Master of Arts

Leavis and Winters are strongly committed to literary criticism and attach intense moral significance to it. Both are considered to be controversial and influential critics yet there are no comprehensive studies of both critics treated as a pair.

The first part of the thesis explains the concepts behind their criticism. Chapter I explores Leavis's assumptions and his attitude toward theorizing. In his critical exchange with Rene Welleck, Leavis appears to be practical critic who insists on a clear line of demarcation between literary criticism and other disciplines.

Chapter II deals with Winter's critical theory. Unlike Leavies, he bases his practice on an explicit body of theory which hinges on dividing a poem into its rational and emotive content.

In part Two i deal with the critical practice of Leavis and winters in relation to their theories and assumptions. Winters consistently downgrades romantic poetry because of its sentimentalism and the use associationism as a principle of structure. His practice is consistent with his principles although he shows flexibility in their application. Leavis avoids generalized observation and concentrates on recreating the impact of individual poems. His comments on romantic poetry reveal a wide range of evaluations. His pre-occupations with "recreation" ensures that his criticism is rooted in the specific work and stays within the boundaries of literary concerns.

Leavis's and Winter's radically different estimates of Hopkins, again, appear to be rooted in differences in principles and assumptions.Leavis commends the degree of realization achieved in Hopkin's poetry, while Winters depreciates Hopkin's verse because of its undue emphasis on emotive content.

In the final analysis , the criticism of Leavis and Winters appears to perform four basic functions : descriptions, interpretations, evaluation and theorizing. Both critics utilise a wide range of of descriptive observations with flexibitlity and sensitivity . Interpretation, however is central to Leavis's criticism but not to that of Winters . Evaluation is fundamental tot he criticism of both, explicit activity. Theorizing is the obvious area of difference between the two. Unlike Winters, Leavis scarcely ever venture into abstract theorizing.

This study seeks to provide a better understanding of the politics of Chinese education in Singapore during the colonial period. It intends to sketch the forces of politics that governed the development of Chinese education and to provide a better understanding of the political implications of Chinese education in post-war Singapore.

The politics of Chinese education during the colonial period was largely governed by the nationalistic influences of both the Kuomintang and the Communists, together with the Colonial policy. The influence of the Communists after the Second World war exerted a particularly significant impact upon local politics and at this time, Chinese education in Singapore developed rapidly. These historical factors were also mainly responsible for the political involvement of the Chinese educated in Singapore.

The study concludes that Chinese education in Singapore during the colonial period was in fact a transplantation of the educational system of China, which also helped indoctrinating the Chinese educated with a strong Chinese political identity. The politics of Chinese education during the colonial period was therefore largely governed by the nationalistic influences of both the Kuomintang and the communists together with he colonial policy. These historical factors were also mainly responsible for the political involvement of the Chinese educated in Singapore. Under the inspiration of the Communists after the Second World War, Chinese education with its various implications, exerted a great impact on local politics. Since no sufficient efforts had been made by the both the colonial government and the Chinese community to adjust the socializing media of Chinese education from China to meet the requirements of a multi-racial and multi-racial and multi-cultural Singapore, these elements of Chinese education were , and their effects still are, to a great extent obstacles in the process of nation-building. It is important to realize that Chinese education as an important part of Singapore's educational system could and must, be adjusted to suit local development and to fulfill the aim of building up a well-knit Singapore. To achieve this, the inculcation of local consciousness through local centred textbooks, teachers and other socializing media are important. In the final analysis, to help in inculcating a local consciousness through Chinese education, the implementation of a policy of equality towards Chinese education is also essential.

This study looked particularly into the importance of the home environment for the successful learning of a second language by young children. Three general aspects of the child's environment were examined: (1) The social and economic background factors (2) Family structural factors and (3) Interpersonal or interactional factors.

The perspective of sociolinguistics formed the basis of this research with the resultant emphasis upon the socio-cultural context of language and interaction within it rather than just a linguistic inquiry per se. This is because the "relationship' aspect of human communication is the main, if not the only, influence in the general language-learning process. It also has significant function in second language learning in terms of providing the child learner with the attitudes and motivations which decide, to a large extent, how successful he or she will be in that learning.

The most important findings of this research reinforced the fact that the family and home serve as the main influences upon a child where the acquisition of a second language is concerned. Parents, grandparents and older siblings however, often differed in their patterns of actual language use with the young child.

Dialect was overwhelming used between grandparent and child, while Mandarin and English usage by parents and older siblings varied according to whether there was a predominantly Chinese or Anglo orientation in the home. This in turn ,depended largely on the stream and level of education achieved by parents in general, and fathers in particular.

