Variation and change in progress

In this study, the background of higher education in China and the UK will be compared to analyze the positive impact of higher education populations on national development. By comparing the differences in the higher education systems, teaching methods and subject settings of the two countries, the impact of different educational backgrounds on the higher education population and their contribution to national development will be discovered. By doing so, relevant data and literature on higher education in China and the UK are collected. A majority of information is found after analyzing the performance of higher education populations in the two countries in terms of job market, innovation ability, social responsibility, etc. Furthermore, the differences in higher education between China and the UK are not only due to the differences in education system and cultural background, but also influenced by various factors such as economic, social and political environment. Through the comparative analysis of the higher education population of the two countries, more findings are concluded. On one hand, higher education is an important way to train professional talents. On the other hand, higher education is an important driving force for national development. The background and characteristics of higher education in different countries have a profound impact on the qualities, abilities and values of the population, and have a positive impact on the social, economic and cultural development of the country.

The present study investigates subject expression in two generations of Portuguese migrants living in Hamburg, Germany. Based on a corpus of oral speech, we aim to assess whether second generation heritage speakers (HSs) differ from first generation migrants with respect to the factors constraining subject realisation/omission in European Portuguese (EP), a null subject language, in contact with German, a non-null subject language. The results do not reveal evidence in favour of ongoing language change, given that there are neither quantitative nor qualitative differences between the two generations of speakers. They show very similar overall rates of subject omission (around 67%) and they reveal sensitivity to the very same determining factors of subject pronoun realisation/omission, namely person and number, verb type, switch reference (topic continuity [TC]/topic shift [TS]) and distance. This finding is in line with previous corpus studies investigating the spontaneous speech of different generations of bilingual speakers or comparing monolingual and bilingual speakers of the same null subject language (e.g., Flores-Ferrán, 2004; Nagy, 2015). We conclude that language contact per se does not necessarily lead to a diverging grammar at an inter-generational level, as long as stable input conditions allow for the acquisition of the constraints that are valid for null subject languages.

Over the past 30 years, survey researchers have documented the existence of a knowledge gap and expressed concern that people with little education are falling behind because they do not acquire the information necessary to participate in socioeconomic spheres. This study is the first to offer (a) experimental evidence for the existence of the knowledge gap and (b) explanations for it in terms of varying levels of information processing capacities, or cognitive access. Participants from higher and lower educational backgrounds paid equal levels of attention to television news stories, but they did not display the same recognition memory for facts. Moreover, participants in the higher education group were physiologically more aroused by news than those in the lower education group. These findings do not pinpoint whether cognitive access is learned or innate, but they do suggest that the biological systems of people from higher educational backgrounds are particularly alert in preparing for information processing.

Chapter 11 - China

As part of the Step2Job project (2016–2019), the Language Centre of the University of Lapland developed and piloted a language teaching model implemented in an e-learning environment and particularly designed for immigrants with a higher education background. The objective of the project was to find ways to further develop and enhance the language skills immigrants with a higher education background need in employment and active participation in Finnish society. In this paper, we present the results of an interview case study whose objective was to develop an initial understanding of what the learner profile of the Finnish as a Second Language (S2) learner might look like and, on that basis, discuss how the language teaching model could be further developed in order to better meet the needs of S2 learners with a higher education background. Although the study indicated that the language content related to S2 learner’s own area of expertise and modes of working are perceived as important, the emphasis of language teaching should be on supporting students’ professional identities through involving them in an academic expert community. This article discusses the potential role of Language Centres as units of higher education institutions in organizing Finnish language teaching for immigrants with a higher education background.

Soft information in online peer-to-peer lending: Evidence from a leading platform in China

Abstract: Based on the observed patterns of variation in vowel-final [-ʔ], [-h], and [Ø] in seven function words that are produced in utterance-final position, this study offers a study of linguistic contact between Betawi and Standard Indonesian that together contribute to the emergence of a variety of Indonesian called Jakarta Indonesian. The relationship between these varieties is identified in the patterns of variation that show a general trend toward increased use of the Standard Indonesian-influenced form among educated speakers and females. Using a large-scale speech corpus, this investigation provides evidence of the patterns of variation and sound change that are taking place, their direction, and how their adoption correlates with genders and educational categories represented in the corpus. In addition, this study demonstrates the importance of a naturalistic speech corpus in examining the actual patterns of variation by focusing on colloquial speech, which we know to be the locus of language change.

Under the background of higher education, how about the current situation of female college students' ability of crisis identification and response? The research group conducted a self-designed questionnaire survey on 1093 female nursing students. The results show that it is more difficult to identify the crisis than to deal with the crisis; the female college students with different demographic groups have little difference in the ability of crisis identification and response; the higher the grade, the more afraid of the trouble brought by the crisis, and the stronger tolerance; it is difficult for female college students to identify and help their emotional crisis, so it is very important to improve their ability to identify and cope with the crisis .

Considering the educational methodology to bring up nuclear power plant operators, the experiments are conducted to discuss the relation between the educational backgrounds of subjects and the knowledge acquired through education and training and also to discuss the effects of repeated training on knowledge acquisition. The results show that the knowledge the subjects obtained through the training depends on their educational backgrounds. The subjects with the higher educational backgrounds seem to properly reorganize the knowledge for the operations with using their deep and meta knowledge. Therefore they can create anticipative responses and easily identify causes of events. The results also show that the repeated education and training given to the subjects with weaker backgrounds makes their knowledge reorganized and their ability becomes closer to the subjects' one with higher educational backgrounds. These results indicate that the knowledge acquired in the earlier stage of the education and training depends on the subjects' educational backgrounds. However, the repeated education and training compensates for the difference. It is also suggested that it will be possible to bring up operators more effectively and properly if the existence of people with different educational backgrounds is recognized and the education/training depending on the educational backgrounds are realized.

