Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 20 titles deal with the following topics: the role of crib talk in language acquisition; syntactic parsing strategies; a case study of the first use of words; how two modes of literature presentation affect oral language development; children's cognition and acquisition of selected syntactic structures; language use in constructing/testing social scientific theories; the functions of language in discussions; visual literacy as a factor in language development; form and function as a basis for referential development in children; discriminating synthetic speech sounds; assessing secondary school students' knowledge of prefixes; language within power relationships; a flexible child-talk code; developing spatial and syntactic transformations; the acquisition of five syntactic structures by elementary school children; the developmental relationship between comprehension and production of grammatical morphemes in preschool children; how preschool children sequence narrative events; classifying preschool children's uses of meaningful language on selected conceptual tasks; maternal self-repetition and child feedback; and the mastery of specific conjunctions by elementary school children. (RL)

An observable feature of learner language, linguistic variability, is described and used as the basis for speculating about an aspect of the process of second language learning. It is hypothesized that variation in correct use of target language forms varies as a function of the demands placed on the learner to produce these forms. Three groups of adult subjects enrolled in community college programs participated in the study. Twenty-six were intermediate English as a second language (ESL) students, 21 were advanced ESL students, and 16 were native speakers of English. Transcripts of planned discussions provided the data of the analysis which examined the use of the Wh-question system and the verb system. The linguistic variability in the data seemed to be systematic. With regard to dimensions of language proficiency, these appeared to be the extent to which the learner's knowledge of the language is analyzed, and the extent to which the knowledge is automatically accessible. The framework generated by these two dimensions describes the learner's knowledge of the language; it serves to separate formal knowledge from the ability to apply known aspects of the language to various purposes. The model derived from the data is that the process of language learning involves the gradual analysis of the structure of language and the development of more fluent retrieval procedures. (AMH)

An observable feature of learner language, linguistic variability, is described and used as the basis for speculating about an aspect of the process of second language learning. It is hypothesized that variation in correct use of target language forms varies as a function of the demands placed on the learner to produce these forms. Three groups of adult subjects enrolled in community college programs participated in the study. Twenty-six were intermediate English as a second language (ESL) students, 21 were advanced ESL students, and 16 were native speakers of English. Transcripts of planned discussions provided the data of the analysis which examined the use of the Wh-question system and the verb system. The linguistic variability in the data seemed to be systematic. With regard to dimensions of language proficiency, these appeared to be the extent to which the learner's knowledge of the language is analyzed, and the extent to which the knowledge is automatically accessible. The framework generated by these two dimensions describes the learner's knowledge of the language; it serves to separate formal knowledge from the ability to apply known aspects of the language to various purposes. The model derived from the data is that the process of language learning involves the gradual analysis of the structure of language and the development of more fluent retrieval procedures. (AMH)

An observable feature of learner language, linguistic variability, is described and used as the basis for speculating about an aspect of the process of second language learning. It is hypothesized that variation in correct use of target language forms varies as a function of the demands placed on the learner to produce these forms. Three groups of adult subjects enrolled in community college programs participated in the study. Twenty-six were intermediate English as a second language (ESL) students, 21 were advanced ESL students, and 16 were native speakers of English. Transcripts of planned discussions provided the data of the analysis which examined the use of the Wh-question system and the verb system. The linguistic variability in the data seemed to be systematic. With regard to dimensions of language proficiency, these appeared to be the extent to which the learner's knowledge of the language is analyzed, and the extent to which the knowledge is automatically accessible. The framework generated by these two dimensions describes the learner's knowledge of the language; it serves to separate formal knowledge from the ability to apply known aspects of the language to various purposes. The model derived from the data is that the process of language learning involves the gradual analysis of the structure of language and the development of more fluent retrieval procedures. (AMH)

This paper examines the possible role of grammar throughout Key Stages 3 and 4 in the modern language curriculum where communication is the central tenet. It also discusses how total or virtually total use of target language (German) in the classroom can help deal with the dichotomy of grammar versus communication and bring about an integrated approach, marrying form and function. The paper asserts that grammar can be an integral part of the communicative approach, using total target language skills as the link. It highlights: what grammar means; grammar's role; planning for the inclusion of grammar in the modern languages curriculum; grammar's place in the communicative approach; grammar should always be second to meaning and in context; different learner needs; language chunks versus breakdown; the high or low value of language to the learner; modified language; focusing on form; target language versus mother tongue; the extent to which grammatical terminology should be used; when and how to give corrective feedback; rule discovery by the learner; grammar notes made by learners; learning styles and strategies; revisiting, refinement, and extension; a place for grammar in the four skill areas; a departmental approach; and the department's role. The paper concludes that grammar does have a place in the communicative approach. (Contains 12 references.) (SM)

Recording, narrative, exposition, and argument were hypothesized to present writing tasks of increasing cognitive and verbal complexity. This was investigated by obtaining writing samples in each mode from a stratified sample of 128 Australian sixteen year olds. The cognitive-complexity hypothesis was supported by data concerning the relative discriminative power of the four tasks, as reflected in the correlation between judges, the correlation between task scores and examination results, and the difference in performance of more and less advanced pupils as assessed by their schools. The verbal-complexity hypothesis was supported by significant differences among the tasks on words per phrase, phrases per clause, and clauses per sentence. The more advanced pupils showed greater flexibility in patterns of language use than did the less advanced pupils. (Author/AA)