Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Japanese as a second language'
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Matsumoto-Sturt, Yoko. "Second language acquisition of Japanese orthography." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/24918.
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The aim of this thesis is to address issues on second language (L2) acquisition of Japanese orthography. In particular, I investigate L2 acquisition of reading and writing in Japanese with special attention paid to how linguistic and perceptual difficulties influence lexical processes involved in reading and writing by English-speaking learners of Japanese. I first establish that L2 spelling problems are found in writing by keyboard. Evidence is presented from error patterns of L2 language used in a small self-constructed L2 error corpus that was gathered according to originally set external criteria. Next, I demonstrate that there are predictable error causes as well as general linguistic and perceptual problems among L2 writers. Real-time observational data illustrates how and when L2 writers make spelling mistakes with the keyboard, and an analysis of verbal protocol data reveals L2 writing strategies. Third, I turn to the domain of L2 perception and L1-specific listening strategies. I show the different patterns of learners’ perceived rhythmic units in terms of L2 Moraic Awareness of Japanese words, and determine the extent of the use of L1-specific listening strategies. Fourth, I provide a general picture of Interlanguage (IL) lexical representations in reading and spelling. Evidence from novel and existing experimental work is presented which shows that L2 writer’s linguistic problems are reflected in their written products. I present an account of a typical learner strategy of sub-lexical reading and writing. Finally, in the domain of visual kanji recognition, visual attention is addressed. An originally defined phenomenon of ‘kanji illusion’ leads to the interesting result that linguistic factors are not solely responsible for failures to notice kanji errors. This represents a new kind of explanation for L2 kanji reading difficulties, from a psycholinguistic perspective.
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Kayama, Yuhko. "Second language acquisition of Japanese relative clauses." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=100636.
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This thesis investigates the second language acquisition of Japanese relative clauses (RCs) by native speakers of English or Korean. Researchers have argued that Universal Grammar (UG) can be accessed in adult second language (L2) acquisition. The Full Transfer Full Access (FTFA) Hypothesis (Schwartz and Sprouse 1994, 1996) claims that after initial transfer from L1, learners reset their parameter values and are able to acquire L2 properties that are different from their L1. Japanese and English relativization: while Japanese relativization does not involve movement in the syntax (Kuno 1973, Saito 1985, etc.), English relativization involves obligatory operator movement and is subject to movement constraints like Subjacency. Because of Subjacency, certain RC structures are prohibited in English. In Japanese, on the other hand, a zero pronominal, pro, is base-generated in the gap position of an RC and coindexed with the relative head noun, and thus long distance relativization is possible. I argue that the presence or absence of pro is also a parametric difference between Japanese and English; pro is present in Japanese, but not in English. In order for English speakers to acquire Japanese RCs, they need to reset the values of these two parameters.Experimental studies were conducted with high-intermediate and advanced learners of Japanese (15 English speakers and 18 Korean speakers). Tests examined the learners' knowledge of the two grammatical properties in Japanese---namely, the lack of wh-movement and the presence of pro. Korean is different from English but similar to Japanese with respect to the parameters in question. Following FTFA, it is hypothesized that English-speaking learners initially transfer their L1 values, and that eventually they are able to switch parameters to the L2 values by accessing UG. The results of several tasks (including interpretation tasks and judgment tasks) confirm this hypothesis; while Korean speakers generally performed well irrespective of proficiency levels, English-speaking intermediate learners transferred their L1 values, failing to accept grammatical Japanese sentences that are not possible in English. English-speaking advanced learners, on the other hand, performed better than intermediate learners, and exhibited evidence that they had acquired the two properties of Japanese, supporting FTFA.
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Umeda, Mari. "Second language acquisition of Japanese wh-constructions." Thesis, McGill University, 2008. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=112128.
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Note:This dissertation investigates the second language (L2) acquisition of Japanese wh-constructions by Chinese- and English-speaking learners. The focus of this study is twofold; first, it examines whether parameter resetting is possible in L2 acquisition, as both Chinese and English wh-constructions are parametrically different from Japanese wh-constructions. Second, it examines whether parameter resetting is affected by the learners' first language (Ll). Not only do Chinese and English wh-constructions differ from Japanese wh-constructions, but they also differ from each other. Chinese is, like Japanese, a wh-in-situ language, while English is a wh-movement language. Chinese wh-constructions, therefore, can be said to be more similar to Japanese wh-constructions than English wh-constructions. It is investigated whether the similarity between Chinese and Japanese and dissimilarity between English and Japanese affect the course and/or the ultimate attainment in the acquisition ofwh-constructions in Japanese.[...]
Cette dissertation enquete sur l’acquisition des constructions wh du japonais appris comme langue seconde (L2) par les anglophones et les sinophones. Le point de mire de cette etude est double. Dans un premier temps, elle cherche a savoir si le changement parametrique est possible en acquisition L2, puisque les constructions wh de l’anglais et du chinois sont parametriquement opposees a celles du japonais. Deuxiemement, elle cherche a savoir si le changement parametrique est affecte par 1a langue matemelle de l’apprenant. Non seulement les constructions wh de l’anglais et du chinois sont differentes de celles du japonais, elles different egalement l’une de l’autre. Le chinois, comme le japonais, est une langue wh-in-situ, alors que l’anglais est une langue a movement wh. Les constructions wh du chinois peuvent done etre decrites comme etant plus semblables a celles du japonais qu’a celles de l’anglais. Ce travail cherche a sa voir si la similarite entre le chino is et le japonais et la dissimilarite entre l’anglais et le japonais ont un effet sur le processus et/ou le resultat final de 1’acquisition de ces constructions en japonais.[...]
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Hirakawa, Makiko. "Unaccusativity in second language Japanese and English." Thesis, McGill University, 2000. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=36771.
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This thesis investigates L2 acquisition of intransitive verb constructions in Japanese and English. Within the Generative framework, the Unaccusative Hypothesis has been proposed, which divides intransitive verbs into two syntactically distinct classes: unergatives and unaccusatives (Burzio 1986). The sole argument of unergative verbs is an Agent generated in subject position, whereas that of unaccusative verbs is a Theme or Patient base-generated in object position. While the unaccusative/unergative distinction at the level of Deep (D)-Structure holds universally, as derived by a universal principle called the Uniformity of Theta Assignment Hypothesis (UTAH, Baker 1988), languages differ as to where the underlying object of unaccusatives may be positioned at the level of Surface (S)-structure. In the case of English, it surfaces in the subject position where it receives Nominative Case. In the case of Japanese, on the other hand, it has been argued that the argument of unaccusative verbs remains in its base-generated object position and that Nominative Case is assigned within the Verb Phrase.Experimental studies are conducted to examine learners' knowledge of unaccusativity at the two levels, i.e. D-Structure and S-Structure. It is hypothesized that learners will show sensitivity to unaccusativity at D-Structure, but that they may not acquire the correct representation of unaccusativity in the L2 at S-Structure, at least in an earlier stage. The first two studies present the L2 acquisition of English by Japanese speakers. The next two studies are concerned with the L2 acquisition of Japanese by English speakers. Overall, results of the four studies confirm the hypotheses, and L2 learners appear to have problems where the L1 manifests a different representation from the L2. Nevertheless, it is observed that L2 learners behavior is not random even when difficulty arises, in that the L2 learners are often consistent with one class of verbs, but not with the other. Thus, it is suggested that the L2 acquisition of intransitive verb constructions is constrained by universal principles, such as the Unaccusative Hypothesis and the UTAH.
