Abstract
This study examines how production and perception of English vowels are affected by one's native language, specifically among Mandarin speakers. The paper examines the specific relationship between Mandarin speakers' production and perception of English vowels and their mastery of the English language, including their comprehension of intonation and pitch. The author hypothesizes that Mandarin speakers' would experience more difficulty mastering English vowels if their exposure to the English language encompassed one year or less.

Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Previous studies suggest that multiple factors affect speakers' ability to produce sounds and their perceptions of sound. Various studies including that conducted by Boroditsky (2001) suggest that how one speaks affects many aspects of their livelihood including how one views or perceives the world. Further studies suggest that when compared with native English speakers, Mandarin speakers tend to refer to different concepts in different ways, including describing time in different manners (Boroditsky, 2001). The results of this study are relevant as they suggest that language is a "powerful tool shaping thought" and that one's native language "plays an important role in shaping thoughts and thought processes" (Boroditsky, 20)."

Tags:intonation, pitch, comprehension

Abstract
This paper discusses the pros and cons of teaching solely in English in the United States. The author explains how the advantages convince us that we should adopt instruction in English nationwide in order to live up to our reputation as a land of equality among our residents. The paper also discusses how teaching in languages alienates English speakers from non-English speakers.

From the paper:

"In the United States, we residents are well known for our diversity and ability to accept many different things. The battle over the most effective way to teach our children has resulted in an ongoing debate between teaching in the English language or bilingual education. Not only has bilingual education been a failure in many parts of the country, but also a waste of precious financial resources. The prevailing language in the U.S. is English, and it has worked well to keep the country united. With a high number of diverse cultures cohabiting, the assortment of languages has served to promote ethnic elitism. Those who do not speak English fluently are incessantly among lower social classes."

Tags:bilingual, children, education, spanish, teach, class, melting, pot, u.s.

From the Paper
"This paper examines some of the most significant difficulties that French speakers encounter when they begin to learn English. While concentrating on syntactical and phonological problems, the study also explores some of the grammatical and articulative difficulties faced by French speakers as they begin their road to fluency in English. However, before proceeding to the particulars of learning English as a second language for Francophones, a few general notes are in order.
When a speaker of one language begins to learn to speak another language she or he encounters certain predictable problems. This is true regardless of the two languages at least in this one general respect: The aspects of the second language that are most different from the maternal language will be the most..."

Abstract
This paper first relates that learning languages from countries like Japan, China, and Korea can be an intimidating endeavor, especially for English speakers. The paper then goes on to explain all the native sounds of Mandarin using International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and phonetic terminology.

Outline:
Introduction
Mandarin Vowels
Vowels / /, /3/, / /, and /y/
Mandarin Diphthongs
Mandarin Diphthongs /ia, /yu/, and /y /
Mandarin Triphthongs
Mandarin Consonants
Mandarin Simple Consonants
Mandarin consonants / /, / /, and / /
Complex Mandarin Consonants
Conclusion

From the Paper
''For many English speakers, learning languages from countries like Japan, China, and Korea can be an intimidating endeavor. With a writing system based on pictorial images, different grammar structures, and a 5 tone inflectional system, Mandarin's complex method of communication is difficult enough without the colorful array of phonetic features that create meaningful utterances. In the first stages of learning any language, being able to distinguish separate phonemes is critical to the process of bringing structure and order to a stretch of utterances. For native English speakers, a good portion of these sounds will be familiar even though the place of articulation may be slightly different. However, scholars in the field of Chinese phonetics give varying classifications of these sounds and some even give varying descriptions of how they should sound and how to produce them. So whether it is a dialectal background of the author or an illustration of Mandarins phonetic complexity, not all of the phonemes of Mandarin are easily described.''

Tags:phonetics, phonology, Mandarin

Abstract
This paper presents a need assessment for non-native speakers of English who are learning Business English in their own country. The assessment discusses the need for Business English itself, the availability of Business English speakers, the types of programs offered, and the resources, materials and instructional strategies that are available for use.

