Bachelor of Arts
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- PublicationRestrictedAccessibility of public services in an urban environment : a case study of public libraries in the east region of Singapore(1999)Low, Lester Chern TsaiThe concept of accessibility is taken up as a major area of concern with respects to the location of public libraries in Singapore. A Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) for library planning has been designed and developed, where the database management capabilities of GIS is loosely coupled with Flowmap, a stand-alone spatial data analysis software, Excel, a spreadsheet software and SPSSPC, a commercially available statistical package. Two accessibility measures - Proximity Count and Catchment Area Analysis are utilised extensively to measure the accessibility of existing libraries in the East Region. The accessibility of libraries is measured from the supply-side analysis as well as the demand-side analysis. To complement the demand-side analysis, this research has examined the behavioural aspects of library usage. The main findings have revealed that the existing libraries are not situated at optimum locations. With the application of the SDSS, two more community libraries and eight more children's libraries have been proposed and added to the existing set of libraries. The new set of libraries is evaluated and proven to be located at optimum locations, which maximises the coverage and minimises the travel distance.
157 15 - PublicationRestrictedAn acoustic and perceptual study of triphthongs in educated Singapore English(2004)Lim, Siew SiewThe monophthongs and diphthongs in Singapore English (SgE) have been extensively explored over the years. However, despite the focus on the vowels of SgE, there has not been any study devoted to the exploration on triphthongs.
This Academic Exercise thus hopes to break new ground by exploring if young educated Singaporeans use the five English triphthongs in both read and conversational speech. In addition, it seeks to find out whether morphology and/or orthography of the words could have an influence on the pronunciation. With respect to the first research aim, it is hypothesised that Singapore English (SgE) speakers do not use these triphthongs at all, as they would probably insert a glide consonant /j/ or /W/ before the final element /a/ in what would be triphthongs.
Data used for the investigation include read speech from ten SgE speakers and five British speakers, as well as, the conversational speech of another twenty-six SgE speakers. Results generally supported the research hypothesis. Evidence from the speech data in this study revealed that SgE speakers indeed did not use the two triphthongs in read speech and four triphthongs in conversational speech. They tended to pronounce what would be triphthongs (single phonemes) in British English (BrE) as two syllables, inserting a glide consonant /j/ or /W/ in the onset of the second syllable. As these insertions were employed consistently, there was no evidence that morphology and orthography had any influence on pronunciation.174 34 - PublicationRestrictedAn acoustic study of /s/ and /z/ in educated Singaporean English(2002)Koh, Richard Pee ChouSpeaking rate is usually mentioned as one of the factors that affects the production of speech sounds. Nonetheless, its effects have not been investigated in the local context. Singaporean English (SE) consonants and vowels have been widely researched but rarely do researchers study the behaviour of fricatives in particular.
This Academic Exercise (AE) thus explores new frontiers by studying the production of alveolar fricatives /s/ and /z/ in Educated Singaporean English (ESE), subjecting these two consonants in various positions to the effects of speaking rate. It also seeks to verify if ESE speakers distinguish between word-final /s/ and /z/. Finally it investigates if these phenomena exist differently for the two genders.
Spectrographic and statistical methods were employed in analyzing the data collected from twenty students from National Institute of Education (NIE). Evidence was found for speaking rate affecting the production of ESE Is1 and I d in various positions differently, with Is/ being most susceptible to shortening in word-initial position and I d being most resistant to shortening in word-medial position. In addition, ESE speakers did distinguish between word-final Is1 and Id, though in different ways from native speakers of English, contrary to the beliefs and findings of many researchers, as it was found that the vowel preceding word-final I d was longer, but only if there was a morpheme boundary. There was also no evidence for any significant difference between the two genders.
