Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Child second language aquisition'
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IWASAKI, Junko, and junkoi@student ecu edu au. "The acquisition of Japanese as a second language and Processability Theory: A longitudinal study of a naturalistic child learner." Edith Cowan University. Community Services, Education And Social Sciences: School Of International, Cultural And Community Studies, 2006. http://adt.ecu.edu.au/adt-public/adt-ECU2006.0022.html.
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The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinally how a child learner acquired verbal morpho-syntax in Japanese in a naturalistic second language (L2) context. Specifically the points of emergence for three verbal morpho-syntactic structures, namely verbal inflection, the V-te V structure and the passive/causative structure, were investigated within a framework of Processability Theory (PT) (Pienemann, 1998b). The subsequent development of these structures was also examined. Unlike earlier research about morpheme orders and developmental sequences in language acquisition which was criticised because of its apparent lack of theoretical underpinnings, Pienemann's Processability Theory (PT)(1998b) connects the processability of morpho-syntactic structure to linguistic theories. Pienemann also claims that this theory can be used to explain the acquisition of a wide range of morpho-syntactic structures and that it is typologically plausible and applicable to any language. In recent times PT has been extensively tested in a range of languages acquired as an L2, including German, English and Swedish (Pienemann, 1998b; Pienemann & Hakansson, 1999) and Italian and Japanese (Di Biase & Kawaguchi, 2002). The findings from these studies support this theory.
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Iwasaki, Junko. "The Acquisition of Japanese as a Second Language and Processability Theory: A Longitudinal Study of a Naturalistic Child Learner." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2006. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/73.
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The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinally how a child learner acquired verbal morpho-syntax in Japanese in a naturalistic second language (L2) context. Specifically the points of emergence for three verbal morpho-syntactic structures, namely verbal inflection, the V-te V structure and the passive/causative structure, were investigated within a framework of Processability Theory (PT) (Pienemann, 1998b). The subsequent development of these structures was also examined. Unlike earlier research about morpheme orders and developmental sequences in language acquisition which was criticised because of its apparent lack of theoretical underpinnings, Pienemann’s Processability Theory (PT)(1998b) connects the processability of morpho-syntactic structure to linguistic theories. Pienemann also claims that this theory can be used to explain the acquisition of a wide range of morpho-syntactic structures and that it is typologically plausible and applicable to any language. In recent times PT has been extensively tested in a range of languages acquired as an L2, including German, English and Swedish (Pienemann, 1998b; Pienemann & Håkansson, 1999) and Italian and Japanese (Di Biase & Kawaguchi, 2002). The findings from these studies support this theory. Following the acquisition criteria proposed by Pienemann (1998b), the current study analyses the points of emergence of verbal morpho-syntactic structures by a seven year old Australian boy who was acquiring Japanese as a second language (JSL) naturalistically. Data were collected through audio taping approximately 90 minute interactions between the child and other Japanese speakers at each of the 26 sessions over a one-year and nine month period. The task-based elicitation method was used to create as spontaneous interaction as possible between the child and his interlocutors.
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Chan, Cecilia Yuet Hung. "The aquisition of restrictive relative clauses by Chinese L1 learners of L2 English." Thesis, University of Essex, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.282526.
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Noe, Kelly Dawn. "Incidental lexical acquisition and the modification of glosses in intermediate Spanish." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1091560569.
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Grondin, Nathalie D. "Functional projections in child second language acquisition of French." Thesis, McGill University, 1992. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=61279.
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Recently, there has been growing interest in the status of functional projections (i.e. the determiner phrase (DP), the inflectional phrase (IP), and the complementizer phrase (CP)) in first language (L1) development.The purpose of this study of child second language (L2) acquisition was to determine the status of functional projections in the first months of L2 development. Data from two child subjects (with English as their L1) acquiring French as an L2 were examined for evidence of DP, IP and CP. The results show that all functional projections are present in the grammar from the earliest months of child L2 development. The implications of this finding for L1 and L2 acquisition theories are discussed.
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Current, Daniel C. "Language Learning Through Contextual Input in a Virtual Reality Enviroment." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1341613840.
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Jin, Jongdo. "Child second language acquisition : acquisition of English functional categories by Korean child L2 learners." Thesis, University of Reading, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.422776.
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Haznedar, Belma. "Child second language acquisition of English : a longitudinal case study of a Turkish-speaking child." Thesis, Durham University, 1997. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1634/.
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Park, Hyeson. "Child second language acquisition and grammatical theories: The Minimalist Program and optimality theory." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/252897.
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The aim of linguistic theory is to explain what knowledge of language consists of and how this knowledge is acquired. Generative linguistics, which had set out to achieve this goal, has recently seen the development of two main approaches to Universal Grammar (UG). One is the Minimalist Program (MP) and the other is Optimality Theory (OT). In the MP framework, language is claimed to be acquired through parameter setting, while in OT language acquisition is viewed as a constraint reranking process. In this study, I compare the two evolving linguistic theories in relation to child L2 acquisition phenomena; that is, how and whether the two different approaches to UG could be used to account for language development in real time. The database for this study was a corpus of natural and elicited-interview speech collected by the National Center for Bilingual Research from six Korean children learning English as an L2 in a bilingual education school program. Two constructions, null arguments and wh-questions produced by the Korean children in their developing L2 English, were chosen for in-depth investigation. The data analysis shows that (1) the children dropped few subjects from the early stages, (2) the children dropped more objects than subjects, (3) the children did not apply subject-verb inversion in why -questions, and (4) of the wh-questions, when-questions were one of the last to appear in the children's developing English. It was examined whether these four findings could be explained within the MP and the OT frameworks. The MP and OT in their present forms, however, do not seem to be able to fully account for the data. I have proposed some adaptations of the theories and explored plausible explanations. The overall picture emerging from the study is that the gradual nature of language development can best be explained as being a result of the incremental acquisition of the lexicon. The relationship between linguistic theory and acquisition studies, especially second language acquisition studies, has been unidirectional, from theory to acquisition (SLA) studies. It is to be hoped that this study may contribute to connecting the gap between linguistic theory and SLA studies, and making their relationship more bidirectional.
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McEleney, Sarah Nicole. "La influencia del conocimiento de otras lenguas en la identificación de palabras en español L2 un estudio de los modelos bia y bia+ /." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1248105154.
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Horner, David. "On the aquisition of grammar and meaning in instructed second language learning : a case study of the development of past verb forms by adult French learners of English as a foreign language." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1994. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10021533/.
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A corpus of written English produced by three groups of adult French beginning learners of English as a foreign language over a period of approximately eight months was examined for evidence relating to the acquisition of past tense forms and related meanings. The findings provide evidence to support several hypotheses which can be usefully grouped within a single framework which sees language acquisition as a process of hypothesis formation and testing whose constraints are both first and second language in origin. These hypotheses can be summarised as follows: (1) Language learning involves the acquisition of a new system of expressing meaning. As a result, the learner engages in a process of matching linguistic form to underlying meaning both within and between languages. Only such a hypothesis, we believe, can satisfactorily explain the apparently random variation that was observed in our subjects' acquisition of past tense. (2) Language transfer is thus necessarily a widespread phenomenon, constraining learners' formation of hypotheses, but is itself constrained by the inter- and intra-language form-meaning transparency of the language item in question. In other words, whenever formmeaning relationships are not wholly transparent, transfer is to be expected. (3) Moreover, even when form-meaning relations are transparent, transfer may take place due to the learner's shortage of processing capacity. When this is lacking, learners tend to maintain communication by relying on existing procedural knowledge, which, at least in the early stages, means well-established first language procedures. This is because, even though humans can process at phenomenal speeds, this is only possible with procedures which are solidly in place. For the vast majority of language learners this implies that first language procedures will always take precedence over weaker second language procedures because they were later traced and are less frequently used. Under the circumstances, where demands are made on the learner, for example, to produce language in real time, there will be a tendency to bypass second language networks and rely on first language circuitry. Consequently, learners make use of their ability to operate a number of strategies (such as planning and monitoring their language output) to produce comprehensible language. This ability, labelled strategic competence, is identified as a key aspect in language use in general.
