Perceptions Of Speakers Research Articles

All Guest Speakers Are Not Created Equal: Diverse Students Require Diverse Speakers

The importance of staying relevant when teaching advertising courses is hardly a new concept, nor is the use of inviting guest speakers to achieve this goal. However, empirically assessing advertising students’ perceptions of guest speakers is an underexplored area. To address this gap and consider the perspectives of diverse student populations, this article analyzes data collected from an introductory advertising course at a large southern Hispanic-serving university ( N = 263). Results indicate students find value in having guest speakers, but not all speakers are created equal, and faculty need to strategically select who they invite and guide the presentation styles. Students prefer knowledgeable and passionate industry professionals as well as alumni who can share personal and industry examples. Gender and racial differences indicate women and Hispanic students have greater interest in learning from guest speakers. Additionally, first-generation (FG) college students demonstrated greater investment in guest speakers than non-FG college students.

On twittizens and city residents

Abstract The present study analyses native speaker perceptions of the differences in the semantic structure of compounds and blends to specify whether the formal differences between compounds and blends are reflected on the semantic level. Viewpoints on blending vary, with some researchers considering it to be an instance of compounding (Kubozono, 1990), while others identify blending as an interim word formation mechanism between compounding and shortening (López Rúa, 2004). The semantic characteristics of English determinative blends and N+N subordinative compounds are compared by evaluating the differences in native speakers’ perceptions of the semantic relationships between constituents of the analysed structures. The results of two web-based experiments demonstrate that readers’ interpretations of both compounds and blends differ in terms of lexical indicators of semantic relations between the elements of these units. The experimental findings indicate that language users’ interpretation of both compounds and blends includes information on semantic relationships. The differences in the effect of the semantic relations on interpretations is likely to be connected to the degree of formal transparency of these units.

Perception of Speech Acts Categories in Donald Trump’s Tweets by Native and Nonnative Speakers of English

Twitter plays an important role in today’s world. Its role among politicians and those who are interested in politics is more obvious. Due to its importance and special characteristics such as character limits, it has drawn the attention of many researchers including linguists and ELT researchers. This study aimed to compare the perceptions of native and nonnative speakers in identifying speech acts in Donald Trump’s tweets. The subjects of this study were nine English native speakers and twenty nonnative English teachers who were Turkish citizens. Thirty- seven tweets of Donald Trump over the course of a week were selected and the participants were asked to identify the speech acts of the tweets based on the speech acts taxonomy by Searle (1976). The analysis of the data revealed that both native and nonnative speakers of English identified the speech acts of the large majority of the tweets very differently. These differences were partly due to lack of enough political as well as background knowledge and partly due to lack of contextual variables.

Swearing and perceptions of the speaker: A discursive approach

Swearing has been shown to affect hearers' perceptions of speakers. Existing studies show mixed effects. Some identify favourable perceptions, including: greater speaker informality, intensity, humour, and credibility. Others show negative outcomes, with swearers perceived as: less competent, intelligent, and trustworthy; and as more aggressive and socially inept than non-swearers. Most existing studies are based on experimental methodologies, typically using constructed data and directly eliciting evaluations. In this paper, using Discursive Psychology principles, I adopt a perspective that is closer to ‘real world’ processes of perception and evaluation. Specifically, I analyse online reader responses to news reports of a celebrity host's swearing during a televised awards event. Here, the data are unelicited, discursively formulated, and produced in response to a concrete swearing example. In the analysis, I examine the meaning frameworks through which the respondents evaluate swearing; and the types of perceptions that they form about the speaker, including his motivations for swearing and his personal characteristics. I demonstrate that: (a) evaluative categories are negotiated in different ways; and (b) evaluations are inextricably linked to existing representations of the speaker, as well as contextualised judgements and expectations. The study highlights the role of socio-pragmatic concerns in swearing and speaker evaluation.

Wolof Terminology: Lexical Morphology and Sociolinguistic Implications

In this paper, we study the lexical morphology of Wolof and tools for terminologization. We focus on prefixes and suffixes. We will apply morphological analysis using the NooJ tool for the identification and extraction of terms from a corpus. We will also discuss the modality of corpus constitution and sources.The lexicon and morphology of Wolof are pretexts for terminological work. Beyond the linguistic aspects, we are interested in the sociolinguistic implications of the development of terminological units in this language. This is part of the general framework of language planning which, to be effective, must be taken into account through a clear and accepted language policy. The social impact covers the fields of scientific and general culture, thus contributing to the vitality of the language, to its social consolidation and to a change in the perception of speakers towards Wolof.Terminologie wolof: morphologie lexicale et implications sociolinguistiques

Parole del cibo in friulano

This paper examines some words related the terminology of food in Friulian. These are mostly words that are more representative of Friulian cuisine according to the perception of the speakers. The words are also examined in a historical-etymological perspective.

