scholarly journals Modality and Code Glosses to Transition from Academic Written to Oral Discourses

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-67
Author(s):  
Ricardo Nausa

This article presents the results of a pilot study carried out in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) class for PhD programs at a private university in Bogotá. The study sought to identify the mechanisms to change the content of academic essays to present them in oral presentations (OPs) to a multidisciplinary audience, and how such mechanisms mark differences of performance in the OPs. To identify the mechanisms of transition from written to oral mode, a discourse analysis comparison of eight parallel pairs of texts was performed. Changes to the expression of modality and the inclusion of code glosses were the mechanisms used to make the transition. These mechanisms helped students express contents in engaging and easy-to-process ways. The analysis of mechanisms includes the linguistic resources to modify sentences, their pragmatic appropriateness, and their grammatical correctness. This paper ends outlining some implications and limitations, and perspectives for future research.

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 234
Author(s):  
Ricardo Nausa

This article reports a pilot study conducted in an EAP course for Colombian PhD students from different disciplinary fields at a private university. The study sought to identify the mechanisms to express originally written content in oral presentations (OPs), and how those mechanisms describe oral performance differences. To achieve these objectives, eight parallel pairs of texts (essays and their corresponding OPs transcriptions) were analyzed. Quantitative analyses were performed to complement the findings. Modifications to clause structure and heavily modified noun phrases were identified as two mechanisms to transition from written to oral discourses. These mechanisms are described in terms of the implemented resources, their pragmatic appropriateness, and their grammatical correctness. Topicalization and reduction of heavily modified NPs were useful sub-mechanisms to discriminate among levels of oral performance; other mechanisms like rhematization were not. This report also discusses the implications and limitations of the study, and the perspectives for future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 85-100
Author(s):  
Frankie Subon ◽  
Siti Sarah Mohd Tarmim

In Malaysia, English as a second language is used as a medium of instruction in most institutions of higher learning. Although it is compulsory to use English as a medium of instruction for all academic programmes, code-switching is still prevalent in the classroom for instance during an oral presentation. This phenomenon is also common among the students in the bachelor’s degree in International Business (BIB) at a private university in Selangor, Malaysia that became the context of this study. Hence, this research aimed to explore the BIB students’ perceptions on the utilisation of code-switching during oral presentations, and to identify the frequency of its usage in their speech. The participants of this study were 203 students from the Faculty of Business Management and Professional Studies (FBMP) of a private university in Selangor, Malaysia, who are currently doing their bachelor’s degree in International Business. The research instrument employed was a questionnaire that was accessible through a google form link by all the 203 students. Descriptive statistics were run to analyse the data collected. The findings of this study revealed that the students perceived positively the use of code-switching during oral presentations. Majority of them agreed that they code-switched to overcome their lack of proficiency in English such as limited vocabulary, and to ease their oral presentations. Most of the students admitted they frequently code-switched during oral presentations. From these findings, important implications and recommendations for future research were elucidated.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 200
Author(s):  
Fadi Eissa Mousa Abu Eissa ◽  
Luqman Rababah

This study aims to explore types of graffiti at Jadara University in Jordan. The study sample consists of (130) graffiti works from Jadara University, Jordan. The sample is randomly selected from the university public places. To achieve the purpose of the study, critical discourse analysis is used. The study revealed that the most common types of graffiti are: personal and emotional, social, national, religious, sport, and academic ones. In light of the results, the study recommends studying graffiti works from a psychological point of view to more understand the hidden messages in graffiti works found. Future research examining the differences in graffiti types and functions between different groups of students (e.g. in public vs. private university) is needed. Studying graffiti works from a psychological point of view to more understand the hidden messages in graffiti works found is also needed.


Crisis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Chen ◽  
Brian L. Mishara ◽  
Xiao Xian Liu

Background: In China, where follow-up with hospitalized attempters is generally lacking, there is a great need for inexpensive and effective means of maintaining contact and decreasing recidivism. Aims: Our objective was to test whether mobile telephone message contacts after discharge would be feasible and acceptable to suicide attempters in China. Methods: Fifteen participants were recruited from suicide attempters seen in the Emergency Department in Wuhan, China, to participate in a pilot study to receive mobile telephone messages after discharge. All participants have access to a mobile telephone, and there is no charge for the user to receive text messages. Results: Most participants (12) considered the text message contacts an acceptable and useful form of help and would like to continue to receive them for a longer period of time. Conclusions: This suggests that, as a low-cost and quick method of intervention in areas where more intensive follow-up is not practical or available, telephone messages contacts are accessible, feasible, and acceptable to suicide attempters. We hope that this will inspire future research on regular and long-term message interventions to prevent recidivism in suicide attempters.


Crisis ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Hansen-Schwartz ◽  
G. Jessen ◽  
K. Andersen ◽  
H.O. Jørgensen

Summary: This pilot study looks at the frequency of suicide among Danish soldiers who took part in the UN mandated forces (UNMF) during the 1990's. In a contingent of nearly 4000 Danish UN soldiers four suicides were documented, two of whom committed suicide less than one month before deployment and two who committed suicide within a year after discharge from mission. Contributing factors, prevention strategies, and implications for future research are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-103
Author(s):  
Simone Mwangi

AbstractEconomic and political crisis situations are interpreted differently in different societies and cultures. What is perceived as a major threat in one society can be experienced as an everyday occurrence in other societies. This shows that crises are not issues that exist independently of people, but that they are to a large extent the result of social interpretations. An example of how a community interprets events as a surmountable challenge, rather than a crisis, is Argentina’s public discourse on the 2014 default. Instead of a discourse that concentrates on economic, political and social problems, the event provoked a political discourse on national identity. The present paper uses the methods of descriptive discourse analysis to study this solution-driven way of handling crisis events. The investigation focuses on the cultural knowledge and discourse traditions used in Argentina to interpret the country’s situation in the summer of 2014. The study analyzes how these cultural and linguistic resources contribute to coping with the situation of default while strengthening national identity.