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Van, der Merwe Kristin Catherine. "The comprehension of figurative language by Afrikaans-speaking children with and without specific language impairment and by child second language speakers of Afrikaans." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/21912.
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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Children experiencing language disorders have often been noted to have difficulty in comprehending figurative language, to a greater or lesser degree. The present study examined and compared the comprehension of figurative language, namely idioms and similes, in three groups of boys between the ages of 8 and 10. These three groups included (i) typically developing Afrikaans first language speakers, (ii) typically developing Afrikaans second language speakers (L2) and (iii) Afrikaans first language speakers with specific language impairment (SLI). A total of 18 participants were studied. The participants were interviewed individually and tests were conducted verbally. 25 idioms and 25 similes obtained from Die Afrikaanse Semantiese Taalevaluering (AST) were used. No contexts were provided for the idioms initially, but if the participant produced an incorrect or literal answer for the idiom, the idiom was placed in context. The use of context proved to be beneficial to all groups. Similes were read to the participant, who had to provide the final word as a response. The similes proved easier for all groups to comprehend, possibly due to their greater explicitness. The data were analysed statistically, but due to the small sample size, the participants were also examined individually as case studies, which provided further insight into the results obtained and revealed the non-homogeneity within the SLI group. The performance of the SLI group proved to be slightly inferior to that of the other two groups, but no statistically significant differences were found among the three groups. The L2 participants were asked to translate the idioms and similes into English. It was found that the Afrikaans idioms and similes were seldom likened to their English equivalents. Idioms which were semantically and syntactically similar or identical to the Afrikaans sentences often incited literal interpretations. Incorrect phonological transfers also appeared to create confusion and to obscure meaning. The L2 speakers’ difficulties possibly arose from (i) a lack of familiarity with figurative language, (ii) an inability to grasp figurative language, and/or (iii) a lack of proficiency in Afrikaans. Pedagogical implications and recommendations are discussed, and comments are made regarding future research on this topic.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kinders met taalversteurings blyk dikwels ook tot 'n minder of meerdere mate probleme te hê met die begrip van figuurlike taal. Hierdie studie ondersoek en vergelyk die begrip van figuurlike taal, naamlik idiome en vergelykings, in drie groepe seuns tussen die ouderdomme van 8 en 10 jaar. Hierdie drie groepe sluit in (i) tipies-ontwikkelende Afrikaans eerstetaalsprekers, (ii) tipies ontwikkelende Afrikaans tweedetaalsprekers, en (iii) Afrikaans eertetaalsprekers met spesifieke taalgestremdheid (STG). 'n Totaal van 18 deelnemers is bestudeer. Onderhoude is individueel met elke deelnemer gevoer en toetse is verbaal uitgevoer. 25 idiome van Die Afrikaanse Semantiese Taalevaluering (AST) is gebruik. Aanvanklik is geen konteks gegee nie, maar indien die deelnemer 'n verkeerde of letterlike antwoord vir 'n idioom gegee het, is die idioom in konteks geplaas. Die gebruik van konteks het in alle groepe 'n positiewe effek gehad. Vergelykings is aan deelnemers gelees, waar hulle as respons die laaste woord moes verskaf. Die vergelykings was vir alle groepe makliker vir begrip, moontlik weens hulle hoër vlak van eksplisiteit. Die data is statisties geanaliseer, maar weens die klein aantal deelnemers is elkeen ook individiueel as 'n gevallestudie ondersoek, wat verdere insigte in die resultate gelewer het, en die nie-homogeniteit van die STG groep aangedui het. Die prestasie van die deelnemers met STG was effens onder dié van die ander twee groepe, maar geen statisties-beduidende verskille is onder die drie groepe gevind nie. Die tweedetaal-deelnemers is gevra om die idiome en vergelykings in Engels te vertaal. Daar is gevind dat die Afrikaanse idiome en vergelykings selde aan hulle Engelse ekwivalente gekoppel is. Letterlike interpretasies is dikwels gegee vir idiome wat sintakties en semanties eenders is as die Afrikaanse sin. Verkeerde fonologiese oordragte het ook verwarring veroorsaak en betekenis verduister. Die probleme van die tweedetaal-deelnemers is moontlik as gevolg van (i) onvoldoende vertroudheid met figuurlike taal, (ii) onvermoë om figuurlike taal te interpreteer, en/of (iii) onvoldoende vaardigheid in Afrikaans. Pedagogiese implikasies en aanbevelings word bespreek, en kommentaar word gelewer oor verdere ondersoek op hierdie gebied.
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Rocca, Sonia. "Child second language acquisition of tense-aspect morphology : a bi-directional study of English and Italian." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/25128.
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The present thesis reports on the acquisition of tense-aspect morphology in three L1 Italian children learning L2 English and three L1 English children learning L2 Italian. The children, aged between seven and nine years, were observed in their home environment for a period of six months at approximately two-week intervals. The tense-aspects forms considered are the simple past and the progressive for English, the passato prossimo (i.e. present perfect) and the imperfetto (i.e. imperfect) for Italian. A typological analysis of these forms indicates that their interaction with lexical aspectual classes creates prototypical links. Thus, the simple past and the passato prossimo are prototypically linked to telic predicates, the progressive is prototypically linked to activities and imperfetto to statives. These prototypical links are substantiated acquisitionally by L1 and L2 studies. They are also confirmed by findings from the present study, indicating that these prototypical links are transferable. The typological similarity between the progressive and the imperfetto, both belonging to the imperfective area, results in a bi-directional effect of transfer. The progressive is overextended to states because the learner transfers the prototypical link imperfetto-states; similarly, the imperfetto is underextended to states because the learner transfers the prototypical linked progressive-activities, resulting in an underproduction of the imperfetto with states. However, for language transfer to occur, the learner has to reach the necessary developmental stage. That is to say, these patterns of overextension and underextension are produced after the relevant prototypical links have been acquired. Thus, before being overgeneralized to states, the progressive first marks activities. Similarly, the imperfetto first appears with states, before being avoided with them. Language transfer can also explain another pattern of overextension and underextension in the interlanguage of L2 Italian children: the overextension of the perfective auxiliary avere and the consequent underextension of the other perfective auxiliary.
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Clayton, Christina Dick. "The Effect of Parent English Literacy Training on Student Achievement." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2005. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4973/.
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When the Bush administration set out to revolutionize public education through the requirements commanded by No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), framers of the legislation chose language that appeared inclusive of all students in U.S. schools. The law demands that English language learners take the mandated exams early in their academic careers in the United States even though research indicates most will fail due to lack of time to acquire sufficient language proficiently to demonstrate their learning on the exams. Viewed through a critical theory lens, the inclusive nature of NCLB is in fact, oppressing ELL students. One district in Texas The study involved ELL students in grades 1-12 in a school district in North Central Texas that uses its family literacy center as an intervention to aid ELL families in English language acquisition. Students fell into three categories: students and parents who attend the family literacy center English classes, students whose parents attend the family literacy center English classes but the students do not attend, and students and parents who do not attend the family literacy center English classes. The quantitative data for the study were reading and math Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) scores of ELL students administered by the district in spring 2005. The independent variable was attendance at the family literacy center English classes. A series of one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) and descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, homogeneity of variance) was applied to the data and significant differences were observed on only two measures of the TELPAS. The qualitative data were phenomenological interviews of teachers at the district-run family literacy center. Data derived from in-depth phenomenological interviews were between August and September 2005.
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McEleney, Sarah Nicole. "La influencia del conocimiento de otras lenguas en la identificación de palabras en español L2: Un estudio de los modelos BIA y BIA+." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1248105154.
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Parrilla, Larissa Karina. "Multimedia Technologies' Influence on Language Acquisition in English Language Learners." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2682.
