Model Of Language Use Research Articles

The Method of Application of Mini-corposes for the Analysis of Language Variation of Etiquetial Expressions in Bilingual Language Situations in the Sociolinguistic Aspect.

The author examines the process of creating and methodology of applying the mini-corps to solve the problems in the field of language choice learning in the sphere of speech etiquette. The different stages of compiling a mini-corps from the peculiarities of material collection to the construction of theoretical models of language use of speech etiquette are considered. The terminological apparatus of the study is introduced. The features of different methods are compared and the need for a comprehensive approach to compiling a mini-corpus is substantiated. The shortage of corpora for the study of language choice in a bilingual situation is stated. Advantages and disadvantages of the chosen methodology are described. In particular, the necessity of selecting authentic examples of spontaneous speech taken from videos based on the method of non-included observation is pointed out. The place of the mini-corpus technique in the set of methods used in this study is shown. The result is a corpus-based description of the algorithms of speakers' use of etiquette expressions in a particular language under the influence of various configurations of factors and parameters of the social context. It is concluded that this method allows, on the one hand, to obtain the necessary and sufficient material for the analysis, on the other hand, it does not involve the use and processing of a large array of data. The prospect of researching the method is to apply it in other situations of bilingualism in order to complement and correct the theoretical models obtained in the course of the study. Thus, the method of compiling bilingual mini-corps makes it possible to reach the level of generalization of linguistic facts, sufficient to build universal models for interpreting the patterns of language choice of etiquette expressions in bilingualism.

Textbook Series and English O-NET: Alignments of Prepared Knowledge and Secondary School Final Year Assessment

The preparation for English language teaching materials in Thai secondary schools rely primarily on the use of western-published textbooks. Reasons are given by teachers that the books have assured the accuracy of the language (Ulla, 2019), and they provide proper models of language use (Tomlinson, 2008; Ulla, 2019). By using these textbooks, one of the ultimate goals for every school is to prepare students for the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) in the final year of their secondary education (Grade 12). It is therefore interesting to examine whether or not the textbook series equip students with the knowledge and skills of language which align with the secondary school final year assessment. The preliminary investigation of this study (Sritrakarn, 2021) found that the English O-NET test items designed during the years 2016-2019 were partially aligned with the learning domains of the basic education core curriculum. This present study examined further the alignments of the O-NET tests and the school’s equipped knowledge through textbook series. Taking the lens of Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) genre-based approach, the texts and discourses used in the textbook series of one school were compared with those found in the O-NET test items. This paper discusses the findings and the implications of how to prepare the sources of input knowledge for the national assessment.

A grammatico-pragmatic analysis of the because X construction: Private expression within public expression

Background:This article investigates an innovative use of because, calledthe becauseX construction (e.g.,because homework).Quantitative and qualitative researchas well asresearchaboutthehistoricaldevelopmentof the construction have been conducted. The present article aims todeterminewhat motivates the use of the construction. Methods:Based on the data collected from the literature and online sources, the grammar of the becauseX construction is described in detail.Theconstruction is thenanalyzedwithinHirose's (2015) three-tier model of language use. Results:A two-layered expressive structure is proposed:The X-element serves as a private expression, which isaspeaker'sexpression of thoughtwith no intention of communication,whereas the whole construction functions publicly.The private nature of the X-element consistently accounts for thesyntactic categoriesof the X-elementand the restrictions on them observed in the literature. Conclusion:Theproposed two-layered expressive structure reflects a metapragmatic function of the construction. A private, subjective expression embedded in a public expression has the function ofconnectingthe hearerto the speaker, and it accordingly brings about a joint attention effect. With such a function, the proposed structure is effective especially (but not exclusively) in online communication because one can strategically indicate closeness or intimacy to others, particularly in an environment where nonverbal means are difficult to apply.

