Language In Order Research Articles

The comprehension and production of Wh- questions among Malay children with developmental language disorders: Climbing the syntactic tree.

This study is an investigation of both comprehension and production of Wh- questions in Malay-speaking children with a developmental language disorder (DLD). A total of 15 Malay children with DLD (ages 7;0-9;11 years) were tested on a set of Wh- questions (who subject and object, which subject and object), comparing their performance with two control groups [15 age-matched typically developing (TD) children and 15 younger TD language-matched children]. Malay children with DLD showed a clear asymmetry in comprehension of Wh- questions, with a selective impairment for which NP questions compared with who questions. Age-matched controls performed at ceiling in all Wh- questions, while the language-matched group reported a subject/object asymmetry selective for the which NP, as reported in other languages. In production, both children with DLD and younger children showed a preference for questions with in situ Wh- elements, a structure that is allowed in colloquial Malay, but which is not produced by the age-matched TD group. Several non-adult-like strategies were adopted particularly by the children with DLD to avoid complex sentences, including substitution with yes/no echo questions, production of the wrong Wh- question, and use of a generic Wh- element. The study provides an insight on the mastery of Wh- questions in both typical Malay children and children with DLD. Implications for the definition of a clinical marker for DLD in a free word order language with Wh- in situ option will be discussed.

Development of Badminton-specific Footwork Training from Traditional Physical Exercise to Novel Intervention Approaches

<strong>Background:</strong> Badminton has been one of the most popularised sports and physical activities around the globe with documented healthy benefits. Training of badminton footwork could enable rapid movement velocity thus improving the athletic performance. This study was aimed to review the development of badminton footwork training and summarise the different exercise training approaches and resistance training. <strong>Methods:</strong> A systematic search of “badminton footwork” and “exercise training” was conducted in the research articles of both English and Chinese languages in order to review the development of badminton sport, footwork classification and definition, traditionally employed exercise training, and resistance training. <strong>Findings and Implication:</strong> A recent popular exercise training intervention, wearable resistance (WR) training, was mainly introduced and discussed as this approach has been successfully employed in the training of other sports. Being a typical acyclic motion on badminton court, the training of badminton footwork shall consider integrating the WR approach with wearable and adjustable loads. The training intervention may attach incremental loads to either the whole body or regional limbs to practice real-competition movements with high-velocity, thus forming motor adaptation. The adaptation from task-specific training may increase footwork efficiency and transfer to match situation. Future WR research should compare different WR loading configurations from acute and longitudinal analysis, thus forming scientific evidence to support selection and design of training scheme for badminton footwork. Findings may provide implications for the selection of approaches and schemes design for badminton-specific footwork training to improve on-court performance and prevent potential injuries.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: The Twin Primes Conjecture is True in the Standard Model of Peano Arithmetic: Applications of Rasiowa–Sikorski Lemma in Arithmetic (I)

AbstractThe paper is concerned with the old conjecture that there are infinitely many twin primes. In the paper we show that this conjecture is true, that is, it is true in the standard model of arithmetic. The proof is based on Rasiowa–Sikorski Lemma. The key role are played by the derived notion of a Rasiowa–Sikorski set and the method of forcing adjusted to arbitrary first–order languages. This approach was developed in the papers Czelakowski [4, 5]. The central idea consists in constructing an appropriate countable model $$\textbf{A}$$ A of Peano arithmetic by means of a Rasiowa–Sikorski set. This model validates the twin prime conjecture. Since $$\textbf{A}$$ A is elementarily equivalent to the standard model, the conjecture follows. Thus the standard model validates the twin primes conjecture. More generally, it is shown that de Polignac’s conjecture has a positive solution. The paper employs methods borrowed from the contemporary mathematical logic. Such a ’logical’ approach may be viewed as a useful addition to the dominant methodology in number theory based on mathematical analysis.

The relationships between students' comprehension of conversational implicatures and their achievement in reading comprehension.

