Language Issues Research Articles

Challenges for being self-directed in content and language integrated learning with instructional videos

Self-directed skills are crucial for video-based learning as learners often need to manage their pace, set goals, and engage with content independently. While much research focuses on the effectiveness of design and design principles in facilitating self-directed learning (SDL) in multimedia environments, boundary conditions arise due to the highly individualized and unique nature of each learning trajectory. This paper reports the findings of a case study involving five university students who speak English as an additional language (EAL). It explores the difficulties they faced while learning mathematics with instructional videos and the approaches they used to address these challenges in the context of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). Findings from video-stimulated recall (VSR) and semi-structured interviews reveal that language issues influenced and drove many decisions in their self-directed learning paths. Notably, the challenges of grasping academic language and terminology led participants to spend considerable time and effort on navigating video designs to aid language comprehension and on seeking extra resources to better understand the lectures. However, the lack of timely feedback and expert guidance posed further challenges for these EAL learners in identifying their knowledge gaps, thereby complicating the search for resources appropriate to their language and academic levels.

Language Policy under NEP: 2020 – A Critical Analysis

Education is the backbone of a country. Education also plays vital role to upload national unity. Thus education policy always plays a congruent role in the spread of education in a country. Education policy acts as a basic requirement of a country. Any education policy sets on the analysis of the past. It deals with the need of the present days and also focuses on the possibilities of the future. Like the other countries, India also felt the need of a well- planned education policy to ensure all-round development of our society at large. The new education policy of India enlightens preservation as well as development of all Indian languages but the problem lays in the fact that India being a multilingual and multicultural country will select which particular language as a medium of instruction in the education system. NEP 2020 for the first time harps on introducing mother tongue as a medium of instruction at the primary level. All the relevant aspects of language issues are carefully integrated from paragraphs 4.11 to 4.22 very carefully under the heading ‘Multilingualism’ in NEP 2020. The inclusion of many vernacular languages in educational curriculum will definitely protect endangered languages in India. It will also help the students to be connected with the culture of the nation. Indirectly, this will help our students to increase qualitative creative skills. NEP 2020 has proposed to implement ‘Three-Language-Formula’ to promote multilingualism from the school level. The objective of NEP 2020 is to make the students proficient in different languages and also know the mother tongue to be respectful and knowledgeable about the ancient literature. The objective of this study is to identify the necessity of new education policy (NEP 2020) and its impact on education system of our country for holistic development of the students from primary to higher education. Key Words: Education system, Multilingualism, Multicultural, Holistic Development, Three-Language Formula.

Supporting inclusion in teaching and learning STEM subjects within the DISCO+ project

Aim. The objectives of DISCO+ (Dropout and Inclusion at SChOol) project are two- fold: to implement an inclusive approach and prevent early school leaving in STEM sub- jects. The participating partner institutions apply cooperative engineering to develop units in mathematics and science subjects that can be implemented in different European educational contexts to meet the project objectives. Within the project (WP2) 16 transna- tional groups of pre- and in- service teachers take part in an eTwinning digital training sessions on the notion of school inclusion in Europe, the implementation of the principle of equality between girls and boys, the development of the critical thinking in learning scientific disciplines. Small group discussions refine each participant’s understanding of the issues involved, and the work carried out makes it possible to go beyond the local character of the definitions and to reach a common and shared understanding of the intercultural nuances present in each country. These exchanges will help build links be- tween participants and create a network of European colleagues. The groups’ experience books will serve as a basis for posters, which will be presented in June 2024. These pres- entations can be filmed and contribute to a 5-hour MOOC, which will be developed at a later phase in the project. Methods. By adopting a methodology which includes collectively designing teach- ing-learning sequences in transnational context, the project applies transnational engi- neering. Each partner involved in the creation of one or more teaching-learning sequenc- es must question the conditions of transferability of its point of view, its analyses and its testimonies in different educational contexts. In other words, the intercultural component of sequences designed jointly by partners from different countries should be ensured by addressing socially relevant issues and enriching their treatment with a variety of cul- tural viewpoints. The design of sequences on a transnational scale from this intercultural perspective will also make it possible to deal with the language issue in subjects such as mathematics and science. This methodology intends to develop a common culture on key issues such as sustainable development, inclusion and gender equality and to contribute to the creation of a European citizenship. Results. The activities will result in several deliverables, which include a round ta- ble, dedicated to the notion of school inclusion on a European scale, a four-month long eTwinning digital training in 16 transnational groups (teacher trainees, practioners) dis- cussing and exchanging ideas on inclusion in European education systems, teaching Sci- ence subjects, equality of girls and boys and developing critical thinking. Group experi- ence notebooks will be published as the result of exchanges between students, and will be dissemminated through the realisation of a poster session allowing the mutualisation of the work of the different working (16 transnational) groups. During the implementa- tion of „cooperative engineering” around inclusion and STEM teaching approaches by deconstructing representations of these objects to identify European variables and in- variants, an „online serious game”, and an accompanying guide is to be developed. The production of at least 4 teaching units (one per transnational team), two of which will be in mathematics and two in earth sciences (at least one unit is taught in the mother tongue and another in a CLIL approach) will be filmed and analysed by each “cooperative en- gineering” group on the eTwinning platform. Several activities will be used to produce resources, which in turn will be scripted into am5-hour MOOC training module to be made available on the platform already developed as part of the DICO+ project. Conclusions. In conclusion, the structure of the DISCO+ project will enable it to ad- dress the entire educational community in each country, including pupils, teachers, fu- ture teachers, trainers of trainers and inspectors.