A grammatico-pragmatic analysis of the because X construction: Private expression within public expression

Background: This article investigates an innovative use of because, called the because X construction (e.g., because homework). Quantitative and qualitative research as well as research about the historical development of the construction have been conducted. The present article aims to determine what motivates the use of the construction. Methods: Based on the data collected from the literature and online sources, the grammar of the because X construction is described in detail. The construction is then analyzed within Hirose’s (2015) three-tier model of language use. Results: A two-layered expressive structure is proposed: The X-element serves as a private expression, which is a speaker’s expression of thought with no intention of communication, whereas the whole construction functions publicly. The private nature of the X-element consistently accounts for the syntactic categories of the X-element and the restrictions on them observed in the literature. Conclusion: The proposed two-layered expressive structure reflects a metapragmatic function of the construction. A private, subjective expression embedded in a public expression has the function of connecting the hearer to the speaker, and it accordingly brings about a joint attention effect. With such a function, the proposed structure is effective especially (but not exclusively) in online communication because one can strategically indicate closeness or intimacy to others, particularly in an environment where nonverbal means are difficult to apply.

Content Analysis and the Social Sciences: Nature, features and uses

Regarding the fact that there are many data analysis methods, this research concerns itself with content analysis which has been increasingly used in research recently. Furthermore, content analysis is seen as one of the main research techniques used to analyse data in the social sciences field. It is interested in analysing data within its specific context. This is, a data analysis method whose importance makes it useful for diferent academic desciplines such as sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, anthropology, literary studies, linguistics, etc. Moreover, it can be done both quantitatively and qualitatively although it has been originally used as a quantitative research method until recent decades. Broadly speaking, content analysis examines communication via texts or transcripts reaching the central aspect of social interaction, and providing insights into complex models of language use. Nevertheless, if we compare the growing body of research conducted on topics of the field of research methodology with research on data analysis, we find that the available literature devotes insufficient room for data analysis in general and content analysis in particular. Thence, the present study attempts to introduce it to students and uncover its merits focussing on its nature, features and uses.

A grammatico-pragmatic analysis of the because X construction: Private expression within public expression

Background: This article investigates an innovative use of because, called the because X construction (e.g., because homework). Quantitative and qualitative research as well as research about the historical development of the construction have been conducted. The present article aims to determine what motivates the use of the construction. Methods: Based on the data collected from the literature and online sources, the grammar of the because X construction is described in detail. The construction is then analyzed within Hirose’s (2015) three-tier model of language use. Results: A two-layered expressive structure is proposed: The X-element serves as a private expression, which is a speaker’s expression of thought with no intention of communication, whereas the whole construction functions publicly. The private nature of the X-element consistently accounts for the syntactic categories of the X-element and the restrictions on them observed in the literature. Conclusion: The proposed two-layered expressive structure reflects a metapragmatic function of the construction. A private, subjective expression embedded in a public expression has the function of connecting the hearer to the speaker, and it accordingly brings about a joint attention effect. With such a function, the proposed structure is effective especially (but not exclusively) in online communication because one can strategically indicate closeness or intimacy to others, particularly in an environment where nonverbal means are difficult to apply.

The time course of speaker-specific language processing

Listeners are sensitive to a speaker's individual language use and generate expectations for particular speakers. It is unclear, however, how such expectations affect online language processing. In the present EEG study, we presented thirty-two participants with auditory sentence stimuli of two speakers. Speakers differed in their use of two particular syntactic structures, easy subject-initial SOV structures and more difficult object-initial OSV structures. One speaker, the SOV-Speaker, had a high proportion of SOV sentences (75%) and a low proportion of OSV sentences (25%), and vice-versa for the OSV-Speaker. Participants were exposed to the speakers' individual language use in a training session followed by a test session on the consecutive day. ERP-results show that early stages of sentence processing are driven by syntactic processing only and are unaffected by speaker-specific expectations. In a late stage, however, an interaction between speaker and syntax information was observed. For the SOV-Speaker condition, the classical P600-effect reflected the effort of processing difficult and unexpected sentence structures. For the OSV-Speaker condition, both structures elicited different responses on frontal electrodes, possibly indexing effort to switch from a local speaker model to a global model of language use. Overall, the study identifies distinct neural mechanisms related to speaker-specific expectations.