The sound files for the twenty subjects can be found on: http://www.arts.nie.edu.sp/ell/DavidD/niecsse/Richard/home.htm.132 16 - PublicationRestrictedAnalysis of roadside trees and green space on the NIE campus(2003)Chow, Nyuk HongThis study is an attempt to take inventory, map and evaluate the roadside trees and green space in National Institute of Education and provide recommendations on enhancing and utilizing them. This study is important as the green space of Singapore is diverse and valuable and yet to date not many detailed studies on it has been conducted. In order to maximize the benefits of the green space for all city inhabitants, including the flora and fauna that live alongside with man, such a study is necessary. The study is carried out in two main stages starting with library research to fieldwork that involves two phases. Phase one comprises of the mapping and surveying of the roadside trees and phase two the green space. The data obtained from the field surveys shows that slightly more than half of NIE is green and the roads are well lined with trees. The findings reveal that only Rain Trees are planted along the roads within the study area and are mainly young trees of good health as indicated by their heights, girths, crown sizes and foliage. A prominent gap is observed and should be bridged in order for the linear strip of roadside trees to realize its potential of acting as a green and wildlife corridor. The roadside trees are taken collectively as one green space known as the roadside forest. Including this, there are eighty green space sites in the study area. Nine-tenth of them are managed and only a handful is semi-natural which is mainly secondary forest. The existing managed green space could be enhanced and utilized to conserve the natural and cultural heritage of Singapore as well as for recreational and educational values. The remaining secondary forest may be in danger of making way for future land developments thus the preservation of this precious green resource needs to be advocated.
136 21 - PublicationRestrictedAn analysis of selected Singapore ballads (xinyao), 1980-1990(2004)Lin, Mindy Wan YingThe phenomenon of Xinyao is essentially a musical phenomenon. Yet, little has been examined about the music itself. Many statements and assumptions have been made about the music of Xinyao. Yet, there has been no study nor guide on the music of Xinyao. This paper serves to establish a framework for future investigation and analysis of the music by working on a smaller scale by selecting a few to be examined.
230 101 - PublicationRestrictedAn analysis of the 1991 Singapore English language syllabus (SELS) - Teachers' perceptions about their roles in the syllabus(1996)Chua, Joanne Hui PengThis thesis attempt to analyse the 1991 Singapore English Language Syllabus (SELS) from the teachers' perspective with regard to their role m the classroom advocated by the syllabus.
The thesis started off by tracing the development of a very teacher-directed syllabus since colonial days till the current 1991 syllabus which is more of a descriptive and informative syllabus. Teachers have an along get used to accepting decisions made by the principal / heads of department. In other words, teachers' job is merely to carry out whatever decision that have been made by the people at the top of the hierarchy. Teachers are comfortable and feel at ease with such a prescriptive approach even until now. However, the current 1991 SELS seems to advocate entirely the opposite, i.e. a descriptive and less teacher-directed approach. Teachers are instead encouraged to work collaboratively as team so as to use the 1991 SELS as a pre-syllabus (Sue Nair : personal communication : 7 / 2 / 96) to design their own syllabuses based on their own learners' needs, abilities and interests. In other words, teachers are no longer encouraged to follow instructions strictly but rather are to decide issues or matters using their own discretion. In other words, teachers are encouraged to become both a syllabus developer and a material writer. Are teachers ready and willing to make such major adjustments especially to forego something that they are familiar with and confident in for an entirely new innovation that demand extra planning and effort? Does the current environment and education system encourage or permit the effective implementation of such a new methodology (i.e. descriptive and informative approach)? Or rather are teachers constrained by any other factors that prevent them from making such a major adjustment?
With such a sudden change in the approach of the 1991 syllabus, the thesis would attempt to find out any repercussions or implications that might accompany such a change through conducting an informal interview with 2 cohorts of teachers, mainly, pre-senice and m-service teachers. Several quotes are actually pulled out from the 1991 syllabus and the interviewees' opinions and understanding of them are asked for. Such an informal interview hoped to find out teachers' reactions to the roles advocated by the syllabus as well as to find out from teachers how realistic these roles are for them in the actual classroom situation. And this is followed by drawing implications from the responses of the teachers for the education system in Singapore.166 29 - PublicationRestrictedAn analysis of the conductor's role in training the amateur choir(1997)Sim, Kok HengConducting an amateur choir requires much attention to developing singing technique. However, attention to singing technique does not necessarily bring about a choir of distinction. Care must also be taken in the development of the musicianship of choristers. Choral singing must be informed by performance practice and textual understanding, while choral administration and specialized attention to performance preparations ensure smooth running of the choir both at rehearsals and performances.
