Macro Language Research Articles

Micro language planning as a contested space: evidence from a South African university

ABSTRACT Micro language planning is often framed as democratic, transformative, inclusive, and therefore, less contested as it reproduces community consensus and support. This is contrasted with macro or top-down language planning which is power inflected and weaponised to serve interests of the dominant class. Through a theorisation of institutional language policies as products of micro language planning, this article analyses the language policy of one university in South Africa and reveals that, contrary to this widely held view, bottom-up language planning is also a site of struggle and contestation. In particular, we focus on specific language policy provisions that reveal the university’s underlying disposition towards multilingualism and linguistic identities. The analysis reveals multi-layered contestations on multilingualism and identity inherent in the university’s language policy. While the language policy purports to foster transformation by promoting multilingualism through the university’s ‘languages of choice,’ it is not exempt from the vagaries of essentialist identity politics and macro level language ideologies which legitimise English and Afrikaans. By identifying only four languages for promotion, the language policy envisages a kind of ‘exclusionary multilingualism’ that disregards the cosmopolitan character of the university and the identities marked by indigenous African languages left invisibilised by the language policy.

Investigation of the Linguistic Landscape of Local People at ‘’Pantura”

Indonesia, with about 700 regional languages, is considered one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. The imposition of a national language and the global dominance of English constitute a danger to multilingualism. This article explores the utilization and manipulation of language in Cirebon by applying social semiotics in linguistic landscape studies. We juxtapose the conventional signage seen on government buildings with that of private enterprises, such as restaurants and retail. The national/regional language policy acknowledges the existence of tensions between macro and micro language policies, which pertain to the rights of private and individual language choice. The conflicts are analyzed. The investigation uncovers a clear and discernible arrangement in the linguistic environment, where public signs prominently showcase Indonesian, Javanese, and English languages, while personal signs exhibit Indonesian, English, as well as other foreign languages such as Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin. The research indicates that language choices are not random, emphasizing that the linguistic environment is a powerful instrument for rejuvenating endangered local languages, such as Javanese.

Exploring the Inner Circle Attitudes of Endangered Languages: A Case Study of the Faifi Language

This study is the first to explore language attitudes of the endangered Faifi language in SA. Understanding these attitudes is crucial for future language revitalization efforts. Employing a conceptual framework from LA research, data were collected via an online Arabic questionnaire with a sample of 258 participants. This paper aims to explore the indigenous people’s language attitudes, frequency of language use, and the influence of social backgrounds. Data were analyzed using factor analysis and multiple regression. Three key findings emerged: Firstly, a two-dimensional model encompassing status and dynamism dimensions was identified, offering new insights into LAs. Notably, the trait “educated” was associated with dynamism rather than the typical association with the status dimension, which can be attributed to educational factors related to the Faifi language’s lack of formal instruction in schools. Secondly, the reported use of the Faifi language by its speakers indicated a positive trend. Lastly, age was found to be the only significant sociodemographic variable, with older participants exhibiting more positive attitudes compared to younger participants. In summary, this research contributes fresh perspectives on the dimensions of language attitudes, particularly by highlighting the deviation of the trait “educated” from its customary position within the status dimension. Additionally, the study emphasizes the salience of age as a factor. The paper recommends macro and micro language policies; macro language policy should consider integrating the language into the educational system, while micro language policy should originate from the indigenous community itself, initiating initiatives to further support language use among young speakers.

DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ MACRO LANGUAGE SKILLS INTEGRATEDLY BY INTERCONNECTING THE TARGET CULTURE AND LOCAL WISDOM IN TEFLIN/TEGL/TEIL