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English as a Second Language (ESL) learners at the upper elementary level have struggled to demonstrate the vocabulary required to read in English at grade-level. Although multimedia technologies have demonstrated positive effects as language acquisition educational tools at the university level, it remains unclear how useful they are for language acquisition at the elementary level. This quasi-experimental study used dual coding theory as a framework to examine the relationship between the level of reading comprehension upper elementary students developed and their construction of word meanings through use of multimedia technologies. The study utilized convenience sampling of 85 students divided into treatment and control groups in a Puerto Rican Montessori school. The treatment consisted of use of multimedia technologies that included video, audio, images, and words in a digital environment for vocabulary acquisition instruction. Data sources included pretest and posttest results for the Maze Close test that measures reading comprehension. These results were analyzed using a paired t test. Results indicated that students in treatment groups developed greater reading comprehension than did those in control groups. However, the difference in scores between the groups was not significant, so the null hypothesis was not rejected. Further research is required in order to determine whether a positive relationship can exist between multimedia technology usage and development of upper elementary student vocabulary and reading comprehension. This study indicates the importance of examining whether multimedia technology use in elementary student English reading comprehension can create reading gains for upper elementary ESL students.
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Ku, Wei. "Acquisition of the syntax and interpretation of Chinese null arguments : an investigation of child and adult second language and native language development." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2013. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/5216/.
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Ibaraki, Ursula H. "Understanding and being understood negotiation in English and Japanese native and nonnative child interaction /." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/22637.
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Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Division of Linguistics & Psychology, Department of Linguistics, 2007.Bibliography: 269-288.
Introduction -- Literature review -- Methodology/theoretical considerations -- Negotiation as a choice -- Initiating negotiation sequences -- The response and final turns in negotiation sequences -- Repetition in negotiation of understanding -- Management of talk through pauses -- Observations and conclusion.
The role of negotiation has been investigated in the field of second language acquisition for over twenty years, however, limited attention has been given to negotiated peer interaction with younger learners. Moreover, related studies sometimes include baseline data of the English native speaker in native and nonnative dyads, but negotiation and its relevance to the nonnative speaker's first language is usually not examined. This study investigates how children negotiate partial or non-understanding in their first as well as in a second language (LI and L2), allowing an identification of similarities and differences in intra- and inter-language negotiation. -- Drawing on a mainly qualitative analysis of task-based interaction by 24 Australian-English and 24 Japanese school children (11-12 year olds), this cross-sectional study looks in a comprehensive way at functions and forms of negotiated interaction in their LI and between LI and L2 speakers of English. It establishes a framework, which permits understanding of the negotiation process and its contribution to language learning. In addition, the study teases out the role of Same-speaker and Other-speaker repetition, showing that all repetition can facilitate the learner's language development. Another innovative contribution of the research is that it addresses pragmatic features such as silent and voiced pauses and their impact on negotiation. -- This investigation advances our understanding in regard to analyses of specific negotiation features that have received little consideration so far. Furthermore, comparisons of LI patterns and norms allow for a grounded and informed approach when addressing L1/L2 interactions. The findings reveal that LI interactions can vary quite considerably from L1/L2 interactions, which raises issues relevant to language learners, teachers and linguists.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
xii, 316 leaves ill
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Wistrand, Ida. "Analysis of the English language produced by a Swedish 4-year-old child in the light of the innatist perspective : A case study." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-84410.
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This is a case study that focuses on the oral proficiency in English manifested by the 4-year-old sonof the author. He speaks Swedish as his L1 like his both parents but has been exposed to Englishsince he was one year old from using a tablet. The child’s spoken production was recorded andtranscribed with a focus on the plural-forms and the genitive. An important field that this case studyis motivated by is how child language development may be connected to the concept of innatism,that language is based on innate principles (Lightbown & Spada, 2013:20) as it has been found that anumber of languages are acquired according to predictable patterns and processes (Moskowitz,1994:621-627) such as a the u-shaped learning process and over-generalization which has beenfound when investigating both L1 and L2 acquisition (Abrahamsson, 2013:663). The aim of thisstudy is to find possible similarities within the learning process: whether L2 acquisition follows thesame developmental patterns as in L1 acquisition by analyzing the recordings mainly targeting theplural and the genitive morphemes produced by a 4-year-old L2 speaker of English. Findings in thisresearch revealed that the child demonstrated a similar developmental pattern in the form of theu-shaped learning process (Abrahamsson, 2013:663).
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Stölten, Katrin. "The Effects of Age of Onset on VOT in L2 Aquisition and L1 Attrition : A Study of the Speech Production and Perception of Advanced Spanish-Swedish Bilinguals." Doctoral thesis, Stockholms universitet, Centrum för tvåspråkighetsforskning, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-94887.
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This thesis explores the role of age in second language (L2) acquisition and first language (L1) attrition. The focus is on Voice Onset Time (VOT) in the production and categorical perception of word-initial L1 and L2 stops in highly advanced L1 Spanish learners of L2 Swedish. Using as the point of departure a maturational constraints perspective and the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH), Study I examines the impact of age of onset (AO) of L2 acquisition on the production of L2 Swedish voiceless stops. The results show that there are AO effects even in the speech of highly advanced L2 learners and that the incidence of nativelike L2 learners is considerably lower than earlier assumed. However, conclusions like these are only possible when speaking rate is accounted for, thereby highlighting the importance of speaking rate effects on VOT as a measure of nativelikeness. Like Study I, Study II reveals age effects on the same L2 learners’ categorical perceptions of L2 Swedish stops. Moreover, after combining the results with the data from Study I, the incidence of nativelike behavior drops remarkably with no late L2 learner performing within the range of native-speaker production and perception. The results suggest that L2 acquisition of phonetic/phonological aspects is especially sensitive to AO effects. It is concluded that theories on maturational constraints, including the CPH, cannot be refuted on the basis of the present data. Study III concerns the same participants’ production and perception of L1 Spanish stops. Age of reduced contact (ARC) is identified as an important predictor for L1 attrition and retention of voiceless stop production, although not of stop perception. This discrepancy is related to different activation thresholds as proposed by the Activation Threshold Hypothesis (ATH). It is further suggested that early bilinguals are more dependent on high-frequency L1 use than late bilinguals when compensating for age effects, but only in production.At the time of doctoral defence the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Accepted. Paper 2: In press. Paper 3: Manuscript.
Age of onset and ultimate attainment in second language acquisition, The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation, grant no. 1999-0383:01
First language attrition in advanced second language speakers, Swedish Research Council, grant no. 421-2004-1975
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Kuo, Li-Hui. "Improving Implicit Learning and Explicit Instruction of Adult and Child Learners of Chinese." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2013. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3635.
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This study explored the main effects and interaction effects of implicit learning and explicit instructional approaches on the language acquisition of beginning adult and child learners of Chinese and analyzed the successful adult and child learners' learning styles in their information processing time, second language acquisition techniques, and cognitive strategies. Volunteers from Brigham Young University and Wasatch Elementary School were randomly assigned to either an Explicit Instruction Treatment (EIT) or an Implicit Learning Treatment (ILT). Following the treatment, the participants completed an online survey and a vocabulary application test. Results from a 2 x 2 factorial ANOVA indicated that adults performed significantly better than children on the listening and vocabulary tests scores (F (1, 135) =158.901, p<.001), and the EIT was significantly more effective than the ILT. There was no interaction between maturity and treatment factors. Results from a 3 x 2 factorial MANOVA indicated that in the Learning Phase, adults in the high and mid performance groups spent significantly longer processing information than those in the low performance group, and adults in the EIT also spent a longer time than those in the ILT. Results from the stepwise regression showed that for successful adult and child learners, Phonological Processing was the most frequently used second language strategy for both adults and children, which was strongly correlated with their vocabulary application test scores. Guessing was the most popular cognitive strategy. Successful children spent significantly less time than the low performing children in the Testing Phase.
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Pladevall, Ballester Elisabet. "Child and Adult Non-Native Subject Development: A Bi-directional Study of English and Spanish as L2s." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/4912.
