System In Case Research Articles

The Case of Chichewa and English in Malawi: The Impact of First Language Reading and Writing on Learning English as a Second Language

We investigated the relationship between Chichewa (L1) and English (L2) literacies in Malawi. Through our use of hierarchical linear modeling, we found that cross-language literacy transfer between Chichewa and English did occur, but that the pattern and the strength of the relationships varied depending on the literacy domain (i.e., reading or writing) and grade level. Our work has implications for students, teachers, and policy makers in countries like Malawi, where the language of the former colonial power is the official language (L2) of the country and students must be prepared to participate within a globalized society.

Exploring Cultural Barriers in EFL Arab Learners’ Writing

Every language is rooted in the culture of its speaking community which makes learning a foreign language especially challenging if the culture of the native language and the target language are too distant such as the case of English for Algerian learners. The present paper spotlights cultural difference between Arabic-speaking and English-speaking communities examining the impact of such cultural barriers on Arab EFL learners’ writing as written texts and the ways they are used vary according to cultural groups. For this purpose a case study of 16 EFL students from the University of Tlemcen (Algeria) was undertaken. Contrastive rhetoric was used to explain many problems identified in students’ English compositions. Relying on a qualitative data analysis, the results indicated that culturally bound differences related to some linguistic factors such as alphabet, letters, way of writing, word patterns and grammar, as well as some rhetorical and syntactic styles namely coordination, subordination and metaphorical styles were responsible for a large potential for errors and difficulties faced by Algerian EFL university students when producing written English. This paper closes with a set of pedagogical implications which encourage the use of contrastive rhetoric as a tool to understand cultural differences both in teacher education and writing instruction. Techniques and strategies are proposed to help reduce cultural barriers and build bridges between the writing patterns of the two languages in order to achieve successful communication between members of different societies in this era of globalization.

Clinicopathologic analysis of 12 patients with solid papillary carcinoma of the breast

Objective To analyze the clinicopathologic features, diagnosis and different diagnosis of solid papillary carcinoma (SPC) of the breast. Methods The clinical data and pathological section, including HE and immunohistochemical staining slice, of 12 cases of SPC in People's Hospital of Shanxi Province from December 2008 to August 2014 were analyzed. Simultaneously, a literature search was conducted by utilizing Pub Med for all reported cases in English from November 1995 to October 2014. Results All cases were female, aged from 50 to 77 years old, manifested as mass or nipple discharge. Histologically, all cases appeared as multiple, well-circumscribed nodules filled by monotonous, low-moderate grade cell separated by fibrovascular cores. Immunohistochemically, CgA, Syn, ER and PR were positive in 12, 11, 9 and 5 cases, respectively. Her-2 presented as 1+ in 1 case (1/12) with invasive mucinous carcinoma, and locally poor positive in 2 cases without invasive component, while CK5/6 was negative in all cases. p63 and CK5/6 were positive in 6 and 5 cases at the location of axis of papillary, respectively. Meanwhile, 8 and 7 cases at the border of duct, respectively. Conclusion SPC is an uncommon breast tumor, which presents with specific clinicopathologic features. Key words: Solid papillary carcinoma; Clinical pathology; Diagnosis

The role of private speech in cognitive regulation of learners: The case of English as a foreign language education

AbstractInvestigations into the use of private speech by adult English foreign language (EFL) learners in regulating their mental activities have been an interesting area of research with a sociocultural framework. Following this line of research, 30 advanced adult EFL learners were selected via the administration of Oxford quick placement test and took a test of solving challenging English riddles while their voices were being recorded. Later, instances of the produced private speech were analyzed in terms of form, content, and function. It was demonstrated that private speech with its different forms, contents, and functions plays a very crucial role in cognitive regulation of EFL learners which has important implications for the context of language learning classrooms. In addition, participants seemed to produce qualitatively different kinds of L2 private speech, which brought us to the conclusion that it would be necessary to consider quality and not just quantity in studying psycholinguistic concepts...

