Vocabulary Domain Research Articles

Using natural language processing to evaluate the impact of specialized transformers models on medical domain tasks

We are presently living in the age of intelligent machines, machines are rapidly imitating humans as a result of technological breakthroughs and advances in machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence. In our work, we based our approach on the idea of utilizing a specialized corpus to enhance the performance of a pre-trained language model. We utilized the following approach: (V = vocabulary domain, C1 = initial corpus, C2 = specialization corpus). We applied this approach with different combinations such as (V = general, C1 = general, C2 = ∅), (V = general, C1 = general, C2 = medical), (V = medical, C1 = medical, C2 = ∅), and (V = medical, C1 = medical, C2 = medical) to compare the performance of a general bidirectional encoder representations from transformers model and specialized BERT models for the medical domain. In addition, we evaluated the model’s using informatics for integrating biology and the bedside, and drug-drug interaction datasets to measure their effectiveness in medical tasks.

Linguistic Contact and Tracing Persian Construction onto Khuzestani Arabic Structures

Unlike other dialects of Arabic, Khuzestani vernacular Arabic seems to have attracted little attention within the linguistic community. In this vein, the present study aims to present some evidence to show that matter replication of Persian material is mostly found in Khuzestani vernacular Arabic and thus linguistic contact and grammatical borrowing is most often mapped from Persian onto Khuzestani Arabic. Replication of Persian material primarily occurs in the domain of lexical vocabulary, and partly in grammatical vocabulary. Also, pattern replication is notable in the emerging change of constraints on word order, the favoring of analytic constructions and emergence of a new analytic past tense, and the reduction of overt marking of definiteness. In addition, the most remarkable contact-induced change in the dialect is the identification of Khuzestani Arabic grammatical morphemes in attributive constructions – the Construct State marker and the definite article that appears between head and attribute – with the Persian attributive particle, and the consequent merger of two historically distinct attributive constructions – adjectival and nominal – into a single type, which replicates the state of affairs in Persian.

The prevalence of relational basic concepts on core vocabulary lists for AAC: is frequency enough?

The selection of appropriate vocabulary is a crucial and challenging aspect of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention. Core vocabulary lists are frequently used to support vocabulary selection for children who require AAC. A vocabulary domain that has garnered limited attention within the AAC literature is relational basic concepts (RBCs). RBCs describe relationships between objects, persons, or situations, and play a pivotal role in language development, communication, and academic success. For the present study, we created a list of 156 RBCs, drawing primarily from assessments that measure basic concept knowledge in preschool and early elementary school students. We examined the overlap of these words on nine core vocabulary lists. We found that most concepts were not represented on any core lists. Additionally, there was relatively little overlap of RBCs between the core lists. These findings suggest that vocabulary selection resources created using exclusively a core vocabulary approach may have limited utility for identifying many concepts that preschool and early elementary students are expected to know and use. Implications for AAC research and practice are discussed with emphasis on the need for further consideration of RBCs within vocabulary selection practice and the field of AAC at large.

Exploring Heaton’s testing score as a diagnostic tool: A language testing study on English language learners

This study investigates the utility of Heaton's Testing Score as a diagnostic instrument for English language learners. Focusing on 20 grade 10 English language learners at Amaano Boarding School in Hargeisa, Somaliland, our research employed a blend of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Our research arsenal encompassed Heaton's Testing Score, a comprehensive questionnaire, and a rigorous focus group interview. The primary aim was to bridge an existing lacuna in the literature regarding the practical application of Heaton's Testing Score in pinpointing areas of improvement for English language learners. Our findings unearthed distinct challenges that students grapple with, particularly in the domains of reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar. These issues were discerned through a meticulous analysis of English test questions. Additionally, our questionnaire and focus group interview unveiled insightful perspectives on the root causes, including the limited exposure to English beyond the classroom setting. This nuanced comprehension of learners' impediments adds substantial value to the field. Our results underscore the pivotal role of Heaton's Testing Score as a valuable diagnostic tool, empowering educators and researchers to identify precise areas requiring focused assistance for English language learners. This emphasizes the significance of tailored interventions in ameliorating the learning experience. The study bears implications for educators, policy-makers, and curriculum developers, advocating for a more effective paradigm in language testing and evaluation. In conclusion, this research firmly underscores Heaton's Testing Score as an indispensable diagnostic instrument for language testing, with far-reaching ramifications for the enhancement of English language learners.

