Context Of Acquisition Research Articles

Defining bank branch trade areas for optimal distribution networks in mergers and acquisitions

PurposeThis study introduces a methodology that combines geographic information technologies and consumer behaviour principles to define, delineate and quantify the trade area (TA) of a bank branch within the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The goal is to design an optimal distribution network tailored to the needs of financial institutions involved in M&A activities.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a procedure for TA delimitation, grounded in a theoretical model supported by marketing and consumer behaviour theories, focusing on proximity, purchase frequency and product type.FindingsAddressing a gap in the literature, this study highlights TA delineation as a key element in marketing strategy, exploring its role in establishing optimal distribution networks, particularly for financial institutions engaged in M&A.Research limitations/implicationsFor simplicity, the study focuses on a single bank branch, rather than a broader dataset.Practical implicationsThe proposed methodology enables more accurate delineation of TAs in M&A processes, mitigating the negative effects often overlooked by banks during mergers and acquisitions.Social implicationsThis approach helps reduce the risk of financial exclusion for vulnerable clients, promoting social and economic equity and fostering a fairer, more cohesive society.Originality/valueThis study is innovative in integrating geographic information science (GIS) metrics into location science, proposing fragmentation analysis to quantify the spatial structure and configuration of TAs. This approach departs from traditional practices, as these specific metrics have not been collectively applied in previous research.

UNDERSTANDING OVERREGULARIZATION PHENOMENON AMONG INDONESIAN CHILD L2 LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

Young learners are known to extend verb regularity further than it actually is. When it happens, this children’s overregularization phenomenon can be a result of several reasons: a failed linguistic development due to confusion between rules and memory, a lack of feedback from adults, and problems with cognitive development. The present study attempts to present some quantitative data that may relate to the overregularization issue and bring new findings to the existing debate in the area. The 12-month spontaneous spoken data were collected longitudinally from two Indonesian young learners of L2 English living in England. Utterances containing the use of regular verbs and plural -s were carefully compiled into a database and further classified according to the different types of regularities. From this data, a few overregularization instances were recorded from the research subjects who were between two and 10 years of age. Additionally, it was also apparent that the process of learning English consecutively or successively affected the way learners apply regular rules in obligatory spoken contexts. This study is expected to become a systematic analysis of the typologies of overregularization in Indonesian–English acquisition contexts, a particular nature of the Second Language Acquisition (SLA) issue that has rarely been investigated.

Frequency, redundancy, and context in bilingual acquisition.

We report findings from a corpus-based investigation of three young children growing up in German-English bilingual environments (M = 3;0, Range = 2;3-3;11). Based on 2,146,179 single words and two-word combinations in naturalistic child speech (CS) and child-directed speech (CDS), we assessed the degree to which the frequency distribution of CDS predicted CS usage over time, and systematically identified CS that was over- or underrepresented in the corpus with respect to matched CDS baselines. Results showed that CDS explained 61% of the variance in CS single-word use and 19.3% of the variance in two-word combinations. Furthermore, the bilingual nature of the over or -underrepresented CS was partially attributable to factors beyond the corpus statistics, namely individual differences between children in their bilingual learning environment. In two out of the three children, overrepresented two-word combinations contained higher levels of syntactic slot redundancy than underrepresented CS. These results are discussed with respect to the role that redundancy plays in producing semiformulaic slot-and-frame patterns in CS.

Language acquisition: The lived experiences of students in acquiring second language

This phenomenological study was conducted to describe the context of acquisition of second language among the students. The seven participants were purposely selected to answer the interview questions. In terms of their lived experiences in the acquisition of second language, the majority of the participants experienced fun, tough, and challenging yet rewarding encounters. In terms of the challenges encountered; ‘English is a crazy language’ is one of the top problems shared by the participants. English learners had a tough time in identifying the rules since there are some exemptions to it. In terms of their coping mechanisms, generally, there were numerous coping mechanisms developed in order to address the challenges they encountered. This only substantiated that the participants aimed to vanquish the intimidating effects of these challenges deep into every essential aspect of their lives. This also confirmed that the participants’ perspective towards the problems which they encountered was openly noted and not afraid of addressing it with solutions they developed by themselves or with the assistance of other professionals.

