The purpose of this study is to understand culture as a factor in the motivation of heritage speakers of Spanish to study Spanish at the college level in South Florida. 59 participants divided into three groups of heritage speakers of Spanish at Florida Atlantic University at Boca Raton participated in a questionnaire survey, for a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses. Subjects were grouped according to the degree of involvement in Spanish-related activities at the college-level. The instrument was a combination of Likert-scale questions as well as open-ended questions aimed at clarifying or expanding on topics presented during the Likert-scale part of the questionnaire. The findings of this study indicate that most heritage speakers understood culture as a part of their identity. Students who were enrolled in Spanish classes were not just looking to expand their Spanish knowledge, but to re-connect and re-establish links with their cultural heritage. Finally, those who chose not to study Spanish cite as their most important reason a dislike for the Spanish language. The results revealed the following implications for the heritage speaker curriculum: the need to address the unique demographic make-up of Spanish heritage speakers in South Florida; the necessity for a consistent and reliable methodology for the identification of heritage speakers, and; the importance of instructors' sensitivity to regional and social dialect variation. / by Carolina M. Seiden. / Table of Contents lists pg. 258 as Vita, but that page is the last page of the bibliography. / University Library's copy lacks signatures of the Supervisory Committee. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, FL : 2008 Mode of access: World Wide Web.

A qualitative study of how first year foreign language students perceive different interactions in an online environment. In depth interviews were conducting with ten students after the completion of an online second semester Spanish course. Individual case studies recorded the unique experiences of each study participant and those experiences were then compared and analyzed for common themes. Emerging themes included the value of explanatory feedback programmed into the course, the use of message boards for making interpersonal connections, the difficulty of conducting online chats, the role and value of announcements and the importance of immediacy behaviors for creating social presence. The themes were then applied to the following research questions: 1) What is the effectiveness of the available interactions in a web-based Spanish course as perceived by community college foreign language learners? 2) How do these interactions work together to facilitate learning based upon their purpose? 3) How do these interactions work together to facilitate learning in an online foreign language learning environment based upon with whom or what the student is interacting? The results of this study included three attributes of effective interaction. The participants indicated a need to make a connection between their personal learning goals and the available interactions. Timeliness was also identified as a key component of effective interactions. Automatic feedback, archives for previous information and a quick turnaround on email correspondence were listed as important aspects that created a feeling of timeliness. The third attribute was identified as a low level of frustration when compared to the potential benefit of an interaction. The study participants indicated a willingness to endure some frustration if they thought it would be worth it in the end. Final recommendations suggested that designers of online foreign language courses should include non-linear instructional activities, carefully designed chat opportunities, quality automatic feedback and reading and listening passages that are level appropriate. Instructors should engage in behaviors that enhance the effectiveness of interactions by making regular announcements, helping learners draw connections between the interactions and their learning goals, maintaining and organizing archives and keeping response times as close to 24 hours as possible. / text

