How professional readers process unnatural narrators

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Alber ◽  
Jessica Jumpertz ◽  
Axel Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Fairy Tales ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
First Person ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Fictional Worlds

Abstract In an experiment, the authors tried to find out how professional readers deal with unnatural narrators (such as a narrating parrot and a speaking coin). The hypotheses and research questions were mostly derived from Jan Alber’s proposed reading strategies and operationalized to be measured with the help of a close-ended questionnaire. Thirty-two students of English from RWTH Aachen University took part in the study and were presented with four text passages that featured two natural and two unnatural first-person narrators. These excerpts represented a gliding scale of defamiliarization or estrangement in the sense of Shklovsky that ranges from (1) a realist backpacking tourist in India to (2) a narrator who suffers from hallucinations (both natural), and from there to (3) a narrating parrot and, finally, (4) a speaking coin (both unnatural). The results indicate that the participants perceived the narratives that featured unnatural narrators as being more estranging than the ones that contained natural narrators, and that unnaturalness was regarded as an indicator of fictionality. Furthermore, it was easier for the participants to emotionally engage with the natural (compared to the unnatural) narrators. The study also shows that blending was used as a strategy to make sense of the unnatural narrators, and that the participants thought that fictional worlds were relevant for their own world experiences – regardless of whether the narrators were unnatural or not. Furthermore, most of the participants were reminded of familiar genres (fantasy stories or fairy tales) when they dealt with the unnatural narrators.

scholarly journals Teacher’s and Students’ Beliefs on English for General Academic Purposes: The Case of Iranian University Students

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Masoud Kermani Kojour ◽  
Javad Kia Heirati
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Educational Environments ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Awareness Raising ◽  
Research Questions

<p>This study was framed in the sociocultural theory to look into the evolution of L2 learners’ beliefs about the general English course during a term. One hundred ninety-eight male and female university students and their general English course teacher were randomly selected as the participants of the study. Data were gathered through the administration of Horwitz’s (1988) BALLI questionnaire. Among the participants, 38 students were invited to take part in semi-structured interview sessions and fill in an open-ended questionnaire at the beginning and end of the term. Descriptive statics were applied to precisely analyze the quantitative data based on the questionnaire. In order to qualitatively analyze the data, the grounded theory methodology was utilized to code the data and find the main categories in line with the research questions of the study. Findings concluded that all the learners changed their simplistic beliefs about the general English course highlighting the attention to grammar and vocabulary. In fact, the teacher believed in teaching strategies to pave the way for the learners to comprehend the text better and apply the strategies while reading. The teacher’s meditational activity assisted the learners to evolve their simplistic beliefs and be able to benefit from reading strategies for better comprehension. Awareness-raising activities should be done in terms of teachers’ and students’ beliefs about EGAP (English for general academic purposes) to equip L2 learners with better educational environments resulting in their enjoyment of the learning process.</p>

scholarly journals Image-creating features of an outstanding Cossack — the hero of the novel “Chase” by Y. Mushketyk

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olha Fedorenko
Keyword(s):  
Fairy Tales ◽  
Historical Novel ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
First Person ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Good Sense ◽  
Present Stage ◽  
Sense Of Humor ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Road Novel

The subject of the study is the interpretation of the folklore image of an outstanding Cossack character in the historical novel at the turn of the XX–XXI centuries. The appeal of this genre at the present stage to fictional sources and techniques, including myth, parables, fairy tales, fiction, games, compilations, violations of space-time linearity, etc., is a problematic field of wider research. The aim of the article is to determine functioning peculiarities of outstanding Cossack’s image in the artistic world of novel “Chase” by Y. Mushketyk. Results of the Study allowed to claim that in his novel “Chase” (1997) Y. Mushketyk modelled history in accordance to the modern tradition. The artist took the historical era of the Ruins as the basis of his story and led further narration on the principle of road, no wonder that at first sight the novel can be taken as an adventure novel. Pointing out the heredity of generations of outstanding Cossacks, the author prepares readers for perception of the hero, whose unusual abilities he reveals diversely throughout the work. Depicting a colorful portrait of Cossack Semen Belokobylka like a chimerical appearance of Cossack Mamai, Y. Mushketyk gives the novel “Chase” signs of a chimerical genre. According to the genre of road novel Y. Mushketyk reveals unusual abilities of the Cossack in lots of episodes of his journey. With the help of first person singular narration (“I-narration”), the artist transfers his feelings and emotions in extremely difficult conditions. Y. Mushketik gives the Cossack a good sense of humor as a part of his lifestyle. Liveliness gives the Cossack the power to continue the journey and complete the mission to rescue his brethren. In the reflections of outstanding Cossack, the author expresses the idea of the unity of Ukraine and Ukrainians, touches the problem of sense of living, giving the novel features of philosophical genre, significance and relevance of the present. The practical significance of the research results is the ability to form a model for the transformation of the folklore image into a literary one, extending the material of the study to other works of this genre and period.

