Language Diversity Research Articles

Teacher cognition about intercultural communicative competence (ICC): a comparative study of English-major and German-major pre-service teachers in China

This study explored teacher cognition concerning intercultural communicative competence (ICC) among pre-service English and German teachers in China, a context influenced by a rising demand for English as a lingua franca and the increasing significance of the German language due to the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative. Data were gathered from undergraduate pre-service teachers of English (EnS) (n = 54) and German (GeS) (n = 89) using a questionnaire at a Chinese university. The findings revealed that: (1) EnS emphasised ICC-oriented knowledge, attitudes, and critical cultural awareness in their provided definitions of ICC, whereas GeS focused on German proficiency and target ­culture-oriented knowledge; (2) EnS’ length of studying English, abroad experience, and prior teaching experience exhibited varying correlations with their ICC beliefs, whereas only grade level and abroad experience were significantly related to GeS’ cognition about ICC. This study contributes to the broader discourse on teachers teaching different languages and their perceptions of ICC amidst the global landscape shaped by the coexistence of multiple languages and cultures. It concludes by calling for further research examining teacher cognition and influential factors across diverse languages and educational contexts in the realm of ICC.

Japanese] toilets are not garbage cans

Abstract Traditional linguistic landscape research focuses on the diversity, vitality, and structure of languages in public spaces. However, this study takes a critical lens and examines how certain multilingual signage reflects the normalised, harmful ideologies which target minorities in Japan. The study reveals examples of punitive multilingualism, highlighting the information disparities between languages in public signage found in Aichi, Hokkaido, and on the Internet. The paper discusses instances of discriminatory public signage, including online advertisements, based on the premise that foreigners are unruly, and official government signage that appears to target foreigners. The study also delves into problematic instructions posted in public restrooms, showing how the presentation of language(s) can reinforce stereotypes and implicit bias. Through a critical analysis of multilingual signage, this study reveals the challenges and consequences of punitive multilingualism in the context of Japanese sociolinguistics.

Designing Communicative Competence-Based English as a Foreign Language Curriculum Development in Integrated Islamic Elementary Schools

This study investigates the implementation and design of English language curriculum development based on communicative competence in integrated Islamic primary schools. The data was taken from interviews, observation, and documentation techniques. The findings indicated that other parties, including the Olympic and competition procurement institutions, were involved in the development of the English language curriculum. English language teachers construct lesson plans under the supervision of the principal, guaranteeing fair execution. The Language Festival is a new design for developing communicative competence at the elementary school level through mentoring subject teachers as well as support from the school and parents. It is designed to demonstrate the richness and diversity of language and instruct and enlighten individuals interested in languages and cultures about the languages spoken worldwide. This kind of external institution involvement is important to increase students' enthusiasm in primary school. The challenges include adapting face-to-face and remote curriculums, internet networks, and school manual content. They are solved by maintaining qualifying time allotments, partnering with language experts, leveraging asynchronous media, updating handbooks, and training for teachers.

Advancing Accessibility through Automatic Speech Recognition and NLP Integration

Abstract: The integration of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies has the potential to revolutionize accessibility and inclusive communication. This article explores the fundamentals of ASR, including acoustic modeling, language modeling, and speech signal processing techniques, and discusses the challenges posed by language diversity in developing accurate ASR systems. The advent of ASR technology has opened up numerous possibilities for enhancing accessibility across various domains, such as assistive technology, education, healthcare, and media. The integration of ASR with NLP techniques enables the processing and analysis of spoken language data, leading to the development of voice-enabled virtual assistants, conversational AI systems, and cross-lingual communication tools. However, several challenges remain, including the need for robust and accurate ASR systems, privacy and security concerns, and ethical considerations in the development and deployment of these technologies. The article also presents future directions, such as the integration of ASR and NLP with emotion recognition and sentiment analysis, advances in deep learning techniques, and the application of these technologies in healthcare and accessibility. Overall, the integration of ASR and NLP holds immense promise for creating more natural, empathetic, and inclusive communication systems, but their development and deployment must be approached with care to ensure fairness, transparency, and user privacy.