Association of Cognitive Polygenic Index and Cognitive Performance with Age in Cognitively Healthy Adults.

Genome-wide association studies have discovered common genetic variants associated with cognitive performance. Polygenic scores that summarize these discoveries explain up to 10% of the variance in cognitive test performance in samples of adults. However, the role these genetics play in cognitive aging is not well understood. We analyzed data from 168 cognitively healthy participants aged 23-77 years old, with data on genetics, neuropsychological assessment, and brain-imaging measurements from two large ongoing studies, the Reference Abilities Neural Networks, and the Cognitive Reserve study. We tested whether a polygenic index previously related to cognition (Cog PGI) would moderate the relationship between age and measurements of the cognitive domains extracted from a neuropsychological evaluation: fluid reasoning, memory, vocabulary, and speed of processing. We further explored the relationship of Cog PGI and age on cognition using Johnson-Neyman intervals for two-way interactions. Sex, education, and brain measures of cortical thickness, total gray matter volume, and white matter hyperintensity were considered covariates. The analysis controlled for population structure-ancestry. There was a significant interaction effect of Cog PGI on the association between age and the domains of memory (Standardized coefficient = -0.158, p-value = 0.022), fluid reasoning (Standardized coefficient = -0.146, p-value = 0.020), and vocabulary (Standardized coefficient = -0.191, p-value = 0.001). Higher PGI strengthened the negative relationship between age and the domains of memory and fluid reasoning while PGI weakened the positive relationship between age and vocabulary. Based on the Johnson-Neyman intervals, Cog PGI was significantly associated with domains of memory, reasoning, and vocabulary for younger adults. There is a significant moderation effect of genetic predisposition for cognition for the association between age and cognitive performance. Genetics discovered in genome-wide association studies of cognitive performance show a stronger association in young and midlife older adults.

Research Methods in Vocabulary Studies [Review

[First paragraph] Vocabulary development is a cornerstone in second language acquisition, without which communication is almost impossible. Vocabulary is by nature a dynamic and complex phenomenon. It is dynamic in the sense that it is marked by constant development in learners. It is also complex because it consists of a multitude of components and sub-components. Knowing about the most recent findings in vocabulary, especially from research and learning perspectives, is essential for researchers interested in the vocabulary domain of language as well as for teachers if they wish to function efficiently in their profession. Research that deals with vocabulary from both theoretical and practical angles is, however, limited. Being cognizant of this gap, Philip Durrant, Anna Siyanova-Chanturia, Benjamin Kremmel, and Suhad Sonbul, who are among the leading figures in vocabulary research released “Research Methods in Vocabulary Studies” to provide insightful information to readers on theories and research practices of vocabulary.

Case marking is different in monolingual and heritage Bosnian in digitally elicited oral texts.