Linguistic discrimination and diversity: the pivotal role of linguistics in the University of Pennsylvania’s writing program

Abstract This paper outlines a unit on linguistics in the curriculum of the writing seminar taken by all undergraduate students at the University of Pennsylvania. The linguistic unit introduces undergraduates to key concepts from linguistic scholarship, and compels students to engage with these language issues in order to advance their consciousness of linguistic inequity and their appreciation of linguistic diversity. Taking our cue from linguists, the unit focuses on the descriptive and contrasts it with the prescriptive approach with which they are typically accustomed. It introduces foundational ideas about language, languaging, and linguistic discrimination through readings and videos. Students write guided reflections in response to the readings and screenings, culminating in a personal narrative and questions they share with their peers on an online discussion board, exploring their own and others’ language use or language attitudes. Upon completion of this unit, many students confirm one of the unit’s learning outcomes by expressing a new awareness of a linguistic climate that they had previously assumed was neutral. Our goal, in part, is to render the campus’s linguistic climate more equitable by advancing students’ consciousness of linguistic inequity and appreciation of the rich diversity of their voices.

How language teachers can go beyond speech etiquette: Adapting L2 Russian coursebooks to improve pragmatic competence

Within the field of RKI – russkij kak inostrannyj ‘Russian as a Foreign Language/L2 Russian’, so far little attention has been paid to teaching pragmatic competence, as the issues of language in context are traditionally covered by the subject rečevoj ėtiket ‘speech etiquette’, leaving pragmatics an underexplored field.The present study aims to analyze whether and to what extent current L2 Russian textbooks introduce topics related to pragmatics and, if so, how the existing material can be adapted to improve explicit instruction of pragmatic competence.The analysis was conducted on two handbooks of Russian rečevoj ėtiket ‘speech etiquette’ for L2 learners and a series of four textbooks designed for L1 Italian learners. Data analysis confirms the global tendency for textbooks to provide scarce to null meta-pragmatic explanations. The coursebooks were then searched for elements related to the speech act of request, and the materials were adapted to fit explicit pragmatic instruction. The material adaptations proposed in the current study are based on previous research on Russian pragmatics and L2 pragmatics and aim to overcome the ethno-nationalistic perspective of speech etiquette toward a more transnational Russophone context. Implications for teacher education are presented.

