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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 222-234). / Microfiche. / xvii, 234 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

<p>Since economic reform started in China in 1978, the educational objectives for English language teaching have undergone many changes. In secondary school, reading and writing abilities have become increasingly important, not only in assisting students to study and work in English language contexts, but also in setting up the foundation for further English learning at university level. Thus, new materials have been devised and new teaching methods have been used. However, in practice, the English reading skills of many learners do not seem to have improved and learners have difficulty in achieving the syllabus goals set for reading. This study investigated the factors which influence the development of reading skills by learners in one Grade 10 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class in Taiyuan, a city in China.</p>

The term ‘phrasal vocabulary’ refers to multi-word expressions, that is, idioms, templates or “strings of words, which appear to be processed without recourse to their lowest level of composition” (Wray, 2002, p.4). Formulaicity constitutes an essential feature of language production and comprehension, and phrasal vocabulary plays a central role in everyday language usage. This research study replicates the experimental design carried out in the study Acquiring phrasal vocabulary by Kuiper, Columbus, & Schmitt (to appear), which used a cloze procedure to test three main hypotheses: a) There are significant differences between the degree of acquisition of formulaic language items by native and non-native speakers of English; b) The frequency of usage of the head-verbs contained in verb plus complement formulaic sequences is positively correlated with the acquisition of such sequences; and, c) Phrasal vocabulary is age graded. In the present study the target language is Spanish instead of English. In addition, available evidence suggests that cultural integration seems to be linked to the acquisition of formulaic language. Thus, a questionnaire intended to measure the participants’ cultural integration level to the target language community was developed. The results of this study supported the predictions that the amount of formulaic language acquired by native speakers is positively correlated with age, and that non-native speakers’ phrasal vocabulary is significantly less extensive than that of native speakers. Most importantly, the results also showed a significant effect of verb frequency on the participants’ acquaintance with the formulaic sequences tested. However, the prediction that cultural integration would be positively correlated with the number of correct answers in the cloze test for both groups was not supported. Extending to the Spanish language the results reported by Kuiper, Columbus, & Schmitt supports the argument that the processes of acquisition of formulaic language across diverse linguistics systems function in a very similar way (Corpas Pastor, 2003). A better comprehension of the mechanisms by which speakers acquire formulaic language may significantly contribute to the development of an appropriate methodology to teach phrasal vocabulary to second language learners.

Thesis (M.A.)--George Mason University, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jan. 21, 2008). Thesis director: Adam Winsler. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology. Vita: p. 65. Includes bibliographical references (p. 58-64). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2006. / Title from title screen (viewed May 1, 2007). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.

Thesis (M. Phil. Ed.)--Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, 2006. / Title from title screen (viewed 5th June, 2007). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Education to the Faculty of Education and Social Work. Degree awarded 2006; thesis submitted 2005. Bibliography: leaves 256-263. Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-157).

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Education. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-169). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR19759