Heritage languages may differ from baseline languages spoken in the home country, particularly in the domains of vocabulary, morphosyntax and phonology. The success of acquiring and maintaining a heritage language may depend on a range of factors, from the age of acquisition of the second language; quantity and quality of input and frequency of first language use, to non-linguistic factors, such as Socio-Economic Status (SES). To investigate case marking accuracy in heritage Bosnian in relation to these very factors, we recruited 20 heritage Bosnian speakers in Austria and Germany, and 20 monolingual Bosnian speakers in Bosnia, aged between 18 and 30 years. Participants were assessed remotely in two sessions, on a battery of tests that included a background language questionnaire investigating participants' history of language acquisition, current usage and SES, and a newly adapted Bosnian version of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN). A significant difference in case marking accuracy was found between the two groups, despite the 97% correct performance in the heritage speakers, and an almost 100% performance of the monolinguals. In the heritage speakers group only, errors indicated a trend toward case system simplification as well as uncertainty in distinguishing between case meanings. The use of Bosnian, assessed through quantity and quality of input, as well as frequency of current usage, was shown to be a significant predictor of case marking accuracy in heritage speakers. In contrast, SES and age of acquisition of German did not play a role in these participants' case accuracy. The observed patterns of quantitative and qualitative differences in the case marking accuracy between heritage Bosnian speakers and their monolingual counterparts, in the face of a high level of accuracy, contribute to our understanding of the heritage language attainment in more diverse language dyads where L1 is a lesser studied language.

Development and norming of the Hungarian CDI-III: A screening tool for language delay.

BackgroundDifficulties in language development are related to social and emotional problems, lower academic outcomes, and lower quality of life from childhood to adolescence. These grave consequences might be significantly reduced by timely identification and professional support. The introduction of systematic screening for language delay (LD) in 3‐year‐old children in Hungary was based on the recent adaptation of the MacArthur–Bates CDI‐III (HCDI‐III).AimsTo explore the relevant psychometric properties of the HCDI‐III; to identify factors characteristic of the families and children influencing language development at the age group under investigation; and to evaluate the adequacy of the tool for the purpose of screening LD in kindergarten at the age of 3 years.Methods & ProceduresThe norming study of the HCDI‐III was conducted in a collaborative research project with the Metropolitan Pedagogical Services in Budapest. HCDI‐III parent report forms along with a demographic survey form were distributed to parents of all Hungarian‐speaking children between the ages of 2;0 and 4;2 without special education needs. The normative sample comprised data from 1424 children aged 2;0–4;2 with 51.1% boys and 48.9% girls. The data set contained information including language skills, basic demographics, birth conditions, health issues and socio‐economic status (SES).Outcomes & ResultsIn the HCDI‐III form, six outcome variables were created to cover the domains of expressive vocabulary, morphosyntax and language use. Statistical analyses revealed appropriate psychometric properties of five outcome variables that showed a normal distribution and were strongly correlated to age. Outcomes of girls were slightly (but significantly) higher on scales corresponding to vocabulary, syntax, language use and productivity. Most variables were highly correlated with one another even with age partialled out. Multiple regression analyses revealed significant effect of age, gender and parental education on all main outcome variables. Neither one of the other eight predictors, including familial and birth‐related factors, affected linguistic outcomes in our sample.Conclusions & ImplicationsThe results are consistent with the majority of Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) studies, and support the psychometric eligibility of the instrument for screening purposes between 30 and 50 months. As certain regions of Hungary are characterised by a high prevalence of low‐SES families, more research is needed to adapt the screening procedure and subsequent measures to their needs.What this paper addsWhat is already known on the subject Difficulties in language development are related to lower social and academic outcomes and lower quality of life from childhood to adolescence. These grave consequences might be significantly reduced by timely identification and professional support. Structured parent report forms such as the MacArthur–Bates CDI are widely accepted methods for screening children with LD. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study reports the Hungarian adaptation and norming of the CDI‐III form. Statistical analyses revealed appropriate psychometric properties of most of its sections. Language outcomes were affected by age, gender and parental education on all main outcome variables in children between 2 and 4 years of age. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The results support the psychometric eligibility of the HCDI‐III instrument for screening purposes. The introduction of the screening procedure in clinical practice is expected to improve early support of children with language difficulties and reduce risks of developmental problems related to language disorders.

Is There Any Association Between Language Acquisition and Cognitive Development in Cochlear-Implanted Children?