The most important thing in effective communication is understanding not only what is said, but also why it is said. Therefore, the development of pragmatic competence in another language is essential to be able to communicate effectively. Pragmatic competence plays an important role in enabling interlocutors to work out what is intended by what is said. In this sense, special emphasis should be placed on the pragmatic aspects of language in order to enable language learners to use language appropriately. In this regard, this study aims to investigate whether there is a relationship between students’ comprehension of conversational implicatures and their achievement in reading comprehension. To this end, the data were collected from first-year 122 students at one of the private universities in northern Cyprus with different bachelor’s degrees via the Multiple-Choice Discourse Completion Test (MCDCT) and the reading test. The quantitative data were analysed by means of A Pearson Correlational Analysis, Simple Linear Regression, and Canonical Correlational Analysis. The results of the study revealed that comprehension of conversational implicatures of first-year university students is positively related to their achievement in reading comprehension. Moreover, it has been depicted that among the eight implicature types, topic change, indirect refusal, and disclosure are more related (0.855) to reading comprehension. Therefore, these three implicature types provide the most contribution to the participants’ comprehension of conversational implicatures. As it is, they are more powerful predictors of reading comprehension. In addition to these results, there is only one high positive correlation among the six reading subskills; that is between the subskill to identify ideas and opinions of the writer and the subskill to scan a text to find specific information (0.749). In the light of the findings, this study yields crucial implications for language teachers, material developers, and curriculum designers to take full advantage of these associations for promoting EFL learners’ achievement in reading and comprehension of conversational implicatures in the target language.

EEG analysis based on dynamic visual stimuli

This paper reviews best practices for experimental design and analysis for sign language research using neurophysiological methods, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and other methods with high temporal resolution, as well as identifies methodological challenges in neurophysiological research on natural sign language processing. In particular, we outline the considerations for generating linguistically and physically well-controlled stimuli accounting for 1) the layering of manual and non-manual information at different timescales, 2) possible unknown linguistic and non-linguistic visual cues that can affect processing, 3) variability across linguistic stimuli, and 4) predictive processing. Two specific concerns with regard to the analysis and interpretation of observed event related potential (ERP) effects for dynamic stimuli are discussed in detail. First, we discuss the “trigger/effect assignment problem”, which describes the difficulty of determining the time point for calculating ERPs. This issue is related to the problem of determining the onset of a critical sign (i.e., stimulus onset time), and the lack of clarity as to how the border between lexical (sign) and transitional movement (motion trajectory between individual signs) should be defined. Second, we discuss possible differences in the dynamics within signing that might influence ERP patterns and should be controlled for when creating natural sign language material for ERP studies. In addition, we outline alternative approaches to EEG data analyses for natural signing stimuli, such as the timestamping of continuous EEG with trigger markers for each potentially relevant cue in dynamic stimuli. Throughout the discussion, we present empirical evidence for the need to account for dynamic, multi-channel, and multi-timescale visual signal that characterizes sign languages in order to ensure the ecological validity of neurophysiological research in sign languages.

Developing Academic Spanish in Bilingual Teacher Candidates

Policy makers and education researchers emphasize the need for English learners to develop academic language in order to improve school achievement. However, little work has been done to understand how academic language, conceptualized in English-only environments, is pedagogically relevant for prospective bilingual teachers who have experienced subtractive schooling (Valenzuela, 1996). This article presents a critical interpretive review of studies that explore Spanish development in bilingual teacher candidates who are Heritage Spanish Speakers (HSS). Our analysis of 36 studies found two main obstacles and three types of solutions towards Spanish development in bilingual teacher preparation programs. Obstacles coalesced around structural and ideological dimensions. Solutions pointed to three pathways for Spanish academic language development: content-based instruction, sociolinguistic approaches, and socio-symbolic transformations. Of the 36 articles, 20 aligned with solutions and 16 with obstacles. Our conclusions point to linguistic and cultural factors specific to Spanish-speaking communities in the United States that deserve more careful attention as part of policy-driven pedagogical improvement efforts. Based on our findings, we discuss the ambivalent experiences impinging on bilingual teacher candidates who are HSS, the implications of prevailing decontextualized approaches, and the need to further theorize the construct of academic Spanish.

Translation of Yuri Rozhdestvensky’s 1967 article ‘Language theory and the problem of language development’

The article describes changes in language, which regularly happen after the introduction of new communication technologies, identifying the pattern: repeated changes in ways of creation, replication and conceptualization of language. The article points out that the electronic stage, just like oral, written and printed stages, requires human effort to adjust language to its new environment. The author argues for human agency: language theory consciously formulated to lead the necessary changes. The author proposes a new discipline, language semiotics, which would study the processes of creation and replication in language in order to suggest successful solutions during the turning points, aka crisis situations in language history.

