Linguistic Research Research Articles

Showcasing Studies of Conversational Motifs Within a Dynamic Dyadic Systems Perspective on Interpersonal Communication

This essay reports three projects that integrate linguistic features of speaking turns into the identification of conversational motifs, which are multiturn segments of dialog within interpersonal interactions. Study 1 focused on support for bereavement, used Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count data to augment characterizations of speaking turns based on speech act, and identified seven 5-turn conversational motifs. Study 2 examined serial argument conversations, used ratings of features and word count to differentiate speaking turns, and identified four conversational motifs within 1-minute segments of interaction. Study 3 analyzed conversations about public health campaign messages, considered functional and structural features of speaking turns, and identified four 4-turn conversational motifs. By elaborating the library of linguistic elements considered when operationalizing speaking turn types and showcasing alternative strategies for identifying conversation motifs, this essay extends recent advancements in a dynamic dyadic systems perspective on interpersonal communication.

Race and Gender Bias in Narrative Letters of Recommendation for Plastic Surgery Residency Applicants.

It has been previously shown that gender bias exists in standardized letters of recommendation for plastic surgery residency. However, similar analysis has not been conducted for narrative letters of recommendation (NLORs). Therefore, this study aims to determine if there exists linguistic bias in NLORs for plastic surgery residency based on applicants' and writers' gender and race. The sample included applicants to a 6-y integrated plastic surgery residency program within application cycles from 2021 to 2023. The exclusion criteria included reapplicants and applicants without NLORs. Applicant demographics were self-identified. Faculty gender was identified through public online platforms and faculty race through Namsor, validated artificial intelligence software for name classification. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program was used to calculate the amount of words in each NLOR that fell within predetermined linguistic categories, such as power and social behavior. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used in the analysis were appropriate. Six hundred twenty-six unique applicants had at least one NLOR. Female writers used more descriptive evaluations of applicants compared to male writers with greater emphasis on applicants' social and emotional qualities. White writers used more words conveying negative tone to describe non-White applicants. Non-White writers used more word describing accomplishment, drive, and social qualities of non-White applicants compared to White Applicants. Analysis of NLORs revealed differences related to gender and race. Female writers produced more favorable recommendations than male writers. Racial discordance between writer and applicant resulted in differences in the letter quality. Faculty education to improve the objectivity of NLORs is necessary.

Digital Diplomacy in Russian International Studies: Research Methods

In the last decade, digitalization has had an increasing impact on the world political processes and is turning into an integral element of international life. Diplomatic practice, given the growing importance of the digital diplomacy, is no exception. In this context, the need for continuous improvement of the methods of studying these processes and phenomena is all the more pressing. This paper examines the key methods used in Russian studies on digital diplomacy, and identifies their strengths and weaknesses. The first section of the article covers publications built on the discourse analysis of small texts on international policy or their excerpts. The author concludes that such an approach allows for a correct description of the communication strategies of various political players. However, it is more suitable for linguistic research, since it does not address the issues crucial for political scientists, namely those concerning the evaluation of the effectiveness of digital diplomacy tools. The second section considers the research works based on the content analysis. The author argues that although this method provides an opportunity to process a larger amount of data and to reduce the impact of subjective factors, it has its limitations, particularly, inability to take into account the visual component of publications and to place them within a wider information context. The third section focuses on the scholarly papers drawing on the most time-consuming and demanding method of Big Data (hashtags) processing. The author stresses that its application is fraught with a whole range of quite specific methodological and purely technical problems, in particular, screening out bots and other ways of traffic manipulation. Against this backdrop, the author advocates further improvement in the methods of studying digital diplomacy by fostering a culture of data analytics and making a more active use of developments from other disciplines (philology, sociology, cultural studies, etc.).

