scholarly journals Effect of Speaker’s Fatigue on Features of Spoken Discourse

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 78-88
Author(s):  
Mariya Khudyakova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Language Impairments ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
Common Features ◽  
Multiple Characteristics ◽  
Fundamental Research ◽  
Crucial Part ◽  
Different Levels

In clinical linguistics, spoken discourse analysis is a crucial part of diagnostics as well as fundamental research of speech produced by people with various language impairments. The most common features for assessment are speech fluency, speech failures, errors, and syntactic complexity measures. However, several studies have shown that some of these parameters can be affected by fatigue or physical stress. Our study on narrative and procedural spoken discourse by healthy speakers with different levels of fatigue has shown a significant effect of fatigue level on speech tempo, and the elicitation task significantly affected multiple characteristics of spoken discourse

scholarly journals Effects of a Story Grammar Intervention With Repeated Retells for English Learners With Language Impairments

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda D. Miller ◽  
Vivian I. Correa ◽  
Antonis Katsiyannis
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Language Impairments ◽  
Oral Narrative ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Story Grammar ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Narrative Skills ◽  
Multiple Probe

This study investigated the effects of a narrative intervention that employed repeated story retells and a Story Grammar Marker on the oral narrative skills of Spanish-speaking English learners with language impairments. Four third- and fourth-grade students participated in the study. Using a single-case multiple probe across participants design, the authors measured three dependent variables: narrative organization skills, narrative productivity, and syntactic complexity. As a result of the intervention, stories became more cohesive and scores for narrative organization increased by approximately 7 points from baseline to intervention across participants. Smaller effects for narrative complexity and syntactic complexity measures were noted. Implications for future research and for practice are provided.

scholarly journals Syntactic complexity in translated and non-translated texts: A corpus-based study of simplification

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253454
Author(s):  
Kanglong Liu ◽  
Muhammad Afzaal
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Pairwise Comparison ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Sentence Length ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
British English ◽  
Sentence Complexity ◽  
Comparable Corpora ◽  
Main Effect

This study approaches the investigation of the simplification hypotheses in corpus-based translation studies from a syntactic complexity perspective. The research is based on two comparable corpora, the English monolingual part of COCE (Corpus of Chinese-English) and the native English corpus of FLOB (Freiburg-LOB Corpus of British English). Using the 13 syntactic complexity measures falling into five subconstructs (i.e. length of production unit, amount of subordination, amount of coordination, phrasal complexity and overall sentence complexity), our results show that translation as a whole is less complex compared to non-translation, reflected most prominently in the amount of subordination and overall sentence complexity. Further pairwise comparison of the four subgenres of the corpora shows mixed results. Specifically, the translated news is homogenous to native news as evidenced by the complexity measures; the translated genres of general prose and academic writing are less complex compared to their native counterparts while translated fiction is more complex than non-translated fiction. It was found that mean sentence length always produced a significant effect on syntactic complexity, with higher syntactic complexity for longer sentence lengths in both corpora. ANOVA test shows a highly significant main effect of translation status, with higher syntactic complexity in the non-translated texts (FLOB) than the translated texts (COCE), which provides support for the simplification hypothesis in translation. It is also found that, apart from translation status, genre is an important variable in affecting the complexity level of translated texts. Our study offers new insights into the investigation of simplification hypothesis from the perspective of translation from English into Chinese.

scholarly journals DO THE VISUAL COMPLEXITY ALGORITHMS MATCH THE GENERALIZATION PROCESS IN GEOGRAPHICAL DISPLAYS?

2016 ◽  
Vol XLI-B2 ◽  
pp. 375-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Brychtová ◽  
A. Çöltekin ◽  
V. Pászto
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Satellite Images ◽  
Visual Complexity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Cartographic Generalization ◽  
Visual Clutter ◽  
Shaded Relief ◽  
Different Levels

In this study, we first develop a hypothesis that existing quantitative visual complexity measures will overall reflect the level of cartographic generalization, and test this hypothesis. Specifically, to test our hypothesis, we first selected common geovisualization types (i.e., cartographic maps, hybrid maps, satellite images and shaded relief maps) and retrieved examples as provided by Google Maps, OpenStreetMap and SchweizMobil by swisstopo. Selected geovisualizations vary in cartographic design choices, scene contents and different levels of generalization. Following this, we applied one of Rosenholtz et al.’s (2007) visual clutter algorithms to obtain quantitative visual complexity scores for screenshots of the selected maps. We hypothesized that visual complexity should be constant across generalization levels, however, the algorithm suggested that the complexity of small-scale displays (less detailed) is higher than those of large-scale (high detail). We also observed vast differences in visual complexity among maps providers, which we attribute to their varying approaches towards the cartographic design and generalization process. Our efforts will contribute towards creating recommendations as to how the visual complexity algorithms could be optimized for cartographic products, and eventually be utilized as a part of the cartographic design process to assess the visual complexity.

Discourse Analysis in Second Language Speaking Assessment

2021 ◽  
pp. 335-346
Author(s):  
Kellie Frost
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Test Taker ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
Speaking Assessment ◽  
Testing Practices ◽  
Task Conditions ◽  
Task Types

Discourse analysis has been widely used in the field of language testing. This chapter provides an overview of research examining features of test-taker discourse across different task types and under different task conditions and the extent to which these features align with rating scale criteria. Attention is also drawn to discourse analytic studies of the language demands of study and work domains and the extent to which test tasks can elicit relevant features. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the challenges posed to existing high-stakes test constructs by increasing diversity in universities and workplaces and the potential for discourse analytic approaches to establish stronger alignments between testing practices and the aspects of spoken discourse relevant and valued in communication.