In this study the majority of homes were linguistically and culturally 'Chinese' and English as a second language was, if at all, learned mostly in formal schooling or through the television medium. In Fact, Mandarin, rather than English, seemed to have secured a stronger hold as a second language in this sample and probably owed much to the recent active promotion by the Singapore government to "Speak more Mandarin".

However, English as an important language to master was also evident in the general preference of parents to send their children to English rather than Chinese schools. This trend is understandable in the light of the economic and social demands of modern-day living where the English language remains a powerful international medium of communication.

The television played a relatively important role in the homes surveyed, and has the real potential to serve as a significant secondary means for language teaching, especially among children. For example, instances of child's 'socialization' into the world of television were not absent from the present study and shows the receptivity of children to language when its vehicle is imaginative, entertaining and functionally relevant to them.

Finally, linguistic homogeneity seemed to be at least partially significant in the formation of friendship networks by preschool children, together with other aspects of their social and economic backgrounds.

The purpose of this study is to examines various frameworks of text analysis with a view to adapting a particular scheme of analysis and applying it to describing the cohesive properties of a corpus of written texts comprising excerpts from various sources as well as narrative and expository composition written by English-medium Secondary Four pupils. A relatively minor aspect of the investigation will focus on a student-evaluation of the excerpts in order to assess the importance of cohesive devices as an aid to reading comprehension.

The introductory chapter deals with the objectives, the rationale and the scope of the study. The second chapter reviews related literature with reference to definitions of key terms and concepts in the study of cohesion, various schemes of text analysis and relevant theoretical assumptions. the next chapter deals with design methodology which comprises the method of data collection and a description of the text analysis scheme and notation used. The analysis of data follows in the fourth chapter. This includes a description of the type of cohesion predominant in each category of the corpus as well as analysis of results of the student-evaluation of the excerpts. The final chapter contains the conclusions that can be made within the limitations of the study.

The central focus of this study is to explore , on the basis of comprehensive quantitative data gathered from one school environment, the extent to which school children's performance, motivation and expectations are affected by family background. It was found that the majority of students surveyed came from the lower socioeconomic group.

The findings of this study demonstrate that socioeconomic status is a vital factor influencing academic performance and seems to have a significant effect on children's ability to profit from educational facilities.

In addition, socioeconomic status also affects the student's self concept , measured in terms of his expectations and aspirations.

This dissertation provides a descriptive overview of the organised management of the Tamil language in Singapore. Tamil is one of the four official languages of Singapore and is taught in schools as a second language, is used in the media and there are existing social organisations that seek to promote its use. My dissertation thus, studies the use of Tamil in the spheres of education, media and social organisations, and highlights the problems encountered in these spheres, with respect to the prevailing circumstances in Singapore.

I have attempted to show how the management of the Tamil language is related to Singapore's policies in general. The most significant point of discussion is the policy of bilingualism and the value attached by policymakers to the teaching of "mother tongues" as second languages in schools so as to enable the different races to maintain their individual ethnic identities. Hence, substantial emphasis is placed on the language-culture-identity relationship, implying that the learning of the mother-tongue in schools as a second language and its use in cultural pursuits naturally leads to a maintenance of ethnic identity. However, what is more import is that this maintenance of identity and the rejection of the "melting-pot" concept is believed to contribute to the attainment of national goals. In keeping with Government policy then, in all three broad spheres that I have mentioned, Tamil language propagators stress this language-culture-identity relationship.

The dissertation covers a brief history of the Tamil language in Singapore and outlines the concerns of the leaders of the Tamil community, the most important of which is the falling communicativity in the Tamil language. A discussion of formal instruction in the Tamil language, its implementation in English-medium schools under the bilingual programme follows. Attention has been drawn to the curriculum in the teaching of Tamil as a second language, the textbooks used and extra-curricular activities that supposedly promote the use of the Tamil language. The difference between formal Tamil and informal Tamil and the presence of borrowings from English, Malay and Chinese in informal, spoken Tamil and the resultant problems faced by the students owing to these circumstances have been discussed. The use of the Tamil language in the media , the useful exposure it provides to readers, viewers and listeners and its role in the education system in disseminating language resources, has been reviewed. With regard to Tamil social organizations and their role in the promotion of Tamil language usage , it was discovered that although promotion of the language is a stated objective of many of the societies, often, safeguarding the interests of Indians in Singapore is emphasized. Eastman 's theory of "associated language" has been used to show how ethnic identity might still be maintained, even when the language is hardly used or used only in a cultural context.

