Oral Skills Research Articles

Epigenetics Embedding of Oral Feeding Skill Development in Preterm Infants

Background: Preterm infants face challenges to feed orally, which may lead to failure to thrive. Oral feeding skill development requires intact neurobehaviors. Early life stress results in DNA methylation of NR3C1 and HSD11B2, which may disrupt neurobehaviors. Yet, the extent to which early life stress impairs oral feeding skill development and the biomechanism whereby this occurs remains unknown. Our team is conducting an NIH funded study (K23NR019847, 2022-2024) to address this knowledge gap. Purpose: To describe an ongoing study protocol to determine the extent to which early life stress, reflected by DNA methylation of NR3C1 and HSD11B2 promoter regions, compromises oral feeding skill development. Methods: This protocol employs a longitudinal prospective cohort study. Preterm infants born between 26 and 34 weeks gestational age have been enrolled. We evaluate early life stress, DNA methylation, cortisol reactivity, neurobehaviors, and oral feeding skill development during neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization and at 2-week post-discharge. Results: To date, we have enrolled 70 infants. We have completed the data collection. Currently, we are in the data analysis phase of the study, and expect to disseminate the findings in 2025. Implications for Practice and Research: The findings from this study will serve as a foundation for future clinical and scientific inquiries that support oral feeding and nutrition, reduce post-discharge feeding difficulties and lifelong risk of maladaptive feeding behaviors and poor health outcomes. Findings from this study will also provide further support for the implementation of interventions to minimize stress in the vulnerable preterm infant population.

Twelve-Year Changes in Pre-Schoolers’ Oral Health and Parental Involvement in Children’s Dental Care: Results from Two Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys in Lithuania

Background and objectives: The role of parents and the family in promoting children’s oral health is increasingly acknowledged in the dental literature. This study aimed to investigate twelve-year changes in pre-schoolers’ oral health and parental involvement in children’s dental care using data from two repeated cross-sectional surveys. The objectives were (1) to assess the temporal changes in children’s dental health status and oral health-related behaviours, (2) to examine temporal changes in parental attitudes toward their children’s oral health care, and (3) to analyze the associations between observed changes. Materials and methods: Two identical cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2010/2011 (n = 294) and 2023 (n = 304). In both surveys, parents answered questions regarding their children’s oral health care and completed the 38-item ‘Parental Attitudes toward Children’s Oral Health’ (PACOH) scale, while the dental health of their 3–7-year-old children was clinically assessed. Changes in the examined characteristics were analyzed using general linear models. Results: Significant positive changes (p < 0.001) were observed when comparing the surveys: the dmf-t (decayed, missing, filled teeth) score for deciduous teeth decreased from 5.56 to 3.31; the Silness–Löe Plaque Index decreased from 1.45 to 1.15; the percentage of children brushing their teeth regularly increased from 33.0% to 55.3%; the percentage of parents assisting their child with tooth brushing increased from 19.2% to 85.1%; and regular visits to a children’s dentist increased from 36.4% to 85.1%. Moreover, the study revealed better parental attitudes toward their children’s oral health care, as reflected by a change in the total score of the PACOH scale from 112 to 122. Conclusions: It was concluded that changes in parental attitudes played a crucial role in driving positive trends in oral health-related behaviours, which likely contributed to the improvement of dental health in children. Therefore, understanding and influencing parental attitudes can be essential for promoting good oral health skills and good oral health in young children.

A case study on development of a spiral oral health curriculum for medical students.

Inadequate oral healthcare remains a critical public health issue in children and adults in the US affecting adverse social, psychological, economic, and health outcomes. Medical clinicians have a clear role in addressing oral health issues and improving outcomes. Oral health guidelines for health profession schools were developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) oral health core competencies, and the newer Center for Integration of Primary Care and Oral Health's (CIPCOH) Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). However, the majority of health professional school deans and residency directors in the US report they are not satisfied with the oral health knowledge and skills of their learners at graduation. To address this issue, faculty at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMCMS) have worked for the past decade to develop and implement a true spiral curriculum building on lessons of knowledge, skills, and attitudes throughout the 4-year student experience. The current UMCMS curriculum involves most courses at the medical school, has community-based and interprofessional components, and is taught using multimedia. Most of the curriculum is mandatory with selective opportunities for those in specialty tracks or who are seeking more hands-on training. Our study evaluated the UMCMS curriculum using the AAMC and CIPCOH EPA guidelines. Findings show that all students receive training in 42 of 48 AAMC oral health competencies and seven of seven CIPCOH oral health EPAs with the opportunity to explore oral health further through elective courses. Assessments of students show they perform well and evaluation of the oral health curricula by students are positive. Although our oral health curriculum is robust, the next steps include expanding the evaluation of students to ensure they universally meet competencies. We expect that this case study can serve as a map for creating a generalizable, spiral curriculum for other medical schools.

