This paper examines how the attitudes are towards the English education, in a school, among pupils in ninth, eighth, and sixth grade, and if monolingual and bilingual pupils feel that they have any advantages or disadvantages when learning English. This study also describes how teachers influence and establish attitudes among their pupils towards the English education.Both questionnaires and interviews were used in order to collect data valuable for the research questions. The results are thereafter discussed in relation to relevant background information, for example Gardner's (1991) theory about attitudes towards language learning and Ladberg's (1994) theory about second language learning and bilingualism.The results show that pupils' attitudes influence on the English education, that teachers' attitudes influence and establish pupils' attitudes towards the language learning, and that many of the bilingual pupils feel that they have advantages when learning English.

nÃo hà / Nas Ãltimas dÃcadas, especialmente no Brasil, houve um crescimento no interesse sobre aquisiÃÃo de outras lÃnguas estrangeiras alÃm do inglÃs. Tal interesse tem incentivado diversas pesquisas acerca do Multilinguismo. Considerando a complexidade do processo de aquisiÃÃo de lÃnguas, nos indagamos acerca de que forma a aquisiÃÃo de uma lÃngua estrangeira à afetada pela familiaridade com outra lÃngua estrangeira em momento anterior ao inÃcio do processo de aquisiÃÃo dessa nova lÃngua. Em outras palavras, nos questionamos sobre as similaridades e diferenÃas no processo de aquisiÃÃo da lÃngua inglesa por aprendizes que jà haviam estudado outra(s) lÃngua(s) estrangeira(s) anteriormente e por aqueles para quem o inglÃs era a primeira lÃngua estrangeira a ser estudada. A partir desses questionamentos e apoiados nos estudos de aquisiÃÃo de segunda lÃngua de Swain (1985), Chomsky (1959), Ellis (1975) e Selinker (2008), de aquisiÃÃo de terceira e outras lÃnguas de Cenoz (2001, 2002 e 2008), Jessner (2007) e Hammarberg (1998), nos conceitos de InterlÃngua de Selinker (1972) e Sharwood (1994) e de TransferÃncia LinguÃstica de Odlin (1989), Boechat (2008), Brito (2008) e Corder (1983), buscamos identificar e diagnosticar os tipos de erros cometidos, no uso dos pronomes pessoais e possessivos do inglÃs, por aprendizes dessa lÃngua como primeira lÃngua estrangeira e por aqueles que jà tinham familiaridade com outra(s) lÃngua(s). Delineamos uma pesquisa quali-quantitativa, que analisou os resultados obtidos em duas tarefas escritas â uma controlada de mÃltipla escolha e outra livre de produÃÃo textual â por aprendizes de inglÃs em trÃs nÃveis de proficiÃncia linguÃstica: bÃsico (Semestre II), prÃ-intermediÃrio (Semestre IV) e intermediÃrio (Semestre VI), da Casa de Cultura BritÃnica, subdividos em dois grupos: aprendizes de inglÃs como primeira LE e aprendizes de inglÃs como segunda LE. Para cada grupo (com base no nÃvel de proficiÃncia) e sub-grupo (os que jà tinham estudado uma outra lÃngua estrangeira e os que nunca tinham estudado outra lÃngua) foram contabilizados o nÃmero e os tipos de erros cometidos em cada uma das tarefas. Os resultados obtidos na tarefa controlada permitiram-nos constatar que a porcentagem de erros diminuiu, de modo geral, do semestre II para o semestre VI. Os erros dos grupos sem LE anterior e os dos grupos com LE anterior tambÃm diminuÃram de um semestre para o outro. A comparaÃÃo dos erros cometidos pelo grupo de aprendizes com LE anterior nos trÃs semestres estudados revelou que houve uma diminuiÃÃo na porcentagem de erros cometidos por esse grupo em relaÃÃo ao grupo que nÃo havia estudado outra lÃngua estrangeira antes do inglÃs, diminuindo tambÃm de um semestre para outro. Entretanto, o teste de Wilcoxon comparando os resultados, por participantes, de cada grupo nos trÃs semestres, demonstrou que as diferenÃas sÃo significativas apenas no semestre II, o que nos diz que ter uma lÃngua estrangeira prÃvia ajuda na aquisiÃÃo dos pronomes pessoais e possessivos no inÃcio do estudo, mas nÃo à muito significativo nos semestres seguintes; assim, nÃo nos à permitido tecer generalizaÃÃes acerca dessas diferenÃas para outros grupos. A anÃlise das produÃÃes textuais revelou que, nos trÃs semestres analisados, o erro mais recorrente foi o de apagamento de sujeito, possivelmente tanto como consequÃncia da influÃncia da lÃngua materna como do carÃter pro-drop do pronome sujeito das lÃnguas anteriormente estudadas pelos participantes dos grupos com LE. Os pronomes mais comumente apagados nas produÃÃes foram os do caso reto: I, primeira pessoa singular; IT, neutro, terceira pessoa singular; e SHE e HE, terceira pessoa do singular. Os casos encontrados de erros de inserÃÃo corresponderam ao uso irregular do pronome IT. Jà os erros de substituiÃÃo ocorreram pela troca do pronome oblÃquo pelo do caso reto, troca do pronome possessivo pelo do caso reto, pronome possessivo pelo pronome oblÃquo, pronome do caso reto pelo oblÃquo e pronome possessivo por outro possessivo, mas de outra pessoa. Em suma, podemos concluir que o conhecimento de outras regras de uso pronominal e o contato com outra lÃngua estrangeira à capaz de fazer o aprendiz, no mÃnimo, refletir sobre regras de uso da nova LE e fazer uso de estratÃgias de aprendizagem. Enquanto os erros que ocorreram no grupo sem LE anterior podem, em sua maioria, ser explicados pela transferÃncia da lÃngua materna, no grupo com LE anterior, os erros podem, em sua maioria, ser explicados pelo conhecimento e transferÃncia de estruturas pronominais da LE anterior para o inglÃs. / In the last decades, especially in Brazil, there has been a growing interest in learning other foreign languages besides English. This interest has led to research on Multilingualism, which, in turn, has increased the number of studies on the mental processes involved in the acquisition of one or more foreign languages. The purpose of this study was to investigate the similarities and the differences in the process of learning English by Brazilians who had already studied other foreign languages prior to English and by those to whom English was the first foreign language to be studied. This study was based on the studies of: second language acquisition by Swain (1985), Chomsky (1959), Ellis (1975) and Selinker (2008); acquisition of a third or other languages by Cenoz (2001, 2002 and 2008), Jessner (2007) and Hammarberg (1998); Interlanguage by Selinker (1972) and Sharwood (1994); and Linguistic Transference by Odlin (1989), Boechat (2008), Brito (2008) and Corder (1983). The research aimed at identifying and classifying the types of errors made in the use of personal pronouns and possessive adjectives in English by language learners for whom English was their first foreign language and by language learners who had previously studied another foreign language. This quali-quantitative study examined the results obtained from the completion of two different tasks â a controlled multiple-choice task and a written composition â by learners of English at three different proficiency levels â basic (Semester II), pre-intermediate (Semester IV) and intermediate (Semester VI) â in Casa de Cultura BritÃnica (an outreach program of the Federal University of CearÃ), divided into two groups: learners of English as first foreign language and learners of English as a second/third foreign language. For each group (based on the level of proficiency) and sub-group (distinguished by having studied another foreign language prior to English or not), the number and the type of errors made in the completion of the two tasks were analyzed. The results obtained from the multiple-choice task indicate that the percentage of errors decreased from Semester II to Semester VI. The errors made by both groups â the ones that had not studied a foreign language prior to English and the ones that had studied another foreign language prior to English decreased from one semester to another. The comparison of the errors made by the groups that had studied another foreign language prior to English in the three semesters also suggests a decrease in the number of errors made by the groups in relation to years of study. However, the Wilcoxon test comparing the results among the participants of each group in the three semesters demonstrated that the differences are only significant in semester II, which tells us that having a previous foreign language helps in the acquisition of subject and possessive pronouns at the beginning of the learning process, but it is not very significant in the following semesters. Therefore, is not possible to make generalizations of these differences to other groups.The analysis of compositions written by the two groups in the three semesters identified the omission of the subject pronoun as the most frequent error, possibly because of the influence of the learnersâ native language, Portuguese, which allows for the ellipsis of the subject of a sentence. The learners in the group that had studied another foreign language prior to English had either studied Spanish or Italian which also permit the ellipsis of the subject. The most frequently omitted pronouns were I, followed by IT, SHE and HE. Insertion errors occurred by inserting the pronoun IT when it was unnecessary. Substitution errors were made in the following situations: exchanging the object pronoun for the subject pronoun, using the possessive adjective in place of the subject pronoun or the object pronoun. Overall results indicate that knowledge of the rules for pronoun use in other languages and familiarity with the process of acquiring another language aided learners in the selection and use of grammatical structures. Errors made by the group who had not studied another language prior to English can be attributed to the transference of grammatical structures from the native language to the foreign language being learned, while errors made by those who had studied another foreign language can be the result of the transference of grammatical structures from the previously studied foreign language to the one being learned.

