Eye-tracking the effect of semantic decoding on orthographic learning in Chinese

Author(s):  
Luan Li ◽  
Eva Marinus ◽  
Anne Castles ◽  
Lili Yu ◽  
Hua-Chen Wang

Most Chinese compound characters represent meaning explicitly and systematically via the semantic radical. Previous research has shown that readers can use the semantic radical to infer the meaning of unknown compound characters (i.e., semantic decoding). Yet it is unclear whether it influences reading in natural texts or facilitates orthographic learning. Across two eye-tracking experiments, we exposed adult native speakers (n= 25 and n=16) to sixteen pseudocharacters embedded in sentences. Half of the pseudocharacters contained semantic radicals related to the meaning conferred by the sentential context (i.e., transparent); the other half were unrelated (i.e., opaque). After reading, participants completed written cloze, orthographic decision and definition production tasks. In both experiments, eye-tracking results showed a reduction in fixation times and regressions over the five exposures for the pseudocharacters. The post-test outcomes provided evidence for orthographic and semantic learning. There was no difference in eye-movement measures or in written cloze and orthographic decision between transparent and opaque items, but definition was better for the transparent pseudocharacters. We conclude that semantic decoding does not affect the reading of novel compound characters in natural texts or orthographic learning, but that it does seem to assist in learning semantics.

2021 ◽  
pp. 026765832110158
Author(s):  
Radek Skarnitzl ◽  
Petr Čermák ◽  
Pavel Šturm ◽  
Zora Obstová ◽  
Jan Hricsina

The use of linking or glottalization contributes to the characteristic sound pattern of a language, and the use of one in place of the other may affect a speaker’s comprehensibility and fluency in certain contexts. In this study, native speakers of Czech, a language that is associated with a frequent use of glottalization in vowel-initial word onsets, are examined in the second language (L2) context of three Romance languages that predominantly employ linking between words (Spanish, Italian and Portuguese). In total, 29 native speakers and 51 non-native learners were asked to read a short text in the respective language. The learners were divided into two groups based on their experience with the target language. A number of other factors were examined in a mixed-effects logistic regression model (segmental context, lexical stress, prosodic breaks, and the semantic status of the words). The main results show that, regardless of the target language, the more experienced (ME) learners displayed significantly lower rates of glottalization than the less experienced (LE) learners, but significantly higher rates than native speakers. The pedagogical implications of the results are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyu-Ho Shin ◽  
Sun Hee Park

Abstract Across languages, a passive construction is known to manifest a misalignment between the typical order of event composition (agent-before-theme) and the actual order of arguments in the constructions (theme-before-agent), dubbed non-isomorphic mapping. This study investigates comprehension of a suffixal passive construction in Korean by Mandarin-speaking learners of Korean, focusing on isomorphism and language-specific devices in the passive. We measured learners’ judgment of the acceptability of canonical and scrambled suffixal passives as well as their reaction times (relative to a canonical active transitive). Our analysis generated three major findings. First, learners uniformly preferred the canonical passive to the scrambled passive. Second, as proficiency increased, the judgment gap between the canonical active transitive and the canonical suffixal passive narrowed, but the gap between the canonical active transitive and the scrambled suffixal passive did not. Third, learners (and even native speakers) spent more time in judging the acceptability of the canonical suffixal passive than they did in the other two construction types. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the mapping nature involving a passive voice, indicated by language-specific devices (i.e., case-marking and verbal morphology dedicated to Korean passives), in L2 acquisition.


English Today ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko Modiano

This survey considers the emergence of English as a language shared across the European Union in particular and the European continent at large, and together with its distinctive ‘lingua franca’ dimension among the mainland European nations. It considers in particular the situation of ‘non-native speakers’ who regularly use the language as well as the concept of a ‘Euro-English’ in general and the Swedish, ‘Swenglish’ and English relationship on the other. It concludes by considering the liberation of non-native users from ‘the beginning of native-speaker norms’.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvina Montrul

One of the chief characteristics of heritage speakers is that they range in proficiency from “overhearers” to “native” speakers. To date, the vast majority of linguistic and psycholinguistic studies have characterized the non-target-like linguistic abilities of heritage speakers as a product of incomplete acquisition and/or attrition due to reduced exposure and opportunities to use the language during childhood. This article focuses on the other side of the problem, emphasizing instead the high incidence of native-like abilities in adult heritage speakers. I illustrate this issue with recent experimental evidence from gender agreement in Spanish, a grammatical feature that is mastered at almost 100% accuracy in production by native speakers;yet it is one of the most difficult areas to master for non-native speakers, including near-natives.I discuss how age of acquisition and language-learning experience explain these effects.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Fatih Ocal