Objective:Different studies on normal children and children with a sensory or intellectual disability indicate a strong correlation between the child’s vocabulary domain and his cognitive abilities. Based on this, the main focus of the present study was to investigate the cognitive performance of cochlear-implanted children after a cognition-based language intervention program.Methods:In this experimental study, 60 cochlear-implanted children were selected and randomly allocated into case and control groups. The control group received auditory verbal therapy (AVT), while the intervention group was trained by using both AVT and a language intervention protocol that was recently developed by the authors. Finally, the participants' communication abilities were assessed through the adapted version of the language subtest of Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Third Edition (BSID 3). Five months later, the cognitive subtest was carried out. The data gathered were then analyzed using SPSS software.Results:The study was performed on 2 groups of 20- to 24-month-old cochlear implant users, and our results confirmed a high correlation between language acquisition and cognitive development (r = 0.76). In addition, the cognitive and language performance of the participants who were trained by the new and specifically designed language intervention protocol as well as AVT was significantly higher than that of the control group (P ≤ .001).Conclusion:The new and specifically designed language intervention protocol that was mainly established based on cognitive factors such as attention and semantic memory enhancement in cochlear-implanted children improved not only their language acquisition but also their cognitive development.KEYWORDS:Cochlear implant, language intervention, cognitive development, vocabulary, children

Medical Spanish Musculoskeletal and Dermatologic Educational Module.

IntroductionWhile many medical schools provide opportunities in medical Spanish for medical students, schools often struggle with identifying a structured curriculum. The purpose of this module was to provide a flexible, organ system-based approach to teaching and learning musculoskeletal and dermatologic Spanish terminology, patient-centered communication skills, and sociocultural health contexts.MethodsAn 8-hour educational module for medical students was created to teach musculoskeletal and dermatologic medical communication skills in Spanish within the Hispanic/Latinx cultural context. Participants included 47 fourth-year medical students at an urban medical school with a starting minimum Spanish proficiency at the intermediate level. Faculty provided individualized feedback on speaking, listening, and writing performance of medical Spanish skills, and learners completed a written pre- and postassessment testing skills pertaining to communication domains of vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension as well as self-reported confidence levels.ResultsStudents demonstrated improvement in vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and self-confidence of musculoskeletal and dermatologic medical Spanish topics. While students with overall lower starting proficiency levels (intermediate) scored lower on the premodule assessment compared to higher proficiency students (advanced/native), the postmodule assessment did not show significant differences in skills performance among these groups.DiscussionAn intermediate Spanish level prerequisite for this musculoskeletal and dermatologic module can result in skills improvement for all learners despite starting proficiency variability. Future study should evaluate learner clinical performance and integration of this module into other educational settings such as graduate medical education (e.g., orthopedic, rehabilitation, and dermatology residency programs) and other health professions (e.g., physical therapy and nursing).

Zahtevi i potrebe za titlovanjem audio-vizuelnih sadržaja namenjenih gluvim i nagluvim učenicima

Caption technology for deaf and hard of hearing translates the same spoken language into written language, including not only a textual recording of speech but also a description of background sounds. The literature states that the effects of captioned audio-visual content are conditioned by the level and speed of reading and that the understanding of the captioned material depends on the complexity of the text as well. The central question regarding captioning for deaf and hard of hearing is whether to literally translate audio recordings or to adapt them. While the deaf prefer the first option, research findings show that comprehension is greater if the text is simplified. The aim of the research was to determine the contribution of captioning to the understanding of audio-visual content among deaf and hard of hearing pupils of different levels of education by reviewing recent literature in this field. Papers related to the contribution of captioning to the understanding of content in deaf and hard of hearing pupils were primarily searched through the Google Scholar database in order to narrow the research to journals with the largest number of papers on this topic: American Annals of Deaf, Brain Sciences, Deafness & Educational International, Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Philosophy and Practice, The Journal of Specialized Translation Library. Ten papers that met the selection criteria were analyzed, with the largest number of papers focusing on primary school pupils. A statistically significant advantage in understanding captions with custom translation was found in one analyzed study, while the results of the other authors were statistically significant only in the domain of vocabulary, in the effects of captions vs. audio-visual content and in the effects of captions vs. sign language translation. The use of captioned material in the implementation of curriculum of many school subjects would provide important information that could improve the quality of teaching for deaf and hard of hearing pupils whether they attend inclusive or residential schools.