Factors affecting teacher-student interactions in a foreign language teaching class: a language socialisation theory perspective

The study explored teacher–student interactions in foreign language teaching classes in China, aiming to identify ways to improve these interactions. Data were collected through 180 min of unstructured observations in two teaching classes. The study found that the frequency of interactions varied among teachers. After analysing the data with a language socialisation theory, the study revealed the factors that affected teacher–student interactions in foreign language classes in China: firstly, the concept of an equal teacher–student relationship is the precondition of teacher–student interactions; secondly, paying attention to both language acquisition and culture acquisition is the foundation of teacher–student interactions; thirdly, a good English acquisition context is one of the critical elements of conducting teacher−student interactions. The study delivered suggestions to promote teacher–student interactions based on English education in China. As there are many similarities in the English education policy and pedagogy between countries in Asia, the findings of the current study can be referenced by other Asian countries as well.

Language education of immigrant d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing multilingual learners – an interview study

ABSTRACT For newly arrived students who are d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH), language acquisition is particularly complex. The spectrum of initial language situations ranges from no first language to multilingual acquisition contexts. In Germany, there are currently no studies that focus on the education of these learners. This prompted an interview study with six teachers of the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing, investigating how the language education of newly arrived DHH schoolchildren is designed from the perspective of their teachers. The results of the study, which is based on grounded theory methodology, show that teaching this target group presents major challenges. In the face of this, teachers are highly uncertain of how best to meet the needs of their students, as they have neither information on the language development of these students nor suitable assessment tools and language teaching materials to use in class. The results underline the need for (1) research on the language acquisition and development of newly arrived DHH students, (2) the development or adaptation of assessment tools and (3) effective teaching methods and materials, and finally, (4) the development of teacher training possibilities.

The developing of prosody in infants: a longitudinal study over the first 16 months of infant life

Background The acquisition and development of prosodic aspects of vocal intonation are of special interest within the larger context of language acquisition. Method The present study explored the developmental trajectories of infant prosodic abilities from 4 to 16 months of life with an intensive time points assessment. Several aspects were considered: an acoustic analysis of infant vocal productions with specific software, the analyses of all the prosodic variables associated with the fundamental frequency (F0 mean, F0 range, and F0 final contours), the individual variability and the complexity of the vocal productions of the infants. Results The multi-level analysis evidenced specific prosodic developmental trajectories that differ for the different kind of vocal productions since the first months of life. Conclusions The findings suggest that in the second half of the first year of life infants show an intonational repertoire that may help manage interactions with their caregiver and that individual variability has to be taken in consideration when assessing infants’ prosody.

A Typology on Business Model Integration

ABSTRACTCurrently, we are witnessing firms engaging in acquisitions to explore new business models. However, despite operating within similar industry sectors, integrating these business models can be challenging. Beyond the mere integration of operational aspects, this paper argues that business model integration should encompass two crucial dimensions: the integration of market architectural strategies and the assimilation of mindsets that drive market operations. The paper constructs a typology for business model integration, grounded in the integration of market architectural strategies, and mindsets and illustrates the types through international acquisition examples. The paper contributes to existing research by exploring integration within the context of business model acquisitions. The division into market architectural strategies and mindset advances past understanding of business models. The conceptualization of “value‐creation culture” extends the boundaries of past acquisition research and underscores the significance of mindsets associated with new business models.

Verb argument constructions in argumentative essays by college-level Asian learners of English: Exploring the effects of English proficiency, acquisition context, and topic

This study examined the effects of second language (L2) proficiency, acquisition context, and topic on the use of verb argument constructions (VACs) in Asian college-level L2 writers’ argumentative essays. A total of 776 essays written on two topics by 388 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) writers of two L2 proficiency levels were used as data. Six indices informed by large-scale corpora of L1 English speakers were used to gauge the frequency and association strength of the VACs. Results of a series of linear mixed-effects models showed the frequencies of verbs and verb-construction combinations were affected by the interaction between L2 proficiency and acquisition context. L2 proficiency also had a main effect on construction frequency, with more proficient writers using constructions of lower frequency than less proficient writers. No effect of L2 proficiency was found on the association strength of VACs. Additionally, acquisition context affected the directional association strength of VACs, with ESL writers using verbs that associated less strongly with constructions than EFL writers. Finally, topic effects were found on five of the six indices. These findings offered empirical evidence for the developmental trajectories of VACs, and carried practical implications for L2 writing pedagogy.

