Interaction through vague language: L 1 and L2 perspectives

Questions such as how often is often or how many is many have been the concern of the study of vague language (VL). This study focuses on the elastic use of VL across three groups of speakers of English: L1 speaker of English, Chinese-speaking learner of English and Persian-speaking learner of English. It is found that the elasticity inherent in VL can enrich communication. The findings have implications in language pedagogy

ENTROPY AND INFORMATION IN THE DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF IMAGING SYSTEMS.

The main thrust of this dissertation is the application of statistics and information theory to design, analysis and estimation pertaining to image-forming systems. This study explores the application of Shannon's information in pupil design, the characterization of noise, and study of its behavior in a specific electro-optical system, and estimation of the degraded spread function in atmospherical imagery using the maximum entropy method. Our study shows that a pupil designed to maximize Shannon's information throughput is an apodizer, resulting in resolution and contrast enhancement when compared to the diffraction-limited case. The Strehl ratio is about 0.55. Investigation of statistical and spectral properties as a function of gray level in an electro-optical tracking system indicates that the noise is "white," having a wide band and a close-to-Gaussian distribution. Estimating the spread function via maximum entropy technique has revealed some remarkable results. Using an edge as the object, simulation studies predict a superior estimate in the mean squared error sense to those of the least squares in the presence of three types of noise (signal-dependent Gaussian and Poisson, and signal-independent Gaussian noise). Information theory, linear systems theory, sampling theory and more particularly, statistics and the Fast Fourier Transform are used to derive our results

Elastic 'I think': stretching over L1 and L2

While there has been insightful research on the commonly used expression I think (IT), this study introduces a non-conventional and innovative conception of elasticity (Zhang, 2011), bringing together several properties of IT. Drawn on large-scale naturally occurring classroom data with a rare combination of linguistically and culturally contrasting groups of L1 (American English) and L2 (Chinese- and Persian- speaking learners of English), this study shows that the elasticity of IT is manifested through three stretchable, non-discrete, and fluid continua; frequency, position and cluster. The patterns show that L1 and L2 speakers stretch IT to variable degrees and stop at variable points along the three continua. A striking finding is that L1 speakers are speaker-oriented and assertive, the Persians are listener-centered and less authoritative, and the Chinese tend to take the middle-ground position. The findings imply that some discrepancies between L1 and L2 should not necessarily be labelled as overuse or underuse; they may simply be different focuses and preferences. The awareness of linguistic elasticity is crucial to communicative success

“I don’t think” versus “I think + not”

This paper explores an overlooked yet intriguing phenomenon: the different preferences of first language (L1) and second language (L2) groups in the use of I don’t think and I think+not. Based on naturally occurring data from linguistically and culturally contrastive groups of American English speakers, Chinese and Persian English speakers, this study finds that I don’t think highlights the speaker’s opinion, and I think+not focuses on the content conveyed. There is a correlation between the negative power and the distance between I think and the negative marker: the closer the two, the stronger the negativity. While I don’t think has more negativity force, I think+not has more mitigating weight and can be employed as a politeness strategy. The L1 speakers differ from the L2 speakers but are closer to the Chinese than the Persians; the striking variations occur between the L1 speakers and the Persians. The Persians are found to be the most indirect; the Chinese are more direct than the Persians but less direct than the L1 speakers. The differences between L1 and L2 groups relate to the first-language transfer and cultural influence. This study implies that different varieties of English use need to be addressed in language teaching