Matching Items (21)
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- All Subjects: Linguistics
- Genre: Academic theses
- Creators: James, Mark
Description
Screenplays and novels are similar in that they both tell a story. However, the two are not the same. Screenplays and novels have a significantly different function and purpose from one another. With that being said, this thesis conducts a register analysis to discover the prominent linguistic differences in each register. Overall, this study finds that novels and screenplays do in fact have linguistic features that differ from one another. The linguistic features distinctive to a screenplay are: shorter sentences, more non-standard sentences, and more nouns. Longer sentences, independent clause coordination constituents, phrasal constituents, and reduced predicate adjective phrases are the linguistic features present in the novel.
ContributorsLuna, Elaina (Author) / Van Gelderen, Elly (Thesis advisor) / James, Mark (Committee member) / Long, Elenore (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This dissertation examines (1) the nature of the transfer climate in an English foracademic purposes (EAP) education setting specifically from the perspectives of EAP
instructors. It also examines (2) what EAP instructors perceive can be done to prepare
students for such a transfer climate. The transfer climate refers to the nature of the target
context of instruction and the support for learning transfer perceived by a learner in that
target context. Therefore, in the case of the EAP education context, the target context of
instruction is the discipline courses to which students transition to or take concurrently
with EAP courses. These discipline courses may be supportive or unsupportive towards
students' transfer of EAP skills. The social constructivist approach was used as the
theoretical foundation, which views that overall knowledge as dependent upon human
practices, being manifested in and out of interaction between individuals and their world,
and developed within a social context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with
22 EAP instructors. The interview transcripts were analyzed using a process that is two-
fold: involving de-contextualizing and re-contextualizing. Firstly, with decontextualizing,
a chunk of text is identified as a unit of analysis, when it is taken out of context from the
transcript, it is still meaningful as a unit. Secondly, all the units can be re-contextualized
when transferred from the interview transcript to a single category of units that contribute
to a similar pattern towards the research question(s). The findings revealed that EAP
instructors perceived both supportive and unsupportive aspects of different components of the EAP transfer climate [opportunities (lack of) in the course structure, support (lack of) for EAP transfer from discipline instructors or peers in the disciplines]. This study’s findings also build on existing conceptualizations of transfer climate. The findings also outline 8 steps that can be taken to prepare students for the transfer climate, 7 within EAP courses, and 1 within discipline courses. Both practical implications and implications for future research are outlined.
ContributorsAlmuhanna, Maryam (Author) / James, Mark (Thesis advisor) / Matsuda, Aya (Committee member) / Prior, Matthew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Attending college is like embarking on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. Education as a heroic journey transforms students in such a way that it will invite them to re-examine their conceptual structures, as well as internalized cultural norms. While heroes make their way through their journey, they are often viewed as drawing upon different archetypes. By recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each archetype, the Hero can consciously rely on the most beneficial attribute of this transformative journey. Despite the essential role of universal archetypes in students’ educational journey, they have been overlooked and replaced by a more functional approach in which personal development is neglected. Therefore, calling for a transformative educational approach in higher education has been advocated to push against the boundaries imposed by the functional approach and to help students transcend their personal boundaries. The purpose of this study is to discover the dominant Shadow archetypes of first-year college students and to explore the influence of archetypal unconscious traits on students’ self-efficacy. To investigate students’ archetypal personalities, two questionnaires: Pearson-Marr Archetypal Indicator (PMAI) and Sherer’s General Self-Efficacy Scale (SGSES), were applied. To investigate students’ perceptions on the influence of their Shadow archetypes, semi-structured online based interviews through Zoom were conducted. For the quantitative data analysis, statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS; and for the qualitative data analysis, deductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview protocols. It was revealed from the findings that the most active archetypes among first year college students are the Seeker, Jester, and Caregiver archetypes. The most common Shadow archetypes that are active among first year college students are the Idealist, Ruler, and the Warrior archetypes. The statistical analysis indicated that there is a linear relationship between the Shadow archetypes and students’ self-efficacy. The thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed that first year college students’ academic self-efficacy is influenced by the traits of their Shadow archetypes in various ways. Some of these influences are lack of motivation, procrastination, inability to set goals, irresponsibility, and negative self-evaluation. Keywords: Shadow, Self-Knowledge, Archetypes, Self-efficacy, Transformative Education.
