scholarly journals A Corpus-Assisted Discourse Study of Attitudes toward Spanish as a Heritage Language in Florida

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Ethan Kutlu ◽  
Ruth Kircher
Keyword(s):  
Heritage Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Twitter Data ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Status ◽  
Twitter Users

Spanish speakers constitute the largest heritage language community in the US. The state of Florida is unusual in that, on one hand, it has one of the highest foreign-born resident rates in the country, most of whom originate from Latin America—but on the other hand, Florida has a comparatively low Spanish language vitality. In this exploratory study of attitudes toward Spanish as a heritage language in Florida, we analyzed two corpora (one English: 5,405,947 words, and one Spanish: 525,425 words) consisting of recent Twitter data. We examined frequencies, collocations, concordance lines, and larger text segments. The results indicate predominantly negative attitudes toward Spanish on the status dimension, but predominantly positive attitudes on the solidarity dimension. Despite the latter, transmission and use of Spanish were found to be affected by pressure to assimilate, and fear of negative societal repercussions. We also found Spanish to be used less frequently than English to tweet about attitudes; instead, Spanish was frequently used to attract Twitter users’ attention to specific links in the language. We discuss the implications of our findings (should they generalize) for the future of Spanish in Florida, and we provide directions for future research.

Reaching Spanish-Speakers in Self-Administered Surveys

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Michael Brick ◽  
Andrew Caporaso ◽  
Douglas Williams ◽  
David Cantor
Keyword(s):  
Single Phase ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
English Only ◽  
Eligible Population ◽  
The Us ◽  
Survey Estimates

Decisions on public policy can be affected if important segments of the population are systematically excluded from the data used to drive the decisions. In the US, Spanishspeakers make up an important subgroup that surveys conducted in English-only underrepresent. This subgroup differs in a variety of characteristics and they are less likely to respond to surveys in English-only. These factors lead to nonresponse biases that are problematic for survey estimates. For surveys conducted by mail, one solution is to include both English and Spanish materials in the survey package. For addresses in the US where Spanish-speakers are likely to be living, this approach is effective, but it still may omit some non-English-speakers. Traditionally, including both English and Spanish materials for addresses not identified as likely to have Spanish-speakers was considered problematic due to concerns of a backlash effect. The backlash effect is that predominantly English-speakers might respond at a lower rate because of the inclusion of Spanish materials. Prior research found no evidence of a backlash, but used a twophase approach with a short screener questionnaire to identify the eligible population for an education survey. In this paper, we report on experiments in two surveys that extend the previous research to criminal victimization and health communication single-phase surveys. These experiments test the effect of the inclusion of Spanish language materials for addresses not identified as likely to have Spanish-speakers. Our findings confirm most results of the previous research; however we find no substantial increase in Spanish-only participation when the materials are offered in both languages for addresses that are not likely to have Spanish-speakers. We offer some thoughts on these results and directions for future research, especially with respect to collecting data by the Internet.

scholarly journals A comparison of attitudes towards stuttering of non-stuttering preschoolers in the United States and Turkey

2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E. Weidner ◽  
Kenneth O. St. Louis ◽  
Egemen Nakisci ◽  
Ramazan S. Ozdemir
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Opinion Survey ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Turkish Children ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Demographic Questionnaire ◽  
The Us ◽  
Short Video ◽  
Children First ◽  
Human Attributes

Background and objectives: Extensive research documents ubiquitous negative attitudes towards stuttering, but when and how they develop is unclear. This non-experimental, comparative study examined US and Turkish preschoolers to explore the origin of stuttering attitudes cross-culturally.Method: The authors compared stuttering attitudes of 28 US and 31 Turkish non-stuttering preschoolers on English and Turkish versions of experimental prototypes of the newly developed Public Opinion Survey on Human Attributes–Stuttering/Child (POSHA–S/Child). Children first watched a short video of two stuttering avatar characters and then answered oral questions about stuttering. Parents completed a demographic questionnaire. Differences in the US and Turkish POSHA–S/Child means were calculated using the Mann–Whitney U test.Results: Attitudes of the US and Turkish children were remarkably similar. Children rated most of the items negatively but also rated some items as neutral or positive. They held relatively more negative attitudes towards traits and personalities of children who stutter yet relatively more positive attitudes towards stuttering children’s potential.Conclusion: Stuttering attitudes in children appear to be partly independent of culture.

