Levels Of Linguistic Proficiency Research Articles

AI Based Speech Analysis Framework

The pioneering AI-Based Speech Analysis Framework presented in this research paper was painstakingly created to help people overcome linguistic obstacles, notably in the context of English language communication. Through a thorough speech analysis, the framework's multimodal approach enables real-time evaluation of emotional state, fluency, stress levels, and even identification recognition. This framework delivers a sophisticated and perceptive interpretation of spoken language by utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence approaches, hence promoting an enhanced and successful communication experience. The study is focused on four significant sub-objectives, each of which advances the main objective of encouraging increased self-awareness and communication: First, by detecting subtly emotional indicators embedded in the voice, the framework transforms emotional assessment. The AI algorithms identify emotional patterns, such as enthusiasm, trepidation, or tranquility. This in-the-moment emotional analysis creates opportunities for tailored communication techniques and a greater understanding of the speaker's feelings. The framework also introduces a novel way for assessing fluency levels using voice analysis. It analyzes various facets of speech, such as pace, intonation, and lexical decisions, giving language learners immediate feedback on their level of linguistic proficiency. This makes it easier to make focused improvements and to move more easily toward effective communication. The framework also discusses the complex relationship between stress and good communication. It measures stress levels through vocal pattern analysis, offering light on instances of heightened tension or anxiety when speaking. Such knowledge enables people to overcome stress-related hurdles and enhance communication. The framework's capacity to accurately identify people based on distinctive voice traits lies at the heart of its innovation. Language limitations are no obstacle to this identity recognition technology, which provides an effective and secure method of identification in a variety of settings. Voice-based identification detection accelerates procedures and promotes inclusion in a variety of settings, including work settings and public services. The development of an AI-Based Speech Analysis Framework that reveals fresh angles in language evaluation and communication improvement is the culmination of this research. It not only encourages self-improvement but also highlights the revolutionary potential of AI in redefining language landscapes and promoting true connections by merging emotional, fluency, stress analysis, and identity identification through voice.

Crowdsourcing ratings for single lexical items

In this study, we investigate theoretical and practical issues connected to differentiating between core and peripheral vocabulary at different levels of linguistic proficiency using statistical approaches combined with crowdsourcing. We also investigate whether crowdsourcing second language learners’ rankings can be used for assigning levels to unseen vocabulary. The study is performed on Swedish single-word items. The four hypotheses we examine are: (1) there is core vocabulary for each proficiency level, but this is only true until CEFR level B2 (upper-intermediate); (2) core vocabulary shows more systematicity in its behavior and usage, whereas peripheral items have more idiosyncratic behavior; (3) given that we have truly core items (aka anchor items) for each level, we can place any new unseen item in relation to the identified core items by using a series of comparative judgment tasks, this way assigning a “target” level for a previously unseen item; and (4) non-experts will perform on par with experts in a comparative judgment setting. The hypotheses have been largely confirmed: In relation to (1) and (2), our results show that there seems to be some systematicity in core vocabulary for early to mid-levels (A1-B1) while we find less systematicity for higher levels (B2-C1). In relation to (3), we suggest crowdsourcing word rankings using comparative judgment with known anchor words as a method to assign a “target” level to unseen words. With regard to (4), we confirm the previous findings that non-experts, in our case language learners, can be effectively used for the linguistic annotation tasks in a comparative judgment setting.

Pedagogical Potential of Online Dictionaries in Metaphor and Idiom Language Instruction

Metaphors are an intrinsic part of thought and language that allow us to construe a cognitive domain in terms of another domain. Metaphors are especially relevant to the study of idioms, inasmuch as idioms are commonly underlain by metaphorical patterns of conceptualization. As figurativeness is a common phenomenon in everyday language, tackling metaphors and idioms effectively in the EFL classroom can enhance students’ metaphoric competence and, consequently, increase their level of linguistic proficiency. This article explores the potential of online dictionaries and the multimodal affordances they bring to the teaching of metaphor and idiom in the language classroom. Dictionary skill descriptors are used to relate task types with idiom and metaphor content in online dictionaries and how it may be used to promote students’ learning of both dictionary skills and metaphoric language understanding. Five dictionary skills descriptors are proposed and illustrated with specific metaphor related tasks that show online dictionary affordances present in six selected online dictionaries. On the whole, this article envisions online dictionaries and their multimodal affordances as a powerful learning tool for steering EFL students through the intricacies of metaphoric language.

Effects of linguistic proficiency on speech act development in L2 Chinese during study abroad

AbstractThis study investigated the effects of different levels of linguistic proficiency on the development of multiple speech acts during study abroad. Participants were 109 American learners of Chinese recruited from a study abroad program in China. They were divided into a higher proficiency (HP) group and a lower proficiency (LP) group based on their scores on a standardized Chinese proficiency test. The participants completed a computerized oral Discourse Completion Test (DCT) that assessed the production of compliment response, refusal, and request as pre- and posttests. The learners’ oral productions were analyzed according to measures of appropriateness rating and speech rate. Linguistic analysis was performed to examine changes in strategy preference and distribution across the three speech acts. Results revealed a complex relationship between proficiency, speech act type, pragmatic performance measure (e.g., appropriateness, speech rate), and ways that pragmatic changes are evaluated (e.g., developmental trajectory, amount of gain).