MECHANISM ON THE ACQUISITION OF BALINESE LANGUAGE AS A MOTHER TONGUE IN THE MULTILINGUAL COMMUNITY OF DENPASAR

This research focusses on the study of the acquisition of the Balinese language in the multilingual community in Denpasar. One of the most important aspects in biolinguistic diversity is the speakers’ acquisition of their own language (Chomsky, 1965; McNeill 1966 in Brown 2000; Fry, 1979) as well as the surrounding environment of the speakers such as the strategies of the parents in transmitting the language to their children (Romaine, 1999). The speakers in the environment strongly determine and directly influence the acquisition, mastery, and the use of language (Holmes, 2001). This research is conducted to investigate: 1) the mastery and the acquisition of the Balinese language of the parents and that of the children at the pre operation period (Piaget, 1972 in Brown 2000:61) or at the level of “adult like grammar” (Fry, 1979), 2) the strategies used by parents to transmit language to their children, 3) the language/s used by the children in the domains of family, friendship, and education. The study was conducted in four main areas; in the North, South, West, and East Denpasar (see Suastra et al, 2017). The subjects were children between the ages of 4 to 6 years and were in kindergartens. The application of a number of theories such as language acquisition (Chomsky, 1965; McNeill, 1966 in Brown 2000; Fry, 1979), strategies of parents in transmitting language (Romaine, 1999), and language used in domains (Fishman, 1972; Holmes, 2001) are important in the analysis. The correlation of mastery, acquisition, and language use of Balinese by the children produces a model of language use in the multilingual community in Denpasar.

Arfani IMPROVING ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION SKILL THROUGH THUMBELINA AND PINOCCHIO FAIRY TALES

As the objective of EFL teaching is to help students to communicate fluently in the target language, teachers should provide authentic models of language use for every level and age. To hit the target we should focus not only on linguistic, but also on literary and cultural elements. Since fairy tales offer these elements, they are highly beneficial to use in EFL teaching programs, especially for young learners. This objective of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of teaching English pronunciation through fairy tale media. This research was conducted at SMPS PGRI Pondokgede class 8-3. The writer has conducted field research for 1 month. Some data was taken through observation, process, and post-learning and teaching activities. This paper contains ways to improve students’ English pronunciation by providing Thumbelina and Pinocchio fairy tales. The result of this study indicated that: (1) teaching English pronunciation trough fairy tale is effective to increase students’ pronunciation (2) students become easier to understand the subject matter and increase their English vocabulary, and (3) students become more active and confident when reading texts or fairy tales by showing good pronunciation.

Художествени текстове в чуждоезиковото обучение. (Върху Language trainer O. Henry (abridged). Short stories and six tests)

Using literature in English language training provides a large number of advantages for learners such as developing their reading skills, contributing to better understanding of the foreign language, and providing an authentic model of language use. Combining reading with practice tests developed on the basis of the plotline, vocabulary, and grammar exhibited in each story can produce numerous benefits for foreign language learners and it is an effective tool for consolidating knowledge and developing skills to use the foreign language in different situations. The Language Trainer series published by Koala Press implements the idea of combining literary texts with tests designed to consolidate the learners’ knowledge of the specific vocabulary and grammar used in them. A number of books have already been published in this series, among which is O. HENRY (ABRIDGED). SHORT STORIES AND SIX TESTS. It is intended for anyone learning English who wants to improve their knowledge and skills in English.