Innovation Disclosures and the Design of Technology Acquisition Contracts: Evidence from the American Inventors Protection Act

Material adverse change (MAC) clauses and contingent earnouts are important contractual mechanisms used to protect acquirers from the risk of adverse selection. Yet, the extant literature has not sufficiently explored the antecedents of their use, in particular within the context of technology acquisitions. In this study, we take advantage of the passage of the American Inventors Protection Act (AIPA), which disseminated information through the publication of patent applications, to explore the impact of innovation disclosures on the design of technology acquisition contracts. Consistent with the view that an increase in the availability of information related to the broader technological landscape reduces the need for contractual protections in acquisition contracts, our analysis demonstrates that deals disproportionately affected by AIPA have less expansive MAC clauses and are less likely to feature contingent earnouts. These results provide new evidence linking the use of MAC clauses and earnouts with acquisitions subject to information frictions.

The Role of Self-efficacy in Foreign Language Acquisition

Abstract The aim of this article is to investigate the impact of self-efficacy on Foreign Language Acquisition in secondary school students following a relatively recent shift of focus in the field, as the learner’s needs, efforts and capacities have been placed at the centre of the learning process. Hence the need to address the existing research gap by proving that self-efficacy may be viewed as a significant indicator of foreign language proficiency. Apart from presenting the theoretical background, the article also reveals the empirical findings of the research carried out in a higher secondary school on 78 participants (N = 78). The study suggests that highly efficacious students receive the highest English mean grade, that they are competent foreign language users and are confident about their skills, and approach the FL learning progress more consistently, not being discouraged by taking risks in the foreign language acquisition context and confronting situations which cannot be foreseen. In stark contrast are learners scoring low levels of self-efficacy who are more likely to engage in procrastination, have a lower mean of English grades and are not eager to participate actively in the foreign language acquisition classroom. The article concludes with a number of implications and recommendations which may be implemented in the future teaching methodology, particularly indicating other research directions.

How do young identify plants? Using the drawing method to explore early ethnobotanical knowledge in Madagascar

Abstract In small‐scale societies, people learn to identify plant species during childhood. Plant recognition is an important baseline knowledge, immediately useful to avoid intoxication risk due to wrong identification. Plant recognition is the basis of other ethnobotanical knowledge essential for safeguarding biocultural diversity. However, despite many studies on folk classification, we still have a narrow understanding of the criteria locally used for species identification; the gap being even larger regarding children's plant identification criteria. Here, we study the criteria used by Betsileo children and adolescents to identify wild edible plant (WEP) species using a child‐adapted method including drawings and follow‐up interviews. We worked with 80 teenagers (from 12 to 17 years old; 51 girls, and 29 boys). Our results suggest that teenagers use a large spectrum of visual criteria to identify plants and that these criteria match with botanical and ecological knowledge documented in the literature and herbarium vouchers. We found that 35% of the identification criteria used were non‐morphological (e.g. phenology, biotic interactions), suggesting deep ecological knowledge. On average, teenagers use more than nine distinct criteria per plant, which allows them to identify most plant species with a very high level of precision. The precision level of plant representation increases with age for boys, but remains constant for girls, suggesting different dynamics in plant identification knowledge acquisition. We also found that boys and girls use different identification criteria: girls focus on morphological criteria while boys also incorporate ecological criteria, such as landscape features and biotic interactions, in their spectrum of identification keys. Our results highlight the complexity of teenagers' plant knowledge and the importance of the ecological context and gender in plant identification's knowledge acquisition. This knowledge acquired very early in childhood, constitutes the foundation of future interactions with nature and should be at the heart of environmental humanities studies and knowledge co‐production projects to tackle socio‐ecological concerns. Hence, we urge further research to explore innovative methods that complement traditional ethnoecological tools and capture complex sensory aspects of folk children's taxonomy to better understand human‐plant interactions and knowledge. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Effects of Initial versus Frequent Preference Assessments on Skill Acquisition

