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published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

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xiii, 92 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Towards a more complete description of cleft constructions, this thesis comprises an investigation of the prosody, syntax, and information structure of IT clefts, REVERSE WH clefts, and existential THERE clefts in Spoken English. Cleft constructions were extracted from the Santa Barbara Corpus of Spoken American English on the basis of syntactic characteristics, and empirical methods were developed for evaluating clefts with respect to prosody and information structure factors. Native speaker-hearer judgments about cleft constructions in authentic spoken language were gathered to provide a basis for operational definitions of PROSODIC PROMINENCE, GIVENNESS, NEWNESS, CONTRASTIVENESS, and levels of contextual RELEVANCE. While cleft constructions have conventionally been discussed as contrastive focusing devices, the current study provides empirical evidence for a more complex view of clefts. Added to past corpus studies, this thesis shows that English cleft constructions exhibit a broader range of subtypes and functions than captured by traditional accounts. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Doris L. Payne; Dr. Melissa A. Redford

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Adopting both qualitative and quantitative approaches with a strong element of triangulation, the present research aimed to investigate the issues of reticence and anxiety in oral English classroom-learning and testing situations at the tertiary level in Mainland China. / Following the ground work phase, the main study, which was divided into two phases, got underway. In the first phase, a 124-item survey was distributed to approximately 570 first-year undergraduate non-English majors at three different proficiency levels at Tsinghua University; 547 valid questionnaires were processed. In the second phase, three English language classes (one from each different proficiency group) were selected for the case study which continued for the full term: the students were required to write reflective journals with one entry per week for six consecutive weeks, the teachers were asked to observe and keep a weekly record of the students' reticence and anxiety in classroom activities during the whole term, the three classes were observed and video-taped twice, 7 students from each group and their teachers were invited for semi-structured interviews, and the final oral English test given to the students was observed and video-taped. / The large-scale survey was analyzed using SPSS 11.00---descriptive statistics, reliability, correlation, factor analysis, t-test, and ANOVA to examine students' self-reported reticence and anxiety and their relationships with other variables such as students' self-rated English proficiency. The journals, interviews, and observations were subjected to a thematic content analysis to explore students' reticence and anxiety during oral English lessons and tests, and identify factors underlying reticence and anxiety in oral English classroom-learning and testing situations as well as corresponding coping strategies adopted by the participants. / The major findings were: (1) a considerable number of students self-reported and were observed to be reticent and nervous during oral English lessons and tests. The more proficient students tended to be less reticent and anxious, (2) the more reticent student tended to be more anxious during oral English lessons and tests, (3) reticence and anxiety negatively affected students' performance in oral English, (4) student reticence and anxiety varied from activity to activity in the classroom and changed during both the term and final oral English test, (5) multiple factors contributed to student reticence and anxiety during oral English lessons and tests, (6) the majority of the participants felt helpless about student reticence and anxiety. Most teachers and students were not aware of how to effectively cope with them, and (7) reticence and anxiety interacted with each other in both situations. Based on these findings, certain pedagogical implications were discussed to reduce students' reticence and anxiety in oral English classroom-learning and testing situations, thus enhancing the teaching and learning of oral English in Mainland China. In addition to contributing to the overall literature of research on reticence and anxiety in Chinese and FL learning contexts, the present research revealed some areas for future research. / Liu Meihua. / "July 2005." / Adviser: Jane Jackson. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-01, Section: A, page: 0167. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 336-360). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

The purpose of this paper is to contribute some knowledge of the vowel sounds in the speech of one part of East Texas, Gregg County. Although these sounds do not vary greatly from those heard in other parts of the South, the variations which do occur are of interest to the student of speech sounds, and for that reason the sounds studied are carefully recorded in this paper.

The aim of this study was to investigate factors enhancing Chinese tertiary students' active participation in English group discussion.In China, tertiary students are encouraged to read, write and listen to the English language. Despite at least eight years of learning English, most students still cannot communicate effectively in English. This phenomenon has been described in China as 'Dumb English'. The Government and tertiary educators recognised the problem reforming the curriculum and related educational policy. One of the main reforms has been the inclusion of 'group discussion' into the learning of English. However, despite this initiative to date many students have remained passively silent in these discussions, thus decreasing the discussion's effectiveness in promoting spoken English fluency.This qualitative and interpretive research utilised the appreciative inquiry (AI) research approach in designing the research process. Data from the interviews of eighteen tertiary students was summarised into provocative propositions and developed from there into an action plan for use in the English education in China.The findings of this study included the discussion topic, the characteristics of the group members, and teacher's roles were the three most important factors enhancing active participation in the 'group discussion'. Provocative propositions, summarising the common themes emerging in the findings, were constructed. For example, most students were interested in simple, practical and familiar discussion topics. Based on the propositions, I explored an action plan outlining suggestions for English teachers in Chinese higher institutions to enhance their student's active participation in group discussion.I have surmised that student's active participation in English group discussions can be effectively increased by attending to discussion topics, student group characteristics and the teacher's roles. Simple and practical discussion topics, familiar and interactive group members and a teacher who often encourages students, knowing how to assist the learners effectively are all important factors that enhance student's participation in group discussions. Increased participation is likely to result in improved English fluency amongst Chinese students.I outlined some of the highlights and benefits of the study such as the importance of the discussion topic for second language learners, the characteristics of more successful student groups, and the importance of the teacher's role in facilitating group discussions. By contrast some limitations of this research included the similarity of the student's responses as this might suggest a limited range of students, as well as having all the participants from one institution. Finally, I made some recommendations for improvement in practice.