Diverse Texts Research Articles

Enhancing Language Competence through Cultural Diversity: Exploring EFL Teaching Strategies in Kazakhstan

This paper examines the role of cultural diversity in enhancing language competence, focusing on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching strategies in Kazakhstan. In an increasingly interconnected world, the interaction between language learning and cultural diversity is pivotal. This study adopts a qualitative research approach, involving interviews with EFL teachers and observations in Kazakhstani classrooms. It explores how educators incorporate cultural diversity into their teaching practices to improve language competence. The findings indicate that cultural-inclusive teaching strategies not only foster a deeper understanding of the English language but also enhance critical thinking and intercultural communication skills among students. The study highlights the use of diverse literary texts, multimedia resources, and interactive activities that reflect different cultural perspectives. Challenges such as the need for teacher training in cultural diversity and the adaptation of teaching materials to local contexts are discussed. The paper concludes with recommendations for integrating cultural diversity in EFL teaching and potential areas for further research. This study contributes to the broader discourse on multicultural education and its impact on language learning.

“I Balance It Dangerously”: How Educators Resist Censorship through the Project LIT Community

Educators across the United States have found ways to resist censorship and attacks on diverse texts through an affinity space called Project LIT.

Fine-tuning large language models for chemical text mining.

Extracting knowledge from complex and diverse chemical texts is a pivotal task for both experimental and computational chemists. The task is still considered to be extremely challenging due to the complexity of the chemical language and scientific literature. This study explored the power of fine-tuned large language models (LLMs) on five intricate chemical text mining tasks: compound entity recognition, reaction role labelling, metal-organic framework (MOF) synthesis information extraction, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) data extraction, and the conversion of reaction paragraphs to action sequences. The fine-tuned LLMs demonstrated impressive performance, significantly reducing the need for repetitive and extensive prompt engineering experiments. For comparison, we guided ChatGPT (GPT-3.5-turbo) and GPT-4 with prompt engineering and fine-tuned GPT-3.5-turbo as well as other open-source LLMs such as Mistral, Llama3, Llama2, T5, and BART. The results showed that the fine-tuned ChatGPT models excelled in all tasks. They achieved exact accuracy levels ranging from 69% to 95% on these tasks with minimal annotated data. They even outperformed those task-adaptive pre-training and fine-tuning models that were based on a significantly larger amount of in-domain data. Notably, fine-tuned Mistral and Llama3 show competitive abilities. Given their versatility, robustness, and low-code capability, leveraging fine-tuned LLMs as flexible and effective toolkits for automated data acquisition could revolutionize chemical knowledge extraction.

Things Fall Apart de Chinua Achebe — texto orgulhosamente negro

Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian author, has been considered by critics as one of the most impor-tant founders of African literature, in reaction to the literature that until then had been produced on Africa. In the sequence of the most diverse colonial literary texts and the arguments that validated colonialism in Africa, always in a dimension of affirmation of white superiority and black savagery, and in which any value, history, or notion of culture was denied to African peoples, Achebe begins a mission to show the western world that pre-colonial Igbo culture had beauty, philosophy, dignity and viable social, political and judicial structures, and that it was by no means an example of the «blank slate» that many Europeans wanted people to believe. In this sense, Achebe publishes his first novel, Things Fall Apart, still in a colonial context (1958), to make his culture known, realistically and based on internal knowledge, in a counterpoint to this prejudiced and racist European devaluation.

The Kansas Literary Canon: A Study of Texts Taught in High School English Courses

Selecting diverse texts is vital for creating culturally inclusive and responsive literacy classrooms. However, despite growing student diversity and a push for multicultural literature curricular adoption, little impact has been made on secondary teacher multicultural text selection. This text selection stagnation begs further examination amidst the alarming context of a marked reading decline in U.S. classrooms wherein fewer than one-third of students entered high school as proficient readers this year (Nation’s Report Card, 2022). This study uses data from recent high school graduates to unfurl text selection practices in Kansas high school English classrooms. Study results detail Kansas's most frequently taught texts, compare these texts to two previous studies, and suggest a continued homogeneity in text selection. These results demonstrate the need to understand the factors influencing text selection practices and the impact of traditional text selection on students’ engagement, motivation, and learning.