The Cultural Aspect of Learning Environment in Foreign Languages as a Means of Empowering Social and Integrative Attitudes

Due to a rising demand for social and integrative interaction among nations, the cultural and educative role of foreign language learning compatible to a sustainable pedagogy learning environment is a priority to be investigated, especially in countries which are heading toward European integration, like Albania is. This paper addresses the enhancement of formal education curriculum with focus at foreign language in order to meet the needs of learning environment by employing an interactive pedagogy methodology. The instrument used in this research is the Socio-Educative Model, Gardner R.C. (2001) which measures the intensity of the impact that cultural and educative constructs have in students` social and integrative attitudes. On national basis, by a random selection technique the Socio-educative Model presented by Attitude Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) was conducted on a sample size of N=1500. The Likert scale of assessment at a range from (1-6) with code (1) indicating absolute disagreement and (6) absolute agreement to the test statements, was used for the instrument and the results of the data gathered indicated that: English learners have moderate positive attitudes toward foreigners speaking English; the language is marked as a high priority when integration is concerned, and they expressed a very strong interest to learn the English language. Overall, the cultural aspect of learning environment reflects the students` social and integrative attitudes to learning English as a foreign language.

The ordering of relative clauses and determiner phrases in Chinese interlanguage: a multifactorial study

In English, a relative clause (rc) follows the head noun phrase (np). Conversely, the rc in Chinese precedes the head np directly before it or is separated by a determiner phrase (dp). This is uncommon in the subject-verb-object order language and results in two types of constructions. For Chinese as foreign language (cfl) learners, this construction alternation is complex to acquire and is dependent on many factors. This study aims to explore the underlying factors influencing cfl learners’ outer modifier nominal (omn)/inner modifier nominal (imn) alternation and whether they have multiple interactions. A multifactorial exploration of the significant predictors of the omn/imn alternation in Chinese interlanguage data, taken from the International Chinese Interlanguage Corpus, was conducted. Conditional inference trees and random forests were used to analyse the data. The predictors studied consist of head np animacy (HeadNPAnimacy), head np length (HeadNPLength), grammatical roles of head nps in matrix clauses (HeadNPMatRole), grammatical roles of head nps in rcs (HeadNPRelRole), length of rcs (RCLength), types of native languages (NLType), and learners’ Chinese proficiency (CHProficiency). Examinations of omn/imn alternation show predictors’ significant effects in descending order of their effect size: HeadNPRelRole, HeadNPMatRole, RCLength, NLType, and HeadNPAnimacy.

The Growing Role of Humanitarian Knowledge in Modern Conditions: Cultural Values of Antiquity as a Tool of Influence on the Professional Development of the Competencies of Future Medical Specialists and Pharmacists

The article is devoted to the issues of the cultural aspect of teaching the Latin language, optimization, and effectiveness of the study of the Latin language in order to update the methodological paradigm. The relevance of the article is due to the emergence of new priorities of higher medical education, the transition from a qualification approach in professional medical education to a competency-based one, where the emphasis is shifted from the "assimilation of knowledge" to the formation of "competences» that ensure professional terminological literacy of a specialist, as well as the need to find and develop optimal theoretical methods and practical methods, the use of modern innovative technologies and online methods aimed at improving educational outcomes, including in distance learning conditions. The cultural approach to teaching the Latin language is able to give new impulses that will positively influence the spiritual development, upbringing, and training of a new type of specialists - educated, competent, creative individuals who have the skills of self-education and are able to quickly respond to changes in the professional environment.

Pragmatics Based Textbooks: Do They Fulfil the Needs of Teachers and Students?

Secondary students must master not only grammar and text organization, but also pragmatic competence in the target language in order to achieve communication competence. The ability to express meaning beyond language rules is referred to as pragmatic competence. Teachers should provide materials that are appropriate for both the learning goals and needs of the students. This study aimed to determine the types of textbooks that teachers and students require. It was a mixed-methods study with a sample of 41 teachers from Semarang secondary schools. The data were gathered using a Google Form and were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. It was discovered that 56.1% disagreed that the textbooks they used contained situational context and communicative language for everyday use. 61% strongly agreed that to be effective textbooks should use communicative language in everyday situations and introduce various expressions based on the context. There was a significant gap between the types of textbooks required and the textbooks in use at the time. The majority of respondents believed that secondary textbooks or pragmatics-based textbooks should include information on the importance of pragmatics. These needs have not been met by existing textbooks. To summarize, teachers require a gamechanging textbook. The researchers therefore encourage other researchers and educators to create textbooks that can support the students’ expected outcome of being able to communicate comprehensively in English.&#x0D; Keywords: English textbooks, communicative competence, pragmatic analysis, secondary schools

Сравнительный анализ фразеологических единиц с компонентом-зоонимом «домашнее животное» в мордовских и финском языках