Integrating the properties of computer algebra systems and dynamic geometry environments, Geogebra became an effective and powerful tool for teaching and learning mathematics. One of the reasons that teachers use Geogebra in mathematics classrooms is to make students learn mathematics meaningfully and conceptually. From this perspective, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether instruction with Geogebra has effect on students’ achievements regarding their conceptual and procedural knowledge on the applications of derivative subject. This study adopted the quantitative approach with pre-test post-test control group true experimental design. The participants were composed of two calculus classrooms involving 31 and 24 students, respectively. The experimental group with 31 students received instruction with Geogebra while the control group received traditional instruction in learning the applications of derivative. Independent samples t-test was used in the analysis of the data gathered from students’ responses to Applications of Derivative Test which was subjected to them before and after teaching processes. The findings indicated that instruction with Geogebra had positive effect on students’ scores regarding conceptual knowledge and their overall scores. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between experimental and control group students’ scores regarding procedural knowledge. It could be concluded that students in both groups were focused on procedural knowledge to be successful in learning calculus subjects including applications of derivative in both groups. On the other hand, instruction with Geogebra supported students’ learning these subjects meaningfully and conceptually.


LETS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Muh. Ikhlasul Amal ◽  
Syahdan ◽  
Risal Pandi ◽  
Halid M ◽  
Arialdi

The aim of the study was  to  analyze  and  describe  the  process of  improving students’ listening skill for eleventh grade students of MAN 1 Majene, West Sulawesi Province through  watching English movies. The subject of this research is XI Agama 2 Class that consisted of 16 students. The method used in this study is Classroom Action Research (CAR) which the writer works  collaboratively with the English teacher. The results in this study indicate that there  was  improvement of the students’ skill listening. Most of the students gradually gained good scores at the end of the cycle. The data were collected from a questionnaire, observation note of performance, pre-test and post-test. The study was conducted with cycle model through the steps of planning, conducting, observation, and reflection. The results of this study show a significant relationship between students' learning by English movie with delay subtitle related to their listening skills as shown in their improvement of post- test and positive responses of students than  E nglish movie  with not delay. The questionnaire shows that more than 75% students felt easy to understand listening materials from native speakers. Consequently, it was suggested that teaching learning process using English movie with English subtitle is recommended  into  learning  process  to  improve students' listening skills in English language classroom. In conclusion, watching English movie can improve students listening skill.


Author(s):  
Shole Jamali ◽  
◽  
Mahdi Aliyari Shoorehdeli2 ◽  
Mohammad Reza Daliri ◽  
Abbas Haghparast ◽  
...  

Natural rewards are essential for animal survival. On the other hand, drug-seeking behaviours can be maladaptive and endanger survival. The present study was conducted to enhance our understanding of how animals respond to food and morphine as natural and drug rewards, respectively, in a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. We designed a protocol to induce food-CPP and compare it as a natural reward with morphine-CPP in rats. The protocol for reward induction in all groups (foods and morphine) consisted of three phases: pre-test, conditioning, and post-test. In morphine groups, we injected morphine as a reward (5 mg/kg, s.c.), and for inducing natural-reward, we used two different protocols, by one of the rats were deprived of food for 24h. In the other method, rats were restricted for food for 14 days. During the conditioning period, animals received daily chow, biscuit, or popcorn as a reward inducer. Results revealed that CPP did not induce in food-deprived rats. A combination of food restriction (as a facilitator) and a biscuit or popcorn induced reward using CPP. In contrast, food deprivation did not facilitate food-CPP in response to regular food. Interestingly the CPP score of the group which received biscuit during a 7-day conditioning period was more than that of the morphine group. In conclusion, food restriction could be a better protocol than food deprivation to facilitate food reward.