MODERN WESTERN TRENDS IN SERAH WRITING: AN ASSESSMENT OF JOHN V. TOLAN AND CRAIG CONSIDINE’S APPROACH

The captivating realm of SÊrah writing, encapsulating the life of Prophet Muhammad (Hazrat Muhammad Rasulullah Khatam un Nabiyyin Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa ‘ala alihi wa Ashabihi wa Sallam), has long been a focal point within the intellectual tapestry of Islam. Scholars, historians, and biographers, both Muslim and non-Muslims, have passionately contributed to this genre, transcending linguistic boundaries and embracing the diversity of world languages. Western authors have depicted the Holy Prophet (Sal Allah-u-‘alaihe wa sallam) in a myriad of ways, often leaning towards disparaging and negative portrayals, with sporadic instances of a positive and unbiased approach. However, a significant transformation has unfolded, particularly in the post-9/11 era, where admirers of the Holy Prophet (Sal Allah-u-‘alaihe wa sallam) ardently advocate for his multi-dimensional personality as a beacon for human emancipation, peace, progress, and salvation. Two such examples are John V. Tolan (b. 1959) and Craig Considine (b. 1985) — contemporary luminaries whose works echo this positive shift within non-Muslim Western scholarship. This study delves into an assessment and analysis of Tolan and Considine’s approach to SÊrah writing, seeking to illuminate the ‘positive approach of non-Muslim Westerners in Serah writing.’ One of the major findings of this study is that in the post-9/11 era, we witnessed a number of instances of the positive and authentic facets of Islam and the life of the Holy Prophet (sal Allah-u-‘alaihe wa sallam). Through scholarly endeavours, Tolan and Considine contribute significantly to this evolving narrative, marking a rising momentum in contemporary Western scholarship toward unveiling a more accurate and uplifting portrayal of Islam and the Holy Prophet (sal Allah-u-‘alaihe wa sallam).

The Impact of Cultural Diversity on Workforce Efficiency in Private Banking Sector of Pakistan

This study explores the impact of cultural diversity on workforce efficiency within Pakistan's private banking sector. With globalization increasing diversity in age, gender, geographical location, and language, the research aims to understand how these dimensions influence labor efficiencies. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys of employees from various private banks with qualitative interviews to gather comprehensive insights. Findings indicate that cultural diversity enhances creativity, decision-making, and problem-solving due to a broader range of perspectives. However, challenges such as communication barriers, misunderstandings, and conflicts can hinder collaboration and productivity. The significance of the study lies in its practical recommendations for fostering an inclusive work environment that leverages the strengths of a diverse workforce. Effective management practices are highlighted as crucial for mitigating potential downsides, thereby boosting overall efficiency and competitiveness in the banking sector. This research contributes to the broader discourse on workplace diversity, offering valuable insights for both academic and industry stakeholders.

Dialectics and Madurese Language Accent in the Perspective of Psycholinguistic and Sociolinguistic

This research aims to reveal and examine the variety of Madurese dialects found in 4 districts in Madura (Bangkalan, Sampang, Pamekasan, and Sumenep) and their factors, starting from acquisition factors to surrounding environmental factors, as well as their influence on a person's attitude patterns. The research method used is a qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach. The research subjects that will be studied are the Madurese people in general from each district. The data collection instrument used structured interviews involving 3 people from each district and sources from the literature. The data analysis technique used by researchers is qualitative descriptive. Data analysis includes data condensation, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Based on research results, the diversity of Madurese dialects based on psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic studies is formed through the acquisition factor of Madurese language diversity in the form of vocabulary (dialect) by the human mental lexicon obtained by their social environment. Meanwhile, the diversity of the Madurese language accent is formed from various factors, including cultural, geographical, and social class factors, which influence their attitude patterns.

