Linguistic Dimensions Research Articles

Bicultural bilinguals: Juggling languages, shifting ‘personalities’, destroying barriers

Purpose and research questions: Despite the amount of existing work about bilingualism and some interesting studies about biculturalism, research somehow lacks interest in considering these two aspects as one big reality, bicultural bilingualism. The aim of this article is to bridge the gap between the linguistic and the cultural components that build bicultural bilinguals and to show the importance of taking into account these two components together to have a complete understanding of the mechanisms that underlie bicultural bilinguals. Key concepts such as the Foreign Language Effect and Bicultural Identity Integration are explored to highlight how language and culture interplay in shaping identity and behaviour. Methodology: By examining the literature on language-dependent frame-switching and the integration of cultural identities, this article highlights the unique characteristics of bicultural bilinguals that differentiate them from both monocultural bilinguals and monolingual biculturalsFindings and conclusions: Bicultural bilinguals are not merely the aggregation of different languages and different cultures. They possess a unique identity that sets them apart from monocultural bilinguals and monolingual biculturals. Significance:This article is among the first to analyse bicultural bilingualism as a unified phenomenon, emphasizing the need to consider both linguistic and cultural dimensions. The findings of this analysis have broader implications for psychology, sociolinguistics, and cultural studies.

Research on Publicity Translation of International Sports Events Based on Eco-Translatology—A Case Study of Hangzhou Asian Games

The paper takes the perspective of Eco-translatology and focuses on the translation of publicity materials in international sports events. The official website of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou was selected as the research object and “three-dimensional transformations” were adopted as the research methods. The study analyses the causes of the strategies used in the translation and provides corresponding translation methods such as combination, transliteration, recreation and omission based on the linguistic, cultural and communicative dimensions. The research aims to provide references and reflections for the future publicity translation of international sports events when telling Chinese stories and promoting Chinese culture going abroad.

LANGUAGE OF A BARRIER-FREE SOCIETY: THE EXPERIENCE OF UKRAINE

The purpose of this article is to provide a better scientific understanding of a “barrier-free language”, the concept of which has been developed by Ukrainian politicians, public figures and journalists, and to interpret it as a linguistic phenomenon. The subject of scientific interest is the handbook and the dictionary of the barrier-free language introduced in Ukraine as a part of the strategy for the formation of a barrier-free society, and its object is the suggested linguistic means of implementing the principles of the barrier-free language and argumentation of their expediency. The compilation of the dictionary of the barrier-free language and the suggested changes in nomination demonstrate a number of important developments: overcoming depersonalisation, rethinking the role of linguistic means that were previously unconditionally perceived as acceptable and desirable (in particular, euphemisms) in communication, understanding affixal derivatives not only in linguistic dimension in terms of word-forming meaning, but also taking into account their social connotations fixed by usage, raising the issue of objectification of a person's sexual and gender identity in the Ukrainian language, etc. In a broader sense, it demonstrates changes in perception of language as a social phenomenon that not only serves the communicative needs of society but also affects the way people live in it, and the gradual formation of a type of speaker who understands freedom of expression as inseparable from the responsibility to respect the rights and guarantee the freedom of others.

Where are Emotions in Text?

Natural language processing (NLP) boasts a vibrant tradition of emotion studies, unified by the aim of developing systems that generate and recognize emotions in language. The computational approximation of these two capabilities, however, still faces fundamental challenges, as there is no consensus on how emotions should be processed, particularly in text: application-driven works often lose sight of foundational theories that describe how humans communicate what they feel, resulting in conflicting premises about the type of data best suited for modeling and whether this modeling should focus on textual meaning or style. My thesis fills in these theoretical gaps that hinder the creation of emotion-aware systems, demonstrating that a trans-disciplinary approach to emotions, which accounts for their extra-linguistic characteristics, has the potential to improve their computational processing. I investigate the human ability to detect emotions in written productions, and explore the linguistic dimensions that contribute to the emergence of emotions through text. In doing so, I clarify the possibilities and limits of automatic emotion classifiers and generators, also providing insights into where systems should model affective information.

