Although much research has been conducted into language learning strategies for the four different skills, i.e., reading, listening, writing, and speaking, no research on this topic has...Show moreAlthough much research has been conducted into language learning strategies for the four different skills, i.e., reading, listening, writing, and speaking, no research on this topic has investigated the effect of technology on the language learning process. This thesis examines the language learning strategies that are employed by experienced language learners using a technology-assisted language learning application in order to fill this gap. Data was collected by asking four participants to fill in diary entries related to their language learning behavior for 30 days, while using Duolingo. Two of the participants were then invited to participate in a follow-up interview, which was aimed at uncovering more about what the participants did and why they decided to do so. The data collected in the diary entries and interview transcriptions were analyzed using Grounded Theory. The results showed that the experienced language learners who participated in this experiment employed five different types of technology-assisted language learning strategies, namely (a) internal motivation, (b) external motivation, (c) meta-cognitive, (d) time management, and (e) cognitive. These types can be further subdivided into more specific language learning strategies, such as motivation management and resource selection. Based on these findings a new taxonomy of technology-assisted language learning was proposed and implications for autonomous and classroom-based language learners as well as language educators were concluded.Show less
Trust is an important aspect of daily-life communication. We decide whether to trust someone based on just a face or a voice. Trust is part of credibility and is invariably connected to expertise....Show moreTrust is an important aspect of daily-life communication. We decide whether to trust someone based on just a face or a voice. Trust is part of credibility and is invariably connected to expertise. Previous research on credibility, expertise and trustworthiness has shown the impact of disfluencies on all three aspects. However, it has often focused only on native speech, and never used the duration of empty pauses as a fluency measure. The current study investigated the effect of empty pause manipulations in both native and non-native speech on perceived competency-based trustworthiness in two scenarios, differing in the level of expertise. Recordings of a native and a non-native speaker were manipulated phonetically, which resulted in two conditions: long empty pauses (LongPauses) and no empty pauses (NoPauses). The perceived competency-based trustworthiness of the speakers was measured using a 5-point likert-scale, based on McCroskey’s (1966) authoritativeness scale. Results indicated a significant effect for scenario and an interaction effect between scenario and nativeness. Post-hoc t-tests showed that the native speaker was perceived as significantly less trustworthy than the non-native speaker in the non-expert scenario. Second post-hoc t-tests showed that the native speaker was perceived as significantly more competency-based trustworthy in the expert scenario, than in the non-expert scenario. This same effect was not found for the non-native speaker. Follow-up questions showed that listeners in the native group indicated that the implied expertise in the scenarios did affect their judgements of the speaker, while the listeners in the non-native group indicated it did not.Show less
This thesis investigated whether the duration and standard deviations of F0, F1, F2 and F3 frequencies were similar in disfluency types (filled pauses and lengthened vowels) uttered by speakers of...Show moreThis thesis investigated whether the duration and standard deviations of F0, F1, F2 and F3 frequencies were similar in disfluency types (filled pauses and lengthened vowels) uttered by speakers of either sex (female and male). The analyses were done on second language Dutch and English speech materials that were collected for fluency evaluative purposes. The results of this study showed that intervals of vocalic articulation in filled pauses and lengthened vowels have a similar duration. The results for the standard deviation of F0-3 frequencies in Dutch disfluencies showed similarities for filled pauses and lengthened vowels uttered by females and males. Whereas the results from the English materials showed less uniformity for the effects of the disfluency types and sexes.Show less
In fluency research that contains rating experiments, it is often the case that either a) overall proficiency is examined, and participants are free to rate fluency intuitively; or b) participants...Show moreIn fluency research that contains rating experiments, it is often the case that either a) overall proficiency is examined, and participants are free to rate fluency intuitively; or b) participants are told to base their judgments on several utterance fluency characteristics, since the researcher studiesfluency in the narrow sense. In this study, I examine whether there are more speech factors that fall under the concept of fluency in the narrow sense than only the fluency characteristics that the participants are given prior to a rating task. Qualitative research into the perception of fluency on Dutch native and nonnative speech gave 17 different categories that participants take into account when judging spontaneous speech. Then, two groups of participants were juxtaposed: one group that had to judge fluency based on four utterance fluency characteristics (explicit group); and one group that only received a definition of cognitive fluency and was free to base their judgments on their own interpretation of this definition (implicit group). Results indicate that the implicit group was less likely to let disfluencies influence them negatively, but was more inclined to unconsciously judge overall proficiency rather than fluency in the narrow sense. Additionally, both groups showed a sensitivity for pause distribution that helped them to determine the speaker’s ease of lexical retrieval. I conclude that intonation and planning efficiency are essential components of fluency in the narrow sense, and should therefore be used in the instructions for future rating experiments.Show less
