General Communication Abilities Research Articles

Methods For Increasing English Vocabulary as ESL

Improving English vocabulary competency is critical for effective communication and academic achievement. This article presents a brief yet thorough summary of tried-and-true ways for increasing English vocabulary. The study investigates several ways, such as extensive reading, active listening, using word lists and flashcards, using mnemonic devices, practicing word association techniques, and using internet resources and language-learning applications. The essay emphasizes the impact of context in vocabulary learning as well as the need of frequent practice and tenacity in obtaining significant improvements. Learners may dramatically increase their vocabulary skills by applying these practical approaches, leading to better language competency and general communication abilities in English.

Measuring Emotional Intelligence in First Year Medical Students

Abstract: Background: The term emotional intelligence is being used more often in the medical field and different healthcare-related fields. The evaluation of emotional intelligence is crucial in assessing how well students adjust and perform academically. Neglecting this stage of life can result in psychiatric issues or make them worse, as well as failure in social and academic situations. Objectives: To evaluate first-year medical students' emotional intelligence (EI) and determine how it relates to their social and personal characteristics. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 166 first-year medical students and took place at University College of Medicine and Dentistry between September and December 2022. Ethical approval was obtained from the ERB committee before the study was conducted. A proforma was used to collect social and demographic information, while an emotional quotient self-assessment checklist was used to assess participants' emotional intelligence, rated on a five-point Likert scale. The collected data was then subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Out of 166 students approached in the first year class, 149 (79 females and 70 males) participated in the study with an average age of 19.12 ± 0.69 years. Results showed that 33.6% of the first-year medical students scored below the 20 cutoff in all emotional intelligence domains. Those who reported making a conscious career choice, getting adequate sleep, and engaging in more social and physical activity than average had higher emotional intelligence scores (p=0.05). Additionally, females had significantly higher emotional intelligence scores compared to males (p=0.02). A positive correlation was observed among the various emotional intelligence domains. Conclusion: Good emotional intelligence comprises the capacity to comprehend and regulate emotions, to be empathic, to be emotionally aware, and so on. These traits enhance general communication abilities, which enhance performance in the medical training.

Sexual Knowledge, Experiences, and Pragmatic Language in Adults With and Without Autism: Implications for Sex Education.

Autistic adults have similar levels of desire for sexual and romantic relationships as their non-autistic peers. However, autistic adults are less likely to be in relationships and have less dating experience. We compared sexual knowledge, experiences, and pragmatic language ability in a community sample of young adults with (n = 27, mean age = 22.11) and without autism (n = 122, mean age = 19.47). Receipt of sex education and sexual knowledge did not differ between groups. However, autistic adults had significantly fewer partnered experiences and impaired pragmatic language. Within both groups, pragmatic skill predicted accurate sexual knowledge above and beyond general communication abilities. Findings suggest that sex education for autistic adults must address the social communication component of healthy romantic and sexual relationships.

Agency of Subjects and Eye Movements in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

People with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) show anomalies in language processing with respect to “who is doing what” in an action. This linguistic behavior is suggestive of an atypical representation of the formal concepts of “Agent” in the lexical representation of a verb, i.e., its thematic grid. To test this hypothesis, we administered a silent-reading task with sentences including a semantic violation of the animacy trait of the grammatical subject to 30 people with SSD and 30 healthy control participants (HCs). When the anomalous grammatical subject was the Agent of the event, a significant increase of Gaze Duration was observed in HCs, but not in SSDs. Conversely, when the anomalous subject was a Theme, SSDs displayed an increased probability of go-back movements, unlike HCs. These results are suggestive of a higher tolerability for anomalous Agents in SSD compared to the normal population. The fact that SSD participants did not show a similar tolerability for anomalous Themes rules out the issue of an attention deficit. We suggest that general communication abilities in SSD might benefit from explicit training on deep linguistic structures.

Lexize: A test to quickly assess vocabulary knowledge in Finnish.

Proficiency in a language is strongly related to how well and how many words one knows. Vocabulary knowledge correlates with reading comprehension and general communication ability. Due to the increasing amount of research within the field of psycholinguistics and second language acquisition in Finnish, a standardized test to objectively measure Finnish vocabulary knowledge is called for. Lexize is such a test. It was modeled after LexTALE (Lemhöfer & Broersma, Behaviour Research Methods, 44:325-343, 2012), which was developed to measure vocabulary knowledge of English as a second language using visual lexical decision (VLD). Lexize is a VLD-based online test for Finnish that consists of 102 items. By comparing performance of L1 and L2 speakers of Finnish, Lexize was validated, returning considerable differences between test scores in native and non-native speakers. For non-native speakers there was a large range of test scores, correlating strongly with exposure to Finnish and self-ratings. In native speakers, test scores correlated with self-ratings, Finnish school grades, and age. In this group, higher Lexize scores were associated with a higher education level. We conclude that Lexize is a useful tool to assess Finnish vocabulary knowledge for non-native speakers and to some extent for native speakers. Lexize is available for free use at https://psyk.abo.fi/LexizeWeb/#/.

