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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
Description
This thesis discusses second language acquisition and the theories behind various teaching methods implemented to facilitate incidental language acquisition as opposed to intellectual language learning. Through observations and data collected in two GER 101 classes at Arizona State University, I will analyze and compare the success of using a traditional lecture that relies on exposition to promote language learning to using a modern interaction strategy that relies on the students communicating in the target language to learn an aspect of German grammar as an acquisition-based method.
ContributorsSielaff, Amalie Rose (Author) / Ghanem, Carla (Thesis director) / Lee, Sara (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
This thesis compares significant linguistic features of English and Bahasa Indonesia (BI) and examines possible effects of language transfer for Indonesians who speak English as a second language (L2). The thesis first presents a description of BI: 1) phonology (vowels, consonants, stress and intonation), 2) word order (SVO and other alternatives, relativization, nominalization, topicalization, questions), 3) the noun phrase (derivation of nouns, modifiers in noun phrases, demonstratives, plurals, personal pronouns), and 4) the verbal system (derivation of verbs, agreement, copulas, passive voice, negation, tense, adverbs, modals/auxiliaries). For the IRB-approved research study, the researcher interviewed ten Indonesians from diverse linguistic, cultural, and educational backgrounds about their experiences learning English and asked them to tell a story in order to elicit use of the past tense. The research sought to determine which errors Indonesian L2 speakers of English often make and which of these errors can be attributed to language transfer. Also, the study examined whether participants seem to be aware of their errors and what pedagogical implications may arise from these findings. Interviews were transcribed, then errors were coded and analyzed to see if the errors that Indonesians often make while speaking English correspond with the main differences between English and BI. The most common error was verb tense. After that, the next most common errors were articles; plurals; prepositions; other verbs; omission of "be" verbs; adjectives; omission of subjects; subject/verb agreement; and languages
ationalities. The thesis also discusses participants' perceptions of differences between BI and English and perceptions of difficulties when learning English, and how these perceptions correspond with their performance in English. While it seems that many of the errors that Indonesian L2 speakers of English are due to language transfer, others are not. Virtually no research has been carried out on language transfer from BI to English, so there is much future research that can be conducted on Indonesians learning English. Language transfer is just one of the relevant topics in the field.
ationalities. The thesis also discusses participants' perceptions of differences between BI and English and perceptions of difficulties when learning English, and how these perceptions correspond with their performance in English. While it seems that many of the errors that Indonesian L2 speakers of English are due to language transfer, others are not. Virtually no research has been carried out on language transfer from BI to English, so there is much future research that can be conducted on Indonesians learning English. Language transfer is just one of the relevant topics in the field.
ContributorsTappendorf, Rebecca Christine (Author) / Renaud, Claire (Thesis director) / Suwarno, Peter (Committee member) / Van Gelderen, Elly (Committee member) / School of Music (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The purpose of this study is to document and analyze three women's English language learning journeys after moving from various parts of Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona. The study explores the effects of English as a Second Language (ESL) education on the social and cultural development of Mexican women students at Friendly House, whose mission is to "Empower Arizona communities through education and human services". The literature review section explores such topics as the complications and history of Mexican immigration to Phoenix and of state-funded ESL education in Phoenix. The consequent research study will entail a pair of interviews with the three beginner ESL students about their lives in Mexico compared to their lives in Phoenix, with a specific focus on aspects of their language acquisition and cultural adjustment to life in Arizona. Photos of and by the consultants add to their stories and lead to a discussion about the implications of their experiences for ESL teachers. By documenting the consultants' experiences, this study finds many gaps in ESL education in Phoenix. Suggestions about how ESL programs and teaching methods can be modified to fit student's needs form the basis for the conclusions.
ContributorsDriscoll, Ashley Marisa (Author) / Horan, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / O'Connor, Brendan (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Second Language Acquisition (SLA) refers to the process of an individual acquiring a second language (L2) after their first language (L1) is already fully acquired. It also refers to the scientific study of learning and acquiring an L2. In the field of SLA, there are several theories that explain how an L2 is learned and acquired by an individual. However, this thesis focuses on the theoretical framework of Stephen Krashen’s five hypotheses of SLA (Krashen, 1981) and explains the major implications of his research. This thesis then explores two essential factors that influence acquisition, age and motivation, and briefly discusses other factors that may also influence SLA. The findings demonstrate that age plays a crucial role in the efficacy of SLA, in which the optimal age for SLA is prior to late adolescence. Furthermore, motivation is another crucial factor influencing SLA, as high levels of intrinsic motivation and moderate levels of extrinsic motivation result in optimal performance for learning. The final section discusses some limitations and challenges in studying SLA, and provides pedagogical implications for both L2 learners and teachers.
ContributorsBaggerly, Brandon (Author) / Bahtchevanova, Mariana (Thesis director) / Chery, Audrey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05