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Aquesta tesi explora l'adquisició no-nativa de les propietats del subjecte gramatical en l'anglès i el castellà de nens i adults castellanoparlants i angloparlants, els quals no resideixen en el país de la L2, i contribueix així a la recerca en aquest camp amb noves dades i descobriments.En un enfocament teòric generativista cap a la L2, els efectes de la GU en el desenvolupament no-natiu del subjecte en nens i adults, l'existència d'efectes de transferència de la L1 i el "cluster" de propietats del tradicional Paràmetre del Subjecte Nul romanen sense resoldre's is han de ser analitzats d'acord amb les propostes teòriques més recents. L'estudi es realitza mitjançant dades transversals obtingudes a partir d'experiments de comprensió en nens i adults en dos contextos d'adquisició diferents. L'L2A infantil s'examina en un context d'immersió d'una escola americana a Barcelona i d'una escola espanyola a Londres i l'L2A adulta s'analitza en un context de classe institucional. S'utilitza el mateix mètode experimental pels nens i pels adults: judicis de gramaticalitat i tasques de coerció pels informants de L2 anglès i judicis de gramaticalitat i tasques de preferència pels informants de L2 castellà. No obstant, s'ha utilitzat una versió oral dels experiments pels grups de nens més petits. En el cas de la L2 infantil s'ha analitzat tres grups d'edat per cada llengua i en el cas dels adults tres grups de nivell per llengua, ambdós acompanyats dels seus grups monolingües de control corresponents.La tesi s'estructura al voltant de sis preguntes de recerca, les respostes de les quals representen els descobriments més rellevants:
1. L'estadi inicial de la L2 està caracteritzat per la "clustered" transferència de les propietats del subjecte associades amb els valors paramètrics de la L1?
2. El desenvolupament de la L2 està caracteritzat per la "clustered" adquisició de les propietats del subjecte associades amb els valors paramètrics de la L2?
3. Quines implicacions teòriques es deriven dels resultats d'aquest estudi per les teories de L2A "Partial/Full Transfer" i "Partial/Full UG Access" ?
4. Podem mantenir el mateix enfocament teòric cap a L2A per nens i adults?
5. Podem mantenir el concepte tradicional de "Paràmetre del Subjecte Nul" entès com a la L1 en la L2?
6. Hi ha efectes de direccionalitat d'adquisició entre L2 anglès (per castellanoparlants) i L2 castellà (per angloparlants)?
Les dades indiquen presència de "clustered" transferència de les propietats del subjecte des de la L1 en la L2 anglès i castellà de nens i adults. No obstant, la "clustered" adquisició de les propietats del subjecte en la L2 només la trobem en la L2 anglès i castellà dels nens, ja que en els adults, el desenvolupament de la L2 no presenta refixació del tret de la L1 al valor del tret de la L2 i per tant no presenta efectes de "clustering". Pel que fa al desenvolupament del subjecte, els resultats d'aquesta tesi donen suport a la teoria de Full UG Access i Full L1 Transfer (Schwartz and Sprouse, 1996; Schwartz, 1998, 2003, 2004) pel que fa a L2A en els nens, mentre que els resultats dels adults donen suport a la teoria de Partial UG Access i Full L1 Transfer per la L2A adulta (Liceras, 1996, 1998, 2003; Liceras and Díaz, 1999; Hawkins and Chan, 1997 and Tsimpli and Roussou, 1991). Un descobriment final de la tesi fa referència a l'existència d'efectes de direccionalitat d'adquisició, és a dir, el fet que tant en L2A infantil com adulta, les propietats del subjecte s'adquireixen abans en la L2 castellà (pels angloparlants) que en la L2 anglès (pels castellanoparlants), encara que, en el cas dels nens, les diferències són significatives i propiciades lingüísticament, mentre que en el cas dels adults, les diferències responen a causes no lingüístiques.
En definitiva, aquesta tesi presenta un estudi complet i bidireccional de les propietats sintàctiques i discursives del subjecte tradicionalment associades al "Paràmetre del Subjecte Nul" i en determina la seva relació i rellevància en el desenvolupament de la L2.
The present study explores the non-native English and Spanish acquisition of subject properties in Spanish and English-speaking children and adults who are not in the L2-speaking country and thus contributes to the amount of research produced in the field by providing new data and findings. Under a Generative Grammar approach to L2A, the effects of UG in subject development in both child and adult L2A, the existence of L1 Transfer effects and the cluster of properties of the traditional Null Subject Parameter in L2A remain unresolved and need to be analysed under more recent theoretical proposals. The study will be carried out by means of cross-sectional data obtained through comprehension experimental tasks conducted on children and adults in two different acquisition contexts. Child L2A is examined in an immersion context of an American school in Barcelona and a Spanish school in London and adult L2A is explored in an institutional classroom setting. The same experimental method will be used for both children and adults, although an oral version of the task will be provided to the youngest groups of informants, namely grammaticality judgement and correction tasks for L2 English informants and grammaticality judgement and preference tasks for L2 Spanish informants. Three age groups per language in the case of child L2A and three level groups per language in the case of adult L2A together with their corresponding control monolingual groups will be tested.
The thesis is guided by and built around six research questions, whose answers represent its major findings:
1. Is the L2 initial state characterised by clustered transfer of subject properties associated with L1 parameter values?
2. Is L2 development characterised by clustered acquisition of subject properties associated with the L2 parameter values?
3. What are the theoretical implications of the results of the present research for the Partial/Full Transfer and Partial/Full UG Access positions to L2A?
4. Can the same theoretical approach to L2A be maintained for both children and adults?
5. Can the notion of "Null Subject Parameter" as in L1A be maintained in L2A?
6. Are there any directionality of acquisition differences between English L2A (by Spanish speakers) and Spanish L2A (by English speakers)?
Our data reveal that clustered L1 Transfer of the subject properties examined is present in both child and adult L2 English and Spanish. Yet clustered acquisition of L2 subject properties is only found in child L2 English and Spanish, as adult L2 English and Spanish development indicates no resetting of the L1 to the L2 feature value and hence absence of any clustering effects. As far as subject development is concerned, the results of this thesis generally give support to a Full UG Access and Full L1 Transfer position (Schwartz and Sprouse, 1996; Schwartz, 1998, 2003, 2004) for child L2A, whereas results from adult L2A point towards a Partial UG Access and Full L1 Transfer approach to adult L2A (Liceras, 1996, 1998, 2003; Liceras and Díaz, 1999; Hawkins and Chan, 1997 and Tsimpli and Roussou, 1991). A final finding relates to the observation of "directionality of acquisition effects", namely the fact that both in child and adult L2, subject properties are acquired earlier in L2 Spanish (by English speakers) than in L2 English (by Spanish speakers), although in the case of child L2A, differences are significant and linguistically motivated, whereas in the case of adult L2A, differences respond to non-linguistic factors.
On the whole, the present thesis provides a thorough and bi-directional syntactic and discursive study of all the subject properties traditionally associated with the Null Subject Parameter and determines their relationship and relevance in L2 development.
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Long, Kelsey B., Kelsey C. Rookstool, Lauren P. Driggers-Jones, and Wallace Jr Dixon. "Effects of Birth Order on Temperament and Language." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/asrf/2018/schedule/210.
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Previous research has shown temperament to be stable throughout development and this effect remains when controlling for infant birth order. However, to our knowledge, there have been no investigations examining the direct relationship between temperament characteristics and birth order within the family. Because infant temperament has been shown to be related to maternal stress during pregnancy it stands to reason that mothers caring for multiple children while pregnant will experience more stress, and thus affect the temperament of their gestating offspring. Therefore, the first aim of the present investigation was to evaluate whether birth order was associated with infant temperament. Additionally, research has shown relationships between birth order and language; with second born children showing a significant advancement of language skills compared to first born children. However, no studies have investigated the relationship between birth order and gestural abilities. Because gestural abilities significantly predict language development, it stands to reason that birth order should also affect the gestural abilities of infants. Thus, the second aim of the current project was to evaluate the relationship between birth order and gestural abilities. Eighty-three children visited the lab at M = 15.45 months. Caregivers completed the Infant Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R), the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory:Words and Gestures (MCDI-WG), and a demographic questionnaire concerning family size and birth order. In line with our first aim, we evaluated correlations between infant temperament and birth order. These analyses revealed a significant relationship between the temperamental superdimension of negative affectivity; specifically, the subdimension of sadness was the main factor driving the relationship between birth order and temperament. Next, to investigate whether birth order was related to gestural abilities, we analyzed correlations between birth order and the MCDI-WG categories of performing actions with objects, as well as imitation. This analysis revealed significant associations between birth order and both gestural categories. While these results were in line with our expectations, they remain to be supported by replication. However, should these results withstand tests of replication, they suggest interesting findings for both temperament and language research. First, these results suggest that later born children are at risk for a difficult temperament; however, the specific cause of this relationship is unknown, but could include prenatal stress, or stress during infancy such as less time spent with caregivers. Secondly, these results suggest that later born children are at a particular advantage. This advantage may be due to the fact that later born children, by virtue of their larger families, have a greater number of exemplars from which to learn gestures through observation.