Impact of Using Digital Devices on the Health of Children: A Systematic Review

Background and Objective: Nowadays, the use of digital devices such as televisions, DVDs, smartphones, tablets, and computer games is increasing among children. The present study was conducted with the aim of understanding the potential effects of the use of media in children. Instruments and Methods: In the present systematic review, domestic and International articles investigating the effect of using digital devices on children's health were examined (International articles published from 2007 to 2017). This study was conducted in accordance with the Publishing Requirements for Industry Standard Metadata (PRISM) guidelines. After the screening, by attention to the articles outcome variables, results in 3 categories including physical, cognitive, social-emotional-behavioral effects were analyzed and deduced. Results: The extreme use of media is associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity, changes in food habits and the pattern of sleep, structural changes in the brain, motor and language delays, weaknesses in the vocabulary domain, verbal intelligence and executive functions, emotional, communicative, social, and behavioral problems. Conclusion: Due to the adverse effects of digital devices on the health of children, the use of digital devices should be limited and parents. Parents should enrich the child's environment with social, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral stimuli by creating a lifestyle that is full of human interaction so that the children will be less inclined towards digital devices, thus preventing the harmful effects of using digital devices.

Risk for Speech and Language Impairments in Preschool Age HIV-exposed Uninfected Children With In Utero Combination Antiretroviral Exposure.

Perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected (HEU) children have elevated risk of late language emergence at 1 year of age, with possible links to in utero antiretroviral (ARV) exposure. We investigated possible risks for speech impairments (SIs) and language impairments (LI) in preschool monolingual HEU children in the United States. Speech and language assessments were conducted as part of the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study Surveillance Monitoring of ART Toxicities study at ages 3 (N = 208) and 5 (N = 429) years. Domains of speech, overall language, vocabulary and grammar were assessed. SI and LI were defined by standardized scores <15th percentile and categorized as primary (normal nonverbal IQ ≥ 85 without hearing loss) and concomitant (low nonverbal IQ and/or presence of hearing loss). Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds of SI and LI for different ARV exposures, adjusted for confounding variables. The risk for language impairments in HEU children was higher than population norms; risk for SIs was not elevated. Risk factors for impairments included male sex, black race and other socioeconomic measures, although these varied by age, primary (P) versus concomitant (C) impairment and by speech or language measure. Adjusted logistic regression models revealed lower and increased risk for specific ARVs. Tenofovir exposure was associated with increased risk for SI at 3 years of age but was associated with decreased risk for concomitant language impairment at 5 years of age. Further investigation of combination ARV exposure and speech/language impairment among preschool children is needed to confirm associations.

Inattentiveness and Language Abilities in Preschoolers: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Growing evidence suggests that early symptoms of inattentiveness may affect the language development and academic success of young children. In the present study, we examined the extent to which profiles of inattentiveness and language could be discerned within a heterogeneous group of preschoolers attending early childhood special education programs (n = 461). Based on parent-reported observations of children's symptoms of inattentiveness and direct assessments of children's language skills (grammar, vocabulary, and narrative ability), three distinct profiles were identified. The three groups, representing levels of severity (at risk, almost average, above average), differed not only by their end of year performance, but also with respect to which their abilities changed over the course of the academic year. Children in the poorest performing profile had poorer mean scores in the spring of their preschool year on all measures, but exhibited patterns of gain that exceeded or equaled their peers in higher-performing groups, in the domains of vocabulary and grammar. Examination of subsequent kindergarten reading skills suggested that profile differences remained consistent. Findings underscore the associations between early symptoms of inattentiveness and language difficulties, and further indicate that these relations extend to the acquisition of early reading skills. Future research is needed to corroborate these findings with more robust measures of attention, and to understand the long-term associations between inattentiveness, language and literacy, and potential effects on these associations from early intervention.