O presente estudo tem como objetivo identificar as concepções de língua, de linguagem e de ensino de língua, subjacentes às questões de prova aplicadas aos alunos das terceiras séries do Ensino Médio das escolas públicas e privadas dos municípios de Caxias do Sul e Flores da Cunha localizadas no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Para esta pesquisa, os estudos de Saussure (1974,2006), Vygotsky (2002, 2008), Bakhtin (1998, 2003, 2010) nos apoiam na análise referente à concepção de linguagem, ensino e aprendizagem de língua. Consoante a isto, buscamos, por meio das respostas obtidas no questionário-professor e das questões de prova presentes nos instrumentos de avaliação dos professores, depreender as concepções de linguagem, ensino e aprendizagem de língua que os professores de ELE possuem. Para tanto, apoiamo-nos nos trabalhos e estudos de Prati (2007) e Bloom (2001) para a análise dos tipos de questão de prova. Os estudos de Marcuschi (2008) fundamentaram a análise dos tipos de pergunta nas provas. Estudiosos, como Di Tullio (2005), Ortega Olivares (1990), Matte Bon (1995), Franchi (2001) e Travaglia (2009), constituíram o referencial teórico para a análise dos aspectos gramaticais presentes nas questões de prova. Observando, analisando e relacionando as questões de prova presentes nos instrumentos de avaliação com os dados obtidos no questionário-professor, é possível dizer que os resultados desta investigação assinalam para a presença de um ensino de ELE fortemente pautado no ensino de língua enquanto sistema, ou seja, como um fim em si mesma. Esses dados são indicativos de que se faz necessária uma nova postura do professor em relação às concepções de língua e de linguagem e à abordagem de ensino a ser adotada no ensino de ELE. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2015-06-22T16:58:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Simone Viapiana.pdf: 45758897 bytes, checksum: 0698f5c36a1aeb5b200a2a184116814c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-22T16:58:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Simone Viapiana.pdf: 45758897 bytes, checksum: 0698f5c36a1aeb5b200a2a184116814c (MD5) / Este estudio tiene el propósito de identificar las concepciones de lenguaje, enseñanza y aprendizaje de español como lengua extranjera (ELE) subyacentes a las cuestiones de prueba aplicadas a los alumnos del tercer año de Enseñanza Media de las escuelas estatales y privadas de las municipalidades de Caxias do Sul y Flores da Cunha, ubicadas en el estado de Rio Grande do Sul. Para esta investigación, los estudios de Saussure (1974,200), Vygotsky (2002,2008), Bakhtin (1998, 2010) nos apoyan en el análisis de lo que concierne a la concepción de lenguaje, enseñanza y aprendizaje de lengua. Además de esto, buscamos, a través de las respuestas obtenidas en el cuestionario-profesor y de las cuestiones de prueba, desvelar la forma como los profesores conciben la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de lengua extranjera. La fundamentación teórica para el análisis de los tipos de cuestiones de prueba y nivel de conocimiento cognitivo están basados en la Taxonomía de Bloom revisada (2001, 2010) y en los estudios de Prati (2007. Para el análisis de los tipos de preguntas de comprensión lectora, Marcuschi (2008) fundamenta este estudio. Expertos como Di Tullio (2005), Ortega Olivares (1990), Matte Bon (1995), Franchi (2001) y Travaglia (2009) forman parte del referencial teórico para el análisis de los aspectos gramaticales de las cuestiones de prueba. Observando, analizando y relacionando las cuestiones de prueba de los instrumentos de evaluación con los datos obtenidos en el cuestionario-profesor, se puede decir que los resultados de esta investigación indican la presencia de una enseñanza de ELE fuertemente apoyada en la enseñanza de lengua como sistema, o sea, como un fin en sí misma. Estos datos son señales o indicativos de que se necesita una nueva postura del profesor frente a las concepciones de lenguaje, de enseñanza y aprendizaje de lengua extranjera para que los aprendices desarrollen la competencia comunicativa. Se espera que ese estudio ofrezca aportes teóricos para una enseñanza basada en el uso real de la lengua y que pueda suscitar nuevos estudios.

O presente estudo tem como objetivo identificar as concepções de língua, de linguagem e de ensino de língua, subjacentes às questões de prova aplicadas aos alunos das terceiras séries do Ensino Médio das escolas públicas e privadas dos municípios de Caxias do Sul e Flores da Cunha localizadas no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Para esta pesquisa, os estudos de Saussure (1974,2006), Vygotsky (2002, 2008), Bakhtin (1998, 2003, 2010) nos apoiam na análise referente à concepção de linguagem, ensino e aprendizagem de língua. Consoante a isto, buscamos, por meio das respostas obtidas no questionário-professor e das questões de prova presentes nos instrumentos de avaliação dos professores, depreender as concepções de linguagem, ensino e aprendizagem de língua que os professores de ELE possuem. Para tanto, apoiamo-nos nos trabalhos e estudos de Prati (2007) e Bloom (2001) para a análise dos tipos de questão de prova. Os estudos de Marcuschi (2008) fundamentaram a análise dos tipos de pergunta nas provas. Estudiosos, como Di Tullio (2005), Ortega Olivares (1990), Matte Bon (1995), Franchi (2001) e Travaglia (2009), constituíram o referencial teórico para a análise dos aspectos gramaticais presentes nas questões de prova. Observando, analisando e relacionando as questões de prova presentes nos instrumentos de avaliação com os dados obtidos no questionário-professor, é possível dizer que os resultados desta investigação assinalam para a presença de um ensino de ELE fortemente pautado no ensino de língua enquanto sistema, ou seja, como um fim em si mesma. Esses dados são indicativos de que se faz necessária uma nova postura do professor em relação às concepções de língua e de linguagem e à abordagem de ensino a ser adotada no ensino de ELE. / Este estudio tiene el propósito de identificar las concepciones de lenguaje, enseñanza y aprendizaje de español como lengua extranjera (ELE) subyacentes a las cuestiones de prueba aplicadas a los alumnos del tercer año de Enseñanza Media de las escuelas estatales y privadas de las municipalidades de Caxias do Sul y Flores da Cunha, ubicadas en el estado de Rio Grande do Sul. Para esta investigación, los estudios de Saussure (1974,200), Vygotsky (2002,2008), Bakhtin (1998, 2010) nos apoyan en el análisis de lo que concierne a la concepción de lenguaje, enseñanza y aprendizaje de lengua. Además de esto, buscamos, a través de las respuestas obtenidas en el cuestionario-profesor y de las cuestiones de prueba, desvelar la forma como los profesores conciben la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de lengua extranjera. La fundamentación teórica para el análisis de los tipos de cuestiones de prueba y nivel de conocimiento cognitivo están basados en la Taxonomía de Bloom revisada (2001, 2010) y en los estudios de Prati (2007. Para el análisis de los tipos de preguntas de comprensión lectora, Marcuschi (2008) fundamenta este estudio. Expertos como Di Tullio (2005), Ortega Olivares (1990), Matte Bon (1995), Franchi (2001) y Travaglia (2009) forman parte del referencial teórico para el análisis de los aspectos gramaticales de las cuestiones de prueba. Observando, analizando y relacionando las cuestiones de prueba de los instrumentos de evaluación con los datos obtenidos en el cuestionario-profesor, se puede decir que los resultados de esta investigación indican la presencia de una enseñanza de ELE fuertemente apoyada en la enseñanza de lengua como sistema, o sea, como un fin en sí misma. Estos datos son señales o indicativos de que se necesita una nueva postura del profesor frente a las concepciones de lenguaje, de enseñanza y aprendizaje de lengua extranjera para que los aprendices desarrollen la competencia comunicativa. Se espera que ese estudio ofrezca aportes teóricos para una enseñanza basada en el uso real de la lengua y que pueda suscitar nuevos estudios.