The effect of novel linguistic-based review features on review helpfulness through information ecosystem and ELM theories: Heterogeneity analysis across platforms

Although online review helpfulness has been extensively discussed, examining it at the platform level can still yield new insights. Drawing on ELM and information ecosystem theories, this study identifies heterogeneity in review features and their impact on helpfulness across platforms through a multimethod analysis of 82,130 reviews on JD and TikTok. Econometric analysis revealed that reviews on mature platforms contain richer objective content, more diverse language styles, and stronger semantic associations. In terms of content, objective content diversity positively affects helpfulness on emerging platforms, while it has the opposite effect on mature platforms. Negative sentiment significantly affects helpfulness only on mature platforms, and positive sentiment has no significant effect on either platform. In terms of language style, the analysis indicated that language style diversity positively impacts the helpfulness of emerging platforms. However, four specific styles (figurative, comparative, interrogative and exaggerative) negatively affect helpfulness on emerging platforms, with only comparative style having a significant negative effect on mature platforms. In terms of semantic association, the results show a more substantial positive impact on emerging platforms. Machine learning-based performance analysis corroborates the core findings of the econometric analysis. This study provides novel findings to the existing literature and provides managerial implications for different platforms.

The noisy encoding of disparity model predicts perception of the McGurk effect in native Japanese speakers.

In the McGurk effect, visual speech from the face of the talker alters the perception of auditory speech. The diversity of human languages has prompted many intercultural studies of the effect in both Western and non-Western cultures, including native Japanese speakers. Studies of large samples of native English speakers have shown that the McGurk effect is characterized by high variability in the susceptibility of different individuals to the illusion and in the strength of different experimental stimuli to induce the illusion. The noisy encoding of disparity (NED) model of the McGurk effect uses principles from Bayesian causal inference to account for this variability, separately estimating the susceptibility and sensory noise for each individual and the strength of each stimulus. To determine whether variation in McGurk perception is similar between Western and non-Western cultures, we applied the NED model to data collected from 80 native Japanese-speaking participants. Fifteen different McGurk stimuli that varied in syllable content (unvoiced auditory "pa" + visual "ka" or voiced auditory "ba" + visual "ga") were presented interleaved with audiovisual congruent stimuli. The McGurk effect was highly variable across stimuli and participants, with the percentage of illusory fusion responses ranging from 3 to 78% across stimuli and from 0 to 91% across participants. Despite this variability, the NED model accurately predicted perception, predicting fusion rates for individual stimuli with 2.1% error and for individual participants with 2.4% error. Stimuli containing the unvoiced pa/ka pairing evoked more fusion responses than the voiced ba/ga pairing. Model estimates of sensory noise were correlated with participant age, with greater sensory noise in older participants. The NED model of the McGurk effect offers a principled way to account for individual and stimulus differences when examining the McGurk effect in different cultures.

Automatic Essay Scoring with Context-based Analysis with Cohesion and Coherence

Automatic Essay Scoring (AES) with context- based analysis with cohesion and coherence aims to develop a model that can assess essays automatically or by translating language diversity and student understanding. AES with context-based analysis using methods and applications based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and the Machine Learning Framework (MLF), apart from being able to provide essay answers automatically, can also assess student understanding. Student or student understanding is the value obtained from answering questions according to the level of understanding that comes from the answer. By using the concepts of cohesion and coherence in the essay assessment system, the teacher can assess the quality of the answers obtained. The context-based essay assessment system was built to facilitate and speed up the process of assessing essay exam answers, to obtain standards and consistency in essay assessment according to the diversity of answers and the diversity of assessors if they have more than one subject. An essay exam is a learning evaluation given in the form of essay questions which have more varied answers than multiple choice questions. These variations in answers create difficulties for lecturers or teaching staff in assessing answers.

