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Patterns of language use by Secondary One pupils in different supplementary language programmes in a Special Assistance Plan school
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Type
Thesis
Author
Hee, Piang Chin
Supervisor
Afendras, Evangelos A.
Llamzon, T.
Abstract
With the launching of a Special Assistance plan (SAP) to a select group of nine Chinese-medium schools, English-stream students were encouraged to join these schools to receive a more effective bilingual education programme. At the same time, various supplementary language programmes were also introduced in these schools to reinforce students' learning of the School Languages of "English" and "Mandarin". Although the students had the choice of which supplementary language Programme they would attend ,yet in the study, it was found that the better Chinese-stream pupils chose the Immersion Programme (IP) ,while those who were not so good selected the Supplementary English Language Programme (SELP) . The English-stream pupils all inevitably attended the supplementary Chinese Language Programme (SCLP).
A survey of the language use patterns of these students would enable educators and policy makers to determine areas where greater use of the School Languages could be encouraged. Added to that was the paucity of primary data on language use in the Singapore context, although a few studies were carried out recently. But all these studies had used the questionnaire as the main instrument of data collection. In view of the point made by Fishman in Fishman, Cooper and Ma(1971) that self-reports were a reliable source of data, an attempt was made to get the students to do so via the language diary, which became the main instrument of the study.Two types of analysis were made, one of speech events and the other of dominant language used. Patterns of language use were then noted and when the data was classified into the different supplementary language programme groups, variations were considered.
The findings of the study showed that it was the role relationship between the interlocutors that was the main determinant of language used, and this was in turn influenced by age and status. Although domains were used as the basis of classification, it was found that irrespective of locale of interaction, the same pattern of language use was evident. This was especially borne out in the role relationships involving older members of the family-like "Parents", "Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents". In formal situations where the students interacted with their "Teachers/Principals", the language used was surprisingly "English", with a little "Mandarin".
Although it was hypothesized that students in the three supplementary language programme groups would reveal slight differences in language use patterns, it was not really so. The findings when the data was classified into the three supplementary language programme groups showed that there was very little variation among them, except in their interactions with their "Friends", which could be attributed to the Friendship networks which the students had formed and which differed in different locales.
A survey of the language use patterns of these students would enable educators and policy makers to determine areas where greater use of the School Languages could be encouraged. Added to that was the paucity of primary data on language use in the Singapore context, although a few studies were carried out recently. But all these studies had used the questionnaire as the main instrument of data collection. In view of the point made by Fishman in Fishman, Cooper and Ma(1971) that self-reports were a reliable source of data, an attempt was made to get the students to do so via the language diary, which became the main instrument of the study.Two types of analysis were made, one of speech events and the other of dominant language used. Patterns of language use were then noted and when the data was classified into the different supplementary language programme groups, variations were considered.
The findings of the study showed that it was the role relationship between the interlocutors that was the main determinant of language used, and this was in turn influenced by age and status. Although domains were used as the basis of classification, it was found that irrespective of locale of interaction, the same pattern of language use was evident. This was especially borne out in the role relationships involving older members of the family-like "Parents", "Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents". In formal situations where the students interacted with their "Teachers/Principals", the language used was surprisingly "English", with a little "Mandarin".
Although it was hypothesized that students in the three supplementary language programme groups would reveal slight differences in language use patterns, it was not really so. The findings when the data was classified into the three supplementary language programme groups showed that there was very little variation among them, except in their interactions with their "Friends", which could be attributed to the Friendship networks which the students had formed and which differed in different locales.
Date Issued
1982
Call Number
P57.S5 Hee
Date Submitted
1982