Language Context Research Articles

Examining the psychometric properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 among young urban South African women

BackgroundValid, reliable, and easy-to-administer scales are crucial for identifying mental health conditions, especially in LMICs where such scales tend not to be validated. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 in a sample of young women in Soweto, South Africa. MethodsThe PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were administered to 6028 women aged 18–28 years old. Cronbach's alpha, Mokken scale analysis, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were used to provide support for the internal consistency and construct validity of these scales. ResultsBoth scales demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.81 for PHQ-9 and α = 0.84 for GAD-7). Internal consistency reliability was further supported by positive inter-item correlations and item-by-scale correlations for all items on both measures. CFA of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 showed a reasonable fit for the 1-factor model and 2-factor models (depression and anxiety with somatic and cognitive subtypes). LimitationsThis study was limited to young African women in urban Soweto who were proficient in English, which may affect generalizability. Differences in language or cultural context may impact the accuracy and applicability of these scales to other African populations. ConclusionThe PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are valid and reliable for identifying psychological distress in the studied population. Despite showing good psychometric properties, further diagnostic assessment is needed to confirm clinical diagnoses. The scales are useful for identifying those at risk but not a substitute for comprehensive diagnostic evaluations.

The Development of Past Tense Forms in Albanian Native Speakers and Learners of English as a Second Language

This study explores how Albanian learners acquire tense-aspect systems, focusing on two distinct groups: adult learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) and young native speakers of Albanian. Drawing on the Aspect Hypothesis (AH), which asserts that the aspectual properties of verbs play a key role in the acquisition of tense-aspect distinctions, the research aims to determine if these learners exhibit universal patterns in their development. Data was collected through written tasks, narrative exercises, and demographic questionnaires from Albanian bachelor’s students and children in grades 2-5. The analysis reveals that Albanian ESL learners demonstrate more variability and complexity in their past tense use, while young native speakers show a more systematic and predictable pattern, consistent with AH predictions. The study provides new insights into how the Aspect Hypothesis operates across different age groups and language contexts, offering valuable recommendations for improving teaching approaches and curriculum design for Albanian ESL learners.

Extending Double Empathy: Effects of Neurotype-Matching on Communication Success in an Expository Context.

Milton's theory of double empathy posits that the difference in communication styles between people of different neurotypes contributes to mutual misunderstandings. The current quasi-experimental study seeks to expand on research indicating that matched neurotype pairs tend to communicate more effectively than mixed neurotype pairs by examining communication across and within neurotypes in an expository language context. Thirty autistic adults and 28 nonautistic adults were paired in either a matched neurotype or mixed neurotype condition. The pairs' interactions involved giving and listening to directions to draw an image. Interactions were recorded, transcribed, and coded for communication accuracy, rate, and clarity. Participants also completed a survey about the rapport they experienced in the interaction. Matched neurotype pairs were significantly more accurate in their communication than mixed neurotype pairs. Rate was fastest among mixed neurotype pairs, but clarity did not differ significantly across conditions. Matched autistic pairs reported significantly lower rapport than other pairs. This finding lends further support to the neurodiversity model by demonstrating that autistic communication is not inherently deficient. Further research is necessary to investigate a variety of influences on rate, clarity, and rapport development. Clinical implications include considerations for neurodiversity-affirming communication supports for expository contexts such as classroom directions or workplace instructions.

Investigating the Association of Chinese EFL Students' Growth Mindset, Grit, and Foreign Language Enjoyment: A Structural Equation Modelling Study.

The importance of individual differences, personality traits, and psycho-affective factors in second language (L2) learning has been increasingly substantiated by recent research. However, the relationship between students' mindsets and positive emotions has received insufficient attention in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. To fill this research gap, we drew on "broaden-and-build" and "control value" (CVT) theories to examine associations among L2 students' growth mindset, grit, and foreign language enjoyment (FLE). A sample of 750 Chinese students completed three formerly validated scales on each of these constructs. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and correlation analysis illustrated significant, strong, positive correlations among English as a foreign language (EFL) students' growth mindset, L2 grit, and FLE. We found that 56% of changes in Chinese students' FLE could be predicted by changes in their growth mindset and grit. We discuss the obtained results, their implications, and future research directions to highlight the contagious nature of positive emotions in L2 education.

