Pesquisas com bilíngues e usuários de línguas adicionais utilizam diferentes medidas para avaliar proficiência no processo de seleção dos seus participantes. A proficiência linguística de um indivíduo pode ser medida através de testes de proficiência, testes de desempenho e medidas de autoavaliação. Questionários de histórico da linguagem contêm perguntas sobre a experiência que os indivíduos têm com as suas línguas e escalas de autoavaliação de proficiência. Estudos sugerem que usuários de línguas adicionais são capazes de reportar a sua proficiência de forma consistente com o seu desempenho em medidas padronizadas (MARIAN et al., 2007; LUK et al., 2013). Nesse contexto, a presente dissertação teve como objetivo analisar a proficiência autoavaliada de usuários de inglês como língua adicional através do Questionário de Experiência e Proficiência Linguística (QuExPLi). Para isso, foram desenvolvidos dois estudos. No primeiro estudo, correlacionamos as variáveis da experiência linguística – marcos de idade, tempo de imersão e uso atual da língua – de 535 participantes com a proficiência reportada por eles no Questionário de Experiência e Proficiência Linguística (QuExPLi), a fim de investigar quais fatores se associariam à proficiência autoavaliada. No segundo estudo, correlacionamos as mesmas variáveis da experiência com o inglês como língua adicional com os resultados no TOEFL ITP de 112 participantes, que fizeram parte do primeiro estudo, para investigar quais fatores se associariam à proficiência demonstrada em um teste de proficiência padronizado. Além disso, correlacionamos a proficiência autoavaliada no questionário com os resultados no TOEFL ITP, para averiguar a relação entre duas diferentes medidas de proficiência e reunir evidências de validade do QuExPLi. Os resultados sugerem que, em relação às variáveis da experiência linguística, os fatores relacionados a marcos de idade, tempo de imersão e uso atual da língua associam-se com a proficiência auto reportada pelos participantes. Porém, dentre esses fatores, apenas os meses passados em um país em que o inglês é falado correlacionaram-se de forma significativa com a proficiência dos participantes demonstrada através do TOEFL ITP. A discrepância entre os fatores associados à proficiência autoavaliada e aqueles que se associaram com o resultado no TOEFL ITP pode advir da natureza acadêmica do teste. Os resultados também revelam uma correlação positiva significativa moderada entre a proficiência autoavaliada no QuExPLi e a pontuação dos participantes no TOEFL ITP, sugerindo que os participantes, usuários de inglês como língua adicional, conseguem reportar sua proficiência de forma acurada. / Research with bilinguals and additional languages learners use different measures to evaluate proficiency while selecting participants for studies. An individual‟s language proficiency can be measured through proficiency tests, performance tests or self-evaluation measures. Language background questionnaires include questions about individuals‟ experience with their languages and self-assessment proficiency measures. Studies suggest that users of additional languages can report their proficiency in a way that is consistent with their performance in standard measures (MARIAN et al., 2007; LUK et al., 2013). In this context, the goal of the present thesis was to analyze self-assessed proficiency of users of English as an additional language through the Questionário de Experiência e Proficiência Linguística (QuExPLi). In order to do that, two studies were designed. In the first study, we correlated language experience variables – age, time of immersion and current use of the language - of 535 participants with their self-reported proficiency on the QuExPLi, in order to investigate which factors would associate with self-assessed proficiency. In the second study, we correlated the same language experience variables with the scores on the TOEFL ITP of 112 individuals, who also participated in the first study, in order to investigate which factors would associate with the proficiency demonstrated in a standardized proficiency test. Moreover, we correlated participants‟ self-assessed proficiency with their scores on the TOEFL ITP, in order to investigate the relationship between two distinct measures of proficiency and gather evidences of validity of the QuExPLi. Results suggest that the factors related to age, time of immersion and current use of the language are associated with participants‟ self-assessed proficiency. However, only the months spent in a country where English is spoken correlated significantly with participants‟ scores on the TOEFL ITP. The discrepancy between the factors associated with self-reported proficiency and those associated with the results on the TOEFL ITP can be derived from the academic nature of the test. Results also show a moderate positive correlation between participants‟ self-assessed proficiency and their scores on the TOEFL ITP was found, suggesting that users of English as an additional language are able to report their proficiency accurately.

