Linguistically Science (Using EGU Planet Press to promote Science in a native language)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Anthony Pope
Keyword(s):  
Science Research ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Science Content ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Authentic Language ◽  
Spanish Classroom ◽  
Swedish School

<p>Spoken and written language are the foundation for learning. The power of the spoken and written word is important to researchers and students. When students can understand, discuss, and verbalize their learning in their native tongue, we can provide the perfect platform and conduit for the next generation of scientists and inventors. The EGU Planet Press is a perfect resource that I use to facilitate this in my school with the advanced Spanish classes. Students use authentic and science based content to further their learning of the foreign language. The articles are also helpful for our English second language (ESL) Spanish speakers in their science content learning. This type of usage of the material is producing a benefit in the Spanish classroom, for the school’s ESL population and as an extension for English speaking students who are curious about science research not currently presented in their textbooks. Additionally, I am also using the material with my polyglot daughter and her Swedish school friends to include authentic language to the teaching of science content.</p>

Letter names: Effect on letter saying, spelling, and word recognition in Hebrew

2002 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
IRIS LEVIN ◽  
SIGAL PATEL ◽  
TAMAR MARGALIT ◽  
NOA BARAD
Keyword(s):  
First Graders ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Initial Letter ◽  
Impaired Performance ◽  
Hebrew Letter ◽  
Educational Implications ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Letter Names ◽  
Written Word

Letter names bridge the gap between oral and written language among English speaking children. This study examined whether letter names have a similar function in Hebrew. Despite their common historical source, Hebrew letter names differ from English: they are longer and not as regular phonologically. However, they follow the acrophonic principle, unlike many English letter names. Israeli kindergartners, whose mother tongue was Hebrew, were asked to orally provide initial or final letters of spoken words, to spell words in writing, and to select one written word out of two as standing for an oral word. First graders were tested on orally providing the initial letter and spelling. Children were found to rely on letter names in performing all these tasks. They succeeded more in providing the initial letter or in spelling it if the word started with a letter-name sequence, like kaftor (button), which is spelled with k (Kaf). They succeeded more in selecting the correct word between two if the words started with a letter-name sequence. In grade 1 the effects decreased and became limited particularly to phonemes spelled with homophonic letters. Partial letter names (impossible in English) affected performance but to a lesser extent than entire names. Reliance on letter names both facilitated and impaired performance but in different ways than in English. The educational implications are discussed.

Neurocognitive Studies of Musical Literacy Acquisition

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-237
Author(s):  
Lauren Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Model ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Music Reading ◽  
Musical Notation ◽  
Primary Function ◽  
Sensorimotor Transformations ◽  
Systematic Effects ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Spatial Interference ◽  
Musical Response

Although certain parallels can be drawn between written language and notation in music — both use arbitrary visual symbols to notate the salient aspects of a sound pattern, the purpose of each notational system differs markedly. While the primary function of written language is to carry referential meaning, the primary function of musical notation is to carry instructions for the production of a musical performance. Music reading thus lies at the interface between perception and action and provides an ecological model with which to study how visual instructions influence the motor system. The studies presented in this article investigate how musical symbols on the page are decoded into a musical response, from both a cognitive and neurological perspective. The results of a musical Stroop paradigm are described, in which musical notation was present but irrelevant for task performance. The presence of musical notation produced systematic effects on reaction time, demonstrating that reading of the written note, as well as the written word, is obligatory for those who are musically literate. Spatial interference tasks are also described which suggest that music reading, at least for the pianist, can be characterized as a set of vertical to horizontal mappings. These behavioural findings are mirrored by the results of an fMRI training study in which musically untrained adults were taught to read music and play piano keyboard over a period of three months. Learning-specific changes were seen in superior parietal cortex and supramarginal gyrus, areas which are known to be involved in spatial sensorimotor transformations and preparation of learned actions respectively.