Performance of ChatGPT in the In-Training Examination for Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Residents in South Korea: Observational Study.

ChatGPT has been tested in health care, including the US Medical Licensing Examination and specialty exams, showing near-passing results. Its performance in the field of anesthesiology has been assessed using English board examination questions; however, its effectiveness in Korea remains unexplored. This study investigated the problem-solving performance of ChatGPT in the fields of anesthesiology and pain medicine in the Korean language context, highlighted advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), and explored its potential applications in medical education. We investigated the performance (number of correct answers/number of questions) of GPT-4, GPT-3.5, and CLOVA X in the fields of anesthesiology and pain medicine, using in-training examinations that have been administered to Korean anesthesiology residents over the past 5 years, with an annual composition of 100 questions. Questions containing images, diagrams, or photographs were excluded from the analysis. Furthermore, to assess the performance differences of the GPT across different languages, we conducted a comparative analysis of the GPT-4's problem-solving proficiency using both the original Korean texts and their English translations. A total of 398 questions were analyzed. GPT-4 (67.8%) demonstrated a significantly better overall performance than GPT-3.5 (37.2%) and CLOVA-X (36.7%). However, GPT-3.5 and CLOVA X did not show significant differences in their overall performance. Additionally, the GPT-4 showed superior performance on questions translated into English, indicating a language processing discrepancy (English: 75.4% vs Korean: 67.8%; difference 7.5%; 95% CI 3.1%-11.9%; P=.001). This study underscores the potential of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, in medical education and practice but emphasizes the need for cautious application and further refinement, especially in non-English medical contexts. The findings suggest that although AI advancements are promising, they require careful evaluation and development to ensure acceptable performance across diverse linguistic and professional settings.

English vocabulary development in the global south context

The aim of the current study was to analyse receptive and productive knowledge development of words belonging to 2000, 3000, and 5000 frequency levels in the Global South setting. The data were collected from 278 first-year university students after they finished both elementary and high school in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The study researched the dependency of receptive and productive knowledge on a few variables, namely the students’ grammatical competence, the methods of vocabulary teaching, the use of English within EFL classes, and the outside-school exposure to it. The results revealed a significant relationship between all the aforementioned variables and students’ productive and receptive vocabulary knowledge. Such findings are expected to provide assistance to educators and students in similar environments, giving direct guidelines for practice leading to greater receptive and productive EFL vocabulary knowledge, i.e. showing how EFL vocabulary learning challenges can be faced to open up favorable opportunities for its development.

DESIGN OF E-MODULE TEACHING MATERIALS BASED ON LOCAL WISDOM FOR BIPA LEARNING

This research aims to design teaching materials in e-modules that integrate local wisdom to increase the effectiveness of learning Indonesian for Foreign Speakers (BIPA). In the era of globalization, understanding local culture is important to support a more contextual and authentic language learning process. The e-module developed in this research focuses on introducing and understanding local Indonesian culture, such as customs, traditional arts, and social values. This development model uses the Borg & Gall development model, namely preliminary study, research planning, design development, preliminary field test, revision of limited field test results, main field test, revision of wider field test results, feasibility test, final revision of feasibility test results, and dissemination and implementation of the final product. Data collection at the pre-development stage was carried out using a questionnaire validation instrument. The type of data in this research is qualitative data. Qualitative data was obtained from expert test questionnaire validation in the form of data resulting from comments, criticism, and suggestions in the form of nonverbal data at the pre-development stage.

Korean assessment of adult basic literacy: Instrument development

This study describes the development of a Korean assessment instrument measuring adults’ basic literacy ability. Instrument items were generated from a literature review, inputs from experts through the Delphi method, and focus group interviews. Items and measurement procedures were tested and confirmed through three steps of pilot implementations. As a result, three sets of test items measuring up to level 4 of the Korean basic literacy ability for adults were successfully developed. This assessment is simple, fast, and inexpensive and reflects the distinctive characteristics of the Korean language and Korean contexts. The instrument’s practicality will contribute to its further utilization in identifying and supporting adults in need of basic literacy education.

