This dissertation presents three studies that examined issues related to the production and the perception of pitch in a tone language. The first study examined linguistic contexts that may modulate consonant-induced pitch perturbations (CF0) in a tone language. Previous studies have produced mixed findings regarding the role of linguistic…

This study examines the language use patterns of students in a math class that is part of a Spanish-English two-way, secondary continuation program. Audio recordings from five class periods were analyzed in order to quantify the opportunities provided for minority language by the teacher, as well as student uptake of those opportunities. This is…

Social networking sites have become ubiquitous in our daily communicative exchanges, which has brought about new platforms of identification and opened possibilities that were out of reach for many minoritized communities. As they represent an increasing percentage of the media we consume, these sites have been considered crucial for…

Theoretically framed at the intersection of language, identity, and transnationalism, this chapter examines how two Syrian refugee-background parents negotiated narrating and writing a bilingual and multimodal fictional story commonly used in Syria by parents as a bedtime story. Primary data included two audio recorded interviews: an oral…

Studies comparing writing media typically compare different modes of writing (e.g., keyboard typing vs. writing, smartphone tapping vs. writing, etc.). The current study sought to investigate the cognitive outcomes of a more direct comparison: tablet- versus paper-based writing. Thirty-two speakers of L1 English were tasked with memorizing 20…

The study aimed to evaluate teaching techniques for non-native speakers in terms of first language composing v/s second language composing. The study holds significance since it discusses different aspects of writing, including deep examination of composing process. The study was conducted among skilled and unskilled L2 writers. The results of the…

The declarative/procedural (DP) model posits that the learning, storage, and use of language critically depend on two learning and memory systems in the brain: declarative memory and procedural memory. Thus, on the basis of independent research on the memory systems, the model can generate specific and often novel predictions for language. Till…

The present study examines the tradeoff between the on-line construction of modifier-noun gender agreement and verb-subject person/number agreement vs. the automatization and entrenchment of agreement, through the study of bilingual speakers of Spanish and the Afro-Colombian creole language Palenquero, whose lexicon is highly cognate with Spanish,…

This article draws from an ethnographic case study that examined the diverse and contradictory roles of one Korean language school in a predominantly White mid-sized Midwestern city. While the school provided ethnic and cultural affirmation and respite from racial marginalization, it also reproduced dominant notions of culture that excluded some…

It has long been recognized that collocations, or chunks of formulaic language, are essential and frequent in language (Henriksen, 2012; Sinclair, 2004). Therefore they are a crucial part of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Linguistic scholars Pawley y Syder (1983: 192) remark that "in order to know a language, the [second language] (L2)…

This is an action research study investigating how one can work systematically in adult learning centres to support adult immigrant learners to increase their intrinsic motivation and develop strategies to take responsibility for their own development and learning. We have applied what we call a five-step motivation method, where the adult…

The increasing representation of young language-minority students in school settings around the world and recent insights into multilingualism as a potential resource for language learning and development call for acritical study of theoretical and practical implications for the field of language teaching and assessment. Relatively little…

The ethnic minorities in China follow two major linguistic educational systems. They receive an education and write the college entrance exam in either Chinese or their own ethnic language. However, the existing literature views the expansion of Chinese education to the ethnic regions of China in recent decades as a forcible process of cultural…

The present study reports reading strategies of Arabic L1 EFL college-level learners at three reading ability levels: high, medium, and low. Thirty students were asked to take the reading section of the TOFEL to determine their reading abilities. Then two participants from each level were selected randomly to go through the think-aloud protocol…

Studies on aging and migration often note a 'language barrier' for older migrants when communicating in a (medical) second language (L2) context. Yet how a limited L2 proficiency impacts the aging process of migrant adults has, so far, not been systematically investigated. This question is important given that having a limited L2 proficiency may…