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Onorato, Patricia G. "Investigating the Effects of a Parent-Mediated Intervention on Latino Parent-Child Verbal Interaction and Children's Receptive Vocabulary." VCU Scholars Compass, 2016. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/4600.
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This study aimed to investigate parent-child verbal interactions in Spanish in a group of Latino preschoolers growing up in the United States through a parent-mediated program at home, and the effects of the program on their receptive vocabulary in Spanish. A single subject multiple baseline across participants design was used in the study. The participants were 3 Latino mothers and their sons, with low family income, living in the United States. The intervention taught the mothers strategies to enhance their children’s language through a sharing-book activity. The study lasted for 6 weeks during which baseline and intervention conditions data were collected through videotapes of the Dyads’ mealtimes. The results of the study showed that their verbal interactions were functional, brief, and typically not extended to children’s activities. The number of verbal interactions increased for 2 of the 3 Dyads from baseline to intervention condition and decreased for 1 of them. The children’s receptive vocabulary and school readiness skills increased after the intervention as showed by pre and post intervention assessments. The social validity survey suggested that Latina mothers found the project beneficial since, it not only increased their children’s interest in books, but also their own motivation to share books with them. Research and practical implications were discussed.
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Mendoza, Guillermo I. "Exploring Gesturing as a Natural Approach to Impact Stages of Second Language Development: A Multiple Baseline, Single Case Study of a Head Start Child." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2016. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3121.
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There is an increase in Hispanic English Language Learners (ELL). Poverty levels and lack of teacher training can also be stacked against the ELL population. Gesturing is a teaching technique that is used in successful methods such as The Natural Approach (NA) and Total Physical Response (TPR) in helping ELL students in English comprehension and output. This study examined the effects that increased teacher gestures have on the number of words spoken by the child in multiple settings. Data were collected in the context of a multiple baseline design across three settings. The results indicate that there was an effect on the amount of words spoken in two out of three settings. Suggestions are presented to expand on this effect.
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Travieso-Parker, Lourdes Lucia. "Policies, Pedagogy, and Practices: Educational Experiences of Latino English Language Learners in Virginia." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/26593.
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The purpose of this qualitative case study was to analyze the impact of the policies of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) on the teaching and learning of 10 Latino English language learners (ELLs) in an urban high school in Virginia. Using ethnographic methodology, the researcher examined the nexus of the policy of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (2001) with the pedagogy of the English as a Second Language (ESL) and content area teachers, and the practices employed by teachers to enable students to acquire a second language in an academic setting. This enabled the researcher to examine the contextual framework of a large urban school and factors converging to help Latino ELLs learn academic English to succeed in high school. By reviewing the policy, pedagogy, and practices used in this school, I observed the connectedness of an entire school and the relationships fostered by students and faculty to support a learning climate for ELLs.
The findings of this study show that the sociocultural environment and the educational experiences play a significant role in the adaptive process of learning a second language for Latino English language learners. Pedagogy that was built on respect for the Latino English language learnersâ cultural identity, linguistic abilities, and critical thinking skills helped learners become actively engaged, and facilitated learning in the second language that was academically rigorous. The practices of caring teachers enabled them to serve as advocates for ELLs, helped forge relationships of respect and trust, and encouraged Latino ELLs to succeed academically as they navigated the high school environment.Ph. D.
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Perdigão, Ana Margarida Lobo. "Relatório da prática de ensino supervisionada em educação pré-escolar: desenvolvimento da linguagem oral e da escrita emergente." Master's thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/12972.
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O presente relatório enquadra-se no âmbito do Mestrado em Educação Pré-Escolar, mais concretamente, na unidade curricular de Prática de Ensino Supervisionada, a qual decorreu numa instituição privada em Évora, a Escola Salesiana.
O tema por mim elegido foi o Desenvolvimento da Linguagem Oral e da Escrita Emergente, no entanto, ao longo de toda a minha prática de ensino supervisionada foram sempre desenvolvidas inúmeras propostas referentes às outras áreas de conteúdos e feita a sua respetiva articulação.
Baseando-me na metodologia de investigação-ação, foi por mim desenvolvida uma atitude de pesquisa, experiência, análise e reflexão que ao longo de toda a minha prática de ensino supervisionada me possibilitou questionar e melhorar a minha prática educativa e pedagógica. Foram também por mim utilizados alguns instrumentos que me auxiliaram na recolha dos dados observados e regulação da minha ação; Abstract:
This report concerned about the Master in Pre-School Education, specifically, for the course of Supervised Teaching Practice, which took place at a private institution in Évora, the Salesiana School.
The subject chosen for me was the Development of Oral Language and Emergent Writing, however, throughout my supervised teaching practice were always developed numerous proposals relating to other areas of content and made their respective joint. Basing myself in the action-research methodology was developed by me a research attitude, experience, analysis and reflection that throughout my teaching practice supervised increased my abillities to question and improve my education and teaching practice. Also I used some technical tools that help me in collecting the observed data and regulation of my action.
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Lipp, Amanda KR. "Improving Head Start Teachers' Concept Development: Long Term Follow-Up of a Training Program and Differences in Program Impact." TopSCHOLAR®, 2016. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1604.
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Children from a low socioeconomic status (SES) home environment are typically exposed to less vocabulary during the first few years of life and experience higher rates of poor school readiness, particularly in emergent literacy skills, when compared to middle-class peers (Bowey, 1995; Hart & Risley, 2003; Whitehurst, 1997). Early childhood education programs designed to expose this group to cognitively challenging utterances have found that low SES children tend to make greater gains in vocabulary development compared to middle-class peers (Justice, Meier, & Walpole, 2005).
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Beteinaki, Eleftheria. "Structures, processes and outcomes in preschool units with high and low proportions of second language learners of Swedish : A Comparative Study." Thesis, Högskolan för lärande och kommunikation, Jönköping University, HLK, CHILD, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-49627.
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Second language learners (SLLs) are students at risk for negative outcomes in preschool. Theoretical statements from systems theory and the ecological model of inclusive education indicate that a main focus of interest when supporting children should be the preschool environment that surrounds them. The purpose of this study is to describe and compare structures and processes in preschool settings that are presupposed by theory to have an impact on children’s functioning, along with children’s outcomes in preschool units with different proportions of SLLs. A combination of questionnaire data and data from observations were used in order to describe and compare the structure of child-teacher ratio, the process-related variables of teachers’ tone, children’s proximity and verbal interaction and lastly the outcomes of involvement and social interactions in different play types between the units. Data were analyzed with independent sample t-tests and the results revealed that units with different proportions of SLLs differ regarding processes and outcomes but not the structure of child-teacher ratio. Teachers’ tone in units with low proportion of SLLs was more positive and children were more verbal to the teacher while children in units with high proportions of SLL, had more self-talk/ private speech, less social-interactions and associative play, and lower levels of involvement. The differentiations in processes and children outcomes, along with the non-differences in child-teacher ratios between units with high and low proportions of SLLs highlight the need for further research in the field in order to investigate which environmental factors affect children outcomes in attempts to intervene and safeguard inclusiveness.
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Nichols, Jennifer Lynn. "Motivation and Affective Variables in Arabic Language Learning for Iraq War Veterans: Language Learning Experiences Inside and Outside the Classroom." The Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1274056937.
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Agerberg, Alexandra. "Im Zwiegespräch mit dem Computer : ICT und digitale Kompetenzen zur Förderung und zur Motivation der Sprachentwicklung von Lernern einer Fremdsprache mit Focus auf die mündliche Sprachentwicklung." Thesis, Högskolan Dalarna, Tyska, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-28000.