Variation in syntactic complexity: Introduction

This special issue, focusing on different types of variation in syntactic complexity, offers a critical discussion of the role of variation in syntactic complexity research in SLA. Special attention is paid to inter‐learner variation (i.e., individual developmental trajectories of acquiring syntactic complexity) and to interactions with related constructs, for instance between syntax and morphology, and between syntactic and lexical complexity. The overarching focus of the different contributions is to investigate the possible variation of (syntactic) complexity according to various external factors, such as levels of linguistic proficiency (developmental variation), variation in task modality (i.e., oral, written), task types and genres, and variation in source and target languages (cross‐linguistic variation

A flower blooms in mongat (una flor brota en mongat): An exemplary trilingual program

Schools throughout the world teach in several languages, but few reach the level of linguistic proficiency of Hamelin-Laie International School in Mongat, Barcelona, Spain. This school begins instr...

Assessing spoken-language educational interpreting: Measuring up and measuring right

This article, primarily, presents a critical evaluation of the development and refinement of the assessment instrument used to assess formally the spoken-language educational interpreters at Stellenbosch University (SU). Research on interpreting quality has tended to produce varying perspectives on what quality might entail (cf. Pochhacker 1994, 2001; Kurz 2001; Kalina 2002; Pradas Marcias 2006; Grbic 2008; Moser-Mercer 2008; Alonso Bacigalupe 2013). Consequently, there is no ready-made, universally accepted or applicable mechanism for assessing quality. The need for both an effective assessment instrument and regular assessments at SU is driven by two factors: Firstly, a link exists between the quality of the service provided and the extent to which that service remains sustainable. Plainly put, if the educational interpreting service wishes to remain viable, the quality of the interpreting product needs to be more than merely acceptable. Secondly, and more important, educational interpreters play an integral role in students’ learning experience at SU by relaying the content of lectures. Interpreting quality could potentially have serious ramifications for students, and therefore quality assessment is imperative. Two assessment formats are used within the interpreting service, each with a different focus. The development and refinement of the assessment instrument for formal assessments discussed in this article have been ongoing since 2011. The main aim has been to devise an instrument that could be used to assess spoken-language interpreting in the university classroom. Complicating factors have included the various ways in which communication occurs in the classroom and the different sociocultural backgrounds and levels of linguistic proficiency of users. The secondary focus is on the nascent system of peer assessment. This system and the various incarnations of the peer assessment instrument are discussed. Linkages (and the lack thereof) between the two systems are briefly described.

Communicating science in English: a preliminary exploration into the professional self-perceptions of Australian scientists from language backgrounds other than English

Scientists for whom English is not their first language report disadvantages with academic communication internationally. This case study explores preliminary evidence from non-Anglophone scientists in an Australian research organisation, where English is the first language. While the authors identified similarities with previous research, they found that scientists from non-Anglophone language backgrounds are limited by more than their level of linguistic proficiency in English. Academic science communication may be underpinned by perceptions of identity that are defined by the Anglocentric hegemony in science, which dictates not only how academic science is communicated but also who can communicate it.

Inquiry-based Projects in the Spanish Heritage Language Classroom: Connecting Culture and Community through Research

This study presents the development and implementation of inquiry-based cultural projects in a Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) Program. Four different inquiry-based curricula are described to illustrate how university students in an SHL program advance their knowledge of Spanish while carrying out research to understand Hispanic cultures. First-, second-, and third-year students conducted research utilizing different tools, including the Internet, surveys, interviews, and field data collection. They sought out and analyzed materials related to particular cultural expressions and became familiar with perspectives, products, and practices influencing the development of Hispanic cultures in the Houston area. The scaffolding of these projects from their immediate family context to the broader community allowed students gradually to expand their connection to and appreciation of their home culture while advancing their heritage language skills. By the end of each SHL course, students were able to articulate their research findings in written and oral presentations requiring increasing levels of linguistic proficiency. This study exemplifies a comprehensive approach to heritage language teaching integrating community engagement, cultural perspectives, and literacy, and can serve as a pedagogical model for heritage language programs elsewhere.

The development of lexical complexity in second language acquisition

The development of lexical complexity in second language acquisition has received a considerable amount of attention in applied linguistics research. Many studies have examined the role of lexical diversity, sophistication and density as indicators of L2 proficiency. Few studies, though, have considered the development of lexical complexity from an explicitly cross-linguistic perspective. This article reports on an explorative, cross-linguistic study on the development of lexical diversity, sophistication and density in L2 French and English at four levels of linguistic proficiency. Additionally, the study proposes a number of alternative measures tapping into collocational knowledge and lexical sophistication. The analyses were carried out on a cross-sectional, multilingual corpus of L2 French and English consisting of oral narrative data. The results show a similar development of lexical diversity in L2 French and English, but considerably different developmental tendencies in terms of sophistication and density. The concluding sections discuss possible explanations for these differences and consequences for the measurement of linguistic proficiency.