The accurate perception of spoken English is influenced by many variables, including the listener's native language, reverberation, and background noise. Few studies of speech perception by bilingual listeners have carefully controlled for second language proficiency and even fewer have presented speech in everyday listening environments that contain noise and reverberation. In the present study, detailed language background, language proficiency information, and individual language samples were collected and the speech stimuli were presented in a variety of quiet, noisy, and reverberant listening environments. The effects of noise and reverberation on the perception of American English monosyllabic words was examined for two groups of young listeners with normal hearing: 1) monolingual American English speakers and 2) Spanish-English bilinguals who acquired both languages prior to age 6 years, exhibited similar spoken proficiency in both languages, and spoke English without a noticeable accent. An innovative test of virtual speech perception was used to assess word recognition in two listening environments typical of everyday communication: a simulated noisy anechoic environment and a simulated noisy reverberant environment. Word recognition was also measured in quiet and in an unprocessed noisy environment. For each noisy listening environment (unprocessed, anechoic, reverberant), three signal-to-noise ratios were employed. Results indicate that early bilingualism negatively affects perception of words presented in noisy listening environments. Significantly poorer word recognition was observed for the bilingual listeners than for the monolingual listeners in all three noisy environments and at all noise levels. Both groups exhibited similar word recognition in quiet. The results were surprising considering the high level of spoken language proficiency exhibited by all bilingual listeners. It is often assumed that highly proficient Spanish-English speakers are equally proficient at understanding English; however, these data indicate that the speech understanding of this group may be overestimated in natural listening situations.

Pesquisas com bilíngues e usuários de línguas adicionais utilizam diferentes medidas para avaliar proficiência no processo de seleção dos seus participantes. A proficiência linguística de um indivíduo pode ser medida através de testes de proficiência, testes de desempenho e medidas de autoavaliação. Questionários de histórico da linguagem contêm perguntas sobre a experiência que os indivíduos têm com as suas línguas e escalas de autoavaliação de proficiência. Estudos sugerem que usuários de línguas adicionais são capazes de reportar a sua proficiência de forma consistente com o seu desempenho em medidas padronizadas (MARIAN et al., 2007; LUK et al., 2013). Nesse contexto, a presente dissertação teve como objetivo analisar a proficiência autoavaliada de usuários de inglês como língua adicional através do Questionário de Experiência e Proficiência Linguística (QuExPLi). Para isso, foram desenvolvidos dois estudos. No primeiro estudo, correlacionamos as variáveis da experiência linguística – marcos de idade, tempo de imersão e uso atual da língua – de 535 participantes com a proficiência reportada por eles no Questionário de Experiência e Proficiência Linguística (QuExPLi), a fim de investigar quais fatores se associariam à proficiência autoavaliada. No segundo estudo, correlacionamos as mesmas variáveis da experiência com o inglês como língua adicional com os resultados no TOEFL ITP de 112 participantes, que fizeram parte do primeiro estudo, para investigar quais fatores se associariam à proficiência demonstrada em um teste de proficiência padronizado. Além disso, correlacionamos a proficiência autoavaliada no questionário com os resultados no TOEFL ITP, para averiguar a relação entre duas diferentes medidas de proficiência e reunir evidências de validade do QuExPLi. Os resultados sugerem que, em relação às variáveis da experiência linguística, os fatores relacionados a marcos de idade, tempo de imersão e uso atual da língua associam-se com a proficiência auto reportada pelos participantes. Porém, dentre esses fatores, apenas os meses passados em um país em que o inglês é falado correlacionaram-se de forma significativa com a proficiência dos participantes demonstrada através do TOEFL ITP. A discrepância entre os fatores associados à proficiência autoavaliada e aqueles que se associaram com o resultado no TOEFL ITP pode advir da natureza acadêmica do teste. Os resultados também revelam uma correlação positiva significativa moderada entre a proficiência autoavaliada no QuExPLi e a pontuação dos participantes no TOEFL ITP, sugerindo que os participantes, usuários de inglês como língua adicional, conseguem reportar sua proficiência de forma acurada. / Research with bilinguals and additional languages learners use different measures to evaluate proficiency while selecting participants for studies. An individual‟s language proficiency can be measured through proficiency tests, performance tests or self-evaluation measures. Language background questionnaires include questions about individuals‟ experience with their languages and self-assessment proficiency measures. Studies suggest that users of additional languages can report their proficiency in a way that is consistent with their performance in standard measures (MARIAN et al., 2007; LUK et al., 2013). In this context, the goal of the present thesis was to analyze self-assessed proficiency of users of English as an additional language through the Questionário de Experiência e Proficiência Linguística (QuExPLi). In order to do that, two