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Aim – The paper at hand has three aims which are based on the recent adjustments made to the Swedish curriculum which take effect in summer 2018 and stipulate the implementation of digital competence in all subjects. Firstly, the study examines the effect of ICT and digital media/ aids on the WTC and motivation of second language learners. Secondly, a look is taken at how ICT and digital media/ aids are implemented in teaching today and thirdly, the challenges teachers face by the diverse interpretation and definition of the term digital competence and its realization in the classroom are investigated. Design/methodology/approach – The study is a literature review in which recent literature and research papers in the field of ICT in teaching with focus on second language teaching and learning were examined. Findings – According to the results, the author found that the use of ICT and digital media/ aids have a positive effect on the WTC and motivation of second language learners when used appropriately. The challenges teachers face in this respect is a lack of methods and strategies as well as technical support that are needed to successfully implement ICT in their lessons. Especially the lack of technical support is viewed as a time consuming one as it requires teachers to have a back-up-plan which in effect means more lesson planning on their part. Additionally and in regard to the implementation of digital competences in all subjects, teachers are faced with new challenges which comprise a technical; theoretical and didactical knowledge of the term and its practical realization. Due to the recency of the changes made to the curriculum, the investigation of the challenges that present themselves to the teachers open up for new research that can be made in this field.
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Clancy, Charlotte M. "Reading recovery : investigating differential effects on the literacy development of young children for whom English is an additional language in comparison with their native speaking peers." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2014. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:cad85100-4bfc-4348-91d0-9a0fa7d3a216.
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This thesis studied young, struggling readers, all of whom had participated in the Reading Recovery literacy intervention, and investigated whether differential progress was made by children learning English as an additional language when compared with their native, English-speaking peers. The children were assessed on a pre- and post-test basis on literacy measures associated with reading comprehension in a UK context. Following a Pilot Phase, 52 children who were learning English as an additional language, and 48 native, English-speaking children were recruited from twenty-three primary schools in 8 local authorities across the UK. The children were administered standardised literacy measures, including the British Abilities Scale (BAS) single word reading test, the British Picture Vocabulary Scales (BPVS) vocabulary knowledge test, the Phonological Assessment Battery (PHAB) pseudo-word reading test, and two reading comprehension measures: the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) and the York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension (YARC). Statistical analyses were conducted on the data and the results indicated that differential progress was made by the groups, after initial levels of decoding or vocabulary were covaried. The first research question investigated the differential progress made by the two groups, and over the course of the intervention, the EAL children made more progress after controlling for initial skills at entry. After controlling for initial vocabulary levels, the EAL group made more gains than their NS peers, as measured by the BAS single word reading assessment. The second research question examined differential predictors of reading comprehension, and multiple regression analyses showed that vocabulary was a stronger predictor for EAL learners, whereas decoding was found to be a stronger predictor for NS learners. The findings suggest that it is important to develop the vocabulary abilities of EAL learners, as the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension acquisition was found to be stronger for this group than for the NS group. The findings also suggest that NS children’s decoding abilities must be supported, as the relationship between single word reading and the acquisition of reading comprehension was found to be stronger for this group than for the EAL group.
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Chan, Lydia L. S. "The development of L2 emergent literacy in Hong Kong kindergarten children." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2009. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:98c42993-96ec-469e-bbcd-daf9d3bd2fc1.
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This thesis explores the development of emergent literacy in Hong Kong Kindergarten children who are learning English as a Second Language (L2). Two interrelated empirical studies have been conducted, and both aim to examine the contribution of code-related and oral language skills to predicting early L2 reading ability, controlling for home influences. The majority of research on emergent literacy has been conducted on First-Language (L1) English-speaking children, and it is possible that these established concepts and models could also be relevant to L2 children. The first is a 2-year longitudinal study examining the continuity of L2 emergent literacy development in Hong Kong children from Kindergarten to early Primary school. The convenience sample of 51 children were initially assessed in their final or penultimate year of Kindergarten (mean age: 4;6 SD = 6.16) on 3 emergent literacy measures (receptive vocabulary, phonological awareness, letter identification) and a non-verbal cognitive measure. They later progressed onto the Primary section of the same school, and were assessed again as first or second-graders (mean age: 6;4 SD = 6.21) on a more comprehensive battery of measures. An extensive parental questionnaire on family demographics and the home literacy environment was also administered. In addition to assessing a wide range of L2 emergent literacy skills and English word reading ability, a Chinese syllable deletion task was also included, to explore the potential effects of cross-linguistic phonological transfer between the children’s L1 (Cantonese) and L2 (English). The second study sought to improve upon the first by selecting a larger, more representative sample of children from 3 bilingual Kindergartens in the Kowloon City School District. It examines the concurrent relationships between emergent literacy skills and L2 word reading ability in 137 children. They were all in their final year of Kindergarten (mean age: 5;2 SD = 5.61), and were assessed once on largely the same battery of measures as Study 1 (Time 2). Again, a non-verbal cognitive measure was administered, as well as the parental questionnaire on home support for language development. The main data analysis was carried out via multivariate statistical techniques such as multiple regression. Further analysis was conducted using structural equation modelling in Study 2, but in a cautious and exploratory manner. The overall findings suggest that like the L1 emergent literacy model, early L2 word reading ability is predominantly influenced by children’s code-related skills, especially print knowledge and phonological sensitivity. Also, the relationship between oral language and word reading seems to be mediated by code-related skills. Thus, while oral language abilities do not appear to make substantial direct contributions to early L2 reading, they do play an essential albeit indirect role. Furthermore, L2 children’s home influences seem to make their strongest impact before formal schooling begins, again in the form of indirect effects on pre-school oral language skills. In short, the development of emergent literacy and early word reading skills is similar in many ways for both L1 and L2 children, and implications for practice are considered.
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Gazda, Emily. "Los niños que se quedan atrás: la doble moral sobre el bilingüismo de los niños de lengua minoritaria en las escuelas públicas estadounidenses = The children left behind: the double standard of bilingualism for minority language c." Oberlin College Honors Theses / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=oberlin1336696910.
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Colin, Catherine. "Construction du bi-plurilinguisme en français langue de scolarisation : apprentissage d'une L2 en enseignement bilingue précoce." Phd thesis, Université Paul Valéry - Montpellier III, 2012. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00808409.
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Alors que l'efficacité et l'intérêt des dispositifs d'enseignement bilingue précoce ont été largement démontrés, peu d'études se sont penchées en détail sur les processus à l'oeuvre dans l'acquisition précoce d'une langue étrangère. Cette étude vise à analyser le développement de la compétence en L2 chez de jeunes enfants, dans un contexte où l'école est la seule source d'exposition à celle-ci. À partir d'un corpus recueilli dans des classes de maternelle et primaire de deux écoles franco-américaines en Californie, nous proposons d'examiner comment des enfants anglophones de 4 à 7 ans scolarisés dans un dispositif de type immersif construisent leur compétence en français. En nous appuyant sur un cadre interactionniste d'acquisition de la L2, nous montrerons comment ce contexte spécifique impacte le déroulement de l'acquisition, en termes d'opportunités d'interaction et d'input adressé aux enfants, et examinerons dans quelle mesure il fournit un socle aux premières acquisitions en français. Cette étude vise également à évaluer le rôle de l'âge dans le déroulement de l'acquisition. Nous suggérons que l'idée selon laquelle commencer l'apprentissage d'une L2 le plus jeune possible serait garant d'une meilleure maîtrise de la langue n'est pas nécessairement valable dans ce contexte particulier d'acquisition, tant de multiples autres facteurs sont à prendre en compte (conscience linguistique et métalinguistique, stratégies d'interaction, influence de la L1). Des pistes pédagogiques sont également proposées à partir de ces résultats, afin de fournir quelques orientations pour l'enseignement bilingue en maternelle.
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ARMSTRONG, ALEXANDER. "Essays on the Economics of Language and Language Policy." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1974/8070.
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This thesis concerns the economic dimensions of second language knowledge and acquisition and the economic implications of language policies. The value of the ability to speak and understand a second language depends on the extent to which it enlarges one's communicative sphere which, in turn, depends on the language abilities of others. This implies that second language acquisition decisions are associated with strategic considerations and spillover effects. Consequently, the equilibrium distribution of language skills may not be socially efficient and policy remedies may be called for.
The first essay of the thesis investigates the relationship between earnings, second language knowledge and the distribution of language skills in local labour markets in Canada using census data. We estimate the elasticity of local language complementarity in earnings: a parameter that measures the importance of the linguistic environment in the earnings of the individual as well as the importance of language in the economy generally.