Language and Social Issue Relationship: Journal and Speeches on the South China Sea Dispute

The paper made use of and deconstructed some of the extracted salient texts and some speeches from published articles which can relate to the language’s relationship with social issues from correspondents criticizing former President Duterte about the South China Sea dispute; on his independent foreign policy and his alleged ruthless anti-criminality campaigns specifically on the war on drugs. The introduction details how the social issues of the Philippines-China dispute on the South China Sea began. In Section 2, some salient extracted texts in subsections 2.7 and 2.8 were deconstructed and analyzed using the combined analytical lenses of the Language of Peace, and Media Content theories. The analysis reveals that the language used in both published articles was predominantly integral to violence such that under the journal there were 83% violent social issues and 17% integral to peace, and under the speeches, 79% % violent social issues and 21% integral to peace with only 21%. On the other hand, as regards PH-China South China Sea disputes, as many as 36% of social issues favored Pro-peace Advocacy or preferred bilateral negotiation in contrast to 64% favoring Pro-Confrontational Advocacy, or legal offensive as with the Hague and with the UNCLOS.

Functional brain alterations in COVID-19 patients using resting-state fMRI: a systematic review.

This study systematically reviews the available evidence on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) related to neurological symptoms and cognitive declines in COVID-19 patients. We followed PRISMA guidelines and looked up the PubMed, and Scopus databases for articles search on COVID-19 patients with neurological impairments, and functional connectivity alteration using rs-fMRI technique. Articles published between January 1, 2020, and May 31, 2024, are included in this study. The Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Prospective and Cross-Sectional Studies from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) was used to assess the quality of papers. A total of 15 articles met the inclusion criteria. The result reveals that the most prevalent neurological impairment associated with COVID-19 was cognitive decline, encompassing issues in attention, memory, processing speed, executive functions, language, and visuospatial ability. The brain connectivity results reveal that two brain areas were functionally altered; the prefrontal cortex and parahippocampus. The functional connectivity mainly increased in the frontal, temporal, and anterior piriform cortex, and reduced in the cerebellum, superior orbitofrontal cortex, and middle temporal gyrus, which also correlated with cognitive decline. The findings of neurological symptoms indicate one study reported a Disorder of Consciousness (DoC), and four studies reported COVID-19 patients with olfactory dysfunction. The present study concludes that COVID-19 can alter brain functional connectivity and offers significant insight into how COVID-19 affects the neuronal foundation of cognitive decline and other neurological impairments.

Why can’t artificial language contain the truth? A focus on Foucault’s and Heidegger’s discussions

This article seeks to argue that although AI language has developed to the level where it can answer human questions, AI language cannot yet contain the truth. In the AI era, humans who speak their minds will no longer express their thoughts directly in words and will depend more on AI’s artificial language. However, it is only a question for now whether AI will be able to substitute for human speech and whether such a fact will contribute to the expansion of human thinking and the state of being. Accordingly, in this paper, we try to identify the limitations of artificial intelligence language by precisely clarifying the meaning of human language and discourse. Foucault and Heidegger’s discussion of discourse deals with issues of language, subject, existence, and authentic discourse. We use their discussions as a tool to illuminate our own perspectives. Therefore, we will re-analyze the language produced in the AI environment in relation to the issue of truth.

Issues of Repression, Language and Female Subjectivity in Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour: A Psychoanalytic Feminist Perspective

Issues of Repression, Language and Female Subjectivity in Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour: A Psychoanalytic Feminist Perspective

Barriers to Communication in Undergraduate Medical Education: Perspectives of Students From Karnataka, India.

Background Communication barriers in medical education can impede learning. Understanding these barriers from students' perspectives is crucial for developing effective solutions. The objectives of this study were to identify the barriers to communication in undergraduate medical education and their solutions from students' perspectives as well as to determine the demographic factors associated with these barriers. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2018 to July 2019 among undergraduate students at a medical college in Karnataka. Using a stratified sampling method, data was collected from 400 students via a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between demographic factors and barriers to communication. Results Students identified several communication barriers, primarily in the domains of language, environment, psychology, and teacher-related issues. Key barriers in theory classes included the use of medical jargon, overcrowding, faulty microphones, absent-mindedness, peer pressure, fast-paced teaching, monotonous sessions, and information overload. In practical classes, barriers were overcrowding, absent-mindedness, and fast-paced teaching, and for clinical case discussions, barriers included difficulty understanding the local language, overcrowding, and leg pain. Proposed solutions by students for theory classes included simpler explanations, smaller batches, microphone maintenance, interactive lectures, and breaks between classes. For practical classes, solutions were smaller practical batches, interactive sessions, and simpler explanations of topics, while for case discussion, solutions included optional local language classes, smaller groups, and better seating arrangements. Conclusion This study highlights key communication barriers in medical education and underscores the influence of demographic factors such as gender and academic year. The solutions proposed by the students are practical and could enhance communication and the overall educational experience if implemented in medical colleges across India.

