ICLSL 2017

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A Case Study on the Effectiveness of Oral Approach in Internalizing the English Tenses.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Sandya, B. M.; Atchuthan, Y.
Writing sentences without making mistakes in the application of tenses is important to express the intended meaning. In Sri Lankan context, even though the students are learning English as a second language from the elementary level, and even at tertiary education, they make mistakes in English tenses. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of oral approach to internalize the structure of tenses. Fifty first year students from the Faculty of Business Studies at Vavuniya Campus were selected as the random sample of the study and the study was conducted for three months using quantitative and qualitative research methods. Pre-tests and post-test were conducted to evaluate the students‟ progress. According to the pre-test, 43 students (86%) made mistakes in tenses while only 7 students (14%) formed accurate sentences using the tenses. Therefore, all the tenses in English were taught one by one and at the end of the teaching of each tense, 15 minutes were allocated for oral practice. Each student in the classroom was given a chance to produce at least 10 sentences orally and when they made mistakes, they were corrected by the researcher. After three months, a written test was conducted. This post-test revealed that 48 students, 96%, wrote sentences using the tenses correctly, while only 2 students, 4%, made mistakes again. Compared to pre-test, the number of students who wrote sentences using correct structure of tenses in the post-test increased by 41 which is 82% of the total sample. The number of students who made mistakes have been reduced to 4% which was 86% in the pretest. The results show the dramatic improvement of internalization of the tenses through oral approach. Students could form grammatically correct sentences promptly on various topics using correct structure of tenses. Further the students became very active, interactive and entertainers through the practicing in the classroom. Thus the study recommends that oral approach is more effective to internalize the English tenses.
Exploitation of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to Overcome Learner Anxiety in Speaking English as a Second Language: An Action Research in a University Context.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Kariyawasam, A.
The present study is an action research conducted within the Sri Lankan university context to examine if learner anxiety in speaking English as a second language can effectively be combatted through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), i.e. through cognitive restructuring and behaviour modification. As CBT has been used as one of the most efficient treatments in multiple domains related to contemporary psychological counselling and psychotherapy, the current study is an equal attempt in psycholinguistics to find pragmatic solutions to language-related problems through CBT. The research participants were a purposive sample of 8 female undergraduates who were selected as of higher L2 speaking anxiety based on L2 Speaking Anxiety Scale, and 10 therapeutic sessions were conducted with them; adhering to a methodology of mixed method research for data collection and data analysis. The research procedure consisted of a pretest, which was held initially and identified diverse manifestations of learner anxiety; with empirical evidence for the dynamic interplay between negative core-beliefs/cognitive distortions and maladaptive behaviour as well as skill deficiency which were keys to generate L2 speaking anxiety among the undergraduates. Depending on the L2 learners and the learning context, significant CBT techniques were applied accordingly. The CBT techniques used were psycho-education and developing mindfulness, countering, cognitive rehearsal, exposure and breathing techniques, developing self-esteem and skills. In conclusion, the post-test results after the therapeutic intervention revealed a significant reduction of L2 speaking, insisting that L2 speaking anxiety among undergraduates could effectively be combatted through CBT. Thus, the research was a meticulous investigation of the pragmatic aspect of anxiety reducing techniques within an Asian L2 teaching-learning context, re-conceptualizing and redefining the role of ESL teachers as well as the ESL learners at the tertiary level.
Implementing Communicative Language Teaching at Tertiary Level:A Case Study.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Rajakumar, T.