ContributorsAlqadi, Mona (Author) / Van Gelderen, Elly (Thesis advisor) / James, Mark (Committee member) / Roen, Duane (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Transitioning into civilian life after military service is a challenging prospect. It can be difficult to find employment and maintain good mental health, and up to 70 percent of veterans experience homelessness or alcoholism. Upon discharge, many veterans pursue higher education as a way to reintegrate into civilian society. However, many studies have shown that veterans encounter multiple challenges during their attempt to reintegrate into civilian life, including anxiety, a lack of relevant skills, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other issues that may lead to communication and interaction challenges in the higher education environment. Student veterans also face challenges in the lack of common language and culture clashes due to differences between military and college culture. This study used a mixed-methods approach to examine the challenges military veterans face related to language use in civilian life. The data was collected from 149 student veterans who completed a questionnaire and 11 student veterans who participated in interviews. Detailed analysis of collected data showed that student veterans experienced some challenges in language use, especially when they initially enrolled in their courses, but they seemed to have overcome challenges after spending time in the university setting. The veterans who had prior college education before joining the military seemed to have a slight advantage, having had experience using the academic language. The study also explored how student veterans chose to share their veteran status with other people in their university community. The findings showed that they strongly identified with their veteran identity and was comfortable sharing their status with others, but they also sometimes were reluctant to share their military experience in details because they were afraid that their peers would not understand.
ContributorsObaid, Naji (Author) / Matsuda, Aya (Thesis advisor) / Smith, David (Committee member) / James, Mark (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
The study aims to explore negation in Mehri and provide a historical and theoretical account for the types of negation in Mehri. I begin with a diachronic analysis by adopting the grammaticalization theory and providing several examples illustrating how this process— grammaticalization —is taking place in Mehri. I also discuss the negative existential cycle suggested by Croft (1991) and I find Mehri language to be in Stage B > C. In addition, I propose an account of the negative copula in Mehri after I show examples for the reanalysis of a pronoun as a copula because of the grammaticalization process. I demonstrate how this pronoun ends in the head position of predicate phrase (PredP) and raises to attach to the negative l- /al and forms the negative copula. Regarding the theoretical account, I follow Laka (1994), Van Gelderen, (2011) and argue that a negative particle in bi-partite negative clauses was weakened and changed to Polarity Phrase (PolP). In other words, I assume that the preverbal negative (if any) is in the Tense Phrase (TP) layer, changed to a polarity phrase with a u-negative feature in need of checking by the new negative la, projected above TP. I also provide a morphological account by assuming that the preverbal negative particles are clitics that are picked by the subject or verb movement. This agrees with Chomsky (2001) and Boeckx and Stjepanović (2001) who find that head movement involves morphological components. To account for negation and negative polarity items (NPIs), I argue that NPIs such as nowah ‘never’ and ʃaagtaʕ ‘never’ merge with the negative element la to check the negative feature. Finally, I propose an account of negation associated with coordinates clauses, following van Gelderen (2006) who states “the speaker will only use —e.g., coordinates— for structures where a phrase is necessary” (P.6), similarly, Iassume that grammaticalization is not active in Mehri negative coordinates clauses because they are phrases. For this reason, I suggest a feature named W feature in the coordinate phrase that needs checking by the negative al-/l to form one unit with the following element.
ContributorsAlzahrani, Muneer Ali S (Author) / Van Gelderen, Elly (Thesis advisor) / James, Mark (Committee member) / Peterson, Tyler (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This study examined how L2 English speakers interpreted the notion of native English speakers (NESs) and nonnative English speakers (NNESs) and whether nativeness would influence their self-perception and speech production. It aimed at filling the following research gaps. First, limited studies have explored how L2 English speakers view the other NNESs and position themselves regarding interlocutors’ nativeness. Second, self-perception has not been extensively studied as an independent construct. Third, the previous studies failed to examine how interlocutors’ nativeness influenced L2 English speakers’ speech production. Finally, although the social cognitive theory and the sociocultural theory have established a relationship between cognition, environment, and behavior, no studies have investigated this relationship empirically. An exploratory study, including interviews and surveys, was conducted. Eight Chinese international students participated in the interviews. Their speech was recorded through semi-structured interviews, where two interviewers, one NES and one NNES, asked about participants' college life. Participants’ speech data was coded and analyzed based on Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency (CAF). Furthermore, 39 Chinese international students completed the survey to share their beliefs in the definition of NESs, their self-perceptions of speech production, and experiences interacting with NESs and NNESs. Statistical analysis and contextual analysis were used to interpret the survey responses.