Today's global culture makes communication through writing in a foreign language a most desirable tool to expand personal and professional relations. However, teaching writing is a complex, time-consuming endeavor in any language. Foreign language teachers at every level struggle to fit writing into an already full curriculum and need the most effective methods and tools with which to teach. Technology may provide a viable scaffold to support writing instruction for teachers and students. The purpose of this research was to determine any benefits of weekly/structured, in-class, computer-assisted grammar drill and practice on the composition quality and quantity of intermediate university Spanish learners. A related purpose was to determine whether students who participated in such practice would access a computer-based writing assistant differently during writing than students without the treatment. The research design was a nonequivalent groups pretest-posttest design. Fifty-two subjects' compositions were graded with both holistic and analytic criteria to analyze composition quality and quantity, and statistical analyses assessed interactions of treatment and effects. The computer-based Atajo writing assistant, which could be accessed during composition, had a logging feature which provided unobtrusive observation of specific databases accessed by each student. There were no statistically significant differences found between the two groups in overall composition scores or in subscale scores. Improvements across time were observed in composition performance for both the experimental and control groups. The implementation of computer-based grammar and vocabulary practice did show a small to moderate positive effect; that is to say, students who received weekly, structured computer grammar and vocabulary practice had higher scores for composition quality and quantity on the posttest measure and accessed the databases less than the control group. The consistent positive trends in the composition data results intimate that over a more extended period of time, computer-based grammar instruction might enhance the quality and quantity of written composition in the foreign language classroom.