The English language, which is taught as a second language in Sri Lanka from the primary level is not considered as a compulsory subject in the secondary level education or at the Advance level Examination. Therefore, students do not pay much attention to learn English. In Sri Lanka, after the secondary level education, minimum numbers of students are selected to the universities. Majority of the students are enrolled to other tertiary level institutions. Most of the tertiary level learners start their English education in their tertiary level. Therefore, it is essential to teach tertiary level learners to fit the world of work because employers consider the competency in English when recruiting their employees. In the world, different types of language teaching methods are applied to teach a second language. Communicative language teaching (CLT) is one of the well-known teaching methods. This study based on CLT, which was conducted with the purpose of implementing it at tertiary level. The research intends to anayse the teachers‟ perception about CLT and challengers they face while implementing CLT in their classroom. Qualitative descriptive method was employed for this study. Data collected through classroom observation, questionnaire and teachers‟ interview. English teachers who are working at College of Technology Jaffna were taken for the study and 15 teachers were selected for answer questionnaires. Additionally, four English teachers were selected for an interview, whereas three English classrooms were observed. Then the qualitative data generated through these instruments were presented using tables and charts and they were analyzed in narrative form. The findings of the study indicated that teachers who participated this study have some ideas about CLT and they prefer to implement CLT in tertiary level. They have faced different challenges when implementing CLT in their classrooms. These challengers should be overcome to implement CLT in tertiary level.
Linguistic Analysis of “Viridu”.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) De Zoysa, A.
The genre of Sinhala Narrative Poetry called “Viridu” has been a source of entrainment that can be traced right back to the courts of the Kings of Kotte and Kandy of the 17th and 18th century. The strong narrative element (a kind of a Ballard), the ¾ beat played on a small hand drum called “Rabana”, repeated rhythm without words, the catchy refrain, use of simple words with many colloquial borrowings, the comic, tragic, sentimental and sensational elements, nonsensical words and words imitating the rhythm have all contributed to the perennial appeal of these poems. They were once heard at the royal court, market places, tea shops at bus stands and ferries (in British colonial times), in public transport (train and bus) now even as “Viridu Bana” at Buddhist temples, “Wesak Pandals” and orphanages to collect money by relating stories of neglect, abandonment and destitution. Intensions were to emotionalize the onlookers with tragic story , moralize to the Western educated Sinhala Elite to abstain from eating beef and drinking alcohol, narrate a sensational, sad or moralizing story, create awareness, advertise a commercial product or to sell the printed version of the narrative at a market place (Kavi Kole). The media used, in addition to live performances mentioned above, were gramophone records, Sinhala Nurthi Theatre, (called Tower Hall Theatre), novels (by Piyadasa Sirisena et alia.), Radio Ceylon, Sinhala movies and Youtube and CDs today. In this particular study, a linguistic analysis will be presented to demonstrate the transformation of Sinhala Language by taking the Viridu texts examples from the following: “Auwul nada Sapiriwaedane” by Ambanwela Rala from the “Kandyan Kavikara Maduwa”, „Viridu‟ from the “Dam Street Scene” from John de Silva‟s play „Sinhala Parabhava Prakaranaya‟, enactment of Viridu in the earliest Sinhala Movies: “Hadisi Vinishchaya” (1950), “Sujatha” ( 1953) and “Rekawa” (1953), while focusing on the language change of performativity.
Analyzing Styles, Spellings of Documents Demonstrating Religious Patronage of a Cluster of Buddhist Viharas.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Dissanayaka, G.R.
The 19th century opens by making Sri Lankans a part of the British Rule. The upward mobility of certain families in the Southern and Western maritime regions also gave impetus take over the patronage of establishing new fraternities of the Amarapura Nikaya and sponsoring the building of monasteries and temples to revive study of the Tripitakaya, Sinhala and Pali education. On one hand, a new kind of literacy and activism among lay Buddhists was the result. On the other hand, the temples however maintained its role as epicenters, for teaching, learning, publishing canonical texts and reviving ritual practices. A new elite Sinhala society emerged at the conclusion of the 19th century even in regions further than Colombo, the commercial hub and the aforesaid Southern and Western Maritime Region. The author has published research on the cluster of six „Soldara Viharayas‟ the artistic traditions and architectural features have been focused (Dissanayake 2016 and 2017). The donor inscriptions in the „Soldara Viharayas‟ at Gallengolla, Atthanagoda and Mahalolouwa are the focus of this research paper. Although they are imposing two story constructions, they have been missed in published research. Situated left to the Colombo Kandy Road on approaching Kandy from Colombo. Gallengolla and Atthanagoda are located today to the Sabaragamuwa Province and bordering them, Mahalolouwa is located in the Western Province. In the ongoing research to locate the Tampita Viharas, the trade and pilgrim routes of the Kelani Valley from Matara and Sri Pada have been mapped. Discovering former footpaths connecting Middeniya, Ambilipitiya and the Old Kandy Road (from Avissawella via Bulathkohupitiya to Aluth Nuwara) the HETC research team has been able to locate new centers of Buddhist Revival Movement based on Donor Inscriptions. At the Atthanoagoda inscription, the name of “Kurukuttal” appears as the name of the artist. The sanctum has many cartouches with descriptions of Buddha Charita painted on the wall. The style of writing, spellings and how words are divided in a sentence are most unusual. At the ICLSL Conference 2017 the research hypothesis would be, if these abnormalities result from a non native speaker writing captions of the walls.