scholarly journals Diversity in Utilization of Reading Strategies: A Cross Gender Study on Iranian EFL Learners

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Saeedeh Karbalaee Kamran
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Reading Strategy ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Teacher ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Insight Into

Current study aims to examine whether any statistically significant difference existed between Iranian<br />male and female English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' reading strategy utilization. The data<br />was collected employing three instruments of Survey of Reading Strategy (SORS), a reading test, and a<br />questionnaire on demographic information. Several analyses of independent samples t-test were<br />executed to answer the research questions. The findings revealed no statistically significant difference<br />between male and female participants on their overall reading strategy use. No gender impact was<br />sought in use of global and support subscales of reading strategies; however, female participants were<br />found to outperform their male counterparts in use of problem solving subscale of reading strategies.<br />Implications were provided for EFL teacher and researchers to upgrade their insight into nuance<br />differences between male and female readers' interaction with a text.

scholarly journals Unnatural Temporalities and Projected Places in Sam Shepard’s Cowboys #2

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-84
Author(s):  
Omid Amani ◽  
Hossein Pirnajmuddin ◽  
Ghiasuddin Alizadeh
Keyword(s):  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Synthetic Approach ◽  
Unnatural Narratology ◽  
Fictional Worlds ◽  
Literary Cartography ◽  
Abrupt Shifts ◽  
Unnatural Narratives

Sam Shepard’s Cowboys #2 (1967) belongs to his first period of play writing. In this phase, his works exhibit experimental, remote, impossible narrative/fictional worlds that are overwhelmingly abstract, exhibiting “abrupt shifts of focus and tone” (Wetzsteon 1984, 4). Shepard’s unusual theatrical literary cartography is commensurate with his depiction of unnatural temporalities, in that, although the stage is bare, with almost no props, the postmodernist/metatheatrical conflated timelines and projected (impossible) places in the characters’ imagination mutually reflect and inflect each other. Employing Jan Alber’s reading strategies in his theorization of unnatural narratology and Barbara Piatti’s concept of projected places, this essay proposes a synthetic approach so as to naturalize the unnatural narratives and storyworlds in Shepard’s play.

scholarly journals GENDER CONSTRUCTION IN MUSLIM TWEENS STORIES: A Discourse of Intersectionality of Religious and Gender Representations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erni Suparti
Keyword(s):  
Fairy Tales ◽  
Religious Identity ◽  
Visual Representation ◽  
Gender Construction ◽  
Religious Values ◽  
Media Consumption ◽  
Gender Representations ◽  
Male Characters ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
And Gender

The following study set out to examine the creative works of five Muslim tweens in Toronto, Canada, with focus on analysing the intersectionality of religious and gender representations in their works. Theoretical framework underlining this study is a discourse on visual representation of female Muslim characters, hybrid construction of gender, religious values, and media consumption. The primary research questions of this study are; (1) How do Muslim tween girls reproduce meaning and construct gender identity in their creative works? (2) How do their stories intersect gender construction with their religious background and media consumption? The results of this study revealed the hijab (Muslim head scarf) as significant visual representation of female Muslim characters in young adults’ stories. It affirms hybrid representation of gender, religious and media consumption which, in turn demonstrates Muslim tweens mitigation in gender construction. This study also reveals the fluidity of domination which explores aspects such as new context of non-existent male-characters, religious identity and kindness as the indicator of perceived beauty. Additionally, some of these tweens associate feminine identity and representation with nature which is deeply rooted in Western fairy tales and religious values (Judeo-Christian and Islam).

