Volume Three, Number Two
ABSTRACTS
Grammatical structures
in code-switching among second generation Chinese-Australian students.
pp. 3-17
Lin Zheng, Deakin University
This paper is based on an analysis of audio-recordings of interviews conducted at three primary schools in Victoria. The syntactic convergence or transference, which accompanies switching takes place at three levels: typological, structural and classificatory. The matrix Language Frame Model (Myers-Scotton 1993b, 1997a), revised to include the Composite Matrix Language (Bolonyai 1998), successfully deals with all forms of switching in my corpus. However, it is highly doubtful if grammatical constraints (Clyne 1987) as such exist ins witching between Chinese and English. My data rather supports the existence of facilitators or tendencies.
Interlanguage
features of learners of English as a second language: from a multi-dimensional
perspective. pp. 19-28.
Mingjian Zhang,
Oxford International Academy of New Zealand
This study examined syntactic features in the interlanguage of learners of English as a second language (ESL) via tasks of conversation and free essay-writing. Data were collected from sixty international students of different first language backgrounds at the Monash University English Language Centre and examined with regard to language style, typological universals and language transfer. Results showed that interlanguage did vary in tandem with style in various syntactic aspects, that the typological universal (the Accessibility Hierarchy) was supported by the data, but that language transfer did not seem to play an important part in the use of topic-comment structure. The findings of the study suggest that examination from a multi-dimensional perspective provides a richer picture of English interlanguage features under investigation.
Errors in pronunciation
of consonants by learners of English as a foreign language whose
first languages are Indonesian, Gayo and Acehnese. pp. 29-44
Ingrid Mathew
This paper reports on a study investigating the errors in pronunciation of consonants made by three groups of EFL learners, native speakers of Indonesian, Gayo and Acehnese, and possible explanations of these errors. There is a limited amount of previous research on pronunciation errors made by Indonesian EFL learners, and none for Gayo and Acehnese learners. In this study consonantal phoneme pronunciation error data was collected using four different types of tasks, and analyzed using broad IPA phonetic transcription.
The findings indicate that for these language segmental errors are largely limited to final stops [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g], final sibilants [s], [z],[S], [Z], initial and final affricates [tS], [dZ] and interdentals [T], [D]. The most common error realizations were elision ([o]), devoicing (e.g. [b] realized as [p]) and lack of release ([]). The error realization data did not completely match that of previous research for Indonesian learners. In explaining the data, both transfer and developmental factors and their interaction appear to be at work, as well as factors such as task-type and level of formality. The study points to many areas of further research including factors influencing interlanguage phonology such as knowledge of more than one language, and more complete error analyses using narrow phonetic transcription.
A consideration of
the 'traditional terms'. pp.45-51
Humphrey P. van Polanen Petel, Monash University
The so-called 'traditional terms' have long been seen as problematic and the argument continues about what precisely they might refer to. This article takes a fresh look and finds that there are essentially two different perspectives. Specifically, the notion of 'parts of speech' can represent both a mental and a grammatical distinction. Accordingly, the problem with the traditional terms can be said to have arisen out of a conflation of these two perspectives. If we assume that the 'parts of speech' are a grammatical distinction then the traditional terms are effectively meaningless, because from a grammatical perspective, the 'parts of speech' are not universal concepts. However, if we assume they are a mental distinction then they would be best understood as notions that represent aspects of the world-view of people using them.
The
EU language policy and interpreting/translating practices: the case
of Croatia's application for EU membership. pp. 53-62
Jim Hlavac, Monash University
The EU is considered by most to have exemplary language and interpreting/translating (I/T) policies: EU parliamentarians may use their own language when speaking in parliament and the 20 official languages of all 25 member states have equal status in regard to I/T services. This paper traces official EU and Croatian policies in regard to language choice and examines some of the translation practices employed by both the EU and Croatia. So far, bi-directional translation practices have involved a language variety that is unmistakeably Croatian and one of the EU's 'working languages', usually English. But interpreting practices have not always followed the same pattern and EU-employed interpreters do not always interpret into Croatian. There is some evidence to suggest that the form and name of the language in EU-Croatia contacts may not always remain uniquely Croatian. If Croatian continues to be employed, this may be a consequence not only of principles applied by EU (or Croatian) bureaucrats. Rather, it may in some part be due to the absence of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia-Montenegro as co-applicants for EU membership. Thus, amongst the rhetoric of respecting member states' language designations and most Croats' adherence to the term 'Croatian' as their native language it is the absence of Bosnian/Bosniak and Serbian (and possibly Montenegrin) as closely related codes which may co-determine the EU's I/T practices just as much as its official language policies.