Only youxie think it is a nice thing to say: Interpreting scalar items in face-threatening contexts by native Chinese speakers

Language comprehension normally involves going beyond the literal meaning to infer what is meant but not said. One widely studied case is the scalar implicature, i.e. some of the students passed the test implies not all the students passed the test. The present study, by considering both the speaker and the listener as a dyad, investigates native Chinese speakers' use of quantity expressions and recipients' interpretation of speakers' utterances in face-threatening contexts. Results demonstrated varied intentions of being honest or being polite on the speaker's end. Native Chinese speakers even extended the polite intention into situations involving someone who was not present. A systematic divergence was observed in the interpretation of the scalar term youxie (“some”). Recipients tended to accept the scalar inference if they considered youxie as an informative device but to accept the logical interpretation if it was recognized as a polite device. This set of cross-cultural evidence highlights the role of communication and perception of speakers' intentions in the interpretation of scalar items.

Interpreting Accent Marks as Hiatus Indicators: Syllabification Intuitions for io Sequences in US Spanish

This study considers the syllabification perceptions of heritage speakers of Spanish (HSS), second language learners, and monolingual speakers in words with io sequences in order to understand the differences between HSS and the other two groups. Participants completed a reading task and then a listening task in which they indicated the number of syllables in each stimulus perceived. Three different lexical stress patterns were tested: stress on i (like río), stress on o (like pidió), and atonic syllables (like folio). The results show that heritage participants behave like monolinguals with audio stimuli, but in the reading task they interpret orthographic accent marks as indicators that two vowels should be divided into separate syllables. This leads to accurate interpretations of stimuli with stress on i, since Spanish phonology dictates that stressed high vowels are syllabified in hiatus. Atonic syllables, which lack an orthographic accent, are correctly syllabified as diphthongs. However, heritage participants were less accurate with stress on o because they treated these stimuli like those with stress on i. These findings have implications for both linguistic theory and for pedagogy

Where Are You From? An Investigation Into the Intersectionality of Accent Strength and Nationality Status on Perceptions of Nonnative Speakers in Britain

We explore how interpersonal and intergroup perceptions are affected by a nonnative speaker’s accent strength and the status of their home country. When nationality information was absent (Study 1), natives who heard a strong (vs. weak) accent rated the speaker as warmer but immigrants as a group as more threatening. This result was replicated when the speaker’s nationality was familiar (Study 2) but in this study, country status further shaped accent-based perceptions: the strong (vs. weak) accented speaker evoked more positive interpersonal perceptions when her country status was low, but more negative intergroup perceptions when her country status was high. When the status of the speaker’s nationality was manipulated (Study 3), we replicated the interpersonal perceptions found in Study 1 and the intergroup perceptions found in Study 2. Findings support a holistic approach to investigating perceptions of nonnative speakers: one that considers nationality as well as accent strength.

Conversational correlates of rapid social judgments of children and adolescents with and without ASD

ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in social communication, and even children with ASD with preserved language are often perceived as socially awkward. We ask if linguistic patterns are associated with social perceptions of speakers. Twenty-one adolescents with ASD participated in conversations with an adult; each conversation was then rated for the social dimensions of likability, outgoingness, social skilfulness, responsiveness, and fluency. Conversations were analysed for responses to questions, pauses, and acoustic variables. Wide intonation ranges and more pauses within children’s own conversational turn were predictors of more positive social ratings while failure to respond to one’s conversational partner, faster syllable rate, and smaller quantity of speech were negative predictors of social perceptions.