On Relationship between Factors and the Use of Reading Strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoling Yang
Keyword(s):  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Strategy Instruction ◽  
Important Influence ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Grammatical Structures ◽  
Girl Students ◽  
Course Of Study

This paper presents the course of study, including three research questions; subjects; instrument and procedure, by which analyzes the relationship between factors such as age, sex, motivation. The older and the younger should be differentiating strategy instruction. Boy students are more likely to translate into Chinese to but girl students prefer to analyze the grammatical structures. Motivation does have important influence on students’ use of reading strategies.

Factors Related to EFL/ESL Readers' Reading Strategy Use

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Lin
Keyword(s):  
Achievement Goals ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Reading Strategy ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Gender Disparities ◽  
College Level ◽  
Motivation Factors ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Esl Learners

This Article systematically reviews the use of reading strategies among college-level English as a foreign/second language (EFL/ESL) learners and its relationship with two non-cognitive factors: gender and motivation. The author reviews empirical studies published from 2000 to 2017 in order to answer two research questions: (a) What gender disparities exist in college-level EFL/ESL learners' use of reading strategies? (b) How do motivation factors relate to college-level EFL/ESL learners' use of reading strategies? Findings indicate that: (1) motivation factors, including achievement goals, interest in reading, and self-efficacy, positively relate to reading strategy use. (2) gender has an influence on strategy use and female readers show higher use of reading strategies. (3) Interaction effects among factors exist. EFL/ESL learners' strategy use is shaped by multiple factors jointly.

scholarly journals “I Didn’t Want to be a Burden”: Improving Interactions between Refugees and Nonprofit Service Providers

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Brittany Keegan
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
First Person ◽  
Empowerment Theory ◽  
Government Assistance ◽  
Research Questions

As newly resettled refugees integrate into their new communities they often receive services from nonprofit organizations to supplement government assistance. However, there has been little research regarding how nonprofit service providers and refugees interact with one another and perceive these interactions. This qualitative study uses data gathered from 60 first-person, open-ended interviews with refugees and nonprofit service providers to fill this gap. The research questions are: How do refugees being served by nonprofits express their perceptions of the services they receive to nonprofit service providers? To what extent do refugees feel that nonprofit service providers are responsive to their needs? And, how do nonprofit staff and volunteers report responding to the needs of their refugee clients? This article is framed using empowerment theory, where refugee needs and perspectives are at the forefront of service provision decisions

scholarly journals Personal Pronouns in CHET and CECheT: Authorial Presence and Other Nuances Revealed

2020 ◽  
pp. 56-73
Author(s):  
Isabel Moskowich
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Scientific Writing ◽  
The Other ◽  
First Person ◽  
Personal Pronouns ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The One ◽  
Late Modern ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Chemistry Texts

This paper aims at presenting a portrait of late Modern English scientific writing by studying its use of first-person pronouns. Pronouns reveal authorial presence and their quantification may be helpful. Following previous research (Moskowich, 2017), I have now conducted a qualitative analysis in which pronouns are grouped according to five functions each of them with a different pragmatic value. My research questions include whether there is a tendency from author-centred to object-centred prose over time, whether female writers are more present in their writings than their male counterparts and whether texts belonging to the Humanities (represented here by the Corpus of History English Texts) are also more “subjective” than those belonging to the Hard Sciences (represented by the Corpus of English Chemistry Texts), generally regarded more “objective” and, therefore, more unlikely to contain a high amount of personal pronouns and more so with certain pragmatic functions. The use of variables such as time, sex of the author and discipline allow for a study of change on the one hand and of variation on the other.

scholarly journals High Five Strategy to Improve Students’ Reading Comprehension

JURNAL IQRA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-112
Author(s):  
Susi Purnama Sari
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Common Factors ◽  
Senior High School ◽  
Narrative Text ◽  
Materials Selection ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Interest And Motivation ◽  
Reading Interest

This article aimed to know the improvement of students’ reading comprehension of narrative text after using High Five strategies and common factors influenced the changes of students’ reading comprehension of narrative text by using High Five strategies at XI IPA 2 of Senior High School 1 Merangin Jambi. The result showed that in two cycles to answer these research questions: first, the students’ mean score improved 22,44 point or 26%; second, these improvements were influenced by students’ reading interest and motivation, materials selection, and reading strategies. In conclusion,  this research showed that the use of High Five Strategy could improve students’ reading comprehension of narrative text at XI IPA 2 of Senior High School 1 Merangin Jambi. Keywords: High Five Strategy, Reading Comprehension, Factors in Students’ Reading Comprehension

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