The goal of teaching English as a foreign language in Indonesia (TEFLIN), or in a wider context–teaching English as a global language (TEGL) or teaching English as an international language (TEIL), is that the students are able to “authentically” communicate with others using the target language in real life situations: attending lectures or seminars, having a chat via Internet, discussing TV programmes, bargaining items in markets, etc. When the communication takes place, the four macro language skills are integratedly employed to convey and receive messages as the contents of communications. This vividly seems that language in use must have contents because language itself merely consists of symbols, grammatical rules in the forms of patterns, and skills. In TEFLIN or TEGL/TEIL, therefore, the teachers/lecturers of English should cater the students with meaningful contents appropriate for them to develop their four macro language skills in meaningful learning atmosphere. The contents encompass the target culture and students’ local wisdom related to their real-life situations. The target culture is employed as meaningful input texts for receptive skills: listening and reading. The input texts are then employed to explore and elaborate on local wisdom related to the target culture for productive skills: writing and speaking. The steps proposed are as follows: 1) warming the students up with relevant situation to the topic, 2) presenting input texts about the target culture to discuss (listening or reading), 3) analysing the ways of expressing ideas used in the target language –English, 4) analysing and discussing the language elements, and 5) employing the learned ways of expressing ideas in productive skills (writing and speaking) about local wisdom related to students’ real life situations in the target language.

TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS TO VIETNAMESE LEARNERS OF RUSSIAN AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

In research on foreign language teaching methods, particularly those for foreigners, the teaching and learning of macro language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) are often emphasized and considered as a prerequisite task in the training process. Speaking is considered as one of the skills that cause many difficulties for Vietnamese students studying Russian. Russian linguists value speaking skills as both a means of instruction and an outcome of the training process. The article explores the role of speaking skills as a means of teaching Russian, and describes the steps in the learning process, accompanied by illustrated exercises in order to realize the teaching and learning outcomes. This study is based on the research by modern Russian linguists on the process of teaching Russian speaking skills as a foreign language.

"MeiQuant": An Integrated Tool for Analyzing Meiotic Prophase I Spread Images.

Immunocytochemical analysis of meiotic proteins on mouse chromosome spreads is one method of choice to study prophase I chromosome organization and homologous recombination. In recent decades, the development of microscopic approaches led to the production of a large number of images that monitor fluorescent proteins, defined as fluorescent objects, and a major challenge facing the community is the deep analysis of these fluorescent objects (measurement of object length, intensity, distance between objects, as well as foci identification, counting, and colocalization). We propose a set of tools designed from the macro language of the widely used image analysis software ImageJ (Schindelin et al., Nat Methods 9: 676-682, 2012), embedded in the "MeiQuant" macro, which are specifically designed for analyzing objects in the field of meiosis. Our aim is to propose a unified evolutive common tool for image analysis, with a specific focus on mouse prophase I meiotic events.

1 Instructional Design Based on Interaction for the Development of Communicative Competence

This paper describes a research project aimed at analyzing students’ Communicative Competence in a virtual English course which was modified according to principles of the RASE (Resources, Activities, Support and Evaluation) techno pedagogical model and the communicative approach to language teaching (CLT). The study is based on a convergent mixed methods design, with control and experimental groups. From the quantitative perspective, it employed a repeated measures design in three moments, demonstrating that the experimental group showed improvements due to the modifications to the instructional design. From the qualitative perspective, the communicative acts in four critical incidents were observed during synchronous sessions, showing that the modifications to the instructional design benefited the students’ formal assessments of their communicative competence, as well as their performance in other interactions in which different micro and macro lang uage skills became more complex

Investigation of English Language Needs of Trainers of Garment and Apparel Fashion Technology

In Ethiopia, English is given as a course starting from elementary school to higher education. Besides, it is the medium of instruction starting from secondary education. Even after receiving more than ten years of formal English language education in school, the students still remain inadequate in their ability to use the language and to comprehend its use in interaction both in verbal and written mode. The graduates of Ethiopian Technical University who become trainers in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) Colleges are expected to prepare teaching learning materials, provide training, conduct researches in their field of study, present project works and so on. In addition to field area knowledge, these tasks demand English language ability in order to execute their jobs successfully. Thus, this study was conducted to analyze the English occupational needs of garment and apparel fashion technology trainers. The findings reveal that the important English language macro-skills in workplace setting are writing, speaking, listening, and reading in descending order. The trainers have more gaps on speaking, and writing skills than the other two skills. The sub-skills are also identified and prioritized in relation to the four macro language skills; therefore, the most important sub-skills from each of the four macro-skills presented here. The three most important speaking sub-skills are giving lectures, giving oral presentation, and participating in pair/group discussions. From the writing skills writing operation sheet, writing project proposals, and writing information sheet are the first three most important sub-skills. Based on the findings, it is recommended to design an English course considering the relative importance and difficulty of English macro-skills and sub-skills. In addition, it is necessary to consider the trainees’ learning preferences when designing an English course in order to improve trainers’ language ability which makes them more effective on their job.