AbstractPrevious researchers have demonstrated that using stimuli identified via daily brief preference assessments may produce more responding under concurrent-schedule arrangements than using stimuli identified via lengthy, pre-treatment preference assessments (DeLeon et al., 2001). To date, this has not been evaluated within the context of skill acquisition. Thus, the extent to which conducting daily brief preference assessments impacts the rate of skill acquisition during discrete trial instruction (DTI) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how frequent, pre-session preference assessments, influence the rate of skill acquisition relative to an initial preference assessment during DTI sessions for three children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two of the three children acquired the targeted skills faster in the frequent preference assessment condition. The third participant showed no difference in the rate of skill acquisition.

Participation and Perception of Project Affected People in SIA Process under RFCTLARR Act 2013

Undoubtedly, growing urbanisation, increasing of infrastructure requirement and rapid economic development has imposed high pressure on land in India. Private land is regularly acquired for both State-sponsored development and private projects, which is increasingly become contentious. Compulsory acquisition of land till the end of December 2013 is primarily governed by the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, which is century-old legislation enacted in the very different social, economic and political milieu. Post-independence period Indian Government has not fundamentally changed the acquisition policy to reflect the values and needs of our times, which has resulted in legal, social, cultural, economic and political fallouts. Land Acquisition Act, 1894 is needed for public purpose and economic development, but it is deficient in many respects. In this background the colonial Land Acquisition Act, 1894 was repealed and replaced by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act.2013. It is now settled that whatever State or Government acquires land from its citizens for public purpose, it has power to do so. The jurisprudence that has developed around colonial Land Acquisition Ac, 1894 over the years on this subject has made the citizen, a subject. The colonial mind-set is that all pervasive under the Act was reflected in practice and even the judiciary in some cases has inadvertently furthered this notion. Thus, it becomes imperative to scrutinize the law and test it, against the contemporary democratic values. However, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 made an attempt to balance within the larger political context of land acquisition in India. Through the land acquisition how people be affected to be estimated by SIA study suggested in The RFCTLARR Act 2013. But the entire SIA process can be succeed when all the stakeholders in general and the project affected people or families in particular to be participated fully during the implementation of the project. The current paper have studied the participation and perception of project affected families in different projects implemented by Government of Odisha.

Modeling lexical abilities of heritage language and L2 speakers of Hebrew and English in Israel and the United States: a network approach.

This paper examines the productive vocabulary skills of five groups of English-Hebrew bilinguals in Israel and the United States. The juxtaposition of these five groups allows us to simultaneously compare performance across dominance profiles, acquisition contexts (L2 learned in school, HL maintained at home, immigration and immersion), and countries (Israel and the USA). A total of 185 participants took part in study: Hebrew-dominant heritage English speakers, Hebrew-dominant L2-English speakers, English-dominant heritage Hebrew speakers, and English-dominant L2-Hebrew speakers in the US and in Israel. They were all administered the MINT assessment in both languages, as well as background questionnaires. We then employ network modeling based on a secondary data analysis of background questionnaires to consider how each group's lexical proficiency ties in to reported input factors. The MINT results indicate clear language dominance in all the groups except Hebrew-dominant heritage English speakers, who show balanced proficiency in both their languages. The network models indicate key distinctions between the groups as a function of linguistic context, and we assess our findings in the context of recent work on quantifying the bilingual experience.

War feels less horrid in a foreign accent: exploring the impact of the foreign accent on emotionality

IntroductionThe processing of a foreign accent is known to increase cognitive load for the native listener, establish psychological distance with the foreign-accented speaker, and even influence decision-making. Similarly, research in the field of emotional processing indicates that a foreign accent may impact the native listener's emotionality. Taking these aspects into consideration, the current study aimed to confirm the hypothesis that a foreign accent, compared to a native accent, significantly affects the processing of affective-laden words.MethodsIn order to test this hypothesis, native Spanish speakers participated in an online experiment in which they rated on a Likert scale the valence and arousal of positive, neutral and negative words presented in native and foreign accents.ResultsResults confirm a foreign accent effect on emotional processing whereby positively valenced words are perceived as less positive and negatively valenced words as less negative when processed in a foreign accent compared to a native accent. Moreover, the arousal provoked by emotion words is lesser when words are processed in a foreign than a native accent.DiscussionWe propose possible, not mutually exclusive, explanations for the effect based on linguistic fluency, language attitudes and the linguistic context of language acquisition. Although further research is needed to confirm them, these explanations may be relevant for models of language comprehension and language learning. The observation of a reduction in emotionality resulting from a foreign accent is important for society as important decisions are made by representatives with diverse language and accent backgrounds. Our findings demonstrate that the choice of the language, which entails speaking in a native or a foreign accent, can be crucial when discussing topics such as the consequences of wars, pandemics, or natural disasters on human beings.