The research findings showed that, first, many participants still believed in the connotations of NESs that were criticized by scholars. Moreover, many participants preferred to talk with NESs than with NNESs. Second, more L2 English speakers in this study tended to think interlocutors’ nativeness influenced their speech production. However, interlocutors’ nativeness influenced their self-perceptions of speech CAF to different degrees. Third, the averages of participants' speech CAF with the NES interviewer differed from those with the NNES interviewer.
This study offered some meaningful directions for future research on the definitions of NES/NNES, self-perception, and speech production. It also proposed some pedagogical implications for educators to instruct English more efficiently. Finally, this study called for scholars’ attention to change their research mindset, encouraging them to ground their research in people’s daily lives.
ContributorsRen, Rong (Author) / Matsuda, Aya (Thesis advisor) / James, Mark (Committee member) / Smith, Bryan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
International students’ identity negotiation has become a foremost aspect to be examined in the fields of applied linguistics, psychology, and intercultural communication. However, the scholarly focus has predominantly centered on the experiences of international students from culturally prominent or extensively studied backgrounds other than Indonesia. Although there is existing literature covering Indonesian families living abroad, it has not adequately addressed the dynamic and multifaceted experiences of Indonesian graduate students specifically studying outside Indonesia, nor the factors influencing their identity and language shifts. The present study aims to investigate the complex cross-cultural adaptation of Indonesian students, contributing to an understanding of their identity and language shifts while navigating lives in transnational contexts, including academic, social, and cultural settings. A total of 6 Indonesian graduate students who enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs in the United States participated and shared their narratives in the interview processes. By employing thematic analysis, the findings demonstrate that the participants’ adaptations during their relocation contribute to their identity and language shifts in several ways. First, the adoption of localization as the personality becomes the foremost way to contribute to their identity shift. The participants’ active and passive internalization of languages and cultures enable them to create a hybrid identity and negotiate their transnational belonging. Second, their language shifts can be seen in their language choice and the maintenance of Bahasa Indonesia. The participants tend to maintain the use of Bahasa Indonesia and can practice code-mixing and code-switching between English and Bahasa Indonesia while interacting with other Indonesians at the same time. The study also reveals the changing of directness employed by the participants. They emphasize to use of more direct utterances while communicating due to their adaptations to the new cultural norms. Therefore, these changing performances enable overseas Indonesian graduate students in transnational contexts to (re)construct their identity. This present study suggests further research to use different types of data collection including observation and ethnography to obtain a more inclusive and deeper analysis of the experiences of overseas Indonesian graduate students. In addition, this study also allows us to address a more comprehensive understanding of Asian students as a whole and helps to avoid stereotypical Asian students’ identities in previous research.
ContributorsNabilla, Biaz (Author) / James, Mark (Thesis advisor) / Adams, Karen (Committee member) / Prior, Matthew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
This thesis aimed to investigate the impact of adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on the perception and identification of lexical tones. Eleven participants were asked to listen to and identify four different pitch contours: high to low, high to mid, low to high, and low to mid. Seven of the participants did not have ADHD and four had been formally diagnosed before their participation. Results showed that the ADHD group performed better than the non-ADHD group overall, and that the ADHD group improved in the second half whereas the non-ADHD group did not.
ContributorsBoutelle, April (Author) / Pruitt, Kathryn (Thesis advisor) / Adams, Karen (Committee member) / James, Mark (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Yaʕni ‘lit. he/it signifies/means/intends’ is an arising linguistic and discourse-pragmatic phenomenon in many varieties and speech situations of spoken Arabic. Yet, the few scholarly investigations yaʕni has received come from restricted and limited contexts of language use. The primary aims of this dissertation were to, first, expand and broaden research on Arabic yaʕni into novel contexts of language use and to, second, explore the linguistic and the discourse-pragmatic functions of yaʕni. Therefore, the data used for this dissertation were collected, selected, and analyzed from a sample of spoken data brought from two episodes of a Saudi sports TV show Alkurah Tatakallam ‘lit. the ball speaks.’ The analytical procedures and discussions showed that yaʕni had the following types of linguistic and discourse-pragmatic functions: as (a) a verb, (b) elaboration and turn expansion, (c) repair organization, (d) managing the turn-taking system, (e) alleviation and hedging, (f) marking concessive/contrastive relations, and (g) emphatic yaʕni. The discussions seemed to suggest the gradual solidification of three views: First, there is a suggestion that the categorical status ranging from verb yaʕni to the discourse marker yaʕni can be understood in terms of scalarity, gradience, and prototypicality. Second, there is another suggestion that gradations can also be located between the discourse-pragmatic functions of yaʕni. Third, there is a suggestion that, synchronically and diachronically, yaʕni as a form has been wildly drifting from its categorical verb status, lexical source, propositional meaning, and even its discourse-pragmatic markerhood. The analysis, discussions, and suggestions invoked the idea of bridging context(s) related to the categorical status and the discourse-pragmatic functions of yaʕni. This categorical status of yaʕni puts the binary distinction between conceptual meaning and procedural meaning of relevance theory, and the studies of yaʕni following such a binary distinction, into question since this distinction seemed blurry. The bridging context(s) seemed to support the gradualness and the directionality of the evolution of DMs. Therefore, the categorical and discourse-pragmatic behavior of yaʕni seems to have support from the hypothesis and theories such as grammaticalization and pragmaticalization. It seems also that the historical development of yaʕni can be discussed in terms of the hypothesis and theories of idiomaticization and phraseology.