studies were designed. In the first study, we correlated language experience variables – age, time of immersion and current use of the language - of 535 participants with their self-reported proficiency on the QuExPLi, in order to investigate which factors would associate with self-assessed proficiency. In the second study, we correlated the same language experience variables with the scores on the TOEFL ITP of 112 individuals, who also participated in the first study, in order to investigate which factors would associate with the proficiency demonstrated in a standardized proficiency test. Moreover, we correlated participants‟ self-assessed proficiency with their scores on the TOEFL ITP, in order to investigate the relationship between two distinct measures of proficiency and gather evidences of validity of the QuExPLi. Results suggest that the factors related to age, time of immersion and current use of the language are associated with participants‟ self-assessed proficiency. However, only the months spent in a country where English is spoken correlated significantly with participants‟ scores on the TOEFL ITP. The discrepancy between the factors associated with self-reported proficiency and those associated with the results on the TOEFL ITP can be derived from the academic nature of the test. Results also show a moderate positive correlation between participants‟ self-assessed proficiency and their scores on the TOEFL ITP was found, suggesting that users of English as an additional language are able to report their proficiency accurately.

Pesquisas com bilíngues e usuários de línguas adicionais utilizam diferentes medidas para avaliar proficiência no processo de seleção dos seus participantes. A proficiência linguística de um indivíduo pode ser medida através de testes de proficiência, testes de desempenho e medidas de autoavaliação. Questionários de histórico da linguagem contêm perguntas sobre a experiência que os indivíduos têm com as suas línguas e escalas de autoavaliação de proficiência. Estudos sugerem que usuários de línguas adicionais são capazes de reportar a sua proficiência de forma consistente com o seu desempenho em medidas padronizadas (MARIAN et al., 2007; LUK et al., 2013). Nesse contexto, a presente dissertação teve como objetivo analisar a proficiência autoavaliada de usuários de inglês como língua adicional através do Questionário de Experiência e Proficiência Linguística (QuExPLi). Para isso, foram desenvolvidos dois estudos. No primeiro estudo, correlacionamos as variáveis da experiência linguística – marcos de idade, tempo de imersão e uso atual da língua – de 535 participantes com a proficiência reportada por eles no Questionário de Experiência e Proficiência Linguística (QuExPLi), a fim de investigar quais fatores se associariam à proficiência autoavaliada. No segundo estudo, correlacionamos as mesmas variáveis da experiência com o inglês como língua adicional com os resultados no TOEFL ITP de 112 participantes, que fizeram parte do primeiro estudo, para investigar quais fatores se associariam à proficiência demonstrada em um teste de proficiência padronizado. Além disso, correlacionamos a proficiência autoavaliada no questionário com os resultados no TOEFL ITP, para averiguar a relação entre duas diferentes medidas de proficiência e reunir evidências de validade do QuExPLi. Os resultados sugerem que, em relação às variáveis da experiência linguística, os fatores relacionados a marcos de idade, tempo de imersão e uso atual da língua associam-se com a proficiência auto reportada pelos participantes. Porém, dentre esses fatores, apenas os meses passados em um país em que o inglês é falado correlacionaram-se de forma significativa com a proficiência dos participantes demonstrada através do TOEFL ITP. A discrepância entre os fatores associados à proficiência autoavaliada e aqueles que se associaram com o resultado no TOEFL ITP pode advir da natureza acadêmica do teste. Os resultados também revelam uma correlação positiva significativa moderada entre a proficiência autoavaliada no QuExPLi e a pontuação dos participantes no TOEFL ITP, sugerindo que os participantes, usuários de inglês como língua adicional, conseguem reportar sua proficiência de forma acurada. / Research with bilinguals and additional languages learners use different measures to evaluate proficiency while selecting participants for studies. An individual‟s language proficiency can be measured through proficiency tests, performance tests or self-evaluation measures. Language background questionnaires include questions about individuals‟ experience with their languages and self-assessment proficiency measures. Studies suggest that users of additional languages can report their proficiency in a way that is consistent with their performance in standard measures (MARIAN et al., 2007; LUK et al., 2013). In this context, the goal of the present thesis was to analyze self-assessed proficiency of users of English as an additional language through the Questionário de Experiência e Proficiência Linguística (QuExPLi). In order to do that, two studies were designed. In the first study, we correlated language experience variables – age, time of immersion and current use of the language - of 535 participants with their self-reported proficiency on the QuExPLi, in order to investigate which factors would associate with self-assessed proficiency. In the second study, we correlated the same language experience variables with the scores on the TOEFL ITP of 112 individuals, who also participated in the first study, in order to investigate which factors would associate with the proficiency demonstrated in a standardized proficiency