Analisis Kemunculan Indikator Literasi Membaca pada Lembar Kerja Peserta Didik (LKPD) Berbasis Model RADEC di SD Laboratorium Percontohan UPI Kampus Purwakarta

This study aims to analyze the occurrence of reading literacy indicators in a set of Student Worksheets (LKPD) for elementary school students (grades 2, 3, 4, and 5) based on the Read, Answer, Discuss, Explain, Create (RADEC) model at UPI Campus Purwakarta Laboratory Elementary School. A case study methodology was employed in this research. The analysis results demonstrate the dominance of Informational Texts in almost all cases, emphasizing the importance of mastering factual information in reading literacy. Personal and cultural contextual texts also play a central role in developing reading skills. On the other hand, in the cognitive process, the elements of evaluating and reflecting on information play a key role in advancing reading literacy. The research findings provide in-depth insights into the dynamics of learning in various classes and subjects. The implications of this analysis indicate the need to develop more focused and effective learning strategies, taking into account the unique characteristics of each class and subject. By expanding the scope of reading literacy understanding through diverse texts, including fiction, and integrating personal, social, and scientific dimensions, reading education at the elementary level can continue to evolve. This research serves as a starting point in the journey towards more empowered and integrated reading literacy education at UPI Campus Purwakarta Laboratory Elementary School.

ON THE ORIGINS OF THE STORY OF THE SYNOD OF DALMA

The article presents a re-examination of the story of the Synod of Dalma, which is primarily found in the chronicle Gesta regum Sclavorum (GRS). The author argues that GRS is a medieval compilation of diverse texts that were revised and adapted to fulfill the objectives of the chronicle’s author. Through an examination of the presumed prior source of the story, or “hypotext”, the article scrutinizes its potential content, date, and purpose. This examination of the Synod of Dalma’s story allows for the re-establishment of the relationship between GRS on the one hand, and the Cyrillic-Methodian tradition, the formation of Christian Moravia, and the reign of the Great Moravian ruler Svatopluk on the other hand. The study concludes that this narrative from GRS could potentially offer valuable insights into the history of the Slavs in both the Balkans and north of the (Middle) Danube. Ultimately, a re-evaluation of the credibility of the entire text of GRS is suggested

Going beyond Chat: Designing Connotative Meaningful Line Stickers to Promote Road Safety in Thailand through Participatory Design

Road accidents are a leading cause of death in Thailand, with increasing fatalities. Despite road safety campaigns during holidays, consistent communication is lacking in daily life. This research aimed to create Line application stickers, a top chat platform for Thailand, using the participatory design (PD) approach. PD was implemented in two steps. Firstly, 100 participants outlined character types, moods, tones, and communication objectives. They recommended lively animal characters with diverse texts, such as greetings, work, travel, and emotions. Then, through a focus group, the tortoise was identified to represent cautious drivers who follow traffic rules, the rabbit to represent fast and risky drivers, and the zebra to represent vigilant and disciplined traffic police officers as characters for Line stickers. Subsequently, using the semiotics approach, 40 Line stickers were designed, and embedded with denotative and connotative road safety messages. Secondly, feedback from the focus group, integral to the PD process, led to refinements. After launching, a survey of 50 users showed “Benefits Received”, “Text and Messages”, and “Meaning” dimensions received “Very Satisfied/Strongly Agree” ratings. The “Character” dimension received a “Satisfied” rating. The results for “Benefits Received” can also be analyzed in the context of the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) theory, which revealed that K and A were at the highest level, while P was at a high level. This suggests that the Line stickers designed in this study effectively conveyed road safety messages to the receivers. This research constitutes the pioneering exploration within the realm of Line stickers concerning road safety, signifying the originality and unique contribution of our research to the existing body of knowledge in this domain. The PD process in this research can serve as a guideline for creating safety-promoting media in diverse fields.

Translation in Flux: Revisiting the Past, Envisioning the Future

Abstract Translation and translators are emerging as powerful catalysts for promoting vibrant cross-cultural interaction among individuals from different backgrounds. Commonly perceived as the process of converting content from one language to another, translation is a nuanced and multifaceted endeavor that transcends mere linguistic conversion. Translators act as adept mediators, deftly navigating the intricate web of diverse texts and cultures while shaping their uniquely insightful perspectives. This article explores the rich historical dimensions of translation, highlighting its deep connections to philosophical beliefs and socio-political dynamics. It also aims to enhance our understanding of the complex nature of this practice by dissecting various dichotomies in translation studies, including contrasting philosophical views of translation and divergent approaches to the art of translation. In today’s interconnected world, the role of the translator has become increasingly indispensable, underscoring that translation goes beyond mere words; it serves as a mirror that reflects the ever-evolving globalized landscape. To chart a path forward, we must recognize the importance of revisiting the past, drawing wisdom from history, and gaining valuable insights for the future.

