Native Language Proficiency Research Articles

Uncovering principal factors influencing english performance in Chinese middle school students: a statistical and machine learning approach

This study delves into the predictors of English proficiency among middle school students in China, utilizing the rich dataset provided by the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS). By integrating multilevel modeling and Support Vector Regression (SVR), this research scrutinizes a broad spectrum of factors at the individual, family, class, and school levels. Key predictors identified include students’ native language proficiency (Chinese), cognitive aptitude, perceptions of English difficulty, attitudes toward English teachers, and parental involvement. The findings emphasize the significant impact of individual and family-level variables on English proficiency, highlighting the critical role of these modifiable factors (i.e. individual-level factors, such as students’ native language proficiency and perceptions and attitudes towards the English subject). The comparative analysis demonstrates that while both multilevel models and SVR offer valuable insights, their combined application yields a more comprehensive understanding of the predictors and their interactions. This dual-method approach showcases the potential of integrating multilevel modeling with support vector regression to enhance educational research, thereby informing policy and practice. The study’s insights are vital for developing targeted educational strategies and policies to support bilingual learners in China, ultimately improving language proficiency and educational outcomes.

Types and Predictors of Acculturative Stress Among Multicultural Adolescents in Middle School

Objectives: This study examines how acculturative stress in multicultural adolescents changes during their middle school years and categorizes groups with similar patterns of change. Additionally, the study explores predictive variables influencing these distinct acculturative stress trajectories and verifies how depression and life satisfaction vary according to different patterns of change.Methods: Leveraging data from the Multicultural Adolescent Panel (MAPS 1) conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs across the fourth to sixth waves, the researchers analyzed a cohort of 1,316 participants, including multicultural adolescents and their parents. Logistic regression analysis and ANOVA were employed to investigate potential disparities in growth mixture modeling and acculturative stress latent classes based on predictive factors.Results: Three latent groups of multicultural adolescents’ acculturative stress were identified: low-retention group, persistent increasing group, persistent decrease group. The logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, bicultural acceptance attitude, Korean-language proficiency, foreign parent’s native-language proficiency, parental acculturative stress, and peer support were significantly associated with latent groups. Additionally, significant differences in depression and life satisfaction during the third grade of middle school were observed according to the types of acculturative stress changes.Conclusion: Our study results indicate the need for various support programs aimed at promoting the psychosocial adaptation of multicultural adolescents. These programs should take into account the characteristics and individual differences in acculturative stress and should be implemented at the family level to facilitate social adaptation.

Linguistic Relativity: A Study of the Role of L1 in L2 Vocabulary Acquisition in an EFL Setting

This article investigates the role of mother tongue in mastering foreign language vocabulary, drawing insights from both empirical and existing data sources. The study context consists of 68 students of the English Language Program at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia, whose native language is Arabic and are enrolled in an EFL program. Two distinct tests were administered to gather data for this study to evaluate the interplay between native language proficiency and second language vocabulary acquisition among Saudi EFL learners. Emphasizing the role of bilingual teaching methodologies, the study found that learners who engaged with native language translations demonstrated enhanced vocabulary retention and recall to a significant level when compared with their peers who exclusively studied vocabulary in the target language. In the absence of any other input, this superior performance was attributed to the theory of linguistic relativity, suggesting the cognitive advantage of associating unfamiliar English terms with familiar linguistic constructs from one's primary language. The results compellingly advocate for a more holistic and inclusive pedagogical approach. The study concluded that incorporating native linguistic references in second language instruction not only facilitates more efficient foreign language vocabulary assimilation, but also, recognizes and values the rich linguistic tapestry each learner brings to the educational setting. The results herald a significant shift towards bilingual approaches in EFL settings, especially for educators and curriculum developers aiming for optimal language acquisition outcomes.