Experiences of non-North American teachers of English in American English-dominant Korean ELT

English Today ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Hohsung Choe ◽  
Seongyong Lee
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Canadian English ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Status ◽  
English Dominant ◽  
Economic Ties

The dominance of North American (U.S. and Canadian) English is widely prevalent in Korean English language teaching (ELT). Students show more positive attitudes towards American English than any other English variety (Jung, 2005; Yook & Lindemann, 2013), and teachers impart and reinforce American English norms (Ahn, 2017; Ahn, 2011). Administrators and employers consider American English as the sole model for Korean ELT (Ahn, 2013; Harrison, 2010; Jenks, 2017; Song, 2013). Koreans’ preference for American English dates back to the 1950s, when the first national ELT curriculum explicitly favored American English over British English (Lee, 2015). Since then the status of American English as the standard among all varieties of English has been strengthened due to Korea's strong political, military, and economic ties with the US (Harrison, 2010; Yim, 2007).

The relationship between language proficiency and language attitudes

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Miller
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Language Attitudes ◽  
First Graders ◽  
Fourth Graders ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Language Preference ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract To determine how attitudes toward the minority language change with age, sixty-five Spanish/English bilingual children completed an attitude questionnaire. Results show that first graders have roughly equal attitudes to Spanish and English, while second, third, and fourth graders increasingly state a preference for English. However, among fifth graders, a decrease in this preference for English is found. Results from a matched guise task show that the Spanish and English versions are not rated significantly differently, suggesting that, while children prefer speaking English, they may not project negative attitudes onto Spanish-speakers themselves. Finally, a shift in language preference is found before a shift in language dominance, which may suggest that negative attitudes toward the heritage language lead to a dominance shift.

scholarly journals Gamers’ Attitudes towards Victims of Crime

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lavinia McLean ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Violent Video Game ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Victims Of Crime ◽  
Game Players

Research on video game playing has focused mainly on the effects of such games in relation to aggression and attitudes towards perpetrators and towards crime. The present research was designed to investigate gamers’ attitudes towards victims of crimes and incidents that were designed to mirror those portrayed in violent video games. Vignettes were used during interviews to explore 50 participants’ attitudes towards different types of victims. The results indicate that long-term playing of violent video games appears to be associated with more negative attitudes towards victims of crime. This is the first study to directly explore attitudes towards victims of crime, in relation to violent video game exposure. Compared to nonviolent video game players, the violent video game players in the study reported less positive attitudes towards the victims in the study and attributed more blame to the victims. The implications of this finding in the context of previous research on violent video games, and on attitudes are explored. Directions for future research in the area are also highlighted.

scholarly journals Reaching Spanish-Speakers in Self-Administered Surveys

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mick Brick
Keyword(s):  
Single Phase ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
English Only ◽  
Eligible Population ◽  
The Us ◽  
Survey Estimates

Decisions on public policy can be affected if important segments of the population are systematically excluded from the data used to drive the decisions. In the US, Spanishspeakers make up an important subgroup that surveys conducted in English-only underrepresent. This subgroup differs in a variety of characteristics and they are less likely to respond to surveys in English-only. These factors lead to nonresponse biases that are problematic for survey estimates. For surveys conducted by mail, one solution is to include both English and Spanish materials in the survey package. For addresses in the US where Spanish-speakers are likely to be living, this approach is effective, but it still may omit some non-English-speakers. Traditionally, including both English and Spanish materials for addresses not identified as likely to have Spanish-speakers was considered problematic due to concerns of a backlash effect. The backlash effect is that predominantly English-speakers might respond at a lower rate because of the inclusion of Spanish materials. Prior research found no evidence of a backlash, but used a twophase approach with a short screener questionnaire to identify the eligible population for an education survey. In this paper, we report on experiments in two surveys that extend the previous research to criminal victimization and health communication single-phase surveys. These experiments test the effect of the inclusion of Spanish language materials for addresses not identified as likely to have Spanish-speakers. Our findings confirm most results of the previous research; however we find no substantial increase in Spanish-only participation when the materials are offered in both languages for addresses that are not likely to have Spanish-speakers. We offer some thoughts on these results and directions for future research, especially with respect to collecting data by the Internet.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Coping Style and Attitudes Towards Palliative Care

