scholarly journals Exploring a Diachronic Change in the Use of English Relative Clauses: A Corpus-Based Study and Its Implication for Pedagogy

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402097502
Author(s):  
Muchamad Sholakhuddin Al Fajri ◽  
Victoria Okwar
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clauses ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Relative Pronoun ◽  
Sharp Decline ◽  
British English ◽  
Written Texts ◽  
Diachronic Study ◽  
English Relative Clauses

This corpus-based diachronic study aims to investigate the change in the use of English relative clauses over a 45-year time span. It does not only focus on change over time but also change between two varieties of English (British and American). The data were taken from the Brown family of corpora. Each corpus in the Brown family corpora consists of 500 texts of approximately 2,000 words of written published standard English. The finding indicates that the overall trend of the use of relative clauses in written texts has largely decreased in both American and British English. The frequency of the relative which has experienced a sharp decline in both English and American varieties but the relative pronoun that has dramatically increased. This trend suggests the move toward colloquialization, meaning that both the English varieties tend to employ less formal or speech-like style in written texts. The pedagogical implication of this research is that it can bring about a change in syllabuses and materials of English language teaching (ELT), particularly for teaching general writing by taking into account colloquialization hypothesis.

Implementing ELF-informed Activities in an Elementary Level English Preparatory Classroom

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibel Sert ◽  
Yonca Özkan
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Elementary Level ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Educational Setting ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Mixed Method Design ◽  
Personal Interests

AbstractUpon the advocacy of the integration of English as a lingua franca, namely ELF, into English language teaching, some scholars (Hino & Oda, 2015) have focused on its possible implications for classroom settings. Implementing ELF-informed activities in an elementary level classroom within a norm-based educational setting, this study aimed to enable students to experience these activities, and explore their pre and post views regarding Standard English, the concepts of good English, and my English. In addition, it also investigated students’ preference for their educational setting after the implementation. The implementation took seven weeks and the activities were created by the researchers. Within a mixed method design, qualitative and quantitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews and two statement lists. The findings indicated that the majority of the students enjoyed the activities and their pre and post views regarding Standard English, good English and my English differ from each other. However, a substantial number of them preferred to be educated with Standard English in their language learning process. Findings also revealed that potential reasons behind this preference may be the domination of norm-based approach in their context, personal interests and prime objectives, and norm-based exams.

scholarly journals Challenges of the Sudden Switch from Mother Tongue Instruction to English as a Medium of Instruction

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Shahinaz Abdullah Bukhari
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Classroom Communication ◽  
Mother Tongue Instruction

The present study explored the challenges encountered through the transition from using the mother tongue as a medium of instruction at schools to using English as a medium of instruction at universities. Two focus groups were conducted with Saudi undergraduates and faculty members from different Saudi universities. The focus groups investigated how participants perceive this experience, what difficulties they face and how they cope. Participants expressed their preference for using English as a medium of instruction in higher education to maximise students’ future and international opportunities. Participant students reported difficulties in lecture comprehension, taking notes while listening and classroom communication. Participant content lecturers reported difficulties related to students’ reluctance to speak in English, lack of English terminology and insufficient lecture comprehension. Some suggestions that have been offered to overcome these challenges include the following: designing adequate trainings for content lecturers on teaching their content in English; using Arabic-English bilingualism as medium of instruction; giving emphasis to academic literacy and communication skills over the use of standard English models and enhancing the collaborative work between English language teaching practitioners and content lecturers.

scholarly journals ACOUSTIC MEASUREMENT ON VOWEL PRODUCTION OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE BY INDONESIAN EFL LEARNERS

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Rudha Widagsa ◽  
Ahmad Agung Yuwono Putro
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
British English ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
English Vowels ◽  
Second Formant

Indonesian is the most widely spoken language in Indonesia. More than 200 million people speak the language as a first language. However, acoustic study on Indonesian learners of English (ILE) production remains untouched. The purpose of this measurement is to examine the influence of first language (L1) on English vowels production as a second language (L2). Based on perceptual magnet hypothesis (PMH), ILE were predicted to produce close sounds to L1 English where the vowels are similar to Indonesian vowels. Acoustic analysis was conducted to measure the formant frequencies. This study involved five males of Indonesian speakers aged between 20-25 years old. The data of British English native speakers were taken from previous study by Hawkins & Midgley (2005). The result illustrates that the first formant frequencies (F1) which correlates to the vowel hight of Indonesian Learners of English were significantly different from the corresponding frequencies of British English vowels. Surprisingly, the significant differences in second formant (F2) of ILE were only in the production of /ɑ, ɒ, ɔ/ in which /ɑ/=p 0.002, /ɒ/ =p 0,001, /ɔ/ =p 0,03. The vowel space area of ILE was slightly less spacious than the native speakers. This study is expected to shed light in English language teaching particularly as a foreign language.Keywords: VSA, EFL, Indonesian learners, formant frequencies, acoustic

Subjective Ideas of Sexual Change in Male Schizophrenics

1966 ◽  
Vol 112 (489) ◽  
pp. 779-782 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. L. Gittleson ◽  
S. Levine
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Identity ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Sexual Content ◽  
Uncontrolled Study ◽  
Eugen Bleuler ◽  
Sexual Change