The second essay addresses the efficiency of second language acquisition decisions in a theoretical model where bilingualism is rewarded with a higher wage for two reasons. First, language skills constitute a form of human capital in the sense that a worker's productivity is positively related to the proportion of the population with whom she shares a language. Second, language skills serve as a signal of productivity to employers. In general, the private and social benefits of bilingualism do not align due to counteracting network and signalling welfare effects.
The third essay concerns the role of language policy in improving social outcomes. A tax-subsidy system is considered under various assumptions about the ability of the government or planner to discriminate between individuals and groups. A Pareto improvement is possible if the government can condition the tax-subsidy system on language acquisition costs but not otherwise.
The fourth essay considers the optimal provision of public services when individuals' effective consumption of the services depends on their proficiency in the language they are provided in. The planner faces a trade-off between compensating minority language speakers for their lower wages and encouraging their integration by rewarding higher levels of dominant language proficiency.Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2013-06-06 12:06:34.747
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Matis, Anna Flora. "The art of saving a language : heritage language learning in America." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/24063.
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The term heritage language (HL), which only emerged in the context of language policy during the 1990’s, refers to immigrant, refugee, and indigenous languages whose target group of learners have either previously learned the language as a first language (L1) or home language, or have some form of heritage connection to the language (Cummins, 2005). The bilingual nature of these individuals is ambiguous, as variables related to literacy and oral proficiency in the first language are significantly influenced by geographical, cultural, academic, and sociolinguistic factors prevalent to the context in which the speaker is situated. The topic of HL is the subject of a growing number of studies in second language acquisition as well as bilingual education. Given that an increasing number of immigrants from around the world continue to make the United States their place of permanent residence, the country’s educational focus needs to take into account the needs of heritage language learners (HLL), especially as that focus shifts from the exclusive teaching of foreign languages to incorporating the maintenance and linguistic competence of our multilingual inhabitants.text
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Jao, Tse-chun, and 饒策群. "The Reflection of Language Acquisition – A Case Study of Child Second Language Attrition." Thesis, 2005. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/52509831819141317786.
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碩士國立台北師範學院
兒童英語教育研究所
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Language attrition usually accompanies migration and the differences between language contexts can make it worse. Since 1980, the issue of language attrition has received attention from many researchers (Bahrick, 1984; Edwards, 1976; Tomiyama, 1999; Tomiyama, 2000; Welten et al., 1986). Their efforts have provided useful answers to parts of the issue and given helpful advice in the teaching and learning of second language. However, the attrition process between different language contexts may be varied and little attention has been given to the impact on native Mandarin speakers. This study aims to examine English attrition in the Mandarin context, providing some baseline data to countries such as Taiwan, Japan and Korea for their EFL policy and education. This paper aims to examine the process of natural second language (English) attrition in the first language (Mandarin) environment. The following are the purpose of this study: 1. examining subject’s lexicon and syntax attrition, 2. investigating subject’s change in fluency, 3. finding the compensatory strategies which subject employs during the attrition process. By applying the methods of literature review, story telling, interview and discourse analysis along with the tool of “General English Proficiency Test” as pre and post test, this case study aims at examining the changes of lexicon and syntax during the process of natural second language (English) attrition in the first language (Mandarin) environment since the sixth month of the subject’s return to the eighteenth month. The subject was a boy who spent two years in the United States and came back to Taiwan at the age of 8;10. The experimenter visited the subject bimonthly, 7 times in total. At each visit, the child was asked to tell the stories of two books. The data was tape recorded and analyzed using the CHILDES system. The results show that some phenomena existed, including 1. 31.7% attritions or changes in the usage of vocabulary, 2. increasing errors in use of morphemes, including the past tense, plurals, third person and copulas, 3. errors in the usage of prepositions, especially the misuse of in and on, 4. changes in the expression of possessive case, from item of to possessive morpheme ’s then the multiple noun modification, 5. modification of nouns, from post-nominal to pre-nominal, 6. increasing errors in the usage of tense, 7. lower fluency, especially the increasing time of pause, and, 8. evidences for use of compensation strategies, including “interlingual transfer”, “using a circumlocution or synonym” and “simplification”. The results above suggest attrition in the child's English proficiency. Language attrition might be attributed to availability reduction and language interference. Discussions and implications of this study were provided.
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Zdorenko, Tatiana. "Constructions in child second language acquisition: exploring the role of first language and usage." Phd thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10048/1709.
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This thesis examined the factors of L1, input frequency and emergent productivity in child L2 acquisition. This thesis is the first study to look at the interplay of L1 and usage factors in children learning a L2. The focus of the thesis was an investigation of these factors in the acquisition of article and auxiliary systems of English, which have been proven to be problematic areas for both L1 and L2 learners. While accounts of L1 transfer in L2 are better developed in generative theory, the roles of input frequency and emergent productivity are better developed in constructivist theory. The thesis assessed these two approaches against the data from L2 children from various L1 backgrounds. The children’s accuracy and error patterns with articles and auxiliaries were investigated.
The main findings were as follows. L1 typology facilitated the acquisition of the structure of the NP and VP, but it only extended as far as the awareness of the presence of the functional morpheme (article or auxiliary). L1 transfer effects were observed only in the first 1.5 years of acquisition, which could be due to the unstable L1 knowledge in child L2 learners. The use of articles and auxiliaries was also influenced by their input frequencies and distribution, as more frequent forms were supplied more accurately and were substituted for less frequent forms. Different forms of articles and auxiliaries emerged separately and followed different paths of development. It was argued that they were acquired piecemeal and that productivity with these forms emerged gradually.
It was concluded that constructionist theories were better supported by the data, since the findings on input frequency and productivity were not compatible with the generative approach, and L1 transfer was incorporated into the constructionist approach to account for the findings. It was argued that by the onset of acquisition, child L2 learners had established constructions in their L1 that were abstract enough to be transferred to L2 and did not rely on lexically specific information. As all children learned specific morphological forms of L2 piecemeal, in doing so they demonstrated input effects that held across all L1 backgrounds.
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Saneka, Nora. "Barriers and bridges : child participation, second-language learning and the cognitive development of the young child." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/13891.
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The purpose of the research was to look critically at the language development of the
young second-language learner within their social context, in relation to theory and
practice (praxis), using as a ‘lens’, “the right to participation” (UNCRC General
Comment No 12, 2009). Language and communication were seen by the researcher
as fundamental to the child’s ‘right to participate’ as ‘agents of their own life’ (General
Comment No 7, 2005) as they engage in meaning-making with others, both at home
and at school. The research was conducted as a Case Study within a Pre-Primary
School over a three month period, with the lead-researcher involving the teachers as
co-researchers. A Participatory Action Research methodology was used, within a
praxeological conceptual framework. Parents and their young children (between the
ages of 2 – 6 years) were participants in the research. Ways were explored to build
‘bridges’ to overcome perceived ‘barriers’ to the children’s participation. Various data
collection techniques were used, including the Persona Doll approach, the Mosaic
Approach, Documentation of Learning and Learning Story Books.