Housing Stability and Transactional Sex among Spanish-Speaking and English-Speaking Transgender Women

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-141
Author(s):  
John A. Sauceda ◽  
Edda I. Santiago-Rodriguez ◽  
Gaspar Zaragoza ◽  
Catherine E. Rivas ◽  
Luz Venegas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regression Model ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Transgender Women ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Transactional Sex ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Housing Stability ◽  
Spanish Speaking ◽  
English Speaking

There is evidence for a relationship between housing instability and transactional sex among transgender women. However, less is known about this relationship among monolingual Spanish-speaking transgender women. We compared Spanish- and English-speaking transgender women for differences in ever reporting transactional sex, and if perceived housing stability moderated these differences. Using a cross-sectional design, we surveyed 186 Spanish- and English-speaking transgender women in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the San Francisco Bay Area, California. All variables in this study were from a brief demographic questionnaire in a larger parent study. Using a multivariate regression model for moderation, we tested whether the odds for reporting transactional sex were different between English and Spanish speakers, and whether housing stability moderated these odds. Overall, Spanish and English speakers reporting similar percentages of transactional sex (52.3–53.8%) and similar scores on the housing stability measure. In the moderation regression model, Spanish speakers had 7.9 times the adjusted odds of transaction sex, versus English speakers, but housing stability moderated the probability of transactional sex in the form of a crossover interaction. That is, lesser housing stability was associated with a higher probability of reporting transactional sex among Spanish speakers, yet greater housing stability was also associated with lower probability of reporting transactional sex. Housing stability evidenced both a risk and protective role for Spanish-speaking transgender women, which highlight the importance of this basic health need.

Local Governments and Social Networking

2012 ◽  
pp. 84-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald A. Merwin ◽  
J. Scott McDonald ◽  
Keith A. Merwin ◽  
Maureen McDonald ◽  
John R. Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Limited English Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Minority ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
English Speaking

This chapter argues that Web 2.0, a valuable tool used to expand government-citizen communication opportunities and bring citizens as a group closer to government, widens a communication opportunity divide between local government and its citizens. Web 2.0 access is almost exclusively English-language based, benefiting that segment of the population and leaving others behind, especially the fastest growing language minority, Spanish speakers. While local governments continue to take advantage of the ability to interact with citizens through social networking (Aikins, 2009; Vogel, 2009), McDonald, Merwin, Merwin, Morris, & Brannen (2010) found a majority of counties with significant populations of citizens with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) did not provide for the translation needs of these citizens on their Websites. The chapter finds that Web 2.0-based communication is almost exclusively in English and that cities are missing opportunities to communicate. It concludes with recommendations based on observations of communities employing Web 2.0 to engage non-English speaking populations.

A restudy of postcolonial Palau after two decades

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 34-59
Author(s):  
Kazuko Matsumoto
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Future Scenarios ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Social Division ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Ethnographic Analysis

Abstract This paper reports results from a reinvestigation of multilingualism in postcolonial Palau, conducted twenty years after the first study. The first-ever ethnographic language survey conducted in 1997–1998 highlighted the diglossic nature of Palau where English replaced Japanese as the ‘high’ language, while indigenous Palauan remained as the ‘low’ spoken language. It indicated three possible future scenarios: (a) shift from multilingualism to bilingualism after the older Japanese-speaking generation passes away; (b) stability of diglossia with a clear social division between an English-speaking elite and a predominantly Palauan-speaking non-elite; (c) movement towards an English-speaking nation with Palauan being abandoned. The restudy conducted in 2017–2018 provides real-time evidence to assess the direction and progress of change, whilst the ethnographic analysis of recent changes in language policies and the linguistic analysis of teenagers’ narratives reveal the unpopularity of Palauan as a written language and the emergence of their own variety of English.

scholarly journals The dawn of the Somali written word: an analysis of the creation and implementation of the Somali written language

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warsan Amin
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Oral Poetry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
History Of ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Knowledge Preservation ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
First Time

My major research paper (MRP) is grounded in the history of Somalia’s first orthography implemented in 1972 by President Mohamed Siad Barre. This meant that for the first time Somali history, there would be a written language that mirrored the Somali oral tradition in all its complexity. The nation’s longstanding cultural tradition of oral poetry has both impacted, and been impacted by the implementation of the orthography. Through the use of semi-structured interviews and grounded theory as my method of analysis, the purpose of this MRP is to explore this reciprocal impact between Somalia’s oral tradition and the implementation of the orthography, and also to explore how Somali poetry provides a unique lens into this reciprocal impact. After stating the data, I present the findings in two stages: (a) in the form of short stories that provide insight into the topic from the perceptions and perspectives of each interviewee, and (b) as overarching themes that have emerged from the interviewees collectively. The findings reveal that the colonial period in Somalia gave rise to the necessity of an orthography for the oral Somali language which then introduced a level of cultural anxiety as the oral tradition of knowledge preservation eventually weakened. Nonetheless, although the Somali orthography is now seen first and foremost as a means of knowledge preservation, the Somali culture still demonstrates a deep connection to their oral heritage.