Linguistic variation in mediated diplomatic communication: a full multi-dimensional analysis of interpreted language in Chinese Regular Press Conferences

The integration of corpus linguistics within translation studies has revolutionised our understanding of mediated language. This study endeavours to advance this burgeoning field by employing a full multi-dimensional analysis to investigate linguistic variation in interpreted language within the specialised context of diplomatic discourse. Specifically, the research examines the co-occurring patterns of linguistic features in interpreted diplomatic language vis-à-vis its non-interpreted counterpart. Employing a multivariate statistical technique, this investigation conducted a factor analysis of 113 linguistic variables, yielding five distinct linguistic dimensions: (1) Involved vs. Informational Production, (2) Objective vs. Addressee-focused Narration, (3) Literate-Oral Continuum, (4) Information Elaboration, and (5) Narrative vs. Non-narrative Concerns. The resulting patterns demonstrate that interpreted diplomatic language tends to be more informative, objective, less elaborated, non-narrative, and aligns more closely with formal registers compared to its non-interpreted counterpart, although both navigate the literate-oral continuum. This study delineates the prevailing co-occurrence patterns in interpreted and non-interpreted diplomatic languages and seeks to elucidate the potential factors shaping these linguistic variations by situating these patterns within the context of diplomatic communication. In doing so, it contributes to a nuanced understanding of how specialised contexts influence mediated language use. The findings have significant implications for corpus-based interpreting studies, shedding light on the multi-dimensional nature of interpreted language and informing the development of targeted pedagogical approaches for diplomatic interpreter training.

MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF THE IRAQI KURDISTAN REGION DURING THE REFERENDUM: A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS

This study conducted a linguistic analysis of the media representation of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region during the Kurdistan Referendum on September 25, 2017. The research aimed to bridge two methodologies: corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis. By examining how the media portrayed the Iraqi Kurdistan Region during the referendum, this study shed light on the linguistic dimensions of media coverage and the issues surrounding the referendum. Data were collected from six different news sites worldwide and analysed using corpus tools through AntConc. The findings showed that Western media outlets in the United Kingdom and the United States, including BBC News, CNN, Fox News, and Sky News, represented the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Referendum negatively. In contrast, Rudaw, a local media channel in Iraqs Kurdistan Region, provided a completely positive portrayal, while Al Jazeera maintained an unbiased attitude.

Author’s Identity and Translator’s Identity: A Clash of Positions and Creative Synthesis

This article addresses the issues of artistic translation. It evaluates the potential for mutual collaboration between the author and the translator, as well as the conflicts that may arise between them. Various types of artistic translation are analyzed. It is noted that in traditional translation, the creative individuality of the translator is manifested where the author's identity is diminished, resulting in a greater reflection of the translator’s own experiences. This approach inevitably leads to deviations in translation, discrepancies in worldview orientations, and clashes between two idiolects. In works co-created by the original author and the translator, the linguistic and cultural specifics of the translation actors are taken into account, including the recipient as a full-fledged participant in intercultural communication. In self-translation, the clash of the author’s and translator’s mindsets is unavoidable when the socio-cultural realities reflected in the texts of different languages do not align. An authentic text emerges with its own historical, cultural, and literary context. The creator of the text thinks across different linguistic and cultural dimensions, striving to produce a complete work in another language, which consequently transforms not only the plot-compositional structure of the original but also its genre characteristics, ultimately leading to a loss of the writer’s unique artistic style.

The big global issues: Applied linguists and transdisciplinarity beyond SLA

AbstractIn an age of persistent existential crises, governments and wider society are demanding from academia tangible contributions toward tackling the “big” contemporary issues, including climate change, demographic collapse, social instability, and the risks of escalating global conflict. Since all such problems involve a linguistic dimension, applied linguists are increasingly repurposing their research skills to achieve impact in such domains, far beyond the traditional scope of their core discipline. This paper discusses doing so within the distinctive framework of the Zurich approach to transdisciplinarity. Core features of the Zurich approach are sketched, and a case is made for applied linguists working alongside scientists, engineers, lawyers, and others in transdisciplinary teams focused on wicked problems.

