23.4274, Diss: Pragmatics/ Socioling/ Spanish: Zhezha-Thaumanavar: 'Social networks, L2 pragmatics, and Spanish hasta as an aspectual marker...'

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LINGUIST List: Vol-23-4274. Fri Oct 12 2012. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 23.4274, Diss: Pragmatics/ Socioling/ Spanish: Zhezha-Thaumanavar: 'Social networks, L2 pragmatics, and Spanish hasta as an aspectual marker...'

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Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:21:29
From: Mikela Zhezha-Thaumanavar [mikela_zhezha at hotmail.com]
Subject: Social networks, L2 pragmatics, and Spanish hasta as an aspectual marker with and without negation: Student understandings, judgments, and uses

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Institution: Western Michigan University 
Program: Department of Spanish 
Dissertation Status: Completed 
Degree Date: 2012 

Author: Mikela Zhezha-Thaumanavar

Dissertation Title: Social networks, L2 pragmatics, and Spanish hasta as an
aspectual marker with and without negation: Student
understandings, judgments, and uses 

Linguistic Field(s): Pragmatics
                     Sociolinguistics

Subject Language(s): Spanish (spa)


Dissertation Director(s):
Robert E. Vann

Dissertation Abstract:

This dissertation investigates how social networks influence 
understandings, judgments, and uses of L2 pragmatics.  The pragmatic 
target is the particle hasta 'until' as it is used orally and in writing to 
mark inception with and without negation in Spanish.  This study 
examines how L2 students of Spanish understand, judge, and use 
hasta when they are members of social networks in university Spanish 
classes based on (a) pedagogy practice, (b) class level, and (c) mode 
of expression, and when, outside of university Spanish classes, they 
are integrated into social networks that involve exposure to different 
dialectal varieties of Spanish.

Data were collected from 72 students of Spanish.  Statistical analysis 
revealed that (a) students' attitudes towards L2 pragmatics are 
influenced by the linguistic norms propagated by their L2 instructors; b) 
correlations are not always positive between class level and 
understandings, judgments, and uses of L2 pragmatics; (c) mode of 
expression affects only oral production of L2 pragmatics; and (d) 
outside the classroom, membership in social networks that expose 
individuals to particular Spanish dialects affects L2 pragmatics in 
speech and writing in opposite ways. 
 
This study contributes to (1) Spanish pragmatics, by showing that (a) 
pragmatic change can be built on semantic and syntactic interaction, 
(b) NPI formation in Spanish can be affected by the scope of negation, 
and (c) aspectual markers in Spanish can derive from contextually-
influenced verbal situations and may be dialect-specific; (2) Spanish 
sociolinguistics, by demonstrating that (a) there is value in using 
network analysis to study language variation and change in Spanish, 
(b) approaching Spanish L2 classrooms as social networks is 
worthwhile, and (c) social network analysis may provide a viable 
alternative or complement to SLA approaches in the study of L2 
pragmatics in Spanish; and (3) Spanish L2 pedagogy, by highlighting 
(a) the didactic importance of influencing student ideologies toward L2 
pragmatics, (b) that students might benefit from being introduced to L2 
pragmatics at the beginning stages of their Spanish language study, 
and (c) the need for teachers of L2 Spanish to revise currently held 
expectations for appropriate student understandings, judgments, and 
uses of L2 pragmatic forms. 






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