The purpose of the study is to identify common and distinctive features of Mordovian and Finnish phraseological units with the zoonym component «domestic animal» based on a comparative study of the characteristics of the studied phraseological units. The relevance of this study is due to the need for a comprehensive study of phraseological units with a zoonym component in the Mordovian (Erzya, Moksha) and Finnish languages in order to identify common and specific features inherent in these linguistic cultures. The obvious insufficiency of studies of phraseological units of the considered thematic group also explains the study of phraseological units, which have zoonymic components in their composition. The object of the study was the phraseological units of the Mordovian and Finnish languages, in which the zoonym component «domestic animal» was identified. Based on the methods of descriptive, comparative, component analysis, as well as the method of continuous sampling, this article highlights the components of the semantic aspect of phraseological units with zoonym components; the dominant images in phraseological units with the seme-zoonym are revealed, the frequency of their use in two languages is analyzed, and the universal and specific phenomena in the Mordovian and Finnish languages are determined. The main material of the study is presented by phraseological units with a zoocomponent in the Mordovian (Erzya and Moksha) and Finnish languages, identified by continuous sampling from explanatory monolingual, bilingual and phraseological dictionaries, as well as texts of fiction and journalistic literature.

Usage of the foreign websites on foreign language practical classes for development of students’ communicative competence

The paper is devoted to considering the usefullness of authentic materials when teaching a foreign language in order to form the communicative competence of students. The author analyzes the concept of authenticity, highlighting its types, states and characteristics, as well as features of the use of authentic materials in the educational process. Classifying foreign official websites of law-enforcement bodies as authentic materials, the author considers them as one of their effective means of forming communicative competence in the absence of a natural linguistic environment. The author developed and methodically substantiated a system of working with authentic materials in the form of foreign official websites of law-enforcement bodies, which was tested in a practical lesson in a foreign language at the Kuzbass Institute of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia. The analysis of the experimental lesson allowed the author to come to conclusions about the feasibility and effectiveness of organizing work with authentic materials on the basis of a methodically developed task to form the communicative competence of students, expand their socio-cultural and professional knowledge and motivate them to study a foreign language.

Vis materiai. The paradigm of the living and the poetics of matter in the De Rerum Natura of Lucretia

The study focuses on some points of the poetics used by Lucretius in the De rerum natura to express the living. The didactic mission claimed by the poet indeed requires the elaboration of a language of a vivid expressiveness and a flawless clarity to transmit the Epicurean doctrine. This is a difficult task when it comes to the birth of the living, which is conceived from inanimate atoms. We examine here the place held by the physiological paradigm through two recurrent motifs on this subject, birth and fluidity. Lucretius proves to be a virtuoso, knowing how to combine all sorts of mechanisms of language and poetic music in order to mobilize the mind of his reader. Building his poetics, he never dissociates his work from the fundamental principles of the doctrine he transmits: such as the concilium and the clinamen. We discover a re-evaluation of the didactic word, where the literary memory constitutes more than an intertext but becomes the material to be recomposed, even inflected, for the benefit of the dogma expounded and in close coherence with it.

Singapore radiographers' perceptions and expectations of artificial intelligence - A qualitative study

IntroductionWith the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical imaging, radiographers are likely to be at the forefront of this technological advancement. Studies have therefore been conducted recently to understand radiographers’ opinions on AI adoption. This study extends that work by using a qualitative approach to further explore radiographers’ knowledge, perceptions, and expectations of AI. MethodSix online focus groups were conducted with 22 radiographers from the three public healthcare clusters in Singapore. They were purposively sampled, and participants were recruited from a broad demographic background with varying years of working experience and designations. The focus group sessions were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was performed on their responses. ResultsParticipants demonstrated limited knowledge of AI. Their perceptions of AI were mixed, recognising its benefits in increasing efficiency and improving patient care, but also aware of its limitations in accuracy and bias. On how patients may perceive AI, participants felt that patients would accept AI if they felt it improves their care but may reject it once they lose trust in it. Expectations wise, participants envisioned several applications in pre-, peri‑, and post-procedural workflows including order vetting, patient positioning, language translation, and artefact removal. On radiographers’ role and career opportunities, some participants see an opportunity for radiographers to specialise in AI, becoming involved in algorithm development and its clinical implementation. DiscussionOur findings suggest that widespread implementation of AI would require limited knowledge amongst radiographers and current AI limitations to be addressed. While radiographers are positively anticipating the integration of AI into their practices, they should also become actively involved in the development of AI tools such that those they envisioned. This would help align optimal use of AI tools and radiographer role changes. Patients’ acceptance and reactions to AI also warrant further research.