The Role of Digital-Game Based Language Learning in EFL Vocabulary Learning and Retention: A Case Study at a Higher Educational Institute in Oman

This study investigates the role of Digital-Game Based Language Learning (DGBLL) in helping students learn and retain English vocabulary items in a foreign language context. Using a quantitative approach, data was collected from 80 students enrolled in four different levels of the General Foundation Program at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Ibra, Oman. The students were exposed to practice learning the meaning of ten vocabulary items per level using Kahoot and Wordwall games. Three tests were administered: a pre-test in week 1, a post-test after practicing the vocabulary items using the previously mentioned digital games in week 4, and a retention test in week 6. In addition, students’ perceptions regarding the efficacy of DGBLL in the vocabulary learning process were measured via a questionnaire following the post-test. The findings indicated the students’ positive attitudes in terms of utilizing DGBLL as a learning approach to mastering vocabulary regardless of gender or class level. Additionally, the findings demonstrated the effectiveness of DGBLL in vocabulary learning and retention. Hence, the study recommends using digital games to promote vocabulary learning and retention, resulting in a more engaging foreign language educational environment.

A Study of the Impact of English Tests Anxiety on the Development of Language Learning in Foreign Language Contexts

The study aims to explore the impact of anxiety on English learning for preparatory schools students in Iraq, specifically by revealing a strong connection between anxiety and academic challenges in the official context. Sixty-four participants (male and female) were randomly selected from the preparatory schools. The study discovered significant differences in the rates of learning English as a foreign language. The participants indicated a strong relationship between English tests and anxiety in classroom activities. The Chi-square test showed a positive relationship between the two variables: anxiety and speaking skills c2 (63,1),11.00=.003, p<0.05. On the contrary, the Chi-Square test revealed a negative correlation between anxiety and language skills, including listening, reading and writing skills, respectively. In comparison, the results demonstrate that the likelihood of females suffering an anxiety disorder is not statistically significantly higher compared to the case of males (t=.089, Sig.=.930). The participants obtained the lowest mean scores for the four language skills. Based on the responses provided by 31% of the participants to the FLCAS questionnaire (M= 25.3, SD= 3.2), speaking emerges as the most challenging skill for foreign language learners in preparatory schools. The study's recommendations underscore teachers' critical role in alleviating the adverse impact of anxiety on learning. Specifically, it suggests that teachers should identify the root cause of the anxiety and assist students in coping with anxiety while engaging in academic activities. Furthermore, they should establish a safe atmosphere for English learning, which could prove vital for future studies.

Arabic Language Learning Strategies for ICP Students of Dirosat Islamiyah Al-Amien Prenduan Institute

This study aims to identify and analyze Arabic language learning strategies applied to students in the international class program (ICP) at the Al-Amien Prenduan Islamic University Institute. With the increasing need for Arabic language proficiency among international students, it is important to understand the most effective methods and approaches in this educational context. The research method used is a qualitative approach with data collection techniques through interviews, observations, and document studies. The results of the study indicate that Arabic language learning strategies in ICP involve a combination of communicative approaches, task-based learning, and the use of technology. This approach is designed to improve students' speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills by considering the cultural aspects and social context of the Arabic language. This study also found that the implementation of these strategies was successful in improving students' motivation and Arabic language skills, as well as providing recommendations for further improvements in the learning process. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of more effective Arabic language teaching methods in international class programs.

A cross‐linguistic approach to investigating metacognitive regulation in writing among Chinese EFL learners: Insights for its trait/state distinction

AbstractMetacognitive regulation refers to learners’ ability to use a repertoire of metacognitive strategies to guide, observe, and manage thoughts, actions, and emotions in learning activities. It has been widely acknowledged as a significant predictor of language learning success, including writing. However, this line of research has been conducted in a single language context, and the interactions across L1 and L2 contexts have received insufficient scholarly attention. Situated in mainland China, we raise an innovative attempt to investigate metacognitive strategies in writing with a cross‐linguistic approach, thus illuminating the conceptualization of metacognitive regulation by testing its trait/state distinction. A group of 502 university students from different disciplinary majors were recruited to report their metacognitive strategy use in L1 and L2 task‐situated writing by filling in the assigned post‐task questionnaires. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) on the two questionnaire datasets provided empirical evidence for the cross‐language generalizability of metacognitive regulation in writing with the identified measurement invariance of the factor structure between L1 and L2 contexts, indicating its trait facet. However, the latent mean comparison results revealed that the actual usage frequency of metacognitive strategies scored significantly higher in L1 writing than in L2 writing, suggesting the state facet. These results are discussed extensively in this study to inform relevant theories and pedagogical activities.