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Muramatsu, Chie. "Portraits of second language learners: agency, identities, and second language learning." Diss., University of Iowa, 2013. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/4885.
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This study is a qualitative examination of second language (L2) learning processes by four advanced learners of Japanese in the community of a summer intensive full-immersion program in the United States. Using L2 socialization theory as a theoretical framework, this study conceives of L2 learning as a process of social participation in a community of practice and examines L2 learning processes by four learners, focusing on the dynamic interplay between the affordances of the social community and the agency of the individual learners. The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) It investigates the ways in which the four learners exercise their agency to pursue their goals of learning Japanese and (b) it documents how the different ways in which the four learners exercise agency form different trajectories of learning and create different experiences of L2 socialization.
This study has adopted an ethnographic case study approach to the investigation of research inquiries. Through the analyses of data obtained from multiple sources, including interviews with the four learners, observations of their engagement in the community of practice of the summer intensive full-immersion program, their audio-recorded conversations with other members of the community, and various artifacts, this study explores the role of L2 learner agency in the process of L2 socialization and describes in depth their experiences of learning Japanese from their emic perspectives.
The case studies of the four learners have highlighted the different ways in which they engaged in the community of practice, understood their tasks of learning Japanese, interpreted the affordances of the social community, negotiated the meaning of their participations, defined and redefined their sense of self, and eventually achieved their L2 learning goals.
The findings suggest that the richness and effectiveness of a social environment are not characterized by the physical and academic affordances of a social community alone; rather they are constructed in a dynamic relation between the affordance structure of a social community and the L2 learners' agency in the pursuit of the joint enterprise of making L2 learning happen.
With regard to the role of L2 learner agency, the study has foregrounded the important role of the aspirations of the four L2 learners for personal transformation and negotiation of the meaning of self of the past, the present, and the future. The findings suggest that L2 learners' diverse and complex social and personal desires for learning an L2 may not be able to be explained using the notion of investment (Norton, 1995, 2000) alone.
Since the SLA debate initiated by Firth and Wagner (1997, 2007), SLA research has begun to reconceptualize L2 learners as socially situated beings with diverse needs, wants, and identities. This study presents four portraits of L2 learners who engaged in the enterprise of learning Japanese, as a means of contributing to this reconceptualization, and explores for these four learners what it meant to learn Japanese in the summer of 2010.
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Yusa, Mayuko. "Acquisition of Japanese Null Arguments by Second Language Learners." The Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1524200688600588.
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Suzuki, Ayako. "Japanese supplementary schooling and identity : second-generation Japanese students in Queensland /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18995.pdf.
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Kato, Nobuko. "A Critique of Natural Discourse in Intermediate Level Textbooks for Learners of Japanese as a Second or Other Language." Thesis, University of Canterbury. School of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/3080.
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The number of learners of Japanese as a second or other language has increased rapidly worldwide over the past several decades. The objectives of their study have largely changed from pursuing purely academic research interests to acquiring the communicative skills needed for business or leisure purposes. There are five language competency skills needed to master foreign languages: reading, writing, listening, speaking and intercultural competence. Students, particularly those studying outside Japan, depend more on textbooks for learning how to speak than their peers in Japan; and speaking is studied formally through analysis of model discourses in selected textbooks. In particular, if the learner’s first language is very different from Japanese, which in fact almost all other languages are, the complexity of the spoken language, including gender difference and respect forms, presents most learners with certain challenges that require adequate explanation to be comprehended.
Likewise, the larger the cultural gap between learner and target language, the greater are the challenges for acquiring intercultural competence, which is closely interrelated with the production of ‘natural speech’. It is, therefore, crucial for learners from other cultures who have little opportunity to speak in Japanese to learn from a textbook of good quality which provides appropriate explanation of the social and cultural context of the model dialogues they employ as exemplars.
The present study aims to analyse and evaluate the appropriateness of model dialogues contained in intermediate level textbooks for learners of Japanese as a second or other language. The findings suggest that none of the selected textbooks included satisfactory explanation about the model discourses, so there seems to be much room for improvement in this regard. It is anticipated that the results of this study will contribute to the design concept of foreign language textbooks in future.
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Cross, Naomi. "Bilinguals' and second language learners' knowledge of Japanese syllable structure." Thesis, Durham University, 2002. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3835/.
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The acquisition of second language phonology has been commanding researchers' attention in recent years. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to this area with a study on Japanese as a second language. The thesis explores both the development of phonological competence by post-puberty second language learners and the end state of pre-puberty bilingual acquisition. Reviewing the literature on the theoretical aspects of mora, syllables and syllable structure, we see that the mora is distinctive and plays vital role in Japanese phonology. We next look at the acquisition theories proposed in recent years, and adopt a Universal Grammar-based approach. Comparing first, bilingual and second language acquisition, three research hypotheses are presented: 1) the Mora Assignment Hypothesis, 2) L2 phonological Acquisition and Age Onset Hypothesis, and the 3) Quality and Quantity of Input Hypothesis. To test these hypotheses, a study was designed involving 24 bilingual children and adults, and 94 adult L2 learners of Japanese at varying levels of proficiency. The results provide evidence to support all three research hypotheses. First the data show that the both English-dominant bilinguals and second language learners at all levels deleted morae and all but the beginning second language learners added morae in oral and written production tasks, indicating non-native competence with respect to morae. In addition, learners attempt to preserve the overall mora count. Since English is not a mora sensitive language, the mora conservation exhibited here is from their Japanese. The learners, including English-dominant bilinguals, first become sensitive to the mora and only at a later stage assign segments to the correct mora slot. The difference in performance between English-dominant bilinguals and Japanese-dominant bilinguals was such that by the age of eight, those who had spent more years in Japan demonstrated native phonological competence, whereas the English-dominant bilinguals' performance pointed to non-native competence. With respect to the second and third hypotheses, results from the bilinguals indicate that in addition to age of onset, the amount of exposure to a second language must be taken into account as a factor influencing ultimate attainment. The study also reveals strong influence of literacy in both oral and written production of Japanese.
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Millington, Neil. "Temporal perceptions of second language learning motivation : a Japanese context." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2016. http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/86311/.