ContributorsMobarki, Yahya (Author) / Adams, Karen (Thesis advisor) / Gelderen, Elly van (Committee member) / James, Mark (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
For this dissertation, teacher linguistic awareness (TLingA) involves teacher linguistic knowledge, teacher language awareness (TLA), and teacher cognition for second language (L2) teachers. Teacher linguistic knowledge is an understanding of how language functions and is compiled within the different areas of linguistics. And TLA is the knowledge that educators possess of the structural and fundamental system of language. Both help L2 teachers with different aspects of teaching. Additionally, teacher cognition involves what teachers know, their beliefs, and thought processes. Lastly, TLingA includes the conscious application of teacher linguistic knowledge.
In order to understand how strong of a role linguistics plays in language instruction, I evaluate how language teachers use their linguistic knowledge, and what factors affect the application of that knowledge. This paper aims to fill this gap in understanding how much and what factors affect L2 teachers’ application of linguistic knowledge by interviewing L2 teachers at an intensive English program at a university in the Southwestern United States. To do so, the study uses interviews with open-ended questions involving hypothetical teaching scenarios that probe different areas of linguistics: phonology, grammar, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics.
The general findings suggest that teachers use their linguistic knowledge and awareness in their teaching: such as, with sociolinguistics, in how they control the classroom and interact with students; with phonology, in how they teach pronunciation; with grammar, in how they edit students’ writing and meet with students about their writing; and with pragmatics, in how they teach vocabulary usage and formal requests. Additionally, the results suggest that years of experience appear to be the largest factor in the application of linguistic knowledge and that contextual factors, like time and curriculum goals, also play a role. Moreover, in relation to teacher cognition, how a L2 teacher conceptualizes or defines linguistic terms also seemed to affect their awareness of the application of linguistic knowledge. In conclusion, it appears that L2 teachers’ linguistic knowledge and TLingA help them to evaluate their students’ needs and influence their lesson planning.
In order to understand how strong of a role linguistics plays in language instruction, I evaluate how language teachers use their linguistic knowledge, and what factors affect the application of that knowledge. This paper aims to fill this gap in understanding how much and what factors affect L2 teachers’ application of linguistic knowledge by interviewing L2 teachers at an intensive English program at a university in the Southwestern United States. To do so, the study uses interviews with open-ended questions involving hypothetical teaching scenarios that probe different areas of linguistics: phonology, grammar, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics.
The general findings suggest that teachers use their linguistic knowledge and awareness in their teaching: such as, with sociolinguistics, in how they control the classroom and interact with students; with phonology, in how they teach pronunciation; with grammar, in how they edit students’ writing and meet with students about their writing; and with pragmatics, in how they teach vocabulary usage and formal requests. Additionally, the results suggest that years of experience appear to be the largest factor in the application of linguistic knowledge and that contextual factors, like time and curriculum goals, also play a role. Moreover, in relation to teacher cognition, how a L2 teacher conceptualizes or defines linguistic terms also seemed to affect their awareness of the application of linguistic knowledge. In conclusion, it appears that L2 teachers’ linguistic knowledge and TLingA help them to evaluate their students’ needs and influence their lesson planning.
ContributorsFoltz, Karen (Author) / Matsuda, Aya (Thesis advisor) / Renaud, Claire (Thesis advisor) / James, Mark (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018