Future Tense in Jaffna Tamil: Based on Comrie‟s Point of View.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Senthuran, S.
There are different types of tense systems in languages of the World. In Tamil language, morphologically there are three tenses namely: Present, Past and Future tense. According to Comrie‟s views, tenses are categorized as Absolute tense and Relative tense. Relative tense has two sub categories as pure relative tense and absolute – relative tense. Absolute and relative tenses described in Comrie‟s theory are found in Tamil language: Present, past future, present progressive, past progressive, future progressive. Still tense and not-yet tenses are functioned as absolute tenses. Absolute tense means that all events are related to the present moment (time of speaking). Its reference point for the location of situation is present moment. The aim of this study is to identify the special features of future tense in Tamil language and different usages of future tense in Tamil language. This research involves descriptive method. Primary data was collected from the informants of the Jaffna Tamil native speakers through the participant observation method. Secondary data of this research were collected from related novels and books. Collected data was analysed using structural analysis and thematic analysis method. The findings revealed that future tense has special features. In Jaffna Spoken Tamil, more future tense aspects are expressed than in Comrie‟s views. Comrie mainly analyses the aspect of future tense of English and other languages. However, according to Comrie‟s theory, future tense aspects agree with Jaffna spoken Tamil. As far as Tamil is concerned, in spoken context, , the future time reference, the time adverbs, present tense forms, future suffixes and whole sentence meanings indicate the future time reference.
A Case Study on the University Students‟ Beliefs on the Methodology Used for English Language Teaching.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Dayananda, G.M.C.M.; Premaratne, C. D. H. M.
Beliefs are a main construct in the process of Language learning. Students‟ beliefs on the methodology that their teachers employ in improving language skills of the students play a major role in English language teaching and learning. The aim of this research is to identify the attitudes of the university students on the methodology used in the English language teaching process. The data was collected by a modified questionnaire administered from the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory by Horwitz. It was distributed among forty first year undergraduates of the Faculty of Business Studies and Finance in the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. For further confirmation, three lecturers who conducted English lectures for the Faculty of Business Studies and Finance were interviewed. 100% of the students accept that they should repeat and practice a lot to be successful in the Language classroom. 92.5% of the students believe that new technology must be used in an innovative way and 52.5% of the students think that exposure to the culture of the native speakers is important in enhancing the English Language competence. According to the key findings of this research, it is evident that time allocated for the practice is not satisfactory and immediate correction of errors is essential as errors can be fossilized. Due to the less exposure to the culture of native English speakers, it is beneficial to encourage students for the practice of the language as it will develop the communication competence. Therefore, it is important to promote student centered learning and out of classroom language learning among the university students to be successful in English language learning process. The research findings depicts that it is vital to introduce information communication technology to the second language classroom.
Challenges to Spoken Sri Lankan Tamil in the Post-war Period.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Kesavan, S.