Author(s):  
Rida Ali Alsous

The aim of the study was to clear-out the effect of the round house strategy on the achievement of physical concepts at the ninth grade. The study consisted of (48) students at the Jufa Secondary School for girls for the second semester 2018/2019, distributed randomly to two divisions in the same school, one of which was experimental and the other experimental. This study found that there was a statistically significant difference in the post-test in the students' acquisition of physical concepts at (α = 0.05) between the average performance of the experimental group studied using the circular house strategy and obtained an average of (19.70), and the control group studied in the usual way and obtained Average (14.63), in favor of the experimental group. In light of these results, the researcher recommended using the circular house strategy because of its importance in gaining physical concepts among students. In light of these results, the researcher recommended using the round house strategy and its role in acquiring physical concepts in demand


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukma Nur Ardini

The aim of this paper is to report the observation findings of foreign language beliefs and behaviors among three communities of English speaking communities’ specific of their cultural identity. The study used descriptive qualitative design since the author wants to describe the phenomenon happened in this study. Three English speaking communities were taken as the data; first, Krismit whatsApp group conversation; second, a private whatsApp conversation between two non-native speakers; third, a classroom talk. Those data were taken from the author’s cellphone, then the chats were exported, transcribed and analyzed well through their beliefs and behaviors specific of their cultural identity. The findings of the present study indicate that the awareness of using English pattern in two communities needs to be more highlighted, while the other community revealed the cultural matter in the form of expressions. Therefore, teachers’ and educators’ big effort in decreasing this issue is crucially needed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 4561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamza Albayrak ◽  
Paşa Yalçın ◽  
Sema Altun Yalçın

In this research, it was aimed to determine the effect of learning stations designed for astronomy subjects on the academic achievement of students and give an alternative method for teaching astronomy in the literature. The mixed approach in which mixed quantitative and qualitative methods were used together was preferred in the study. Among the quantitative methods, the pre-test and post-test model of the semi-experimental method was used; in addition, the protocols were applied about the method, which was used. The research was carried out with 98 seventh class students, who were under education in a secondary school located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey in the education year of 2015-2016. The quantitative data were analysed via the Astronomy Achievement Test (AAT) developed by the researchers and had 0,795 Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient. The astronomy subjects in science lesson of the seventh class were studied with the experimental group through the learning stations; on the other hand, they were studied with the students in the control group through the activities stated in the textbook prepared by the Ministry of Education. The AAT was applied for the experimental, control groups using the pre- and post-tests, and data were analysed with the t-test. Meaningful difference was determined in AAT pre-test average scores of experimental and control groups; on the other hand, a meaningful difference was determined between the groups according to the independent samples t-test results applied with the average scores of the post-test(p<0.05). As a result of the analysis of the data gathered with the Station Observation Form (SOF), developed for the research, it was found out that the students recognise the learning stations as a technique of useful, entertaining, engaging, and easy-to-learn that enable them to learn astronomy topics effectively.Extended English abstract is in the end of Full Text PDF (TURKISH) file. ÖzetBu araştırmada, astronomi konuları için tasarlanan öğrenme istasyonlarının öğrencilerin akademik başarılarına etkisini belirlemek ve literatüre astronomi öğretimi için alternatif bir yöntem sunmak amaçlanmıştır.  Araştırmada karma nicel ve nitel yöntemlerin birlikte kullanıldığı karma yaklaşım tercih edilmiştir. Nicel yöntemlerden yarı deneysel yöntemin ön test- son test modeli kullanılmış olup ayrıca uygulanan yöntem hakkında öğrenci görüşmeleri yapılmıştır. Araştırma 2015- 2016 eğitim öğretim döneminde Doğu Anadolu Bölgesinde yer alan bir ortaokulda öğretim gören 98 yedinci sınıf öğrenci ile yürütülmüştür.  Nicel veriler için araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen ve cronbac’h alpha güvenlik katsayısı 0.795 olan Astronomi Başarı Testi (ABT) kullanılmıştır.  Yedinci sınıf fen bilimleri dersi içerisindeki astronomi konuları deney grubu ile öğrenme istasyonları yardımıyla, kontrol grubundaki öğrencilerle MEB’in ön gördüğü ders kitabında yer alan etkinlikler takip edilerek işlenmiştir. ABT deney ve kontrol gruplarına ön test- son test olarak uygulanarak t testi ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmada deney ve kontrol gruplarının ABT ön test ortalama puanları arasında anlamlı bir farklılık belirlenmişken, son test puan ortalamaları ile yapılan bağımsız örnekler t testi sonuçlarına göre gruplar arasında anlamlı bir farklılık belirlenmiştir (p<0.05). Araştırma için geliştirilen İstasyon Gözlem Formu (İGF) ile elde edilen verilerinin analizi sonucunda öğrenciler öğrenme istasyonlarını, astronomi konuları için etkili öğrenmeyi sağlayan, faydalı, eğlenceli, ilgi çekici ve kolay öğrenmeyi destekleyen bir teknik olarak gördükleri bulunmuştur.


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