Периферийные глаголы в значении движения в хакасском языке: семантика и функционирование

The article analyses the functionality and semantics of the Khakass expressive verbs being on the periphery of the lexico-semantic group of movement. These verbs are common for native speakers’ everyday speech and acquire the meaning of movement when used in a particular context. Their semantics is complex, with emotional, evaluative and figurative elements intersecting and overlapping with each other. The meaning of movement can be acquired in different ways. Firstly, verbs with the meaning of behavior can combine with verbs of movement. Secondly, polysemous verbs can be combined with dependent lexemes of locative semantics. Lastly, onomatopoeic verbs in secondary lexical and semantic versions can be formed by adding the forced voice affix -t-. All these functionalsemantic and grammatical properties contribute to the transition to the category of expressives denoting the subject’s figurative movement. Almost all verbs expressing the subject’s movement in their secondary lexical and semantic versions originate from verbs with neutral semantics. The expressiveness in certain word-formation and combinational models is lexically motivated, with a significant focus on imagery. Despite being frequently used, many of these verbs are missing in lexicographical sources, and for those that are listed, no information on their seme of “movement” is provided. The situation is complicated by contextual ambiguity of expressive words. Given that the abundance of expressive vocabulary in everyday conversation indicates a reliable native language proficiency and guarantees the preservation and development of the Khakass language, further lexicographic projects should take into account all the semantic and expressive nuances.

Phrase parsing in a second language as indexed by the closure positive shift: The impact of language experience and acoustic cue salience.

Despite the importance of prosodic processing in utterance parsing, a majority of studies investigating boundary localization in a second language focus on word segmentation. The goal of the present study was to investigate the parsing of phrase boundaries in first and second languages from different prosodic typologies (stress-timed vs. syllable-timed). Fifty English-French bilingual adults who varied in native language (French or English) and second language proficiency listened to English and French utterances with different prosodic structures while event-related brain potentials were recorded. The utterances were built around target words presented either in phrase-final position (bearing phrase-final lengthening) or in penultimate position. Each participant listened to both English and French stimuli, providing data in their native language (used as reference) and their second language. Target words in phrase-final position elicited closure positive shifts across listeners in both languages, regardless of the language-specific acoustic cues associated with phrase-final lengthening (shorter phrase-final lengthening in English compared to French). Interestingly, directional effects were observed, where learning to parse English as a second language in a native-like manner seemed to require a higher proficiency level than learning to parse French as a second language. This pattern of results supports the idea that L2 listeners need to learn to recognize L2-specific phrase-final lengthening regardless of the apparent similarity across languages and that some language combinations might present greater challenges than others.

Effectiveness of Subtitles in L2 Classrooms: A Meta-Analysis Study

The use of subtitles in language-learning environments has received considerable attention. Nevertheless, conclusive findings have yet to be reached regarding the effectiveness of integrating subtitles into L2 classrooms. This meta-analysis examined the overall effectiveness of subtitles to enhance learners’ L2. A total of 26 experimental studies conducted between 2010 and 2022 were analyzed to examine the performance of L2 classroom learners based on integrating subtitles as a teaching/learning tool, compared to learners who did not use subtitles. A meta-analysis investigated how effect sizes varied depending on L2 skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation), institutional level (school, university, and language institute), participants’ native language (L1), language proficiency, and implementation mode. The results indicated that integrating subtitles into L2 classrooms have a medium effect size (d = 0.69), and the effect sizes of different variables affecting the use of subtitles in language learning are reported. Several pedagogical implications are discussed in light of the findings, which can help promote the successful integration of subtitles in L2 classrooms.

Bilingualism modulates neural efficiency at rest through alpha reactivity

The aim of the present study was to investigate how resting state EEG rhythms reflect attentional processes and bilingual experience. We compared alpha and beta rhythms for monolingual and bilingual young adults in eyes open and eyes closed conditions using EEG measures of frequency power, reactivity, and coherence. Power shows the amount of brain activity at a given frequency band; reactivity indexes the desynchronization of neuronal activity when individuals open their eyes at rest; and coherence indicates the brain regions that have correlated activity. The results showed that bilinguals had similar alpha power as monolinguals in both resting conditions but less alpha reactivity across the whole scalp. There was also more focused activation for bilinguals expressed as more coherence in posterior electrodes, particularly when eyes were opened to direct attention. For beta, there were no group differences in power or reactivity, but there was higher coherence for monolinguals than bilinguals, a pattern consistent with previous literature showing that beta frequency was related to language learning and native language proficiency. These results are in line with a neural efficiency theory and suggest that bilinguals have a more efficient brain for attentional mechanisms than monolinguals at rest.