Using natural language processing to identify patterns associated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Combining data-driven natural language processing techniques with traditional methods using predefined word lists may offer greater insights into the connections between language patterns and depression and anxiety symptoms, particularly within specific stressful contexts. Between 2020 and 2021, 1106 participants wrote narrative responses describing their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS). We investigated language patterns associated with DASS symptoms using established categories from Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) and sentiment analysis, as well as exploratory natural language processing techniques. Finally, we constructed machine learning regression models in order to assess how much of the variance in DASS symptoms is related to language use. We found significant positive bivariate correlations between total DASS symptoms and hypothesized LIWC categories: first-person singular pronouns, absolute language, and negative emotion words. These results remained largely similar when using negative sentiment scores and when statistically controlling for gender, age, and education. Exploratory n-gram analyses also revealed new individual words and phrases correlated with total DASS symptoms. Lastly, our regression models demonstrated a significant association between language use and total DASS symptoms (R2 = 0.36-0.62). The current study is one of the first to examine associations between language use and DASS symptoms during the pandemic using both traditional and data-driven techniques. These results replicate and extend prior findings regarding negative emotion and absolute language and identify unique correlates of DASS symptoms during pandemic-related stress, contributing to the literature on language and mental health more broadly.

Stigmatizing Views of Ill Women in Kuwaiti Memoir of Arthritis

This study explored the portrayal of illness and disability in Kuwaiti author Kulthoum Dashti’s memoir Almost Faded: Rheumatoid Arthritis Journey specifically focusing on how health-based thematic categorizations intersect with perceptions of the external world. Using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC-2015) software program, a corpus specific to the novel was analyzed, retrieving thematic categories and contrasting them with the psychologically validated lexica. The analysis revealed the author’s strong authenticity in narrating her journey with arthritis, characterized by heavy use of function words contributing to reflective tone. Additionally, the marginal confidence and low emotional tone in the narrative reflected the author’s intention to share experiences without asserting authority, while social, temporal, and spatial references centralized the lack of familial support and accurate depictions of locations, shaping the narrative’s structure. This case study contributes to understanding how illness and disability are portrayed in Kuwaiti literature, shedding light on the psychological dimensions embedded within the disability narrative.

Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations during music-evoked autobiographical memories in neurotypical older adults.

Researchers have shown that music-evoked autobiographical memories (MEAMs) can stimulate long-term memory mechanisms while requiring little retrieval effort and may therefore be used in promising non-pharmacological interventions to mitigate memory deficits. Despite an increasing number of studies on MEAMs, few researchers have explored how MEAMs are bound in the brain. In the current study activation indexed by fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF) during familiar and unfamiliar MEAM retrieval was compared in a sample of 24 healthy older adults. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the impact of age-related gray matter volume (GMV) reduction in key regions associated with MEAM-related activation. In addition to a T1 structural scan, neuroimaging data were collected while participants listened to familiar music (MEAM retrieval) versus unfamiliar music. When listening to familiar compared to unfamiliar music, greater fALFF activation patterns were observed in the right parahippocampal gyrus, controlling for age and GMV. The current findings for the familiar (MEAM) condition have implications for cognitive aging as persons experiencing age-related memory decline are particularly susceptible to volumetric reduction in the parahippocampal cortex. Post-hoc analyses to explore correlations between brain activity and the content of MEAMs were performed using the text analysis program Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. Our findings suggest that MEAM-related activation of the parahippocampal cortex is evident in normative older adults. However, it is yet to be determined whether such brain states are attainable in older adult populations diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and/or prodromal Alzheimer's disease.

Semantic differences between terms associated with the Hungarian and the Ukrainian public education systems

