Language Measures Research Articles

Equivalent sentiment measures for cross-language analysis of corporate communications

This paper presents a technique for sentiment measurement in many languages. The method allows researchers to efficiently analyze corporate documents, management reports, and financial statements using python. When the texts are written in many languages, the method extracts equivalent cross-linguistic sentiment features that can be used for statistical analysis or machine learning. We use Open Multilingual WordNet, a large lexicon organizing words into semantic groups, as the knowledge base about word equivalence in more than 200 languages. We experiment with a parallel English-French corpus and find that our senitment measures across the two languages are comparable. The method produces a consistent classification of positive and negative texts in two languages, and sentiment measure values correlate. The paper provides a detailed account of the method and python code, So that it can be applied to other languages, text mining, quantitative communication studies, and management research.•Method to create equivalent sentiment measures in multiple languages•Based on established lexicons and WordNet•Validated for English and French

An Exploration of the Impact of Quality Illustrations in Children’s Picture Books on Preschool Student Narrative Ability

Narrative language development is one of the early literacy skills necessary for proficient reading and writing achievement. The correlation between narrative skills and later writing ability indicates that more advanced and complex narrative generation and recall is linked to later writing output. In this experimental study, 47 preschool students participated in an intervention focusing on the impact of high-quality illustrations on narrative ability. Results show a significant effect of intervention participation on narrative language measures in language complexity, narrative retelling, story comprehension, vocabulary usage, and episodic components. These findings suggest that attention to artistic devices used in illustrations paired with picture book study can increase student narrative ability

The yes–no reversal phenomenon in patients with primary progressive apraxia of speech

Patients who have a yes–no reversal respond “yes” when they mean no and vice versa. The unintentional response can be made both verbally and with gestures (e.g., head shake or nod, thumbs up or down). Preliminary reports associate this phenomenon with 4-repeat tauopathies including primary progressive apraxia of speech (PPAOS), nonfluent/agrammatic primary progressive aphasia, and corticobasal syndrome; however, the significance and timing of this symptom relative to others are not well understood. Whereas some accounts associate yes–no reversals with other binary reversals (e.g., up/down, hot/cold) and attribute the reversals to disturbances of selection within the language system, others implicate more general inhibitory control processes. Here, we compared clinical and neuroimaging findings across 30 patients with PPAOS (apraxia of speech in the absence of aphasia), 15 of whom had a yes–no reversal complaint and 15 who did not. The two groups did not differ on any of the language or motor speech measures; however, patients who had the yes–no reversal received lower scores on the Frontal Assessment Battery and motor assessments. They also had greater hypometabolism in the left supplementary motor area and bilateral caudate nuclei on [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose PET, but only the right caudate nucleus cluster survived correction for multiple comparisons. We interpret these results to suggest that the yes–no reversal phenomenon is associated with cognitive abilities that are supported by the frontostriatal network; more specifically, impaired response inhibition.

COS-PPA: protocol to develop a core outcome set for primary progressive aphasia

IntroductionThe term primary progressive aphasia (PPA) describes a group of language-led dementias. Disease-modifying treatments that delay, slow or reverse progression of PPA are currently lacking, though a number of interventions...

Language abilities and associated risk factors of school-aged children with cleft lip and palate.

Previous research on children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) reported unequivocal findings with regard to language skills, with the majority suggesting persistent difficulties in early childhood. While expressive language deficits improved with age, receptive language skills were consistently lower than peers. Further study investigating the long term and persistent impact of language deficits amongst school-aged children with CLP is warranted. This was a cross-sectional study, aimed to determine the language abilities and explore the associated risk factors in Malay speaking children with CLP in Malaysia. Fifty-two children with CLP aged 7- to 12-year-old participated in this study. Language skills were assessed using the Malay Preschool Language Assessment Tool and the adapted Subway-School-age Language & Assessment Measures. Findings revealed that 14 (26.92%) school-aged children with CLP demonstrated language deficits. Children with CLP performed significantly poorer in reading comprehension (p = 0.031) and narrative (p = 0.026) skills. It was found that the age significantly influenced total receptive language score (β = 0.421, p = 0.003) and total expressive language score (β = 0.477, p = 0.000). Findings suggested that children with CLP may continue to have persistent language deficits into their school-age years. Recommendations for regular monitoring of language performance especially for those from younger age groups is warranted to help maximize school attainment.

