Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

An Analysis of Interference and Development Factors in College Freshmen Compositions

Date of Award

5-1978

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

First Advisor

Mimosa S. Schraer [Stephenson]

Second Advisor

Ronald G. Schraer

Third Advisor

Ralph Carlson

Abstract

This study, conducted among entering freshmen at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, Texas, is an examination of first-language interference and linguistic development factors and their influence on the English composition skills of college students. Three levels of the composition process were analyzed including the complete expression as exemplified by complete sentence construction, syntactical construction as exemplified by subject-verb agreement, and individual word construction as exemplified by spelling. Student errors occurring within these composition levels were examined in the light of interference factors as represented by the native language status and development factors as represented by number of years of study in high-school English. The findings point out the greater impact of developmental factors even though previous stands in the literature favored interference.

Comments

Copyright 1978 Anna Neumann. All Rights Reserved.

Granting Institution

Pan American University at Brownsville

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