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Over the last few decades, motivation has become recognized as crucial in language learning success. Researchers have conducted numerous of studies which have sought to explain why people select, perform, and continue to learn a language. The results and findings of these studies allow us a greater understanding of second language (L2) learning motivation. However, one area of language learning motivation research that has not received as much attention is the temporal aspect of motivational fluctuations. In recent years, there have been calls for a more widespread adoption of qualitative research methods to investigate what Dörnyei and Ushioda (2011) describe as the dynamic processes of a learner’s’ motivational development. This thesis is a response to those calls. This thesis attempts to discover perceptions of language learning motivation. In particular, the research reported in this thesis is an attempt to develop a greater understanding of temporal motivational fluctuations of Japanese university L2 learners. As such, the overall aim of this longitudinal qualitative study is to explore the temporal progression of the motivational thinking of three different age groups of Japanese university learners. More specifically, this research sheds light on the motivations of L2 learners in a medium-sized university in Japan, discovers similarities and differences in language learning motivation between different age groups of university learners, and determines how their language learning motivation fluctuates over the period of an academic year. The tools of inquiry used in this qualitative research project were interviews and diaries. Three sets of interviews were conducted with 23 learners in a Japanese university over the course of an academic year. Seven of the participants were freshmen students and seven were in their second year. The remaining nine were in the third grade. Participants completed and submitted a total of seven diary entries at regular intervals throughout the study and these were used to inform the second and third rounds of interviews. The overall findings showed that the learners in each grade were influenced by both their sociohistorical and cultural context and their values and goals at the start of the study. During the middle of the academic year, these goals and values were placed on hold as their immediate context seemed to have more motivational influence. Towards the end of the study the values and goals returned to play a more prominent role in their language learning motivation. There were also several subtle differences in the motivation of the three age groups and this could be seen most clearly in the educational context where institutional pressures were stronger for the older students in the study.
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Wallgren, Jonas. "Attitudes Towards and Uses of the Japanese Adverbzenzen by Swedish Learners of Japanese." Thesis, Högskolan Dalarna, Engelska, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-19264.
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The word zenzen is an adverb that is used frequently in daily conversational Japanese. From the Meiji period (1868-1912) until the early Showa period (1924-1989) the word was used together with both affirmative and negative words to form expressions. In the early Showa period the grammatical rules in education changed so that the only acceptable use was together with a negative word. From the 1990’s onward, the use together with an affirmative word has made a comeback especially among younger Japanese people. However even though the usage together with an affirmative word has made a comeback and was considered normal once in history, in today’s society it is still considered as slang and thus not recommended usage in formal situations. Foreign language learners however, tend not to learn a language only by textbooks but also by imitating the language of native Japanese speakers and Japanese popular culture. This may lead to a confusion regarding what words are acceptable to use in conversations. Therefore in this study, an online survey that examines the usage and attitudes regarding the word zenzen aimed at Japanese language learners at Swedish universities was conducted. The results of the survey showed that although a majority of the learners showed a good understanding of the usage, more than half of the learners displayed a feeling of confusion regarding the usage of the word. The gender comparison regarding the usage showed no major differences. Having lived in Japan, having Japanese friends whom you speak Japanese with regularly and length of Japanese study was associated with an increased understanding of the usage. Regular consumption of Japanese popular culture, however, was not associated with an increased understanding of the usage. A literature analysis was also conducted to examine the attitudes regarding the usage of zenzen in a variety of books with topics including business language and books aimed at Japanese language teachers. The results showed that zenzen used together with a negative word was considered as the norm while zenzen used together with an affirmative word was not recommended to be used in formal situations. When recommending proper usage of the word zenzen together with an affirmative word to foreign learners of Japanese, hijou-ni and totemo was seen as better alternatives to zenzen in a formal situation.
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Ananth, Priya. "Acquisition of tense and aspect in Toki 'when' clauses in Japanese as a second/foreign language." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1187208767.
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Toyoda, Etsuko. "Developing script-specific recognition ability : the case of learners of Japanese /." Connect to thesis, 2006. http://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00002971.
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Hartman, Bahar. "Students' perceptions of factors affecting L2 writing: Japanese women's cultural and identity issues." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1036513918.
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Hirase, Yuka. "Fossilization and defossilization in second language acquisition." Virtual Press, 1996. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1014799.
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This study investigates the fossilization and defossilization in the developing interlanguage of ESL students. The subjects were a group of 13 Japanese SL learners who studied at a U. S. University in an exchange program during 1994-95. The students' use of copula, auxiliaries, morphemes and syntactic structures was examined to see the degree to which there were interlanguage changes during the period. A close examination of SL production in form-focused contexts indicates that fossilized errors are more likely to occur when a number of particular conditions are not satisfied, involving a relatively automatized system of conveying meaning, an easy control of topic and a high degree of understanding of the target linguistic structure.Department of English
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Takahashi, Kenji. "The development and implementation of a Japanese language exhilaration scale : an exploratory study /." Full text (PDF) from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3008456.
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Yamada, Kazumi. "The overt pronoun constraint and null objects in second language Japanese." Thesis, University of Essex, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.418415.
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Miyahara, Masuko. "Evolving self-identities of second language learners in Japanese higher education." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2012. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10020676/.
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Grounded in social constructivism and poststructuralist theory, this thesis explores identity in relation to the learning of English in a foreign language context, namely, Japanese university students studying English in Japan. The research problematizes the current dominant emphasis on the social dimension of identity in Applied Linguistics, and calls for more focus on the psychologically-oriented aspects of the language leamer's identity. Drawing on the concept of possible selves (Markus and Nurius 1986) with the theories of situated learning (Lave and Wenger 1991) and imagined communities (Anderson 1991; Norton 2000) as its main frameworks, the study proposes ways to close the gap between the social and the psychological dimensions of identity construction. In particular, Dornyei's notion of ideal L2 self (2009) is employed to examine how learners in this context construct their identity in the present through imagining their future selves participating in communities of English users and how emotions are implicated in the process. The study documents the language learning experiences of six participants going through the first year of their two-year intensive English for Academic Purposes at a liberal arts college in Tokyo. A narrative-oriented approach to data collection and analysis was adopted as the stories of six focal participants were collected over a period of approximately one academic year through unstructured interviews, which were complemented by various other sources of data, such as diaries. The findings clearly indicate the emergence of three distinct patterns of learners' constructions (or the opposite) of their ideal L2 selves. They also reveal the importance of emotions in the process of identity construction. This study illustrates the transformative and developmental nature of the ideal L2 self where both positive and negative emotions can affect learners' response to and ability to negotiate their social environment.
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Muroya, Akiko. "Testing theories of second language acquisition : evidence from Japanese learners' English." Thesis, University of Essex, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.701637.