Telepractice Parent Training of Enhanced Milieu Teaching With Phonological Emphasis (EMT+PE) For Persian-Speaking Toddlers With Nonsyndromic Cleft Palate: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Children born with a cleft palate with or without a cleft lip (CP/L) are at increased risk for delayed language development and speech sound disorders. Enhanced Milieu Teaching with Phonological Emphasis (EMT+PE) is a recommended naturalistic intervention for toddlers with CP/L. The parents' role in providing naturalistic interventions is critical and they need training based on learning principles to implement these interventions. Telepractice is an appropriate method for training parents and children with various speech-related disorders. This study aims to determine and compare the effectiveness of telepractice and the parent-implemented EMT+PE intervention on language and speech measures in toddlers with CP/L with usual interventions and determine the effectiveness maintenance of the intervention. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) will assess the efficacy of telepractice and the parent-implemented EMT+PE intervention in enhancing speech and language measures in toddlers with CP/L. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: the conventional intervention group and the EMT+PE intervention group. Participants' speech and language measures will be evaluated remotely by trained raters before and after the intervention and 2 months after the intervention. Parents of participants in the intervention group will receive 3 months of training in speech and language supportive strategies from trained therapists using telehealth fidelity scales. Parents of participants in the control group will receive the conventional speech and language intervention by cleft team therapists. Study outcomes will include language variables (mean length of utterance) and speech production variables (percent correct consonants). The protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences in February 2022. The selection process of participants, as well as training therapists and raters, commenced in January 2022, the therapy and follow-up period ended in June 2023, and pre- and postintervention assessments have been conducted. Data analysis is ongoing, and we expect to publish our results by the summer of 2024. Funding is yet to be received. The results of this study may help us develop a speech and language intervention with a different delivery model for toddlers with CP/L, and the cleft team care can use these results in service delivery. Consistent with our hypothesis, speech and language measures are expected to improve. DERR1-10.2196/54426.

Mental state verb use in play by preschool-age children who stutter and their mothers

IntroductionPreschool-age children use mental state verbs (MSVs; e.g., think, know) to reference thoughts and other cognitive states. In play-based language, MSV use requires conversational flexibility, as speakers shift from discussion of actions happening in the here-and-now to more abstract discussion of mental states. Some evidence suggests that children who stutter (CWS) demonstrate subtle differences in shifting on experimental tasks of cognitive flexibility, differences which may extend to conversational flexibility. This study explored MSV use in conversational language between CWS and their mothers. MethodsThirty-five preschool-age CWS and 35 age- and gender-matched children who do not stutter (CWNS), all performing within the typical range on standardized language testing, conversed with their mothers during play. Samples were transcribed and coded for MSV use. ResultsNo between-group differences were observed in MSV use, either between the CWS and CWNS or between the groups of mothers. Age and language skills were positively associated with MSV use in the CWNS group only. For both groups of dyads, mothers’ MSV use corresponded at least to some extent to their children’s language skills. Finally, correspondence between CWNS and their mothers was observed for two conversational language measures, representing lexical diversity and morphosyntax; this overall pattern was not observed in the CWS dyad group. ConclusionsAlthough these findings point to similar use of MSVs among the groups of children and their mothers, for the CWS group, the patterns of use in relation to age and language skills are somewhat different from developmental expectations.

