Investigating the Influences of Starting Age on Pronunciation: a Comparative Study of Chinese Learners of English As a Second Language

This study aims to test the validity of Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) by investigating the influence of starting age on Chinese English learners’ pronunciation. The study compares the degree of foreign accent of native Chinese English learners with different starting ages in learning English, in an attempt to determine whether early Chinese English learners could outperform late ones in terms of English pronunciation when exposed to an English-speaking setting. Furthermore, this research also proposes to investigate other possible factors that affect Chinese English learners’ pronunciation. Participants were asked to provide spontaneous speech samples through semi-structured interviews conducted face-to-face or via Skype. In addition, an additional read-aloud task was required to ensure a more thorough and in-depth interpretation. The final results run counter to the Critical Period Hypothesis as there appeared to be late starters who also achieved native-like pronunciation, and there was no significant difference between early starters and late ones in terms of pronunciation. However, the study also yielded some results suggesting that greater efforts and stronger motivations were required for late starters in order to achieve the same pronunciation levels as early starters’, indicating that starting age can be a sensitive rather than critical factor for second language (L2) pronunciation acquisition.

The Alzheimer’s Disease THErapy with NEuroaid II (ATHENE) Study: A Double-Blind Randomized Delayed-Start Trial to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of MLC901 (NeuroAiD™II) as an add-on Treatment to Cholinesterase Inhibitors or Memantine in Patients With Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease

BackgroundPreclinical and clinical studies indicate a role for MLC901 (NeuroAiDTMII) in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). We investigated its safety and efficacy as add-on therapy to standard treatment and evaluated a disease modifying effect in mild to moderate AD.MethodsMild-moderate probable AD patients by NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, stable on acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or memantine (n=125) were randomized to receive MLC901 (early starters) or placebo (delayed starters) for 6 months, followed by a further 6 months during which all patients received MLC901, in a delayed-start design. The primary outcome measure was serious adverse events at 6 months, secondary outcomes included the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) and other cognitive assessment scales.ResultsThere was no significant difference in the risk of serious adverse events between early and delayed starters at month (M) 6 (22.6% vs. 27.0%, risk difference = -4.4%, 90% CI -16.9 to 8.3%). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the risk of adverse events, including the occurrence of stroke or vascular events, between early and delayed starters throughout the 12-month study period. The early-starters differed significantly on ADAS-Cog from the delayed-starters at M9 (mean difference -3.36, 95% CI -5.64 to -1.09) and M12 (mean difference -2.35, 95% CI -5.45 to 0.74). Other cognitive assessment scales showed trends in favor of MLC901.ConclusionsMLC901 is a safe adjunct to standard treatment for mild-moderate AD. There is no indication that the risk of any adverse events, including vascular, is increased with MLC901 in the study population. The cognitive outcomes provide support for a disease-modifying effect of MLC901 which requires confirmation in further studies. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03038035. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03038035

A long-term look at “early starters”: Predicting adult psychosocial outcomes from childhood conduct problem trajectories

Current evidence suggests that multiple pathways of “early-starting” conduct problems exist, including persisting and declining trajectories. Since relatively little is known about the early onset-declining pathway, this study examined the long-term outcomes of different childhood conduct problem trajectories in a disproportionately high-risk sample (N = 754). Parents reported on children's conduct problems at six time points (kindergarten to grade 7). At age 25, psychosocial outcomes were assessed across five domains (psychopathology, substance use, risky sexual behavior, antisocial behavior, and adaptive outcomes). Four childhood conduct problem trajectories were identified: extremely high increasing (EHI; 3.7%), high stable (HS; 22.0%), moderate decreasing (MD; 38.8%), and low decreasing (LD; 35.5%). The EHI and HS groups displayed the poorest psychosocial functioning at age 25, whereas the LD group exhibited the most positive adjustment. Although individuals in the MD group displayed relatively positive adjustment on some outcomes, they displayed more psychopathology and lower well-being in adulthood than the LD group. These findings suggest that there are diverse pathways of early-starting conduct problems, and that all early starters are at risk for later maladjustment. However, the degree and type of risk is related to the severity of conduct problems throughout childhood.

Does younger mean better? Age of onset, learning rate and shortterm L2 proficiency in young Danish learners of English

This paper reports the results of a semi-longitudinal study investigating the role of age of onset in early foreign language (English) learning. We compared two groups of Danish school children (N = 276) who, following an educational reform in 2014, started their first English classes the same year but at different ages. One group (the early starters) was introduced to English in the 1st grade (age 7-8) and the other group (the late starters) in the 3rd grade (age 9-10). Children’s receptive vocabulary, receptive grammar, and phonetic discrimination skills were followed for three years, allowing comparisons across groups and time and tracking learning rate and shortterm proficiency (after one and two years of instruction). Results showed that the late starters outperformed the early starters in most tests. With respect to learning rate, the tests also revealed that the late starters had an advantage in the receptive grammar test, whereas the phonetic discrimination test showed a more diffuse picture with the late starters seemingly halting in development and the early starters advancing. The results also showed gender differences with boys achieving a higher level of proficiency and exhibiting a faster learning rate than girls. The pedagogical implications of the results are discussed.