Author(s):  
Giorgia Gon ◽  
Abdunoor M. Kabanywanyi ◽  
Petri Blinkhoff ◽  
Simon Cousens ◽  
Stephanie J. Dancer ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Healthcare associated infections (HAI) are estimated to affect up to 15% of hospital inpatients in low-income countries (LICs). A critical but often neglected aspect of HAI prevention is basic environmental hygiene, particularly surface cleaning and linen management. TEACH CLEAN is an educational intervention aimed at improving environmental hygiene. We evaluated the effectiveness of this intervention in a pilot study in three high-volume maternity and newborn units in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods This study design prospectively evaluated the intervention as a whole, and offered a before-and-after comparison of the impact of the main training. We measured changes in microbiological cleanliness [Aerobic Colony Counts (ACC) and presence of Staphylococcus aureus] using dipslides, and physical cleaning action using gel dots. These were analysed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. We used qualitative (focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and semi-structured observation) and quantitative (observation checklist) tools to measure why and how the intervention worked. We describe these findings across the themes of adaptation, fidelity, dose, reach and context. Results Microbiological cleanliness improved during the study period (ACC pre-training: 19%; post-training: 41%). The odds of cleanliness increased on average by 1.33 weekly during the pre-training period (CI = 1.11–1.60), and by 1.08 (CI = 1.03–1.13) during the post-training period. Cleaning action improved only in the pre-training period. Detection of S. aureus on hospital surfaces did not change substantially. The intervention was well received and considered feasible in this context. The major pitfalls in the implementation were the limited number of training sessions at the hospital level and the lack of supportive supervision. A systems barrier to implementation was lack of regular cleaning supplies. Conclusions The evaluation suggests that improvements in microbiological cleanliness are possible using this intervention and can be sustained. Improved microbiological cleanliness is a key step on the pathway to infection prevention in hospitals. Future research should assess whether this bundle is cost-effective in reducing bacterial and viral transmission and infection using a rigorous study design.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex F. Martin ◽  
Sarah Denford ◽  
Nicola Love ◽  
Derren Ready ◽  
Isabel Oliver ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In December 2020, Public Health England with NHS Test and Trace initiated a pilot study in which close contacts of people with confirmed COVID-19 were given the option to carryout lateral flow device antigen tests at home, as an alternative to self-isolation for 10–14 days. In this study, we evaluated engagement with daily testing, and assessed levels of adherence to the rules relating to behaviour following positive or negative test results. Methods We conducted a service evaluation of the pilot study, examining survey responses from a subset of those who responded to an evaluation questionnaire. We used an online cross-sectional survey offered to adult contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases who consented to daily testing. We used a comparison group of contacts who were not offered testing and instead self-isolated. Results Acceptability of daily testing was lower among survey respondents who were not offered the option of testing and among people from ethnic minority groups. Overall, 52% of respondents reported being more likely to share details of people that they had been in contact with following a positive test result, if they knew that their contacts would be offered the option of daily testing. Only 2% reported that they would be less likely to provide details of their contacts. On the days that they were trying to self-isolate, 19% of participants reported that they left the house, with no significant group differences. Following a negative test, 13% of respondents reported that they increased their contacts, but most (58%) reported having fewer risky contacts. Conclusions Our data suggest that daily testing is potentially acceptable, may facilitate sharing contact details of close contacts among those who test positive for COVID-19, and promote adherence to self-isolation. A better understanding is needed of how to make this option more acceptable for all households. The impact of receiving a negative test on behaviour remains a risk that needs to be monitored and mitigated by appropriate messaging. Future research should examine attitudes and behaviour in a context where infection levels are lower, testing is more familiar, and restrictions on activity have been reduced.


2021 ◽  
pp. 082957352199895
Author(s):  
Lauren D. Goegan ◽  
Gabrielle N. Pelletier ◽  
Lia M. Daniels

Growth and fixed mindset messaging is gaining popularity. In our pilot study, we examine the mindsets of students with learning disabilities (LD) to determine how their self-beliefs relate to this messaging. Our results demonstrate that students with LD endorse growth mindsets more than fixed mindsets which is consistent with their peers without LD. Moreover, in their comments about being a student with LD, participants highlight important components of growth mindset messaging. However, some comments may reflect a false-growth mindset wherein students are only focused on effort and not the additional resources required for growth. We provide directions for future research.


2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 581-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven John Holochwost ◽  
Carroll E. Izard

AbstractJuslin & Västfjäll (J&V) propose a theoretical framework of how music may evoke an emotional response. This commentary presents results from a pilot study that employed young children as participants, and measured musically induced emotions through facial expressions. Preliminary findings support certain aspects of the proposed theoretical framework. The implications of these findings on future research employing the proposed framework are discussed.


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