A Comparison of Tense, Aspect and Voice systems of English, Modern Standard Arabic and Libyan Dialects and the Possible Implications for the Learning and using of English Tense, Aspect and Voice by Libyan University Students Ahmed Altahr. Alesawe Submitted in Accordance with the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Education March 2015 The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his own and that appropriate that credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement Acknowledgement I acknowledge and appreciate the invaluable comments and supervision provided by Professor Mike Baynham and Doctor Mustapha Lahlali. Without their support and encouragement comments I would not have been able to finish this study. I would also like to express my appreciation and thanks to Dr. Sameh Hanna Soliman for his time and supportive comments. A big thank you goes to the participants of this study and the teachers at the Faculty of Teachers in Zintan city for their help in conducting the fieldwork at that faculty. I would not have been able to obtain the necessary data for the study without their cooperation. I send my thanks to those who offered their help such as Mr Khalid Al-Azhari and Mohamed Abdusalam who helped me looking for references on the Libyan dialects. I also appreciate the support and help of Dr. Khalid Alzoobair. I would also like to express my appreciation and thanks to the supervisors and employs at the Cultural Attaché at Libyan embassy in London, in particular Mr. Mohamed Almokhtar and Mr. Yousif Jamal. i Abstract This study investigates the existence and use of Tense Aspect and Voice (TAV) in Modern standard Arabic (MSA) and Libyan Dialects (LD) and the effect of these language systems, particularly „Libyan dialects (LD)‟on the acquisition and use of the English (TAV) by Libyan university students. This study is conducted in two stages. The first stage investigates the existence and use of (TAV) in both MSA and LD, and then it compares these grammatical structures in MSA to those of LD in terms of syntactic structures and the pragmatic use of TAV. The second stage investigates the use of the English (TAV) by Libyan learners of English. The findings of these two stages are compared and contrasted to see the extent to which the presence of (TAV) in Libyan dialects affects the use of English (TAV) by Libyan learners of English and, if there is any influence, which of these two language forms (MSA) or (LD) has more effect on the English use of (TAV). The results of the first stage show some similarities and differences between (MSA) and (LD) in the presence and use of (TAV). That is, some tenses exist in both (MSA) and (LD) and are similarly used, while other tenses are either existent in MSA or LD. The results of the second stage show that both language forms (LD) and (MSA) have a degree of influence on the acquisition and use of English (TAV). However, (LD) appears to have more effect. This is very clear in the use of simple past instead of present perfect and in the use of what is so called „activisation‟ which is deemed an (LD) marked form as this appears in the participants‟ responses when using the English (TAV). Besides this, some other grammatical structures such as the use of continuous and perfect tenses are also affected by (LD). ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ………………………………………….. ........ i Abstract ……………………………………………… .. ii Table of Contents ……………………………………………… .. iii List of Tables and Diagrams ......................................................................... viii The Main Abbreviations Used in the Study ................................................. x The Transliteration System Symbols .............................................................. xi Chapter One Introduction .......................................................................... 1 1.1. Historical Background of Libya ................................................................ 5 1.2. The Libyan Tertiary Education System ................................................. 7 1.3. Rationale of the study .......................................................................... 9 1.4. The Aim of the Study .......................................................................... 10 1.5. Contribution of the Study ....................................................................... 11 Chapter Two Literature Review ..................................................................... 12 2.1. Behaviourist Theory .......................................................................... 13 2.1.1. Behaviourist View of L1 Influence ..................................................... 14 2.2. Mentalist Theory .......................................................................... 15 2.2.1. Mentalist View of L1 Influence .......................................................... 17 2.3. Cognitive Theory .......................................................................... 21 2.4. Connectionism .......................................................................... 23 2.5. Competition Model .......................................................................... 25 2.5.1. The Competition Model View of L1 Influence .................................. 26 2.6. Information Processing Model ............................................................... 27 2.6.1. L1 Influence in the Information Processing Model ............................ 29 iii 2.7. MOGUL Model .......................................................................... 29 2.7.1. MOGUL View of L1 Influence .......................................................... 30 2.8. The Phenomenon of L1 Influence on Learner Language ....................... 34 2.9. Types and Dimensions of L1 Influence ................................................. 35 2.9.1. Borrowing .......................................................................... 36 2.9.2. Avoidance .......................................................................... 37 2.10. Conceptual Transfer .......................................................................... 40 2.11. Transfer Load and Constraints ............................................................. 41 2.12. Summary and Conclusion .................................................................... 44 Chapter Three Research Methods ............................................................ 47 3.0. Introduction .......................................................................... 47 3.1. The Subjects and Context of the Study ..................................................... 49 3.2. Ethical Considerations .......................................................................... 50 3.3. Research Instruments .......................................................................... 51 3.4. Data Collection Instruments ...................................................................... 52 3.4.1. Stage (I) Libyan Dialects .................................................................... 52 3.4.1.1. Focus Group .......................................................................... 53 3.4.1.2. Conversation Recordings ................................................................ 54 3.4.2. Stage Two Libyan University Students .............................................. 56 3.4.2.1 Picture Describing .......................................................................... 57 3.4.2.2 Story Writing .......................................................................... 57 3.5. Data Analysis .......................................................................... 58 3.6. The Pilot Study .......................................................................... 59 3.6.1. The Participants of the Pilot Study ...................................................... 59 3.6.2. Summary of the Pilot Study Findings .................................................. 59 3.7. Transliteration System .......................................................................... 60 iv Chapter Four English Tense, Aspect and Voice ......................................... 62 4.1. The English Tenses .......................................................................... 62 4. 2. Aspect .......................................................................... 65 4.1. 3. Voice .......................................................................... 69 4.4. Conclusion ……………………………………………. ..... 72 Chapter Five The Arabic Tense, Aspect and Voice .................................. 74 5.1. The Arabic verb .......................................................................... 75 5.1.1 Transitivity .......................................................................... 76 5.1.2 Verb Forms .......................................................................... 78 5.1.2.1 Triliteral Verbs .......................................................................... 79 5.1.2.2 Quadriliteral Verbs .......................................................................... 80 5. 2. Tense .......................................................................... 82 5.2.1 The past .......................................................................... 83 5.2.2. The present .......................................................................... 85 5.2.3 Imperative .........................................................................