test. Moreover, we correlated participants‟ self-assessed proficiency with their scores on the TOEFL ITP, in order to investigate the relationship between two distinct measures of proficiency and gather evidences of validity of the QuExPLi. Results suggest that the factors related to age, time of immersion and current use of the language are associated with participants‟ self-assessed proficiency. However, only the months spent in a country where English is spoken correlated significantly with participants‟ scores on the TOEFL ITP. The discrepancy between the factors associated with self-reported proficiency and those associated with the results on the TOEFL ITP can be derived from the academic nature of the test. Results also show a moderate positive correlation between participants‟ self-assessed proficiency and their scores on the TOEFL ITP was found, suggesting that users of English as an additional language are able to report their proficiency accurately.

This study is an investigation of communicative effectiveness and attitudes in relation to deviation from Standard English in an international church in Stockholm. This church is an English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) setting as the congregation consists almost entirely of people who use English as a means of communication with people who do not share their own first language. The study is based on empirical data from both qualitative and quantitative methods. The spoken language was investigated by analyzing one transcribed sermon and through interviewing two speakers of American English. Also a survey was done with 26 members of the church, obtaining quantitative data as well as several comments from the respondents on their view of the usage of English in the sermons and in the church in general.  The results from the study showed as expected that there were a number of deviations from Standard English when ELF was used in the sermon. However, these caused little irritation and were judged not to cause much misunderstanding. The deviations that did cause some irritation among the respondents from the church were when the wrong word was used as well as when a word was pronounced incorrectly. The results indicated that there was little disturbance regarding the communicativeness and attitudes in connection to the spoken English in this ELF setting.

Professional research project (Au.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 37 pages. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The accurate perception of spoken English is influenced by many variables, including the listener's native language, reverberation, and background noise. Few studies of speech perception by bilingual listeners have carefully controlled for second language proficiency and even fewer have presented speech in everyday listening environments that contain noise and reverberation. In the present study, detailed language background, language proficiency information, and individual language samples were collected and the speech stimuli were presented in a variety of quiet, noisy, and reverberant listening environments. / ABSTRACT: The effects of noise and reverberation on the perception of American English monosyllabic words was examined for two groups of young listeners with normal hearing: 1) monolingual American English speakers and 2) Spanish-English bilinguals who acquired both languages prior to age 6 years, exhibited similar spoken proficiency in both languages, and spoke English without a noticeable accent. An innovative test of virtual speech perception was used to assess word recognition in two listening environments typical of everyday communication: a simulated noisy anechoic environment and a simulated noisy reverberant environment. Word recognition was also measured in quiet and in an unprocessed noisy environment. For each noisy listening environment (unprocessed, anechoic, reverberant), three signal-to-noise ratios were employed. Results indicate that early bilingualism negatively affects perception of words presented in noisy listening environments. / ABSTRACT: Significantly poorer word recognition was observed for the bilingual listeners than for the monolingual listeners in all three noisy environments and at all noise levels. Both groups exhibited similar word recognition in quiet. The results were surprising considering the high level of spoken language proficiency exhibited by all bilingual listeners. It is often assumed that highly proficient Spanish-English speakers are equally proficient at understanding English; however, these data indicate that the speech understanding of this group may be overestimated in natural listening situations. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Students from dual language immersion (DLI) classrooms are required to learn the language through content. However, some students have not yet developed these abilities by the time they start fourth grade. Thus, to fully comprehend content such as science, students need stronger reading and writing abilities in the second language (L2). To help stakeholders have a better understanding on how to effectively help students throughout this process, this action research studied the effectiveness of integrating literacy with science and mobile assisted language learning (MALL). Findings showed that the integrations of literacy, science and MALL were effective with statistically significant results in science and reading. These findings also yielded pedagogical implications about the importance of considering students' language background and gender, as well as the use of MALL when teaching and planning the curriculum for DLI classrooms.