The effects of different levels of linguistic proficiency on the development of L2 Chinese request production during study abroad

This study examined the effects of different levels of linguistic proficiency on the development of pragmatically appropriate requests in L2 Chinese in a study abroad context. The participants were 31 American learners of Chinese studying in China. Fifteen learners came from intermediate level classes (Intermediate group) and the remaining 16 from advanced level classes (Advanced group). The participants completed a Computerized Oral Discourse Completion Test (CODCT) at the beginning and toward the end of their sojourn. The participants' oral request production was analyzed in terms of appropriateness rating, planning time, and speech rate. The results showed that the Intermediate and Advanced groups made comparable gains in appropriateness rating, that neither group reduced planning time, and that only the Advanced group gained in speech rate. The Intermediate and Advanced groups showed similar patterns of change in their production of alerters, head act forms (i.e., request strategies), internal modification, and external modification.

Spanish proficiency, cultural knowledge, and identity of Mormon returned missionaries

This article examines the linguistic skills, cultural knowledge, and assimilation of students who have completed a Spanish-language mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a population that attains a high level of fluency in a second language. The results of a written survey completed by 103 students who had served Spanish-language missions are described. These students’ linguistic strengths and weaknesses resemble those of heritage language learners, while their motivation and cultural understanding are more similar to those of traditional foreign language students. Although these students lived in the target culture for an extended period of time and many attained a high level of linguistic proficiency, their awareness of cultural issues and ability to articulate them were limited. It seems that certain attributes of the Hispanic culture may have become ingrained in the students’ personalities nonetheless.

Processing Strategies and Problems Encountered in the Use of Dictionaries

PROCESSING STRATEGIES AND PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE USE OF DICTIONARIES ABIGAIL NEUBACH and ANDREW D. COHEN The dictionary is an accepted instructional aid in foreign language teaching. Its use is so widespread that its status is often taken for granted as far as teachers and students are concerned. Its potential as an aid to learning is usually not questioned—both learners and teachers expect the dictionary to solve problems created by unfamiliar vocabulary items that present themselves during the reading process. Teachers' attitudes toward the dictionary tend to be simplistic—e.g., "If you don't understand a certain word, look it up in the dictionary " (see, for example, Scholfield). But what really happens when learners open their dictionaries? There appears to be a lack of fit between expectations and reality concerning dictionary use. The recommendation of teachers to learners to look words up in the dictionary is based on the assumptions that (1) students know how to use a dictionary and (2) the dictionary provides meanings. Students' searches for words in the dictionary are based on the expectation that they will be able to find meanings without too much difficulty and that ideally these meanings will be accompanied by helpful examples of the word used in context.1 Yet students and teachers may be taking too optimistic a position if they think that dictionaries readily provide meanings for foreign words that are unknown or that the learner is unsure of. In other words, the process of getting meaning is not so simple, in that each search requires from the user a given level of linguistic proficiency, experience with dictionaries , prior knowledge, and appropriate search strategies (Scholfield). It is also likely that in preparing the dictionary, the lexicographer assumes that potential users will possess the necessary interpretive skills to use the dictionary effectively— e.g., a lexicographical metalanguage (Gold). In actuality, there appears to be a lack of fit between the presuppositions of dictionary writers and the abilities of the users (Hartmann). Strategies in the Use of Dictionaries Although the gap between users' needs and expectations of the dictionary and what the dictionary can actually offer has been dealt with in the research literature, the actual processing of dictionary entries by users seems to have been given somewhat less attention than it deserves. It appears that certain presuppositions are made in the construction of dictionaries as to how they will be used and that such presuppositions may well be unfounded (Gold). It is important to note that the dictionary probably cannot really help in the case of a completely unknown word and can help only when one wants to check or recall a word that is already somewhat familiar to the user (Miller and Gildea; Ard). Using the dictionary, then, may be frustrating in the initial study of word meaning as the definitions it gives are such that if learners have no conception of the word to begin with, the definition may not help them very much because it may well contain words that are likewise unknown (Gipe). In order better to understand users' apparent lack of efficiency in dictionary use, it is necessary to examine what actually happens to students while they are using dictionaries during reading. The procedure is more complex than it might appear to be. When learners come across an unfamiliar word and consider turning to the dictionary, they go through what amounts to a series of complex cognitive processes, where at every stage they have to make important decisions. First, a decision has to be made whether the meaning can be inferred from context or whether the user needs the dictionary. More competent readers—those who are good at inferring meaning from context—are also likely to be more efficient dictionary users than are slower readers. Hence, higher-proficiency students probably make less use of dictionaries than they might, while lower-proficiency students, who need them more, are not able to use them effectively. Once the reader decides to turn to the dictionary, the subsequent cognitive tasks can be quite demanding. The normal flow of reading is interrupted for finding the word, but the context where it appeared has to be kept in mind. Abigail...