Directionality of cross-linguistic influence: Which referring choices do bilingual Ukrainian–English children make?

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roksolana Mykhaylyk ◽  
Elinor Ytterstad
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Direct Object ◽  
Object Language ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Null Object ◽  
Significant Difference

Aims and research questions: This paper presents a new study addressing the issue of cross-linguistic influence in acquisition of referring expressions. The main research question is how to predict directionality of this influence in a dual language development. Methodology: The method is an elicited production task. We consider the phenomenon of direct object referring choices, i.e. noun, pronoun and null element, in a ‘null-object’–‘overt-object’ language pair (Ukrainian and English). Data and Analysis: Participants of the experiment are 4–6-year-old Ukrainian–English bilinguals (N20) and Ukrainian monolinguals (N21). The data are analyzed in the statistical program R, utilizing the R-library function lme4. The results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) of each direct object type. Findings: Our data reveal that while there is no significant difference in Ukrainian object types in most of the age groups, there is a considerable amount of null object usage in English at the ages of four to five. Originality: The innovative nature of this study lies in: (i) the consideration of a licit object omission at a later stage of language development (from 4 to 6 years of age); (ii) the examination of an under-investigated language combination (i.e. English and Ukrainian); and (iii) the innovative approach to linguistic data analysis (e.g. comparing OR values). Implications: Our findings suggest that the directionality of influence in dual language acquisition depends on the developmental stage, language-specific means of syntax–pragmatics interaction, and extra-linguistic input-related factors. At the early stages of development, the null-object language is likely to influence the overt-object language, especially under conditions of limited exposure to the latter.

INITIAL STEP OF SPECIALIZED CORPORA BUILDING: CLEANING PROCEDURES

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Yakubson ◽  
Victor Zakharov
Keyword(s):  
Text Processing ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Initial Step ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Linguistic Annotation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Cleaning Procedures ◽  
Unique Source ◽  
Future Work

This paper deals with the specialized corpora building, specifically academic language corpus in the biotechnology field. Being a part of larger research devoted to creation and usage of specialized parallel corpus, this piece aims to analyze the initial step of corpus building. Our main research question was what procedures we need to implement to the texts before using them to develop the corpus. Analysis of previous research showed the significant quantity of papers devoted to corpora creation, including academic specialized corpora. Different sides of the process were analyzed in these researches, including the types of texts used, the principles of crawling, the recommended length of texts etc. As to the text processing for the needs of corpora creation, only the linguistic annotation issues were examined earlier. At the same time, the preliminary cleaning of texts before their usage in corpora may have significant influence on the corpus quality and its utility for the linguistic research. In this paper, we considered three small corpora derived from the same set of academic texts in the biotechnology field: “raw” corpus without any preliminary cleaning and two corpora with different level of cleaning. Using different Sketch Engine tools, we analyzed these corpora from the position of their future users, predominantly as sources for academic wordlists and specialized multi-word units. The conducted research showed very little difference between two cleaned corpora, meaning that only basic cleaning procedures such as removal of reference lists are can be useful in corpora design. At the same time, we found a significant difference between raw and cleaned corpora and argue that this difference can affect the quality of wordlists and multi-word terms extraction, therefore these cleaning procedures are meaningful. The main limitation of the study is that all texts were taken from the unique source, so the conclusions could be affected by this specific journal’s peculiarities. Therefore, the future work should be the verification of results on different text collections

scholarly journals Learning Design for Student Retention

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Weller ◽  
Jitse Van Ameijde ◽  
Simon Cross
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Open University ◽  
Learning Design ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Main Research ◽  
The Uk

Student retention is an issue of increasing interest to higher education institutions, educators and students. Much of the work in this area focuses on identifying and improving interventions that occur during the presentation of a course. This paper suggests that these represent only one set of factors that can influence student withdrawal, and equally important are design based factors that can aid retention throughout the course. The main research question addressed by the paper is what design-related factors impact on student retention. An analysis of student withdrawal at the UK Open University conducted by the researchers produced a synthesis of seven key factors in the design phase that can influence retention. These factors have been given the ICEBERG acronym: Integrated, Collaborative, Engaging, Balanced, Economical, Reflective and Gradual. Examples of how these factors can be implemented are provided, and conclusions focus on how the model has been embedded in the module production process at the Open University.