Hrvatski jezik u normama Međunarodne organizacije za normizaciju

In the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) system, language codes and language names are defined within the ISO 639 standard. At present, the standard consists of five parts (ISO 639 1-5). Infoterm (International Information Centre for Terminology), an organization founded by UNESCO, is responsible for ISO 639-1. ISO 639-2 is the responsibility of the Registration Authority of the Library of Congress in Washington, and ISO 639-3 is the responsibility of SIL International from Dallas, also known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics. SIL International declares certain dialects and subsystems of the Croatian language to be separate Slavic languages, supposedly independent of Croatian, and reduces the scope of the Croatian language, as an individual language, merely to the Štokavian dialect of the modern Croatian standard language. At the same time, it constructs „the Serbo-Croatian macro language“ and encourages the return of this phantom creation as an entity. This paper examines the activities of the SIL International and its approach to the Croatian language. The goal is to identify problematic points and propose scientifically based solutions for them. The paper does not question whether the actions of SIL International are the result of miscommunication and coincidence, or whether they are perhaps a part of a planned action that aims to promote a new geopolitical realignment on our part of the European map, with a Serbo-Croatian shadow over it.

Grammatical Cohesion in SHS Students’ Research Introductions

Of the four language macro language skills, writing is considered the hardest to master (Berowa, 2017). For ESL (English as Second Language) users, writing needs a good command of the target language and strategic rhetorical techniques like the use of cohesive devices (Hyland, 2003). Using Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) cohesion taxonomy, 15 research introductions from Senior High School students were investigated using a mixed-method approach. This study identified the grammatical cohesive devices (GCDs) found in the research introductions its implications to the students’ challenges in establishing and maintaining cohesion in their writing. Results revealed that reference, conjunction, and substitution devices appeared in the analysis of the corpus, but reference devices comprised the majority of the GCDs. The excerpts taken from the corpus and the rigid content analysis found traces of overusing it by using certain devices repeatedly, misusing it because of the wrong application of certain cohesive devices, and underusing as when needed, these GCDs are not present in the sentence. This inappropriate use of devices can reduce the quality of students’ writing. Hence, further research is needed to identify the best teaching practices to improve students’ cohesion in writing Keywords: cohesion, grammatical cohesive devices, research introductions, writing, challenges

Automating Pitted Red Blood Cell Counts Using Deep Neural Network Analysis: A New Method for Measuring Splenic Function in Sickle Cell Anaemia.

The spleen plays an important role in the body’s defence against bacterial infections. Measuring splenic function is of interest in multiple conditions, including sickle cell anaemia (SCA), where spleen injury occurs early in life. Unfortunately, there is no direct and simple way of measuring splenic function, and it is rarely assessed in clinical or research settings. Manual counts of pitted red blood cells (RBCs) observed with differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy is a well-validated surrogate biomarker of splenic function. The method, however, is both user-dependent and laborious. In this study, we propose a new automated workflow for counting pitted RBCs using deep neural network analysis. Secondly, we assess the durability of fixed RBCs for pitted RBC counts over time. We included samples from 48 children with SCA and 10 healthy controls. Cells were fixed in paraformaldehyde and examined using an oil-immersion objective, and microscopy images were recorded with a DIC setup. Manual pitted RBC counts were performed by examining a minimum of 500 RBCs for pits, expressing the proportion of pitted RBCs as a percentage (%PIT). Automated pitted RBC counts were generated by first segmenting DIC images using a Zeiss Intellesis deep learning model, recognising and segmenting cells and pits from background. Subsequently, segmented images were analysed using a small ImageJ macro language script. Selected samples were stored for 24 months, and manual pitted RBC counts performed at various time points. When comparing manual and automated pitted RBC counts, we found the two methods to yield comparable results. Although variability between the measurements increased with higher %PIT, this did not change the diagnosis of asplenia. Furthermore, we found no significant changes in %PIT after storing samples for up to 24 months and under varying temperatures and light exposures. We have shown that automated pitted RBC counts, produced using deep neural network analysis, are comparable to manual counts, and that fixed samples can be stored for long periods of time without affecting the %PIT. Automating pitted RBC counts makes the method less time consuming and results comparable across laboratories.