Answering tendencies on questionnaires: Comparing Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia versus English

Aims Conducting psychological research in different countries and cultures necessitates measures in different languages. However, the language of a measure might influence responses, even within the same multilingual individual. The cultural accommodation theory proposes that one’s association with a language influences their responses. Moreover, response styles (RSs), such as an extreme or acquiescence RS, might systematically affect responses regardless of the content of the measure. These effects were reported on culture-related measures but are unclear on culture-free measures. Methodology and analyses We aimed to investigate the effects of language on psychological measures that do not explicitly examine cultural factors. Multilingual Malaysians ( n = 111) filled in the Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—21 items (DASS-21), the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief COPE), the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), and the Traditional Masculinity-Femininity Scale (TMF) in Bahasa Malaysia and English, or in Mandarin and English Findings. There were no language differences on the ADEXI and TMF. However, several subscales of the Brief COPE, the Stress subscale of the DASS, and the PedsQL scores were higher in Mandarin than in English. On the Brief COPE and the PedsQL, there were also differences in RS between Mandarin and English, which might explain (part of) these differences. There were no differences between Bahasa Malaysia and English in scores. However, there was a more extreme RS in English than in Bahasa Malaysia and a more acquiescence RS in Bahasa Malaysia than in English on the Brief COPE. These differences suggest that the measures are not culture-free or that previously reported language differences did not result from culture alone. The language of a measure might be an additional important factor. When using different translations of the same measure, it is important to take cultural accommodation and RS into account.

Influencing Factors of Boredom Generation in Foreign Language Learning and Measures to Relieve It: A Perspective Paper

Learners' emotions profoundly affect foreign language acquisition. According to the control value theory, foreign language learning boredom is a kind of negative emotion. Foreign language learning boredom can dampen learners' interest in foreign language learning, reduce the efficiency of foreign language acquisition, and have a negative impact on foreign language learning. In view of this, the article aims to outline the influencing factors affecting the emergence of foreign language learning boredom and propose corresponding measures to alleviate it. It is hoped that this will reduce the negative impact of boredom on foreign language learning, improve the efficiency of foreign language learning, and reduce the resistance to foreign language learning. It is also used to refine foreign language classroom teaching, alleviate the negative impact of boredom in foreign language classrooms, and improve classroom efficiency.

Assessing the Phonological Abilities of Jordanian Arabic-speaking Children with Phonological Disorders

Objectives: This study investigated the validity of four language measures, i.e., phonological mean length of utterance (PMLU), the proportion of whole-word proximity (PWP), the proportion of whole-word correctness (PWC), and percentage of correct consonants, in assessing phonological development in Jordanian Arabic (JA) speaking children with phonological disorders in comparison with typically developing (TD) children.Methods: The study involved 88 monolingual JA-speaking children within the age range of 5 to 6 years, with 44 children diagnosed with phonological disorders and 44 TD children. Each group was further categorized into two age groups, namely 5;0-5;6 and 5,7-6,0. Data were gathered by observing the interactions between the children and their caregivers or parents using age-appropriate toys. A minimum of 100 utterances were collected from each participant.Results: The study found that TD children performed better than the children with phonological disorders on all measures, indicating delayed phonological performance in the phonological disorders group. Positive correlations between the measures were also observed, indicating their ability to provide significant information about children’s phonological abilities. Specific speech sound errors and substitution patterns exhibited by children with phonological disorders were identified, highlighting the motor control and articulatory challenges experienced by this group. Age was found to be a significant factor in the development of TD children, while children with phonological disorders showed similar scores across different age groups.Conclusion: These findings support the usage of the four measures for understanding phonological development in children with phonological disorders, accurately diagnosing them and tracking their progress.

Число три в семиотике Ч.С. Пирса. К вопросу троичности

The number three refers to an important factor in the construction of the semiotics of Ch. S. Peirce. The number three is a kind of leitmotif of the theory. The whole construction of knowledge rests on primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary, secondary and tertiary are reduced to the three sides of Gottlob Frege’s triangle and appear in a different terminology as representative, object and interpretant. These ternary coordinates of thought are its space and embody, in the words of Yu. S. Stepanova, three-dimensional measurement of language. According to Ch. S. Pierce, these coordinates have a teleological meaning. The very concept of Ch. S. Pierce appears as the sum of three trichotomies, which allows twenty-seven combinations of signs, of which seventeen combinations are prohibited. Only ten combinations are allowed. The idea of trinity involves 310 sign complexes. Some of them are forbidden from the standpoint of logic. Thus, the index cannot serve as an argument. In the article, this is shown by the seating of subjects at a round table. The subject opposite appears to be on the right, but is actually opposite. The universality of the trinity appears as a reasoned code of semiotic construction. The triadic nature of the concept serves as the basis for constructing the laws of semiosis. Primary is iconic, secondary is indexical, and tertiary is symbolic. Questions of trinity arise as implementation of the narrative, when the first is the beginning, the second is the end, and the third is the middle. The concept of three as the middle goes back to ancient art. The paper proposes an individual measurement of the middle as the third element. The counting tradition of the Indo-European peoples and the number of signs of the formula “faith, hope, love” are taken as the basis. The rearrangement of the elements of the formula, when the third in a row – love – occupies the middle second position, goes back to the earliest uses of this formula. This is the original approach to proving the middleness of the third in the tradition of the Indo-European peoples.