scholarly journals Developing a List of Expressive Vocabulary forFarsi-speakingChildrenAged24-48Months:Comparison Between Down Syndrome and Typically Developing Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham Masoumi ◽  
Zahra Malmir ◽  
Zahra Soleymani ◽  
Mina Mohammadi Nouri
Keyword(s):  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Expressive Vocabulary ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Children With Down Syndrome ◽  
Significant Difference

Introduction: Expressive vocabulary plays a vital role in child language development, and its assessment can be one of the essential indicators to identify language developmental delay, especially in children with Down syndrome. We developed a list of expressive vocabulary and compared the size and class of expressive vocabularies between typically developing and Down syndrome children. Materials and Methods: Expressive vocabulary of 150 children was examined  in  this study. A total of 120 typically developing Farsi-speaking children (in four age Groups, with   a 6-month interval) and 30 children with Down syndrome (aged 24-48 months) participated in this study. The parents of the children filled out the form that included 636 words from different vocabulary classes. These classes were based on studies that investigated language development in Farsi-speaking children. Results: The expressive vocabulary size in Farsi-speaking children was significantly higher than in Down syndrome children (P≤0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between boys and girls regarding expressive vocabulary size in two Groups of children. The size of nouns in all age Groups is more than other classes, and the size of conjunctions in all age Groups is less than the other ones. A direct correlation was found between age and the size of expressive vocabulary. Conclusion: According to the study findings, the list of expressive vocabulary can detect delays in developing expressive vocabulary.

scholarly journals INSTAGRAM USE TO ENHANCE ABILITY IN WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXTS

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soviyah Soviyah ◽  
Diana Rahayu Etikaningsih
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Research ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Research Writing ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Significant Difference

Technology is changing the world we live in. It affects the way people see, think, and learn their environment and communicate with others. In the educational field, there have been previous studies revealing the positive attitudes toward the use of mobile devices and applications. However, the empirical studies of the practice of how to use a specific mobile device and application effectively are done in a limited scale. Taking the experimental research method, this study investigated the effectiveness of the use of Instagram application on the students� performance in writing descriptive texts. The main research question was centred around whether there was significant difference in the ability of writing descriptive text between students who were taught using Instagram and those who aren�t. Involving random sampling technique, this study involved 50 students of a private high school in Yogyakarta as the research sample.� The empirical data were collected through pre and post tests. The data were analyzed quantitatively applying t-test computation and descriptive analysis. Results of the study indicate that there is significant difference in students writing score between those taught using Instagram and those who aren�t. In conclusion, teaching students writing by using Instagram pictures are more effective than teaching without using Instagram pictures. In other words, the use of Instagram is effective in teaching writing descriptive texts. �Keywords: technology; Instagram; experimental research; writing descriptive text.

scholarly journals Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Cholera among Non-Academic Staff of International Islamic University Malaysia Kuantan Medical Campus

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-535
Author(s):  
Mohd Amir Fitrie Bin Mohd Rosdi ◽  
Nor Azlina A Rahman ◽  
Mainul Haque
Keyword(s):  
Academic Staff ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Clinical Staff ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitude And Practice ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Knowledge Attitude And Practice

Background: Cholera is a water and food-borne infectious disease caused by Vibrio cholerae. Cholera usually causes fatality in the case of severe infections. Furthermore, cholera outbreaks are still recurring over time, especially in many developing countries. Cholera outbreak may be due to lack of basic knowledge, awareness and preventive attitude among public. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding cholera among non-academic staff of IIUM Kuantan community, to find the related factors of KAP regarding cholera and to find the association between KAP regarding cholera. Methods: This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. This study used convenience sampling. The sample size for this study is 100 and was analyzed by using SPSS software using various tests. Those tests were independent t-test, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal Wallis test and correlation test. There are six independent variables affecting knowledge, attitude and practice regarding cholera which are genders, marital statuses, and categories of occupation, different faculties, age-groups and level of education. Results: Categories of occupations showed no significant difference between administrative and clinical staff knowledge (p=0.360) and practice (p=0.437) level. Respondent’s attitude however showed significant difference (p=0.034) between clerk and clinical staff. As for other sociodemographic variables, the results showed no significant difference for knowledge, attitude and practice level. The results showed low positive correlation between knowledge and practice regarding cholera (r=0.338), between attitude and practice regarding cholera (r=0.331) and between knowledge and attitude (r=0.233). Conclusions: KAP practice scores were at an acceptable level. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.18(3) 2019 p.527-535

