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Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/100429

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Author "Becker, Anthony, advisor"

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    Second/foreign language writing apprehension and writing identities
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Davis, Leslie A., author; Becker, Anthony, advisor; Grim, Frédérique, advisor; Grim, Frédérique, committee member; Nekrasova-Beker, Tatiana, committee member; Becker, Anthony, committee member; Vogl, Mary, committee member
    Formal academic writing tasks can produce high levels of anxiety or apprehension in students regardless of whether that writing is carried out in their native language or in a second or foreign language. The Colorado State University Writing Center sees 50% of its consultations coming from non-native English students (The Writing Center, n.d.), meaning that this population is over-represented compared to the university as a whole. This over-representation is largely self-motivated because students visit the Writing Center on their own. Given this over-representation, it is necessary to understand why this population of students might be more concerned than others with their academic writing. While much research has focused on the types of anxiety that language students may experience, the possible sources of that anxiety have not been widely discussed. Possible causes include fear of negative evaluation and fear of making mistakes, but the role of the academic discourse community and its influence on writing identities have not yet been explored. This thesis examines writing in a foreign or second language and the possible sources of second language writing apprehension, including students' writing identity and the academic discourse community. Through surveys and individual interviews with students, this study looks at the possible influences on student affect which can in turn impede student progress, such as anxiety, self-doubt, or perceived competence. The study determined that while there is not a strong relationship between writing apprehension and a student's willingness to claim a writing identity, there is a difference between how second and foreign language students experience second language writing.
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    The history and development of Spanish-language initiatives in public libraries: a case study
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Lonas, Adele, author; Becker, Anthony, advisor; Carlyon, Jonathan, advisor; Soler, Silvia, committee member; Coke, Pamela, committee member
    The purpose of this case study is to examine how overall services, programs, resources and collections offered in Spanish have developed over the course of the past century at a single library district in Colorado. The study uses the Hispanic history and current demographics of the regional context as a foundation, as well research supporting both multilingualism and the role that libraries play in creating community cohesion in multicultural and multilingual communities to evaluate the findings. The findings, based on archival research and interviews, include a narrative of the development of the Spanish-language initiatives developed over the course of the past century, and a summary of the challenges and obstacles encountered by the interviewees. Five recommendations are made in response to ongoing challenges and obstacles, ranging from increased promotion of the library to Hispanic families and communities, to increased representation and inclusion of Hispanic community members at all administrative levels and on the library board.