한국 코미디 프로그램 속 다문화 가정의 고정관념 분석 - ‘외국인 며느리 니퉁의 인간 극장’을 중심으로

This study analyzes the stereotypes of multicultural families presented in the Korean comedy program ‘Foreign Daughter-in-Law Nitong’s Human Theater’. To achieve this, six episodes were transcribed, and the interactions and behaviors of the characters were examined to collect and categorize the stereotypes. The analysis revealed that the frequency of speech by the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law Nitong was the highest, reflecting the authoritative position of the mother-in-law and the subordinate role of Nitong. In contrast, the husband's speech frequency was relatively low, indicating his role as a mediator in conflict situations and his lack of direct involvement in household affairs. The analysis of stereotype types identified those related to household labor, family roles, cultural elements, language issues, and appearance and age. Household labor stereotypes were reproduced through the mother-in-law's instructions and Nitong's compliance, emphasizing traditional patriarchal roles, the mother-in-law's authority, and the daughter-in-law's subordinate role. Additionally, cultural elements such as food culture, lifestyle differences, and language issues were found to be sources of conflict, with misunderstandings, conflicts, and pronunciation issues being major factors. Stereotypes related to appearance and age, including evaluations and derogations, were also present. This study elucidates how media forms and reinforces stereotypes about multicultural families, providing valuable insights into the discrimination and inequality faced by multicultural family members in society. It underscores the importance of multicultural education and media literacy, suggesting the need for viewers to critically engage with media. Ultimately, the study contributes to enhancing social inclusivity and respect for diverse cultural backgrounds.

Challenges and Barriers in Accessing Financial Aid for Low-Income Minority Students in the United States

This paper presents a critical analysis of some of the major barriers that low income minority students in the United States encounter in their quest for scholarships. Higher education has emerged as a critical factor for social and economic mobility and stability in the last few decades. Financial aid has really played a crucial role in enabling low-income and minority students to study at institutions of higher learning. But there are so many factors that may limit such kinds of students from accessing such help. Some of the concerns highlighted are; the process of applying for a grant is complex, there is inadequate guidance and support, and the grant system is impartial. This is especially a problem for students who do not understand the financial terms or those who have language issues. While some schools provide financial aid workshops and counseling services, there is a lack of their availability and the quality of the services provided, thus making students desperate for the assistance they require. Hence, using data from online self-completed questionnaires and interviews and conducting a review of secondary data, this research work mainly aims to identify these challenges and then propose solutions.

Circum-Atlantic and global linguistic flows: Language through time and space

ABSTRACT The current volume explores the geopolitical dimensions of circum-Atlantic and global linguistic flows. This introduction establishes why it is important to understand language within its historical and geospatial contexts, pointing to the many ways in which human communication shapes, and is shaped by, the physical and symbolic movements of individuals and institutions. This volume aims to contribute to sustained interest in linguistic flows while also providing a space to explore various interdisciplinary approaches to human communication. While part of the purpose is to complement ongoing developments in the study of the language and culture of globalization with a focus on linguistic flows as a frame of reference, this volume simultaneously represents an attempt to foreground questions of human communication, particularly transnational, transcultural, and translingual issues of language, within and across diverse geopolitical contexts including, but not limited to, the circum-Atlantic world.