Through investigation, it has been concluded that developing an amateur choir should not be one-dimensional. Many factors will influence the success of a choir.161 23 - PublicationRestrictedAssessing narratives using the genre-register framework : a study of four primary school teachers' experiences(2003)Saraswathy IdambanThis research aims to provide empirical evidence supporting the propositions made by Macken and Slade (1993) that the genre-register assessment framework provides teachers with a specific and explicit language to identify genre-register specific problems in their students' writing. It enables them to provide more specific feedback to students' writing in terms of the stages and language features directly related to the texts and therefore is a viable alternative to the existing composition assessment framework. Most of the local research on the use of the genre-register assessment framework has been limited to the researchers themselves demonstrating the framework's usefulness in response to the inadequacy or unsuitability of the existing assessment procedures in providing text-specific feedback rather than trialling the framework on teachers, the end-users of the framework. This research attempts to fill this gap by investigating the efficacy and viability of the genre-register assessment framework four the point of view of four teachers in a local primary school. The results of the study indicate that with the use of the genre-register assessment framework teachers are able to identify genre-register-specific problems in their students' writing and provide more text-specific feedback compared to the current composition assessment framework. However, there are certain contextual factors related to the 'examination-type literacy' (Cheah 1994, 1998) that have constrained teachers from using the genre-register framework in teaching and assessing writing in the mainstream curriculum and these would have to be addressed before framework can be applied successful in Singapore schools.
136 39 - PublicationRestrictedAn assessment of beach sediment store and sources in East Coast Park, Singapore(2005)Loh, Swee LingHaving undergone previous stages of land reclamation, the coastline of Singapore had been transformed beyond recognition. In particular, the configuration of the southeast coast of Singapore was greatly modified by the East Coast Reclamation Scheme. Presently. a series of crescent and J-shaped bays had formed along the East Coast Park. However, even after formation of the J-shaped bays which is supposed to signal the beginning of coastline equilibrium, the beaches of the East Coast Park continued to retreat.
The main source of sand for the formation of these beaches is unique, having originated mainly from the often clayey land fill used in reclamation. The sands released from the clay platform underlying the beach sands are important in the continued maintenance of the beaches. Sands from scarp retreat and lowering of the clay platform help to balance the sediment budget. However, it is essential that the scarp retreat and lowering of the clay platform be properly managed, for unmanaged retreat could bring about undesirable consequences, such as the loss of quality beaches, loss of infrastructures and property and pollution of coastal waters. Thus, coastal managers should undertake monitoring to track the health of the beaches. This study attempts to study the sediment budget and the role of the clay platform as a source of sediment supply. Two scenarios of scarp retreat and lowering of the clay platform will be discussed in detail, and the relationship between coastline retreat and the sediment budget will also be examined.316 66 - PublicationRestrictedBack to the roots : family literacy practices of two eight-year-old English-Punjabi bilinguals(2004)Parwinder Singh GrewalThe OB markers of ethnic and cultural identity in Singapore are constantly blurred by a set of paradoxes. On one hand, it is deemed crucial to maintain a minority language such as Punjabi to facilitate the transmission of cultural and ethnic values. On the other hand, it seems necessary to demolish social and linguistic barriers in a multicultural setting, and to adapt to the culturally and linguistically plural society via English, the language of economy and wider communication. As a result, this unique multilingual state is characterised by massive language shifts away f7om a multiplicity of languages affecting all ethnic groups. A study by Dilpreet (2003) highlights that Punjabi is experiencing rapid language shift, leading to significant gaps between generations in terms of language use, cultural make-up and religious orientation.