Constructing a Large Language Model to Generate Impressions from Findings in Radiology Reports.

Background The specialization and complexity of radiology makes the automatic generation of radiologic impressions (ie, a diagnosis with differential diagnosis and management recommendations) challenging. Purpose To develop a large language model (LLM) that generates impressions based on imaging findings and to evaluate its performance in professional and linguistic dimensions. Materials and Methods Six radiologists recorded imaging examination findings from August 2 to 31, 2023, at Shanghai General Hospital and used the developed LLM before routinely writing report impressions for multiple radiologic modalities (CT, MRI, radiography, mammography) and anatomic sites (cranium and face, neck, chest, upper abdomen, lower abdomen, vessels, bone and joint, spine, breast), making necessary corrections and completing the radiologic impression. A subset was defined to investigate cases where the LLM-generated impressions differed from the final radiologist impressions by excluding identical and highly similar cases. An expert panel scored the LLM-generated impressions on a five-point Likert scale (5 = strongly agree) based on scientific terminology, coherence, specific diagnosis, differential diagnosis, management recommendations, correctness, comprehensiveness, harmlessness, and lack of bias. Results In this retrospective study, an LLM was pretrained using 20 GB of medical and general-purpose text data. The fine-tuning data set comprised 1.5 GB of data, including 800 radiology reports with paired instructions (describing the output task in natural language) and outputs. Test set 2 included data from 3988 patients (median age, 56 years [IQR, 40-68 years]; 2159 male). The median recall, precision, and F1 score of LLM-generated impressions were 0.775 (IQR, 0.56-1), 0.84 (IQR, 0.611-1), and 0.772 (IQR, 0.578-0.957), respectively, using the final impressions as the reference standard. In a subset of 1014 patients (median age, 57 years [IQR, 42-69 years]; 528 male), the overall median expert panel score for LLM-generated impressions was 5 (IQR, 5-5), ranging from 4 (IQR, 3-5) to 5 (IQR, 5-5). Conclusion The developed LLM generated radiologic impressions that were professionally and linguistically appropriate for a full spectrum of radiology examinations. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Can Pain Be Understood by Words? A Literature Review of Pain-Language Association

This review systematically explores the complicated interplay between pain and language, including nociceptive pain and empathic pain. While previous study focusing on physiological aspects of pain, this paper addressed how linguistics influence pain communication and perception. The finding reveals that language can influence bother subjective pain and the pain when we observe others. It is notable that the use of specific pain descriptors and metaphors significantly impacts individuals' pain perception and linguistic context can influence peoples nociceptive pain experience. For empathic pain, there are similar brain activations when communicating with people who are suffering from pain. Besides, there is evidence that communication and interactions can benefit painful patients and reduce pain. To conclude, this paper empathizes the vital role language plays in individuals own pain experience and feeling others pain. Future studies should aim to have standardized tools and frameworks for studying the linguistic aspect of pain, especially in the social inter-brain context, which is vital for understanding and communicating pain. Addressing the linguistic dimension of pain can help with pain assessment and management, leading to better patient care.

Linguistics for Translators

What makes a translator truly exceptional? Is it their grasp of both source and target languages, or perhaps their sensitivity to cultural nuances? Linguistics for Translators by Ali Almanna and Juliane House delves into these questions with the ambition to bridge the gap between linguistic theory and translation practice. This ambitious textbook does not just present linguistic concepts but intricately weaves them into the fabric of translation studies, making it an indispensable resource “for a diverse audience, including students of translation and linguistics, practising translators, and readers from neighbouring disciplines who are interested in the subject” (Alamnaa and House, 2024, p.4). Almanna and House (2024) begin with a captivating premise: understanding the intricate mechanisms of language is fundamental for any translator. They set the stage by discussing why linguistic knowledge is crucial, not just as an academic exercise, but as a practical toolkit for enhancing translation quality. “Our aim with Linguistics for Translators is to emphasize that the linguistic dimension of translation cannot be overlooked,” Almanna and House (p.1) assert, highlighting the book’s relevance from the outset. This approach aligns with the views of Hatim and Munday (2004), who also emphasize the significance of linguistic competence in translation. The book’s twelve chapters cover a broad spectrum of linguistic areas, each crucial for the aspiring translator. Each chapter is meticulously designed to build on the previous one, from the basics of phonetics and phonology to the complexities of cognitive linguistics. The authors provide an engaging overview of linguistics, linking it directly to translation through practical exercises and discussion points. They introduce linguistic universals and translation universals, sparking curiosity about their application in real-world translation. This discussion echoes the foundational work of Catford (1965), who first articulated the need for linguistic theory in translation.