Impact of Native Language, English Proficiency, and Language Concordance on Interpersonal Care During Evaluation of Acute Coronary Syndrome.

High-quality interpersonal interactions between clinicians and patients can improve communication and reduce health disparities among patients with novice English proficiency (NEP). Yet, little is known about the impact of native language, NEP, and native language concordance on patient on perceptions of interpersonal care in the emergency department (ED). To determine the associations of native language, NEP, and native language concordance with patient perceptions of interpersonal care among patients undergoing evaluation for suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the ED. This prospective cohort study included 1000 patients undergoing evaluation for suspected ACS at an urban ED from 2013 to 2016. English- and Spanish-speaking patients were surveyed to identify native language, English proficiency (classified as advanced, intermediate, or novice), and perceived language of the treating ED clinician. Patient perceptions of interpersonal care were assessed using the Interpersonal Processes of Care (IPC) survey, a validated 18-item tool for assessing social-psychological domains of patient-clinician interactions. IPC scores ≤ 4 were categorized as sub-optimal (range, 1-5). The associations between native language, English proficiency, and native language concordance with sub-optimal communication were assessed using hierarchical logistic regression adjusted for all three language variables, sociodemographic characteristics, and depression. Nine hundred thirty-three patients (48.0% native non-English-speaking, 55.7% Hispanic) completed the IPC; 522 (57.4%) perceived native language concordance. In unadjusted analyses, non-English native language (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.04-1.82) and NEP (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.06-1.98) were associated with sub-optimal communication, whereas language concordance was protective (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.46-0.81). In fully adjusted analyses, only language concordance remained significantly associated with sub-optimal communication (AOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.42-0.93). This study suggests that perceived native language concordance acts as a protective factor for patient-clinician interpersonal care in the acute setting, regardless of native language or English proficiency.

The Attitude of the Lithuanian Translation Market Participants towards Machine Translation and Post-editing

The article presents the results of the research project funded by the Research Council of Lithuania, the aim of which was to find out the attitude of Lithuanian translation market participants – companies and freelance translators – towards machine translation and post-editing. Currently, there is no objective information on the application of machine translation in companies providing translation services in Lithuania or the attitude of translators to machine translated texts and the challenges posed by post-editing as a service. There is also no information on the competences that need to be developed by translators and translation students so that they can adapt to this new reality and work successfully on the market. To reach this aim, two questionnaires were prepared: one for translation companies providing translation services (n1=42) and the other for translators (n2=61), and two surveys were carried out. A qualitative analysis of survey data confirmed that among market participants there is a strong belief that as machine translation programs progress, the importance of competences ensuring quality post-editing will grow rapidly. Among the most important competences for post-editing, both groups of respondents singled out knowledge of text linguistics, native and foreign language proficiency, and knowledge of the field of translation. However, the surveys have also revealed that at least one third of market participants have a negative view toward machine translation and see it as a threat to the quality of translation (agencies) and/or their jobs (translators). It is expected that the conducted research will contribute to the promotion of a more favourable attitude of translators to machine translation technologies and will encourage further research in post-editing in Lithuania.

PEDAGOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR FORMING BILINGUAL MATHEMATICAL COMPETENCE IN BASIC SCHOOL STUDENTS