Finally, as the overall language policies and the position of the Tamil language in Singapore are linked, i have dealt with the question of the validity of a government-backed Tamil language agency being established in Singapore, and drawn special attention to its dependence on the use of the Tamil language by the Tamil elite.

Toni Morrison deals with fragmented African-American individuals. In her fiction, she examines the causes and reveals the pain in being institutionally marginalised because of one's color, class and/or sex. She looks to re-claim for some of her characters a sense of identity by dismantling the predominant order. This as an act of recovery and establishing a new paradigm for the African-American in the America of the late twentieth century. Recovery begins at an individual level and Morrison asserts that African-Americans need to address the past and relate to this history and their African-American heritage, This, the study notes, is a journey of self-discovery.

The individual according to Carl Jung has three possibilities of living his/her life. The first is that an individual can remain at a Persona stage, repressing most of what is painful into the unconsciousness. At the next level, the individual in addressing the Unconscious may be willing to integrate the Ego with the the inner psyche and reach a greater self-awareness. The last stage to self-realizations is to resolve the anima-animus conflict in the Collective Unconscious of the individual, turning most of the unconscious elements into conscious ones. Jung believed that self expressions are conditioned by society and these personae often become substitutions for the 'real' self. This self can be recovered through a process of individuation.

In this thesis, I examine the characters in Toni Morrison's novels in a Jungian perspective of individuation. I discuss characters who remain at the Persona-level, others who are involved in the process of self-discovery or some who are resolved individuals. I draw out, these individuals from the complex backdrops of being marginalised and their sense of rejection, to analyse how consciousness/ unconsciousness influence and dictate self-expression of the individual African-American.

The school of Tong Cheng was one of the most influential schools in the Qing Dynasty which influenced the development of Chinese classic prose. The school of Tong Cheng started in the reign of Kang Xi, 1691. It was further developed and was most popular during the reign of Qian Long, 1736-1795 led by Yao Nai. The school of Tong Cheng lasted about 200 years and declined during the literary revolution of the May 4th Movement, 1919.

There are three main objectives in this thesis on the school of Tong Cheng :

1) Based on a study of past research, it will make a comprehensive study of the origins, development, changes and decline of Tong Cheng so as to enhance the understanding of its influence on the development of Chinese literature.

2) From a study of the leading characters in various stage of Tong Cheng's development and the significant events that have occurred relating to the school, we can have a better perspective of the characteristic of prose in the Qing Dynasty from a different angle.

3) From the prose of Tong Cheng and its literary theory, we can understand the development and continuation of classic Chinese prose. Research on the influence of Tong Cheng on the development of Chinese prose is also carried out from the historical perspective.

The topic of this research is The Education and Training of Performing Musicians from Hong Kong. South Korea and Singapore - A Comparative Study' The purpose of this research was to analyse the nature of training and the education of a sample group of performing musicians, in order to assess the effectiveness of their training and to make a detailed study of some outstanding music institutions in the home regions as well as overseas. It was also to make recommendations for music training and education in Singapore.

Three methods were adopted to arrive at the findings of the research. These methods were - the case study approach, the evaluation of performers and the evaluation of curricula. The Case study involved fieldwork, which required hte researcher to make site-visits to Hong Kong and South Korea over a period of two weeks. The data collected for the case study was derived from the following sources:

(a) Interviews with performing musicians and music teachers/ lecturers /professors from the three countries;

(b) Interviews with parents of the performing musicians from the three countries;

(c) Teacher's questionnaires;

(d) Performing musician's questionnaires;

(e) Parent's questionnaires;

(f) Researcher's Observations

A total of twenty-four subjects (eight from each country) who played either the piano or an instrument from the symphony orchestra, formed the group for case study. Using evaluation of performers as an indicator, this part of the research involved three pianists from Singapore and three from South Korea. Each pianists did a tape-recording of his/her performance of two works from two different historical periods. Following that, interviews with these performers were also carried out. Thereafter, a panel of four qualified and experienced local pianists / teachers were asked to assess the performances of the pianists based on Keith Swanwick's criterion statements(1990).

The evaluation of the curricula involved a total of two music institutions each from Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. These institutions were chosen because they proved to be popular among the subjects in this research. The data collected for the evaluation was derived from the following sources:

(a) Informal visits to some of the music institutions;

(b) Interviews with students and staff from some of the music institutions;

(c) Review of prospectus, handbooks , brochures and any other relevant documents or materials.

The findings of the research imply that Singapore has the means and is ready to support full-time music study. Thus, to set up a kind of music institution to train performing musicians for a performance career and other music related fields will be appropriate. However, establishing this institution will require careful planning and the full support of both the government and the community. It is the intention that the findings of this research will help to identify the future provision for the training and education of performing musicians in Singapore.