Ability to Understand German Language Spoken Text Through Musik Media at the German Language Education Studi Program FKIP Unpatti Ambon

Oral-text comprehension is one of the essential conditions that ensure interactive oral communication. Oral texts are not only understood as utterances delivered during oral communication but also in the form of announcements, notifications, discussions through audio media. In German language learning, Hörverstehen material is more focused on oral texts delivered through the media. This study aims to describe whether there is a difference in oral-text comprehension ability before and after using music media in learning. This research is an experiment involving 11 students who attended the B1 Preparation Course at the Pattimura University Language Study Center as participants. The activity began with a pretest and then continued with a treatment using music as a medium and then ended with a post-test. The results analysis show that the application of music as a medium in language learning, especially in understanding spoken text in German, contributes positively to the competence of understanding spoken text. The positive contribution is possible because the application of music in learning can condition two things at once, namely creating joyful learning and habituation of word sounds in song verses in students' hearing. The conclusion is based on the results of statistical calculations which show that the calculation value of t = (5.17) is greater than Ttab (1.81) at a significant level of 0.05. On the basis of this finding, it is hoped that this finding can be used as an alternative in improving the ability to understand German spoken text. Keywords: Oral text comprehension skills, music media, language learning, listening skills

OpenOPAF: An Open Source Multimodal System for Automated Feedback for Oral Presentations

Providing automated feedback that facilitates the practice and acquisition of oral presentation skills has been one of the notable applications of multimodal learning analytics (MmLA). However, the closedness and general unavailability of existing systems have reduced their potential impact and benefits. This work introduces OpenOPAF, an open-source system designed to provide automated multimodal feedback for oral presentations. By leveraging analytics to assess body language, gaze direction, voice volume, articulation speed, filled pauses, and the use of text in visual aids, it provides real-time, actionable information to presenters. Evaluations conducted on OpenOPAF show that it performs similarly, both technically and pedagogically, to existing closed solutions. This system targets practitioners who wish to use it as-is to provide feedback to novice presenters, developers seeking to adapt it for other learning contexts, and researchers interested in experimenting with new feature extraction algorithms and report mechanisms and studying the acquisition of oral presentation skills. This initiative aims to foster a community-driven approach to democratize access to sophisticated analytics tools for oral presentation skill development.

A Study of the Blended Teaching Model for Oral English under the Production-Oriented Approach

Abstract: With the rapid development of the Internet, the blended teaching model has gradually become more and more popular. In response to this trend, this paper explores how to improve college students oral English skills under the blended teaching mode of online and offline. Moreover, Considering that nowadays many students can only understand knowledge but find it difficult to apply knowledge, this research will be guided by the Production-Oriented Approach to explore new ideas for improving students' productive ability. The study selects the first chapter of Book 2 of Fluent Oral English Course (Second Edition) as the teaching content and adopts a blended teaching method, which includes online pre-class warm-ups, a combination of online and offline teaching during class, and online homework submission after class. To be mentioned, the teaching process is structured around the principles of motivation, enabling, and assessment. It is hoped that this research will provide valuable references for future studies on the blended teaching model guided by the Production-Oriented Approach and offer inspiration for enhancing oral English instruction.

Enhancing Cross-Border E-Commerce through Speech Act Theory in Live-streaming Discourse

In the context of globalization and the rise of China's economic and cultural influence, cross-border e-commerce Live-streaming has become a crucial medium for introducing Chinese products to international audiences. This paper aims to investigate the linguistic aspects of these Live-streaming using Speech Act Theory. An experiment was conducted to test the feasibility of applying Speech Act Theory to short video e-commerce live webcasts. The study collected web data on pragmatics and analyzed Chinese-English live stream snippets to compare the use of idioms in both languages. The findings suggest that short video e-commerce livestreaming can effectively be integrated with Speech Act Theory. Foreign Live-streaming can promote Chinese culture, boost national pride and cultural self-confidence, and enhance the oral skills of e-commerce training institutions. The study highlights the importance of linguistic scrutiny in cross-border e-commerce Live-streaming. By fostering a friendly, interactive Live-streaming atmosphere tailored for the target language, the international reach of domestic short video live streams can be increased, showcasing "Made in China" from foreign perspectives.