ТРАДИЦИИ ГУМАНИСТИЧЕСКОЙ ЭПИСТОЛОГРАФИИ В ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЙ ПРОЗЕ АЛЕКСАНДРА ИЛЬЯНЕНА

The online prose of Alexander Ilyanen, recognized as one of the most significant experiments of Russian literature today, is not only a reflection on the possibilities of writing and utterance, but also an experience of rewriting of written forms. Recent prose of Ilyanen is a kind of philological observation of the usability of different types of writing to assemble a meaningful statement about the current quarantine situation. Correlation of these types of writing with the usual genres is not relevant, even introducing general framework of the novel and drama. Renaissance Italian epistolography as a way of producing situations, rather than roman à clef, clarifies Ilyanen’s prose strategies. A detailed analysis of the Renaissance letters by Poggio proves that he did not affirm the new model of language use, reviving the Cicero ideal, but he controlled effects of writing and biography, to improve official policy. The irony, intrigues, hints, social designing in these letters anticipate the tactics of professional blogging by eminent writers, but differ in responsibility for political decisions of both authors and persons mentioned.

Computational Psycholinguistics

Computational Psycholinguistics

DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH FAIRY TALES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

As the objective of EFL teaching is to help students to communicate fluently in the target language, teachers should provide authentic models of language use for every level and age. To hit the target we should focus not only on linguistic, but also on literary and cultural elements. Since fairy tales offer these elements, they are highly beneficial to use in EFL teaching programs, especially for young learners.It should be taken into consideration that the selection of fairy tales should be done in reference to the course objective, the learners’ age and the story content. Since every teaching situation is unique, the use of every single piece of fairy tale varies from class to class and from teacher to teacher. But, anyhow, using fairy tales in Elementary English courses as literary works tends to improve communicative competence and provide a springboard for the development of critical thinking and aesthetic appreciation. It is advantageous for many benefits, like cultural enrichment, language advancement, higher-order thinking, and many more. To accomplish the following purpose, there is a great significance given to the methodology and strategies to teaching English through Fairy Tales.

World Englishes in professional communication

AbstractCommunication in international professional contexts, whether in spoken, written, or digital form, often involves participants from a variety of contexts in terms of variations in their use of language and cultural norms, discourse strategies, and expectations of participating members of specific professional communities, and as such, invariably reflects a multi‐norm rather than a mono‐norm native model of language use. However, very little attention has been paid either in world Englishes (WE) or discourse analytical studies to communication in professional practice, in particular with a focus on text‐external contextual factors. The major emphasis has so far been on the analysis of textualisation of discourse. Drawing on recent insights from critical genre analysis (Bhatia, 2017), I would like to argue that discursive data from professional practice provides additional support and convincing argument in favour of Kachru's (1985, p. 30) call for multi‐norm standards in international communication and for a need to consider ‘new paradigms and perspectives for linguistics and pedagogical research’ in national as well as international contexts.

LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS

As a perspective, it seems that the main objective of EFL teaching is to facilitate a fluent communication on the target language. This makes many facilitators believe that an ELF class should focus on mastering linguistic components only. But the main concern of EFL facilitators should be to help learners acquire communicative competence. So, As obvious, the recent trend in EFL teaching indicates necessity of blending literature approach for its rich potential to provide an authentic model of language use. Theoretically, using of literature in language teaching is very advantageous. This paper will review some ideas and research regarding the importance of literature in language classes. It will show how students are enhanced of learning through literature as an impact of the motivational texts. The purpose of this paper is to familiarize language teachers with the effectiveness of using literary contents and to teach how to exploit the text for enhancing student’s skills. It will also look for scopes of methodological innovation within teaching language through literary texts. It will include a lesson plan for young learners of an English medium school of Bangladesh where literature is used in language classes to blend all the skills of learning. It will also provide the potentials and challenges toward using literature as a resource for language teaching.