This study on India's policy of non-alignment was a learning experience in many ways. The interviews with Indian scholars and former policymakers is one illustration of why this is true. They showed that unofficial information does have a quality that at time supersedes official sources in research.

The views of non-alignment discussed in Chapter One after a preliminary introduction also had much to offer. Information on non-alignment is no doubt massive. But unknown to most is what seems to be an on-going debate between two camps comprising scholars and policymakers. One camp supports non-alignment while the other camp consists of its critics.

From the views of both camps, it was learned that non-alignment is a misconstrued policy. It is mistakenly referred to as Nehru's policy when it is not. Nehru not only disliked the negativity in the term "non-alignment", he also hardly used the word as India's Prime Minister from 1946 to 1964.

Rarely have studies of non-alignment also explained whether non-alignment is the means or ends of Indian foreign policy. For those that do, non-alignment is said to be the means of Indian foreign policy. Some scholars call it India's "foreign policy strategy" in the belief that it is an instrument or means of a state policy.

However, scholarly definitions do have a bias in the way they are formulated. Such definitions, being academic in nature, are also not always easy to fathom. Literal definitions are more useful in this regard. They may not be entirely objective, but they are at least universal enough to cater to a larger audience.

There is a consensus among scholars that non-alignment is India's foreign policy. In a literal sense, a "foreign policy" refers to a plan of action that normally has its own set of goals and means. Seen from this perspective, non-alignment is not just a means of Indian foreign policy. It becomes the action plan of Indian foreign affairs or the foreign policy itself. Non-alignment will then have a set of goals and means that also represent the goals and means of Indian foreign policy.

Central to the idea that non-alignment is India's foreign policy was yet another lesson. It was noted that the factors influencing Nehru's background in Chapter Two are essential to a study of India's foreign policy. This had been ignored in most of the earlier studies of non-alignment.

After examining documents from 1946 to 1955, when India's foreign policy was in its infancy, two more new themes surfaced in Chapter Three. The first is that the goals of Indian foreign policy have one strategic concern, namely her national interests. Nehru also stressed a second theme on "friendly and cooperative relations" or entente as the means of India's foreign policy to achieve its goals. Thus, India's foreign policy was not non-alignment. It was in effect a policy of "strategic entente".

The policy of strategic entente also brought with it a new dimension to India's relations with three countries from 1946 to 1954. These were the United States, China and Indonesia, all of which had active bilateral relations with India at that time. The nature of Indo-US relations discussed in Chapter Four, revealed that their conflicts on several issues were not due to India's so-called policy of non-alignment. With an entente policy, there was no reason for the US to have differences with India. These differences resulted mainly from a misreading of India's foreign policy by US policymakers and Nehru's inability to make US officials see the Indian viewpoint.

India's relations with China covered in Chapter Five showed that entente with China did not mean that Nehru was a communist sympathiser. The argument that he compromised the sovereignty of Tibet to China is also naive. His decision to be friendly to China was purely due to strategic considerations.

Finally, India's relations with Indonesia examined in Chapter Six refute the claim that Nehru had personal ambition in befriending the Indonesians. He was not interested in the leadership of Asia as some critics suggest. Neither did he have any intentions of forming an Afro-Asian bloc. His main concern was to free Indonesia from colonial rule. Freedom, like avoiding blocs and staying independent, was a key goal of India's policy of strategic entente. Ultimately it was this entente policy that mattered most to him.

The present study focuses upon the performativity of identity construction in selected Chinese American texts as strategy of narrative resistance. Its fundamental premise is that, increasingly, the realm of representation constitutes a contested site in the American political arena beset by racial struggles and negotiations for political space and voice.

Chiefly,the study interrogates the politics of the text being examined and evaluates the viability of its identity construction(s) as political intervention(s) to resist dominant power/discourses oppressing and subjugating the racial subject. It examines the texts of Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan and Frank Chin for three reasons. Firstly, these texts, published between 1975 and 1991, arise in the interstices of white hegemonic structures forced open by the Civil Rights Movement and Asian American Movement. Secondly, by examining their narrative strategies and thematic concerns to construct identity, self and community, the relationship between texts and society may be apprehended. Thirdly, these texts problematise the concerns of the concerns of identity construction by considering the differences of race, nationality, history, culture, gender, class and generation. Furthermore, this thesis argues that by inscribing the racial subject along these differences, the performativity of identity construction is empowered as an enabling move that resists dominant practices/discourses individualising the racial subject.

