analysis of negative and interrogative structures in the English of junior high school ESL students in a bilingual community

Author

• Susan Ellen Briggs

Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

1988

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Abstract

This thesis investigates the acqusition of certain negative and interrogative structures by adolescent Spanish-speaking ESL students in a bilingual community. These ESL learners demonstrated two unexpected negating strategies using not plus the verb and never plus the verb. They likewise used does/did as an overgeneralized question marker. Age of first exposure to English did not appear to be a significant factor in the acquisition of the English auxiliary, and the students' acquisition of negative and interrogative structures appeared to be delayed in this bilingual environment, despite ESL instruction.

Extent

115 p.

Comments

FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Adviser: Melvyn C. Resnick.|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1988.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Recommended Citation

Briggs, Susan Ellen, "analysis of negative and interrogative structures in the English of junior high school ESL students in a bilingual community" (1988). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 1980 - 1989. 604.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_3/604

Identifier

FADT14438

Format

pdf