Das Thema dieser Arbeit ist intersprachlicher Einfluss bei Tertiärsprachenlernen. Dieses Thema wird sowohl praktisch (anhand der Ergebnisse durchgeführter Tests in den Bereichen der Syntax und der...Show moreDas Thema dieser Arbeit ist intersprachlicher Einfluss bei Tertiärsprachenlernen. Dieses Thema wird sowohl praktisch (anhand der Ergebnisse durchgeführter Tests in den Bereichen der Syntax und der Lexik) als theoretisch (anhand anderer veröffentlichter Studien im Fachgebiet) ausgearbeitet. Der erste Abschnitt bietet eine Einführung und definiert wichtige Begriffe zum Thema. Eine Tertiärsprache ist in dieser Arbeit jede Fremdsprache, die nach der ersten Zweitsprache angeeignet wird. Eine relevante Frage ist die nach dem Unterschied zwischen second und third language acquisition; das Faktorenmodell von Hufeisen bietet hier eine mögliche Erklärung. Im zweiten Abschnitt steht das Thema cross linguistic influence (die in der internationalen Literatur übliche Bezeichnung für Transfer oder intersprachlichen Einfluss) im Mittelpunkt. In den letzten Jahrzehnten sind verschiedene Modelle vorgeschlagen worden, um die Wirkung von Transfer zu beschreiben. Drei einflussreiche Theorien werden näher erklärt: (a) das CEM (Cumulative Enhancement Model) betrachtet alle vorher erworbenen oder gelernten Sprachen als mögliche Transferquelle für die Tertiärsprache; (b) die LSFH (L2 Status Factor-Hypothese) sieht hier eine privilegierte Rolle für die Zweitsprache wegen deren besonderen Status; (c) das TPM (Typology Primacy Model) hält den (psycho-)typologischen Abstand für den entscheidenden Faktor beim Auftreten von intersprachlichem Einfluss. Der dritte Abschnitt stellt die Methodologie der bei einer Gruppe von niederländischen Deutschlernenden durchgeführten Untersuchung dar. Die Probanden haben Englisch als L2 und lassen sich betreffs ihrer Tertiärsprache auf zwei Sprachniveaus einstufen: GER-Niveau A1/A2 bzw. A2/B1. Der vorgelegte Fragebogen ist ein grammaticality judgement task und besteht aus zwei Teilen, einem syntaktischen und einem lexikalischen. Im syntaktischen Teil wird intersprachlicher Transfer bei der Reihenfolge im deutschen Satz untersucht; die deutsche und die niederländische Sprache unterscheiden sich in dieser Hinsicht vom Englischen mit seiner strikten Subjekt-Verb-Objekt-Struktur. Die Hypothese ist, dass hier Transfer aus der L2 (Englisch) auftreten wird. Der lexikalische Teil hat feste Verbindungen von Verben mit Präpositionen zum Thema; es gibt mehrere Verben, die sich im Deutschen und im Niederländischen mit den entsprechenden Präpositionen verbinden, im Englischen jedoch eine andere Präposition brauchen. Die Hypothese lautet, dass hier ebenfalls Transfer aus der L2 stattfindet. Im vierten Abschnitt werden die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung dargestellt und anhand anderer wissenschaftlicher Studien im Fachgebiet diskutiert. Die Ergebnisse weisen im Allgemeinen auf Transfer aus der L2 hin und bestätigen deshalb beide Hypothesen und somit die LSFH. Trotzdem gibt es erhebliche Unterschiede zwischen den Niveaugruppen und den Sprachbereichen. Die Ergebnisse der Probanden auf dem höchsten Sprachniveau sind beim syntaktischen und lexikalischen Teil des Tests genau gleich, während bei den anderen Teilnehmern die Scores im lexikalischen Teil deutlich niedriger als im syntaktischen Teil sind. Daraus lässt sich schließen, dass intersprachlicher Einfluss bei Anfängern in der Tertiärsprache in den Bereichen Syntax und Lexik nicht auf gleiche Weise stattfindet. Neurolinguistische Theorien über die Wirkung des deklarativen und prozeduralen Gedächtnisses im Gehirn bieten eine mögliche Erklärung für diesen Unterschied. Eine erworbene L1 wird danach im prozeduralen Gedächtnis gespeichert und unbewusst aktiviert, während die später gelernten Fremdsprachen (L2, L3 usw.) im deklarativen Gedächtnis gespeichert und daraus bewusst abgerufen werden. Bei Anfängern in der Tertiärsprache funktioniere die unbewusste Aktivierung der Sprache noch nicht, und verlaufe die Aktivierung also über das deklarative Gedächtnis, in dem sich außer der L3 auch die L2-Kenntnisse befinden; die L2 sei deshalb eine logische Transferquelle beim Tertiärsprachenlernen.Show less
This thesis investigates the relationship between vocabulary and grammar learning aptitude (measured by two LLAMA subtests) and accuracy constituents in adult L2 speakers’ oral and written...Show moreThis thesis investigates the relationship between vocabulary and grammar learning aptitude (measured by two LLAMA subtests) and accuracy constituents in adult L2 speakers’ oral and written discourse productions. It also examines the relationship between the speaking and writing attainment, and the extent to which the link between performance in aptitude and speaking differs from the one for writing. Oral and written picture narratives elicited from 30 ESL speakers were analyzed and coded in terms of lexical and morphosyntactic errors per 100 words. The results of the Spearman correlation analyses revealed that vocabulary learning aptitude is significantly associated with the command of lexis and morphosyntax in writing, explicit grammar learning aptitude shows no significant association with accuracy in both production modes, and time availability in writing has no influence on the interplay between explicit and implicit knowledge with regard to the access of lexical forms. No significant differences were found with respect to the strength of aptitude-speaking and aptitude-writing relations.Show less