Contrasting Linguistic Patterns in Human and LLM-Generated News Text

We conduct a quantitative analysis contrasting human-written English news text with comparable large language model (LLM) output from six different LLMs that cover three different families and four sizes in total. Our analysis spans several measurable linguistic dimensions, including morphological, syntactic, psychometric, and sociolinguistic aspects. The results reveal various measurable differences between human and AI-generated texts. Human texts exhibit more scattered sentence length distributions, more variety of vocabulary, a distinct use of dependency and constituent types, shorter constituents, and more optimized dependency distances. Humans tend to exhibit stronger negative emotions (such as fear and disgust) and less joy compared to text generated by LLMs, with the toxicity of these models increasing as their size grows. LLM outputs use more numbers, symbols and auxiliaries (suggesting objective language) than human texts, as well as more pronouns. The sexist bias prevalent in human text is also expressed by LLMs, and even magnified in all of them but one. Differences between LLMs and humans are larger than between LLMs.

Non-native English-speaking (NNES) students’ English academic writing experiences in higher education: A meta-ethnographic qualitative synthesis

This meta-ethnography synthesises 26 qualitative studies published since 2000 to explore factors shaping NNES students' English academic writing experiences in higher education. The findings reveal that students' writing experiences are significantly influenced by their prior educational backgrounds, current learning contexts, self-perceived writing capabilities, and the strategies they employ to navigate various writing challenges, including a lack of preparedness, insufficient institutional support, and inadequate academic and linguistic competence. The findings also indicate that students' adaptive strategies, such as the use of cognitive, meta-cognitive, and social strategies, play a crucial role in mitigating academic writing deficiencies. The findings underscore the need for higher education institutions to implement more responsive and inclusive support systems that address the cognitive, linguistic, and affective dimensions of students' academic writing endeavours. Drawing upon the findings, a conceptual framework is developed, providing a holistic view of factors mediating students' writing experiences and offering theoretical and practical implications for enhancing educational practices and policies to better support these students’ academic endeavours.

Writing in the Desert: Francis Ponge, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Ecological Critique

Speaking to a small audience in Brussels in 1947, Francis Ponge described his poetic practice as “writing in the desert.” This paper examines Ponge’s notion of “writing in the desert” as it pertains to his 1942 collection Le Parti pris des choses, focusing on the ecological critique embedded within a seemingly dry discussion of things, particularly his discussion of the pebble. In turning to the mundane and the quotidian, more specifically by writing about humble objects such as the pebble, Ponge challenges us to not only reconsider our relationship to the natural world, but to recognize the linguistic dimension which undergirds our conception of any such relationship. This analysis examines the challenge presented by Ponge’s pebble in relation to a more famous literary pebble, that of Antoine Roquentin in Jean-Paul Sartre’s novel La Nausée. While the pebble in Sartre provokes a metaphysical disturbance, this paper argues that the pebble in Ponge presents an urgent ecological critique, a critique concerned with poetic expression as such.