Aim and questions: Second language learners are often acquiring a second language (L2) in multilingual and bidialectal sociolinguistic environments. The competing pronunciations can be challenging to language learners. This study aims to determine the effects of language variety—standard variety versus local variety—on L2 vowel learning. Methodology: Vowel productions from 55 speakers were analyzed in the study; 10 speakers of Egyptian Arabic were recorded in a reading task producing Greek vowels and their vowel productions were compared to L1 vowel productions produced by 20 Standard Modern Greek and 25 Cypriot Greek speakers from a study by Themistocleous. Data and analysis: We conducted linear mixed effects models and tested the effects of language variety, vowel, and stress on the first and second formant frequency and on vowel duration. Findings: Egyptian Arabic speakers merge the middle Greek vowels /e/ and /o/ and the high /i/ and /u/ vowels. Also, they did not differentiate phonetically between L2 stressed and unstressed vowels. These findings are arguably an effect of the L1 vowel structure on L2 vowels. The two varieties exercised competing effects on learners’ vowel productions, which suggests that both varieties are influencing vowel learning. Originality: There has been substantial research on L2 vowel learning in monolingual environments but not in diglossic environments; this study fills this gap by offering evidence about vowel learning in diglossic environments. Implications: In modern societies, communication takes place in multilingual environments. The findings highlight the impact of diglossia on L2 vowel learning and, ultimately, they demonstrate the importance of sociolinguistic factors on L2 learning.

In order to provide proper guideline for Korean office workers’ use of health functional foods, this cross‐sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire. The subjects of this study were 624 office workers (male 291, female 333) in the Gyeonggi‐Incheon district, Korea. Data were analyzed with SPSS 12.0 program. Office workers aged over 40 years(p<0.05), married(p<0.001), with higher educational background(p<0.05), with higher interest in health(p<0.05) or who were obesity(p<0.01) showed significantly more interest in health functional foods. Office workers with higher educational background(p<0.01), with higher interest in health(p<0.05), who were obesity(p<0.001) or who were residents of apartment or single house(p<0.05) recognized significantly effect of health functional foods. Also 65.6% of the subjects answered that nutrition education on health functional foods is necessary and office workers with higher educational background(p<0.01) significantly more answered the necessity of that education. As for use of health functional foods, 42.4% of the subject had the experience using them and 40.7% of the subject used them now. Office workers aged over 40 years(p<0.001), married(p<0.001), with higher income(p<0.001), or who were residents of apartment or single house(p<0.01) used significantly more health functional foods. As for the reason for using health functional foods, fatigue‐recovery(34.1%), fitness(30.1%) and prevention from disease(22.1%) were most answered and there were significant differences in gender(0.05), age(0.001), marital status(0.001) or job type(0.05). As for satisfaction in health functional foods, ‘convinience’ was the highest and ‘price’ was the lowest. Therefore, proper guideline based on social‐demographic variables is necessary for Korean office workers’ use of health functional foods.

This study examines the factors influencing consumer purchase decisions and the level of satisfaction and awareness towards organic personal care products in the state of Haryana by collecting primary data from 200 respondents from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, and analyzing the same using Exploratory Factor Analysis and Discriminant Analysis. The results unveiled that the female users with higher educational backgrounds and living in urban areas were more aware of OPCPs in comparison to the respondents living in rural areas, having lower educational backgrounds and family incomes, and living in joint families. Along with this, young female consumers having a lower educational background with higher family incomes belonging to nuclear families and living in urban areas were found highly satisfied with the availability of OPCPs. A significant level of dissatisfaction was found among the elderly married male users with higher educational backgrounds and lower family income living in rural areas with the prevailing price level of OPCPs and only young unmarried female consumers with low educational backgrounds and comparatively higher family income living in urban areas were intended to repurchase these products in the future. Though the users were found to be inclined towards OPCPs, the OPCP industry is not responding with the same spirit through its pricing strategy, supply mechanism, and awareness programmes among the lower-educated rural segment of its users. The marketers/ producers are advised to carefully build the plans and strategies regarding their products in such a way that ensures the proper segmentation and awareness among potential consumers.

ObjectiveMalocclusion is a highly prevalent condition, affecting 20–60% of adolescents worldwide. Although its treatment is often expensive and unaffordable for disadvantaged individuals, few studies have examined the relationship between malocclusion...

This paper investigates young children’s access to and use of ICT at home. A questionnaire was completed by the parents of 147 children, aged 4-6,5. Young children have access to and use a wide range of technologies at home, involving domestic leisure technologies, electronic toys and computers. The variables gender, age and parents’ educational background had an occassional isolated impact on children’s use of ICT. More boys than girls use console games and programmable toys-robots. Parents’ high educational background was linked to the use of educational software. Implications for early childhood teachers and links between home and kindergarten are discussed.

This study aims to investigate the difference of customer commitment according to the demographic characteristics of hair salon customers and the service justices and store attributes of the hair salon that affect customer commitment. The questionnaire for empirical research was collected from customers of hair salon in Gyeongnam, and the analysis results are as follows. First, as a result of analyzing the difference of customer commitment according to the demographic characteristics of hair salon customers, customer commitment was statistically high in the group with high educational background. Second, as a result of analyzing the causal relationship between service justices and customer commitment, and the causal relationship between store attributes and customer commitment, it was found that service justices factors all had a statistical effect on customer commitment. In addition, of the store attribute factors, technical factors and marketing factors were found to have a statistical effect on customer commitment. Comprehensive analysis of the results of this study means that service justices and store attributes have a relatively high impact on customer commitment in groups with high educational background. Therefore, this study suggests that the management performance of the hairdressing business can be improved by utilizing service justices and store attributes while considering the educational background of customers.