The Auxiliary Role of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Mitigating the Linguistic, Psychological, and Educational Challenges of Teaching and Learning Chinese Language by non-Chinese Students

Learners might have several challenges while attempting to learn a second/foreign language. Learners of Chinese face linguistic, psychological, and educational challenges. The integration of technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), into teaching foreign languages is a blessing for teachers and learners. This study delved into the auxiliary role of AI-powered applications in mitigating the linguistic, psychological, and educational challenges which non-Chinese learners face while learning Chinese/Mandarin language. Qualitative research was employed, and 20 teachers of Chinese language were selected through theoretical sampling. In-depth interviews were used for collecting data, and MAXQDA was used for thematic analysis. Findings revealed that AI-powered educational applications are useful for helping language learners overcome the commonly reported linguistic, psychological, and educational challenges which non-Chinese learners and teachers of Mandarin might encounter. Findings verify the effectiveness of AI-powered applications, such as ChatGPT, Poe, Brainly, and so forth, in helping teachers and learners of Chinese language learn grammar, structure, idioms, and cultural issues of Chinese language. Findings have implications for foreign language (Chinese) learners and teachers, educational technologists, as well as syllabus designers.

Research Priorities for Childhood Apraxia of Speech: A Long View.

This article introduces the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research Special Issue: Selected Papers From the 2022 Apraxia Kids Research Symposium. The field of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) has developed significantly in the past 15 years, with key improvements in understanding of basic biology including genetics, neuroscience, and computational modelling; development of diagnostic tools and methods; diversity of evidence-based interventions with increasingly rigorous experimental designs; and understanding of impacts beyond impairment-level measures. Papers in this special issue not only review and synthesize the some of the substantial progress to date but also present novel findings addressing critical research gaps and adding to the overall body of knowledge. A second aim of this prologue is to report the current research needs in CAS, which arose from symposium discussions involving researchers, clinicians, and Apraxia Kids community members (including parents of children with CAS). Four primary areas of need emerged from discussions at the symposium. These were: (a) What questions should we ask? (b) Who should be in the research? (c) How do we conduct the research? and (d) How do we move from research to practice? Across themes, symposium attendees emphasized the need for CAS research to better account for the diversity of people with CAS and improve the timeliness of implementation of high-level evidence-based practice across the lifespan. It is our goal that the articles and prologue discussion in this special issue provide an appreciation of advancements in CAS research and an updated view of the most pressing needs for future research.

Macro-structures framing language policy in Morocco: Which discourse? Whose discourse?

Today, the power of discourse is incontestable. Within the field of language policy and planning (LPP), language policy (LP) has been conceptualized in various ways. One paradigm-shifting conceptualization is viewing LP as discourse. The discursive power of language policies is quite real as it can be contested in official state discourses about language and language-related issues. This paper employs corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis to examine the macro-discourses of crisis, quality, equity, equality, and change in Morocco’s language policy. The study scrutinizes these discourses and explores their “manipulative” use in official policy texts. It contends that these macro-discourses are strategically used to rationalize the spread and strengthening of foreign languages to the detriment of national ones. Specifically, the analysis shows that crisis discourse serves as a powerful strategy to legitimize change and create a sense of urgency that often sidelines crucial questions about the nature and beneficiaries of the proposed changes. Furthermore, the discourse of quality ties educational “quality” to the mastery of foreign languages. Likewise, renovation and modernization discourses are found to align systematically with the promotion of these languages. Also, the rhetoric of equity in language-in-education policy appears to justify biased decisions that favour foreign language instruction, risking the perpetuation and exacerbation of existing educational inequities. Consequently, this study implies that more attention should be paid to the intricate dynamics of language policy, especially its discursive power, which could potentially amplify disparities in education systems instead of eliminating them.

Local Dynamics of Intersectional Stigma for Black LGBTQ People in Montreal, Quebec

ABSTRACT Much academic literature on intersectional stigma is limited by a focus on relatively static and “universal” identity traits, such as ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. This paper addresses local dynamics of intersectional stigma for Black LGBTQ people in Montreal, QC, Canada. Findings draw from fourteen semi-structured, virtual interviews with key informants providing critical services to Black LGBTQ people living in Montreal. Findings suggest intersectional stigmatization via social identity and local power dynamics converge. Specifically, language and immigration are two domains determining intersectional stigma challenges and ameliorative opportunities for Black LGBTQ people in the city. Specific immigration-related challenges included (1) insecurity (e.g. concerning Canadian residency), (2) barriers to resource access (e.g. social and legal services), and (3) stressful identity challenges. Specific language issues included (1) Francophone limitations for expressing gender and sexual diversity and (2) exclusionary linguistic divisions (i.e. Franco/Anglo, Franco/non-Franco, and Western/non-Western). Local, place-based power inequities may determine black LGBTQ experiences of intersectional stigma.