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 895-895
Author(s):  
Ilana Engel ◽  
Amber Watts ◽  
Tamara Baker ◽  
Christian Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Coping Styles ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Self Blame ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Tailored Approach

Abstract Palliative care (PC) is becoming more widely available and its benefits, including improved quality of life for patients, have been demonstrated. Studies on patient-level barriers to PC access focus on knowledge and misperceptions. This study aimed to explore, among a community sample, whether more approach-focused coping styles may be associated with more positive attitudes towards PC and whether more avoidant coping styles are associated with more negative attitudes towards PC. Two linear regression analyses (an approach model and an avoidance model) were conducted to determine predictors of attitudes towards PC, controlling for potential confounds. The sample consisted of 87 community-dwelling adults ages 65+ (mean age=72.72 (5.88); 56.32% = women; 86.21% = White). In both models, more knowledge of PC was associated with more positive attitudes towards PC (β = .71, p<.01). Coping by engaging more social support was significantly associated with more positive attitudes towards PC (β = .54, p<.05). Results demonstrated a significant interaction (β = -1.24, p<.01) such that women who endorsed high levels of disengaged coping reported more favorable attitudes towards PC than men who endorsed high levels of disengaged coping. Results indicate the need for a tailored approach to PC education for patients and families. Men who often cope with a stressor via distraction, self-blame, denial, or giving up may be less receptive to acceptance of PC. Future research on educational interventions tailored for individuals with distinct coping styles may be beneficial, particularly for men who frequently rely on disengaged coping styles.

When Private Reporting Is More Positive Than Public Reporting

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 150-162
Author(s):  
Garrett L. Strosser ◽  
Peter K. Jonason ◽  
Robert Lawson ◽  
Ashley N. Reid ◽  
Alex W. Vittum-Jones
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Pluralistic Ignorance ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Positive Behaviors ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Us ◽  
Public Scrutiny ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Across three studies, we assessed the impact of perceived social norms on attitudes and positive behavioral intentions towards atheists and religious believers. Reported attitudes, reported acceptability of expressing positive and negative attitudes, and reported positive behavioral intentions disproportionately favored religious believers over atheists. However, participants reported a higher likelihood of engaging in positive behaviors towards atheists when the threat of public scrutiny was limited, indicating that the social norm in the US may be suppressing privately held, positive behavioral intentions that would otherwise support atheists, creating a state of pluralistic ignorance. Individuals also reported having more positive attitudes and a higher level of positive behavioral intentions towards religious believers relative to others. Finally, estimates of the prevalence of religious believers in the population also tied directly to one’s perception of the acceptability of expressing positive and negative attitudes towards these groups.

scholarly journals Online Learning by Means of Zoom in the Period of the COVID-19 Crisis, as Perceived by Students in Higher Studies [Abstract]

10.28945/4814 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilan Daniels Rahimi ◽  
Gila Cohen Zilka
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Disorders ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes Towards Learning