Sri Lanka has unique variety of spoken Tamil, which is different from Indian Tamil. Comparing with Indian-Tamil, Sri Lankan Tamil has several unique qualities. Sri Lankan Tamil is spoken in several areas in Sri Lanka such as Jaffna, Killinochi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Mannar, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa and Colombo. During the war period, the dynamics of the Tamil community and the living patterns of the population were observed to be stagnant. In that period, the relationship between the Tamil community and the other communities was limited. It was not possible for ordinary people to get knowledge of technology. In the post-war period, Sri Lankan spoken Tamil lost its unique qualities. The post-war social and economic changes have changed the Sri Lankan Tamil Speech. A community, which had little technical knowledge, is suddenly exposed to modern technologies; it has influenced the language. In this context, there is a need to examine the real state of the Sri Lankan Tamil as a language in the social, economic and cultural arenas. The primary source of information to this study was field based data collection technique. The researcher employed qualitative data collection techniques: direct observation, participative observation, semi structured interviews and Case studies. Descriptive Research methodology and Historical Research methodology are used for this research. The study ended up with number of interesting findings. This study attempts to highlight the Challenges facing contemporary spoken Sri Lankan Tamil and it provides evidence to protect the Sri Lankan Spoken Tamil.
A Study on Adapting Local Context in Cartoon Dubbing (With Reference to Sinhala Dubbed English Cartoons in Sirasa & Hiru TV).
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Caldera, A.U.
Adapting the local context in cartoon dubbing has become a growing trend in Sri Lanka today. In this process, in spite of the creativity, disappearance of the original story, losing the opportunity of learning English and learning a nonstandard Sinhala language, have been identified as problems by the Sri Lankan parents. The study discusses the perspectives of children on Sinhala dubbed cartoons and English cartoons telecasting in Sirasa TV and Hiru TV and the effectiveness of adapting local context in dubbing is decided on their reasons for preferences for either cartoons. 50 randomly selected students including 25 boys and 25 girls of grade 6, 7 and 8 from Colombo district government schools, were interviewed as they still belong to the age of watching cartoons and capable of giving opinions. Among them, 64% preferred English cartoons saying that they learn new English words and as the language is simple, the story is understood though not knowing the meaning of each word. Further, as they already know Sinhala, they are interested in knowing English, as their parents also compel to watch and stated the adaptation of Sri Lankan context in cartoons create confusion, as they are different from what their parents have told. In addition, the language seems complex for them with some colloquial Sinhala phrases. Comparatively the same group agreed that the jokes could be understood in Sinhala dubbed cartoons than in English. 36% preferred Sinhala dubbed cartoons, disliking English cartoons as their characters speak fast and that made them unable to understand a single word, whereas some declared the language in dubbed cartoons is colloquial as it is “Singlish” that they use in everyday life, therefore, they learn both Sinhala and English words. In this study, a recommendation is made to identify the target audience for effective cartoon dubbing.
The Impact of Gender Differences on Class Attendance and Student Performance in Second Language Learning (A Case Study Based on First Year Undergraduates of the Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya).
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Kelanigama, D.A.
This study intends to investigate the relationship between gender and second language learning, while paying special attention to the class attendance of the undergraduates. This was achieved through the analysis of their performance in language in relation to class attendance according to their gender. The sample of this study consisted of 46 (23 male and 23 female) first year students from the Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya. The final grades based on the mid-term and end-term results on English tests and attendance recorded for both semesters of the students who completed the questionnaire based on the compelling reasons for absenteeism were obtained for analysis. The quantitative data collected were analysed using Statistical Package for Microsoft Excel Windows 2010. The study reveals that females are significantly successful than males in terms of overall test scores with the females scoring an average of almost fifteen points higher than male language learners. It is found that 92% of female students earning above-average grades have over 75% attendance while 83% of male students earning grades below class average have low attendance. Thus, class attendance seems to be particularly effective at reducing the number of failures while having stronger or weaker effect on the number of high grades received. When further analysing the possible underlying reasons for absenteeism, 43% of the males say that they use English hours to do the work of the other subjects they are doing while only 4% of females express the same. Moreover, 88% of the students who use English hours for extracurricular activities and students‟ union/ welfare activities are males. This is mostly due to the mind-set that they only have to focus on their own academic specification and utilize the English hours for such activities. Thus, it is found that there is a direct relationship between grades achieved for second language learning and the class attendance of the undergraduate corresponding to the specific gender.