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This study investigates five topics that have been at the heart of research into second language (L2) acquisition for over three decades: (1) the nature of early L2 grammars and whether they contain both lexical and functional categories; (2) the role that the native language (L 1) plays in L2 acquisition; (3) the source of variable production by L2 speakers of properties that are categorical for L1 speakers; (4) the relationship between the acquisition of morphological properties and syntactic operations; (S) the involvement of a putative Universal Grammar. These topics are investigated in the context of Japanese-speaking classroom learners of English. Data were collected through two production tasks, one written the other oral. While there have been many studies of the topics in question with naturalistic L2 learners of English, there have been fewer studies with classroom learners. The general view in generative studies ofL2 acquisition has been that linguistic development will be the same, whatever the context of learning. However, this is an empirical question and the present study provides evidence bearing on it. Findings suggest that early-stage learners have grammars for English that have both functional and lexical categories. The functional categories are specified for features that are syntactically relevant (for verb raising, for the determination of obligatory subjects, for appropriate case marking, for the obligatory fronting of wh-words). Properties that are transferred from the Ll are not predictable simply on the basis of comparing differences between the two languages. Variability in production appears to be explicable largely in terms of learners' (re)assembling features for English lexical items which differ from their Japanese counterparts, combined with the difficulty of accessing forms where processing load is heavy (the Missing Surface Inflection hypothesis). There was no evidence of participants needing to acquire the morphological paradigms of English before establishing syntactic rules. Finally, there was limited, but suggestive, evidence that the L2 grammars of+the classroom learners studied are guided by UG.
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Kennett, Belinda. "Resourcing identities : biographies of Australians learning Japanese /." St. Lucia, Qld, 2003. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe17512.pdf.
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Hara, Yoshiyuki. "The Perceptions of the Japanese Imperfective Aspect Marker –Teiru among Native Speakers and L2 Learners of Japanese." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/20496.
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The Japanese imperfective aspect marker –teiru is one of the most widely researched tense/aspect markers because of its multiple semantic functions. It has been claimed that the –teiru form can describe two main aspectual meanings, progressive and resultative, depending on the lexical aspect of the attached verb. The present study aims to empirically investigate native speakers’ interpretations of the –teiru meaning with different verb and sentence types through a judgment test. It compares them with the predicted semantic categories from the previous studies, which based their conclusion upon introspective analysis, as well as perceptions of L2 Japanese learners. The results suggest that overall perceptional patterns are consistent with predicted descriptions but also that interpretations of the meaning are flexible to some extent. As for learners’ perceptions, the results indicate that L2 learners develop progressive semantic processing in Japanese faster than resultative semantic processing in Japanese.
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Sawasaki, Koichi. "L2 reading by learners of Japanese a comparison of different L1s /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1166738614.
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Yamazaki-Hasegawa, Tae. "Second language acquisition of aspectual and temporal interpretation in English and Japanese." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.608148.
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Nozaki, Saori. "Japanese Lexicalization Patterns of Motion Events and its Acquisition by Advanced-level English-speaking Learners of Japanese." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557160637689757.
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Nitta, Takayo. "Affective, cognitive and social factors affecting Japanese learners of English in Cape Town." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_1842_1210749983.
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This research used diary studies and interviews with five Japanese learners of English to investigate the different affective, cognitive and social factors that affected their learning of English in Cape Town between 2004 and 2005. The findings of this study corroborate arguments put forward by Gardner that factors such as learning goals, learning strategy, attitude, motivation, anxiety, self-confidence and cultural beliefs about communication affect the acquisition of a second language and correlate with one another.
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Tsui, Haley May-Lai. "Ultrasound speech training for Japanese adults learning English as a second language." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43348.
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Japanese adults learning English as a second language often have difficulty perceiving and producing English /l/ and /ɹ/ due to specific acoustic and articulatory characteristics of these speech sounds and their absence in Japanese phonology. The current study investigated the effectiveness of using two-dimensional tongue ultrasound to teach pronunciation of these sounds to six adult native Japanese speakers. Each participant had four 45-minute training sessions over a two-week period where visual feedback from ultrasound was used to support the teaching of lingual configurations for /l/ and /ɹ/ in a variety of vowel contexts and word positions. Speech samples from participants were taken prior to training and at a two-week follow-up session. All participants were rated by expert listeners as having more accurate productions of /l/ and /ɹ/ post-training, with the most accuracy seen in word-initial clusters and as word-initial segments. The lateral /l/ showed greater improvement than /ɹ/. Acoustic and visual analyses revealed frequencies and components of tongue positioning closer to native English speaker production in words perceived to be greatly improved between pre- and post-training productions. The effect of training on perception was exploratory and did not yield analyzable results. All participants gave very positive feedback regarding the use of ultrasound for speech training, as determined by a participant questionnaire. The results suggest that incorporating lingual ultrasound in speech training can be beneficial for Japanese adults learning English liquids.
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Bong, Hyun Kyung. "Economical parameter-setting in second language acquisition : Japanese-speaking learners of English." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.614031.
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Shomura, Yoko. "The lexicon-syntax interface in second language acquisition : evidence from L2 Japanese." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/23191.
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This thesis deals with the second language (L2) acquisition of the interface between verb meaning and morphosyntax in Japanese by English-speaking learners. The general aim of the study is to explore the influence of lexical semantic features on the acquisition of the syntax of intransitive verbs in L2 Japanese. Two different grammatical phenomena are targeted in the study: split intransitivity and the transitivity alternation. The aim of the study with respect to each grammatical phenomenon is outlined as follows. First, the purpose of the study on split intransitivity is to investigate whether the knowledge of the unaccusative-unergative distinction exhibited by native Japanese and acquired by L2 learners of Japanese displays any sensitivity to the Split Intransitivity Hierarchy, which is proposed by Sorace (2000) for European languages. Second, our interest in the transitivity alternation is to determine whether the difference in the features involved in the intransitive /transitive alternation will affect L2 acquisition. These features include not only the mapping between the lexicon and syntax, but also the presence of a morphological marker distinguishing transitive and intransitive verbs. The central issue of be addressed is whether learners experience more difficulty in acquisition when L1 and L2 share the same properties in the target verb class at the lexical-semantic level, but differ in how to encode it at the morphological level. The findings from previous studies suggest that learners tend to experience more difficulty in the case where the L1 marks the distinction with overt morphology and L2 does not, than in the opposite case where L1 does not encode the property with overt morphology and L2 does. This is a point which our study aims to further test. Three independent experimental studies were conducted to investigate these issues.
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Lai, Yuk-wah Esther. "Prosody and prosodic transfer in foreign language acquisition, Cantonese and Japanese." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1999. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk:8888/cgi-bin/hkuto%5Ftoc%5Fpdf?B22753266.
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Satō, Tetsuya. "Learner interaction during pair communication activities in university Japanese as a foreign language classrooms /." view abstract or download file of text, 1999. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p1397798.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A.)--University of Oregon, 1999.Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-167). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users. Address: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p1397798.
