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An Investigation of Oral Interaction in English as a Foreign Language Classroom
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2018
Pages:
51-60
Received:
16 March 2018
Accepted:
11 April 2018
Published:
21 May 2018
Abstract: This thesis presents the findings of a study into classroom oral interaction in an EFL class in Saudi Arabia. One teacher was observed while teaching at an EFL private institution in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the study was four-fold: to determine the amount of the L1 (native language) and the TL (target language) used in the classroom; to compare the teacher’s contribution in class with students’ contributions; to identify the interactional moves the teacher used to elicit students’ participation and to analyse the teacher’s corrective feedback and its effectiveness. The findings indicated that even though the teacher used the TL extensively, students’ contributions were scarce. The findings also suggest that students’ contributions were influenced by the teacher’s elicitation techniques. Finally, the analysis of the teacher’s corrective feedback revealed that it did little to improve students’ acquisition of the TL.
Abstract: This thesis presents the findings of a study into classroom oral interaction in an EFL class in Saudi Arabia. One teacher was observed while teaching at an EFL private institution in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the study was four-fold: to determine the amount of the L1 (native language) and the TL (target language) used in the classroom; to compar...
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The English Modal “can” and Its Vietnamese Counterpart “có thể”
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2018
Pages:
61-69
Received:
29 March 2018
Accepted:
2 May 2018
Published:
2 June 2018
Abstract: Considering modality as whatever that lies out of the lexis (also called the dictum) of the proposition of a declarative sentence, I have considered the meanings conveyed by the modal verb “ can” as well as its English alternative modal expressions, in comparison with those conveyed by its so-called Vietnamese counterpart “ có thể”, if possible. If not, other translated versions into Vietnamese are suggested. The English modal verb can is translated into Vietnamese in a number of different ways, and có thể is one of these ways, however frequent and thus prominent it is; in other words, besides có thể, among other Vietnamese counterparts of “ can are “ được”, “ mới …được”, “ có thể …được”, “ có thể sẽ”, “ biết”, and “ thường”. The alternative modal expressions of “ can” as shown in the English declaratives in this paper have plenty of Vietnamese equivalents, as identified in their suggested translated versions. Although these inevitable differences cause both Vietnamese learners of English and native speakers of English who do a course in Vietnamese a lot of trouble, their potential similarities are the objective bases for successful practice in translating or interpreting. There is no doubt that the interesting and fruitful research on modal expressions in Vietnamese and English declarative sentences is of undeniably practical significance in the current time of world-wide explosion of information and cross-cultural communication.
Abstract: Considering modality as whatever that lies out of the lexis (also called the dictum) of the proposition of a declarative sentence, I have considered the meanings conveyed by the modal verb “ can” as well as its English alternative modal expressions, in comparison with those conveyed by its so-called Vietnamese counterpart “ có thể”, if possible. If...
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Transitivity Analysis of David Cameron’s Speech in Retaining Scotland
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2018
Pages:
70-79
Received:
13 April 2018
Accepted:
8 May 2018
Published:
4 June 2018
Abstract: This thesis adopts Systemic-Functional Grammar as its theoretical framework to conduct a transitivity analysis of David Cameron’s speech in retaining Scotland. The aim is to work out the distributions and functions of the transitivity processes and the main participants. To attain this goal, two research questions are proposed. The first one is what the distributions of transitivity processes are and the main participants in David Cameron’s speech. The second one is what the functions of transitivity processes and main participants in David Cameron’s speech are. The quantitative and qualitative methods are adopted simultaneously in analyzing the whole text of David Cameron’s speech. The analysis yields two major findings as follows: 1. all of the six process types can be found in Cameron’s speech. Among them, the relational process and material process are the most frequently occurred process types in his speech, which makes his speech more objective and convincing; 2. The pronouns of the first plural forms “we, us and our” are the main participants in Cameron’s speech, which shows he wants to shorten the distance with his audiences.
Abstract: This thesis adopts Systemic-Functional Grammar as its theoretical framework to conduct a transitivity analysis of David Cameron’s speech in retaining Scotland. The aim is to work out the distributions and functions of the transitivity processes and the main participants. To attain this goal, two research questions are proposed. The first one is wha...
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Linguistic Ecology of North Mara “Languages”: A Comparative Study of Sound System Among the Selected “Languages”
Boniphace Morango Alphonce
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2018
Pages:
80-89
Received:
9 May 2018
Accepted:
25 May 2018
Published:
12 June 2018
Abstract: Language sounds are sounds which construct meaningful phrases in languages. Although human beings produce many sounds of different types, human language uses only a certain number and types of sounds. Sounds of languages are of two types; either consonants or vowels due to articulatory system. The studied North Mara “languages” are Kurya, Simbiti, Kiroobha, Sweeta, Kabwa, Suba1, Kine and Kenye, There are two perspectives relating to North Mara “languages”: In one perspective, these languages are regarded as similar and related to each other while in the other perspective the languages are regarded as different. The article focuses on the comparison of sound system in North Mara “languages”. According to data obtained, there are several syntactical criteria discussed: these are compensatory lengthening, deletion and minimal pairs. The study was led by “Comparative and Historical Linguistics” theory in portraying the relationship of “languages” being studied. The study used group discussion method to obtain data that gives similarities and differences of investigated “languages”. The results obtained from the research prove that there is a great similarity among the investigated “languages” in the case of sound system. Hence, linguistically these “languages” are more like dialects that relates closely to each other and are not independent languages as are seen in sociolinguistics perspective.
Abstract: Language sounds are sounds which construct meaningful phrases in languages. Although human beings produce many sounds of different types, human language uses only a certain number and types of sounds. Sounds of languages are of two types; either consonants or vowels due to articulatory system. The studied North Mara “languages” are Kurya, Simbiti, ...
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The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2) Pupils in Cameroon
Jean-Paul Kouega,
Emmanuel Ombouda Onana
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 3, May 2018
Pages:
90-100
Received:
5 May 2018
Accepted:
28 May 2018
Published:
19 June 2018
Abstract: This paper examines the English spoken productions of primary school teachers and their graduating pupils in Cameroon, with the aim of checking how much English is learnt by the time the primary child moves to the secondary education level. The data came from classroom observations, tape-recording of lessons as they were taught and a spoken performance test taken by the pupils. The work is couched within the structural approach to phonology, and the error analysis and the contrastive methods of analysis were used to describe the data. A number of interesting findings were obtained. First, francophone primary school teachers in Cameroon are not proficient in English and they cannot therefore teach the subject even though they were summoned to do it. Second, many francophone primary school pupils learn very little English and, as a result, secondary school teachers have no choice but to start the English subject from scratch. Characteristically, these pupils’ spoken productions exhibit various features at the level of consonants like substitution, cluster simplification and realisation of silent letters. At the vocalic level, spelling pronunciation causes monophthongs to be replaced by foreign sounds, and diphthongs and triphthongs to be monophthongised. Most interestingly, vowel nasalization is systematic in specific contexts.
Abstract: This paper examines the English spoken productions of primary school teachers and their graduating pupils in Cameroon, with the aim of checking how much English is learnt by the time the primary child moves to the secondary education level. The data came from classroom observations, tape-recording of lessons as they were taught and a spoken perform...
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