The aim of this thesis is to map and analyse literature written by authors with a Hungarian-language background who moved to Sweden between 1945 and 2015, and who have published literary works in book format. From the perspective of the sociology of literature, this thesis focuses on publishing channels and possibilities, the authors’ and their works places in the literary value system and feed-back in the form of reviews, but also choice of language, theme, and genre. The approach of the research for this thesis is new in Hungarian and Swedish literary studies, as the literary works are analysed irrespective of the language in which they are written. The research corpus consists of both Hungarian and Swedish literary works and one book in English. The second chapter presents the research that Hungarian researchers have conducted on Hungarian migration literature and offers an overview of the questions and results arising from this research. The authors with a Hungarian-language background in Sweden were divided into four groups, based on the time of their migration to Sweden. Four chapters, which comprise the analytic part of the thesis, present and analyse the author groups and their literary activities regarding language, purpose of any code-switching, chosen theme, and genre. The first group consists of authors who migrated to Sweden during the decade after the Second World War (1945–1955). The second group came between 1956 and 1958 in the aftermath of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The third group consists of Hungarians who moved to Sweden during the communist era, between 1959 and 1989. Finally, the fourth group came after the fall of communism (1990–2015). As many as half of the authors chose either Hungarian or Swedish as their language and there are surprisingly few authors working in both languages. The publishing channels depend on the literary works language and theme, and only half of the books have been published at established publishers. The literary works of these authors are categorized as Swedish-Hungarian migration literature. Literary history works until now have neglected these type of literatures, but it is imperative that the study of literature finds a way to acknowledge, include, position, and group them.

In my work I deal with the clarification of the current situation of the work with pupils foreigners at primary school with regard to the definition and differentiation of the terms pupil with different maternity language and pupil foreigner. I also deal with the factors that influence their being in the class collective with respect to the home and school environment. The thesis also explains the complexities of Czech as a foreign language. In the practical part I focus on the factors of events in the classroom and their degree of influence on the pupil with OMJ, which is assessed on the basis of interviews and case studies of pupils with OMJ and questionnaires of other classmates. I also describe the assessment of the class team, including the pupils with OMJ, who are part of it, from my own point of view like of view of the class teacher. Keywords: Pupils with the different language background, pupils` obstacles, supporting teacher, Czech as a foreign language, communication with parents

This diploma thesis in its theoretical and practical parts focuses on free play of children in pre-school facilities. Kindergarten is the place of early secondary socialization of the child and that's why one part of the diploma thesis is centred on this theme. The theoretical part helps for a deeper understanding of play, especially with 2-4 year old children and builds a foundation for the research. The practical part, based on one year's observation, monitors development of free play of a homogeneous group of children and finds how the quality of play changes with individuals as well as the group. Another focus lies on comparing two separate groups of children in their free play - one group having long term experience with free play and one without such regular experience. The main method of the research is observation. The results of the research points to the importance of free play for a pre-school age child and confirms the influence of free play in the process of early secondary socialization.