STEMUR: An Automated Word Conflation Algorithm for the Urdu Language

Stemming is a common word conflation method that perceives stems embedded in the words and decreases them to their stem (root) by conflating all the morphologically related terms into a single term, without doing a complete morphological analysis. This article presents STEMUR, an enhanced stemming algorithm for automatic word conflation for Urdu language. In addition to handling words with prefixes and suffixes, STEMUR also handles words with infixes. Rather than using a totally unsupervised approach, we utilized the linguistic knowledge to develop a collection of patterns for Urdu infixes to enhance the accuracy of the stems and affixes acquired during the training process. Additionally, STEMUR also handles English loan words and can handle words with more than one affix. STEMUR is compared with four existing Urdu stemmers including Assas-Band and the template-based stemmer that are also implemented in this study. Results are processed on two corpora containing 89,437 and 30,907 words separately. Results show clear improvements regarding strength and accuracy of STEMUR. The use of maximum possible infix rules boosted our stemmer's accuracy up to 93.1% and helped us achieve a precision of 98.9%.

Models for Integration of Psychological and Linguistic Knowledge in Complex Forensic Examinations

The article presents complex forensic psychological and linguistic examination models developed basing on various kinds of integration of psychological and linguistic knowledge in solving typical expert tasks. Based on forensic expertise, expert practice, methodological developments in complex, as well as psychological and psychiatric examinations, the author describes the following types of studies: a sequential complex of examinations, parallel complex examination, complex sequential analysis, sequential-parallel complex study.The author also illustrates the sequence of the use and integration of the results of applying specialized knowledge with particular examples.

Forensic Linguistics as a Form of Application of Specialized Linguistic Knowledge in Legal Proceedings: Development History and Current State

The article provides the periodization of the development of forensic linguistics as one of the primary forms of application of specialized linguistic knowledge in legal proceedings. The author distinguishes four main stages: the 1st stage – the emergence of forensic linguistic expertise, the 2nd stage – its formation, the 3rd stage - development, and the 4th stage - improvement. Finally, at a more generalized alternative periodization (before-the-expert/philological and expert stages), the author reveals pressing issues of developing this kind of expertise and the prospects for its evolution.

Spanish L2 Chinese Learners’ Awareness of Morpho-Syntactic Structures in the Reading Comprehension of Splittable Compounds

Reading comprehension is never considered a simple task in linguists’ views as it requires a full set of linguistic knowledge, such as word decoding, understanding syntactic and morphological structures, and deriving proper meanings from these structures in a given context. Bearing the simple view of reading, the primary goal of this study is to explore whether the split presentation of Chinese splittable compounds influences the recognition of the compounds in second language (L2) Chinese reading comprehension, and how the reading skills, i.e., word decoding and linguistic comprehension, cooperate to complete this reading comprehension task. Splittable compounds (SCs) in Chinese are typically verbs composed of two constituents with limited separability. The separable property of SCs and their vague morpho-syntactic status are supposed to cause difficulties for L2 Chinese learners in recognizing the compounds. Especially for those whose native language manifests lexical integrity, the split presentation of the compounds may invite the L2 Chinese readers to process them with a mechanism different from that for their non-split forms. To the best of our knowledge, the efforts on investigating this issue are insufficient. In this study, 27 Spanish speaking L2 Chinese learners were invited to complete tasks including reading and interpreting 6 selected SCs in the split and non-split forms, rating their familiarities with each SC and reporting the syntactic category of the SCs based on their existing linguistic knowledge. The results, showed that the split presentation of SCs did cause challenges for L2 Chinese learners in recognizing the compounds in the reading process, regardless of their Chinese proficiencies. The L2 Chinese participants performed significantly worse in recognizing split SCs in salient Verb-Object structures than recognizing those in unsalient Verb-Object structures. These findings underscore the importance of linguistic comprehension in L2 Chinese in-text word reading comprehension and suggest words as the basic processing units.