Telugu language hate speech detection using deep learning transformer models: Corpus generation and evaluation

In today's digital era, social media has become a new tool for communication and sharing information, with the availability of high-speed internet it tends to reach the masses much faster. Lack of regulations and ethics have made advancement in the proliferation of abusive language and hate speech has become a growing concern on social media platforms in the form of posts, replies, and comments towards individuals, groups, religions, and communities. However, the process of classification of hate speech manually on online platforms is cumbersome and impractical due to the excessive amount of data being generated. Therefore, it is crucial to automatically filter online content to identify and eliminate hate speech from social media. Widely spoken resource-rich languages like English have driven the research and achieved the desired result due to the accessibility of large corpora, annotated datasets, and tools. Resource-constrained languages are not able to achieve the benefits of advancement due to a lack of data corpus and annotated datasets. India has diverse languages that change with demographics and languages that have limited data availability and semantic differences. Telugu is one of the low-resource Dravidian languages spoken in the southern part of India.In this paper, we present a monolingual Telugu corpus consisting of tweets posted on Twitter annotated with hate and non-hate labels and experiments to provide a comparison of state-of-the-art fine-tuned deep learning models (mBERT, DistilBERT, IndicBERT, NLLB, Muril, RNN+LSTM, XLM-RoBERTa, and Indic-Bart). Through transfer learning and hyperparameter tuning, the models are compared for their effectiveness in classifying hate speech in Telugu text. The fine-tuned mBERT model outperformed all other fine-tuned models achieving an accuracy of 98.2. The authors also propose a deployment model for social media accounts.

ASEAN Non-Interference Under Heavy Pressure: Is It Change or Crises for ASEAN Peace?

This paper intends to join the discussion over the heavily pressured ASEAN’s non- interference. With a qualitative approach, this paper investigate where the pressure comes from and whether non-interference actually harms ASEAN. Utilizing the medical analogy, “the dose makes the poison,” and Acton’s wisdom on power, the paper argue that the non-interference harm and critics inducing to ASEAN is a result of its excessive uses rather than the principle itself harmful. Avoiding, delaying, and brushing issues aside behind non-interference becomes a comfortable refuge for ASEAN when faced with difficult challenges. ASEAN indeed needs to change. However, given ASEAN’s diverse political, cultural, and language differences, eliminating non-interference influence in ASEAN is an outrageous deliberation. The principle is not poisonous with the right prescription. Therefore, as conclusion the paper advocate the creation of a formal forum that can serve as a formal means to brainstorm solutions for members’ taboo predicament that could preserve member states freedom to decide, rather than dictating one, to control the dosage of non-interference needed in the ASEAN system. Like a family, ASEAN member states can use the forum to convince each other’s that there are better solutions for their predicament and advance the region together.

Stylistic Analysis of Instagram Poem by Rupi Kaur

This research focuses on analyzing the graphological, phonological, morphological, and semantic features of English poems from Kaur's books "Home Body" and "The Sun and Her Flowers," which were posted on Instagram between May and July 2023. Using Simpson’s stylistic theories (2014), the analysis selected three poems from each of Kaur's books. The findings indicate that the poet employs stylistic elements as follows: graphologically, the use of all lowercase letters throughout her poems reflects intimacy and vulnerability, with minimal punctuation, only using a period at the end of each stanza. Phonologically, the poems lack a consistent rhyme scheme, relying instead on the natural flow of language and the emotions conveyed through words. Morphologically, the poet uses simple and concise grammatical structures to effectively communicate emotions and thoughts through straightforward sentences, drawing readers into her perspective and experiences. Semantically, the poet employs various figurative language elements, including metaphors, imagery, personification, symbolism, rhetorical questions, and repetition. The implication of this research is that Kaur's stylistic choices, such as lowercase letters, minimal punctuation, natural language flow, simple grammar, and diverse figurative language, enhance the intimacy, emotional impact, and accessibility of her poetry.

Mobility-in-place: how to keep privilege by being mobile at work

Abstract In this paper, we explore the notion of mobility as a dynamic process of keeping oneself in a privileged position through the mobilisation of linguistic, communicative, and semiotic resources. It is a proposed construct that troubles our understanding of the two dominant paradigms in the study of language in globalisation: the sociolinguistics of distribution (study of language-in-place) and the sociolinguistics of mobility (study of language-in-motion) (Blommaert and Dong 2007. Language and movement in space. Working Papers in Language Diversity. University of Jyväskylä). We examine the professional life story of Andrew and Juanito to map out the inventive manner by which they move around within their workplaces through their deployment of language, and English in particular. While there has been substantial work dedicated to unpacking elite language and how it enables the mobility of speakers, our paper departs from it by constructing an understanding of how such privilege is organized in terms of people’s ability to shift between linguistic and stylistic choices in order to mobilize their own privileged mobility within their chosen workplaces. What we see here is the mobilisation of ‘language-in-motion-in-place’ -- or broadly, mobility-in-place -- which erases the conceptual dichotomy between the two dominant paradigms in the study of language and globalisation: while the speakers are in place, they are also mobile.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices and Student Attitude Towards Learning the English Language in China