ANALISIS CERITA “KITTY DAN KOMPETISI LAMPION” SEBAGAI ALTERNATIF BAHAN AJAR MEMBACA SASTRA DI SD

Literature learning is less interested by elementary school students. One of the reasons is that teaching materials are less attractive to students because they only used textbooks provided by the government. This research aims to describe the children’s story “Kitty dan Kompetisi Lampion” as an alternative literature reading teaching material in elementary school. This research used a qualitative approach with content analysis methods. Data comes from the children’s story book “Kitty dan Kompetisi Lampion” by Paula Harisson. Data was collected through documentation studies. Researchers as a human instrument. The data analysis technique uses data collection, data reduction, and drawing conclusions. The results of the research foound that the children’s story “Kitty dan Kompetisi Lampion” by Paula Harisson has both intrinsic such as theme, storyline, background or setting, characterization, messages, point of view, conflict; and extrinsic story elements consisting of the values of the story and the author’s background. Kitty’s personality structure consists of the id which is realized through the process of imagining and shown through feelings; the ego which is shown in reasoning; and the superego through action, words and advice which reflects society’s moral values. The story “Kitty dan Kompetisi Lampion” is eligibility criteria for teaching materials in terms of language, psychology, and cultural background. The linguistic dimension shows that this book is suitable for high class students. From a psychological dimension, this story book develops character values for its readers which are present in an interesting way. From the cultural background dimension, the culture shown in this book is appropriate with Indonesian culture.

A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Ideological Identity Endorsed on the University's Homepages

Whilst a plethora of research has taken into account the exertion of website homepages as a conduit for effectively conveying information, it is acknowledged that the matter of ideological values and how these ideals are manifested through such digital communication media has been somewhat overlooked. Thus, the research at hand attempts to go over how the university advertises its ideological construal on its homepages by way of the adoption of multiple modes, involving both linguistic and aesthetic dimensions, and video. In this investigation, multimodal approaches encapsulated by Kress (2010) and Pauwels (2012) were employed to address the ideological values through visual components on the university homepages. Drawing from the attainable data, the university's homepage is crafted utilizing two fundamental categories of semiotic methods such as a combination of visual and textual elements, as well as video to reinforce the aesthetic, nevertheless, it neglects to incorporate any semiotic resource that places particular emphasis on visual components. The strategic utilization of diverse multiple modalities of communication on the homepage has effectively promoted an array of constructive ideological ideals that hold significant worth for stakeholders and the public, considering the pivotal role that universities play in shaping societal beliefs and perspectives.

LEXICO-SEMANTIC FIELDS OF THE CONCEPTUAL SPHERE "UKRAINE" IN THE SONG DISCOURSE DURING THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR

In the proposed article, we address one of the directions of modern linguistic research — cognitive linguistics. The aim of the study is to identify and analyze the linguistic means of representing the lexico-semantic field of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" based on the material of the song discourse during the Russian-Ukrainian war. The object of the study is the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE", and the subject of the study is the lexico-semantic field of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" in Ukrainian-language song discourse. To achieve this goal, the study employs the methods of linguoconceptual and contextual analysis of texts, as well as the method of field modeling. Based on 218 lexical units from the texts of 20 Ukrainian songs, three structural segments of the lexico-semantic fields of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" were identified: "UKRAINE — SPACE", "UKRAINE — SPIRITUAL VALUES", "UKRAINE — WAR". Within each LSF, lexico-semantic groups were formed, the largest of which were the LSG "Markers of Ukraine’s Consolidation" (present in 16% of the concepts of the conceptual sphere Ukraine) and the LSG "Defender" (present in 26% of the concepts of the conceptual sphere Ukraine). The core-periphery organization of the main components of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" in the song discourse of 2022-2024 was determined: the core consists of the lexemes "MOTHER" and "WARRIORS’ VICTORY". The author concludes that the multidimensional semantics of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" is represented through a significant number of components that change with the transformation of societal consciousness. In times of national danger, a transformation in the core structure of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" is observed: from conceptualvalue concepts to value-perceptive concepts. In the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE", the semantic meanings "country" and "independent state" are consistently actualized, but due to changes in societal consciousness, the conceptual sphere acquires new meanings: Ukraine as a special way of being; Ukraine as a sacred space, Ukraine as a metaphysical person — mother. The new reality dictates new nominations, leading to the emergence of new lexico-semantic features in the composition of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE": UKRAINE — THE HIGHEST VALUE; UKRAINE — A SYNONYM FOR FREEDOM; UKRAINE — UNITY, BROTHERHOOD; UKRAINE — VICTORY. The prospect of the research lies in further exploration of the lexico-semantic field of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" in Ukrainian song discourse, considering that songs, as an important component of any ethnic culture, are a significant factor in global processes in their historical, cultural, and linguistic dimensions. The conceptual sphere, as a cognitive structure of human knowledge about the world, is characterized by special dynamism, because each historical period in the life of a people brings corresponding changes to its structure, so the number of lexico-semantic fields in the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" can be changed and supplemented.