Oral frailty and its association with systemic health: A narrative review

AbstractThis narrative review examined whether six measures of oral frailty (number of teeth present, chewing ability, articulatory oral motor skills, tongue pressure, difficulty in eating tough foods, and difficulty in swallowing fluids) were associated with an improvement in general health problems in older adults and whether interventions for oral functional decline would improve their general health status. We included longitudinal and intervention studies focusing on these six oral frailty parameters published between 2017 and 2020 in PubMed. The National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Toolkit for Quantitative Research was used to assess methodological quality. Twenty‐five longitudinal and four intervention studies met the eligibility criteria. Among the longitudinal studies, oral frailty (defined as the applicability of three or more of the six parameters) was associated with physical frailty, sarcopenia, need for nursing care, death, nutritional status, and home status; chewing and bite strength were associated with frailty and death; and dysphagia was associated with death. The intervention studies showed that five of the six oral frailty parameters could be improved, except the number of teeth. Further studies must be conducted on treatment methods to promote functional recovery in these five parameters and evaluate their relationship with the general health status.

Describing the Relationship Between Word Decoding, Oral Language, Phonemic Awareness, and the Orthographic Lexicon in the KTEA-3 and WIAT-4

Practitioners are encouraged to apply theories of reading development to psychoeducational test interpretation. Orthographic mapping provides an explanation of the acquisition of sight words. Although many test batteries provide tasks for practitioners to assess reading components associated with orthographic mapping, the relationship among components will vary across batteries and specific task demands that can impact their interpretation by practitioners. This study evaluated the effects of phonemic awareness and oral language skills on various indicators of orthographic mapping competence while controlling for word decoding skills in the standardization samples of the Kaufman Tests of Educational Achievement, 3rd Edition (KTEA-3) and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WIAT-4). The WIAT-4 phonemic awareness subtest’s task demands and relationships between it and some measures of word reading conform to the phonemic proficiency hypothesis. We discuss implications for comprehensive psychoeducational assessment when evaluating student reading development.

我抓在手里捏成棉花糖，什么烦恼不能忘: Learning Mandopop lyrics to promote bilingualism and biliteracy development

ABSTRACT Guided by heritage language and translanguaging theory, this ethnographic case study explores how a young second-generation Chinese American student used Mandopop lyrics to enhance her heritage language learning at home. Over six months, the mother, also the researcher collected 61 audio recordings of the student’s readings and singing of Mandopop, as well as translingual conversations between them. Supplemented with the researcher’s field notes, the analysis revealed significant improvements in the student’s pronunciation, Mandarin word recognition, oral language skills, and vocabulary. These improvements subsequently increased her oral translingual practices. Additionally, discussions about Mandopop lyrics enhanced the student’s higher-level thinking and understanding of her heritage culture. Overall, Mandopop lyrics effectively promote the student’s bilingual and biliteracy development. This study underscores the role of Mandopop lyrics in incorporating deep cultural elements, fostering bilingualism, and enhancing biliteracy. By engaging with Mandopop, the student connects with her heritage culture and improves her linguistic abilities in a meaningful and enjoyable way, highlighting the potential of music as a valuable tool in heritage language education.

Enhancing Language Acquisition in Children from Lower Socioeconomic Backgrounds: The Role of Parental Involvement

Abstract: Early language acquisition is fundamental to a childs future academic success. The development of vocabulary and oral storytelling skills at a young age serves as a strong foundation for later achievements in overall literacy. Disparities in language abilities become apparent by kindergarten and tend to persist throughout a childs educational journey. Therefore, prioritizing early language development is crucial to ensuring that all children could reach their full potential. This literature review examines three effective interventions - the 3Ts Home Visiting Curriculum, Too Small to Fail, and the STELLA curriculum - designed to improve language acquisition and development in children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. It provides brief descriptions of each intervention, analyzes the underlying psychological principles of language acquisition and development, and considers the implications of these global approaches. Parental involvement is crucial in creating and sustaining the success of these programs. Future directions to enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, and inclusivity of language development interventions for targeted children are explored.

“I Have More Courage Now”: Students’ Perceptions of Content Learning and the Development of Their English Self-Concept during the Pre-DP Year

This study investigates students’ (n = 30) experiences of the pre-Diploma Programme (pre-DP) year in Finland. We examined how the students perceived the impact of English-medium teaching on their content learning, how their English self-concept had evolved during the year and what factors had contributed to this. The data were collected by initial and follow-up questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The students’ content learning had become easier during the year. In addition, the students had a relatively strong English self-concept already when entering the pre-DP and it had further strengthened during the year. Oral skills were the area that the students highlighted as having improved the most. Becoming used to using English and peer influence were cited as the main factors contributing to this. The study provides important preliminary insights into students’ experiences of learning through a foreign language in the pre-DP year in relation to content learning and English self-concept.