The integration of Ukraine into the European Union is a very complex process which can be facilitated with the development of terminological dictionaries that make the translation of Ukrainian-specific educational, administrative and legal terms much easier. In the spring of 2024, a new terminological research program began within the framework of the Science for the Hungarian Language National Program – Hungarian Terminology Strategy Subprogram. An international research group consisting of members from the Termini Hungarian Language Research Network set out to translate nearly a thousand Hungarian terms from Act CXC of 2011 on National Public Education of Hungary into the state languages of the neighbouring countries, including German, Slovak, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, and Ukrainian, respectively. The Antal Hodinka Linguistic Research Centre joined the initiative to find the Ukrainian equivalents of Hungarian educational terms, and to develop new terminologies in case of any semantic gaps. The aim of this study is to shed light on the most important semantic differences between the educational and administrative terms connected to the Hungarian and the Ukrainian public education systems. The main problems during the translation process include the development of new terms, the translation of compound expressions, the search for functional equivalents, the grammatical and word-building differences between the Hungarian and the Ukrainian languages, the integration of regional equivalents into the dictionary, the explanation of country-specific educational terms, and the differences between the public education systems of the two countries. The current study is based on the translation of the first 450 terms from the terminological corpus. At the end of the research and the terminological work, a comprehensive online dictionary is going to be developed which will open the door for Hungarian–Ukrainian and Ukrainian–Hungarian translators to create bilingual versions of the countries’ educational laws, and semantic gaps will be filled in relation to the translation of specific terms of the Ukrainian public education system.

Commonality vs. Cultural Specificity of Anger Metaphors and Metonymies in Chinese and Russian Idioms

Based on the conceptual metaphor theory, this study explores the conceptualization structure and actual use of anger metaphors and metonymies in the cultural context of the two countries. The research materials come from Russian and Chinese idiom dictionaries and practical investigations on anger idioms. The study found that the conceptualization of anger between the two nations has similarities and differences. The similarities are reflected in the fact that Chinese and Russians conceptualize anger based on personal experience and cultural patterns. The main differences are concentrated in Chinese idioms influenced by traditional Chinese medicine and the theory of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. Anger is metaphorically represented as "qi" (gas) rather than liquid, and visceral metaphors are often used. The Chinese Peking Opera mask culture also influences it.In contrast, anger is regarded as two liquid forms in Russian idioms, represented by blood elements as containers and water elements that boil after heating, accompanied by the appearance of animal nouns, and have a specific religious color. The practical investigation found that although dozens of idioms express anger for daily selection, cultural background, and cultural preferences limit the tendency to use metaphors and metonymies. The results of this study can provide a reference for cognitive linguistics research, language teaching, and actual communication.

Cultural fit in emotion versus language: a study of Dutch-speaking Belgians and Turkish migrants in Belgium.

Cultural fit is thought to benefit immigrants' wellbeing and integration. Previous research on cultural fit focused on explicit attitudes (e.g., how individuals identify with their heritage and host cultures) at the expense of psychological processes (e.g., the extent to which individuals make meaning in similar ways with their surrounding culture). We examined cultural fit in meaning-making in emotional contexts in two complementary ways: first, based on patterns of emotion endorsement (emotional fit), second, based on patterns of word use describing emotional situations (language fit). Dutch-speaking Belgians and Turkish migrants in Belgium (Ns = 100) described two positive and two negative emotional situations, and rated the intensity of their experience on a set of emotion terms. Language patterns in the descriptions, as quantified by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count, distinguished between cultures more effectively than rating patterns. The two fit measures did not converge; they were in fact negatively associated in some analyses, particularly for Turkish migrants' emotional fit and language fit with Belgian culture, suggesting that when these migrants felt similar emotions, they attended to different aspects of their experience. Future research should disentangle the implications of various types of cultural fit on outcomes relevant to immigrant minorities.

Elucidating the emotional persona in the Romanian university students' academic discourse: a corpus-based exploration.