Spiky: An ImageJ Plugin for Data Analysis of Functional Cardiac and Cardiomyocyte Studies

Introduction and objective: Nowadays, investigations of heart physiology and pathophysiology rely more and more upon image analysis, whether for the detection and characterization of events in single cells or for the mapping of events and their characteristics across an entire tissue. These investigations require extensive skills in image analysis and/or expensive software, and their reproducibility may be a concern. Our objective was to build a robust, reliable and open-source software tool to quantify excitation–contraction related experimental data at multiple scales, from single isolated cells to the whole heart. Methods and results: A free and open-source ImageJ plugin, Spiky, was developed to detect and analyze peaks in experimental data streams. It allows rapid and easy analysis of action potentials, intracellular calcium transient and contraction data from cardiac research experiments. As shown in the provided examples, both classical bi-dimensional data (XT signals) and video data obtained from confocal microscopy and optical mapping experiments (XYT signals) can be analyzed. Spiky was written in ImageJ Macro Language and JAVA, and works under Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. Conclusion: Spiky provides a complete working interface to process and analyze cardiac physiology research data.

Reflections on Ibn Jinni's Thought: Analysis of Words and Meanings in Arabic Semantics

Here is no doubt that Ibn Jinni is one of the popular Arab linguistic figures. From various references, it is said that Ibn Jinni is an expert in the science of nahwu (Syntax). One of the monumental works that he gave birth to is Al-Khashais. Moreover, several other works support Ibn Jinni's linguistic thinking. One of the interesting studies to explore is word and meaning, which are in the scope of the macro language and cannot be separated from Arabic linguistic studies. Besides the relationship between words and meaning, according to Ibn Jinni, the two elements of language were developed as a means of communication, both spoken and written. Therefore, the study of words and its meaning needs to be understood from all aspects of language and the socio-cultural context in general. words and meaning are the subjects of multi-perspective linguistic research giving rise to linguistic studies. Linguistic reflection on lafazh and its meaning is important as a theoretical basis for understanding Arabic texts and for the development of learning Dalalah for Arab scholars or scholars.

Factors Affecting EMI Attitudes of Engineering and Nursing Students

The internationalization of higher education has led to the increasing number of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) programs in contexts where English is not the first language nor the medium of communication, including Thailand. The introduction of EMI programs, however, is not without challenges. Therefore, a survey questionnaire was used to investigate the attitudes of engineering and nursing students toward EMI. Differences of attitudes based on the program of study, gender, nationality, year level, number of years studying English, the language of instruction in high school, Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level, and perceived proficiencies in speaking, reading, writing, and listening were explored. In addition, factors affecting the students’ EMI attitudes were known using exploratory factor analysis. Findings have shown significant differences in various aspects of EMI based on the program of study, CEFR level, and perceived proficiencies of the four macro language skills. Also, eight factors were elicited, including difficulties of the English language, availability of resources and opportunities, personal goals in life, limitations of time when studying content courses in English, providing activities to improve English language proficiency, enhancement of career goals, supports needed, and motivation and intercultural ability. Finally, implications were outlined to support the implementation of EMI, dubbed as an “unstoppable train”, in similar contexts like Thailand.

