Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted The Second Language Acquisition of English Phrasal Verbs by Arabic, Chinese and German Speakers(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alharbi, Faisal Nafea N; Van der Wurff, William; Hettiarachchi, SujeewaThis thesis examines the acquisition and use of English phrasal verbs by adult L2 learners, focusing on learners’ use of phrasal verbs, phrasal verb types, literal and figurative, and phrasal verb collocation. Although English phrasal verbs are often described as a lexical and grammatical category characteristic of Germanic languages, learners from non-Germanic backgrounds are frequently reported to experience persistent difficulty in acquiring their form, meaning, and use. Drawing on the Feature Reassembly Hypothesis, this study scrutinises whether learners’ performance is shaped by their L1, language proficiency, and phrasal verb frequency. Data were collected from 160 participants across four language groups: Arabic, Chinese, German, and English. Learners’ proficiency was established using the Cambridge Assessment English test, allowing participants to be categorised as intermediate or advanced. Learners completed four tasks targeting different aspects of phrasal verb knowledge: a phrase collocation task, a linguistic preference task, a story completion task, and a meaning retention task. The tested phrasal verbs were selected through corpus-based frequency analysis to ensure familiarity and comparability across items. The data were analysed using chi-square tests and mixed-effects logistic regression models. The results show that learners across all L1 groups have acquired the category of English phrasal verbs, but their performance remains consistently lower than that of English speakers. Learners relied more heavily on one-word verbs and literal meanings, particularly in tasks with higher production demands, and showed persistent difficulty with figurative meanings and collocational accuracy. Language proficiency was a robust predictor, with advanced learners outperforming intermediate learners across phrasal verb use, phrasal verb types, and collocation, though native-like mastery was not achieved. On the other hand, phrasal verb frequency did not show a clear positive effect. It is worth noting that Arabic and German learners frequently performed more similarly to each other than to Chinese learners, despite Arabic lacking a structure resembling English phrasal verbs. Overall, the findings support an interpretation of phrasal verb acquisition as a gradual process of feature reassembly in which learners develop partial but incomplete representations of form, meaning, and use. The study contributes to research on second language development by showing that L1 influence operates through differences in feature organisation and interface mapping rather than through surface-level structural similarity, and by highlighting phrasal verb collocation as a particularly demanding and late-acquired aspect of phrasal verb knowledge.12 0Item Restricted FROM SURVIVAL TO SOCIAL: THE EVOLUTION OF STRATEGIC COMPETENCE IN B2 ENGLISH LEARNERS DURING COLLABORATIVE BOARD GAMEPLAY(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Bin Hazza, Hazza; López-Robertson, JuliaAn examination of the communicative strategies of B2-level English language learners was conducted to investigate the evolutionary trajectory of strategic deployment in informal, collaborative, and non-instructional settings. While traditional research has predominantly focused on digital or explicitly educational games within controlled, single-session tasks, a notable gap remains in understanding how learners navigate the linguistic and social demands of non-pedagogical, commercially available board games over repeated encounters. This qualitative case study addressed this gap by observing four learners as they engaged in four sessions of Forbidden Desert, a collaborative survival board game. The theoretical framework integrated Sociocultural Theory, Communicative Competence, and Strategic Competence, emphasizing language as a socially mediated tool for collective problem-solving. Methodologically, the study employed a dual framework approach for theoretical triangulation, utilizing Dörnyei and Scott’s (1997) micro-linguistic taxonomy alongside Nakatani’s (2006) macro-interactional Oral Communication Strategy Inventory (OCSI). Data sources included video recordings of approximately 200 minutes of gameplay, which were processed through a Cross Verification Matrix to identify areas of convergence and divergence between the two frameworks. v Key findings revealed a sophisticated strategic repertoire characterized by a significant shift from a "survivalist orientation" to a "social orientation". Quantitative analysis documented a 71% reduction in survival mechanisms—such as message abandonment and negotiation for meaning—as participants gained task familiarity. Simultaneously, a spike in social-affective behaviors, including joking and encouragement, indicated a reallocation of attentional resources toward social maintenance. Crucially, the dual-framework analysis identified that 25% of the interactional data would have remained invisible under a purely psycholinguistic model, justifying the necessity of a macro-interactional lens to capture interpersonal management. Implications for theory suggest redefining strategic competence as a proactive interactional resource rather than a reactive compensatory tool. Practically, the study advocates for a game-enhanced pedagogical approach that honors approximations and utilizes task repetition to foster interactional autonomy and risk-taking in real-world communicative settings.4 0Item Restricted The Role of Motivation in Enhancing Second Language Acquisition for EAL Students(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-06-08) Alanazi, Arif Mulayh H; Al-Shwayli, SehamThis research investigates motivational frameworks that enhance the learning outcomes of English as an Additional Language (EAL) for learners in Years 11 and 12 in Australian secondary schools. In line with a systematic literature review method, 82 selected peer-reviewed and grey literature sources published between 2020 and 2025 were scrutinised to extract evidence-based practices on learner engagement, effort, and language skills acquisition. The scope of the study, grounded in the L2 Motivational Self System, Self-Determination Theory, and the concept of investment, reveals key motivational drivers that can be classified into two broad clusters: individual and emotional factors, and social and instructional relationships. The findings revealed that the core components of learner engagement include intrinsic motivation, emotional safety, student agency, and support for multilingual identity. Teacher relationships, peer relations, culturally responsive instructional strategies, and family participation are deemed essential motivators for learners and educators. The review highlights significant discrepancies between the proposed professional development components and policy frameworks within multicultural instructional settings. The study presents strong recommendations for incorporating anti-oppressive frameworks, peer mentoring models, comprehensive EAL motivation structures, and holistic approaches into culturally responsive systems. These findings, in addition, broaden understanding for educators, policy makers, and school administrators who seek to support the multilingual and scholarly activities of EAL learners.29 0Item Restricted Mediating Development in the EFL Classroom: The Case of Saudi Learners’ Use of Collaborative Dialogue(Essex University, 2025) Almghamis, Bayan; Gánem-Gutiérrez, Adela; Jabbari, NasserFramed within a sociocultural theory perspective of second language learning, the present study explored the impact of reasoning skills training on learners’ collaborative dialogue during EFL tasks, measured through the quantity, quality, and focus of Language-Related Episodes (LREs). A secondary focus was to investigate the effect of collaborative dialogue, supported by reasoning skills, on learners’ knowledge of target forms (i.e., past simple, past continuous, present perfect). Forty-five L1 Arabic university students of L2 English participated. Using a quasi-experimental design and (micro)genetic analysis, results from a mixed- design ANOVA showed that both the reasoning skills group (N=22) and control group (N=23) improved their test scores across three time periods (pre-test, post test, delayed post test). However, no significant difference was found between the two interventions. A Chi- square test revealed a significant difference in the LREs produced by the reasoning skills group compared to the control group, indicating a positive effect on collaborative dialogue. A qualitative analysis of eight participants from the reasoning skills group revealed how reasoning skills training facilitated development in learners' language knowledge and collaborative dialogue. The study’s practical contributions are discussed, highlighting the potential for integrating reasoning skills in second language teaching. Limitations and recommendations for future research, including exploring long-term effects and broader applications, are also addressed.17 0