Impact of teaching modality on soft skill development: Oral health literacy awareness skills assessed using standardized patient experiences.

Health literacy awareness is a crucial skill for health professionals, yet training may be lacking. Didactic lectures may improve health literacy awareness in future health professionals, however, compressed curricula may lead educators to consider the incorporation of eLearning into the delivery of health literacy education. E-modules have been shown to engage learners, yet little is known about their effectiveness in instilling behavioral change in learners' clinical communication skills. This study aimed to shed light on the impact of learning modality on dental students' ability to learn and translate soft skills into clinical settings. An e-module on health literacy awareness was created by the researchers with an equivalent lecture developed. Fifty-six dental students were randomly assigned to a control or intervention cohort (lecture or e-module) and all cohorts participated in standardized patient experiences to be assessed in a simulated but authentic patient care scenario. Pre- and post-intervention scores, simulation scores, and learner reflections were compared. Fifty-six students participated in the study. Post-intervention health literacy awareness knowledge increased for both intervention cohorts. In clinical simulation, intervention cohorts scored significantly higher on nearly all variables, with the lecture cohort scoring consistently better than e-learners. Both lecture and e-learning are effective learning modalities for promoting health literacy awareness, but dental students learning the subject via lecture may translate certain newly acquired soft skills more effectively in clinical scenarios.

To what extent can oracy education and student dialogue support historical thinking skills in Year 7?

Abstract During the course of my teacher training, I have encountered two distinct classroom contexts for oracy: a term that refers to the ability to express oneself in speech. At my first placement school, very few students were willing to answer questions or present arguments in front of their peers. Conversely, the majority of students at my second placement school are keen to demonstrate their knowledge, yet often speak over one another during discussion tasks. In both schools, dialogue is mainly directed towards the teacher; students rarely offer extended answers during lessons, and oral reasoning and argumentation generally take place as a precursor to written work. I therefore wanted to implement a sequence of lessons where the learning was intentionally carried out and measured through student talk and cooperation. In particular, I wanted to examine how far teaching specific oracy skills and providing informal scaffolded opportunities for presentational and exploratory talk can support the development of historical thinking skills in Year 7 (age 11): in other words, students' ability to consider multiple historical perspectives; to appreciate the difference between modern and ancient values; to critically engage with historical terminology, and to present and justify an argument. Students' responses were generally positive and engagement raised. I conclude with further thoughts about future practice.

Pronunciation Challenges of Saudi Female EFL Learners: A Multidimensional Needs Analysis

Mastering English pronunciation poses persistent obstacles for Saudi learners pursuing higher education and careers reliant on strong oral skills. This mixed methods study explores female Saudi university students’ and vocational trainees’ self-reported experiences with pronunciation via questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative findings reveal ongoing segmental and suprasegmental difficulties, with consonant contrasts, vowel distinctions, and stress/rhythm issues most prevalent. Participants emphasize interconnected sociocultural variables influencing development, including class size, technology access, family support, teacher expertise, and learner confidence. Qualitative insights underscore pronunciation as a multifaceted process requiring aligned pedagogical responses. Recommendations center on specialized instructor training, personalized feedback techniques, targeted lessons, and technology integration. By capturing diverse learner perspectives, this research contributes an inclusive examination of needs to advance responsive policies and practices that optimize Saudi females’ pronunciation attainment. Findings affirm pronunciation as a complex yet critical developmental process necessitating comprehensive support structures.

Using TED talks to improve engineering students’ oral skills

This paper deals with the training of undergraduate engineering students and is interdisciplinary in nature. It brings together three distinct aspects of scientific dissemination: the content of an engineering degree; the oral transmission of this content following the effective TED talks model; and the use English as a medium of scientific transmission. The paper highlights the need for trainee Spanish engineers to be able to communicate their work to the public through oral presentations that are brief and entertaining, yet scientifically rigorous. The core of the study consists of an analysis of a particular TED talk that is relevant for a variety of engineering degrees. We conclude that while it is necessary for Spanish engineers to receive specific training at a professional level in oral communication skills, there is a close relationship between the mode of transmission and the subject specific content to be transmitted that needs to be considered carefully. Developing a mastery of English is important, but essential communication skills are the most crucial aspect, regardless of the language of communication.