Receptive bilinguals have been in a dilemma of knowing just enough Spanish to write and aurally comprehend the curriculum at the beginning-intermediate levels of a Spanish language course. This dichotomy in classrooms with mixed-ability learners has created a need to reconsider placement and pedagogical structures tailored for these students in foreign language courses. Thus, this descriptive study examined the perceptions of receptive bilinguals, drawn from two secondary Spanish courses regarding receptive bilinguals’ language use, personal Spanish language abilities and confidence, personal beliefs about the language, and contentment with the course. For this study, 31 participants were selected from two public high schools in a suburb of a large metropolitan area in north Texas. Two surveys, a listening assessment and an online questionnaire, were administered at the end of the academic year. The Likert questionnaire items were analyzed using SPSS software, while open-ended questions were coded for recurrent themes. Analyses revealed four major findings. First, with regard to influence on language use, participants’ grandparents created the most interaction with the Spanish language when compared with the other family groups. In addition, Spanish influence through television, literature, radio, and music contributed to students’ early childhood Spanish learning. Second, as to language preference, although participants perceived English to be the language with which they were most at ease, they were also confident in their Spanish conversational abilities. Third, with respect to perceptions of language abilities, Spanish 2Pre-AP students noticed an increased ability in listening, speaking, and writing the language. In both courses, students’ receptive ability was one of the highest abilities. Receptive bilinguals reflected a sense of pride and passion for the language. They desired to improve their language through their own self-motivation as a way to connect with family. Fourth, and finally, in reporting on course contentment, participants expressed overall contentment with the course, irrespective of the particular course in which they were enrolled; however, some did not agree that all curricular structures were to their benefit. Results indicate a need to place students with receptive bilingual skills in courses designed to meet their specific linguistic characteristics.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / El propósito de este estudio es investigar los cambios en el uso del juego lingüístico multilingüe en mis escrituras privadas durante varios periodos de residencia en el extranjero y relacionarlos con otros factores que jugaron un papel importante para mi experiencia de aprender la L2 en este contexto. Específicamente, intentaré relacionar los cambios en el empleo de alternancia de códigos evidenciados en mis diarios con factores de motivación, participación social con hablantes nativos de la cultura anfitriona y una creciente identificación personal con este nuevo entorno social y lingüístico. El juego lingüístico multilingüe puede verse como índice de esta nueva identificación con la cultura y lengua meta, que me proporcionaba a la vez un medio de disfrutar del creciente dominio de la L2 y también un espacio de diálogo personal para la construcción de una nueva identidad surgida de una participación lingüística, social y cultural en el contexto del país anfitrión.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Un estudiante que empieza a aprender el español en la universidad sin experiencia previa generalmente no tiene un vocabulario amplio en el tercer año de la carrera cuando va a tener que hacer un curso de literatura. Este estudio investiga el reto que enfrenta el estudiante cuando empieza a estudiar la literatura hispánica. Se enfoca en los siguientes aspectos de este tema: 1) la brecha que existe entre el vocabulario limitado de un estudiante de segunda lengua y el vocabulario amplio de un hablante nativo; 2) en qué consiste un vocabulario mínimo; 3) cómo el leer extensivamente ayuda a desarrollar el vocabulario; 4) la necesidad de utilizar y saber utilizar el diccionario para aumentar el vocabulario; 5) la literatura infantil y juvenil como un recurso útil para desarrollar el vocabulario y 6) un análisis de unos libros escritos para niños de varias edades.

Although English and Spanish both have the voiceless stops /ptk/, they differ in VOT; English has long-lag voiceless stops and Spanish has short-lag. This difference means that native English-speaking learners of Spanish are likely to transfer the long voice lag typical of their first language (L1) to Spanish voiceless stops. This study measured the VOT of 20 native English-speaking learners of Spanish, each with a length of residence (LOR) in a Spanish-speaking country of almost 2 years. The study participants were found to produce voiceless stops intermediate to the averages of their L1 (American English) and L2 (Spanish), with some speakers producing voiceless stops with the range observed for Spanish. A significant main effect on VOT was found for all the variables of linguistic context tested: place of articulation, word-initial vs. -internal position, stress, preceding segment and following segment. A significant main effect was also found for speech style, percentage of communication done in Spanish with native Spanish speakers while abroad, years of formal L2 instruction prior to stay abroad, and time spent each week speaking Spanish with native speakers since their return home. While the extra-linguistic variables are correlated with more target-like VOT, the amount of communication done in the L2 with other native English L2 learners of Spanish was correlated with longer VOTs, i.e. less target-like VOTs, possibly due to reinforcement of L1 transfer habits.

Usage-based theories of language development underscore the importance of children using language to learn language. Few investigations have applied usage-based theories to dual language learners (DLLs), who comprise a growing share of children attending early education programs in the U.S. Three studies were carried out to investigate the role of DLLs’ language usage during preschool. Specifically, the studies examined: 1) classrooms factors that predicted Spanish and English usage, 2) the relationships among Spanish and English usage in classrooms and children’s oral language skills, and 3) the relationships among exposure to and usage of Spanish and English at home and in classrooms and children’s oral language skills. Participants were selected from a larger study of language and literacy development of DLLs attending Head Start and public prekindergarten programs. Hierarchical linear models were conducted to examine predictive relationships among the variables of interest in each study. Results of the first study indicated that the amount of Spanish and English that DLLs used in classrooms was strongly influenced by how often their lead teachers and assistant teachers used Spanish and English. Findings from the second study revealed that English usage in classrooms promoted the development of oral language skills in English but negatively affected Spanish expressive vocabulary. The third study found that usage of Spanish and English was important across environmental settings, and that language usage exerted a greater effect on oral language skills than language exposure. Collectively, the results of these studies reinforce the applicability of usage-based theories to DLL children. Moreover, the results signify the importance of providing DLLs numerous opportunities to use both languages in order to promote bilingual language development.