The effects of phonological skills and vocabulary on morphophonological processing.

Morphophonological processing involves the phonological analysis of morphemes. Item-specific phonological characteristics have been shown to influence morphophonological skills in children. This study investigates the relative contributions of broad phonological skills and vocabulary to production and judgement accuracies of the Dutch past tense and diminutive, two morphophonological processes. Typically developing children (age 5;0–10;0, N = 114) were asked to produce and judge real and nonce diminutives and regular past tenses. Phonological processing skills were measured using a phonological awareness, digit span and nonword repetition task; vocabulary using the PPVT. Phonological skills and vocabulary contributed significantly to the production and judgement of the past tense and diminutive. The results underline the relation between phonological skills and the lexicon and the processing of morphophonology. These findings go further than showing the importance of the item-specific phonological context of the stem and suffix: they indicate that more general skills in the domain of phonology and vocabulary are involved.

Identifying the Dimensionality of Oral Language Skills of Children With Typical Development in Preschool Through Fifth Grade.

Language is a multidimensional construct from prior to the beginning of formal schooling to near the end of elementary school. The primary goals of this study were to identify the dimensionality of language and to determine whether this dimensionality was consistent in children with typical language development from preschool through 5th grade. In a large sample of 1,895 children, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with 19-20 measures of language intended to represent 6 factors, including domains of vocabulary and syntax/grammar across modalities of expressive and receptive language, listening comprehension, and vocabulary depth. A 2-factor model with separate, highly correlated vocabulary and syntax factors provided the best fit to the data, and this model of language dimensionality was consistent from preschool through 5th grade. This study found that there are fewer dimensions than are often suggested or represented by the myriad subtests in commonly used standardized tests of language. The identified 2-dimensional (vocabulary and syntax) model of language has significant implications for the conceptualization and measurement of the language skills of children in the age range from preschool to 5th grade, including the study of typical and atypical language development, the study of the developmental and educational influences of language, and classification and intervention in clinical practice. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5154220.

TYPES OF CHILDREN POEM IN DIVAN AL-ATFAL BY SULAIMAN AL-ISA

Children poem is a literary type which has the potential to be versified with other different types. Children poet is aware of child’s interests and mood and sometimes by using easy words and fluent phrases and proportionate to the notion tries to help the child in learning and expanding his vocabulary domain with new words. In this way, poem verses are versified with the aim of teaching notions and categorized under didactic poetry type. Sulaiman al-Issa from Syria is considered among the founders of children poem in Arabic literature. He has a Divan entitled ‘Divan al-Atfal’. The present study with a descriptive-analytic approach attempts to review it with the aim of determining the applied types in his poems. The most important result of the article is the presence of nature poem, didactic poem, and social and entertainment poetry types in Divan al-Atfal.

Non-Native Raters and Native Speech: Other Perspective for the Research on Comprehensibility of Second Language Input

This study examines how specific variables such as age, first language, nationality, school grade and socioeconomic status (SES) affect the comprehensibility of second language (L2) speech in 92 second/non-native language learners. Comprehensibility refers to the degree of speech understanding. Fluency, rhythm, grammatical features and word stressing are concurrent factors for the listening comprehension (and the listener comprehensibility) mainly in L2 context. Research evidence focused the quality and differences of speech samples produced by the L2 learners and the comprehensibility rated by native speakers. In reverse scenario there is less evidence on the judgment of L2 learners for speech samples produced by native speakers. In this study we analysed if the comprehensibility ability of 92 young Portuguese L2 learners differ in the following conditions: age, nationality, home language, school grade, proficiency and socioeconomic status. Speech (one text) was recorded by a native speaker and was judged by L2 speakers using 1-5 Likert scale for comprehension difficulty. Main results showed that neither age nor home language had influence for comprehensibility, but socioeconomic, nationality and grades accounted for statistical differences between the groups tested. Also, data suggested that phonetic features are more likely important for the beginner in second language learning compared to the semantic features of speech that heavily depend on vocabulary domain.