Where to start: Use of the bilingual multidimensional ability scale (B-MAS) to identify developmental language disorder (DLD) in bilingual children

Purpose The identification of developmental language disorder (DLD) is challenging for clinicians who assess bilinguals. This paper introduces a protocol-based approach, the Bilingual Multidimensional Ability Scale (B-MAS), for expert raters to identify DLD in bilinguals. Method Three bilingual speech-language pathologists (SLPs) reviewed 166 Spanish-English bilingual children’s profiles, which included performance on direct (morphosyntax, semantics, and narrative tasks) and indirect (parent/teacher survey) measures in both languages. A multidimensional scale (0–5) was adopted to rate children’s performance. A diagnosis of DLD was made if at least two raters assigned a summary rating of ≤2. Result Analysis of the scores on the B-MAS resulted in the identification of 21 children as having DLD. Though different strategies were employed to make decisions, the three SLPs demonstrated high inter-rater agreement across different ratings (intraclass correlation coefficient values ranged from .83 to .90). Conclusion For bilingual populations that are understudied and for which gold standards of assessment are not available, the B-MAS can be adopted as a starting point to study DLD or as a reference standard to develop new assessment tools in that population. Clinically, this protocol could be tailored and evaluated by a group of SLPs serving a large population of a particular bilingual group for diagnostic purposes.

Investigating the relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and children's behavioural and emotional development: analysis of the Growing Up in New Zealand study.

To examine the relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and children's behavioural and emotional development in a large generalizable sample of women and their children in Aotearoa New Zealand. Using data from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal cohort, we investigated the relationship between maternal PAE and behavioural and emotional development in 8-year-old children. We explored secondary outcomes including measures of language, executive function, academic achievement, and adaptive behaviour. We found no significant differences in the measures of behavioural and emotional development in children 8 years old based on alcohol consumption. No significant differences in behavioural and emotional development were found based on amount of PAE and when PAE occurred, despite controlling for a range of potential confounding factors, such as neighbourhood deprivation and maternal health measures. PAE was associated with significantly higher scores for parent-rated oral language indicating better oral language. In Māori mothers, PAE was significantly associated with an increased risk of higher scores on two of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire subscales. We did not find an association between PAE and behavioural and emotional development in children aged 8years. PAE and behavioural and emotional development are difficult to measure accurately, and the moderating variables between them are complex. Future analyses will require larger cohorts of mothers and their children using precise measures of PAE and outcomes to enable more precise estimates of association.

One Label Doesn’t Fit All: Self-Labeling Practices Within the Chinese Immigrant Community in Canada

Ethnic minority populations, such as the Chinese and other racial minority communities, have traditionally been the targets of physical and social harassment. The onset of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has reignited the racism, violence, and xenophobia faced by individuals of Chinese descent across North America. As a result, there is now a spotlight on the Chinese immigrant experience and the capacity for these individuals to authentically communicate and present their identities, specifically through the use of self-labels. In a mixed-methods investigation, we assessed the preferred self-labels among a sample of the Chinese population in Canada and sought to uncover the meanings imbued in the labels they use to describe themselves across different contexts. In addition, the relationships between label preferences and measures of ethnic identity and language were examined. Although bicultural labels (e.g., Chinese Canadian, Canadian Chinese, Hong Kong Canadian, etc.) were the most preferred, there was a variety of labels used, suggesting a more complex meaning in the choice of self-labels. Implications for identity and self-categorization are discussed.

