An Online Tool for Practicing Oral Summary: Can an Effective Tool Be Built With ASR?

The development of creative thinking skills and cultural literacy is crucial for preparing students to navigate the challenges of globalization while preserving their cultural identity. This study aims to develop the Ethnosains Integrated Project-Based Learning (PjBL) model and evaluate its validity and effectiveness in enhancing students' creative thinking skills and cultural literacy. Employing a Research and Development (R&D) methodology, the model was developed with a structured six-phase learning process: ethno-orientation, ethno-problem, ethno-project design, ethno-project investigation, ethno-presentation, and ethno-reflection. The validation process, conducted from experts’ perspectives, involved Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with five expert validators to assess the model's content and construct validity. Additionally, 16 biology education students from Universitas Pendidikan Mandalika, Indonesia, participated in preliminary field testing to evaluate the model's practical application. Validation results confirmed the model’s content and construct validity, with high average scores (content: 3.92; construct: 3.87 out of 4.00), indicating its alignment with educational needs and theoretical frameworks. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including ANOVA, demonstrated significant improvements in students' creative thinking skills, with an increase in the average score from 2.28 ("less creative") in the pretest to 3.28 ("creative") in the posttest (F > 101.33, p < .001, η² > 0.77). Similarly, cultural literacy scores improved significantly, with the average rising from 2.41 ("moderately literate") to 4.09 ("highly literate") (F > 179.52, p < .001, η² > 0.85). These results highlight the success of the Ethnosains Integrated PjBL model in fostering creativity and cultural awareness through culturally contextualized projects. The study underscores the potential of this model as an innovative strategy for holistically integrating creative thinking and cultural literacy into educational practices and recommends further exploration across diverse contexts.

This study aims to improve students' learning achievements in the subject of Aqidah Akhlak at MIN Sampang by implementing the Talking Stick method. Based on initial observations and interviews, it was found that many students had not yet reached the Minimum Mastery Criteria (KKM) of 75, which was due to a lack of focus and monotonous teaching methods. This research uses a Classroom Action Research (CAR) approach with 18 fifth-grade students as the subjects. The study was conducted in two cycles, with each cycle consisting of two meetings in the first cycle and one meeting in the second cycle, following the Kemmis and McTaggart model procedure, which includes four stages: planning, action, reflection, and observation. The results of the study showed a significant improvement in students' learning outcomes after the application of the Talking Stick method. In the final cycle, 15 students achieved the KKM with an average class score that increased to 80. In conclusion, the Talking Stick method was proven effective in improving students' learning outcomes in the subject of Aqidah Akhlak. The improvement in learning outcomes was reflected not only in higher average scores but also in the increased participation and engagement of students in the learning activities. Therefore, this study contributes to the improvement of the quality of learning at MIN Sampang and recommends the use of the Talking Stick method as an alternative to improve students' learning outcomes in the subject of Aqidah Akhlak. Keywords: Talking Stick method, learning outcomes, faith, and morals.

This study investigates the implementation of Speech-to-Text (STT) and Text-to-Speech (TTS) technologies in multimodal English as a Foreign Language (EFL) assessment for students with disabilities in Indonesian special senior high schools (SMALB). Using an embedded mixed-methods design, the research involved 25 students with diverse disabilities, alongside teachers and support staff, to explore how STT and TTS tools support inclusive pedagogy and assessment. Qualitative data from observations, interviews, and student work samples were integrated with quantitative results from language performance tests and attitude questionnaires. The findings indicate that STT and TTS technologies enhanced accessibility, engagement, and learner autonomy, allowing students to demonstrate language competence through alternative modalities aligned with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Teachers reported increased sensitivity to learner diversity and adopted more flexible, student-centered assessment strategies. Quantitative analyses showed significant improvements in students' speaking and writing performance, as well as positive shifts in motivation and confidence. Despite implementation challenges such as limited infrastructure and teacher readiness, the study highlights the transformative potential of assistive technologies in advancing equitable and meaningful EFL instruction in inclusive settings. These insights contribute to the growing discourse on inclusive digital education in under-resourced contexts and inform future policy, practice, and teacher training initiatives.