Effects of an Infant/Toddler Intervention at 1-Year Follow-Up: Sustained Impacts to Preschool Entry

We Learn Together is a 20-week, low-cost infant/toddler school-readiness intervention developed to provide instructional content and supportive tools for teachers to be more explicit and intentional in interactions with children to support early development. Short-term effects were established in a previously published real-world effectiveness randomized controlled trial. In the present quasi-experimental study, we examined the extent to which the effects remained approximately 1 year after the intervention. Because the original control group eventually also got the intervention, we compared mandatory municipal language assessment outcomes of 2,327 children in the treatment group to matched nontreatment children. The intervention effect was maintained at similar magnitudes at the 1-year follow-up for oral language skills (effect sizes = 0.09–0.14), and spillover effects were found for rhyming skills (effect size = 0.12).

The Role of Mediated Learning Environment (MLE) in Improving Students Oral Skills: A Case Study on the Use of Audio-Visual Aids at the Department of English, University of Saba Region

This paper aims to improve the speaking abilities of university students in the Department of English, Faculty of Education, and Faculty of Arts at the University of Saba Region, by implementing a mediated learning environment (MLE) and using audiovisual aids (AVA). The paper utilizes a case-study research design, selecting 50 fourth-level English students from the two faculties as sample subjects. Data for the study was collected using a mixed qualitative-quantitative approach. A structured student questionnaire with 40 items was used, categorized into six fields representing the independent variables: curriculum, staff teachers, students, learning atmosphere, facilities, and university. The data collected were analyzed and discussed using the mediated theory (MT). The results suggest that the inaccessibility and unaffordability of AVA are major challenges that hinder students' improvement in speaking abilities and communication skills. Staff teachers and facilities were found to be the main influencing factors and challenges that hinder students' use of AVA to enhance their oral skills, with average values of 24.11% and 24%, respectively. The study concludes that the use of a mediated learning environment, such as AVA, helps develop students' oral skills and communication, enabling them to speak confidently and actively participate.

Oral interpretation skills among English-majored graduates: A case of those from a university in Vietnam

It is undoubtedly believed that the ability to deliver effective presentations in English is not merely an academic requirement but also a vital skill for success in the professional world. Students who excel in delivering presentations often demonstrate higher levels of critical thinking, research ability, and overall academic achievement. Unfortunately, delivering presentations in English poses a significant challenge for many students, particulary those in non-native English-speaking countries like Viet Nam. Via a mixed-methods approach, the current study investigates the oral consecutive interpretation skills of English-majored graduates from Thu Dau Mot University (TDMU), finding out the challenges faced by these students in oral interpretation, focusing on four key stages: listening and understanding, notetaking, decoding notes, and expressing and reformulating. In the quantitative process, 150 graduates completed a survey questionnaire, providing broad data for statistical analysis. The qualitative process involved direct observations and semistructured interviews with 10 graduates. The observations in real-world settings utilized a structured checklist to assess four critical phases of consecutive interpretation: listening and understanding, note-taking, decoding notes, and reformulating and expressing. Key findings indicate that graduates face significant challenges in each phase. In the listening and understanding phase, difficulties include maintaining focus and comprehending complex content. Note-taking challenges involve developing effective techniques and balancing listening with writing. The note-decoding phase reveals issues with accurately reconstructing messages under time pressure. In the reformulating and expressing phase, graduates struggle with delivering fluent and coherent interpretations, especially under stress. The study highlights the importance of cognitive and memory skills, effective notetaking, stress management, and public speaking abilities in successful interpretation. This research underscores the need for a practical approach to interpreter training that addresses both technical and psychological aspects.

Level of Gamification Instruction in Language, Literacy, and Communication Domains for Kindergarten

This study aimed to assess the level of gamification instruction in language, literacy, and communication domains for kindergarten, in private schools, in a highly urbanized city in Central Philippines during the school year 2023-2024. Data for this descriptive study was collected from 34 kindergarten teachers using a self-made data-gathering instrument that underwent a stringent validity and reliability test with scores of 4.51 and 0.848, respectively. The results reveal that teachers’ level of gamification instruction was generally very high. Subsequent analysis indicated no significant difference in the level of gamification instruction in auditory perception and discrimination, oral language, alphabet knowledge, and study skills when grouped by age, area of concentration, length of service, and number of trainings attended. Meanwhile, a significant difference was observed in auditory perception and discrimination, visual perception discrimination, alphabet knowledge, and study skills when grouped by highest educational attainment. Likewise, there was a significant difference in visual perception and discrimination when grouped by highest educational attainment and length of service. Hence, this study recommends professional development for younger teachers, tailored gamified activities pieces of training, and the creation of a climate conducive to learning in the research environment. Keywords: Gamification Instruction, Language, Literacy, Communication, Kindergarten