Neue Alabasterfragmente aus dem Sarkophagdeckel Sethos‘ I. im Kairener Museum

Summary This article presents the publication of three royal calcite fragments from the basement of the Egyptian museum Cairo, illustrated with different funerary depictions on both sides. On the front side they are decorated with varied sections from the sixth, seventh and eighth hour of the Book of the Gate – showing also at one of them the personal name with a cartouche of Seti I, and on the reverse side there are some small texts from the spells 72, 180, 181 of the Book of the Dead inscribed. Due to their depicted scenes and textual representations, these fragments refer to the same decorative program of the fragments of the sarcophagus lid of Seti I, and also their characteristic traits show consistency with the similar iconographic and the paleographic features of the lid’s fragments. Thus, these fragments can be identified as part of the sarcophagus lid of Seti I and belonging to his decoration units, which are providing an innovative perspective for illustrated funerary literature and a significant combination between an underworld book and other diverse religious texts at the beginning of 19th Dynasty.

Developing Mental Models for Examining Diversity in Children’s Literature

ABSTRACT Teachers need tools to build mental models of what makes a book diverse, how a book impacts the classroom community, and what contribution it makes within a classroom library. Beyond this, teachers need a resource that will offer cogent arguments and support for their book choices to administrators, parents, and colleagues. This article includes a rubric that can help guide and inform diverse literature selections. We share how we taught preservice teachers to use the rubric in their literature choices. We also provide a discussion of the rubric’s potential in empowering teachers to make purposeful, informed literature selections that reflect and embrace diversity for equitable classroom communities. To examine how the rubric might support the expansion of cultural models and multimodal interpretations of diverse texts, we used the rubric with 20 preservice teachers from one section of an undergraduate children’s literature course. The use of the rubric facilitated the development of mental models of diverse literature in preservice teachers. As these preservice teachers transition into their roles as classroom teachers, these mental models have the potential to actively transform the typical literature selections found in today’s classrooms, leading to more equitable classroom contexts inclusive of all children.

Asiaticoside A for the modulation of 1-TbAd- a potential target and ligand for extensive drug resistance Mycobacterium tuberculosis

In nature, terpene nucleosides are relatively rare, with 1-tuberculosinyladenosine (1-TbAd) being an exclusive feature of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The convergence of nucleosides and terpene pathways in the Mtb complex appears to have emerged late in its evolutionary history. 1-TbAd (PDB ID: 3WQK) is a prominent chemical marker for Mtb and may contribute to its virulence-related properties when exported extracellularly. We gathered a comprehensive set of 270 phytochemicals from diverse Ayurvedic texts and treatment traditions. Subsequently, we conducted structure-based molecular docking analyses to identify compounds exhibiting the strongest binding affinity for 1-TbAd, highlighting their potential as drug candidates. These selected compounds were further subjected to an in-vitro growth inhibition assay against the reference strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis h37rv. Among the candidates, Asiaticoside A (ASA) emerged as a promising candidate from the pool of 270 compounds. To assess the impact of ASA on 1-TbAd expression, we employed a PCR-based mRNA expression assay, revealing ASA's ability to downregulate 1-TbAd expression in extensively drug-resistant MTb strains. Remarkably, the conventional drug rifampin showed no such effectiveness in our experiments. We further conducted molecular dynamic simulations to explore the interaction between ASA and 1-TbAd in a cellular-like environment, confirming the stability of their interaction. Also, we predicted ASA's stability toward causing inducing the random mutations in the target gene. With this, we propose a novel target and its modulator to treat extensively drug-resistant MTB.Graphical

Anne Knight (1786–1862) and the fight for women’s suffrage in the 1840s: political activism and multiple tactics