The current problem of insufficient speaking environment for learning foreign languages in China has led to many difficulties in the process of language application. This paper proposes a language interaction system based on speech recognition technology, integrates it with AR English classroom teaching, and designs a new teaching mode. In order to verify the effect of AR technology on the enhancement of language interaction, the study is based on the collection of speech data from the experimental classroom of the preschool education program of a teacher training university, and after collecting and organizing the data, the effect of different data sets on the recognition accuracy of the language interaction system in this paper is tested by changing the size of the data set. After the data set was enlarged, the language interaction system’s accuracy increased by 4.3%. Then, the comparative analysis of teaching language between AR English language interactive classroom and traditional English classroom is carried out from three aspects of language structure, teacher tendency and question and speech, respectively, and it is found that there is a big gap between the two, such as question and speech characteristics, in the AR English language interactive classroom. The rate of active speech among students is as high as 17.8%, while the rate of active speech in traditional English classrooms is 9.5%. The experiment verified that teaching in an AR English language classroom has a significant improvement in students’ language learning interactions.

The task of developing prognoses for late-talking children has long been a challenge for speech-language pathologists, developmental psychologists, and pediatricians. Improved predictors would help to assess long-term risk and determine appropriate intervention services. The present study evaluated children’s length of longest utterances (LLU) as a predictor of mean length of utterance (MLU) one year later. Relationships between LLU at 30 months, MLU at 30 months and MLU at 42 months were examined in 43 late talkers (LT) and 33 age-matched children whose language was typically developing (TD). LLU was a significant predictor of MLU at 42 months with particularly strong correlations within the LT group. Similar results were obtained when controlling for language sample size, which was positively related to LLU. For the LT group, a regression model combining 30-month LLU and MLU was better at predicting 42-month MLU than 30-month MLU alone. The results are discussed in terms of frequency distributions of utterance lengths within language samples.

Mean length of utterance (MLU) is a common measure of expressive language complexity in young children, including autistic children. However, means, by nature, obscure some information about spread and variability in data. Thus, we aimed to examine a new approach to characterizing linguistic complexity in autistic children by investigating the validity of two novel measures-range of length of utterance (RLU), standard deviation of length of utterance (SDLU)-alongside established measures: MLU and total utterances (TU). Participants were 40 autistic children (12 girls, 28 boys; Mage = 41.78 months). Children participated in 10-min, play-based language samples with their caregivers. Language samples were transcribed and measures (MLU, TU, SDLU, and RLU) were derived. To examine the criterion validity of these measures, we used regression analyses to examine how well each measure explained variance in children's expressive language, as measured by the Preschool Language Scales-Fifth Edition (PLS-5). All measures (MLU, SDLU, RLU, and TU) significantly predicted PLS expressive language (ps < .001). Effect size comparisons revealed that all four predictors had large effect sizes (R2 > .6). In absolute terms, MLU had the smallest effect size (R2 = .682), followed by TU (R2 = .72) and RLU (R2 = .781), and SDLU had the largest effect size (R2 = .822). Findings suggest that these novel measures (SDLU and RLU) explained significant variance in children's expressive language, as measured by the PLS-5, as did MLU and TU. SDLU had the largest explanatory power, in absolute terms, followed by RLU and TU. MLU had the smallest effect size, indicating that it had the lowest explanatory power for explaining variance in children's expressive language as compared to the other three measures. Thus, examining spread and variability in utterance length data might provide important, previously overlooked, information about the complexity of autistic children's spoken language. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.30559880.