Intercultural Communication and Discourse Analysis: The Case of Aviation English

Historically, applied linguistics has tended to shift from a theoretical approach toward a problem solving approach. Intercultural communication as a field of study has gained its position through asking how people from different cultures communicate and how misunderstanding can be prevented. Within the domain of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Aviation English has become a matter of concentration worldwide. The requirements introduced by International Civil Aviation Organization encompass both technical language and plain English applicable to both native and non-native English speakers. However, based on cultural differences, related conventions, and diverse communication styles, air traffic controllers and pilots sometimes use English in a way that may cause confusion and misunderstanding, which in turn can result in aviation accidents or incidents. This paper aims to consider cultural dimensions as introduced by Hofstede (1980) and their involvement in aviation context. The paper highlights the necessity of focusing more on intercultural communicative competence in the teaching of aviation English.

Indefinites in Comparatives

The goal of this paper is to explain the meaning and distribution of indefinites in comparatives, focusing on the case of English 'some' and 'any' and German 'irgend'-indefinites. We combine three competing theories of comparatives with an alternative semantics of 'some' and 'any', and a novel account of stressed 'irgend'-indefinites. One of the resulting theories, based on Heim's (2006) analysis of comparatives, predicts all the relevant differences in quantificational force, and explains why free choice indefinites are licensed in comparatives.

Spelling the extra letter? The case of Australian English

Spelling variation is something that all English users often come across and Australians are no exception. The Langscape 1 survey conducted in 1998 examined a number of lexemes with more than one spelling in a number of varieties of English including Australian English (AusE). This study presents the results of two later surveys that were conducted online in 2005 and 2013 and included a selection of the lexemes also examined in the Langscape survey. The present study concentrates on two types of spelling variation: the spelling of the classical digraphs ae/oe as in aesthetic and diarrhoea and the preservation of e before suffixes as in likeable and judgement. The purpose is to see if the spelling of ‘the extra letter’ is preferred or whether the simpler spellings are becoming more common in Australian English. The possible American English (AmE) influence also comes into question as it has been shown by previous research that Americans are more likely to use the shorter spellings than either British English (BrE) or Australian English users (see, for example, Peters 1998 for the results of the first Langscape survey).

Syllable-Based Phonology as Input into the C/D Model: The Case for American English(<Feature Articles>Adventures in Speech Science: Focus on the C/D Model and Its Impact on Phonetics & Phonology)

Syllable-Based Phonology as Input into the C/D Model: The Case for American English(<Feature Articles>Adventures in Speech Science: Focus on the C/D Model and Its Impact on Phonetics & Phonology)

Facteurs d’échec et de réussite en anglais de spécialité : le cas de l’anglais pour l’informatique

Pour des apprentis analystes programmeurs, la réussite en anglais passe principalement par la compréhension de documentations techniques et la recherche efficiente d’informations pertinentes dans ces textes spécialisés. Nous avons demandé à nos étudiants de DUT Informatique de lire et comprendre une de ces documentations lors d'une expérimentation dont l'objectif était de tester leur compréhension. Nous en avons analysé les résultats. L’analyse révèle qu’un ensemble de facteurs peuvent être invoqués pour expliquer les résultats mitigés que nous avons obtenus par rapport à notre hypothèse de départ d'une meilleure compréhension de ces documentations. Nous évoquons ces facteurs, qui sont de deux ordres : internes, propres au dispositif mis en œuvre et externes, liés au contexte plus général de l'enseignement / apprentissage de l'anglais en IUT. Ces facteurs sont aussi en lien avec les représentations, attentes et pratiques des apprenants d'anglais, issus de bacs scientifiques et technologiques. Nous proposons des solutions, aux niveaux cognitif, métacognitif et motivationnel pour favoriser la réussite de nos étudiants en anglais informatique.

The Sustainability of Community of Practice: The Case of English as a Foreign Language Teachers at Taif University, Saudi Arabia

The Sustainability of Community of Practice: The Case of English as a Foreign Language Teachers at Taif University, Saudi Arabia

Variations dans l’acquisition du marqueur ergatif en basque par des enfants bilingues basque-français

This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal study of seven Basque-French bilingual children and three monolingual Basque-speaking children concerning the acquisition of the morphological marking of the ergative case in Basque. Following the hypotheses put forth to account for the development of early bilingualism, the aim of the study was to establish whether bilingual children follow the same developmental sequences as monolingual children during the acquisition of the ergative case. The research protocol we have developed involves relatively unguided as well as constrained data focusing on the production of the ergative case in these two contexts. The data show significant inter-individual and inter-task differences in the production of the ergative case that contribute to some variation in language acquisition. The findings lead us to question classifications of early bilinguals based on age of acquisition alone.