ABSTRACT Since the 1980s, British feminist advocate Anne Knight has been acknowledged for her pioneering role in women’s suffrage propaganda. This article aims to rectify misinterpretations regarding Knight’s contribution by re-evaluating her actions and materials during the 1840s. It argues that her significance lies in creatively deploying established tactics from various social movements and diverse texts to invigorate the women’s suffrage cause, showcasing sustained commitment across diverse domains. This article is structured into four sections. Firstly, it provides a concise biography of Anne Knight, accompanied by an evaluation of previous studies. Secondly, by re-examining her feminist propaganda, it establishes that Knight’s role as a creator of the material, rather than the original author, does not diminish her creativity but underscores strategic adaptability in media use and translating discourse into action. Thirdly, through an exploration of her writings and practices, this article investigates the divergence within women’s suffrage activism in contemporary British society. Lastly, it delves into Knight’s discourse and actions during the French Second Republic, revealing her distinctive role and the broader significance of women’s collective struggle. In summary, this article unveils the intricate facets of Knight’s pioneering role, offering a nuanced understanding of early Victorian Britain’s women’s suffrage activism.

Framework for Inclusive Literature in Teacher Education

A broad selection of appropriately inclusive literature is a major step in creating a classroom that honors the diverse population of students and creates a welcoming, accepting atmosphere. Children who find stories reflecting their experience feel seen and valued. Diverse classroom literature also opens minds, extends knowledge, and increases compassion by allowing children to learn about their classmates ’ cultures and experiences. The purpose of this article was to provide a framework for evaluating diverse texts for preservice teachers. We developed a framework with eight different categories of inclusive children’s literature based on established theories of culturally relevant pedagogy. It provides preservice teachers with a means to review children’s books to ensure that their use of literature is varied, sensitive, and reflective of diversity. We concluded that teacher-education programs must do more to meet these challenges.

Media discourse linguo-methodological potential for the communicative competence development in foreign language classes

The current article examines the media discourse linguo-methodological potential for the communicative competence development in foreign language classes (including Russian as a foreign language). Special attention is paid to the analysis of typical exercises; the article identifies lack of efficient exercises aimed at developing students’ communicative competence using modern media discourse. We analyze the possibilities that diverse media texts offer in teaching foreign languages and give recommendations on the selection of illustrative materials, suggesting a set of exercises aimed at forming and improving students’ speaking skills. We used a descriptive method as a leading method in this study, partially relying on a conceptual type of language material analysis. It was found that the utilization of news and song texts in the process of foreign language teaching increased students’ motivation to learn a new language, activated all types of learners’ speech activities, and gave them an opportunity to explore standard communicative situations enriching their vocabulary. The use of IT technologies in foreign language classes contributes to effective lesson planning and allows creating authentic language environment for learners, which, in its turn, increases the efficiency of students’ communicative skills development in standard speech situations. The undertaken study resulted in the following findings: the linguo-didactic potential of media discourse in teaching foreign languages, to be more precise in the process of developing students’ communicative competence, is very high; the use of ICT in the educational process highlights the need to develop new methods for working with media texts.

Role of Multimedia-Aided EFL Classrooms in Promoting Learners’ Interaction and Participation in Tertiary-Level Bangladeshi Students

With the expansion of technology, multimedia has now reached every periphery of human life. The teaching-learning scenario in Bangladesh is no exception. There is hardly any higher educational institution that is devoid of multimedia. Technology is deemed a powerful tool for aiding EFL classroom instruction, as Joshi (2012) mentions how multimedia classrooms enhance “students’ chances for interacting with diverse texts, which further provide them a firm background in the tasks and contents of mainstream courses.” The intended study will, therefore, investigate technology’s role in promoting EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners' classroom interaction and participation in Bangladesh's public and private universities. This study explores whether EFL students can concentrate and learn better when multimedia is used in the learning process. This study will further investigate EFL learners’ attitudes toward multimedia-based classrooms. A survey questionnaire and focus group discussions (FGDs) will be used as part of a mixed-method design. The thematic analysis technique will be used to look at the qualitative data, while MS Excel will be used to look at the quantitative data. The outcome indicates positive attitudes among students towards multimedia-infused lectures in EFL classrooms in terms of participation, interaction, and understanding of the content.