How guest experts tell stories about environmental socio-scientific issues in an undergraduate class

ABSTRACT To broaden perspectives presented in undergraduate courses, instructors often invite guest speakers, yet there is limited research on students’ perceptions of guest speakers and the potential influence they may have on student learning. In this exploratory study, we describe how senior undergraduate students, in a natural resource management capstone course, perceived guest speakers, who were invited to lecture on environmental socio-scientific issues. Through qualitative content analysis (guided by frame theory) of student interviews, student artifacts, and transcripts of lectures, we determined that, compared to other speakers, ‘memorable’ speakers (1) told stories, (2) evoked emotion, and (3) either explained theory only after sharing cases studies or intermittently explained theory while sharing a case (rather than beginning with theoretical explanations followed by case studies). Because storytelling was a consistent theme across the ‘memorable’ speakers, we posit that this instructional strategy can be effective in engaging students. We make recommendations for how instructors can select or prepare guests in interacting with undergraduate students.

Перцептивный компонент семантики имен существительных в восприятии носителей русского языка как родного и тюркско-русских билингвов (на основе психолингвистической базы данных RuWordPerception)

Перцептивный компонент семантики имен существительных в восприятии носителей русского языка как родного и тюркско-русских билингвов (на основе психолингвистической базы данных RuWordPerception)

ESL LEARNERS’ PERCEPTION ON THE USE OF THE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS (GOs) AS CLASS PRESENTATION STRATEGIES

The study scientifically, empirically, and objectively conducted aims at knowing the ESL learners’ perceptions towards the practices of graphic organizers conveniently used as presentation media or strategies in high class activities (a class-presentation task). In order to achieve the aim of the study, the researcher used a quantitative research technique along with its instrument, a questionnaire. The data was collected through applying a questionnaire, and then analyzed in a descriptive statistic method. The results suggest that the perceptions of low English speakers in using graphic organizers as presentation strategies was moderate (M=3.7). Meanwhile, ESL learners owning a good English proficiency perceived the use of graphic organizers as presentation strategies positively (M=4.5). All in all, the use of Graphic Organizers (GOs) as ESL learners’ presentation media or strategies was perceived favorably.

GRAMMATICAL GENDER AND OBJECT PERCEPTION OF ENGLISH-ARABIC BILINGUAL CHILDREN

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of grammatical gender on objects perception. It examined how Arabic grammatical gender system can affect objects’ perception of Arabic native speakers. The sample of the study consisted of ninety eight English-Arabic bilingual children. A cognitive experiment was carried out in order to investigate gender effects (picture similarity task followed by confidence scale). The result of this study revealed that there was no effect of Arabic grammatical gender on object perception of the participants. The study revealed that Arabic-English bilingual speakers end up thinking about objects which are grammatical gender in Arabic as neutral depending on the object’s grammatical gender in their second language. Article visualizations:

Listener Age and Gender Diversity: Effects on Voice-based Perception of Gender

An important clinical outcome of voice masculinization treatments in transmasculine speakers is voice-based perception of gender. Rigorous assessments of voice treatment that utilize ratings of perception of gender typically do not control for demographic characteristics of the listeners. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of listeners' age and gender diversity on voice-based judgments of speaker gender. Speech stimuli were produced by a single transmasculine individual over approximately one year of hormone replacement therapy, during which he experienced significant changes in his voice. Three groups of listeners rated speech stimuli on a visual analog scale with anchors ranging from "definitely male" to "guessing male" to "guessing female" to "definitely female." Listener groups were N=10 cisgender young adults, N=10 cisgender older adults, and N=10 gender diverse individuals. All groups rated the speaker as consistently female through week 14 of hormone replacement therapy and consistently male after week 28. Mean responses of the three groups of listeners were highly correlated (Pearson's correlations all r > 0.97). Given reasonable group sizes, average ratings of gender perception of a transmasculine speaker are not highly influenced by varying listener age and gender minority status.

О ФУНКЦИОНИРОВАНИИ ЯЗЫКОВ В РЕСПУБЛИКЕ КРЫМ (на основе социолингвистического исследования)

The article considers the features of the functioning of languages in the Republic of Crimea at the present stage. On the basis of a field survey, the perceptions of speakers of different languages about the current language situation, about the differences between the legal and actual statuses of languages have been defined. The analysis of the language material allows to establish the direction of the development of the language situation in Crimea. At the present stage, the balanced language policy of the Russian Federation has eliminated a number of contradictions, legislatively consolidated the status of different languages in the Crimea and provided the opportunity to study all native languages (including Russian) in educational organizations of the peninsula.