An Approach to Avoid Translation Errors Made by the Students Learning Korean as a Foreign Language.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Gunasinghe, U.P.; Diddeniya, C.V.
Learning a new language and translating it into another language is not an easy task. However, currently there is a significant emphasis on translating one language into another. The term of “Translation” has come into effect recently to facilitate the evaluation of the accuracy of a language translation. This process is now considered as an important method to ensure the accuracy of the work. The main objective of this research is to analyze the errors in the translations done by Korean language learners. This study is based on the students of the University of Kelaniya who study Korean as a compulsory, optional or an auxiliary subject. This research also ascertain the extent of the influence on writing, reading, listening and speaking of Korean language by translation. Writing outcomes of the class assignments of thirty participants in the Korean language class of level two and level three of University of Kelaniya has been collected as primary data to be analyzed. Data analysis of writing outcomes is focused on word formation, sentence structure, grammatical errors and meanings of words. This study discusses the reasons for students to make errors in translation and proposes a method to avoid translation errors. Moreover, by applying the proposed method in specific teaching environment, improvement in Korean language and translation and contribution to learner‟s language development is expected. Given that the study primarily attempts to investigate the student‟s errors in their Korean language studies, it is strongly believed that the result of this study will facilitate the teaching and learning process.
Attitudes towards the Use of Web 2.0 Tools for Learning ESL: A Case Study Conducted at the Advanced Technological Institute, Gampaha.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Jayathilake, M. V. M.; Shantha, P. H. A. B.
With the advancement of the web technologies, almost all the fields get more benefits than previously and education is one of most benefited sectors. There is a growing interest in online classroom settings in learning second languages. There are a number of research studies that have used empirical and exploratory methods to assess and evaluate the actual impact of using Web 2.0 tools in learning English as second language, because Web 2.0 tools have shifted language learners from passive recipients into active contributors. Based on this rationale, the present study aims at exploring attitudes toward the use of Web 2.0 tools for leaning English as a second language. However, the question arises as to whether alternative higher education sector students have similar Web 2.0 experiences in ESL as their higher education sector peers. In this study, the core objective is to evaluate attitudes towards using Web 2.0 tools in Leaning English as a Second Language in the higher Education sector of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, 260 students from Advanced Technological Institute (ATI), Gampaha were selected as the sample. Framework of this study is based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The study made use of a mixed method approach and the participants‟ attitudes were elicited through the use of a questionnaire which included open-ended questions to collect qualitative data and structured questions which ensured the collection of quantitative data. Responses given to open-ended questions were analyzed through coding the statements while the responses to structured questions were analyzed by calculating the frequencies. The results showed that all the respondents rated the items positively within all six dimensions of TAM. Web 2.0 tools had significant correlations to TAM dimensions and the majority of students have positive attitudes regarding the use of an interactive web environment and the learning benefits that ensued.
A Review of Chinese Language Teaching in Sri Lanka.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Jing, L. G.
Chines, is one of the most popularly studied languages in 21st century. It is becoming Esperanto around the world today. According to the survey, more than 100 million people all over the world are learning Chinese. The long-standing bond between Sri Lanka and China led both countries to cooperate tightly. According to incomplete statistics, from 2012 to 2016, Confucius Institute at University of Kelaniya has totally cultivated 1,576 academic diplomas students and 30,000 non-academic diploma students, which includ 12,500 weekend certificate class students and 16,900 teaching points students. Learning Chinese as a foreign language has becom a fashion among the young generations in Sri Lanka. In recent years, the requirement for Chinese teachers have increased. The number of local Chinese teachers is also increasing rapidly. However, there are problems such as some of the required course provision is not reasonable and it needs to be adjusted. Aim of this research is to identify history and development of teaching and learning Chinese as a foreign language, factors affecting the development of teaching and learning Chinese as a foreign language among Sri Lankan students. In addition, this study will also suggest feasible solutions to establish teaching Chinese as a second language in Sri Lanka. By using literature review, methodology data collection and previous literature researches done by local and foreign scholars in the latest 10 years, summing up in the recent 10 years‟ achievement, which the researchers have done on the topic of Chinese teaching. Chinese language teaching methods as well as the history and development of Chinese language in Sri Lankan colleges and the universities were analysed to find the present situation of the Chinese teaching and curriculum setting in Sri Lanka. This research will help the experts, scholars and Chinese language teachers to understand the history and development of Chinese language teaching in Sri Lanka.