This study investigates whether it is possible and necessary to acquire a second and third language simultaneously in our present multicultural, multilingual South Africa with its eleven official languages. The qualitative, descriptive empirical research was executed for the duration of the first school term within a multiracial grade four class at Richmond Primary School in KwaZulu Natal. Afrikaans and Zulu were taught in separate periods, simultaneously, for the exact number oflessons per week, with the exact same content, method and teacher. The success ofthe research, rested on maintaining absolute reality within the normal daily routine of the school day, in order to see if it is possible to acquire two languages simultaneously. The very positive outcomes of this research cannot be generalized, but rather indicate possible tendencies that it is indeed possible to acquire two languages simultaneously. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

This study investigates whether it is possible and necessary to acquire a second and third language simultaneously in our present multicultural, multilingual South Africa with its eleven official languages. The qualitative, descriptive empirical research was executed for the duration of the first school term within a multiracial grade four class at Richmond Primary School in KwaZulu Natal. Afrikaans and Zulu were taught in separate periods, simultaneously, for the exact number oflessons per week, with the exact same content, method and teacher. The success ofthe research, rested on maintaining absolute reality within the normal daily routine of the school day, in order to see if it is possible to acquire two languages simultaneously. The very positive outcomes of this research cannot be generalized, but rather indicate possible tendencies that it is indeed possible to acquire two languages simultaneously. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The present diploma thesis focuses on the unconscious code-switching between second and third language. The main objective of this thesis is to deal with principles of unconscious code-switching, describe and categorize actual appearances of unconscious code-switching between second and third language. After introducing issues, the second chapter sums up the way of second and third language acquisition in terms of bilingualism and multilingualism. The third chapter presents a definition and theoretic bases of code-switching. The fourth chapter concerns the analysis of the reason for code- switching in terms of usage-based and psycholinguistic approaches. The fifth chapter presents a categorization of code-switching from syntactic and pragmatic perspectives. The sixth chapter concerns the analysis of cases of code-switching from recorded interviews and the explanation of possible factors causing unconscious code-switching. Key words: Unconscious code-switching, bilingualism, multilingualism, usage-based approach, psycholinguistic approach, function words, acquisition, second language, third language, WIPP