The length of longest utterances (LLU) may offer a useful view of the upper boundaries of a child's early expressive grammar. In this study, the properties of four measures of LLU were examined in terms of their relationships to mean length of utterance (MLU) and to language sample size over the course of early development. The four measures of LLU were (1) mean length of the longest three utterances (LLU-3), (2) mean length of the longest 10% of utterances (LLU-10%), (3) MLUs over the median utterance length (LLU-M), and (4) MLUs longer than one morpheme (LLU > 1). Language samples of various sizes were created by randomly selecting subsets of 50, 100, 200, and 300 utterances from Brown's samples of Adam, Eve, and Sarah. The four calculation methods were compared in each of the sample sizes, over the course of development for each child. The results indicated that LLU-M and LLU > 1 were both close to MLU, although age differences were noted. Increases in LLU tended to outpace MLU over development in three of the four calculation methods. LLU was positively related to language sample size for one of the calculation methods, LLU-3. Overall, LLU was found to be a fairly close parallel of MLU and a good predictor of future MLU values. It was concluded that three basic properties of LLU should be taken into consideration: (1) calculation method affects LLU outcome, (2) LLU gradually increases relative to MLU throughout early development, and (3) LLU is affected by interaction of language sample size with calculation method.

Mean length of utterance (MLU) is a measure of kid's expressive language progress. MLU is widely used as a metric for tracking the progress of kid’s language acquisition. MLU offers a quantitative measure that reflects the expansion of their grammatical and syntactical abilities. Many researchers studied MLU in English speaking children. However, there is deficiency in studies measuring MLU among Arabic speaking children.Aim of the study: Our aim is to measure the MLU for typically developed Egyptian colloquial Arabic speaking children in Fayoum government aged between 2 and 6 yearsSubjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 275 children aged between 2 and 6 years separated into eight subgroups (A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H) arranged from youngest group (A) to oldest group (H) These children underwent proper history taking and assessing MLU by showing each child 10 pictures of action verbs, asking him to describe what he sees in each picture MLU= all number of words /all number of utterances.Results: The results showed that, in group (A) MLU was 2±0.37 which increased gradually with age to reach 4.7±0.46 in group (H) with p-value <0.001Conclusions: The mean length of utterance is an effective indicator of development of language as much as 6 years. The results showed that MLU was 2±0.37 in group A which increased gradually with age to reach 4.7±0.46 in group (H). The found values may act as a normative reference for Egyptian Colloquial Arabic speaking children.

Introduction: Mean length of utterance in morphemes (MLU) is widely used as a general index of language development in pre-school children. Because of insufficient data on Persian language development in Iran, this study examined the MLU of Persian-speaking children and its relation to their in an attempt to help improving clinical decision making. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 171 typically-developing children 2.5-5.5 years of age who were recruited from nursery settings of Isfahan, Iran. The sample was selected using a mixed method of sampling and divided into six age groups. After an informal conversation with each child to gauge whether the child appeared to be typically developing in terms of language and cognitive levels, speech therapists played with and tape-recorded them. Each child's MLU was calculated for 75 complete and intelligible utterances longer than one word. The mean and standard deviation of MLU were computed for each age group within six-month intervals. The correlation between age and MLU was also investigated. Results: The children’s mean MLU increased between 37-42 and 43-48 months and also between 43-48 and 49-54 months of age. The increase in MLU from the first age group onward was statistically significant. The correlation between age in months and MLU in morphemes was significant, r (171) = 0.47, P < 0.005. Conclusion: The average MLU of the children in this study-and similar studies of Persian-speaking children is much higher than that reported for English-speaking children, and the correlation with age lower; mainly because of morpho-syntactic differences between languages. Age sensitivity of MLU in Persian, however, indicates its capability as a developmental scale for monitoring syntax development in Persian-speaking children which needs to be deeply investigated in relation to Persian language-specific features, either. Keywords: Mean length of utterance, Syntax development, Language development, Pre-school children, Speech therapy

Objectives: This study aimed to describe age-related developmental patterns of Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) and Longest Length of Utterance (LLU) in typically developing Korean children and to examine their discriminant validity across adjacent age groups.Methods: A total of 240 typically developing children aged 2–5 years were divided into eight 6-month age groups (N=30 per group). Spontaneous language samples were collected through semi-structured conversation procedures, and 50 utterances per child were analyzed. MLU and LLU were calculated at the eojeol-, word-, and morpheme-level units. Two-way ANOVAs were used to examine the effects of age and sex, while one-sample ttests compared the present results with those of Kim (1997). Simple regression analyses evaluated the explanatory power of chronological age, and ROC analyses tested the discriminant ability between adjacent age groups.Results: All MLU and LLU measures showed significant age-related increases, with the most pronounced growth observed between late age 2 and around age 4. Girls consistently produced longer utterances than boys, although no significant age-by-sex interaction was found. Compared with Kim (1997), most age groups showed significantly higher MLU and LLU values. Chronological age significantly predicted all indices, and ROC analyses confirmed strong discriminant validity between adjacent age intervals.Conclusion: This study provides updated developmental norms and discriminant reference values for MLU and LLU in Korean children. The two indices complementarily reflect grammatical complexity (MLU) and expressive capacity (LLU), offering objective benchmarks for language development assessment and early detection of language delay.