The study contends that Hong Kingston's "The Woman Warrior" is successful in deploying various narrative strategies inscribing the play of difference and multiplicity to construct viable modes of identity for Chinese Americans. However, the complex dynamics surrounding its critical reception gravely undermine its power to intervene politically. In contrast, the political viability of Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club" and "The Kitchen God's Wife", is limited by deployment of narrative strategies which seem to have capitulated to the multifarious effects of racism. By deploying the strategies of expose, negation and historicising, frank Chin's texts, "The Chinaman Pacific and Frisco R.R. Co" and "Donald Duk", seem successful in surfacing and negating the effects of racism.

The study contends that the performativity of identity construction in these texts constitutes an empowering political resistance to combat against Chinese Americans' cultural extinction. Collectively, these texts legitimize Chinese Americans' citzenship and uncover America as multiracial and multicultural, re-presenting America for what it is.

Music together with the other arts, is currently accepted as a unique but important way of thinking and knowing. Creativity is regarded as having strong potential for the development of musical knowledge. Although to great extent, the justification for including music in general education rests on these assumptions , there is still little research to date investigating the nature of creative thinking in music.

The purpose of this study was to uncover potential issues arising from the work of music students learning to compose. the Singapore context provided a unique opportunity to observe upper secondary school students who had little or no prior experience with music composition within an educational setting. A qualitative methodology using observation, interviews with students and staff, and analysis of sketches and works, led to the construction of five case profiles, one of the activities of a class and four of individual students.

Analysis of the five cases revealed the following:

● students often relied on familiar resources and had a limited understanding of the material's potential;
● the work of one student in particular seems to suggest that problem finding behaviour, guided by strong motivation may result in highly creative work;
● each developed his/her own strategies and working style relative to an individual need;
● the flexible facilitator approach allowed students to discover their own patterns of musical thinking and, in some cases, led to a broadened perspective on music.

The study concluded that although these students were new to creative work in music, each was capable of higher-level thinking in music and could benefit from composition as a method provided the facilitator approach be used sensitively.

As science and technology strive to reduce space and hence knit mankind more closely than before, human life is no longer an isolated phenomenon. People of different cultural backgrounds are inhibiting today a global village and constantly rubbing shoulders with one another. Frequent contacts and transactions of every kind create for them a new and challenging task, that is, to attain an unbiased and thorough understanding of their fellow creatures from different cultures and civilisations.

Though cross-cultural contact on a personal basis is direct and authentic, it often proves insufficient and prejudiced. To reach an overall cross-cultural understanding in perspective, more attention should be given to comparative studies that attempt to spell out the similarities and differences within certain aspects of two or more cultures and therefore provide valuable references for harmonious cross-cultural interactions. Among this rather new branch of studies is comparative literature. It aims to bridge the gaps between cultures, present a holistic social panorama within a cultural frame and reveal, at the same time, the percepts and attitudes writers derive from their respective civilisations through deliberate descriptions of human life at different depths, from various angles and within many timespans, from a single moment to a historically significant period.

In spite of the fact that no two individuals are identical, there is still something which is common to mankind in general. Human relationships, for instance, especially the relationship between man and woman, comprise one vital part of the common core of human life. However personal it is or seems to be, an intersexual relationship is nonetheless not completely a personal matter as it is often shaped and curbed, to various extents, by the specific cultural beliefs, social customs and everyday conventions those concerned are exposed to. Such influences are often reflected in attitudes towards, expectations of, and participation in the kind of relationships one is after. This particular nature of an intersexual relationship offers a lasting theme in the literary world and holds always, a fascination for its readers, young and old, male and female.

In the modern literary field of both China and England, Zhang Henshui and D.H. Lawrence were generally considered writers committed to the exploration of intersexual relationships, both in the physical and spiritual sense. Given all the differences in their treatment of love between men and women, they can both be seen to be pioneers, venturing into this kingdom of human life that is traditionally marked as a prohibited zone and challenging the customary and accepted ideas, even among their contemporaries. A comparative study of these two writers will, quite certainly, lead to a better understanding of the human psyche of both Chinese and English peoples in the first half of the century and thus bridge some gaps between two of the most important cultures of the world. Unfortunately, no significant work has yet been done [as far as I know], in the afore-mentioned study.

