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project was in many ways a collective effort and would not have been successful without the help and support of several people. First and foremost, I would like to thank my adviser, Elaine Tarone, for her wisdom, patience and sense of humor throughout this process. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from Elaine; it was an invaluable experience. I would also like to thank my two other committee members, Carol Klee and Dan Soneson, for their time, constructive feedback and interest in my project. I am not sure I can adequately express how grateful I am to my family (all of them) for supporting me in life in general and specifically over the past year as I worked on this project. My parents, Debbie and Bruce, my aunt, Betsy Leach and my grandmother Betty Pat Leach were especially reassuring and empathetic in those moments where I questioned everything. I am not sure what I would have done without them and a great deal of who and where I am today is a result of their advice, guidance and love. This project would not have been possible or gotten off the ground without the work o