Difficulties Encountered in Teaching German Family Forms to Non-native Students.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Udayamali, S. A. T. S.
Foreign language learning not only includes the acquisition of grammar and vocabulary but also the acquisition of a cultural competency related to the target language. However, acquiring cultural competency could be a challenge when the student‟s culture is distant from that of the target language. German as a foreign language is offered to the undergraduates in the University of Kelaniya and the cultural theme “family forms” (“Lebensformen in Deutschland”) is introduced to them in their second year. Cultural differences between Sri Lanka and Germany make the above theme a culturally challenging subject to Sri Lankan learners. Thus, it has been observed that language teachers find it difficult to introduce these forms to their students. Further, the refusal of learning a culturally unfamiliar theme and the interference of students‟ personal attitudes in acquiring cultural competency have in fact been discussed in previous studies. The aim of the present study is to find methods through which such culturally controversial themes could be introduced to students in order to overcome refusal of learning culturally unfamiliar themes and interference of adverse personal attitudes. The study was conducted using a sample of 21 undergraduates from the second year (2015/2016). Before starting the lesson, a fun warm up activity linked to the selected theme was carried out in groups. The activity (a quiz at the end of which students would find their tolerance profiles) was aimed at measuring tolerance levels of students. This was followed by a plenary discussion where attitudes and stereotypes were brought to question. Texts about family forms in Germany were then given to the class and practical activities (role plays) related to the theme were also conducted. At the end of the session it was observed that students‟ participation at the proposed activities were higher than seen in the previous study. It could be concluded that culturally unfamiliar themes could be grasped by foreign language students when accompanied by carefully planned warm up activities questioning culturally formed stereotypes. The findings of this study will be useful for language teachers facing difficulties in developing cultural competency among their learners.
An Analysis of the Contribution of Information and Communication Technology towards the Improvement of the Writing Skills of Second Language Learners.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Alfred, R.
In the last few years, the focus on information and technology has been increasing dramatically. Information and communication technology has a profound effect on almost all the spheres and its influence and effects on education are noticeably decisive. Language teaching and learning through the internet is remarkable with the opportunities provided by the online resources, network services, and educational software. Moreover, the advances and increasing use of technology have paved way for the most significant changes in the genres of written communication in language use. Most of the undergraduates at University of Jaffna are often unable to produce language in written form and to comprehend the written instructions in their exam papers. Their lack of accuracy and fluency in language usage have resulted in numerous systematic and non-systematic errors which are to be found in their writing. This affects the academic progress of the enrolled learners and results in grave consequences like fossilization in their interlanguage where they are unable to move further in the process of learning their second language. Lack of access to internet and computer, technological devices, resources, network services and educational programmes for writing is the sole reason for such problems in countries like Sri Lanka. This paper, in its mixed method approach, tries to analyse how online tools and services are now increasingly becoming essential and how the students should be encouraged and motivated to use online discourses to develop their writing skills. The students are divided into two groups – control and experimental and through an intervention the conclusion will be drawn out. The research attempts to find out the ways to encourage students to express their learning difficulties freely and improve their skills through technology.
