Browsing Centre for Language and Communication Studies (Theses and Dissertations) by Title
Now showing items 1-20 of 107
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A Complexity Theory approach to collaborative language learning
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2016)This dissertation brings complexity theory to the investigation of collaborative language learning. The broad aims of the PhD are two-fold - firstly, to understand more about the process of collaboration, and how it affects ... -
A formula for fluency? : an investigation into the effect of instruction in formulaic sequences on oral fluency in Irish
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2015)The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of a programme of instruction on oral fluency in Irish. The programme design was informed by a focus on formulaic language and by the use of procedures designed ... -
A relevance theoretic analysis of contrast connectives in Spanish : pero and aunque
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2008)This thesis presents a pragmatic analysis of a number of contrast connectives in Spanish, in particular pero ‘but’ and aunque ‘although’. The study follows the theoretical framework of Relevance Theory (RT). The ideas put ... -
A study of valency in Modern Irish
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2002)The main aim of this thesis is to characterise the factors that underpin the syntactic and semantic valency of the Irish verb in terms of a functional approach that is sensitive to aspectuality in the Aktionsarten sense ... -
Accounting for the features of Shape and Transitivity in a Functional-Typological approach to the Ring Languages
(Trinity College Dublin. School of Linguistic Speech & Comm Sci. C.L.C.S., 2020)The Ring languages, an understudied sub-group of the Grassfields Bantu family is examined from a function-typological perspective in relation to features of [Shape] and [Transitivity] as per Rijkhoff (2002, 2003). The word ... -
Acquiring English L2 in Irish primary schools : an investigation of the relation between pupils' achievement and the learning outcomes specified in the English language proficiency benchmarks
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2011)This thesis compares empirical evidence of English L2 acquisition by primary school pupils acquiring English as a second language in Ireland (ESL pupils) with the learning outcomes described in the guidelines provided for ... -
Addressing the language barrier in healthcare : developing a theory to understand the work of medical interpreters
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2014) -
The affordances of virtual exchange for developing global competence and active citizenship in content-based language learning
(Trinity College Dublin. School of Linguistic Speech & Comm Sci. C.L.C.S., 2020)In times characterised by constant technological growth and increased mobility of people and ideas within complex societies across the globe, initiatives such as virtual exchange can be seen as attempts to cross global ... -
An empirical investigation of the association between musical aptitude and foreign language aptitude
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2006)Given the joint ubiquity of music and language, and pre-theoretic similarities between the two, it is relevant to consider the relationship between musical ability and linguistic ability, specifically in relation to second ... -
An investigation into the proficiency of successful late learners of French
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2009)The introduction to tiiis thesis provides a background for the study as well as the reasons behind the choice of subject. In the second chapter of the thesis there is a review of the literature on the Critical Period ... -
An investigation of the relationship between the development of bilingual semantic organisation and interactive connectivity across languages
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2009)This thesis explores the eorrelation between second language (L2) semantic development and interactive semantic connectivity across languages. Given that bilinguals’ lexical access is language-non-selective at the initial ... -
Analysis of lingual articulation using electropalatography and electromagnetic articulography
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2001)Electromagnetic mid-sagittal articulography (EMA) and electropalatography (EPG) are two techniques for measuring lingual activity during speech production. EMA measures the location of a small number of sensors attached ... -
Aspects of linguistic organisation : evidence from lexical processing L1-L2 translation
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2002)The present study deals with the linguistic behaviour of second language learners in the performance of L1-L2 translation. It is concerned with aspects of productive processing in the light of the cognitive structures underlying ... -
Aspects of verbal valency in Irish Sign Language
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2002)The principle aim of this thesis is the identification of some aspects of verbal valency patterns for Irish Sign Language (ISL). The data drawn on for this study came from a variety of sources, including authentic data ... -
Assistive Technologies for Dyslexia: Punctuation and its Interfaces with Speech
Considering the well-documented issues of dyslexic students with the use of punctuation, the main purpose of this dissertation is to create a Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) tool that assists dyslexic learners ... -
Becoming a teacher of Irish : the evolution of beliefs, attitudes and role of perceptions
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 2015)The aim of the present study is to explore the process of becoming a primary level teacher of Irish, the official yet minority language in Ireland. Since all primary level teachers must teach Irish, becoming a primary ... -
Can you mold, handle or portray it? Iconicity and metaphor in depiction strategies in co-speech gesture
(Trinity College Dublin. School of Linguistic Speech & Comm Sci. C.L.C.S., 2022)The study explores iconicity and metaphor revealed in various gestural depiction strategies in co-speech representational gestures (Kendon, 2004; David McNeill, 1992). The gesture examples have been sourced from three ... -
Case Studies of English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education: Business Programmes in China, Japan and the Netherlands
(Trinity College Dublin. School of Linguistic Speech & Comm Sci. C.L.C.S., 2019)This doctoral project aims to conduct case studies of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) at three higher education institutions (HEIs) in China, Japan and the Netherlands – three ‘Expanding Circle’ countries. The ... -
Case Studies of English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education: Business Programmes in China, Japan and the Netherlands
(Trinity College Dublin. School of Linguistic Speech & Comm Sci. C.L.C.S., 2019) -
Clitic distribution and verb movement in the languages of Sicily
(Trinity College Dublin. School of Linguistic Speech & Comm Sci. C.L.C.S., 2025)This thesis describes and analyses (i) Cinque's (1999) hierarchy, (ii) verb movement, and (iii) clitic placement in a selection of Italo-Romance languages spoken in Sicily (southern Italy). The local languages of Sicily I ...