The results of the research were increased awareness of the value of inclusive
practices that place a value on diversity and which actively support and promote the
use of the mother tongue, as well as the learning of English as a second language. In
the course of the research, it was seen as important for adults (parents or teachers) to
support the learning of concepts in the mother tongue or in English by verbalizing for
the child, while engaging in the process of meaning-making. The ‘choice’ to use English in preference over the mother tongue became apparent. Therefore the
research methodology was seen as an important way to develop ‘critical, reflective
practice’ amongst the teachers and to create partnerships with the parents. The aim
was to strive towards ‘phronesis’ or wise practice, using as a ‘lens’ for critical reflection,
the child’s ‘right to participation’ (UNCRC General Comment No 12, 2009).Psychology of Education
M. Ed. (Educational Psychology)
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Li, Yin-Fang, and 李胤芳. "The influence of infusing Film into teaching on Child Second Language Writing Acquisition Achievement." Thesis, 2015. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/60905439777479740817.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立臺灣師範大學
應用華語文學系
103
With the ethnic Chinese population increases year by year, the Chineseteaching has become increasingly important. In learning aspect, due to the influence of growth environment background, generally the listening and speaking abilities are higher than reading and writing abilities.How to improve the balanced development of these four abilities is a great task, and now there are many researches related to reading, but compared to the related research of writing is less.And when the students having writing class, complaints are heard everywhere, so this study will aim to explore the Chinese writing teaching. Writing abilities must contain "thinking ability", "expression ability" and "language ability", in the current Chinese teaching method, based on the existing thinking ability, expression ability and their own native language ability of learners are the same, so there is more emphasis on "expression ability" and "language ability" training, but less "thinking ability" is mentioned.For children who are learning writing, they are lack of life experience, and hard to convert their only experience into ideas, and to express orderly. Therefore, for the second language children, apart fromthe "language ability" training in writing teaching, "thinking ability” and "expression ability"are also contained. And films applied to teaching can improve the learning interest, realize images and sound combined effect, teaching material authenticity with presence allows students to observe. Also to transfer film learning experience to life,enhance the understanding,create common experience, increase information diversity, shorten the teaching time and space and have flexibility. Therefore this study intends to explore film combined into Chinese writing teaching, and the effects on students' academic performance as well as their attitudestowards this teaching method. This study adopted"pre-experimental design", and took 26 Grade Six students in Surabaya Taipei International Schoolas research object, total of three weeks of the experiment teaching.Research tools are the quantitative writing evaluation scale and the questionnaireson films integrated with writing teaching. The results show that after using the films integrated with writing teaching method, it’s contributed to students’ academic performance,especially on “theme choosing and being relevant to the topic”, “innovative ideas" and "coherence" on the part of the "thinking ability".And students take the opinions that this teaching method helps them in writing learning, and by using this method, they’ve improved their interests and liked it.
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Rauner, Diana Mendley. "The language environments of child care homes and their relation to language development in the second and third years of life /." 2002. 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:3048415.
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Stewart, John Mark Southern Mark R. V. "The fundamental difference between child and adult language acquisition a longitudinal, naturalistic study of parameter resetting in Swedish interlanguage /." 2003. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3122797.
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Stewart, John Mark. "The fundamental difference between child and adult language acquisition: a longitudinal, naturalistic study of parameter resetting in Swedish interlanguage." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/964.
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Yu, Chun-Li, and 游春麗. "How learner's agency affects second language learning: A case study of a six-year-old child." Thesis, 2015. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/4ngj4m.
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碩士實踐大學
應用外語學系英語溝通碩士班
103
ABSTRACT Learning English as a foreign language is a protracted process and children in Taiwan gradually start learning English from the early ages of 4 or 5. The learning agency of children and adults is not identical. The same may be said of the process of acquiring native languages and learning foreign languages. This thesis relies on social cognitive theory as a conceptual framework. The objective of this research was to study how potential capabilities residing in children’s minds could be evoked, sustained and executed. This work also explored the role of behavioral, personal and environmental factors in language development. The duration of this study was four months. The qualitative data research involved the observation of a six-year-old boy, who was attending the senior class of a private kindergarten. The data collection included this child’s engagement in language learning with multiple resources, such as peers, teachers, parents and technological instruments, as well as his learning in different learning contexts. The instruments used for data collection were observations, documents, interviews and audio-recordings in order to meet the validity and reliability for triangulation. The results of qualitative data analysis suggested that the emergence of agency resulted from a sense of interest and affection. Once the agency was activated, it would either sustain or combine with varieties of capacity, varied types of behavior and diverse external environmental influences and stimulations. Eventually, different degrees of agency, from static to dynamic, would be elicited and presented.
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Wei, Yuyan. "Acquisition of English morphosyntax : evidence from a Chinese-speaking child." 2011. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1660965.
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This thesis aims to examine the development of morphosyntax with longitudinal English production from Diany, a Mandarin-speaking child, starting from the second week Diany arrived in the U.S.A. (age 4;9). The study is particularly interested in whether Diany’s acquisition of verbal morphemes and verb movement supports relevant hypotheses in the literature.
In generative linguistics, there are two important lines of interests in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) that address the “long-standing debate on the nature of syntactic representation in SLA” (Haznedar & Gavruseva, 2008:5). One line examines the relationship between morphological development and syntactic representations, namely, whether absence of surface morphology entails absence of the syntactic representation. A recently influential proposal is that there is dissociation between overt morphology and abstract syntax, as suggested by the Missing Surface Inflection Hypothesis (MSIH) (Lardeire, 1998a, 1998b, 2007; Haznedar & Schwartz, 1997; Prevost & White, 2000). The second important line, more relevant to child L2 research, focuses on the comparison of child L2 (cL2) acquisition with child first language (cL1) and adult L2 (aL2) acquisition in the domains of morphology and syntax. On the observation that attainment in cL2 is superior to aL2, Schwartz (1992, 2003a, 2003b, 2004) proposes the “Domain by Age Model (DAM)” , arguing that in the realm of syntax, cL2 acquisition is (more)like aL2 acquisition, but that in the realm of inflectional morphology, cL2 is (more) like L1 acquisition (2003a, p.47).
With regard to the first line of interest, whether there is a relationship between the acquisition of morphology and syntax, the data from our subject show that the development of the two domains is independent of each other. The morphemes and verb raising are acquired at their own paces, supporting the MSIH. The comparison of Diany’s morphosyntactic development with L1 children and adult L2 learners whose native language is Chinese suggests that Diany’s English morphological development is more similar to that of adult SLA holding the same L1, and the verb raising in negative utterances and questions is parallel with both L1 children and L2 adults. This is inconsistent with the DAM which proposes that L2 children assemble L1 children in morpheme acquisition, but are similar to L2 adults in syntactic development. In the thesis, we also argue for the presence of L1 influence and age effect in the Mandarin-speaking child’s L2 English.Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only
Department of English
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Bruce, Marian Elsie. "The simultaneous acquisition of a second and third language." Diss., 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/16079.
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This study investigates whether it is possible and necessary to acquire a second and third
language simultaneously in our present multicultural, multilingual South Africa with its
eleven official languages.
The qualitative, descriptive empirical research was executed for the duration of the first
school term within a multiracial grade four class at Richmond Primary School in KwaZulu
Natal. Afrikaans and Zulu were taught in separate periods, simultaneously, for the exact
number oflessons per week, with the exact same content, method and teacher.
The success ofthe research, rested on maintaining absolute reality within the normal daily
routine of the school day, in order to see if it is possible to acquire two languages
simultaneously.
The very positive outcomes of this research cannot be generalized, but rather indicate
possible tendencies that it is indeed possible to acquire two languages simultaneously.Psychology of Education
M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)
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Han, Jiayun. "Second language acquisition of temporality and passive voice a case study of a Chinese child learning English in mainstream classrooms in the United States /." 2007. http://purl.galileo.usg.edu/uga%5Fetd/han%5Fjiayun%5F200708%5Fphd.
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Kim, Kwangok. "The role of oral language interactions in English literacy learning : a case study of a first grade Korean child." 2011. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1637945.
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This paper is a qualitative case study of a Korean first grade child. The primary
purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of a first grade Korean child’s oral
language interactions with teachers, parents, peers, and community members and to
examine how a child’s oral language impacts his literacy learning in English. The data
were collected over five months from three different settings: the school, the Korean
Language School, and the home. Data methods were interviews, observations, field notes,
surveys, audio and video recordings, documents, and informal assessments in Korean and
English. Data analysis was based on the analytical categorization and the constant
comparison analysis.
The results of this study revealed that opportunities to engage in social
interactions between a child and his teachers, parents, and peers through oral
conversation contributed to the language and literacy learning of the child observed. The
analysis of the data showed that literacy development in English was influenced by three
factors: individual factors, home and school environmental factors, and community and
cultural environmental factors. Individual factors were personal motivation, the first
language effect, and background knowledge. Home and school environmental factors
included parents’ support, peer group activity, and teacher’s role. Finally, community and
cultural environmental factors were mass media and Korean culture and identity. The
results of the study supported Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and Bronfenbrenner’s
ecology system theory that learning occurs through social interactions in cooperated
groups and their environments.Department of Elementary Education
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Gosselin-Lavoie, Catherine. "Lecture de livres bilingues par six duos parent-enfant allophones du préscolaire : description des lectures et des interactions et relations avec l’acquisition du vocabulaire." Thèse, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1866/16439.
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