Lee Ka Man Kathy. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-120). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT (English version) --- p.i / ABSTRACT (Chinese version) --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.iv / Chapter Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background of the Present Study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Status of English in Hong Kong --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Falling Standard of Students' English in Hong Kong --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Solutions Offered --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.3.1 --- New Requirement for English Teachers --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.3.2 --- The NET Scheme --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- History of the NET Scheme --- p.6 / Chapter 1.1.5 --- Background of NETs --- p.9 / Chapter 1.1.6 --- Comments of the NET Scheme --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purpose of the Study --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance of the Research --- p.11 / Chapter 1.4 --- Organization of the Thesis --- p.12 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1 --- Clarification of Selected Key Terms --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- Acculturation Models --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Movement of Acculturation --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3 --- Past Studies --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Education Convergence Survey --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Lo's Study --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Chu's Study --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Shum's Study --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- SPACE Research --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3.6 --- Green's Study --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3.7 --- The Study by Storey et al. --- p.21 / Chapter 2.4 --- Research Gap --- p.23 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- METHOODOLOGY --- p.25 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2 --- Multiple-case Study --- p.25 / Chapter 3.3 --- The Value of Case Study Approach --- p.26 / Chapter 3.4 --- Data Gathering --- p.26 / Chapter 3.5 --- Rationale for the Data Gathering Used in This Research --- p.27 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Questionnaire --- p.27 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Interview --- p.27 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Classroom Observation --- p.27 / Chapter 3.6 --- Pilot Study --- p.28 / Chapter 3.7 --- Instruments --- p.30 / Chapter 3.7.1 --- Questionnaire --- p.30 / Chapter 3.7.2 --- Interviews --- p.31 / Chapter 3.7.3 --- Classroom Observation and Post-observation Interview --- p.31 / Chapter 3.8 --- Subjects --- p.32 / Chapter 3.9 --- Data Analysis --- p.33 / Chapter 3.10 --- Chapter Summary --- p.32 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- FINDINGS --- p.36 / Chapter 4 --- Challenges and Strategies --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1 --- Students --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Large Class Size --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Discipline --- p.37 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Lack of Motivation --- p.39 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- Low Level of English --- p.40 / Chapter 4.1.5 --- Special Needs --- p.43 / Chapter 4.2 --- Administration --- p.44 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Staff Meeting --- p.44 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Protocol and Procedures --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Evaluation of Teaching --- p.46 / Chapter 4.3 --- School Culture --- p.46 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Non-teaching Duties --- p.47 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Workload --- p.48 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Stress --- p.51 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Streaming Students --- p.52 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Changing Classroom --- p.52 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Education Philosophy --- p.53 / Chapter 4.3.7 --- Staff Room Atmosphere --- p.56 / Chapter 4.4 --- Communication --- p.56 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Initiating Communication --- p.57 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Abruptness --- p.58 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Communication Between EMB and Schools --- p.59 / Chapter 4.5 --- Conclusion --- p.59 / Chapter 4.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.59 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Discussion and Analysis --- p.61 / Chapter 5.1 --- Review of Kim's Adaptation Model --- p.61 / Chapter 5.2 --- Stranger's background --- p.63 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Preparedness for Change --- p.64 / Chapter 5.2.1.1 --- Contact with Previous NET --- p.65 / Chapter 5.2.1.2 --- Previous Knowledge about Hong Kong --- p.66 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Expectations --- p.67 / Chapter 5.2.2.1 --- Roles --- p.67 / Chapter 5.2.2.2 --- Students' level of English --- p.69 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Motivation --- p.70 / Chapter 5.2.3.1 --- Goals --- p.70 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Identity Flexibility --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Working Experience --- p.73 / Chapter 5.2.5.1 --- Intercultural Teaching Experience --- p.74 / Chapter 5.2.5.2 --- Experience with Asian Students --- p.75 / Chapter 5.2.5.3 --- Homogeneous Grouping --- p.76 / Chapter 5.2.5.4 --- Experience in low-banded schools --- p.78 / Chapter 5.2.5.5 --- Teaching Philosophy --- p.79 / Chapter 5.2.6 --- Personality --- p.80 / Chapter 5.2.7 --- Demographic Aspects --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2.7.1 --- Age --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2.7.2 --- Education --- p.83 / Chapter 5.2.7.2.1 --- Language Ability --- p.83 / Chapter 5.2.7.2.2 --- Higher Education --- p.84 / Chapter 5.3 --- Host Environment --- p.85 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Host Similarity --- p.85 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Interaction Potential --- p.88 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Host Attitudes --- p.89 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Demand for Conformity --- p.91 / Chapter 5.4 --- Communication --- p.93 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Mass Communication --- p.94 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Interpersonal Communication --- p.95 / Chapter 5.4.2.1 --- Amount of Interpersonal Contacts --- p.96 / Chapter 5.4.2.2 --- Quality of Interpersonal Contacts --- p.98 / Chapter 5.5 --- Conclusion --- p.99 / Chapter 5.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.103 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.105 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.105 / Chapter 6.2 --- "Summary of the Research Questions, Methodology, and Findings" --- p.105 / Chapter 6.3 --- Implications --- p.109 / Chapter 6.4 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.111 / Chapter 6.4.1 --- Research Design --- p.112 / Chapter 6.4.2 --- Sample --- p.113 / Chapter 6.5 --- Suggestions for Future Research --- p.114 / Chapter 6.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.114 / Bibliography --- p.115