Introduction. In the process of bilingual education, schoolchildren must not only qualitatively master the content of the subject but also overcome language difficulties. There is a connection between speech and mathematical activities. The essence and structure of bilingual mathematical competence are based on this relationship, allowing bilingual students to effectively acquire knowledge in the conditions of national-Russian bilingualism. We have also proposed ways of forming bilingual mathematical competence focused on developing mathematical speech culture and teaching schoolchildren to use multicultural knowledge. Aim. The article aims to characterize the pedagogical conditions directed at the emergence of bilingual mathematical competence among basic school students (grades 5 to 9) within national-Russian bilingualism. Material and methods. The study relies on theoretical methods of comparative analysis, synthesis, and generalization provided by the scientific and methodological literature on the researched topic. Results and discussion. Works indicating a clear relationship between the language of instruction and the subject of Mathematics were analyzed. The need to take into account the mother tongue of schoolchildren in bilingual education was established. In addition, it was found that the degree of native and Russian language proficiency affects the mathematics achievement of bilingual students. According to the analysis, bilingual education should lead to the emergence of competencies distinguished by a high level of language proficiency and high-quality mastering of the subject. Conclusion. The concept of “bilingual mathematical competence” got a detailed description in the course of the research. This concept combines components of a school subject, languages ( native and Russian), and a component of intercultural communication. The following pedagogical components were described: 1) tasks aimed at mastering terminology, symbols, and graphic images; verbal and logical constructions of the mathematical language; written educational texts; 2) illustrated Yakut-Russian, Russian-Yakut terminological dictionary in mathematics for the 5th and 6th grades, which includes 349 terms and set phrases; 3) bilingual strategies aimed at reducing the linguistic complexity of mathematical problems (by replacing unfamiliar or rare words; changing the passive voice to active verb forms; reducing long names and indications; highlighting individual conditional sentences, or changing the order of the conditional and main sentences; replacing complex questions to simple ones; clarification of abstractions using more specific information); 4) methods and techniques of bilingual teaching of mathematics (consecutive translation, visual aids, immersion teaching, semantization); 5) tasks that contain historical, ethnocultural, and local history materials.

The Use of L1 Metalanguage in L2 Classrooms: The Case for Arabic

With the rise of bilingual and multilingual approaches to teaching a second/foreign language, an overwhelming majority of second language acquisition (SLA) researchers have emphasized the important role of the use of mother tongue (L1) in a second language (L2) class and have argued that the use of L2 positively contributes to the cognitive development of students. However, what aspect of L1 should be used in an L2 class have not been specified explicitly. This study set out to investigate the extent to which teachers believe in the efficacy of the use of L1 metalanguage and the extent to which they use it in their classes in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context of Qatar. The second aim was to assess students’ beliefs regarding the extent to which the use of L1 metalanguage in an L2 class facilitated their learning process. Most importantly, the study aimed to investigate whether there was a discrepancy between students’ expectations and teachers’ agendas regarding the use of L1 metalanguage in L2 classrooms. The hypothesis that underpinned this study was that the use of L1 metalanguage to explain structural concepts in L2 contributed to crosslinguistic and metalinguistic awareness. The study adopted a qualitative approach; two questionnaires were developed, one for students and one for teachers. The questionnaire consisted of 5-point Likert scale statements and questions. Twenty-six undergraduate students and eight teachers participated in the study. The students’ proficiency level in English was elementary. The teachers were recruited on the basis of their native Arabic language proficiency. The findings suggested that both teachers and students viewed the use of Arabic in their English classes positively, and that no substantial discrepancy was observed between the students and the teachers over the issue of the use of Arabic in class. A minor discrepancy was that whereas the teachers were inclined to use Arabic slightly more for the teaching of grammar than the teaching of vocabulary, the students believed that the use of Arabic for learning vocabulary was more beneficial to their learning than it was for learning grammar.

SOURCES OF VARIATION IN SECOND AND NATIVE LANGUAGE SPEAKING PROFICIENCY AMONG COLLEGE-AGED SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS

AbstractWe evaluated external and internal sources of variation in second language (L2) and native language (L1) proficiency among college students. One hundred and twelve native-English L2 learners completed measures of L1 and L2 speaking proficiency, working memory, and cognitive control and provided self-ratings of language exposure and use. When considering learner-external variation, we found that more frequent L2 exposure predicted higher L2 and L1 proficiency, while earlier L2 exposure predicted higher L2 proficiency, but poorer L1 maintenance. L1–L2 distance limited crosslinguistic transfer of print-to-sound mappings. When considering learner-internal variation, we found that L1 and L2 proficiency were highly correlated and that better working memory, but not cognitive control, accounted for additional variance in L2 and L1 proficiency. More frequent L2 exposure was associated with better cognitive control.