On the Trigger of V-to-T

This paper deals with the trigger of V-to-T movement and claims that rich morphology is the actual cause of verb-raising as occurring in core or narrow syntax. After rejecting a gross analysis of φ–features and/or τ–features as the cause of V-to-T, it is argued that the trigger of V-to-T lies in a stem-feature that T must value, which corresponds morphologically with the so-called thematic or stem vowel, and which is responsible for the availability (in V-moving languages) of productive stem verb classes. The relevant productivity lies in the systematic co-variation of φ–features and/or τ–features throughout the verbal paradigms of corresponding languages. The account proposed of the computation of T´s features in core or narrow syntax (among which is the cited T´s stem-feature) is based originally on Pesetsky and Torrego´s (2004b/2007) idea that T´s features can be interpretable though unvalued on T itself. The last Sections of the paper focus on the loss of V-to-T in the Germanic family of languages, which correlates with the demise in their productive stem verb classes. In the specific case of English, it is argued that the process of development of the new auxiliary do, which in turn depends on the reanalysis of modals, is responsible for the time-gap existing between the loss of T´s stem-feature and the loss of V-to-T in the language.

Noun Cases of Hungarian Language in Romanian

Abstract In the present-day discourse of bilingualism in Transylvania, the investigation of methods and possibilities for language teaching has an important role. In Romania, it is compulsory for the members of linguistic minorities to learn and to use the language of the state, but at the same time they face a number of problems in the process of learning it. To reconsider the methods of language teaching, there is need for studies which outline the particularities of language use of Romanian of Hungarian speakers. This paper is aimed at presenting a part of this image by analysing how the Hungarian language and the cognitive features entailed influence the translation of noun cases into the Romanian language. The paper presents the 18 noun cases and the prepositions they can be translated with into Romanian.

Comparing rhythm in speech and music: The case of English and Polish

Abstract The point of departure for the following study is Patel and Daniele (2003), who suggested that the rhythm of a culture’s language is reflected in its instrumental music. The former study used the normalised pairwise variability index (henceforth nPVI), a measure of temporal patterning in speech, to compare the variability of vocalic duration in recorded speech samples with the variability of note duration in music notation on the example of English and French speech and classical music. The aim of this experiment is to test whether the linguistic rhythm conventionalised in the language of a community affects the rhythm in the musical practice of that community, by focusing on English and Polish speech and classical, as well as folk music. The nPVI values were obtained from a set of English and Polish recorded news-like sentences, and from musical notation of English and Polish classical and folk musical themes. The results suggest that reflections of Polish speech rhythm may be more apparent in folk music than in classical music, though more data are needed to test this idea. This initial study suggests that the method used might bring more fruitful results when comparing speech rhythm with less formalized and more traditional musical themes.

Reading as a Method of Language Learning among L2/First Additional Language Learners: The Case of English in one High School in Alice

Reading is considered as one of the most critical skills for learners to succeed in their academic pursuits. In view of this, this study attempts to find various strategies to inculcate the reading culture in learners. Methodologically, the study is premised within the community engagement project of the researcher through observation and informal interviews. The study shows that reading is a serious problem among learners partly because of the high illiteracy rate and partially because of the use of First Additional Language as the language of teaching and learning. The study used critical Discourse Analysis within interpretivism to bring out the perspectives of the researcher on how reading could be made exciting among the learners. The findings showed that there is need for parents, teachers and the community at large to motivate reading among learners for they say charity begins from home. Furthermore, it was suggested that once an interest in reading is developed and the learners have a positive attitude towards reading, then it can become a culture among them. The study concludes that reading needs to be taught as social practice so as to reduce the level of anxiety among the learners. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p675

Semantic Broadening and Its Implications for Meaning: The Case of English at the University of Venda in South Africa

Semantic Broadening and Its Implications for Meaning: The Case of English at the University of Venda in South Africa