Procedure for checking the uniformity of samples of text documents based on nonparametric criteria

One of the most important tasks in Text Mining is the formation of sufficiently large representative and consistent samples (datasets). Usually, datasets are obtained from various information sources. In some cases, due to the lack of specialized texts in Russian, the dataset is expanded by adding translated English-language documents. In such situations, it is advisable to evaluate the uniformity-heterogeneity of the combined arrays. However, such a verification is complicated by the fact that the documents are multidimensional vectors, the correct comparison of which is a very non-trivial task. Insufficient elaboration of procedures for checking the uniformity of samples for the multidimensional case leads to the fact the problem of possible differences in data is ignored that in practice as insignificant. As a result, classifiers are trained on samples that are a mixture of quite diverse texts, and the resulting quality of categorization does not improve (or even deteriorates). Thus, it seems relevant to develop a procedure for checking the uniformity of documentary samples. To do this, we provide a comprehensive study of the problem of shift in textual data, identified and analyzed the reasons that cause the heterogeneity of documentary arrays. In this study, the datasets consist of bibliographic descriptions of scientific articles (title, abstract, keywords). The authors develop a procedure for assessing the homogeneity of two samples having approximately the same volume and the same method for calculating the weights of terms. For comparison, centroids are used, which have the size of a common dictionary of two datasets (in the absence of some terms, zero values are put in the corresponding positions of the centroids). The representation of samples in the form of «terminological portraits» (centroids) allowed us to reduce the verification of the homogeneity of multidimensional document vectors to a well-studied problem of analyzing two one-dimensional connected samples, for which nonparametric criteria were used. The sign criterion and the Wilcoxon sign rank criterion were used in the study. The proposed procedure for checking the uniformity of samples was tested on three collections of documents obtained from Russian and English-language sources.

The Hashtag Syllabus as Class Assignment: From Information Literacy to Cultural Critique

In recent years, scholar-activists have used hashtag syllabus movements to organize and share curricular resources related to pressing social and cultural issues in a widely accessible format. These collaboratively designed readings lists have provided many classroom-based educators with diverse and far-reaching texts with which to engage students on issues of social injustice and structural inequality. In this paper, we argue that having students develop hashtag syllabi in the context of interdisciplinary social science courses not only provides access to a breadth and depth of content knowledge and a range of perspectives on these topics but creates the conditions in which students can develop and strengthen critical information literacy skills. Using example assignments from introductory and upper-level undergraduate courses, we demonstrate the potential of these assignments to promote deep learning, challenge hegemonic knowledge production, address the personal and affective components of research, and connect our students’ work in the classroom to problems that exist outside of it.

Living Out-of-Doors: A Narrative Inquiry Alongside Nipugtugewei Forest Kindergarten Teachers

In this paper, we draw upon a narrative inquiry alongside two creators of an out-of-doors Nipugtugewei Kindergarten program within a Mi’gmaw community, in northeastern Canada. Our intention was to understand their schooling, educational, and communal experiences over time. Diverse field texts were composed and interpreted alongside participants. We turned towards narrative conceptions of knowledge to show how attending to teachers’ personal practical knowledge and stories to live by on their professional knowledge landscape is sustaining who they are as teachers and people. It is also a way for teachers to live their responsibility to Indigenous communities and students.

Modelling the language education at multicultural university environment

Introduction. Subject of the article is relevant due to new educational trends caused by challenges of the time. The authors have repeatedly addressed the problems of communicative asymmetry and concretization of the content of teaching foreign language communication. The importance of the problem demands the necessity of further develop of theoretical and methodological aspects of teaching students foreign language communication in multicultural educational space.Purpose setting. The research is aimed at creating the universal model of teaching foreign spoken language in various spheres of communication. Creating of communication learning model in a multicultural university environment requires solving some conceptual and practical tasks.Methodology and methods of the study. Theoretical and empirical methods were used: comparative analysis of scientific literature on the research problem; generalization of pedagogical experience; diagnostic methods.Results. The result of the research is the development of invariant and variable components of the model of learning foreign language communication. The invariant part of the model includes the definite hierarchy of communicative skills. The author promotes a logically consistent scheme for the development of receptive and concretized expressive skills at each level of communicative competence. The variable part of the model is of vital significance. This is the content of training, which includes linguistic material and speech aids, subject matter, a corpus of diverse texts. The model involves samples of creative tasks in accordance with the stages of development of communicative skills, as well as methodological comments.Conclusion. Analyzing theory and pedagogical experience and actual practices author reveals perspectives of realization of the learning model that provides more flexible process and effective level of foreign language training of future specialists. The materials of research and the author»s learning model represented and by invariant and variable components can be used in the framework of academic work with the students of different directions of training. The results of the study may be applied in modernization of the language education at multicultural university.