SPEECH DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES FOR UKRAINIAN CHILDREN IN FORCED MIGRATION: THE ROLE OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOCIAL CONTEXTS

This article explores the speech development challenges encountered by Ukrainian children in forced migration, with a focus on the influential roles of primary and secondary social contexts. The study delves into how these contexts shape early multilingualism, emphasizing the complex dynamics within the family and educational settings. In the primary society, we investigate family language policies, examining how language education strategies are implemented within families. In many cases, bilingualism arises by default due to the presence of both Ukrainian and Russian in the linguistic repertoire of parents and close relatives. This often leads to natural code-switching and a bilingual development pattern among children. Through survey data, we analyze the first language and home language usage of Ukrainian children, providing a detailed understanding of their initial linguistic environment. The study highlights how family-driven language policies contribute to the maintenance and development of both Ukrainian and Russian languages, despite the challenges posed by displacement. In addition to the primary societal influences, the article scrutinizes the impact of the Polish-speaking educational environment, representing the secondary society. The integration of Ukrainian children into Polish pre-schools introduces a new linguistic dimension, fostering the development of active trilingualism. We examine how exposure to Polish, alongside Ukrainian and Russian, influences the children’s speech development and cultural adaptation. The findings underscore the intricate relationship between home and educational environments in shaping the linguistic trajectories of Ukrainian children in forced migration. By navigating through familial bilingualism and the demands of the Polish educational system, these children develop unique multilingual capabilities.

Accent Bias in Professional Evaluations: A Conceptual Replication Study in Brazil

Abstract Evidence from Canada suggests that accent bias can be moderated by speakers’ demonstrated job-relevant performance and the prestige level of their occupation (Teló et al. 2022). In this study, we replicated Teló et al.’s (2022) work in Brazil. First language (L1) Brazilian Portuguese-speaking listeners rated audio recordings of L1 Brazilian Portuguese and L1 Spanish speakers along continua capturing one professional (competence), one experiential (treatment preference), and one linguistic (comprehensibility) dimension. Our findings challenge the notion of consistent bias, as listeners did not uniformly perceive L1 Brazilian Portuguese speakers as more competent and comprehensible than L1 Spanish speakers, and, in fact, generally preferred treatment provided by L1 Spanish speakers. Complex interactions provided a nuanced account of listeners’ evaluations, revealing, among other patterns, that demonstrated performance level and job prestige affected the evaluated dimensions differently depending on the speaker’s L1. This replication further expands the initial study by examining the role of four listener variables as predictors of speaker ratings. Greater listener familiarity with the context depicted in the script was associated with the assignment of higher ratings overall.

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE UNITS DENOTING REPROACH IN THE ENGLISH AND UZBEK LANGUAGES

This study explores the linguistic and cultural dimensions of reproach expression in English and Uzbek languages. Through semantic, syntactic, and cultural analysis of reproach-denoting units, the study examines the diverse ways in which individuals convey dissatisfaction or disappointment towards others' actions or behaviors. The findings reveal a rich variety of expressions reflecting cultural norms, social values, and interpersonal dynamics. Syntactic analysis uncovers structural patterns shaping the tone and intensity of reproachful expressions, while cultural analysis highlights the importance of considering cultural nuances in interpretation and usage. The study underscores the implications for language learning, translation, and intercultural communication, emphasizing the need for awareness of cultural and linguistic factors in cross-cultural interactions.