scholarly journals Examining a Multisemiotic Approach to Measuring Challenging Content for English Learners and Others: Results from the ONPAR Elementary and Middle School Science Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. p1
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Kopriva ◽  
Laura Wright ◽  
Robert Triscari ◽  
Lynn Shafer Willner
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
School Science ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Classroom Performance ◽  
Performance Techniques ◽  
Item Level ◽  
8Th Grade ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Experimental Trials

This study contributes to the empirical research base on the effectiveness of ONPAR, a promising multisemiotic test item development process. ONPAR uses a variety of multisemiotic performance techniques to present and measure challenging concepts and skills of students, including low English proficient English Learners (ELs) and non-ELs. Experimental trials were used to investigate how 648 ELs at three English proficiency levels and native English speaking non-ELs performed on randomly assigned 4th and 8th grade traditional items and equivalent ONPAR items of challenging science content. General linear modeling using a covariate variable of classroom performance and bi- and multi-nomial regressions found differential boost across both grades. That is, findings showed that lower English proficient ELs perform better on ONPAR vs traditional forms in both grades, with p < .05 in favor of ONPAR in grade 8, whereas there were no significant differences between the two forms for non-ELs. The results also underscore the viability of the assessment methodology where students often demonstrate their response by showing their knowledge and skills. Item level results indicate that the ONPAR approach is useful at mitigating the effect of group.

Museums as a Site for Racialization and Heritage Language Maintenance

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-122
Author(s):  
Laura Callahan
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Symbolic Capital ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Group I ◽  
A Site

Racialization is a process by which a group of people comes to be associated with and defined by certain essentialized characteristics. Racialization assumes unindividuated populations, and qualities such as intelligence, industriousness, and educational attainment can attach to an entire ethnic group. I argue that some practices in American museums may unintentionally contribute to the racialization of Spanish and Spanish speakers in the United States. This happens, first, by virtue of what printed language appears in Spanish and what does not, and second, by the particular features of the written Spanish that does appear. In reference to linguistic landscapes and language maintenance, Landry and Bourhis (1997) underline the benefit a language’s ingroup users may obtain from its prevalence in a given area; other researchers point out ways in which written language on signage can help second language learners. Heritage language learners lack ample exposure to written forms of their language, and museums— as custodians of knowledge and high culture—could provide one more venue and also offer access to symbolic capital. This paper invites reflection on questions such as whether or not some Spanish in a museum is better than none, and if the features of the Spanish that appears there matter.

scholarly journals Social science and forestry curricula: Some survey results

2001 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Tindall
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Survey Research ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Survey Results

In this article, findings from a study of a forestry curriculum are used to identify current gaps and potential avenues of pedagogical contributions pertaining to social science content. In setting a context for this analysis a brief review of the potential contributions of social science to forestry, and a description of current social science research on forestry in B.C. and the surrounding region is provided. Survey results from: 1) stakeholders in forestry, 2) forestry undergraduate students, and 3) forestry faculty all point to the need for incorporating more social science content into forestry curricula. These survey results dovetail with observations about the need for more social science research on forestry topics. Key words: social science, forestry curricula, intergroup differences, social survey research

Why Do Hispanics Have So Little Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance?

2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Reschovsky ◽  
Jack Hadley ◽  
Len Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
National Data ◽  
Spanish Speaking ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Employer Health Insurance

This paper investigates low rates of employer health insurance coverage among Hispanics using national data from the Community Tracking Study Household Survey. Interview language served as a proxy for the degree of assimilation. Findings indicate that English-speaking Hispanics are more similar to whites in their labor market experiences and coverage than they are to Spanish-speaking Hispanics. Spanish-speakers' very low human capital (including their inability to speak English) results in much less access to job-based insurance. Though less important, Spanish-speaking Hispanics' demand for employer-sponsored insurance appears lower than that of English-speaking Hispanics or whites. Results suggest that language and job training may be the most effective way to bolster Hispanics' insurance coverage.

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