scholarly journals Higher Education Languages of Instruction in Morocco and their impact on the Receptive Vocabulary Size of Moroccan EFL Master Students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelaziz Agrram
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Research Question ◽  
T Test ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
P Value ◽  
Test Statistic ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Significant Difference

Having a clear vocabulary profile of Moroccan master students might reveal where these participants stand compared to other countries. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the effect of languages of instruction in Morocco (e.g., Arabic vs. French) on the receptive vocabulary size of EFL Moroccan master students (e.g., departments of letters, science, and law). To this end, Meara’s (2010) Yes/No test was used as an instrument to measure the overall vocabulary size of these participants. A total of 325 EFL master students took the aforementioned test. The main research question is: Does the medium of instruction have any effects on the receptive vocabulary size of these students? Descriptive statistics were employed to calculate the overall receptive vocabulary size of test-takers. It was found that Moroccan EFL master students have a total of (M= 2293) lemmas. An independent samples t-test was run to check for any statistical significance. The t-test statistic reveals that the significance level is less than the p-value (t=-4.068, p< .05, df= 323). Thus, it was concluded that there was a statistically significant difference between the French group and the Arabic group. The results of this study confirm that students who were instructed in French (M= 2417, sd= 903, N=185) outperformed the other students who were taught in Arabic (M= 2058, sd= 903, N= 140). In the current study, among various suggestions, it is proposed that the volume of 30 hours in the English module is not sufficient and should be complemented with vocabulary-based activities.

scholarly journals Higher Education Languages of Instruction in Morocco and their impact on the Receptive Vocabulary Size of Moroccan EFL Master Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 194-206
Author(s):  
Abdelaziz Agrram
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Research Question ◽  
T Test ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
P Value ◽  
Test Statistic ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Significant Difference

Having a clear vocabulary profile of Moroccan master students might reveal where these participants stand compared to other countries. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the effect of languages of instruction in Morocco (e.g., Arabic vs. French) on the receptive vocabulary size of EFL Moroccan master students (e.g., departments of letters, science, and law). To this end, Meara’s (2010) Yes/No test was used as an instrument to measure the overall vocabulary size of these participants. A total of 325 EFL master students took the aforementioned test. The main research question is: Does the medium of instruction have any effects on the receptive vocabulary size of these students? Descriptive statistics were employed to calculate the overall receptive vocabulary size of test-takers. It was found that Moroccan EFL master students have a total of (M= 2293) lemmas. An independent samples t-test was run to check for any statistical significance. The t-test statistic reveals that the significance level is less than the p-value (t=-4.068, p< .05, df= 323). Thus, it was concluded that there was a statistically significant difference between the French group and the Arabic group. The results of this study confirm that students who were instructed in French (M= 2417, sd= 903, N=185) outperformed the other students who were taught in Arabic (M= 2058, sd= 903, N= 140). In the current study, among various suggestions, it is proposed that the volume of 30 hours in the English module is not sufficient and should be complemented with vocabulary-based activities.

scholarly journals Effect of Different Host-Related Factors on Postoperative Endodontic Pain in Necrotic Teeth Dressed with Interappointment Intracanal Medicaments: A Multicomparison Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (01) ◽  
pp. 152-157
Author(s):  
Juzer Shabbir ◽  
Zohaib Khurshid ◽  
Fazal Qazi ◽  
Huma Sarwar ◽  
Hasan Afaq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Score ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Analog Scale ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Pain Scores ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Primary Investigator ◽  
Tooth Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Periapical Periodontitis