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Shibata, Miki. "Comparing lexical aspect and narrative discourse in second language learners' tense-aspect morphology: A cross sectional study of Japanese as a second language." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/284122.
Full textAbstract:
The current study has attempted to answer the question whether there is an interaction between the Aspect Hypothesis and the Discourse Hypothesis by investigating the use of Japanese tense-aspect morphology by native speakers of English learning Japanese as L2. These two hypotheses were argued for independently in previous studies, but never consolidated to account for the distributional pattern of L2 tense-aspect morphology. The Aspect Hypothesis claims that the L1 and L2 learners initially mark lexical aspect of the verbs with tense-aspect morphology; they tend to associate past with achievement verbs and progressive with activity verbs. On the other hand, according to the Discourse Hypothesis, the learners use the tense-aspect morphology to distinguish grounding; they tend to mark foreground with past more frequently than background. The current research used two methods: a multiple-choice task and a storytelling task. The former task was referred to as Study 1. The use of tense-aspect morphology in the story-telling task was analyzed in terms of lexical aspect, referred to as Study 2 and grounding, referred to as Study 3. Study 1 and Study 2 examined whether the use of tense-aspect morphology is different in obligatory contexts and in narrative discourse. The results of Study 1 supported the Aspect Hypothesis; L2 learners initially associated past inflection with achievement verbs and tended to mark the process encoded in activity and accomplishment verbs with present durative. The results of Study 2 supported the Aspect Hypothesis as regards the association of activity verbs and present durative. However, the frequent marking of past on achievement verbs across the proficiency levels suggest that the textual function of tense-aspect morphology plays a role in narrative discourse. Study 3 argued that the Japanese tense-aspect morphology weakly mark grounding. Finally, I claimed that the Aspect Hypothesis and the Discourse Hypothesis account for the different acquisition stages of the L2 tense-aspect system. There is a time lag among the tense-aspect morphemes in the process of acquisition; past marking functions as the temporal and textual device in narrative discourse at the relatively early stage while present durative remains as the marker of lexical aspect.
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Shigenaga, Yasumasa. "Processing and Acquisition of Scrambled Sentences by Learners of Japanese as a Second Language." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/344218.
Full textAbstract:
The Japanese language exhibits a free word-order phenomenon called scrambling. Because each noun phrase (NP) is case-marked with postpositional particles, it allows a freer word order than such languages as English. For simple transitive sentences, Subject-Object-Verb is the canonical word order while OSV is the scrambled word order. Previous studies with native speaker (NS) children have found that they go through a developmental stage during which they consistently misunderstand scrambled sentences, taking the first NP in OSV sentences to be the subject. It has also been found that NS adults experience slowdowns in reading and comprehending scrambled sentences. However, investigations into the processing of scrambled sentences by second language (L2) learners have been scarce, and it is not entirely clear how scrambled sentences are processed and acquired by L2 learners. This three-article dissertation aimed at investigating how simple transitive sentences with a scrambled word order (i.e., OSV) are processed and acquired by L2 learners whose native language is English. The first article (Chapter 2) examined L2 learners’ grammatical knowledge and production performance of the OSV sentences through two tasks (fill-in-the-blank and picture description). The results indicated a positive relationship between the learners’ general proficiency in Japanese and their knowledge/production performance of the OSV sentences, although there was a rather large individual difference even within proficiency groups. It was also found that the difficulty in producing OSV sentences was mostly due to a lack of grammatical knowledge, but the relationship of grammatical knowledge and production performance interacted with the types of sentences. For reversible sentences (in which both the subject and object NPs are animate), there was evidence that errors in the production of OSV sentences were caused by the overuse of the canonical template (i.e., SOV). For non-reversible sentences (in which the subject NP is animate and the object NP is inanimate), on the other hand, there was little evidence that a processing problem such as the overuse of the SOV template caused the production difficulty. The second article (Chapter 3) examined the comprehension processes of OSV sentences. While the results of a pilot study (sentence correctness decision task) indicated that both the L2 learners and NSs took longer to read and comprehend OSV sentences than SOV sentences, the results of a self-paced reading task suggested that the processing of OSV sentences by L2 learners might be quite different from that of NSs. The NS participants read more slowly at the second NP position when they read the OSV sentences. On the other hand, the L2 learners, regardless of their proficiency level, did not show such slowdowns. However, the data provided evidence that the advanced L2 learners integrated the case particles more consistently in their sentence comprehension than the learners with lower proficiency. The third article (Chapter 4) examined whether a psycholinguistic task (syntactic persistence with picture description) might facilitate the production of scrambled sentences among L2 learners, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of using such a method as an L2 instructional tool. While the main task (Task 4, which used regular SOV/OSV sentences as primes) was not very effective in eliciting the production of OSV sentences, the follow-up task (Task 6, which used questions in SOV/OSV orders as primes) observed a more positive effect of syntactic persistence. Based on the results, explicit instruction and practice on scrambling is suggested. Since processing of scrambled sentences requires that L2 learners be aware of the functions of case markers (and other postpositional particles) instead of relying on the canonical template, such explicit instruction and practice may also contribute to the acquisition of the particles that mark case.
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Hayashi, Chiyo. "JAPANESE LEARNERS’ MOTIVATION FOR READING ENGLISH." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2015. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/354603.
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Language ArtsEd.D.
The present study is an exploration of multiple dimensions of L2 learners’ reading motivation and its relationship with L2 reading achievement. Based on theories of motivation and L1 and L2 studies, nine dimensions of motivation (Curiosity, Involvement, Challenge, Importance of L2 Reading, L2 Reading Self- Confidence, Instrumental Orientation, Recognition, Compliance, and Intrinsic Motivation for L1 Reading) were hypothesized to influence L2 reading achievement, and their dimensionality was examined using an L2 reading motivation questionnaire and statistical procedures. The participants, 1,030 students from nine Japanese universities, completed a 69-item Reading Motivation Questionnaire and a reading comprehension test. The questionnaire and test scores were statistically analyzed using the Rasch rating scale and dichotomous models, descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that L2 reading motivation was multidimensional, consisting of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. This result was consistent with previous studies conducted in L1 and L2 reading. Intrinsic motivation for L2 reading (Interest and Involvement in L2 Reading and Desire to Read L2 Materials) and one types of extrinsic motivation (Instrumental Orientation) exerted greater influence on L2 reading motivation than the other types of extrinsic motivation (Importance of L2 Reading, Recognition, and Compliance). That is, internally controlled motivation is more influential than externally controlled motivation with an exception of Instrumental Orientation. Another important finding was that L1 reading motivation and L2 reading motivations were similar to some extent because five of the eight factors (Intrinsic Interest and Involvement in L2 reading, Desire to Read L2 Materials, Importance of L2 Reading, Recognition, and Compliance) were found both in L1 and L2 reading motivation. However, three L2 specific factors (Instrumental Orientation, L2 Reading Self Confidence, and Intrinsic Interest in L1 Reading) were also identified. Thus, the study showed that there were some similarities as well as fundamental differences between L1 and L2 reading motivation. In terms of the relationship between L2 reading motivation and text comprehension, the L2 Reading Motivation and Comprehension Model demonstrated L2 reading motivation is significantly related to L2 text comprehension. Concerning individual differences between male and female students, the study showed that their profiles were similar although, on the average, the female students were more motivated to read as has been repeatedly found in L1 reading. Differences in the motivational profiles due to L2 proficiency showed that Recognition, the desire to be recognized by others by performing well, was a factor that differentiated the high and low groups. However, because the relationship between L2 Reading Motivation and L2 Reading Comprehension was not significant for both groups, it is possible that there was a problem with the reading test that was used to make the groups. In summary, the present study has demonstrated the vital role of L2 reading motivation in L2 reading, and pointed to the need to incorporate motivational support into L2 reading pedagogy as has been successfully practiced in L1 reading. This study is significant to the domain of L2 instruction and research for several reasons. First, it extends the knowledge base in L2 reading by identifying the influence of L2 reading motivation on L2 reading behavior. Second, the results of the study contribute to designing research-based reading instruction aimed at enhancing L2 reading motivation and performance. Finally, it is hoped that this study provides individual educators with practical suggestions on how to improve L2 reading instruction in their individual teaching contexts, focusing on both affective and cognitive aspects of L2 learners.