Association of Hispanic ethnicity and linguistic acculturation with cardiovascular medication adherence in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Despite a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, Hispanic-Americans have lower rates of CVD-related and all-cause mortality, as well as higher life expectancy than non-Hispanic whites – a phenomenon known as the Hispanic health paradox. However, this survival benefit attenuates with increased acculturation to Western lifestyles, potentially due to adoption of unhealthy behaviors. Accordingly, we assessed whether Hispanic ethnicity and linguistic acculturation, as measured by English proficiency, were associated with nonadherence to cardiovascular medications. We enrolled patients presenting to an academic medical center emergency department with suspected acute coronary syndrome between May 2014 and November 2017. Ethnicity, native language, and English proficiency were self-reported. Cardiovascular medication adherence was assessed using an electronic pill bottle that recorded the date and time of each bottle opening. Generalized linear models with a logit link were used to examine the association of Hispanic ethnicity and English proficiency with daily cardiovascular medication adherence, adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and dosing frequency of the electronically-monitored medication. Among 332 included patients, mean age was 61.68 ± 12.05 years, 43.07% were women, and 62.95% were Hispanic, of whom 80.38% were native Spanish-speakers. Overall, Hispanics had higher odds of medication adherence than non-Hispanics (adjusted OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.16–1.49, p < 0.001). However, among native Spanish-speaking Hispanics, greater English proficiency was associated with lower odds of medication adherence (adjusted OR 0.80 per 1-point increase in English proficiency, 95% CI 0.75–0.86, p < 0.001). Although Hispanics had better medication adherence than non-Hispanics overall, increased linguistic acculturation among native Spanish-speakers was associated with worse adherence behaviors.

Ethnopedagogical practices of preservation and reproduction of the traditional culture of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North and Siberia (the case of Krasnoyarsk region)

Introduction. The relevance of the study is determined by the search for new pedagogical technologies for the formation, preservation and reproduction of traditional cultural values in the socio-cultural space of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North and Siberia. The social transformation processes experienced today by these nations predetermine the need to change the main pedagogical approaches to preservation of their traditional culture. The purpose of the article is the analysis of modern ethnopedagogical practices aimed at formation of favourable educational environment for children belonging to indigenous minorities of the North and Siberia living in Krasnoyarsk region. Materials and methods: 1) fieldwork in places of compact residence of Dolgans, Selkups, Evenks, 2) quantitative analysis of the content of 14 web resources devoted to the traditional culture of Evenks, Dolgans, Selkups; 3) organisation of 12 semi-structured interviews with experts in the field of education and culture of small-numbered indigenous peoples of the North and Siberia; 4) questioning of 650 Evenks living in Krasnoyarsk region; 5) comparative analysis of the factual survey results. Results. A survey of 7 northern settlements of Krasnoyarsk region inhabited by indigenous minorities of the North and Siberia was carried out; the survey revealed a low degree of native language proficiency among the Evenks in the age group under 19 years old (in 1997, the Evenk language was considered native by 6.7% of the Evenks in this group; in 2017, the Evenk language was not deemed by this group participants to be their native language; in 1997, the Russian language was considered to be the native language by 88.2% of the Evenks aged 10 to 19, in 2017 – by 91.7%). Over the 10 years, the share of Evenks who are fluent in the Evenk language decreased twofold (from 31.1% in 1997 to 15.1% in 2017). The overall expert assessment formed through analysis of 12 semi-structured interviews makes it possible to conclude on the change in the ethnopedagogical practices of the indigenous peoples of the North and Siberia in studying the native languages, in connection with “retirement” of the native language from the practice of everyday communication. All of the 12 experts recorded the shift of the educational practices of the indigenous minorities, as to the study of their native languages, to the similar practice involving the mastery of foreign languages. The overwhelming majority of experts (10 out of 12) believe that the observed efficiency of school education in the North and the Arctic is connected with the development of online education and increased availability of federal educational platforms for schoolchildren of northern settlements. Some of the ethnopedagogical practices are being transferred to cyberspace. The traditional culture of the indigenous minorities of the North and Siberia assumes virtual forms characteristic of the modern informational Internet environment.