The Impact of Same-Race Teachers on Student Behavioral Outcomes

Previous papers on the impacts of same-race teachers have documented that students taught by same-race teachers improve their performance on state exams. However, little is known about whether the positive impact extends beyond test scores to student behavioral outcomes. Using the random assignment of teachers to the U.S. public schools within the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project, I show that same-race teachers increase the effectiveness of communications with Black students. I find that this effect is driven by better teacher explanations and consequent improved student understanding, which aligns with the literature about culturally relevant pedagogy. Additionally, I do not find empirical evidence supporting two alternative explanations for the positive effects of a same-race teacher on communication: i) higher general communication ability of Black teachers and ii) more teacher attention directed towards same-race students. Understanding the impacts of same-race teachers is of great importance, as student behavioral outcomes predict their success in the long-term perspective. Further, the findings may also suggest that training non-minority teachers in using culturally relevant pedagogy may improve the performance of disadvantaged minority students in the short-term by complementing diversification of the teacher labor force.

Atypical Sound Perception in ASD Explained by Inter-Trial (In)consistency in EEG.

A relative indifference to the human voice is a characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Yet, studies of voice perception in ASD provided contradictory results: one study described an absence of preferential response to voices in ASD while another reported a larger activation to vocal sounds than environmental sounds, as seen in typically developed (TD) adults. In children with ASD, an absence of preferential response to vocal sounds was attributed to an atypical response to environmental sounds. To have a better understanding of these contradictions, we re-analyzed the data from sixteen children with ASD and sixteen age-matched TD children to evaluate both inter- and intra-subject variability. Intra-subject variability was estimated with a single-trial analysis of electroencephalographic data, through a measure of inter-trial consistency, which is the proportion of trials showing a positive activity in response to vocal and non-vocal sounds. Results demonstrate a larger inter-subject variability in response to non-vocal sounds, driven by a subset of children with ASD (7/16) who do not show the expected negative Tb peak in response to non-vocal sounds around 200 ms after the start of the stimulation due to a reduced inter-trial consistency. A logistic regression model with age and clinical parameters allowed demonstrating that not a single parameter discriminated the subgroups of ASD participants. Yet, the electrophysiologically-based groups differed on a linear combination of parameters. Children with ASD showing a reduced inter-trial consistency were younger and characterized by lower verbal developmental quotient and less attempt to communicate by voice. This data suggests that a lack of specialization for processing social signal may stem from an atypical processing of environmental sounds, linked to the development of general communication abilities. Discrepancy reported in the literature may arise from that heterogeneity and it may be inadequate to divide children with ASD based only on intellectual quotient or language abilities. This analysis could be a useful tool in providing complementary information for the functional diagnostic of ASD and evaluating verbal communication impairment.

ВИКЛАДАННЯ В МЕДИЧНОМУ УНІВЕРСИТЕТІ НА ЗАСАДАХ ЛІДЕРСТВА

Мета роботи – проаналізувати особливості викладання в медичному університеті на засадах лідерства.Основна частина. В еру глобалізації, інтернаціоналізації, розвитку інформаційних технологій відбувається перехід від поверхневого підходу (surface approach) викладання до глибинного (deep approach). Викладання на засадах лідерства спрямоване на розкриття потенціалу кожного, активно залучаючи студентів в освітній процес, надихаючи їх на запитання і пошук відповідей на них. Студент отримує знання через аналіз та синтез інформації, інтегруючи їх із загальними здібностями комунікації, критичного мислення та вирішення проблем, а викладач лише допомагає в цьому.Висновки. Розвиток теорії дистрибутивного лідерства передбачає лідерство усіх співробітників навчального закладу, незалежно від посади, яку вони обіймають, та рівня відповідальності, здійснення впливу на колег, а також на загальний напрям розвитку вишу.Викладач-лідер – це професіонал зі збереженими професійними цінностями і чітко визначеною сферою діяльності. Викладання на засадах лідерства спрямоване на розкриття потенціалу кожного студента та активне їх залучення в освітній процес.

Parent‐Implemented Language Interventions for Children with a Developmental Delay: A Systematic Review

AbstractBackground: Young children with a developmental delay (DD) show significant delays in communication and language development. Although several parent‐implemented language intervention programs have been developed to facilitate the communication and language abilities of children with a DD, no systematic review has examined the effects of these programs. Method: The literature search for this systematic review focused on parent‐implemented early language interventions for children with a DD age 1–5 years. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (search period 1974–2015). Level of evidence (levels I and II) as developed by the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) and study effectiveness were evaluated. Seven intervention studies met the inclusion criteria. Interventions comprised the Hanen Parent Program, Responsive Education/Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching, and Enhanced Milieu Teaching. A substantial proportion of children with a DD also had a diagnosis of Down syndrome (DS). Results: Five of the seven studies reported a significant effect of intervention on parent responsiveness, child communication, and aspects of language interactions (favoring intervention groups over control groups), but no studies reported significant effects of intervention on expressive language vocabulary. Conclusions: Intervention programs aimed at facilitating the communication and language development of children with a DD appear to improve a child's general communication abilities but have limited impact on expressive language development.