It is imperative, therefore, to study family literacy practices of young bilingual English-Punjabi learners to sieve out practices that support the learning of Punjabi, taking into account the influences of the Punjabi culture and the Sikh religion. The current research adopts an integrated multi-method case-study approach of two three-generation Punjabi families that have registered positive influence on the Punjabi literacy development in their children. Extensive participant observations, ethnographic interviews and artifact collections are employed in order to assess patterns of language use, Punjabi literacy practices and the attendant preceptors of ethnic and religious identity that can contribute to language maintenance. Results pints towards a community based recovery of the Punjabi language, brought about largely through its recognition as an official mother tongue. An attempt is made at a model of Punjabi language maintenance, taking into account the multitude means through which family literacy practices manifest themselves. The constructs of culture and religion that form the backbone of this model reinforce the suggested Back to the Roots approach in maintaining the Punjabi language in Singapore.129 25 - PublicationRestrictedBeach performance after nourishment : a case study of East Coast Park, Singapore(2005)Tan, Bruce Kim HuatBeach nourishment was undertaken along a short stretch of the east coast park, Singapore during the month of May 2004. By late December 2004, the nourished material had been virtually eroded away. Monitoring of the nourished area from May to December revealed that erosion of the nourished area was not only a result of coastal forces, but due in part to the action of surface runoff that dissected the nourished area into a series of berms before eventual disintegration.
1442 304 - PublicationRestrictedBetween the cracks : explorations of madness in three Chinese-American women's novels(2004)Tang, Geraldine Hui ChanThe Chinese American woman is no stranger to margins. Yellow-skinned in America, subjected to the patriarchy of both Chinese as well as American culture the Chinese American woman faces a complexity of challenges and issues just for being in her skin. Chinese American woman novelists who venture into translating the Chinese American experience in their writing do no less than address or at least acknowledge these issues. It is therefore very intriguing that many Chinese American novels written by women contain characters that are 'mad' or who appear to be so. To be female, of Chinese descent and 'mad' further consign the women to the margins. This thesis seeks to explore the 'madness' depicted in Maxine Hong-Kingston's Woman Warrior, Amy Tan's The Boneserter's Daughter and Fae Myenne Ng's Bone. In doing so, this thesis will trace Chinese-American history, placing in context Chinese-American Literary endeavors. It will also trace 'madness' in general, particularly as 'madness' is reflected in Western literature and in feminist theory on writing. The large project of this thesis is, after all, a re-visioning of 'madness'-how it can also be read, be appropriated and be re-defined.
132 16 - PublicationRestrictedBi yu xing guan yong yu yan jiu = Study of metaphorical idiomatic colloquialisms in Chinese(2003)Low, Kin EngThis honours thesis attempts to look into the study of "metaphorical idiomatic colloquialisms in Chinese" (比喻型惯用语) by investigating the frequency of the various types of colloquialisms found in the dictionary (现代汉语惯用语规范词典), the distinctive characteristics of the modern metaphorical idiomatic colloquialism and the problems of standardization of colloquialisms (惯用语). The following findings are obtained from the course of research:
The quantitative analysis shows that the metaphorical idiomatic colloquialisms are most prevalent (72% as compared to the rest). The usage, expression and word-construction of metaphorical idiomatic colloquialisms in Chinese could be found and derived in many forms. However, as people interact, colloquial expressions have blended into our everyday lifestyle and habits Metaphorical ihomatic colloquialisms can be further classified into three categories: the jie-yu (借喻), an-yu (暗喻) and ming-yu(明喻), with their respective frequencies of 78.4%, 14.2% and 7.4%. There has been much debate on the most prevalent type of colloquial expressions but statistical finding in this research shows that jie-yu(借喻) is the most common.
This research also shows that modem metaphorical idiomatic colloquialism has swept through the new generation and has gained much popularity as compared to the traditional colloquial expressions and the other idiomatic expressions. Due to its concise construction and lively description, metaphorical idiomatic colloquialism has become essential for our everyday usage and is able to create strong impact on bringing messages across, either via writing or conversation.
Given historical, geographical and dialectal variation, attaining standardization in colloquial idioms is a difficult task. To complicate matters, the same expression could present different meanings and impact in different regions.