Enriching building function classification using Large Language Model embeddings of OpenStreetMap Tags

AbstractAutomated methods for building function classification are essential due to restricted access to official building use data. Existing approaches utilize traditional Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to analyze textual data representing human activities, but they struggle with the ambiguity of semantic contexts. In contrast, Large Language Models (LLMs) excel at capturing the broader context of language. This study presents a method that uses LLMs to interpret OpenStreetMap (OSM) tags, combining them with physical and spatial metrics to classify urban building functions. We employed an XGBoost model trained on 32 features from six city datasets to classify urban building functions, demonstrating varying F1 scores from 67.80% in Madrid to 91.59% in Liberec. Integrating LLM embeddings enhanced the model's performance by an average of 12.5% across all cities compared to models using only physical and spatial metrics. Moreover, integrating LLM embeddings improved the model's performance by 6.2% over models that incorporate OSM tags as one-hot encodings, and when predicting based solely on OSM tags, the LLM approach outperforms traditional NLP methods in 5 out of 6 cities. These results suggest that deep contextual understanding, as captured by LLM embeddings more effectively than traditional NLP approaches, is beneficial for classification. Finally, a Pearson correlation coefficient of approximately -0.858 between population density and F1-scores suggests that denser areas present greater classification challenges. Moving forward, we recommend investigation into discrepancies in model performance across and within cities, aiming to identify generalized models.

Inclusion and protection in tension: Reflections on gathering sexual orientation and gender identity data in the workplace

AbstractThis article addresses the complex issue of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection in workplaces, highlighting the intricate balance between fostering inclusion and mitigating potential harm and exclusion. This tension manifests uniquely across diverse cultural, legal, and organizational settings. We review existing literature, offer practical guidance for decision‐makers, and outline future research avenues. While SOGI data collection in workplaces can enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and elevate the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) employees, challenges include the risk of discrimination, privacy concerns, and linguistic complexities. To address these, researchers and practitioners must consider the purpose, language, and cultural context of data collection, involving LGBTIQ+ stakeholders, and conducting reconnaissance studies. Future research opportunities lie in understanding employee willingness to share SOGI data, motivations of human resource (HR) and DEI professionals, and the impact on organizational culture. Reimagining LGBTIQ+ research to ease the tension between inclusion and protection, we conclude that responsible SOGI data collection demands a nuanced approach that prioritizes inclusion and equity while addressing privacy concerns and potential harm.

Correction: Exploring the Impact of Online Teaching Factors on International Students’ Control-Value Appraisals and Achievement Emotions in a Foreign Language Context

Correction: Exploring the Impact of Online Teaching Factors on International Students’ Control-Value Appraisals and Achievement Emotions in a Foreign Language Context

EFL teachers’ perceptions of emotional exhaustion and associated regulation strategies: a phenomenological analysis

ABSTRACT Teaching, particularly in a second/foreign language (L2) context, is an emotionally demanding profession, often leading to negative outcomes for educators. Teaching, particularly in a second/foreign language (L2) context, is an emotionally demanding profession, often leading to negative outcomes for educators. To fill the gap, this phenomenological study examined the causes, consequences, and regulation strategies of Chinese EFL teachers’ emotional exhaustion. A semi-structured interview was held with 58 teachers. The results of thematic analysis revealed that this emotional state had different causes and consequences. The most frequent causes were ‘occupational pressures’, ‘identity conflicts and mismatches’, ‘stressful classroom climate’, ‘high expectations’, and ‘students’ poor performance and cooperation’. Additionally, it was found that teachers’ emotional exhaustion can mostly lead to ‘poor teaching quality’, ‘job burnout’, ‘low work engagement’, ‘low teaching enthusiasm’, and ‘various other negative emotions and outcomes’. To regulate such an aversive feeling, the participants used a range of preventive and responsive strategies before and after its occurrence. The study discusses the findings and presents some conclusions and implications for Chinese L2 teachers, teacher trainers, and policy-makers to raise their understanding of the nature and mechanism of emotional exhaustion in teaching English and its regulation.