The Provenance of the Visitation Panel by Francisco Niculoso

A small tile panel created by the Italian ceramic painter Francisco Niculoso (active 1498-1529 from the private collection of Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1816-1885), king consort to Queen Maria II of Portugal (1819-1853), was in 1902 acquired by the Rijksmuseum. Although the ownership history of this Visitation panel is not fully documented, this essay provides a more comprehensive understanding of its historical narrative, by exploring the various contexts of acquisition and collecting. The panel’s journey from Lisbon to Amsterdam vividly illustrates the remarkable fluidity and permeability that defined the boundaries of art markets and museums around the turn of the twentieth century.

The effectiveness of immersive learning technologies in K–12 English as second language learning: A systematic review

AbstractImmersive learning technologies offer K–12 English learners simulated contexts for language acquisition through virtual interactions, influencing learner attitudes and enhancing cross-curricular skills. While past literature reviews have explored learners’ English skills and emotions, few have delved into the learning effectiveness of immersive technologies for K–12 students. This systematic review analyzed 33 studies from 2012 to 2021, focusing on research designs, the role of immersive technologies in English learning, and the theoretical underpinnings of these studies. Results highlight the methods used to gauge learning effectiveness, the ways immersive technologies bolster learners’ attitudes and skills, and a noticeable gap in theoretical grounding. Recommendations for future research are provided.

Chemogenetic inhibition of the ventral hippocampus but not its direct projection to the prelimbic cortex attenuates context-specific operant responding.

Previous work has demonstrated the importance of the prelimbic cortex (PL) in contextual control of operant behavior. However, the associated neural circuitry responsible for providing contextual information to the PL is not well understood. In Pavlovian fear conditioning the ventral hippocampus (vH) and its projection to the PL have been shown to be important in supporting the effects of context on learning. The present experiments used chemogenetic inhibition of the direct vH-PL projection or the vH to determine involvement in expression of context-specific operant behavior. Rats were injected with an inhibitory DREADD (hM4Di) or mCherry-only into the vH, and subsequently trained to perform a lever press response for a food pellet in a distinct context. The DREADD ligand clozapine-n-oxide (CNO) was then delivered directly into the PL (experiment 1) and then systemically (experiment 2) prior to tests of the response in the training context as well as an equally familiar but untrained context. vH (systemic CNO) but not vH-PL (intra-PL CNO) inhibition was found to attenuate operant responding in its acquisition context. A third experiment, using the same rats, showed that chemogenetic inhibition of vH also reduced Pavlovian contextual fear. The present results suggest that multisynapatic connections between the vH and PL may be responsible for integration of contextual information with operant behavior.

Increasing previous but not concurrent extinction attenuates the "extinction makes acquisition context specific" effect in human predictive learning.

Four experiments in human predictive learning evaluated whether the extinction makes the acquisition context specific (EMACS) effect is attenuated when the increase in prediction error that extinction produces disappears. Participants had to evaluate the relationship between a given food (cue) that was ingested by an imaginary client of a given restaurant (context) and a potential gastric illness (outcome). The task was implemented using Gorilla online software. All participants received the relevant training in context A, and equivalent exposure to context B. Cue E was presented paired with the outcome in all groups. Cue E was then either extinguished (group E) or not extinguished (group NE), either previously or concurrently to training of the target cue (P). P was then tested in contexts A and B. When extinction was conducted concurrently, performance to P became context-dependent regardless of the number of extinction trials (12 or 24)-the EMACS effect. The EMACS effect disappeared when extinction was elongated to 24 trials, and conducted before acquisition of P. Implications of these results for attentional explanations of context processing are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).