Социологический анализ владения родным языком у представителей коренных малочисленных народов Севера (на примере г. Сургута)

Социологический анализ владения родным языком у представителей коренных малочисленных народов Севера (на примере г. Сургута)

LANGUAGE COMPETENCE, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR OF TATARS IN TATARSTAN AND THE REGIONS OF SIBERIA

The article uses the state statistical surveys on the native language, Russian and Tatar language proficien-cy and their use in everyday life by Tatars in the regions of Siberia and Tatarstan to assess the trends of language development in present-day Russia. Results of a survey in 2018 in the Republic of Tatarstan confirm the effects of language shift, reflected in the increasing assimilation and downward trends in the language proficiency and the use of the languages of the peoples of Russia.

Bilingual language experience as a multidimensional spectrum: Associations with objective and subjective language proficiency

AbstractDespite the multifactorial space of language experience in which people continuously vary, bilinguals are often dichotomized into ostensibly homogeneous groups. The timing of language exposure (age of acquisition) to a second language (L2) is one well-studied construct that is known to impact language processing, cognitive processing, and brain organization, but recent work shows that current language exposure is also a crucial determinant in these domains. Critically, many indices of bilingual experience are inherently subjective and based on self-report questionnaires. Such measures have been criticized in favor of objective measures of language ability (e.g., naming ability or verbal fluency). Here, we estimate the bilingual experience jointly as a function of multiple continuous aspects of experience, including the timing of language exposure, the amount of L2 exposure across communicative contexts, and language entropy (a flexible measure of language balance) across communicative contexts. The results suggest that current language exposure exhibits distinct but interrelated patterns depending on the socio-experiential context of language usage. They also suggest that, counterintuitively, our sample more accurately self-assesses L2 proficiency than native language proficiency. A precise quantification of the multidimensional nature of bilingualism will enhance the ability of future research to assess language processing, acquisition, and control.

Bilingual Language Experience Shapes Resting-State Brain Rhythms.

An increasing body of research has investigated how bilingual language experience changes brain structure and function, including changes to task-free, or "resting-state" brain connectivity. Such findings provide important evidence about how the brain continues to be shaped by different language experiences throughout the lifespan. The neural effects of bilingual language experience can provide evidence about the additional processing demands placed on the linguistic and/or executive systems by dual-language use. While considerable research has used MRI to examine where these changes occur, such methods cannot reveal the temporal dynamics of functioning brain networks at rest. The current study used data from task-free EEGS to disentangle how the linguistic and cognitive demands of bilingual language use impact brain functioning. Data analyzed from 106 bilinguals and 91 monolinguals revealed that bilinguals had greater alpha power, and significantly greater and broader coherence in the alpha and beta frequency ranges than monolinguals. Follow-up analyses showed that higher alpha was related to language control: more second-language use, higher native-language proficiency, and earlier age of second-language acquisition. Bilateral beta power was related to native-language proficiency, whereas theta was related to native-language proficiency only in left-hemisphere electrodes. The results contribute to our understanding of how the linguistic and cognitive requirements of dual-language use shape intrinsic brain activity, and what the broader implications for information processing may be.

Bulgarians in Russia at the beginning of the XXI century (based on Population Censuses of 2002 - 2010)

The article, based on the data of All-Russia Population Census of 2002-2010, presents general ethnodemographical analysis of changes in the Bulgarian population of Russia. The article looks into the issues of settlement and number of Bulgarian population in Russian regions, as well as their native language proficiency and tendencies of further ethnic development.

Employability of New Immigrants’ Youth Studying in Technical Program in Taiwan

Abstract The purpose of the study is to understand the employability of new immigrants’ youth studying in technical program in Taiwan. A national survey was conducted to explore the employability of new immigrants’ youth from the perspectives of teachers and students. A total of 1,500 questionnaires were distributed to students and 1,171 questionnaires were retrieved. Valid questionnaires totaled 1,098 and accounted for 73.20%; a total of 750 questionnaires were distributed to teachers and 544 questionnaires were retrieved. Valid questionnaires totaled 524 and accounted for 69.87%. The study found that new immigrants’ youth performed best in emotion control ability, followed by personal management ability; new immigrants’ youth performed worst in basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, followed by native language proficiency.