This study aims to explore the impact of using Tinkercad and digital measuring tools in basic electronics training for physics students. The training involved 60 students who were given the opportunity to design and test electronic circuits using Tinkercad as a simulation platform and digital measuring tools to measure key parameters in electronics. The analysis of surveys and practical tests showed a significant improvement in students' technical skills, particularly in designing electronic circuits and using digital measuring tools such as multimeters to measure voltage and current. Students' perceptions of the ease of use of Tinkercad and the benefits of digital measuring tools were highly positive, with an average score of 82% for most of the evaluated aspects. These findings support previous research showing that technology-based learning can enhance conceptual understanding and practical skills in electronics education. Overall, the study emphasizes that the integration of digital technologies, such as Tinkercad and digital measuring tools, can make a significant contribution to improving the quality of electronics education and equip students with relevant skills to face challenges in the industrial world.

This study primarily aimed to provide a targeted and individualized approach to Filipino reading difficulties by implementing personalized remedial reading programs for identified struggling students. A total of 216 learners from seven schools in the Southwest Butuan District participated, with 57 students identified as struggling readers who underwent the personalized reading remediation. The intervention sought to close the reading proficiency gap and ensure that all students had the opportunity to develop their reading skills effectively. Additionally, the study examined the inputs necessary for improving reading performance through personalized remediation by investigating the characteristics of both Grade 5 learners and their teachers, with 26 Grade 5 teachers providing critical information relevant to the intervention’s success. Data collection was conducted through a structured four-phase procedure involving a PHIL-IRI Pre-test, an Oral Reading Observation Checklist based on the PHIL-IRI Reading Manual, a two-part Reading Attitude Assessment for teachers, and a PHIL-IRI Post-test. Customized Filipino reading materials were also developed and utilized during the remediation sessions, which occurred between the pre- and post-test assessments. The collected data addressed key questions regarding student pre-test performance, learner reading behavior, teacher strategy application, characteristics and processes of personalized reading remediation, post-test outcomes, and recommendations for program enhancement. Statistical analyses, including t-tests, were used to determine the significance of differences between pre- and post-test scores, while descriptive statistics summarized teacher observations and survey responses. The findings revealed that 26% of the Grade 5 learners were struggling readers, underscoring the urgent need for targeted intervention. Observations showed that a significant portion of these learners read word-by-word, displayed monotone expression, had inaudible voices, neglected punctuation, and relied heavily on finger-pointing, all indicating challenges in fluency and comprehension. Teachers demonstrated a strong commitment to individualized instruction, frequently integrating technology and various strategies such as DEAR, peer tutoring, choral reading, and spelling exercises to support reading development. The personalized remediation was characterized by a data-driven, individualized approach emphasizing parent engagement, assessment and feedback, and ensuring student safety and well-being. The remediation process followed a structured sequence aligned with the Department of Education’s guidelines, including needs identification, goal setting, instructional planning, implementation, monitoring, and plan adjustment. Post-test results showed significant improvements in students’ reading abilities, with statistical analysis confirming a meaningful difference from pre-test scores. This outcome highlights the effectiveness of personalized reading remediation in enhancing reading skills among struggling learners. The study concluded that tailored interventions addressing specific reading behaviors are critical to fostering fluency and comprehension. Teachers’ proactive attitudes toward diverse instructional strategies, combined with data-informed individualized approaches, contribute substantially to improved reading outcomes. The proposed enhancement program based on the study’s findings offers a framework for educators to address diverse student needs more effectively. Based on these conclusions, the study recommends that educational institutions adopt personalized reading remediation programs informed by this research. It encourages the allocation of appropriate resources for teacher training and instructional tools, as well as sustained educator commitment to innovative remediation strategies. Furthermore, students should be supported to maintain positive reading behaviors, while parents are urged to actively engage in their children’s reading progress and collaborate with educators. Future research is also recommended to explore the long-term impacts of personalized reading remediation on students’ academic performance beyond immediate assessment results.