DEKONSTRUKSI ANGAN-ANGAN SOSIAL DARI PERSPEKTIF ARKOUN HINGGA AL-JABIRY

In deconstructing social imagination, the author uses the perspectives of Muhammed Arkoun to Al-Jabiry as an effort to dismantle the reason which still has a negative role for the people. The social ideas that must be deconstructed are myths, rituals, ideologies, norms, values, beliefs, and orthodox-dogmatic systems of thought. So to answer it all, for Arkoun it must be deconstructed using social sciences reasoning; philosophy, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and language in order to find an epistemological reality that is more modern, inclusive, and not frozen anymore. While deconstruction for al-Jabiry is used objectivity and rationality. Objectives means to make tradition more contextual with itself, from our present condition, which means to free oneself from apriori assumptions about tradition and the desires of the present, by separating the subject of the study and the object being studied. Meanwhile, rationality is to make the tradition more contextual with our present conditions by connecting the object and subject of the study in order to obtain a holistic reading of the tradition.

Advance care planning in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes

IntroductionOlder patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have worse survival rates compared to younger patients, and experience more intense inpatient healthcare at the end of life (EOL) compared to patients with solid tumors. Advance care planning (ACP) has been shown to limit aggressive and burdensome care at EOL for patients with AML and MDS. The purpose of this study was to better understand ACP from the perspective of clinicians, older patients with AML and MDS, and their caregivers. Materials and MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 45 study participants. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Open coding and focused content analysis were used to organize data and develop and contextualize categories and subcategories. ResultsGuided by our specific aims, we developed four themes: (1) The language of ACP and medical order for life-sustaining treatment (MOLST) does not resonate with patients, (2) There is no uniform consensus on when ACP is currently happening, (3) Oncology clinician-perceived barriers to ACP (e.g., patient discomfort, patient lack of knowledge, and lack of time), and (4) Patients felt that they are balancing fear and hope when navigating their AML or MDS diagnosis. DiscussionThe results of this study can be used to develop interventions to promote serious illness conversations for patients with AML and MDS and their caregivers to ensure that patient care aligns with patient values.

Phonetic typology and articulatory constraints: The realization of secondary articulations in Scottish Gaelic rhotics

Much progress has been made in the last 200 years with regard to understanding the origins and mechanisms of sound change. It is hypothesized that many sound changes originate in biomechanical constraints on speech production or in the misperception of sounds. These production and perception pressures explain a wide range of sound changes across the world’s languages, yet we also know that sound change is not inevitable. For example, similar phonological structures have undergone change in many languages yet remained stable in others. In this study, we examine how typologically unusual contrasts are maintained in the face of intense pressures, in order to uncover the potential biomechanical, perceptual, and sociolinguistic factors that facilitate the maintenance of typologically unusual contrasts. We focus on secondary articulation contrasts in Scottish Gaelic rhotics, triangulating auditory, acoustic, and articulatory data in order to better understand the maintenance of contrast in the face of multidimensional typological challenges. Here, individual-level articulatory strategies are combined with contextual prosodic information in order to maintain acoustic and auditory distinctiveness across three rhotic phonemes. We highlight the need to more comprehensively consider typologically unusual and minority languages in order to test the limits of generalizations about crosslinguistic phonetic typology.

An den Grenzen des Systems: Vom Wert von Psalmenübersetzungen für die Erforschung der mittelniederdeutschen Syntax

Abstract Normally, translated texts are avoided in research into the syntax of older stages of a language in order to avoid erroneous analyses of potential influences from the source language. However, autochthonous texts, too, sometimes raise doubts as to their representativeness for a given stage of the language. The current article aims to see how much independent Middle Low German syntax can be found in two different psalm translations. This serves to ascertain whether translated texts may be valuable in research on Middle Low German syntax after all, particularly as they may contain features that are underrepresented in other genres. It is shown that translated texts can indeed be used to cross-check statements about syntactic features of Middle Low German.

Maternal Filicide: A Review of Psychological and External Demographic Risk Factors

ABSTRACT Filicide is an extreme form of homicide defined as the murder of a child at the hand of their parent. Women who kill are often portrayed in the media as angry, psychopathic, vengeful murderers, and their own experiences are often not included. Understanding filicide is complex; it is a mix of both social and psychological factors. This article focuses on a review of literature from 1961–2020. We also review a classification model which identifies filicidal motives including altruistic, acutely psychotic, unwanted child, accidental, and spouse revenge. Characteristics of filicide victims, including age and gender will also be discussed. Additionally, characteristics of maternal perpetrators, including marital status, education level, feelings of rejection, and exposure to neglect or substance abuse will be explored. This paper also reviews psychological risk factors associated with filicide through highlighting differences between psychotic and non-psychotic female perpetrators Lastly, prevention of filicide, including a focus on providing education of risk factors and appropriate language in order to avoid miscommunication and oversight will be explored.