Despite growing global interest in the emotional dimensions of academic writing, Romanian academic discourse remains underexplored, particularly in multilingual contexts. This study addresses this gap by analyzing a bilingual corpus of texts written in Romanian (L1) and English (L2) across various disciplines and genres. It aims to uncover emotional dimensions conveyed through linguistic markers, exploring how language, culture, and academic context shape students' writing styles. Romania's historical and social emphasis on formality, hierarchy, and indirectness in communication serves as a backdrop for examining these dynamics. A corpus-based approach was adopted, utilizing the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count 2015 (LIWC2015) tool to analyze linguistic and emotional markers. The bilingual ROGER corpus, containing texts from nine Romanian universities spanning multiple disciplines and genres, served as the dataset. Advanced data analysis techniques included supervised machine learning for language classification, network analysis to explore interactions among linguistic features, and cluster analysis to detect discipline- and genre-specific linguistic patterns. The findings reveal distinct emotional patterns between Romanian and English academic writing. Romanian texts exhibit a higher degree of formality and indirectness, while English texts reflect greater assertiveness and personal engagement. Additionally, the Romanian corpus demonstrates less linguistic cohesion and a broader range of writing styles. Genre- and discipline-specific trends also emerge, with English coursework and analytical writing, predominantly from social sciences, displaying more personal and emotional expression than research-focused texts. In contrast, the Romanian corpus, characterized by a third cluster, presents less clear-cut patterns: humanities texts span both emotionally expressive and neutral tones, while research and academic papers frequently exhibit an achievement-oriented or entrepreneurial style, though a significant subset also reflects a highly disengaged profile. By integrating machine learning, network analysis, and automatic language analysis, this study offers a novel perspective on how language, genre, and discipline-specific conventions shape emotional expression in academic writing. The results suggest that the Romanian students' emotional personas in academic writing are influenced by all these factors, potentially shaped by the cultural norms of the second language, providing insights for teaching academic writing in multilingual settings.

Онлайн-ресурс лингвистических характеристик произведения художественной литературы: ключевые параметры и технология разработки

The purpose of this study is to describe the technology of compiling an online reference resource on the linguistic features of a work of fiction based on corpus data. Scientific novelty, in a broad sense, is due to the fact that for the first time the technology of automated compilation of a universal reference resource obtained on the basis of the output of the software package “Balanced Linguistic Corpus Generator and Corpus Manager” is described, and in a narrow sense, by the fact that such an online resource is created for the first time for the original texts of the writer E. M. Remarque. In the course of the work, the theoretical principles of compiling the online resource, its technological parameters were formulated, and testing was carried out in the form of experimental development and testing of the ready-to-use software product, hosted in the public domain at the Internet address https://idiostil.ecovle.ru/index.php. As a result, a ready-made software solution, having a scaling parameter and suitable for use as a source of reference data for professional linguistic research of author’s idiostyle, was created.

An Overview of Current Projects of Polish Cognitive Ethnolinguistics in Cooperation with Lithuanian Colleagues

The overview of current projects of Polish cognitive ethnolinguistics in cooperation with Lithuanian colleagues was presented at “The 9th International Scientific Conference on Linguistic, Educational, and Intercultural Research”, which took place at Vilnius University on 7th -8th November 2024. It reviews the most significant projects of Polish cognitive ethnolinguistics carried out in Lublin, primarily at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS). The Lublin Ethnolinguistic School has been developing since the 1980s. Since the beginning of the 21st century, it has closely cooperated with the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The review describes the main works of the Institute of Slavic Studies, the UMCS in Lublin, and other Polish research teams, that were carried out in the mainstream of cognitive ethnolinguistics. Some ideas of the Lublin Ethnolinguistic School are being realized in cooperation with colleagues from Lithuania: Vilnius University, and the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. The Polish and Lithuanian researchers implement some projects as joint ventures– they are also presented in the overview.

The Linguistic Inquiries of a Chinese Pragmaticist: In Memory of Professor Yan Huang

The Linguistic Inquiries of a Chinese Pragmaticist: In Memory of Professor Yan Huang

Evaluating Abstracts of MA Theses and PhD Dissertations in Applied Linguistics in Kurdistan Region Universities

This paper evaluates the quality of abstracts in MA theses and PhD dissertations in Applied Linguistics from universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) between 2007 and 2021. The research employs a rubric or criteria-based evaluation approach, informed by Hyland’s (2000) five-move model, adapted to include criteria for ‘irrelevant information’ and ‘word count’. A comprehensive sample of all the abstracts from the collected data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The findings indicate that while most abstracts effectively introduce the research topic and state objectives, they often struggle with the clear presentation of results and maintaining overall coherence. Besides, significant relationships were found between various components of abstract quality, suggesting that improvements in one area (e.g., clarity in ‘introduction’) could positively impact others (e.g., presenting ‘results’). Moreover, this study highlights the need for enhanced training and guidelines in abstract writing, particularly for Applied Linguistics research, to improve clarity, coherence, and academic rigor of future theses and dissertations. The findings have important implications for improving the quality and accessibility of academic research in the KRI region and its universities.