This study investigated the relationship between culturally responsive teaching practices and student attitudes towards learning English language among senior high school students in China. The study used a descriptive-comparative correlational design and a survey questionnaire to collect data from 491 students from five different schools. The study found that the level of culturally responsive teaching practices perceived by students was average and that there was no significant difference in the level of culturally responsive teaching practices based on the students' demographic factors. The study also found that the students had positive attitudes towards learning the English language and that there was a significant positive relationship between culturally responsive teaching practices and student attitudes. The study concluded that culturally responsive teaching practices can enhance student motivation and academic achievement in English language learning and recommended the development of professional development programs and curriculum materials that support culturally responsive teaching.The findings of culturally responsive teaching practices show that all measured dimensions-Diverse Teaching Practices, Cultural Engagement, Diverse Language Affirmation, Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectations, and overall, Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices-are "evident". Among these, Diverse Teaching Practices and Diverse Language Affirmation have the highest values, indicating a strong presence in the educational setting.The findings of students' attitudes toward learning the English language reveal that all aspects measured are "very positive". The dimensions assessed include Attitude towards English Speakers, Integrative and Instrumental Orientation, Interest in English, Attitude towards English Class, and Attitude towards English Teacher. The highest mean score is observed for Attitude towards English Teacher, closely followed by Interest in English, indicating that students hold their teachers in high regard and have a strong interest in the language itself. Attitude towards English Speakers and Integrative and Instrumental Orientation both have the same level, reflecting very positive attitudes toward English-speaking individuals and the practical as well as intrinsic motivations for learning the language. Attitude towards English Class has a slightly lower but still very positive mean. Collectively, these findings suggest that students maintain a highly favorable attitude towards all aspects of learning English, which is crucial for fostering an effective and engaging learning environment.

Echoes of Culture: Relationships of Implicit and Explicit Attitudes With Contemporary English, Historical English, and 53 Non-English Languages

Attitudes are intertwined with culture and language. But to what extent? Emerging perspectives in attitude research suggest that cultural representations in language are more related to implicitly measured (vs. explicitly measured) attitudes, and that such relationships persist across history and diverse languages. We offer a comprehensive test of these ideas by correlating (a) attitudes toward 55 topics (e.g., Rich/Poor, Dogs/Cats, Love/Money) from ~100,000 U.S. English-speaking participants with (b) representations of those same topics in word embeddings from contemporary English text, 200 years of English books, and 53 non-English languages. Strong and robust relationships emerged between representations in contemporary English and implicitly but not explicitly measured attitudes. Moreover, strong correlations with implicitly measured attitudes persisted across 200 years of books, and most non-English languages. Results provide new insights into the nature of implicitly measured attitudes and how they are intertwined with cultural representations that are relatively hidden in patterns of language across time and place.

Building Oral Literature and National Character through Creative and Productive Learning Models as an Innovative Effort to Develop Students' Writing Skills

The Productive Creative Learning model is a strategic framework integrating various methodologies to enhance teaching and learning effectiveness. It aims to inspire students to create innovative works, necessitating subtle instruction in literature and a shift from traditional paradigms. This model promotes knowledge acquisition, meaningful discussions, and the production of innovative literary works by both students and lecturers. This quantitative study in education evaluates the efficacy of this teaching paradigm, specifically to enhance creative writing skills. Using Gall and Borg's (2003) development approach, researchers follow a three-stage process: gathering information through literature and field studies, developing the model via trials and improvements, and validating it through experimental design. This flexible approach suits social sciences and language studies, accommodating diverse behaviors and language usage patterns. The research targets Indonesian Language Education students in the 4th and 5th semesters at FKIP Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang, aiming to develop a model that: (1) aligns with curriculum objectives, (2) functions with or without lecturers, and (3) enhances creative writing skills. Activities include observing quasi-experimental classes, selecting short stories as teaching materials, preparing, testing, evaluating, and revising learning models. Effectiveness is evaluated using gain and t-tests. The Productive Creative Learning Model, akin to a literary studio, is an effective approach for teaching literature, complementing external literary organizations with its beneficial principles.