‘A critical review of language errors in the writing of distance education students’ examines linguistic competence and investigates the language errors made by a heterogeneous group of 100 entry-level distance education university students with a view to improving their academic writing skills. The research follows a process of error identification and statistical analysis, and reviews intervention strategies based on the findings. Despite the continuing debates on the value of error correction, especially in relation to ‘World Englishes’, language accuracy remains a key factor in determining academic success. This is of particular concern in the South African multi-lingual context and in the light of the under-performance of South African students as evidenced in international comparative studies. The implications of the bimodal pattern of distribution in the review findings are discussed and pedagogically appropriate approaches and intervention strategies are suggested. / English Studies / M.A. (TESOL (Teaching English to speakers of other languages))

This thesis reports on the findings of a study to validate an assessment scale for writing in an Open Distance Learning (ODL) context by first-year students in their responses to English literary texts. The study involved the interrogation of an existing scale, adapted from Jacobs et al. (1981), which was being used for the Foundations in English Literary Studies (ENG1501) module at the University of South Africa. Despite the credibility of the original scale, the modified version had been used in language- and literature-based courses in the English Studies Department since 1998 and had not been updated or empirically tested in the context of the target group. Thus, the gap that this current study addressed was the need for a valid rating scale that takes into account the complexities of literature teaching and ODL in the current South African university environment. This thesis includes a review of the debate on validity and the validation of rating scales both internationally and in South Africa, the ODL environment, and the assessment of assignments based on literary texts, particularly in the multicultural South African context. The methodology included research of both a quantitative and a qualitative nature. The outcome was an empirically-validated scale that should contribute to the quest for accuracy in assessing academic writing and meet the formative and summative assessment needs of the target group / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English)

South African indigenous language teaching and learning materials do not provide sufficient information to help additional language learners learn the target languages effectively. While there are institutions that are tasked with developing and sharpening the skills of students in speaking South African indigenous languages, such students hardly, if at all master the art of speaking them eloquently. Students who study these languages in order to converse proficiently with their mother-tongue speakers experience insurmountable difficulties, in spite of various efforts made by the teachers who train them to read books on their own. Passing their examinations does not mean that the students’ ability to communicate with mother-tongue speakers will improve to the extent of eliminating the prevailing misunderstanding between the two groups. The persistence of this problem reveals a discrepancy between the studies of indigenous languages in South Africa and the way of speaking them, whereby important linguistic elements that make communication more authentic are excluded in language materials. This study analyses the use and significance of CIFWs in daily interactions by investigating the two Xhosa CIFWs words wethu and bethu. The overall aim of this study is to explore the use of a corpus in the examination of CIFWs in general, and wethu and bethu in particular. Both a quantitative approach based on the Gothenburg-Unisa spoken corpus and a qualitative approach based on Allwoods’ ACA theoretical framework were used in the analysis and description of the functions and significances of wethu and bethu as communicative and interactive function words. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Applied Linguistics)