Racialising Refugees: The Global Colour Line in US Resettlement

Abstract Following the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were notable differences in access to resettlement and other pathways of humanitarian migration. Drawing on an analysis of statements by US policymakers, this article considers the global context and implications of the disparate language and approaches used in responses to Afghan and Ukrainian displacement. It shows how racialised and gendered narratives contributed to and were constituted within a broader international hierarchy and global colour line. The positioning of Ukrainians as possessing higher civilisational attributes deserving of solidarity and support, and their portrayal through prisms of strong agency, sovereignty, and kindred Western values, echoed across transnational constructions of collective white identity. In contrast, Afghan resettlement was rendered conditional on extensive security vetting and proof of loyal service to US and NATO missions in Afghanistan. Portrayals of Afghans as less assimilable, as potential terrorist infiltrators, as incapable of self-governance and unable to generate their own progress perpetuated features of the global colour line. Attending to the different logics used to construct refugee and parolee groups and policies broadens our understanding on how multilayered processes of Orientalism and racialisation shape resettlement and disparities in access to protection.

Mental representation of words and concepts in late multilingualism

Abstract Speakers of multiple languages must store the respective lexical items efficiently to enable correct access. Importantly, all items must be linked to semantic information and world knowledge. One prominent model of the mental lexicon of late bilinguals is the Revised Hierarchical Model (Kroll & Stewart, 1994), which postulates bidirectional but asymmetrical connections between separate stores for L1 (native language) and L2 (second/foreign language), and a shared conceptual store. Using German native speakers with advanced English proficiency, Experiment 1 largely confirmed model predictions regarding different preferred mental routes and processing times depending on translation direction. Moreover, the original design was extended by including abstract stimuli and picture naming in L2. A series of additional measures, such as proficiency and age of acquisition, served to specify the language experience of the participants and made it possible to compare the results with a group of non-native speakers of German (Experiment 2). Interestingly, the results suggest that the model also applies to two or more non-native languages, potentially influenced by the experimental and environmental language context.

Building efficient and effective OpenQA systems for low-resource languages

Question answering (QA) is the task of answering questions posed in natural language with free-form natural language answers extracted from a given passage. In the OpenQA variant, only a question text is given, and the system must retrieve relevant passages from an unstructured knowledge source and use them to provide answers, which is the case in the mainstream QA systems on the Web. QA systems currently are mostly limited to the English language due to the lack of large-scale labeled QA datasets in non-English languages. In this paper, we show that effective, low-cost OpenQA systems can be developed for low-resource contexts. The key ingredients are (1) weak supervision using machine-translated labeled datasets and (2) a relevant unstructured knowledge source in the target language context. Furthermore, we show that only a few hundred gold assessment examples are needed to reliably evaluate these systems. We apply our method to Turkish as a challenging case study, since English and Turkish are typologically very distinct and Turkish has limited resources for QA. We present SQuAD-TR, a machine translation of SQuAD2.0, and we build our OpenQA system by adapting ColBERT-QA and retraining it over Turkish resources and SQuAD-TR using two versions of Wikipedia dumps spanning two years. We obtain a performance improvement of 24–32% in the Exact Match (EM) score and 22–29% in the F1 score compared to the BM25-based and DPR-based baseline QA reader models. Our results show that SQuAD-TR makes OpenQA feasible for Turkish, which we hope encourages researchers to build OpenQA systems in other low-resource languages. We make all the code, models, and the dataset publicly available at https://github.com/boun-tabi/SQuAD-TR.

Questions Analysis of the General English language Exam for the Sixth Vocational Grade in Light of Bloom’s Taxonomy

The present study aims at identify the dominant cognitive six levels emphasized in the general English language exams for sixth vocational grade students. It also explores the potential implications of the exam question types for effective teaching practices in the sixth vocational grade English language context. To achieve the purpose of the study adopted a qualitative approach, utilizing document analysis (exam questions). Tools of the study includes a content analysis form designed in the light of six levels of Bloom taxonomies (remembering- understanding- applying- analysis- evaluating- creating). The study is limited on the exam of general English in 5 vocational departments in three academic years (2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023). Results revealed the increase of questions that assess lower cognitive levels of Blooms taxonomies in all the academic years of all branches and the sacristy of the questions that assess high cognitive levels; one or two at most in each year. More questions needed for each branch to assess analyzing, critical and interpretive levels of comprehension. Creativity and more writing tasks needed based on the curriculum objectives in each branch.