Development and Application of a Stepwise Assessment Process for Rational Redesign of Sequential Skills-Based Courses

Objective. To develop and apply a stepwise process to assess achievement of course learning objectives related to advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) preparedness and inform redesign of sequential skills-based courses. Design. Four steps comprised the assessment and redesign process: (1) identify skills critical for APPE preparedness; (2) utilize focus groups and course evaluations to determine student competence in skill performance; (3) apply course mapping to identify course deficits contributing to suboptimal skill performance; and (4) initiate course redesign to target exposed deficits. Assessment. Focus group participants perceived students were least prepared for skills within the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's pre-APPE core domains of Identification and Assessment of Drug-related Problems and General Communication Abilities. Course mapping identified gaps in instruction, performance, and assessment of skills within aforementioned domains. Conclusions. A stepwise process that identified strengths and weaknesses of a course, was used to facilitate structured course redesign. Strengths of the process included input and corroboration from both preceptors and students. Limitations included feedback from a small number of pharmacy preceptors and increased workload on course coordinators.

Patterns of Gesture Use in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of spontaneous gesture use in a sample of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thirty-five adolescents with ASD ages 11 to 16 years participated (mean age = 13.51 years; 29 boys, 6 girls). Participants' spontaneous speech and gestures produced during a narrative task were later coded from videotape. Parents were also asked to complete questionnaires to quantify adolescents' general communication ability and autism severity. No significant subgroup differences were apparent between adolescents who did not gesture versus those who produced at least 1 gesture in general communication ability and autism severity. Subanalyses including only adolescents who produced gesture indicated a statistically significant negative association between gesture rate and general communication ability, specifically speech and syntax subscale scores. Adolescents who gestured produced higher proportions of iconic gestures and used gesture mostly to add information to speech. The findings relate spontaneous gesture use to underlying strengths and weaknesses in adolescents' speech and syntactical language development. More research examining cospeech gesture in fluent speakers with ASD is needed.

Factor structure of the Serbian version of the Children's Communication Checklist-2

Keeping in mind that traditional tests were largely insensitive to pragmatic impairment, Bishop (2003) created a second version of the Children's Communication Checklist (CCC-2) in order to identify pragmatic deficits in children with communication problems. Unfortunately, it was revealed that certain subscales of the Serbian version of the CCC-2 have unacceptably low internal consistency. Because dividing the test into original subscales did not apply for the Serbian population, the aim of this paper was to determine the factor structure of the CCC-2. The sample consisted of 1344 typically developing, monolingual participants of both sexes, aged from 4 to 17 (M = 9.52; SD = 2.72). Participants were recruited from three statistical regions in Serbia. All participants attended regular kindergarten, elementary or secondary schools. CCC-2 factor analysis was determined by using the principal component method, with Varimax rotation of principal axes. A factor analysis showed that the CCC-2 had three factors (General Communication Ability, Pragmatics and Structural Language Aspects), which accounted for 29.39% of the total variance. A three-factor solution should be further confirmed in the course of a clinical validation of the CCC-2.

Tone perception of Cantonese-speaking prelingually hearing-impaired children with cochlear implants

Objective To evaluate tone perception performance in Cantonese-speaking prelingually hearing-impaired children with cochlear implants. Study design and setting The ability to discriminate and identify Cantonese tones was evaluated on 17 native Cantonese-speaking prelingually hearing-impaired children. Performance was correlated to factors like age of implantation and general communication ability. Results Subjects' performance in discrimination and identification tasks was slightly above chance level. Although variations in the contour fundamental frequency of the tones provided some cues for tone discrimination, these distinctions proved insufficient for subjects to perform well. Tone 6 (low level tone) was the most difficult to identify. Subjects' performance did not correlate with gender, age of implantation, duration of implant use, frequency of auditory training session, or general communication ability. Conclusion Although some children were able to discriminate and/or identify Cantonese tones, their performance was poor. Further studies are needed to understand how tone perception relate to daily speech understanding. Significance Cochlear implant speech coding strategies may need modification to optimize tone perception.

Educational Assessment and Management of Children with Multichannel Cochlear Implants

This paper describes the assessment and training program to evaluate speech, language, and communication skills of profoundly deaf children during and after training. Two sensory aids/prostheses are used: hearing aids and the Nucleus multichannel cochlear implant. Using a single-subject time-series experimental design, children's speech, language, and communication skills are assessed. For speech skills, assessment includes formal tests of articulation and intelligibility, syllable stress and process analyses, analyses of suprasegmental features, and voice quality. For general communication abilities, conversational skills with different speakers, story production skills, comprehension and expression of procedural information, discourse skills, and a measure of conversational interaction skills (pragmatics) are analyzed at regular intervals. Regular observations also sample the subjects' mode and frequency of interactions with individuals and groups in the school and home setting. Normative tests and formal analyses of language samples are also used to assess the overall language age of the child, vocabulary size, and kinds of expressive and receptive, syntactic, and semantic ability.