Although there might be some difficulties in the standardization of the metaphorical idiomatic colloquialism, this type of idiomatic phrases is widely used by people to add colour to the Chinese Language and brighten up our everyday life.160 11 - PublicationRestrictedBorder crossings : Bharati Mukherjee and the role of history in the Indian woman's quest for identity in the diaspora(2002)Dalina AbdullahThis present study attempts to draw attention to Bharati Mukherjee's presentation of the Indian woman's engagement with history in her quest for identity in the diaspora In my study of her novels Wife (1975), Jasmine (1989), The Holder of the World (1993) and Leave It To Me (1997), I have discovered that Mukherjee sees a creative engagement with history as important in helping the diasporic Indian woman attain self-liberation My study of the novels has also led me to discover that there has been a change in Mukherjee's style of historiography in the span of twenty-two years between her writing of Wife and Leave It To Me. Mukherjee appears to have progressed from a conventional presentation to a postmodem re-presentation of the Indian woman's engagement with history In her last two novels, especially, history becomes a useh1 resource that supports the diasporic Indian woman's claim of self-identity.
158 16 - PublicationRestrictedCaging the prepared piano : aesthetics and performance aspects of the prepared piano works of John Cage(1998)Discovering the wide array of timbres and sounds created by the prepared piano pieces of John Cage was the initial motivating factor in my research. This paper explores the significance of the prepared piano in the context of musical developments in America during the early decades of the twentieth century. In placing the prepared piano pieces in context of John Cage's life and aesthetic attitudes, the paper also focuses on issues that arise from performing these works at present. Finally, the paper discusses the actual materials used for preparation, on different practical methods of creating various timbres and the requisite skill and care a performer needs for the prepared piano repertoire.
207 22 - PublicationRestrictedCampaign posters in Singapore : a study of artistic styles and influence from 1965 to 2000(2001)Tay, Ting TingGovernment policies on issues such as health, education, housing, and the economy provide the importance and direction of public campaigns in Singapore. This study examines the artistic style of campaign posters from 1965 to 2000 and how these posters were used to influence the social behavioural patterns of its citizens.
The first chapter illustrates forms of propaganda, from as early as the Roman Empire, to Hitler and Mao Zedong and the way in which they were used to shape and alter public perceptions.
Chapter Two focuses on the campaigns launched by the different ministries and government agencies from 1965 to 1979. It was during this period the newly elected Singapore government faced head on with social and economic problems, much of which were inherited from the colonial past.
Chapter Three addresses the 1980s. As Singapore develops into a regional economic centre, newfound affluence was rapidly changing the expectations and behaviours of its people. Public campaigns during this period focused on social cohesion and social grace.
Chapter Four looks at the campaigns during the last ten years, from 1990 to 2000. A developed country, with growing individualism among its people, campaigns launched during this period addressed the issues of shared history and national identity.
Chapter Five, concluding chapter; sums up the different styles and techniques used by the campaigns posters used in Singapore during the different periods.135 44 - PublicationRestrictedA case study investigating two children's interpretation of linguistic signs through drawing(2002)Koh, Alvin Ming ChuenThis paper presents a case study, investigating two children's interpretation of simple ditransitive sentences through drawing. The two children, Ruby and Edwin, were respectively 12 and 8 years old during this case study. The qualitative nature of this case study is a new and unexplored field which investigates how linguistic signs in the form of simple ditransitive sentences are reinterpreted through visual signs in the form of drawing. While many research papers focus on one type of sign, this paper sets out to investigate the interaction between linguistic and visual signs, exploring issues such as the order of the constituents of the sentences "drawn", the concept of tense in their drawings and interpersonal meaning of the drawings.
This paper hypothesis that when translating the linguistic signs into visual signs, the two children did not process the constituents of the sentences in a linear order from left to right and that the younger child, Ruby, may not be aware of the concept of tense in most of her drawings. On the other hand, Edwin seems to be able to distinguish between the past tense and "future" tense in some of his drawings.109 12 - PublicationRestrictedA case study of the classroom discourse patterns in the reading and writing lessons of two primary 2 teachers(2005)Wong, Melisa ShenshanThe English language is the language for school and the working world in Singapore. The turn of the new millennium calls for new and more demanding literacy skills. (Cheah 2002: 66) research findings have given evidence of the relationship between talk and academic empowerment and achievement. (Corden 2001: 4) research has also provided evidence for the shift towards a socio-constructivist approach towards facilitating oral language development. This approach serves as the theoretical framework behind the 2001 Revised Singapore English Syllabus.