Religion in the Syntax of Power: A Postsecular Perspective on International Relations

Religion research in international relations (IR) has grown exponentially, but has it extended an understanding of religious agency beyond the assumptions of secularism? This article suggests the orientation towards religion in IR is now best described as ‘postsecular’ and employs a linguistic analogy to offer a three-fold argument. First, the study of religion in IR has shifted from a focus on morphology (i.e. the definitional forms of religion) to syntax (i.e. the political functions of religion). Second, by likening the dynamics of IR to the syntax of a sentence, the impacts of religion can be measured by linking religious actors and interests to different word-functions that make up the sentence. This is modelled by comparing the functions of religion in IR against the four noun cases of classical grammar. Third, applying the model highlights the constraint of secular ‘readings’ of the political by illustrating how religion can be sustained throughout the full ‘syntactical range’ of IR, thereby presenting a postsecular ‘reading’ of religion in the discourse of international affairs.

Developments in LSP Testing 30 Years On? The Case of Aviation English

The proceedings of the first Language Testing Forum in 1980 were published in ELT Documents 111: Issues in Language Testing (Alderson & Hughes, 1981). Discussants at the 1980 Forum raised a number questions on Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) testing relating, notably, to test specificity, test content, the relationship between subject matter knowledge and language knowledge and predicting real-life language performance. The 2010 Language Testing Forum looked back at the last three decades in language testing to reflect on what developments, if any, have occurred. Following the 2010 Forum, this article addresses the questions raised in 1980 with reference to testing for a very specific purpose—the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Language Proficiency Requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers. In analysing the testing context—aeronautical radiotelephony communications—the author argues that, in spite of theoretical and methodological advances in LSP testing, these questions are still as relevant to testing LSP today as they were in the early 1980s.

Corpus methods in pragmatics: The case of English and Russian emotions

Abstract The present paper is a comparative corpus study of the verbal expression of emotional etiquette in American English and Russian. The study is conducted against the backdrop of certain assumptions regarding the cross-cultural centrality and marginality of emotions as formulated in the current research on cross-cultural pragmatics. The paper employs corpus-based methods to test the frequencies of the linguistic expression of different types of emotions in Russian and American English as encountered in diagnostic contexts of first-person reporting. Contrary to many currently accepted theories, the present study demonstrates no absolute prevalence of positive or ethical over negative or non-ethical emotions in Russian or American English. It also disproves certain more specific claims (the predominance of ‘pity’ in Russian), while confirming others (prominence of ‘shame’ in Russian). Certain tendencies in emotional etiquette lean toward cross-cultural universality (e.g., ‘gratitude’ as the most frequently expressed emotion), while others differ. Overall, Russian speakers tend to report more passive negative emotions (‘fear’), while English speakers prefer reporting active negative emotions (‘anger’). Russian speakers are more “self-deprecating” than English speakers, as they favor expressing ‘shame’ over ‘pride.’ At the same time, they show less empathy with the addressee, reporting more ‘contempt’-like and less ‘pity’-like emotions. The results obtained in this study can be useful for understanding and formulating culturally specific pragmatic peculiarities and hence preferred conversational strategies in the two languages.

Modeling Salience and Prosody in Loanword Adaptation: Cases of English [ɹ] in Mandarin

This paper probes the effects of phonetic salience and prosody on patterned lexical variation in word-loaning processes, regarding the retention/deletion of [ɹ] from English input to the corresponding underlying representations perceived by Mandarin speakers. Based on a sizable corpus, while the adaptation of English [ɹ] varies on a word-by-word basis, the percentage distribution of retention/deletion is observed to be conditioned by a handful of factors of phonetic salience, specifically position, sonority and similarity/dissimilarity, and prosodic preference for binary feet in Mandarin. The patterned distribution in loanword adaptation is appropriately modeled in stochastic evaluations (Boersma 1997, 1998, Boersma & Hayes 2001), which better capture this insight through the key notions of seeing constraints as ranges of value on a linear scale of strictness, and, insofar as the ranking values of two mutually contradictory constraints are close enough, overlapping is inevitable, i.e. the area where dominance between them may be reversed and which results in variation.