Morphological Complexity in Writing: Implications for Writing Quality and Patterns of Change.

The current study examined (a) the relation between morphologically complex word (MCW) use (words containing at least one derivational morpheme such as prefixes and suffixes) and teachers' ratings of writing quality, (b) average change in MCW use in writing across the school year, and (c) differential change in MCW among students with varying language abilities and linguistic backgrounds including students with developmental language disorders (DLDs) and multilingual learners (MLs). Expository writing samples (writing for the purpose of explaining or educating) were collected in October and May from 824 fifth-grade students, including 109 with DLD and 170 who were MLs receiving English as a second language service. Students' written responses were coded for the use of MCW. Pearson product-moment correlations and two-level hierarchical linear models were employed to investigate the association between MCW usage and writing quality, as well as increases in MCW usage over the course of the academic year, taking into account the nested structure of students within classrooms. The relation between students' MCW use and teachers' writing quality ratings was moderately strong (r = .47). Student use of MCW in expository writing showed significant change from fall to spring across all students. However, the amount of change in MCW use across the school year was significantly lower for MLs (effect size [ES] = .09) and students identified with DLD (ES = .10). The relation between MCW use and teachers' writing quality ratings highlights the utility of MCW as a written language measure for progress monitoring or assessment. The presence of differential change and potential Matthew effects for MLs and students with DLD substantiates the need for further exploration of instructional components that support the increased use of complex vocabulary.

Robust reference group normative data for neuropsychological tests accounting for primary language use in Asian American older adults.

The present study aimed to develop neuropsychological norms for older Asian Americans with English as a primary or secondary language, using data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC). A normative sample of Asian American participants was derived from the NACC database using robust criteria: participants were cognitively unimpaired at baseline (i.e., no MCI or dementia) and remained cognitively unimpaired at 1-year follow-up. Clinical and demographic characteristics were compared between Primary and Secondary English speakers using analyses of variance for continuous measures and chi-square tests for categorical variables. Linear regression models compared neuropsychological performance between the groups, adjusting for demographics (age, sex, and education). Regression models were developed for clinical application to compute demographically adjusted z-scores. Secondary English speakers were younger than Primary English speakers (p < .001). There were significant differences between the groups on measures of mental status (Mini-Mental State Examination, p = .002), attention (Trail Making Test A, Digit Span Forward Total Score, p <.001), language (Boston Naming Test, Animal Fluency, Vegetable Fluency, p < .001), and executive function (Trail Making Test B, p = .02). Separate normative data are needed for Primary vs. Secondary English speakers from Asian American backgrounds. We provide normative data on older Asian Americans to enable clinicians to account for English use in the interpretation of neuropsychological assessment scores.

Pain trajectories and their associations with cognition among older adults: a 10-year cohort study from network perspective.

Few studies have examined the associations between pain trajectories and cognitive function in older adults. This study explored the associations between pain trajectories and different cognitive domains in older adults from a network perspective. Data on pain trajectories were derived from the Health and Retirement Study between 2010 and 2020 using latent class growth analyses. Measurements of key cognition domains, including memory, attention, calculation, orientation and language, were included. Linear regression and network analysis were performed to evaluate the associations between different pain trajectories and cognition. A total of 9,551 older adults were included in this study and three trajectories of pain were identified. After controlling for the covariates, persistent severe pain trajectory was associated with poorer overall cognition, memory and calculation ability when compared to mild or non-persistent pain trajectory. In the pain and cognition network model, memory (expected influence (EI) = 0.62), language (EI = 0.58) and calculation (EI = 0.41) were the most central domains. Pain trajectories appeared stable over time among older adults in this study. Severity of persistent pain was an important risk factor for poor cognition, especially in relation to memory and calculation domains. Interventions targeting memory, language and calculation domains might be useful in addressing cognitive decline in older adults with persistent pain.

Parental Responsivity and Child Communication During Mother-Child and Father-Child Interactions in Fragile X Syndrome.