Temple University--Theses
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Scully, Etsuko. "Acculturation and language learning : Filipina wives in a rural Japanese village /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/7817.
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Yasutake, Yuko. "English and Japanese word associations and syntagmatic-paradigmatic shift of Japanese children learning English as a second language." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/25540.
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Research in word association studies found that children give predominantly syntagmatic responses (responses from different form classes from stimuli). English children were found to undergo a shift to paradigmatic (responses from the same form classes as stimuli) before age ten (referred to as S-P shift) which is the adult norm. On the other hand, Japanese children do not have S-P shift, and Japanese adults' responses are dominantly syntagmatic (Moran 1968).
Leicester (1981) collected English word association responses from Japanese beginner and advanced learners of English as a second language and found S-P shift like increase of paradigmatic responses as English ability improves. This study purports to replicate Leicester's study among children. It is because the existence of the S-P shift in English of second-language learners whose first language does not have the shift would mean that second language learning parallels first language acquisition.
Two main hypothesis were tested:
1. That Japanese children learning English as a second language will give dominantly syntagmatic responses in Japanese regardless of their grade level.
2. That Japanese children learning English as a second language of higher grade level will give more paradigmatic responses than those of lower grade level.
Three subsidiary hypotheses were tested:
3. That Japanese children learning English as a second language will give different proportion of paradigmatic responses in Japanese and English.
4. That Japanese children learning English as a second language will give different pattern of responses in each language.
5. That Japanese children learning English as a second language will give fewer paradigmatic responses in English than monolingual English children of the same grade.
Thirty students each of grades one, three, and five from two Japanese supplementary schools in Vancouver and Seattle were used as subjects. The subjects attend regular English classes at public schools, and therefore, their English ability was assumed to parallel their grade level. 27-item word association test was administered in English and Japanese. The ratio of paradigmatic responses was analyzed according to grade level.
In agreement with literature, no grade difference was found among Japanese paradigmatic responses. In English, however, grade one subjects performed most paradigmatically, and thereby, no linear correspondence between English ability and English paradigmatic responses was found. Although English responses were close to the English norm, and Japanese responses to the Japanese norm, a significant number of Japanese responses were given in English association by grade five students. Significant difference in paradigmaticity was also found when two schools were compared as well as between two languages. Grade one students outperformed equivalent English monolingual children in English.
It was speculated that young children develop L2 vocabulary
systems independently and directly from the start resulting in higher rate of paradigmatic responses, whereas older children initially construct a one to one association between LI and L2, resulting in translation responses and low paradigmaticity in the case of English. School difference suggests that there are some other variables affecting word association.Education, Faculty of
Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of
Graduate
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Kobayashi, Chiho. "The use of pocket electronic dictionaries as compared with printed dictionaries by Japanese learners of English." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1155615693.
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Riekkinen, Joonas. "A Content Analysis of Kanji Textbooks Targeted for Second Language Learners of Japanese." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Avdelningen för japanska, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-120385.
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Togame, Naoko. "Irony in a second language : exploring the comprehension of Japanese speakers of English." Thesis, Middlesex University, 2016. http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/21371/.
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This thesis focuses on the extent to which non-native speakers of English understand potentially ironic utterances in a similar way to native speakers. Barbe (1995: 4) sees irony as one of ‘the final obstacles before achieving near native-speaker fluency.’ This assumption is supported by the findings of earlier studies (Bouton 1999, Lee 2002; Manowong 2011; Yamanaka 2003) which assumed a Gricean framework seeing irony as communicating the ‘opposite of what is said’ (Grice 1975, 1978). This thesis adopts instead the relevance-theoretic account of irony as echoic (Sperber and Wilson 1995; Wilson and Sperber 2012), arguing that previous work suffers from both problematic theoretical assumptions and flawed experimental methods. The thesis reports the findings of two experiments designed to examine similarities and differences between the responses of non-native speakers of English (here Japanese speakers) and native speakers and how similar or different the effects of prosody are for these groups. The first experiment, conducted by an online survey, provided surprising results, suggesting that Japanese speakers can respond to potentially ironical utterances similarly to native speakers. The second experiment, focusing on the effects of prosody, compared the groups with regard to response trends. Three prosodic contours were used in this study, labelled ‘basic’ (a kind of default, unmarked tone), ‘deadpan’ (with a narrower pitch range), and ‘exaggerated’ (with a wider pitch range). The results indicated that Japanese participants could perceive English prosodic structure in similar ways to native speakers and were affected by prosodic contours in similar ways. It also suggested that Japanese participants were affected less strongly by ‘exaggerated’ intonation and slightly more strongly by ‘deadpan’ tones. These findings suggest that a relevance-theoretic framework provides the means to carry out fuller investigations than carried out previously and to develop a more systematic explanation of the understanding of irony in a second language.
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賴玉華 and Yuk-wah Esther Lai. "Prosody and prosodic transfer in foreign language acquisition, Cantonese and Japanese." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1999. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B43894689.
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Fujii, Ikuko. "Interlanguage phonology of Japanese speakers of English in South Wales." Thesis, Cardiff University, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.308134.
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Butto, Louis. "THE EFFECTS OF EMPLOYING MINDFULNESS ACTIVITIES WITH JAPANESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2018. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/484377.
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Teaching & LearningEd.D.