Characterization of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction cases: Association between specific dispatcher-assigned dispatch determinant codes and hospital-confirmed STEMI cases in Qatar

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is an Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) with the greatest risk of death and disability. Getting diagnosed patients rapid definitive treatment at the correct facility is crucial in improving their outcome. Using a Question-and-Answer algorithm (Mobile Priority Dispatch System (MPDS®)), trained Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMDs) can help identifying STEMI at the time of dispatch. This can assist Emergency Medical Services (EMS) pre-planning transport to potential STEMI-receiving hospitals. The study aimed to determine whether hospital-confirmed STEMI cases transported by ambulance are associated with certain dispatch determinant codes and identify the treatments performed. METHODS The retrospective study analyzed deidentified dispatch and hospital data of STEMI patients who were transported by Qatar’s Ambulance Service between January 2018 and May 2021. Data analysis compared patient demographics with dispatch measures, considering chief complaint and determinant codes, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) treatment received. RESULTS A total of 3,724 STEMI cases with MPDS® dispatch codes were retrieved. After excluding patient transfer and pandemic-related cases, a final sample of 2,607 cases was analyzed. Most STEMI patients (86.0%) were classified as high priority levels at dispatch, had chest pain as chief complaint (62.9%), and were male (90.8%). Approximately, 99.0% of the STEMI patients received PCI treatment. Distributions of STEMI cases and PCI treatment did not significantly differ by patient demographics and dispatch measures. CONCLUSIONS Qatar’s STEMI patients are more likely to be male and to receive adequate acute care irrespective of any demographic factor and despite potential language issues. This study highlights that the chief complaint may be described or interpreted differently when the questioning language is not their mother tongue, or when there is a language barrier between the caller, call taker, or when using the MPDS® protocols language or when self-translating questions instantly in another language. Therefore, EMDs should be made aware of the language differences and be encouraged to further clarify the chief complaint when appropriate. There may be a need for potential refinements of the MPDS® questioning algorithm and EMD training with AMI symptoms reinforcement. This could help improve their early identification of STEMI cases with non-classic chest pain symptoms.

:Language Issues in Comparative Education II: Policy and Practice in Multilingual Education Based on Non-dominant Languages

:<i>Language Issues in Comparative Education II: Policy and Practice in Multilingual Education Based on Non-dominant Languages</i>

Київська лінгвістична славістика першої чверті ХХІ ст.: загальний огляд

Ahead of the 17th International Congress of Slavists in Paris in 2025, this article offers a general overview of the directions of scientific research in the first quarter of the 21st century by linguists-slavists of Kyiv, where leading academic and university Slavic centers are concentrated. From the perspective of terminology, linguistic Slavistics includes studies of the languages of Western and Southern Slavs, both separately and in a comparative plan, as well as against the broad background of Slavic linguistics. A brief overview of key works, mainly monographic, lexicographic, and linguistic didactic, is proposed. It is noted that linguists-slavists continue to research Slavic languages in comparative-historical, taxonomic, and communicative-functional paradigms, developing the ideas of leading Ukrainian Slavists of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st century — O. S. Melnychuk, V. M. Rusanivskyi, V. G. Sklyarenko, G. P. Pivtorak, O. B. Tkachenko, T. B. Lukinova, A. P. Nepokupny and others. The works of scholars are dedicated to theoretical and practical problems of semantics, etymology, dialectology, onomastics, ethnolinguistics, etc. Among the latest directions within which current issues of Western and Southern Slavic languages are researched are studies in linguocognitology, linguistic pragmatics, and linguofuturology. Attention is drawn to the prospects of Ukrainian linguistic Slavistics, which at the present stage is the work of enthusiasts devoted to their domain. The problem, among other things, is related to the training of personnel in universities, where study hours in the main linguistic and literary disciplines are reduced, interest in postgraduate studies diminishes, and economic difficulties have a negative impact.