Reconsidering the role of language in medicine

BackgroundDespite an expansive literature on communication in medicine, the role of language is dealt with mostly indirectly. Recently, narrative medicine has emerged as a strategy to improve doctor-patient communication and integrate patient perspectives. However, even in this field which is predicated on language use, scholars have not specifically reflected on how language functions in medicine.MethodsIn this theoretical paper, the authors consider how different models of language use, which have been proposed in the philosophical literature, might be applied to communication in medicine. In particular, the authors contrast the traditional, indexical thesis of language with new models that focus on interpretation instead of standardization.ResultsThe authors demonstrate how paying close attention to the role of language in medicine provides a philosophical foundation for supporting recent changes in doctor-patient communication. In particular, interpretive models are at the foundation of new approaches such as narrative medicine, that emphasize listening to patient stories, rather than merely collecting information.ConclusionUltimately, debates regarding the role of language which have largely resided in non-medical literatures, have important implications for describing communication in medicine. In particular, interpretive models of language use provide an important rationale for facilitating a more robust dialogue between doctors and patients.

Multilingual examinations: towards a schema of politicization of language in end of high school examinations in sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT In many countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the release of each year’s results for the end of high school examinations heralds an annual ritual of public commentary on the poor state of national education systems. However, the exoglossic/monolingual language regime for these examinations is infrequently acknowledged as contributing to the dismal performance of students. Even less attended to is the manner in which the language of examinations, through shaping students’ performances, may be exacerbating social inequalities. This article politicizes the language of examinations in the region in the hope of generating policy and research interest in what is arguably an insidious source of inequality. The article makes three arguments. Firstly, it is argued that current exoglossic/monolingual practices in these examinations constitute a set of sociolinguistic aberrations, with demonstrable negative effects on students’ performance. Secondly, it is argued that the gravity of these paradoxical sociolinguistic disarticulations is better appreciated when their social ramifications are viewed in terms of structural violence and social inequality. Thirdly, in considering how to evolve a more socially equitable examination language regime, it is argued that the notion of consequential validity in testing positions translanguaging as a more ecologically valid model of language use in examinations.

The Impact of the CEFR on Teaching and Testing English in the Local Context

The paper presents communicative language teaching and testing in Slovakia. In the late 1990s, Slovakia as many other Central and Eastern European countries being involved in piloting the first draft of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (2001) started the reform of the school-leaving examination to change the traditional approach of testing structural aspects of foreign languages. The reform was induced by foreign language teachers who were not satisfied with the imbalance between teaching and testing as using books published in Great Britain changed their attitude to teaching. Based on a long-term study, the author of the article will discuss problematic issues concerning the changes in teaching and testing, focusing on the impact of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its model of language use. The article underlines the importance of being familiar with CEFR descriptors and illustrative samples in order to implement the CEFR effectively. The study reveals the extent to which the CEFR has generated change and how the framework might be further exploited to improve the effectiveness of teaching and testing English.

Using Short Stories in Reading Skills Class

Using literature to teach language has several advantages such as contributing to a better linguistic understanding, a development of creative skills, an authentic model of language use with its rich potential (Ramsaran, 1983; Collie & Slater, 1987). Short story seems to be the most suitable one since it is short, and aims at giving a ⿿single effect⿿, there is usually one plot, a few characters; there is no detailed description of setting. Also, research on short stories in EFL classrooms state that they can be a good indicator of increased motivation, increased interest in reading and improved reading skills (Vural, 2013; Saka, 2014; Pardede, 2011). This study aims to find out the thoughts and attitudes of the first year students in Bulent Ecevit University English Language and Literature Department towards the short stories covered in Reading Skills course in 2015- 2016 fall term. The data gathered via a questionnaire was analyzed using frequency tests. The results indicated that studying short stories has a number of benefits for the students such as broadening their perspectives, enabling them to think about the reasons rather than the result, showing them different life styles, providing them with a comparison between their own culture and other cultures, increasing their appreciation for literature and making them read more short stories.

Semantic values as latent parameters: Surprising few & many

Based on a concrete proposal for the semantics of vague quantifiers few and many suggests unspecified parameters which are hard to assess by introspection, we argue for the potential value of data-oriented computational modeling. We demonstrate how semantic values can be estimated from experimental data and a probabilistic model of language use.