Unlocking adults’ implicit statistical learning by cognitive depletion

Human learning is supported by multiple neural mechanisms that maturate at different rates and interact in mostly cooperative but also sometimes competitive ways. We tested the hypothesis that mature cognitive mechanisms constrain implicit statistical learning mechanisms that contribute to early language acquisition. Specifically, we tested the prediction that depleting cognitive control mechanisms in adults enhances their implicit, auditory word-segmentation abilities. Young adults were exposed to continuous streams of syllables that repeated into hidden novel words while watching a silent film. Afterward, learning was measured in a forced-choice test that contrasted hidden words with nonwords. The participants also had to indicate whether they explicitly recalled the word or not in order to dissociate explicit versus implicit knowledge. We additionally measured electroencephalography during exposure to measure neural entrainment to the repeating words. Engagement of the cognitive mechanisms was manipulated by using two methods. In experiment 1 (n = 36), inhibitory theta-burst stimulation (TBS) was applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or to a control region. In experiment 2 (n = 60), participants performed a dual working-memory task that induced high or low levels of cognitive fatigue. In both experiments, cognitive depletion enhanced word recognition, especially when participants reported low confidence in remembering the words (i.e., when their knowledge was implicit). TBS additionally modulated neural entrainment to the words and syllables. These findings suggest that cognitive depletion improves the acquisition of linguistic knowledge in adults by unlocking implicit statistical learning mechanisms and support the hypothesis that adult language learning is antagonized by higher cognitive mechanisms.

Developing the Metalinguistic Competence of Engineering Students

The paper discusses the socio-communicative function of the engineer’s foreign language training in which content is based on materials relating to the latest global technological advances and understanding of the essence of production culture in different countries. It discusses the structure and content of foreign language training taking into account the potential of multilingualism, technical communication and metalinguistic competence. Foreign language training contributes to the formation of linguistic, communicative and metacognitive skills. It sets out the modern international requirements in an engineering university, identifies the contradictions and features of pedagogical forms, methods and tools, and sets out the content and structure of multilingualism, technical communication and metalinguistic competence. A methodology for the implementation of foreign language training in combination with multilingualism, technical communication and metalinguistic competence is proposed and proved through the realization of group international study trips. Here, the students showed an understanding of technologies in foreign languages and a metalinguistic awareness focusing on the cultural traditions of the region and local features of production. The article argues for a conscious approach to deeper linguistic knowledge, cultures of different countries and technologies with advanced language and communications requirements in the field of science and technology, combining linguistic and engineering thinking in the human mind for a more complete understanding of the essence and content of engineering education.

J. E. Tatengkeng and Robert Frost’s Poems: An Application of Michael Riffaterre’s Semiotic Model

This paper describes the results of poem analysis using the semiotic model of Riffaterre. The objects of analysis were poems written by J.E Tatengkeng from Indonesia including Di Lereng Gunung, Bulan Terang, and Melati; and Robert Frost from America including Nothing Gold Can Stay, Fireflies in the Garden, and After Apple Picking. The analysis was conducted using two steps of reading. The first was the heuristic reading conducted by using linguistic knowledge; while the second was the retroactive reading conducted by using knowledge beyond the text. This second step was intended to conclude the hypograms, and based on the hypograms, matrices and significance of the poems were concluded. The analysis revealed the poems’ matrices and significance related to the value of love, beauty of nature, and religious belief. Keywords: Riffaterre, J.E. Tatengkeng, Robert Frost.

Sprachliche Herausforderungen an die Rechtsvergleichung im Agrarrecht

Agricultural law combines two opposing directions of development of law in general. One is connected with the local or regional element and indeed, like no other discipline, is linked to a specific region, culture, tradition and linguistic specificity, being a consequence of the specific nature of agricultural law. On the other hand, at the level of the European Union it is characterised by the greatest degree of integration. The Common Agricultural Policy has made agricultural law locally and regionally rooted but, at the same time, it has created a specific technical language of European agricultural law. Therefore, conducting a comparative legal research into the field of agricultural law faces a particular challenge as it requires combining both local and regional linguistic specificities with the European technical language of agricultural law. This relativism of the technical language of agricultural law does not, however, stand in the way of legal comparativism. However, apart from the linguistic knowledge, it requires the researcher to possess thorough cultural, social and economic knowledge of another country. Professor Budzinowski, unlike many other scholars, embodies these skills in his comparative legal research.