The Impact of Applicant Sex on Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Letters of Recommendation: A Multisite Study.

Background: Letters of recommendation (LORs) are crucial for fellowship applications, but implicit biases can affect their quality. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine sex-based differences among multiinstitutional pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) fellowship LORs. Methods: All 2021 PCCM fellowship applications submitted to five regional U.S. programs (South, Midwest, East, Northeast, and West) were deidentified, and applicant demographics and accomplishments were abstracted. The letter writer's gender was identified through an online search of professional websites. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count was used to identify the frequency of adjective types (e.g., grindstone, communal). We measured the associations between applicant sex and the outcomes of total word count and degree of support using multivariable linear regression models adjusting for applicant demographics, accomplishments, and letter writer's gender for each program. Results: In total, 9,153 LORs were included in the analysis. The majority of applicants (64.1% [n = 1,703 of 2,658]) were male, and most letter writers (72.1% [n = 6,603 of 9,152]) identified as men. When adjusting for applicant demographics and accomplishments and letter writer's gender, female applicants' LORs had significantly more supportive words compared with those of male applicants in three of the five programs (Midwest, 2.4 more words [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.5-4.3; P = 0.01]; South, 1.9 more words [95% CI, 0.1-3.6; P = 0.03]; Northeast, 2.5 more words [95% CI, 0.2-4.9; P = 0.04]) and longer letters in two programs (South, 40.1 more words [95% CI, 12.3-68.0; P = 0.005]; Midwest, 29.8 more words [95% CI, 0.7-58.9; P = 0.045]). Conclusion: The length and supportiveness of PCCM fellowship applicants' LORs varied by applicant sex and region. Further work should explore why these differences exist and how the information garnered from them is viewed by fellowship selection committees.

Exploring semantic expression disparities in intragenerational and intergenerational communication: A novel perspective on socioemotional selectivity theory.

The Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST) posits that older and younger adults have different life goals due to differences in perceived remaining lifetime. Younger adults focus more on future-oriented knowledge exploration and forming new friendships, while older adults prioritize present-focused emotional regulation and maintaining close relationships. While previous research has found these age differences manifest in autobiographical textual expressions, their presence in verbal communication remains unexplored. We recruited 36 older adults and 36 younger adults to form 12 younger adults-younger adults dyads, 12 older adults-older adults dyads, and 12 younger adults-older adults dyads engaging in three conversational scenarios. Analysis of communication transcripts using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count revealed that in intragenerational communication, older adults used more present-focused and family-related words, and fewer future-focused, negative emotion, and knowledge acquisition words compared to younger adults, aligning with SST predictions. However, in intergenerational communication, younger and older adults showed similar patterns in future-focused, cognitive, and family-related language use. This suggests that participants adjusted their goal orientations to accommodate each other, mitigating the age differences proposed by SST and partially supporting the Interpersonal Cognitive Consistency Model. These findings indicate that while SST explains semantic expressions in intragenerational communication, group dynamics toward verbal consistency play a more vital role in intergenerational communication. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Corpus Applications in ELT in Colombia: An Exploratory Survey

This study examines the application of corpus linguistics in English language teaching (ELT) in Colombia, where its practical adoption remains limited compared to many developed countries. Data were gathered through a survey of English instructors at Colombian universities to assess their familiarity with corpus linguistics. Findings indicate significant challenges, including lack of formal training, low awareness of corpus-based methodologies, and insufficient resources for implementing corpus linguistics applications. The study highlights the potential for enhancing corpus linguistics research and application in Colombia, emphasizing the necessity for improved training and collaborative practices, which could foster greater participation in global corpus linguistics initiatives and enhance the overall effectiveness of ELT.