Ordens e pedidos em língua italiana: um estudo da percepção de falantes nativos e aprendizes brasileiros

O objetivo do estudo é investigar ordens e pedidos em língua italiana, identificando os elementos que caracterizam e diferenciam esses dois atos de fala, a partir da percepção de falantes nativos e aprendizes brasileiros. O instrumento elaborado para a coleta dos dados apresentava aos informantes interações verbais entre falantes nativos de italiano (role plays, gravados em áudio e vídeo, e diálogos extraídos de material cinematográfico), que deveriam ser classificadas como ‘ordem’ ou como ‘pedido’ com uma justificativa para a escolha. Havia também um terceiro campo em aberto (‘outro’). Analisando as respostas de 40 italianos e 40 aprendizes brasileiros, observamos que ordens e pedidos em língua italiana são diferenciados pela estrutura linguística e pelos elementos contextuais que envolvem a interação. A comparação dos resultados não revelou diferenças significativas na classificação dos dois atos de fala por parte de falantes nativos e brasileiros. Contudo, foi possível constatar que, enquanto os informantes italianos recorreram com maior frequência a elementos de tipo pragmático e prosódico para justificar suas respostas, os aprendizes brasileiros se basearam na maior parte dos casos em aspectos de tipo pragmalinguístico.

Language Attitudes and Ethnic Identity: Examining Listener Perceptions of Latvian-Russian Bilingual Speakers

ABSTRACTThis study explored the attitudes of ethnic Latvian listeners towards Latvian–Russian bilinguals. Fifty-seven ethnic Latvians completed an identity questionnaire to obtain estimates of their ethnic beliefs and rated the speech of eight Latvian–Russian bilinguals for personal traits, judged how well social and ethnic labels apply to bilinguals, and expressed behavioral choices based on their experience with bilinguals’ speech. Listeners generally categorized speakers in linguistic terms, rather than by ethnicity, downgrading only ethnic Russians speaking low-level Latvian in ratings of honesty (solidarity) and education (status), but upgrading the same speakers in terms of listener preference for these speakers as potential entrepreneurs. Listeners’ own identity beliefs were moderately associated with their ratings, but only for the evaluations of ethnic Russians speaking Russian. These findings provide insights into Latvian–Russian bilingualism, implicating several processes underlying language attitudes, stemming from the current ethnolinguistic context of Latvia and also potentially from listeners’ difficulty processing low-proficiency speakers.

Perceiving isn't believing: Divergence in levels of sociolinguistic awareness

AbstractThe influence of social knowledge on speech perception is a question of interest to a range of disciplines of language research. This study combines experimental and qualitative approaches to investigate whether the various methodological and disciplinary threads of research on this topic are truly investigating the same phenomenon to provide converging evidence in our understanding of social listening. This study investigates listeners’ perceptions of Spanish and Quechua speakers speaking Spanish in the context of a contact zone between these two languages and their speakers in central Bolivia. The results of a pair of matched-guise vowel discrimination tasks and subsequent interviews demonstrate that what peopleperceive, as measured by experimental tasks, is not necessarily what theybelievethey hear, as reported in narrative responses to interview prompts. Multiple methodological approaches must be employed in order to fully understand the way that we perceive language at diverging levels of sociolinguistic awareness. (Perception, sociophonetics, sociolinguistics, awareness, Andean Spanish)

Evaluating Unconscious Bias: Speaker Introductions at an International Oncology Conference.

In a professional setting, the introduction of female speakers without their professional title may have an impact on the public's perception of the female speaker. We examined how professional titles were used during speakers' introductions at the ASCO Annual Meeting. We conducted a retrospective, observational study of video-archived speaker introductions at the 2017 and 2018 ASCO Annual Meetings. A "professional address" was defined as the professional title followed by the speaker's full name or last name. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with the form of address. Of 2,511 videos reviewed, 781 met inclusion criteria. Female speakers were addressed less often by their professional title compared with male speakers (62% v 81%; P < .001). Males were less likely to use a professional address when introducing female speakers compared with females when introducing male speakers (53% v 80%; P < .01). When women performed speaker introductions, no gender differences in professional address were observed (75% v 82%; P = .13). Female speakers were more likely to be introduced by first name only (17% v 3%; P < .001). Male introducers were more likely to address female speakers by first name only compared with female introducers (24% v 7%; P < .01). In a multivariable regression including gender, degree, academic rank, and geographic location of the speaker's institution, male speakers were more likely to receive a professional address compared with female speakers (odds ratio, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.71 to 3.47; P < .01). When introduced by men, female speakers were less likely to receive a professional address and more likely to be introduced by first name only compared with their male peers.