From the Paper
"The international market for textile and clothing merchandisers is large. So-mui and Mead studied how English is used in this business using a wide variety of methods including questionnaires, surveys, telephone interviews, analysis of correspondence and visits to the workplace. What they found is that proper communication in English places strong demands on all merchandisers working in this global business environment. These findings are not only true of the textile and clothing merchandisers but of most every single business ..."

Tags:Business English, ESL, students

Abstract
The author of this paper disagrees with opinions that English should not be the official language of the United States. He shows that if English is not the official language, it makes learning it optional and in some cases, for non-English speakers, trivial. The author feels, however, that the United States government should offer federally-funded programs to help immigrants learn English. The paper examines several sources on the subject.

From the Paper
"Overall, I do not feel that any extreme is the right solution to a situation. I feel that in the United States, English is a common bond that allows people of diverse backgrounds to reach common understanding. However, I do not agree with the "English-only" movement. In my opinion, it is the extreme of English becoming the official language of the United States. I believe that anyone that resides in the United States should be able to speak proper English. But, people can still speak whatever language they choose at home and in private life."

Tags:language, english-only, communication, sociolinguist

Abstract
This paper discusses the controversy over whether the English language "belongs" only to native English speakers or equally to those who speak creole languages who come from places that the British colonized, starting in the 17th century.

From the Paper
"The sordid story of the linkages between what has been called the age of discovery the New World and the African slave trade is not unknown. Only in the latter half of the ...th century did linguists as a group acknowledge that the history of the English spoken as it made its way around the world had much to answer for as it encountered African cultures. The story of the Blacks in history is surrounded by controversy and polemic. The story of their language, the..."

Tags:English, Creole, pidgin, Caribbean, colonialism

Abstract
The paper discusses how students who come to the United States for university classes often face the double task of learning English and learning their subjects. The paper shows how this presents the student with many difficult challenges, including taking classnotes, following lectures, understanding the requirements of the teacher and taking part in class discussions.

From the Paper
"English is a difficult language to learn because it has so many exceptions to its own grammar and spelling rules. This makes it difficult for every day speaking and especially difficult for academic purposes. It is hard enough to learn a new language; it is even harder when you must use that new language to learn a new academic subject. To address this problem some universities set up special writing courses for their students who are coming to English as a second language. However these classes do not solve all of the problems, which will be faced. According to one researcher there are four major problems for these..."

Tags:tesol, english language, native speaker

Abstract
Amy Tan discusses "broken" English in her essay called, "Mother Tongue". Tan discusses how her mother's English is different and she calls it "broken" English. The author also discusses how her mother's English affected her in college and in choosing a career. She discusses how her English caused problems in doing word analogies and SAT tests.

From the Paper
Broken English Can Lead to Disrespect Amy Tan discusses "broken" English in her essay called, "Mother Tongue". Tan discusses how her mother's English is different, and she calls it "broken" English. Tan discusses how the language she uses with her mother and husband is different than the language she uses with others. She tells how the language of her mother affects different time periods of her life (Tan). Tan leads the reader to understand that her mother is intelligent because she reads the Forbes Report and listens to the Wall Street Week. Tan states that her mother's language is clear, vivid, and direct. Yet, often people disrespect her because she does speak in "broken" English.

Tags:disrespect, english, differences

Abstract
This paper discusses phonemes and how they apply to the English language. The author traces changes in this language beginning with Old English and moving through Middle English to present-day English, and provides examples of changes in each. The author also explains why only forty-four out of a possible three hundred phonemes are used in present-day English.

From the Paper
"A phoneme, as defined by Crystal is, "The smallest contrastive unit in the system of a language"(456). There are approximately three hundred phonemes in existence that are shared by the five thousand plus languages of the world. The English language only uses forty-four of the three hundred total phonemes. Some languages require more than forty-four phonemes and some require less in order to function. The truth is that none of the world's languages use the three hundred available phonemes. Languages use only as many as they need in order to be understood. The reason that the English language uses a mere forty-four phonemes is very simple; that is all that it needs. However, the number of phonemes in our language has changed, and it will probably change in the future. It is important to examine the reasons for change and discuss why the number of English phonemes is so limited."

Tags:middle, english