Fillers, Repairs and Repetitions in the Conversations of Saudi English Speakers: Conversational Device or Disfluency Markers

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Yaseen A. Azi
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Nonnative Speakers ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
The Other ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Normal Speaking

Based on the literature review, the three patterns (fillers, repairs and repetitions) in the conversations of the native English speakers are generally regarded as results of the normal speaking between people. On the other hand, the same patterns in the conversations of the L2 speakers are always seen as a marker of disfluency and linguistic disabilities of the nonnative speakers. Therefore, this study simply focuses on finding how the three disfluency patterns are used by the Saudi English speakers from different levels of fluency. The sampling of the study includes two groups of participants from different fluency levels. Through the transcriptions and the discourse analysis of one hour recoding of the two groups, the results showed that the three patterns (fillers, repairs and repetitions) should not be generally associated with disfluency. Instead, repetitions and self-repairs have been equally used by the two groups and such patterns can be used as a conversational device. However, the filler “uh” with longer pausing can clearly predict disfluency among the Saudi English speakers. 

An Organic Syntactic Complexity Measure for the Chinese Language: The TC-Unit

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiaona Yu
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Complexity Measure ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Chinese Speakers ◽  
Online Test ◽  
Varied Range ◽  
L1 And L2

Abstract Language complexity reveals the ability to use a wide and varied range of sophisticated structures and vocabulary. Although different languages compose complexity differently, complexity measures such as the T-unit have typically been based on clause subordination, which may underrepresent complexity and threaten the validity of studies. This study argues that an organic complexity measure should avoid the assumption of clause subordination and instead consider the typological features of the target language. Therefore, this study proposes the TC-unit in recognition of the topic chain as the underlying unit of Chinese complexity. It further validates TC-unit-based measures by investigating how accurately they predict proficiency group membership. Discriminant analyses of L1 and L2 Chinese speakers’ spoken (N = 115) and written (N = 116) output elicited from a designed timed online test, revealed that TC-unit-based measures classified proficiency group membership with high efficiency (61.2–75.7 per cent). Mean length of terminable TC-unit proved the most effective indicator of spoken Chinese syntactic complexity, while mean length of terminable TC-unit and single TC-units per terminable TC-unit in combination proved the most effective for written Chinese syntactic complexity.

Macroeconomic and Operational Challenges in Countries in Fragile Situations

Policy Papers ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (43) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
International Community ◽  
Capacity Constraints ◽  
The Political ◽  
Fragile States ◽  
Uncertain Environments ◽  
Common Features ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Different Levels

There is broad recognition that countries in fragile situations face unique challenges. While fragility may afflict countries at different levels of income and capacity, common features of fragile states are institutions that are seen to be weak and lack legitimacy, as well as a fractious political setting, which in turn elevates the risk of violence. Fragilities impose large costs and hardships on local populations that can spill over to neighboring countries—directly through conflict, crime, and disease, but also through economic linkages. Considering these unique challenges, the international community is developing forms of engagement that stress peacebuilding, social cohesion, and statebuilding. They incorporate recognition of the need for sustained engagement, a willingness to take calculated risks in uncertain environments, fuller attention to the political economy of reforms and capacity constraints, and coordination of donor efforts.

Discourse Analysis in Stylistics and Literature Instruction

1990 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 181-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mick Short
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Stylistic Analysis ◽  
Literature Instruction ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Written Texts ◽  
Language Study

The termsdiscourse analysisandstylistic analysismean different thing to different people. Most narrowly defined, discourse analysis has only to do with the structure of spoken discourse. Such a definition separates discourse analysis from literany stylistics and pragmatics—the study of how people understand language in context. At the other end of the spectrum, discourse analysis can be carried out on spoken and written texts, and can include matters like textual coherence and cohesion, and the inferencing of meaning by readers or listeners. In this case, it includes pragmatics and much of stylistics within its bounds. Similarly, stylistics can apply just to literary texts or not, and be restricted to the study of style or, on the other hand, include the study of meaning. For the purposes of this review, relatively wide definitions of both areas have been assumed in order to make what follows reasonably comprehensive. The main restriction assumed is that the works discussed will be relevant to the examination of literature in some way. The section on literature instruction will include matters relevant to both native and non-native learners of English, and will also make reference to the integration of literary and language study.

scholarly journals Discourse Relational Devices of Contrast in Lithuanian and English

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-100
Author(s):  
Jolita Šliogerienė ◽  
Giedrė Valūnaitė Oleškevičienė ◽  
Vilma Asijavičiūtė
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Semantic Meaning ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
Discourse Relations

When conjunctions are employed to link sentences, they become discourse relational devices The purpose of this study is to analyse if the semantic meaning of Lithuanian contrastive conjunctions o (but/when/whereas/while) and bet (but) coincides with the pragmatic meaning and to draw some parallels with their English counterparts. A corpus-based approach is employed to make generalizations on the use of Lithuanian conjunctions and their English counterparts, whereas discourse analysis provides a theoretical framework to analyse the conjunctions in spoken language and distinguish their peculiarities typical of this social context. The research reveals that Lithuanian conjunction bet and its English counterpart but demonstrate similar pragmatic behavior. On pragmatic level both conjunctions bet and but serve to object indirectly, to deny interlocutor’s ideas by first agreeing to them and then contradicting. Lithuanian conjunction o does not have a direct English counterpart. Lithuanian conjunction o, mainly contrastive in its semantic meaning, has manifold pragmatic meanings, therefore, it can be translated to English not only by but and and but also by any other English utterance introducer depending on the context. The focus of the research is spoken discourse which naturally implies certain limitations as it is not so much organized and more open to the recipient’s intervention. Knowledge of semantic meaning and pragmatic functions provides easily identifiable advice on how conjunctions could be used and translated. The object of the research is comparatively new in Lithuania and adds to the research field related to discourse relations studies.

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