Georgetown University LogoGeorgetown University Library LogoDigitalGeorgetown Home
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   DigitalGeorgetown Home
    • Georgetown University Institutional Repository
    • Georgetown College
    • Department of Linguistics
    • Graduate Theses and Dissertations - Linguistics
    • View Item
    •   DigitalGeorgetown Home
    • Georgetown University Institutional Repository
    • Georgetown College
    • Department of Linguistics
    • Graduate Theses and Dissertations - Linguistics
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Applying cognitive linguistics and task-supported language teaching to instruction of English conditional phrases

    Cover for Applying cognitive linguistics and task-supported language teaching to instruction of English conditional phrases
    View/Open
    View/Open: Jacobsen_georgetown_0076D_11900.pdf (4.8MB) Bookview

    Creator
    Jacobsen, Natalia Dolgova
    Advisor
    Tyler, Andrea
    Abstract
    Due to their internal complexity, English conditional phrases (e.g., "If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the picnic"; "If John had come to the party yesterday, he would have told you his favorite joke"; etc.) represent a great challenge for L2 learners. Researchers cannot agree on the unified conditional meaning or comprehensive classification of their forms, while most ESL grammar books lack precise explanations of conditionals as a category, relying largely on explanation of form rather than meaning, and ignoring conditional usage patterns in different contexts. On the other hand, cognitive linguistic research on conditionals (Dancygier, 1998; Dancygier and Sweetser, 2005) does address the intrinsic complexity of conditional constructions in a way that could potentially be very beneficial for L2 learners, as it highlights the conditional meaning and its functions in multiple usage contexts.
     
    The aim of this dissertation is to address the existing problems in the current state of pedagogical representation and instruction of conditionals by developing and testing methodological solutions, informed both by cognitive linguistic theory and research in task-based pedagogy.
     
    In this study, elements of cognitive linguistic analysis of English hypothetical conditionals (e.g., "If prices went up, I would sell my car," (Werth, 1997) from Dancygier and Sweetser (2005) were incorporated into L2 learning materials. The design of the study was quasi-experimental, with three groups (total N=57) participating: two treatment groups (cognitive and task-supported) and one control group that did not receive any instruction on conditionals. The research questions explored the efficacy of different types of instruction (cognitive and task-supported as opposed to task-supported alone) for the L2 development of English conditional phrases, as measured by a posttest and a delayed posttest. Introspective data were collected using stimulated recall. T-test and ANOVA analyses were carried out to measure the progress made by subjects in acquisition of conditionals. Statistical findings (p=0.001) indicate that participants from the cognitive group outperformed the participants from the task-supported and control groups and demonstrated a higher degree of understanding of conditional usage contexts. The analysis provides support for the benefits of using cognitive linguistic analysis of English hypotheticals in L2 learning contexts.
     
    Description
    Ph.D.
    Permanent Link
    http://hdl.handle.net/10822/557722
    Date Published
    2012
    Subject
    applied cognitive linguistics; cognitive linguistics; English conditional phrases; English for Academic Purposes; instructed SLA; task-based language teaching; Linguistics; English language; Study and teaching; Foreign speakers; Linguistics; English as a second language;
    Type
    thesis
    Publisher
    Georgetown University
    Extent
    328 leaves
    Collections
    • Graduate Theses and Dissertations - Linguistics
    Metadata
    Show full item record

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Cover for Cognitive Task Complexity, Foreign Language Anxiety and L2 Performance in Spanish: A Task-Based Language Teaching Perspective

      Cognitive Task Complexity, Foreign Language Anxiety and L2 Performance in Spanish: A Task-Based Language Teaching Perspective 

      Donate, Angela (Georgetown University, 2018)
      Although cognitive psychology literature (e.g., Derakshan & Eysenck, 2009) has demonstrated the detrimental effects anxiety has on cognitive processes, this relationship has barely been investigated in the SLA field (e.g., ...
    Related Items in Google Scholar

    Georgetown University Seal
    ©2009 - 2022 Georgetown University Library
    37th & O Streets NW
    Washington DC 20057-1174
    202.687.7385
    digitalscholarship@georgetown.edu
    Accessibility
     

     

    Browse

    All of DigitalGeorgetownCommunities & CollectionsCreatorsTitlesBy Creation DateThis CollectionCreatorsTitlesBy Creation Date

    My Account

    Login

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Georgetown University Seal
    ©2009 - 2022 Georgetown University Library
    37th & O Streets NW
    Washington DC 20057-1174
    202.687.7385
    digitalscholarship@georgetown.edu
    Accessibility