The principal aim of this paper is to contribute to the pursuit of evaluating pragmatic language competence in preschool years by observation‐based data. Initially, the relations between age and language development measured as mean length of utterance (MLU) and three dialogue skills are described. The occurrences of ‘focus on the dialogue partner’ and ‘comprehensible speech’ show a uniform increase over age groups and are positively correlated with both age and MLU. Talking about events and objects outside the present situation is not related to age, and only moderately correlated with MLU. When only the explicit outside references are included, a clear developmental trend appears. The ‘Dialogue score’ thus only includes explicit outside references. The ‘Dialogue score’ comprising the three components: ‘Focus of attention’, ‘Comprehensible speech’, and ‘Reference of speech’, is constructed and its association to age and MLU is investigated. The ‘Dialogue score’ is related to formal language development with a shared variance at about 40% with MLU. The somewhat modest relation between the ‘Dialogue score’ and both age and MLU may reflect individual differences in sociability. Finally, it is shown that the ‘Dialogue score’ differentiates in a clinically meaningful way between normally developing children and Mary, a girl with Asperger syndrome. Mary exhibits particularly large discrepancies between her score on ‘Comprehensible speech’ and MLU; this dissociation is discussed.

Mean length of utterance (MLU) is widely used as a diagnostic, monitoring and group matching measure. This study investigated methodological issues regarding the calculation of MLU. The aim was to establish whether different calculation procedures render different MLUs, and whether there is a high correlation between MLU measured in words (MLU-w) and in morphemes (MLU-m). Language samples from 15 Afrikaans-speaking 6-year-olds with and 15 with ot specific language impairment were analyzed. MLU was calculated eight times for each participant, varying sample size (50 or 100 utterances), unit counted (words or morphemes) and calculation method (traditional or alternate). Significant differences in resultant MLUs were due to the calculation method used, rather than sample size or unit counted. A high positive correlation (>0.96) between MLU-w and MLU-m was found. The results imply that researchers and clinicians should clearly state their MLU calculation procedures, otherwise reliable comparisons between MLU scores from different sources cannot be made. The results furthermore imply that, in order to generalize research results and make diagnostic decisions based on MLU, consistent procedures should be used, not only with regard to language sampling, but also to MLU calculation.

We examined the language input of parents of infants at high and low familial risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and investigated reciprocal associations between parent input and child language skills in the first 2 years of life. Parent-infant dyads (high-risk: n = 53; low-risk: n = 33), 19 of whom included an infant later diagnosed with ASD, were videotaped during free play interactions at 12, 18, and 24 months. Measures of parent input were derived from parent-child interactions. Children's language skills were assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning at 12, 18, and 24 months. Results suggested that (a) parents of high- and low-risk infants produced similar word tokens, word types, and proportions of contingent verbal responses, but parents of high-risk infants used shorter mean length of utterances (MLU) than parents of low-risk infants at 18 and 24 months; (b) parents' MLU at 18 months was positively associated with their infants' language at the subsequent visit after 6 months, regardless of group; and (c) infants' language at 18 months was positively associated with parents' MLU at the subsequent visit after 6 months in the high-risk group only. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying early language learning of high-risk infants who have an increased risk for language delays and deficits. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1168-1183. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Parents provide an important source of language input to their children. In this study, we looked at parent input to infants at high- and low-risk for autism spectrum disorder and relations between parent input and child language in the first 2 years of life. We found that parents of high- and low-risk infants provided similar quantity and quality of input, except shorter average length of utterances at 18 and 24 months in the high-risk group. Also, there were bidirectional relations between parent input and child language at 18 and 24 months in high-risk pairs, suggesting that parents and children collectively shape the early language environment.