From „Facebook‟ to „Bukiya‟: Language Change in Facebook among Undergraduates of the University of Vocational Technology.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Karunarathna, J. A. M. B.; Jayashan, M. N. L. C. L.; Wijayasen, W. A. S. R.; Papith, V.; Shakthibaala, S.; Dharmadasa, A.S.U.; Nizreen, Z.
Language transmits cultural values, norms and beliefs. Media has always influenced the constant change of language. Especially with the rapid change of technology, from internet to smartphones, it has changed the way people communicate. It is said that human communication has become easier and quicker through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. As long as human communication has become quicker through social networking, language has also changed rapidly. It has contributed to English language by adding words and phrases such as „OMG‟, „LOL‟, unfriend, etc. among the users. The aim of the research is to investigate the changes occurred in the language being used in the social media among Sri Lankan users with particular focus on Facebook. Data is collected in snowball sampling technique from the undergraduates of University of Vocational Technology, through six voluntary research agents. They are active users of Facebook and collected data for four months. These voluntary research agents are undergraduates of University of Vocational Technology, Sri Lanka. In collecting data, morphological changes were focused in status updates and comments in Facebook, in Sinhala, Tamil and English among the undergraduates of University of Vocational Technology. Findings were thematically categorized and analyzed. Results shows interesting findings across languages, such as the variations of the same word in Sinhala „supiri‟, „patta‟, „pata pata‟ to „fatta‟ throughout the time, and a similar word for the same in status updates in Tamil „sattapadi‟. Further, according to findings, many morphological changes have occurred with blending and borrowing. However, comments made in English language show a comparative reduction to „likes‟ and emojis. Findings illustrate the necessity of further research in analysis of discourse across three languages in social media since the language change is rapid, complex and unprecedented.
A Study on the Attitudes and Issues of the Undergraduates Who have Completed the Compulsory English Course for Humanities Students.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Keerthiwansha, N.W.B.S.
The compulsory English course is designed to improve the English language knowledge of the undergraduates to assist them to continue their respective courses at the university. However, even after the completion of the course, the majority of the undergraduates show difficulties in basic grammar, academic writing and speaking. Therefore, this particular research is designed to identify the attitudes of the undergraduates who have already completed the compulsory course to make suggestions for further improvements. Twenty-five third year undergraduates were chosen to give a questionnaire to record their attitudes regarding the course before the commencement and after the completion of the course, the remaining language issues they have and their personal opinion regarding the course. Through the data analysis it was found that the course do not have a text book. The majority of 87% have stated that the time duration of 2 hours per week for 15 weeks is not enough for the course. More importantly, when their attitude regarding the course before the commencement of the course is noteworthy because the majority of 83% had expected that the course would solve some of their English language issues and 17% had thought that the course would solve all their English language issues. On the contrary, none of the participants stated that all their issues were solved after completing the course while the majority of 74% have stated that some of their issues were solved and the remaining 16% has stated that none of their issues was solved after the course. In addition, writing skills were not improved and the time allocation for listening and speaking was quite low. Majority of 63% has specifically stated that the focus on improving speaking skills was inadequate, which was the most critical language skill for the undergraduates. Thus, designing a textbook to cover all the necessary grammar rules, extending the duration of the course, focusing more on presentation skills, speaking and academic writing can be suggested to improve the quality of the course and to meet the language needs of the undergraduates.
A Comparative Study of Odia and Kui Morphology.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Penthoi, G. C.
Kui (ISO639-3 Code „Kxu‟) is a language spoken by Kondh or Kondha /Kɔndhɔ/ tribe. Majority of the Kui-speaking Kondhs live in the hilly and forested areas of South and central Odisha especially in the undivided districts of Kandhamal, Koraput and Kalahandi. Kondh people being an underdeveloped tribal people, study of their language, society and culture draws a lot of attention of academics, administration and other purposes. The objective of this study is to compare morphological analysis or word formation of Odia and Kui languages. It should be pointed out here that the Odia language, which is the major language of the state, is surrounding the Konda village on all sides. It is also the main linguistic medium in educational, social, economic and religious spheres. Therefore, Kui has borrowed words and other linguistic features from Odia. In all the Kui speaking areas a large number of Odia words have intermingled in the ordinary speech of the Konds. This fluctuation is due to the amount of contact the hill-man has with the Odia people. The approach is data oriented and uses in general. The structuralist methodology has been followed for the analysis of the data in the present work. Data was collected from the native speakers through field visit to various Kui speaking areas. Some of the findings depict that the word formation process of Kui is simpler than Odia Language. Reduplication, Echo formation and contraction process of morphology are not frequent in Kui language as in Odia. All other morphological processes are same in both languages, although the number of vocabulary of Kui language is very less. It is suggested that the findings are not the ultimatum, many more findings may be possible if further research done in such areas of study.