Navigating linguacultures through fanfiction: unveiling opportunities and challenges in the Chilean EFL school context

Recently, fanfiction has gained attention in the field of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) as it provides space for language practice to facilitate genre-based writing and literacy development. However, there is limited research on using fanfiction as a pedagogical tool to encourage both language and culture learning in diverse foreign language (FL) school contexts. To address this gap, this article presents a pedagogical innovation that aligns fanfiction with a linguacultural (LC) framework to involve students in collaborative, technology-enhanced LC learning. The study involved 15 EFL school teachers in Chile who participated in a workshop on LC-based fanfiction project design. Data collected included teachers’ project plans and reflective journals. Analysis of teachers’ project plans identified creative opportunities for bi-linguacultural practice, online exchange, and identity reflection. Triangulation with teachers’ reflective journals revealed the benefits of fanfiction for enhancing student engagement, language creativity, cultural awareness, and use of information communication technologies (ICTs). However, challenges were identified, ranging from student-related issues to the complexities of remote teaching in rural areas. This study emphasizes the significance of exploring pedagogical innovations in diverse FL contexts, to identify and challenge the contextualized barriers hindering successful integration of language, culture, and technology in the classroom.

A systematic review of empirical distance interpreting research (2005–2021)

AbstractDistance interpreting (DI) refers to interpreting services provided by interpreters at a remote location, facilitated through information and communication technologies. DI has been widely employed in a multitude of contexts, ranging from multilingual diplomacy conferences and public service sectors to global business negotiations and live-broadcasting programs, among others. Although empirical studies have provided extensive insights into DI, the findings show a certain degree of dispersion and complexity, indicating a need for further investigation. This study set out to conduct a systematic review of the empirical DI research with the aim of providing an evidence-backed synthesis of the current DI research and predicting potential future research directions. Applying the PRISMA guidelines, we identified 39 journal articles on DI through an electronic search and a snowballing procedure. We then coded and synthesized these articles based on a framework comprising three main elements: demographics, methodology, and research themes. Four prominent research themes were identified: (1) interpreters' adaptation, (2) technical considerations in DI, (3) client satisfaction, and (4) DI quality assessment. Based on these, we discuss four possible directions for future DI research: replication studies of onsite interpreting research, research in diverse settings, incorporation of modern technology, and experiments on diverse language combinations.

Unlocking Multilingual Communication: Exploring the Potential of a Chat Application

Language barriers limit cross-cultural communication and collaboration in an increasingly interconnected world. Innovative multilingual chat apps use cutting-edge technologies to bridge language gaps and stimulate meaningful connections. This abstract describes a complicated multilingual chat application leveraging the MERN stack and AWS Translation services to revolutionize digital cross-cultural communication. Real-time translation in multilingual chat apps solves the problems. These algorithms recognize cross-linguistic interactions to provide inclusive digital environments where individuals of different languages can converse. Multilingual chat apps need MERN. React, Node.js, MongoDB, and Express.js provide a complete real-time communications platform. MongoDB scales, while Express.js and Node.js optimize server-side tasks. Multilingual interfaces are responsive to React’s declarative components. The final section addresses AWS Translation and multilingual chat app integration. Neural machine translation specialist AWS Translation delivers real-time translation across several languages. AWS Translation enables multilingual communication with precise, contextually relevant translations using powerful machine learning techniques. Finally, the abstract discusses how multilingual chat apps will change global communication. These apps foster cross-cultural understanding and worldwide cooperation. Developers aspire to create inclusive digital environments that celebrate language diversity and promote cross-cultural engagement utilizing technology and innovation.