory (PT) (Pienemann, 1998b). The subsequent development of these structures was also examined. Unlike earlier research about morpheme orders and developmental sequences in language acquisition which was criticised because of its apparent lack of theoretical underpinnings, Pienemann's Processability Theory (PT)(1998b) connects the processability of morpho-syntactic structure to linguistic theories. Pienemann also claims that this theory can be used to explain the acquisition of a wide range of morpho-syntactic structures and that it is typologically plausible and applicable to any language. In recent times PT has been extensively tested in a range of languages acquired as an L2, including German, English and Swedish (Pienemann, 1998b; Pienemann & Hakansson, 1999) and Italian and Japanese (Di Biase & Kawaguchi, 2002). The findings from these studies support this theory.

The term heritage language (HL), which only emerged in the context of language policy during the 1990’s, refers to immigrant, refugee, and indigenous languages whose target group of learners have either previously learned the language as a first language (L1) or home language, or have some form of heritage connection to the language (Cummins, 2005). The bilingual nature of these individuals is ambiguous, as variables related to literacy and oral proficiency in the first language are significantly influenced by geographical, cultural, academic, and sociolinguistic factors prevalent to the context in which the speaker is situated. The topic of HL is the subject of a growing number of studies in second language acquisition as well as bilingual education. Given that an increasing number of immigrants from around the world continue to make the United States their place of permanent residence, the country’s educational focus needs to take into account the needs of heritage language learners (HLL), especially as that focus shifts from the exclusive teaching of foreign languages to incorporating the maintenance and linguistic competence of our multilingual inhabitants. / text

The purpose of this study was to examine the persistence of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students at a large multi-campus community college/baccalaureate degree-granting institution in South Florida. The study aimed to determine whether there was a relationship among a specific set of independent variables, background and defining variables (age, enrollment status, prior college education, gender, race, ethnicity, and marital status), academic integration variables (academic goal and first semester GPA), social integration variables (faculty interaction, college facilities and grounds, sense of community, college services, and student life), and environmental variables (family responsibilities, employment status, outside encouragement, and financial aid) and the dependent variable, EAP student persistence. The variables were extrapolated both from student academic transcripts and from an adapted version of the State University of New York (SUNY) Student Opinion Survey-Form A (ACT, 2006). T test and chi square analyses were performed. No relationship was found between any of the independent variables and the dependent variable. The thirteen respondents had high first semester GPA, favorable environmental support, and were socially integrated into the institution. / by Pradel R. Frank. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-68).

When the Bush administration set out to revolutionize public education through the requirements commanded by No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), framers of the legislation chose language that appeared inclusive of all students in U.S. schools. The law demands that English language learners take the mandated exams early in their academic careers in the United States even though research indicates most will fail due to lack of time to acquire sufficient language proficiently to demonstrate their learning on the exams. Viewed through a critical theory lens, the inclusive nature of NCLB is in fact, oppressing ELL students. One district in Texas The study involved ELL students in grades 1-12 in a school district in North Central Texas that uses its family literacy center as an intervention to aid ELL families in English language acquisition. Students fell into three categories: students and parents who attend the family literacy center English classes, students whose parents attend the family literacy center English classes but the students do not attend, and students and parents who do not attend the family literacy center English classes. The quantitative data for the study were reading and math Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) scores of ELL students administered by the district in spring 2005. The independent variable was attendance at the family literacy center English classes. A series of one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) and descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, homogeneity of variance) was applied to the data and significant differences were observed on only two measures of the TELPAS. The qualitative data were phenomenological interviews of teachers at the district-run family literacy center. Data derived from in-depth phenomenological interviews were between August and September 2005.

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Aim – The paper at hand has three aims which are based on the recent adjustments made to the Swedish curriculum which take effect in summer 2018 and stipulate the implementation of digital competence in all subjects. Firstly, the study examines the effect of ICT and digital media/ aids on the WTC and motivation of second language learners. Secondly, a look is taken at how ICT and digital media/ aids are implemented in teaching today and thirdly, the challenges teachers face by the diverse interpretation and definition of the term digital competence and its realization in the classroom are investigated. Design/methodology/approach – The study is a literature review in which recent literature and research papers in the field of ICT in teaching with focus on second language teaching and learning were examined. Findings – According to the results, the author found that the use of ICT and digital media/ aids have a positive effect on the WTC and motivation of second language learners when used appropriately. The challenges teachers face in this respect is a lack of methods and strategies as well as technical support that are needed to successfully implement ICT in their lessons. Especially the lack of technical support is viewed as a time consuming one as it requires teachers to have a back-up-plan which in effect means more lesson planning on their part. Additionally and in regard to the implementation of digital competences in all subjects, teachers are faced with new challenges which comprise a technical; theoretical and didactical knowledge of the term and its practical realization. Due to the recency of the changes made to the curriculum, the investigation of the challenges that present themselves to the teachers open up for new research that can be made in this field.

No description available.