LABKIT: Labeling and Segmentation Toolkit for Big Image Data

We present LABKIT, a user-friendly Fiji plugin for the segmentation of microscopy image data. It offers easy to use manual and automated image segmentation routines that can be rapidly applied to single- and multi-channel images as well as to timelapse movies in 2D or 3D. LABKIT is specifically designed to work efficiently on big image data and enables users of consumer laptops to conveniently work with multiple-terabyte images. This efficiency is achieved by using ImgLib2 and BigDataViewer as well as a memory efficient and fast implementation of the random forest based pixel classification algorithm as the foundation of our software. Optionally we harness the power of graphics processing units (GPU) to gain additional runtime performance. LABKIT is easy to install on virtually all laptops and workstations. Additionally, LABKIT is compatible with high performance computing (HPC) clusters for distributed processing of big image data. The ability to use pixel classifiers trained in LABKIT via the ImageJ macro language enables our users to integrate this functionality as a processing step in automated image processing workflows. Finally, LABKIT comes with rich online resources such as tutorials and examples that will help users to familiarize themselves with available features and how to best use LABKIT in a number of practical real-world use-cases.

Comparison of Programming Ansys and COSMOS/M Finite Element Systems

A simple optimization task is programmed by using the built- in programming possibilities of two finite element systems: ANSYS APDL (Parametric Design Language) and COSMOS/M built-in macro language. The same program is written in the two different programming language and the resulting program listings is compared. The demonstration optimization problem is to find the minimum safe radius of an L-shape model, loaded by a uniform surface pressure. The program to solve this optimization task builds the model, solves the finite element problem, and iteratively improves the radius until the optimum solution. In both cases, when the program running ends, we will see the optimum structure on the screen, and we can use the menu possibilities of the finite element system to see any details of the optimized model or listing the values of the parameters.

Workflow for Segmentation of Caenorhabditis elegans from Fluorescence Images for the Quantitation of Lipids

The small and transparent nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is increasingly employed for phenotypic in vivo chemical screens. The influence of compounds on worm body fat stores can be assayed with Nile red staining and imaging. Segmentation of C. elegans from fluorescence images is hereby a primary task. In this paper, we present an image-processing workflow that includes machine-learning-based segmentation of C. elegans directly from fluorescence images and quantifies their Nile red lipid-derived fluorescence. The segmentation is based on a J48 classifier using pixel entropies and is refined by size-thresholding. The accuracy of segmentation was >90% in our external validation. Binarization with a global threshold set to the brightness of the vehicle control group worms of each experiment allows a robust and reproducible quantification of worm fluorescence. The workflow is available as a script written in the macro language of imageJ, allowing the user additional manual control of classification results and custom specification settings for binarization. Our approach can be easily adapted to the requirements of other fluorescence image-based experiments with C. elegans.

Factors Underlying Current Saudi EFL Teachers’ Approaches to Teaching the Four Macro and Micro Language Skills

A close examination of the underlying pedagogical and related factors that shape and direct English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ instructional approaches and behaviors highlights the impossibility of teaching the core and language skills and language-related areas effectively when using the current outdated techniques. The purpose of this article is to orient the reader and succinctly identify the key factors underlying current Saudi EFL teachers’ approaches to teaching the four macro and micro language skills. It delineates the various factors that influence the current EFL teaching process in the Saudi English education system, along with briefly sketching Saudi EFL teachers’ approaches to teaching each language skill. To this end, this discussion contributes to increasing consciousness of factors that affect the actual pedagogy of EFL teachers in Saudi EFL classrooms and perhaps to encouraging Saudi EFL teachers to exert their effectiveness in Saudi EFL classrooms and strive for better performance.

FC 017DEEP-LEARNING ENABLED QUANTIFICATION OF SINGLE-CELL SINGLE-MRNA TRANSCRIPTS AND CORRELATIVE SUPER-RESOLVED PODOCYTE FOOT PROCESS MORPHOMETRY IN ROUTINE KIDNEY BIOPSY SPECIMEN

