Challenges and Solutions in Adult Acquisition of Cree as a Second Language

Summary: The purpose of this thesis is to document and analyze the experiences and beliefs of a cross section of the second language Cree learning and teaching community regarding perceived hurdles in Cree language acquisition. Very little applied linguistic research has been done involving indigenous languages in Canada, especially ones focusing on adult learners; as a result this study was conceived of as being exploratory in nature, opening ground for further research. The research questions were as follows: what are the major challenges facing adult second language learners of Cree? And secondly, what are the solutions used by learners to overcome these challenges? Seven participants were interviewed from across western Canada, two learners, three teachers, and two participants who had been heavily involved in both learning and teaching. The interviews covered participants’ history with the language, exploring challenges, learning approaches, and goals. The findings suggested that the most significant challenges facing learners were affective challenges such as anxiety; in addition the nature of resources available to learners and teachers was a significant challenge. The study highlighted the connection between methodologies and challenges, suggesting that challenges which appear specific to a particular language are often instead the result of the methodological approach. It also highlighted some areas of disconnect between teacher and learner views on challenges. This thesis also examines the pedagogical implications of this research.

Record details

Physical Description: electronic resource
1 electronic text (121 p.) : digital file.
Publisher: Victoria : University of Victoria, 2013.

Content descriptions

Dissertation Note:	Thesis(Master of Arts M.A.)--University of Victoria, 2013.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references.
Formatted Contents Note:	My connection to the study -- Purpose -- Research questions -- Rationale and significance -- Background and literature review: Background - Plains Cree; History of Cree usage; About the language -- Research in adult L2 acquisition of Algonquian languages -- Cree language resources -- Summary of background and literature review -- My perspective on language acquisition -- Affective factors: Motivation (identity, language ego, language attitudes); Identity; Anxiety; Synthesis models; Summary of affective factors discussion -- Methodology -- Design of the study: Objective; Case study; Participants -- Strategies of inquiry/Research methods: Interviews -- Procedures: Recruitment; Interviews; Coding and analysis; Member checks -- Auditability -- Summary of methodology -- Findings and discussion -- Participant views on language and culture -- Challenges and solutions -- Motivation: Challenges -- Motivation: Solutions -- Anxiety: Challenges -- Anxiety: Solutions -- Identity: Challenges -- Identity: Solutions -- Interacting with speakers: Challenges -- Interacting with speakers: Solutions -- Time: Challenges -- Time: Solutions -- Resources: Challenges -- Resources: Solutions -- Language use: Challenges and solutions -- Non-affective challenges -- General solutions -- Increased contextualization -- Further analysis: Resources and learner approaches; Further application of approaches -- Summary of key findings -- Implications, key recommendations, limitations, and future research directions: Limitations -- Significant implications and key recommendations -- Future research direction -- Concluding thoughts -- References -- Appendix I: Coding scheme -- Appendix II: Recruitment scripts -- Appendix III: Interview questions.
Type of Computer File or Data Note:	application/pdf