Prática leitora-formativa com crianças e poesia na educação infantil

Resumo Este artigo reflete sobre a prática leitora-formativa com crianças e poesia na Educação Infantil no desenvolvimento de possibilidades desafiadoras na escola em praticar na infância o vínculo da leitura de poemas com sua potência enquanto possível realização da experiência poética. Objetiva refletir sobre práticas leitoras-formativas com poesias com as crianças em momentos lúdicos de interação, de desenvolvimento da oralidade, de amplificação de seu vocabulário, com os quais podem expressar seus desejos, sentimentos em consonância com o brincar com as palavras. Justifica-se a reflexão destas práticas no processo de ensino para aprendizagem com a poesia para as crianças no desenvolvimento da imaginação, expressão e sensibilidade, que suscitam nelas novas percepções cognitivas. Como metodologia, a prática foi de abordagem qualitativa na interpretação dos dados e bibliográfica na construção do Referencial Teórico foi realizada com crianças de 5 e 6 anos em Escola de Educação Infantil, com uma turma do jardim B, com os quais foram trabalhados poemas infantis de Caio Ritter. Como Referencial Teórico foram parceiros Abramovich (1989), Bachelard (1990), Georges Jean (1989), Lajolo (2006), Reyes (2010). Estas reflexões colaboram com os/as educadores/as para que desenvolvam, através da poesia na Literatura Infantil, o prazer nas leituras e audições de poemas e contação de histórias para que, no exercício da docência, se apropriem do conhecimento tanto literário quanto linguístico, a fim de fazer uso da palavra poética em espaços complexos de linguagem e de questionamentos acerca de suas próprias constituições como seres humanos. Palavras-chave: Prática-leitora-formativa; poesia; criança. Abstract This paper reflects on the reading-formative practice with children and poetry in Early Childhood Education in the development of challenging possibilities at school to practice in childhood the link of reading poems with its power as a possible realization of poetic experience. It aims to reflect on reading-formative practices with poetry with children in playful moments of interaction, oral development, expansion of their vocabulary, with which they can express their wishes, feelings in line with playing with words. It is justified to reflect on these practices in the teaching-learning process with poetry for children to develop their imagination, expression, and sensitivity, which raise new cognitive perceptions in them. As a methodology, the practice was of qualitative approach in the interpretation of data and bibliographic in the construction of the theoretical framework. The search was carried out with children of 5 and 6 years old in an Early Childhood Education School, with a group of Garden B, where children’s poems by Caio Ritter were studied. Abramovich (1989), Bachelard (1990), Georges Jean (1989), Lajolo (2006), Reyes (2010) were partners as theoretical framework. These reflections collaborate with educators to develop, through poetry in Children's Literature, the pleasure of reading and listening to poems and storytelling so that, in the exercise of teaching, they appropriate both literary and linguistic knowledge. In order to make use of the poetic word in complex spaces of language and questions about their own constitutions as human beings. Keywords: Reading-formative practice; poetry; kids. Resumen Este articulo reflexiona sobre la práctica lectora-formativa con niños/as y poesía en la Educación Infantil en el desarrollo de las posibilidades desafiadoras en la escuela para practicar en la niñez el vínculo con la lectura de poemas y con la experiencia poética. Objetiva reflexionar sobre las prácticas lectoras-formativas con poesías con niños y niñas en momentos lúdicos de integración, para el desarrollo de la oralidad, de la ampliación de su vocabulario, con los cuales pueden expresar sus deseos, sentimientos en consonancia con el juego con las palabras. Se justifica reflexionar sobre estas prácticas en el proceso de la enseñanza para el aprendizaje con la poesía para los niños y niñas en el desarrollo de la imaginación, expresión y sensibilidad, que dan lugar a nuevas percepciones cognitivas. La metodología fue el abordaje cualitativo en la interpretación de los datos y la revisión bibliográfica en la construcción del referencial teórico. La actividad se realizó con niños y niñas de 5 y 6 años de una escuela de Educación Infantil, con un grupo del jardín B, con los cuales fueron trabajados poemas infantiles de Caio Ritter. Con el referencial teórico colaboraron Abramovich (1989), Bachelard (1990), Georges Jean (1989), Lajolo (2006) y Reyes (2010). Estas reflexiones colaboraron con los/las profesores/as para que desarrollen, a través de la poesía en la literatura infantil, el placer en las lecturas, audiciones de poemas y “contar cuentos” de historias para que, en el ejercicio de la docencia, se apropien del conocimiento tanto literario como lingüístico, a fin de hacer uso de la palabra poética en espacios complejos de lenguaje y de cuestionamientos sobre sus propias constituciones como seres humanos. Palabras-claves: Práctica-habilidad lectora; niños/niñas; poesía.

Obsceniczne, obraźliwe czy „śmieszne”? O odbiorze społecznym kilku typów nazw miejscowych pogranicza polsko-wschodniosłowiańskiego

This article examines local place names which may, due to their form or their use in a wider context of a speech act, be considered to be obscene, offensive or funny. The first group includes names that evoke troublesome associations, even though they are not, etymologically speaking, connected with the taboo sphere (e.g. Gacie, Hujsko, Podupce). The second group consists of place names whose obscene or humorous character is recognisable only by those with relevant linguistic knowledge and awareness (e.g. Przedrzymiechy, Pukarzów, Tarzymiechy). The third and final group contains names whose potentially ridiculous and humorous character is present only when accompanied by a broader text and context of an utterance (e.g. Nielisz, Niemce, Cyców).