The Use of Speaking Strategies by Pre-Service EFL Teachers

Speaking is a language skill that dominates the notion of communicative language competence. Language teachers, especially early starters’ pre-service teachers, should undergo very intensive programmes of pronunciation practice as they will in many cases present the only models for their learners to imitate (Vilke 1993). To develop such fluency in speaking and propositional accuracy, students and prospective teachers should not only use but also be aware of a range of speaking strategies. This study examines pre-service EFL teachers’ perceived use of speaking strategies, as defined in the Oral Communication Strategy Inventory (Nakatani 2006). Since previous studies have identified various factors associated with learners' strategy use, we focused on determining whether the participants’ perceived strategy use is related to their EFL and speaking proficiency and their preference for engaging in speaking activities in their EFL classes. The results confirmed rather high strategy use, but the relation between the tested variables was only partially confirmed.

Association between timing of dialysis initiation and clinical outcomes in the paediatric population: an ESPN/ERA-EDTA registry study

BackgroundThere is no consensus regarding the timing of dialysis therapy initiation for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in children. As studies investigating the association between timing of dialysis initiation and clinical outcomes are lacking, we aimed to study this relationship in a cohort of European children who started maintenance dialysis treatment.MethodsWe used data on 2963 children from 21 different countries included in the European Society of Pediatric Nephrology/European Renal Association–European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry who started renal replacement therapy before 18 years of age between 2000 and 2014. We compared two groups according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at start: eGFR ≥8 mL/min/1.73 m2 (early starters) and eGFR <8 mL/min/1.73 m2 (late starters). The primary outcomes were patient survival and access to transplantation. Secondary outcomes were growth and cardiovascular risk factors. Sensitivity analyses were performed to account for selection- and lead time-bias.ResultsThe median eGFR at the start of dialysis was 6.1 for late versus 10.5 mL/min/1.73 m2 for early starters. Early starters were older [median: 11.0, interquartile range (IQR): 5.7–14.5 versus 9.4, IQR: 2.6–14.1 years]. There were no differences observed between the two groups in mortality and access to transplantation at 1, 2 and 5 years of follow-up. One-year evolution of height standard deviation scores was similar among the groups, whereas hypertension was more prevalent among late initiators. Sensitivity analyses resulted in similar findings.ConclusionsWe found no evidence for a clinically relevant benefit of early start of dialysis in children with ESKD. Presence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, should be taken into account when deciding to initiate or postpone dialysis in children with ESKD, as this affects the survival.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Behaviors in Girls: The Case for Targeted Prevention in Preadolescence

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) affects 15% to 20% of adolescents—disproportionately girls—and is a strong predictor of eventual suicide attempts and suicide. Many girls now initiate NSSI before age 10. These early starters exhibit greater frequency of NSSI, use more diverse methods, and are hospitalized more often than later starters, yet there are no empirically supported prevention programs for preadolescents. Obstacles to prevention include ascertaining who is sufficiently vulnerable and specifying mechanistic intervention targets. Recent research indicates that (a) preadolescent girls with ADHD who are also maltreated are at alarming risk for NSSI and suicide attempts by adolescence and (b) the conjoint effects of these vulnerabilities are sufficiently potent for targeted prevention. Research also indicates that existing interventions are effective in altering child- and family-level mechanisms of NSSI. These interventions alter neurobiological markers of vulnerability, which can be used as proximal efficacy signals of prevention response without waiting for NSSI and suicide attempts to emerge.

The Effect of Age on the Ultimate Attainment of English Lexis and Morphosyntax

This study investigates the relationship between the age of onset of learning English and the ultimate attainment in that language. To this end, it tests the lexical and morphosyntactic competence of 62 intermediate school students who have different points of onset. They have to do a grammaticality judgment test and a vocabulary test. Using the methods of descriptive statistics, the result showed that late starters have outperformed early starters in all aspects of the language examined. The study also revealed that there is a relatively weak correlation between the age of headstart and the ultimate attainment in both levels of language tested. The correlations between the age of exposure and vocabulary attainment is (r = 0.2), whereas it is (r= 0.18) between the age of exposure and morphosyntactic knowledge. It is also found that there’s a strong positive correlation between ESs and LSs grammar and vocabulary (r= 0.75). This suggests that vocabulary and grammar are interdependent fields in that the abstract morphosyntactic rules would remain null and void without the lexical component at work, and the intrinsic meaning of a vocabulary item can’t be fully grasped without adequate knowledge of the morphosyntactic rules that assign meaning to each word in a sentence.