In light of these developments, observations and semi-structured interviews were used to investigate the classroom discourse patterns of 2 Primary Two teachers from 2 Neighbourhood schools. These patterns (structure, function and content) were presented according to Cazden's framework of Classroom Discourse Analysis (2001) and measured against the recommendations of the Revised 2001 English Language Curriculum Syllabus as well as socio-constructivist principles to examine how pupils' language development is facilitated. This study reveals the mismatch between the proposed curriculum recommendations (and socio-constructivists principles) and the actual discourse patterns of these classrooms. The pedagogical implications of these mismatches will be discussed and recommendations for change will be suggested.237 43 - PublicationRestrictedA case study of three primary school teachers' beliefs and classroom feedback practices regarding Singapore colloquial English(2004)Tan, Serena Kiat KunThe globalisation of English as the world's lingua franca has direct influences on Singapore, which acknowledges the importance for its people to be proficient in English by adopting the language as the medium of instruction in all schools. However, the emergence of a local variety of Singapore English known as Singlish has often been linked to the deteriorating standard of English in Singapore students.
Despite the increased interest in the area of teachers' attitudes towards the use of Singlish as well as the relationship between teacher beliefs and practices, limited studies on the teachers' beliefs regarding Singlish and the influence of such beliefs on their classroom instructional practices have been conducted. This study, therefore, attempts to fill the gap in the literature on the area of teachers' beliefs and practices with regards to Singlish.
Specifically, this study examines the beliefs of three primary teachers concerning the use of Singlish in English classes as well as how these beliefs influence their actual classroom feedback practices through a series of classroom observations and interviews to collect information about the actual classroom feedback practices and elicit the teachers' beliefs regarding the oral usage of Singlish in English classrooms respectively.
In general, the study revealed that while some of the beliefs stated by the teachers during the interviews were in alignment to their actual feedback practices, others were not. The findings illustrate how conflicts between the individual beliefs held by the teachers exert different degrees of power and influence on their final observable instructional practices.
The results point to the need for teachers to be engaged in more reflective practices to enhance their grasp of their implicit beliefs and hence have a better control of their instructional practices. It is hoped that this study can encourage teacher reflections so that teachers can communicate more efficiently with their students to achieve the desired outcome of English language learning.204 83 - PublicationRestrictedCasting visual spells : a study of fairy tale images and their influences on children's artworks in Singapore(2003)Chew, Joanna CherFairy tales have long been part of people's lives before they made their way to children's nurseries as storybooks. From oral folk tales to illustrated books. they have provided entertainment and fantasy to listeners and readers. This paper studies and analyses images from fairy tales: vital components many children have been raised with. It also uncovers the extent of influence they have on Singapore children's drawings of prevalent fairy tale motifs.
The analyses of the images are supported by parallel arguments based on literary criticism of plot origins. stylistics and characterisation and are applied across the variety of images shown. I have, in a previous study, based these principles for analysis and also applied their relevance to consumer advertising. Although the later half of this study focuses on children's interpretations and drawings, the earlier analysis is simultaneously discussed with the findings in Chapter 4 to provide a coherent and holistic argument that fairy tale images carry with and within them several meanings and interpretations from children's visual expressions. Inherently, this provides insights to a child's aesthetic experiences: how and what they are influenced by, especially notions of character polarity, gender- biased passivity and rivalry.
As the majority of fairy tales in the English language are imports from the West, cultural implications cannot be ignored, in both visual and literary aspects. In interviews with the twelve subjects, I will uncover dominant cultural influences and relevance from their visual and spoken responses. In an age of increased information technologies, influences and exposure can also stem from other sources; this is also acknowledged and discussed.
Both analyses of images in Chapter 2 and the findings in Chapter 4 are then concluded in Chapter 5 where I will discuss implications of existing trends and suggest recommendations and alternatives.157 32