The Accuracy on the Usage of Active Voice and Passive Voice by Learners of English as a Second Language: Tertiary Level.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Jayasinghe, R.R.
In English grammar, voice refers to the form of verb in a sentence: Active voice or Passive voice. In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action where as in passive form, the subject receives the action. In English Language, there are 12 tenses to indicate active voice, but the possibility of transforming them to passive voice depends on the given verb and the context of the sentence. Though the active voice verbs are stronger and usually more empathetic than the passive voice verbs, the university undergraduates of the Faculty of Science have to master the passive voice accurately in order to report their experiments and research findings quite frequently. However, even having a good knowledge of the 12 tenses in active voice, many ESL (English as a Second Language) learners fail to transform some of them into passive voice successfully. The aim of this study is to examine the accuracy patterns of the ESL learners‟ usage of passive voice and thereby to find out the causes of these learners‟ difficulties in transforming active voice sentences into passive voice. The hypothesis of this study is, the intralingual difficulties in English language, create undergraduates‟ errors in passive voice construction. A pool of 150 Physical Science first year students of University of Kelaniya were examined in this study. These students were given a writing task to transform active voice sentences of all the 12 tenses in English language into passive voice. These students‟ accuracy was marked and analyzed by using an ANOVA test followed by an HD Tukey test in SPSS. The results showed a substantial number of significant variances between the accuracy of passive voice sentences in different tenses. This study concludes that the students make errors in transforming active voice to passive voice due to the interlingual difficulties caused by the negative influence of their first language, Sinhala, and also the intralingual difficulties in their target language, English. These findings can be used to facilitate teaching passive voice in ESL classrooms at the tertiary level.
A Contrastive Analysis of Pāņinī and Sārasvata on Historical Indian Grammaticism.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Samitharathana Thero, Wadigala
Pāņinī and Sārasvata are dual approaches of Sanskrit grammatical analysis on historical philology. Vedic Grammar on Caturveda which appeared as Ŗg - Yajur - Sāma - Atharvāṃgīras was a grammatical configuration of Vedic Sanskrit in that religious atmosphere. Therefore, in this manner, the grammarian Pāņinī through the compilation of “Așṭhādhyāyī” differentiated Sanskrit from Vedic Sanskrit. However, “Sārasvata” which was issued by grammarian Anubhūti Svarūpa comprised of modern grammaticism. In this manner, Pāņinī and Sārasavata showed certain similarities and differences regarding certain significant grammatical issues. Because of their hypothesis about Pāņinī and Sārasvata were appeared and enhanced on different kind of precariousness varieties in historical linguistics on grammatical criticism. So we have large scale length of observing criteria of syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationship on between the Pāņinī and Sārasvata. Likewise i assumed to identify priory characteristics about that both of grammatical criticism on historical philology of grammaticism. According to methodologies on historical philology of grammaticism are there any specifying strings in corporally between the Pāņinī and Sārasvata? Particularly could we have to point out their own some similarities and differences on the way of syntagmatic and paradigmatic? Moreover, what about relationship and functionally organization in modifiers were manifested on the Pāņinī and Sārasvata? I envisage for adapting primary and secondary sources which are comprised and composed on Indo - European controversial grammatical criticisms of Sanskrit language depending upon historical linguistics criterions on behalf this academic process.