Abstract Background and Aims Although high-throughput single-cell transcriptomic analysis, super-resolution light microscopy and deep-learning methods are broadly used, the gold-standard to evaluate kidney biopsies is still the histologic assessment of formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples with parallel ultrastructural evaluation. Recently, we and others have shown that super-resolution fluorescence microscopy can be used to study glomerular ultrastructure in human biopsy samples. Additionally, in the last years mRNA in situ hybridization techniques have been improved to increase specificity and sensitivity to enable transcriptomic analysis with single-mRNA resolution (smFISH). Method For smFISH, we used the fluorescent multiplex RNAscope kit with probes targeting ACE2, WT1, PPIB, UBC and POLR2A. To find an on-slide reference gene, the normfinder algorithm was used. The smFISH protocol was combined with a single-step anti-podocin immunofluorescence enabled by VHH nanobodies. Podocytes were labeled by tyramide-signal amplified immunofluorescence using recombinant anti-WT1 antibodies. Slides were imaged using confocal laser scanning, as well as 3D structured illumination microscopy. Deep-learning networks to segment glomeruli and cell nuclei (UNet and StarDist) were trained using the ZeroCostDL4Mic approach. Scripts to automate analysis were developed in the ImageJ1 macro language. Results First, we show robust functionality of threeplex smFISH in archived routine FFPE kidney biopsy samples with single-mRNA resolution. As variations in sample preparation can negatively influence mRNA-abundance, we established PPIB as an ideal on-slide reference gene to account for different RNA-integrities present in biopsy samples. PPIB was chosen for its most stable expression in microarray dataset of various glomerular diseases determined by the Normfinder algorithm as well as its smFISH performance. To segment glomeruli and to label glomerular and tubulointerstitial cell subsets, we established a combination of smFISH and immunofluorescence. As smFISH requires intense tissue digestion to liberate cross-linked RNAs, immunofluorescence protocols had to be adapted: For podocin, a small-sized single-step label approach enabled by small nanobodies and for WT1, tyramide signal amplification was used. For enhanced segmentation performance, we used deep learning: First, a network was customized to recognize DAPI+ cell nuclei and WT1/DAPI+ podocyte nuclei. Second, a UNet was trained to segment glomeruli in podocin-stained tissue sections. Using these segmentation masks, we could annotate PPIB-normalized single mRNA transcripts to individual cells. We established an ImageJ script to automatize transcript quantification. As a proof-of-principle, we demonstrate inverse expression of WT1 and ACE2 in glomerular vs. tubulointerstitial single cells. Furthermore, in the podocyte subset, WT1 highly clustered whereas no significant ACE2 expression was found under baseline conditions. Additionally, when imaged with super-resolution microscopy, podocyte filtration slit morphology could be visualized The optical resolution was around 125 nm and therefore small enough to resolve individual foot processes. The filtration slit density as a podocyte-integrity marker did not differ significantly from undigested tissue sections proving the suitability for correlative podocyte foot process morphometry with single-podocyte transcript analysis. Conclusion Here we present a modular toolbox which combines algorithms for multiplexed, normalized single-cell gene expression with single mRNA resolution in cellular subsets (glomerular, tubulointerstitial and podocytes). Additionally, this approach enables correlation with podocyte filtration slit ultrastructure and gross glomerular morphometry.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE SKILLS AND VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: THE CASE FOR SPORTS MANAGEMENT

The assessed importance of each of the four basic language skills in a foreign language varies, and the relationship between a person’s knowledge of vocabulary and the four macro language skills is highly elaborate in a foreign language of a particular profession, i.e. domain. In addition to the vocabulary in general language, a person must also master the knowledge of concepts that form the theoretical basis of the profession in question as well as the terms assigned to these concepts, first in one’s native language and then in the foreign one. The first aim of the research in this paper was to determine how respondents assessed the import of each sub-skill within the four groups of basic language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking on the one hand, and on the other to determine the weight of knowledge of sports management-specific terminology in a foreign language for working in sports management in the Republic of Croatia. The second objective was to establish, also in the context of sports management, the correlation between the estimated importance of each of the four language skills and the estimated importance of the knowledge of sports management-specific vocabulary. The sample consisted of 70 students (men: n = 44; women: n = 26) of the fourth and fifth study years at the Faculty of Kinesiology, the University of Zagreb. The students filled out a questionnaire consisting of 58 items. They rated the relevance of all the sub-skills within the four basic language skills with the highest ratings. As for the order of skills given their criticality, the results indicated that the subjects considered reading skills as the most important, followed by listening, speaking and finally writing. The respondents also assessed the significance of the command of sports management-specific vocabulary with the highest rating. However, contrary to expectations, the analysis pointed to a low or only marginally moderate correlation between the assessed merit of each of the four language skills and the assessed weight of knowledge of the sports management-specific vocabulary.