Abstract Objectives The current study aimed to assess the impact of factors such as age, gender, and the tooth type on postoperative endodontic pain in necrotic teeth with symptomatic periapical periodontitis and radiolucency dressed randomly with either calcium hydroxide or propolis paste. Materials and Methods The standard chemomechanical root canal preparation of 80 teeth was performed by the primary investigator. The intracanal medicaments were inserted by the secondary operator. Patients self-recorded their postoperative endodontic pain intensity with the help of visual analog scale at 4, 12, 24 (day 2), 48 (day 3), and 72 (day 4) hours. During analysis, patients (68/80) were grouped according to gender, age, and the tooth type. Statistical Analysis Mann–Whitney’s U test was applied for mean pain score comparison between genders and between tooth type. Kruskal–Wallis’ test was applied for mean pain score comparison between the age groups. Results No significant difference (p > 0.05) in pain scores was found between the age groups and between the tooth types. Males had significantly higher pain scores as compared with females at days 2 (p = 0.035), 3 (p = 0.023), and 4 (p = 0.020). Conclusion The results suggested that there was no impact of age and tooth types on postoperative endodontic pain.

Do educational backgrounds make a difference?

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Zhou ◽  
Lixian Jin
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Communicative Acts ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Educational Backgrounds ◽  
Chinese Mothers ◽  
The Common

For decades there has been a debate about whether parents with different socioeconomic status have differential influences on their children’s language development. This study focuses on the features of language use of Mandarin-speaking mothers with different educational backgrounds in interaction with their 3–6 year old children to explore the similarities and differences between the mothers’ communication with their children. Data were collected from videotaped semi-structured mother–child interactions among different age groups. The main research finding reveals that the communicative acts of these Chinese mothers are similar at the levels of social interchange and the speech act; the common types of communicative acts show a cultural consistency among Chinese mothers in interacting with their young children. However, the language inputs of mothers of the two differing social groups show significant differences on linguistic productivity, vocabulary measurement and pragmatic flexibility. These findings are discussed in the context of the role of mothers’ input in language development.

Liver Elastography in Healthy Children Using Three Different Systems – How Many Measurements Are Necessary?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Batman Mjelle ◽  
Anesa Mulabecirovic ◽  
Roald Flesland Havre ◽  
Edda Jonina Olafsdottir ◽  
Odd Helge Gilja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shear Wave ◽  
Transient Elastography ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Liver Stiffness ◽  
Shear Wave Elastography ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pediatric Liver Disease ◽  
Liver Elastography

Abstract Purpose Liver elastography is increasingly being applied in screening for and follow-up of pediatric liver disease, and has been shown to correlate well with fibrosis staging through liver biopsy. Because time is of the essence when examining children, we wanted to evaluate if a reliable result can be achieved with fewer acquisitions. Materials and Methods 243 healthy children aged 4–17 years were examined after three hours of fasting. Participants were divided into four age groups: 4–7 years; 8–11 years; 12–14 years and 15–17 years. Both two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE; GE Logiq E9) and point shear wave elastography (pSWE; Samsung RS80A with Prestige) were performed in all participants, while transient elastography (TE, Fibroscan) was performed in a subset of 87 children aged 8–17 years. Median liver stiffness measurement (LSM) values of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 acquisitions were compared with the median value of 10 acquisitions (reference standard). Comparison was performed for all participants together as well as within every specific age group. We investigated both the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with absolute agreement and all outliers more than 10 %, 20 % or ≥ 0.5 or 1.0 kPa from the median of 10 acquisitions. Results For all three systems there was no significant difference between three and ten acquisitions, with ICCs ≥ 0.97. All systems needed 4 acquisitions to achieve no LSM deviating ≥ 1.0 kPa of a median of ten. To achieve no LSM deviating ≥ 20 % of a median of ten acquisitions, pSWE and TE needed 4 acquisitions, while 2D-SWE required 6 acquisitions. Conclusion Our results contradict recommendations of 10 acquisitions for pSWE and TE and only 3 for 2D-SWE.

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