The present study tries to examine three main aspects of the intersexual relationships revealed in the fictions of Zhang Henshui and D.H. Lawrence: the role of flesh, the role of spirit and the ideal love that incorporates flesh and spirit. To provide the necessary background, Chapter I briefly examines the similarities and differences in the life and career of both writers as well as the burning issues of their time in regard to intersexual relationships. Chapter II is a deliberate study of the various patterns of human pursuit of flesh that culminates in failure as depicted in Zhang's Historical Romance of the Imperial City and Lawrence's Sons and Lovers. Chapter III traces the harm caused by an over-conscious pursuit of spiritual relationship between man and woman that deliberately excludes the flesh. Though such a pursuit of love may seem alluring to certain people, the result often turns out to be even more pathetic than the failure of the flesh. Chapter IV aims to explore, first, the ideal intersexual relationships in the authors' mind and the calling of the authors' time. Then, due attention is paid to the different ideals presented in Full Blossom in Frost and Women in Love. The Conclusion attempts to sum up the similarities and differences between the two writers and suggests possibilities for further research.

Since no one has ever brought these two writers together, there is little guidance to rely on in this study -- a fact that might contribute its originality but certainly hinders it from perfection. Instead of serving as an exhaustive study, this thesis should perhaps be regarded as a pilot exploration in its simplest form. It is primarily aimed at examining whether there are shared concerns in human life in different cultures; to examine the different approaches adopted in dealing with these shared concerns and to analyse the underlying reasons behind these. It is also hoped that the present study will inspire others to engage in further research along similar lines.

This dissertation claims that the four-hand works of Franz Schubert have been comparatively neglected. The claim is based on the realisation that most of the scholarly work on Schubert either pays only cursory mention to this genre of his works or makes no reference to the genre at all. This situation therefore needs to be redressed since Schubert's huge output in this genre as well as the intention with which much of the genre was written seems to point to the fact that the works must have been of importance to him. One cannot truly appreciate Schubert while neglecting a genre on which he placed much value.

The significance of these works is further established through the analyses of his last three four-hand works (arguably the finest of his works in this genre), which, although of different formal structures, seem to indicate that Schubert was intent on developing the cyclic principle.

The method adopted to arrive at the findings for this dissertation is a two-pronged one.

● The first part comprises a study of the historical and sociological factors surrounding these works to provide evidence that these works were of importance to Schubert and the people in his day. This part of the study also determines the factors that have encouraged Schubert's prolific writing within this genre to assist in our understanding of the reasons for this huge output. Schubert's personality and how it affected his four-hand output together with his instinctive flair for writing effectively for piano four-hands will also be discussed.
● The second part presents an analytical study of the last three four-hand works.

The findings show that the four-hand works were of importance to Schubert. In addition, the analyses reveal that Schubert was developing a form which was of considerable significance to composers of the later 19th century. This therefore reinforces the value that can be attributed to the four-hand works. Their neglect also deprives pianists of a form of chamber work that could provide great satisfaction.

Igor Stranvinsky composed music in almost every genre. His stage music, concert hall music and chamber music have always proved popular. On the other hand, apart from the Three Movements from Petrushka, his solo piano pieces have remained relatively unknown. The last two decades, however, have seen a growing interest in Stravinsky's solo piano music, with these coming to be performed and recorded on a somewhat more regular basis. Academic interest in them has increased as well. However, in comparison with the rest of Stravinsky's musical output, these works warrant more attention from scholars, performers and audiences. They deserve a more prominent place in the piano repertoire. This study will analyse one of Stravinsky's major solo piano pieces, the Serenade en La.

One basic goal of this study is to a better understanding of the fundamental structure of the Serenade en La and help performers make informed performance decisions. As time and rhythm are areas where performers have to make decisions all the time, the main emphasis of this study is on time. The other elements of music such as pitch, tonality and texture will be considered in support of the analysis.

This study considers the main recorded performances of the Serenade en La as well as the score. Traditionally, music analysis would involved an analysis of the score but not the musical recordings of the work. However, of late, the general concept of music analysis has evolved and expanded. Many scholars now accept that a work exists as concretely in its performance as in its notation. A subsidiary goal of this study is to demonstrate the use of recordings in an analysis of a work. While the score is an avenue for understanding the work being studied, performances allow the analyst to get at the essence of the work. Including information from performances will broaden the analytical approach to music.

Based on the results of the analyses of the score and the recorded performances, this thesis will include recommendations for the performance of the work. Suggestions as to the overall tempi at which the work may be performed as well as any possible changes of tempi within each movement will be made.

This study seeks to explore the state of English-Chinese bilingualism in secondary schools in Singapore by empirically examining the profile of ethnic Chinese students in four secondary school-types, viz. Neighbourhood-Express (NX), Mission-Express (MX), Special Assistance Plan (SAP), and SAP-Express (SAPX).