Aim/Purpose: This study examined students’ attitudes to characteristics of learning in Zoom, attitudes to the quality of teaching in Zoom and ways of learning, about a year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. Background COVID-19 crisis caused exposure to online learning on the largest scale known in human history, and that together with the challenges of the transition to online learning, there are also opportunities to change perceptions of teaching and learning, and to include new ways in the learning and teaching process in higher education. Methodology: The research question was: What are students’ attitudes to the characteristics of learning in Zoom, the quality of teaching in Zoom and ways of learning in Zoom? The study is a quantitative one, the questionnaire contained closed questions, and 712 students who study in higher education institutions in Israel participated in the study. Contribution: Facilitators, inhibitors, implications and recommendations were identified. Findings: The findings showed that most students are satisfied with learning in Zoom, and that there was a significant improvement in the students’ attitudes towards learning in Zoom during their studies in the shadow of Covid-19. It was found that older students have more positive attitudes towards learning in Zoom, and learning disorders are connected to more negative attitudes towards learning in Zoom; however, there was also an improvement in the attitudes of students with learning disorders, during their learning experience in the shadow of COVID-19. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study shows that most students are satisfied with learning in Zoom and that there was a significant improvement in students’ attitudes towards learning in Zoom during their studies in the shadow of COVID-19, a year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. Recommendations for Researchers: It was found that older students have more positive attitudes towards learning in Zoom, and learning disorders are connected to more negative attitudes towards distance learning; however, among students with learning disorders there was also an improvement in attitudes during their studies in the shadow of COVID-19. Impact on Society: The present crisis could be a catalyst for processes that have been taking place in recent years in the use of technology in teaching and learning and in the transition to online learning. Future Research: Future research on the effectiveness of learning by means of Zoom in higher education could examine parameters such as evaluation of the learners’ achievements, the quality of the assignments presented by the students, meeting schedules, whether lecturers manage to teach all the subject matter, the quality of the discussions in Zoom, use of technological tools, use of 21st century skills and similar.

scholarly journals Estudio de las actitudes y el interés de los docentes de primaria de educación física por las TIC en la Comunidad Valenciana (Primary Physical Education teachers’ attitudes and interests towards ICT in the Valencian Community)

Retos ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 267-272
Author(s):  
José Díaz Barahona ◽  
Javier Molina-García ◽  
Manuel Monfort-Pañego
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physical Education Teachers ◽  
Good Reliability ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
El Sistema ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Teachers Attitudes

Las actitudes negativas y el desinterés del profesorado parecen ser dos barreras que frenan la integración de las TIC en el sistema educativo. En educación física, además, faltan instrumentos específicos para estudiar y valorar estas variables. El objetivo del trabajo fue desarrollar y validar, por el método Delfhi, un cuestionario para conocer las actitudes y el interés del profesorado de educación física por las TIC atendiendo a la edad y al género. Posteriormente se aplicó a una muestra representativa de 145 docentes de enseñanza primaria de Valencia y área metropolitana. Los resultados indicaron que el cuestionario poseía una fiabilidad y validez adecuadas para estudiar dichas variables, confirmando la existencia de actitudes más positivas entre el profesorado joven respecto al de mayor edad. También revelaron que las actitudes funcionan como predictoras positivas del interés por las TIC y que la edad se relaciona negativamente con las actitudes. Estos hallazgos animan a profundizar en el estudio de las variables sociodemográficas en relación al uso de las TIC, pues su medición es clave para orientar los procesos de formación inicial y permanente del profesorado.Abstract. Negative attitudes and the lack of interest among teachers seem to be two of the main barriers to the integration of ICT in the educational system. In subjects such as physical education, there is a lack of specific instruments assessing teachers’ attitudes and interests towards ICT. The objective of this study was employ the Delphi method to develop and validate by age and gender a questionnaire to measure PE teachers’ attitudes and interest towards ICTs. Subsequently, the survey was applied to a representative sample of 145 primary school teachers from the city of Valencia and its metropolitan area. The results indicated that the questionnaire had good reliability and validity. Findings also showed that there are more positive attitudes among younger teachers than among the older ones. Moreover, the results showed that attitudes were positive correlates of ICT interest and that teachers’ age was negatively related to attitudes towards ICT. The present findings suggest the importance for future research to delve into sociodemographic variables in relation to the use of ICT.

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