Past research shows that parentally responsive behavior toward the child positively influences language development in both neurotypical children and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those with fragile X syndrome (FXS); however, most studies have focused exclusively on the mother-child relationship. The current study examined relationships between parent behavior (i.e., responsivity and behavior management) and child language performance in both mother-child and father-child interactions, as well as relationships between child characteristics and both parent behavior and child language. Participants were 23 families of young boys with FXS between 3 and 7 years of age. Mothers and fathers independently completed questionnaires assessing child characteristics and separately engaged in 12-min play-based interactions with their child via telehealth. One parent also completed a comprehensive interview assessing child adaptive behavior. Video recordings of the parent-child interactions were transcribed and coded for parent and child behavior, and measures of parent and child language were obtained from the transcripts. Mothers and fathers used similar rates of responsive behaviors during parent-child interactions, and parental responsivity was positively associated with some aspects of child language performance (i.e., talkativeness and lexical diversity). Parental behavior, however, was not associated with syntactic complexity. Older children and children with higher levels of adaptive behavior had parents who used higher rates of responsive behaviors. Fathers used higher rates of behavior management strategies compared to mothers, and this type of parent behavior was not associated with child language. Overall, this study provides evidence that interventions focused on increasing parental responsiveness would be beneficial for families of children with FXS and that these interventions should be delivered early given the association between responsivity and child age. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25229939.

Antenatal Magnesium Sulfate Benefits Female Preterm Infants but Results in Poor Male Outcomes.

Magnesium sulfate (MagSul) is used clinically to prevent eclamptic seizures during pregnancy and as a tocolytic for preterm labor. More recently, it has been implicated as offering neural protection in utero for at-risk infants. However, evidence is mixed. Some studies found that MagSul reduced the incidence of cerebral palsy (CP) but did not improve other measures of neurologic function. Others did not find any improvement in outcomes. Inconsistencies in the literature may reflect the fact that sex effects are largely ignored, despite evidence that MagSul shows sex effects in animal models of neonatal brain injury. The current study used retrospective infant data to assess differences in developmental outcomes as a function of sex and MagSul treatment. We found that on 18-month neurodevelopmental cognitive and language measures, preterm males treated with MagSul (n = 209) had significantly worse scores than their untreated counterparts (n = 135; p < 0.05). Female preterm infants treated with MagSul (n = 220), on the other hand, showed a cognitive benefit relative to untreated females (n = 123; p < 0.05). No significant effects of MagSul were seen among females on language (p > 0.05). These results have tremendous implications for risk-benefit considerations in the ongoing use of MagSul and may explain why benefits have been hard to identify in clinical trials when sex is not considered.

Neurocognitive change over the course of a multiday external lumbar drain trial in patients with suspected normal pressure hydrocephalus

Objective: To characterize neurocognitive response to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion during a multiday external lumbar drainage (ELD) trial in patients with suspected normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Methods: Inpatients (N = 70) undergoing an ELD trial as part of NPH evaluation participated. Cognition and balance were assessed using standardized measures before and after a three-day ELD trial. Cognitive change pre- to post-ELD trial was assessed in relation to change in balance, baseline neuroimaging findings, NPH symptoms, demographics, and other disease-relevant clinical parameters. Results: Multiday ELD resulted in significant cognitive improvement (particularly on measures of memory and language). This improvement was independent of demographics, test-retest interval, number of medical and psychiatric comorbidities, NPH symptom duration, estimated premorbid intelligence, baseline level of cognitive impairment, cerebrovascular disease burden, degree of ventriculomegaly, or other NPH-related morphological brain alterations. Balance scores evidenced a greater magnitude of improvement than cognitive scores and were weakly, but positively correlated with cognitive change scores. Conclusions: Findings suggest that cognitive improvement associated with a multiday ELD trial can be sufficiently captured with bedside neurocognitive testing. These findings support the utility of neuropsychological consultation, along with balance assessment, in informing clinical decision-making regarding responsiveness to temporary CSF diversion for patients undergoing elective NPH evaluation. Implications for the understanding of neuroanatomical and cognitive underpinnings of NPH are discussed.