Supporting emergent literacy for English language learners with computer‐assisted instruction

The growing number of students whose primary language does not match the language of their schools and a steadily growing performance gap has prompted widespread attention to support emergent literacy gains for those students. This study randomly assigned schools in a Southwestern U.S. state with English language learners (ELLs) in kindergarten and first grade to an experimental computer‐assisted instruction (CAI) condition or a ‘business as usual’ control. The study tracked ELLs performance over one academic year using a nationally normed standardised reading test. The results demonstrated first‐grade students in the experimental condition demonstrated greater gains compared with the control students in the domains of vocabulary, phonics, phonological awareness and text comprehension. Gains for kindergarten were less consistent; however, the lowest language proficient students using CAI experienced greater gains in vocabulary when compared with controls. Results extend prior studies targeting ELL students' reading skill development with targeted CAI interventions.What is already known about this topic English language learners (ELLs) face additional struggles in gaining literacy proficiency in the early grades. Computer‐assisted instruction (CAI) programs support learning for non‐ELLs, provided the instructional materials target specific literacy needs directly. Efficacy of CAIs (and any instructional program) is dependent upon the match between learner needs, classroom curriculum and programmatic features. What this paper adds Large randomised control trial testing the effects of a CAI on ELL literacy development in kindergarten and first‐grade students. Measures of progressive learner development in critical literacy skills using a nationally normed measure of reading achievement. Explicit attention to the levels of language proficiency intersecting with the use of the CAI to identify interaction effects Implications for theory, policy or practice Computer‐assisted instruction support for second language learners can be effective for targeted literacy gains, provided the program materials support critical literacy needs. Use of CAI may be instrumental to support emergent literacy given the ability to capitalise on the proposed pedagogical interventions for second language learners. Stress the importance of maintaining attention to the existing language skills of second language learners when examining the efficacy of literacy interventions.

Receptive Vocabulary and Cognition of Elderly People in Institutional Care.

Introduction:Basic cognitive functions such as: alertness, working memory, long term memory and perception, as well as higher levels of cognitive functions like: speech and language, decision-making and executive functions are affected by aging processes. Relations between the receptive vocabulary and cognitive functioning, and the manifestation of differences between populations of elderly people based on the primary disease is in the focus of this study.Aim:To examine receptive vocabulary and cognition of elderly people with: verified stroke, dementia, verified stroke and dementia, and without the manifested brain disease.Material and Methods:The sample consisted of 120 participants older than 65 years, living in an institution. A total of 26 variables was analyzed and classified into three groups: case history/anamnestic, receptive vocabulary assessment, and cognitive assessments. The interview with social workers, nurses and caregivers, as well as medical files were used to determine the anamnestic data. A Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) was used for the assessment of cognition. In order to estimate the receptive vocabulary, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test was used.Results:Mean raw score of receptive vocabulary is 161.58 (+–21:58 points). The best results for cognitive assessment subjects achieved on subscales of orientation, naming, serial subtraction, and delayed recall. Discriminative analysis showed the significant difference in the development of receptive vocabulary and cognitive functioning in relation to the primary disease of elderly people. The biggest difference was between subjects without manifested brain disease (centroid = 1.900) and subjects with dementia (centroid = -1754).Conclusion:There is a significant difference between elderly with stroke; dementia; stroke and dementia, and elderly people without manifested disease of the brain in the domain of receptive vocabulary and cognitive functioning. Variables of serial subtraction, standardized test results of receptive vocabulary, delayed recall, abstraction, orientation and vigilance successfully discriminate studied groups.