Ideas of changing sex, and the doubt about sexual identity which these ideas imply, are considered to be “invariable” and “pathognomonic” features of schizophrenia by Macalpine and Hunter (1955). The authors quote, in a footnote, a personal communication from Manfred Bleuler dated 1953 which states that Eugen Bleuler would have agreed that “schizophrenics are almost invariably, if not indeed invariably, in doubt about the sex to which they belong”. Planansky and Johnston (1962), in an uncontrolled study of 150 male schizophrenics, found that only 15 per cent. (22 cases) exhibited “direct expression of confusion of sex identity” and only 4·7 per cent. (7 cases) had clear delusions of having changed into a woman. Jackson (1960), Weckowicz and Sommer (1960), and Skottowe (1964) state merely that these ideas occur, or occur frequently. A check of the standard English language teaching texts reveals that Allen (1962), Bleuler (1911), Mayer-Gross et al. (1960), Noyes and Kolb (1963) and Sim (1963) make only oblique references to ideas of changing sex, whilst Anderson (1964), Arieti (1959), Bellak and Benedict (1958), Curran and Partridge (1963), Fish (1962 and 1964), Freeman et al. (1958), Henderson and Batchelor (1962), Merskey and Tonge (1965), and Stafford-Clark (1964) make no reference at all. In their study of schizophrenic delusions Lucas et al. (1962) similarly do not mention change of sex. They state simply that (in males) 30 per cent. had a sexual content.

Teaching and Irish English

English Today ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne O'Keeffe
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
First Century ◽  
English Studies ◽  
British English ◽  
Irish Language ◽  
Research Agendas ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
Global Language

The first decade of the twenty-first century has been characterised in Irish English studies by a diversification of research agendas. Whereas studies before 2000 were largely concerned with internal issues in the development of Irish English, more recent research has been marked by the desire to view Irish English in the context of international varieties of English, as demanded by Barker and O'Keeffe (1999). Much has changed in the study of Irish English in the last decade or so. This is in part due to a broader perspective adopted by researchers and also to the emergence of new ways of looking at Irish English: see Barron and Schneider (eds) 2005; Hickey, 2005, 2007a; Corrigan, 2010; Amador-Moreno, 2006, 2010. There seems to be a less exclusive concern with Irish English within the strict orbit of British English and the effects of contact with the Irish language. This is perhaps aided by looking at Irish English in the context of English as a global language (Kirkpatrick ed. 2010). A function of this globalisation is variation and that in itself brings richness and diversity. In the context of English language teaching, Irish English is one of many types of English.

scholarly journals Recent change in modality in informal spoken British English: 1990s–2010s

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-562
Author(s):  
ROBBIE LOVE ◽  
NIALL CURRY
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Recent Change ◽  
British English ◽  
The Core ◽  
Modal Auxiliaries ◽  
Language Data ◽  
Diachronic Study ◽  
Functional Analyses ◽  
Future Work

Studies in modality comprise a complex canon of functional, formal, sociological and diachronic analyses of language. The current understanding of how English language speakers use modality is unclear; while some research argues that core modal auxiliaries are in decline, they are reported as increasing elsewhere. A lack of contemporary and representative spoken language data has rendered it difficult to reconcile such differing perspectives. To address this issue, this article presents a diachronic study of modality using the Spoken BNC2014 and the spoken component of the BNC1994. We investigate the frequency of core modal auxiliaries, semi-modals, and lexical modality-indicating devices (MIDs), as well as the modal functions of the core modal auxiliaries, in informal spoken British English, between the 1990s and 2010s. The results of the analysis are manifold. We find that core modal auxiliaries appear to be in decline, while semi-modals and lexical MIDs appear relatively stable. However, on a form-by-form basis, there is significant evidence of both increases and decreases in the use of individual expressions within each modal set. As a result, this study problematises form-based studies of change, and illustrates the value and coherence that functional analyses of modality can afford future work.

scholarly journals Vowel Variation Between American English and British English

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 350
Author(s):  
Afzal Khan ◽  
Soleman Awad Mthkal Alzobidy
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
Stress Pattern ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Social Differences ◽  
British English ◽  
International Language ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
The World

The English Language, being an international language, is spoken all over the world with many variations. These variations occur primarily due to environmental, cultural and social differences. The main reasons for these variations are intermingling of different races and strata in a society. In this regard prominent differences can be observed at phonological levels. These phonological variations produce different kinds of English, like British and American English. In these two there are differences in intonation, stress pattern, and pronunciation. Although South-Eastern British R.P. is known as Standard English but one cannot deny the existence and value of American English. The study attempts to highlight the vowel variation between British English and American English at phonological level.

scholarly journals The Comprehension of English Relative Clauses by Arabic-Speaking EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Sofia Sabahat Khan ◽  
Lubaba Abdul-Salam Al-Namer
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clauses ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Relative Pronoun ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
English Relative Clauses

This study investigates the extent to which 50 Arabic-speaking EFL learners comprehend English relative clauses (RCs). It also aims to test which relative pronoun among the seven pronouns we are investigating is the easiest to comprehend and which is the most problematic. Furthermore, it aims to measure whether the English proficiency level of the participants affects their performance on the test. Therefore, a multiple-choice test was administered in order to examine their comprehension of this complex syntactic structure.  The participants were asked to choose the correct answer out of four choices. The results demonstrate that Arabic-speaking EFL learners may not be fully aware of English relative clauses (total percentage= 48.5%). The t-test shows that the English proficiency level affected the participants’ performance on the test. Consequently, there is a significant difference between the answers of the advanced learners (ALs) (61.3%) and those of the intermediate learners (ILs) (35.6%). Moreover, the results reveal that the easiest relative pronoun to comprehend is the pronoun when, and the most difficult one is the pronoun whom. This study accounts for these difficulties and concludes with pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research. 

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