Learning a foreign language can be challenging. If the learning environment is compulsory, motivation can also contribute to the struggles. Mindfulness, a psychological construct, is a robust topic in the academic literature. Mindfulness is a mindset that views the world from multiple perspectives, reorganizing what is perceived, focusing on the present moment and keeping open to new ideas (Langer, 1997). Moreover, mindfulness is claimed to increase interest and academic outcomes. Therefore, the construct was employed in this research to validate these claims and to contribute to second language education. This study was designed to fill several gaps in the second language acquisition (SLA) literature. First, the construct of mindfulness has not been explored in SLA as a mindset to engage students in learning. Second, the construct of interest has not been investigated in SLA in tandem with mindfulness. Lastly, mindfulness has never been employed with motivated or unmotivated high school students in the compulsory education system in Japan. The following research hypotheses and research question were investigated: (a) The treatment group receiving the mindful tasks will outperform the comparison group receiving normal foreign language instruction on vocabulary learning and reading comprehension measures; (b) The treatment group receiving mindful tasks would be more engaged, interested, and like English more than before. Increased interest will lead to improvements in language performance; and, (c) To what extent do mindful practices assist low-achieving proficiency high school students in enhancing their abilities? The participants were students attending a private high school in Japan. Both the treatment and comparison groups included 45 female and 34 male students, respectively, for a total of 79 participants. A Rasch analysis was utilized to confirm the validity and reliability of the mindfulness and interest questionnaires and to transform the raw scores into equal interval measures. MANOVA, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient data were analyzed to ascertain differences between groups and within groups for all tests and constructs measured. The results indicated that mindfulness was not a significant influence on improved outcomes in language performance for the treatment group, although the descriptive statistics did show small gains in the hypothesized direction. The dependent variables included the mindfulness and interest questionnaires, as well as vocabulary and reading comprehension questions. The independent variable was the mindfulness tasks. The dependent variables were vocabulary and reading comprehension measures. The results of the MANOVA were the treatment effect was not significant, F(2,81) = .397, p < .67, η2 = .01. The results of the ANOVA were the treatment effect was not significant, F(1,82) = .82, p < .77, η2 =. 001. There was also no significant correlation between increased mindfulness and increased interest. Out of the six factors, all except for sensitivity to new contexts, showed negative relationships. The only positive relationship was not significant. Lastly, a one-way repeated measures ANOVA showed no improvement for the low-proficiency treatment group, ∧= .30, F(2,18) = 1.30, p < .30, η2 = .13, over time. The effect of mindfulness on improved language performance outcomes might have been influenced by the following: shallow levels of processing, lack of clear goals for the participants, unclear task design protocols, working memory issues and environmental restraints. A lack of correlation between increases in mindfulness and interest gains might have been attributable by the compulsory nature of the course, time constraints and the lack of perceived utility of the tasks by the part pants. Lastly, the reason for the lack of improvement for the low-achieving proficiency participants might not be an issue of proficiency, because both the low- and high-achieving participants of the treatment condition did not improve. Overall, these findings suggest that mindfulness is more nuanced and more complex than originally expected.
Temple University--Theses
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Kashiwagi, Akiko. "Processing Relative Clauses in First and Second Language: A Case Study." The Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1299255220.
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Wei, Peipei. "Cross-Linguistic Perception and Learning of Mandarin Chinese Sounds by Japanese Adult Learners." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/22279.
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This dissertation presents a cross-linguistic investigation of how nonnative sounds are perceived by second language (L2) learners in terms of their first language (L1) categories for an understudies language pair---Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. Category mapping experiment empirically measured the perceived phonetic distances between Chinese sounds and their most resembling Japanese categories, which generated testable predictions on discriminability of Chinese sound contrasts according to Perception Assimilation Model (PAM). Category discrimination experiment obtained data concerning L2 learners' actual performance on discrimination Chinese sounds. The discrepancy between PAM's predictions and actual performances revealed that PAM cannot be applied to L2 perceptual learning. It was suggested that the discriminability of L2 sound contrasts was not only determined by perceived phonetic distances but probably involved other factors, such as the distinctiveness of certain phonetic features, e.g. aspiration and retroflexion.
The training experiment assessed the improvement of L2 learners' performance in identifying Chinese sound contrasts with exposure to high variability stimuli and feedback. The results not only proved the effectiveness of training in shaping L2 learners' perception but showed that the training effects were generalizable to new tokens spoken by unfamiliar talkers.
In addition to perception, the production of Chinese sounds by Japanese learners was also examined from the phonetic perspective in terms of perceived foreign accentedness. Regression of L2 learners' and native speakers foreign accentedness ratings against acoustic measurements of their speech production revealed that although both segmental and suprasegmental variables contributed to the perception of foreign accent, suprasegmental variables such as total and intonation patterns were the most influential factor in predicting perceived foreign accent.
To conclude, PAM failed to accurately predict learning difficulties of nonnative sounds faced by L2 learners solely based on perceived phonetic distances. As Speech Learning Model (SLM) hypothesizes, production was found to be driven by perception, since equivalence classification of L2 sounds to L1 categories prevented the establishment of a new phonological category, thus further resulted in divergence in L2 production. Although production was hypothesized to eventually resemble perception, asynchrony between production and perception was observed due to different mechanisms involved.
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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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Inagaki, Shunji. "Transfer and learnability in second language argument structure : motion verbs with locationaldirectional PPs in L2 English and Japanese." Thesis, McGill University, 2002. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=38492.
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This thesis investigates how the outcomes of the acquisition of second language (L2) argument structure will vary depending on the nature of the learner's first language (L1). The focus is on motion verbs appearing with a prepositional/postpositional phrase that expresses the final endpoint of the motion (goal PP). In English, manner-of-motion verbs (e.g., walk ) and directed motion verbs (e.g., go) can appear with a goal PP as in John walked (went ) to school. In contrast, Japanese allows only directed motion verbs to occur with a goal PP. Thus, Japanese motion verbs with goal PPs form a subset of their English counterparts. I propose an analysis of these crosslinguistic differences in terms of different incorporation patterns in lexical-syntax (Hale & Keyser, 1993). L1 transfer and learnability considerations (White, 1991b), then, lead me to hypothesize that Japanese-speaking learners of English will be able to acquire the L2 representation on the basis of positive evidence, but that English-speaking learners of Japanese will have difficulty acquiring the L2 representation due to the lack of positive data motivating the restructuring of the L1 representation to the L2. A series of experiments tested these hypotheses using grammaticality judgment and picture-matching tasks. Results in general supported this prediction, suggesting that whether the L1 constitutes a subset of the L2 or vice versa indeed affects the outcomes of L2 argument structure. The results indicate full involvement of L1 and UG in L2 acquisition, thus supporting the Full-Transfer/Full-Access model of L2 acquisition (Schwartz & Sprouse, 1994).
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Lyu, Yuanping. "Using Gamification and Augmented Reality to Encourage Japanese Second Language Students to Speak English." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för elektroteknik och datavetenskap (EECS), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-271212.