Information on the linguistic profile of the sub-samples were measured in terms of their dialectal and parental profiles, patterns of language use, personal speech preference and bilingual proficiency. This was followed by an examination of the attitudinal/motivational profile of the sub-samples, measured in terms of their perceptions of English vis-a-vis Mandarin, attitudes towards learning language, orientation and motivational intensity in language learning, parental encouragement, ethnic identification, and belief statements on English and Mandarin. Responses from the students on eight open-ended items were also coded for analysis. Lastly, a matched-guise experiment was conducted to elicit hidden language stereotypes based on the respondents' self-perceived linguistic skill.

Results indicate fairly distinct linguistic profiles for the four school-types investigated, with the SAP and NX sub-samples inclined towards using Mandarin, and the SAPX and MX sub-samples inclined towards using English. Attitudinal/motivational profiles also showed interesting differences between the sub-samples in their approach towards the study of Mandarin as a subject.

Across the sub-samples, a strong endorsement of the necessity of English-Mandarin bilingualism was found, with responses indicating the students' growing awareness of the rising practical importance attached to Mandarin. The matched-guise experiment further revealed that Mandarin did not come across as any less socially attractive than English between students belonging to different language dominance subgroups, and that the students were comfortable with their self-professed dominant language identity.

Conclusion were drawn with respect to the linguistic profile of each school-type, the observed versus common perceptions of the attitudinal/motivational profile of each school-type, and the extent of Mandarin under threat from English.

Cross-linguistic influence is an interesting issue in the study of L2 acquisition. There has been no agreement in regard to the nature, the constraints and the explanation of cross-linguistic influence through the study of Chinese influences on the production of the English relative clause (RC) by Chinese-speaking learners in China.

English and Chinese are different: the former is subject-prominent and the latter, topic-prominent. Chinese differs from English both in syntax and in discourse structure. The English RC does not have a structural equivalent in Chinese , but it has a variety of Chinese functionally equivalent structures.

This study shows that chinese influences on the production of English RCs are not limited to the features of the so-called Chinese RCs, which were the focus of study in most of the previous work on Chinese influences in the acquisition of English RCs. It is evident from this study that chinese influences also stem from the general features of chinese. Chinese -speaking learners of english transferred the various chinese structures functionally equivalent to English RCs or overproduction of certain structures. Next, cross-linguistic influence can appear in the overuse of some patterns which the native speaker does not employ. This kind of transfer, as is suggested by Schachter and Rutherford(1986:313),represents a carry-over not of surface syntax from L1 to L2 but rather of L1 function form constraints to L2. In other words, overproduction is an instance of a variety of cross-linguistic influences from L1 function to L2 form. In addition chinese influences are constrained by some universal factors such as the Accessibility Hierarchy and the interruption Hypothesis.

The explanation or conditions for the effects of chinese on the chinese speaker's production of English RCs can be related to two principles known as transfer to somewhere and transfer to nowhere; that is , both language similarities and differences can cause cross-linguistic influences to occur, but at different levels of abstractions.

The findings of this study can be summarized as follows:

1. In the production of the English RCs, the chinese speaking learners are prone to make use of English structures which are literal translations of chinese structures functionally equivalent to English RCs on the basis of discourse similarity.

2. The chinese speaking learners have difficulty in learning relative pronouns and distinguishing the use of non-restrictive RC because there are no such categories in Chinese.

3. Chinese syntactic features influence the production of English RCs by the chinese learners. As a result, they frequently omit elements in RCs and produce English sentences with chinese sentences patterns instead of RCs.

4. The low incidence of RCs in the chinese speaker's inter language of English is a case of transferring the construction strategies of Chinese into English rather than a case of avoidance as Schacter(1974)has suggested.

5. Under the influences of Chinese discourse, Chinese speaking learners tend to put the RC in the sentence-final position in accordance with the Interruption Hypothesis, which is a universal principle originally concerned with the comprehension of the RC.

6.Influenced by chinese topic-comment discourse feature, Chinese learners often use RCs in the There be structure. This can be considered a further discovery based on Schacter and Rutherford's(1986) finding that Chinese learners overproduce the there be structure as a result of transfer -- a case of L1 discourse patterns influencing L2 syntax.

7. The occurrences of RCs in the Chinese-speaking learner's production partly support the Accessibility Hierarchy. In agreement with this hypothesis, most RCs occurred in the subject position while there was no occurrences of RCs in the position of object of comparison. However, the absence of RCs as indirect object and the high score of RCs as object of preposition are peculiar phenomena of this case. Other exceptions include the are occurrence of the resumptive pronoun in the data.