Why are some articles highly cited in applied linguistics? A bibliometric study

Abstract This study investigated factors influencing the citations of highly cited applied linguistics research over two decades. With a pool of 302 of the top 1% most cited articles in the field, we identified 11 extrinsic factors that were independent of scientific merit but could significantly predict citation counts, including journal-related, author-related, and article-related features. Specifically, the results of multiple linear regression models showed that the time-normalized article citations were significantly predicted by the number of authors, subfield, methodology, title length, CiteScore, accessibility, and scholar h-index. The remaining factors did not exhibit any statistical significance, including the number of references, funding, internationality, and geographical origin. The combined predictive power of all these factors (R²=.208, p<.05) verifies the role of nonscientific factors contributing to high citations for applied linguistics research. These results encourage applied linguistics researchers and practitioners to recognize the underlying forces affecting research impact and highlight the need for a reward system that exclusively favors sound academic practices.

Experiential learning in an intercultural communication class in Japan: doing and reflecting on linguistic landscape group projects

ABSTRACT Linguistic landscape (LL) projects, an experiential learning approach, enhance students’ intercultural communication (IC) skills by exposing them to linguistic and cultural diversity in their communities (Li et al., 2022. Developing beginning language learners’ (meta-) cultural understanding via student-led Linguistic Landscape research. Linguistic Landscape. An International Journal, 8(1), 56–84. doi:10.1075/ll.20022.li). While there is extensive research on the use of LL as a pedagogical tool (e.g. Gorter et al., 2021. The linguistic landscape as a resource for language learning and raising language awareness. Journal of Spanish Language Teaching, 8(2), 161–181. doi:10.1080/23247797.2021.2014029), few studies focus on the practical implementation of these projects in varied classroom contexts, including students’ reflections on these assessments. Thus, this study examines the experiences of two student cohorts (2021: n = 27; 2022: n = 13) who completed an LL group project for an IC class in Japan. Students selected LL spaces, documented them through reports and podcasts, and reflected on their IC experiences. A qualitative analysis revealed their success in identifying relevant LLs (e.g. transport hubs). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed two key findings: students gained new perspectives on familiar sites, uncovering hidden linguistic diversity, and developed greater awareness of cultural changes in their communities. These outcomes underscore their reflective engagement and the advancement of IC skills, particularly in cultural awareness. Overall, this study demonstrates how LL projects offer firsthand IC experiences, allowing students to apply their skills through authentic fieldwork and evaluate their effectiveness in IC classrooms.

ON THE ANCIENT TURKIC STRATUM OF HYDRONYMS IN ZHETYSU

This article deals with the historical and etymological aspects of the names of water bodies of the Zhetysu region, namely, the ancient Turkic beginning of the names. The study of the etymological content of ancient Turkic names allows a deep understanding of the worldview, the degree of education of people of the period under study. The purpose of the article is to study the foundations of education of the population through an etymological analysis of the archischeme of names, the understanding of the meanings of which, at the present stage, causes difficulties due to structural, sound changes (Lavar, Labasy, etc.), to show the structural specifics of the names. The leading idea of the study is to identify the reasons why the names of water bodies, which are the oldest and most stable layer of toponomics, reflect the main points of life, as well as the history of the development of the Kazakh people. The introductory part presents information that reveals the continuity of language and culture in accordance with anthropolinguistic studies, based on the analysis of studies of deep meaningful linguistic layers that bear the imprints of different periods of national culture. The use of methods of linguistic research of the topological space made it possible to reflect in the article the identified ethno-cultural semantics underlying the ancient hydronyms. The main results were obtained based on the analysis of the names of specific bodies of water that have appeared since time immemorial. The scientific value of the study lies in the significance of the results obtained for research in the field of ethnolinguistics, linguoculturology, etc. In addition, the data obtained may be of factual interest for compilers of dictionaries, texts in the field of linguoculturology, ethnolinguistics.