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Language anxiety is one of the key problems that hinder language learners to speak a target second language. This problem is especially relevant for Japanese second language learners, who tend to have difficulties in English. To alleviate this problem, researchers have succeeded in leveraging modern technologies to help second language learners practice various language skills, including speaking. These research papers introduce modern technologies into the field of education, which is the guide and basis of this paper. This study aims to help Japanese second language students to overcome the barrier of speaking English by designing a game-based language learning tool that incorporates elements of Augmented Reality (AR) technology. In this study, we try to encourage students to speak English by designing an AR-aided cooperative game. The GOAT (Gamified cOmunicAtion Tool) application was developed with gamification and AR technology. The tool was evaluated with 39 second language students at the different stages of its development during a period of eight months. The results suggest that the GOAT app has a high potential to help students to overcome their language anxiety and ultimately the barrier of speaking English. The findings of this study serve to prove that the use of gamification in the designed tool has a positive influence on second language learners. In particular, the GOAT app was found to promote students’ confidence and to encourage communications in a public setting. The enhanced confidence and more frequent communications ultimately lead Japanese students to be able to converse in English in a more natural and fluent manner. Nonetheless, the evidence with regard to whether the use of AR elements imposes a direct positive influence on second language learners’ confidence is not sufficient enough. Further research along this path is recommended for a more concrete conclusion to be made.Språkångest är ett av de viktigaste problemen som förhindrar språkstudenter att tala ett annat språk. Detta problem är särskilt relevant för japanska språkstudenter, som har svårigheter att lära sig tala engelska. För att lösa detta problem har forskare visat att man kan använda modern teknik för att hjälpa språkstudenter att öva olika språkfärdigheter, inklusive den muntliga språkfärdigheten. Denna studie syftar till att hjälpa japanska andraspråks studenter att överkomma svårigheter för att tala engelska genom att designa och utvärdera ett spelbaserat språkinlärningsverktyg som innehåller element av Augmented Reality (AR) teknologi. I denna studie försöker vi uppmuntra japanska andraspråks studenter att tala engelska genom att designa ett AR-baserat spelverktyg, GOAT (Gamified cOmunicAtion Tool). Verktyget utvärderades med 39 andraspråkstudenter i olika stadier av dess utveckling under en period av åtta månader. Resultaten tyder på att GOAT app har potential att hjälpa studenterna att överkomma språkångest och svårigheter att tala engelska. Studier visar att användningen av spelelementen i det utformade verktyget har ett positivt inflytande på studenter. I synnerhet fann vi att GOAT kan utveckla studenternas förmåga att kommunicera på engelska i en offentlig miljö. Däremot behövs det en vidare forskning på hur användningen av AR-element påverkar japanska andraspråksstudenters utveckling av deras förmåga att tala engelska.
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Nakakubo, Takako. "The effects of planning on second language oral performance in Japanese: processes and production." Diss., University of Iowa, 2011. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1038.
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For over two decades, studies on task planning and its role in second language learners' oral performance have shown that the opportunity to plan for a task generally improves learners' speech (Ellis, 2005). It has been hypothesized that the opportunity to plan for a task reduces cognitive load during language processing, thus allowing learners to attend to various aspects of language, and that this enhanced attention, in turn, results in more successful task performance. However, one limitation to this task planning research to date it that most studies have examined the effects of planning before task performance, while largely ignoring the effects of planning that occur during task performance (Yuan & Ellis, 2003). Another limitation in planning research is that findings have been based exclusively on external observation and measurement of learners' oral production; we know little about what strategies learners use that may result in higher-quality speech.
The participants in this study were intermediate and high-intermediate learners of Japanese. They were divided into experimental groups and performed a narrative task under different task conditions. Participants received a set of pictures and were asked to retell the story in Japanese. To examine the effects of planning on task performance, fluency, complexity, and accuracy in the participants' speech were analyzed. For the analysis of planning strategies, retrospective interviews were given to a group of participants from each planning group immediately after the task performance.
The results revealed that there were no significant differences in participants' oral production across planning conditions, except in the area of lexical complexity (participants without a pre-task planning opportunity produced narrative stories with a greater variety of vocabulary than those who planned before the task). A trade-off effect between lexical complexity and accuracy was found when participants planned either before or during the task. Another trade-off effect was found between lexical complexity and fluency for the participants with on-line planning only. The analyses of strategy use showed that second language learners generally selected similar strategies regardless of planning conditions. These results provided important pedagogical implications and suggested useful future research directions.
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Hirakawa, Makiko. "Linguistic theory and second language acquisition : the acquisition of English reflexives by native speakers of Japanese." Thesis, McGill University, 1989. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=55607.
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Shirahata, Tomohiko 1957. "The learning of English grammatical morphemes by Japanese high school students." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276802.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is a study of the learning of English grammatical morphemes (copula, possessive, ING, plural, progressive auxiliary, irregular-past, regular-past, definite article, indefinite article, and the third-person-singular-present) by 31 Japanese high school students. The data were based on the results of the subjects' spoken language, which were tape-recorded and carefully investigated. The results indicated some similarities and differences between the present study and the previous L1 and L2 studies. The present study showed more similarities to the studies which dealt with Japanese subjects by both the Spearman rank order correlation coefficients and the Implicational Scaling Analysis based on Group Range. This indicates strong transfer from the Japanese language. But language transfer is not such a simple phenomena as the researchers in the Behaviorism era thought. Some methodological problems concerning the grammatical morpheme studies and possible determinants of the accuracy order of the morphemes were also discussed.
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Bellini, Marisa Utida. "Life Stories of Nikkeijin Seeking Better Opportunities: The Motivation of Brazilian Immigrants in Japan." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2006. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/1033.
Full textAbstract:
The immigration of Brazilian-Japanese to Japan has started as recently as the early 1980s as a result of an economic downturn in Brazil and labor shortages in Japan. In a recent study published by the Ministry of Justice in Japan, there are about 250,000 Brazilians currently working throughout Japan. Even though most of the Brazilians are second or third generation of Japanese descent, they are not fluent in Japanese, thus resulting in many cultural problems and misunderstandings. Some research has examined about the immigration of Brazilians (nikkeijin) to Japan, but none has investigated their acquisition of Japanese as a second language. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that motivate or unmotivate the nikkeijin in Japan to learn Japanese as a second language (JSL). This qualitative study shows the life experiences of four nikkeijin who arrived in Japan at different ages (8, 18, 25 and 42 years old). It is a very richly descriptive study about the experiences of nikkeijin learning JSL. Through interviews conducted over the Internet using Online Messenger and phone conversations, the researcher gathered information and data about their real life experiences learning the language and adapting to Japanese culture. The results of this study show how positive and negative life experiences of nikkeijin in Japan can affect their motivation to learn or improve their Japanese language skills. The age of arrival and the place of residence in Japan are also important factors that influence their experiences in Japan.