In spite of the limits of the study, the findings nevertheless have important implications. Some important implications are pedagogical, significant both for the teaching of English to Chinese speaking learners in particular and for L2 teaching in general. The findings of this study would also have theoretical and for L2 teaching in general. The findings of this study would also theoretical implications for L2 acquisition research and contribute to an understanding of cross-linguistic influence on L2 acquisition.

This M.A. dissertation is a continuation of my research on the late composer Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996). This piece of study is focused more on his compositional techniques and the styles characteristic of the composer, especially his concept of "ma" which embodies the idea of spatial awareness in Nature. This concept heavily influenced him at the point of his life when he consciously turned back to his traditional roots as Japanese and began to use traditional Japanese instruments, namely the shakuachi and the biwa in his compositions. Two of Takemitsu's works have been selected here for a more detailed study; the first is piano Distance(1961), a relatively early piano work, and the second work is November Steps(1967), a work for solo shakuhachi, biwa and chamber orchestra.

Part one of the dissertation looks into the background and influences of the composer with some historical background and influences of the composer with some historical background of Japanese music and Western musical development in Japan. This was the basis of Takemitsu's musical background from an early age. Part Two focuses on the detailed analysis of the above mentioned two works. Both the pieces were selected as they are contrasting works; one being a solo work and the other an ensemble. Also, they were written at different periods of his life; Piano Distance was written before his turning point and November Steps was written after he discovered his roots.

Part Three of this dissertation is my contribution towards the fusion of Western and Asian music. Building upon the foundation laid by Takemitsu, the writer composed three pieces which tries to demonstrate a possible blending of Asian and Western musical norms. The first piece, TORU( In Memoriam Takemitsu)(1996) was written after more research and i composed the piece as a tribute, also as a dedication to Takemitsu's memory. The last piece Duality II (1997) is the second of two works by me on the title "Duality", the first being a solo piano piece written in 1990. Duality II is a Concertino for di-zi (transverse Chinese flute), piano and chamber ensemble. It is a combined idea of both Takemitsu's Piano Distance and November steps, firstly with the use of the instruments- the piano is of Western origin and the Chinese flute is an Oriental instrument. Secondly, the since it is a concertino, the piano would be like a solo instrument (in Piano Distance) and the di-zi replaces the two traditional Japanese instruments of November Steps.

In conclusion, through the study of Toru Takemitsu's works i have been able to understand the polarity of the two cultures, the Eastern traditions with the Western musical background of which Takemitsu had been influenced, which had also been the background and influences of my own.

In this investigative study, eighty previously untested Singapore clays were collected from various locations and subjected to a wide range of tests to determine their suitability for further development as studio bodies. Those that offered the most potential were further tested, blended and developed to create a range of bodies to allow potters to have as wide a choice as possible. These included a range of earthenware, stoneware bodies, plus a basalt body.

Additional investigation and testing was carried out to formulate a range of glazes compatible with these bodies and thus provide the studio potter with a varied selection of clays and glazes.

Extensive work was carried out on the development of a flameware body but because of its unpredictable nature and possible danger if treated incorrectly by the end-user, further development was discontinued.

The kaolins of Singapore proved useful in the development of white firing stoneware bodies but of far greater interest was their use in the development of translucent porcelain bodies and translucent bone china bodies. Casting slips were also developed from those two bodies. It is believed that this was the first time Singapore kaolins had been used for these type of studio bodies.

The economic potential of this valuable natural resource is yet to be fully realised. The wide variety of Singapore clays offer an opportunity for further study and development and recommendation have been made for their possible economic development.

Zoltan Kodaly is more often remembered for his contributions to music education than for his musical compositions. However, if his influence on music education is important, it is as outgrowth of his compositional activities and not vice versa. While not denying the wider impact of his counterpart, Bela Bartok's music and his greater significance in this respect, we acknowledge the need for a more detailed consideration of Kodaly's music.

The focus of this study is Kodaly's male chorus ,Folszallot a pava and his orchestral work, Variations on a Hungarian folksong (The Peacock). Both works were inspired by the ethnic Hungarian song, Folszallot a pava. The first chapter presents a brief description of the historical and social background from which the composer emerged. The second chapter examines some influences on Kodaly's music. This would enable us to better understand the development of his compositional style. The third chapter provides an overview of his music and locates his use of Folszallot a pava in relation to his compositional output. It also discusses some of his ideas on Hungarian ethnic music.

The fourth and fifth chapters contain analyses of the male chorus, Folszallot a pava and the Variations. The discussion revolves around the more significant tonal features of the work as well as important technical devices used.

The last chapter sums up the connection between Kodaly's music and his ideas on musical culture and education. It concludes with an account of expressive and technical hallmarks of his composition style exemplified in the chorus and the set of variations.