Proficiency In German Research Articles

Study protocol of an exercise and nutrition intervention for ovarian cancer patients during and after first-line chemotherapy (BENITA) - a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIn ovarian cancer frequently reported side effects are muscle wasting and malnutrition, leading to frailty, decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Both often begin during first-line chemotherapy and develop progressively into a refractory state, if left untreated.MethodPrimary objective is to evaluate effectiveness of a newly developed app-based exercise and nutrition program under non-standardized conditions of clinical routine. We hypothize that patients who receive an individually tailored exercise and nutrition program for six months will have improved physical performance compared to patients who receive usual care. This is a multicenter randomized controlled open-label trial comparing an intervention group receiving a six-month exercise and nutrition intervention and a control group receiving usual care. Primary endpoint is the change in 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) from baseline to T2 (26 weeks after baseline) as a measure of physical functioning. Secondary endpoints include patients’ utilization and adherence to the nutrition program (MEDAS), their malnutrition risk (NRS2002), as well as patients’ HRQoL (see Table 1). Using the two-sample t-test with a two-sided type I error of 5% and 80% power, a medium effect size of Cohen’s d = 0.50 can be demonstrated with a minimum of 128 participants (64 per group). With a conservatively estimated dropout rate of 30%, 182 patients will be recruited. Patients who are included must be over 18 years of age, be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, cancer of fallopian tubes, or peritoneal cancer, FIGO stages II-IV, receive surgery and chemotherapy (adjuvant or neoadjuvant). Exclusion criteria are an ECOG status greater than 2, inadequate proficiency in German, or physical or mental impairments hindering the implementation of the program or execution of study procedures.DiscussionIn case of success, the project contributes in the long term to (i) improving medical care (diagnosis, psychoeducation, patient orientation, and empowerment), (ii) reducing the burden of disease and promoting physical autonomy for patients, and (iii) being incorporated into relevant guidelines.Trial registrationThe study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06250686).

Almanya’da Büyüyen Türk Öğrencilerin Türkçe Konuşmada Yaptıkları Telaffuz Hatalarının İncelenmesi

In the context of the labor migration agreement, the children of the first generation who arrived in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1961 often faced academic failure due to their lack of proficiency in German. Aware of this, the second and third-generation families started speaking predominantly German at home to help their children learn the language better, pushing Turkish to the background. Since speaking is the most common means of communication in society, effective communication largely depends on clear and correct speech. However, due to the phonetic differences between German and Turkish, children often make pronunciation errors when speaking. The aim of this study is to identify the causes of Turkish pronunciation errors among Turkish-origin students raised in Germany and to propose solutions. This research utilizes a case study within a qualitative research framework. Data collection was conducted through observation and interviews, and the data were analyzed using content analysis. In this study, sound recordings from six classrooms in two primary schools 62 students in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany, were examined, and the causes of pronunciation errors, along with suggestions for correcting these errors, were provided. The findings reveal that although children are raised bilingually, they grow up in an environment where German is more dominant than Turkish. As a result, they tend to apply German language rules to Turkish when speaking, leading to pronunciation errors. Additionally, factors such as families speaking with dialects at home, the increase in intercultural marriages, similarities between some German and Turkish words, and differences in the letters of the two languages the number of pronunciation errors increases and contribute to these pronunciation errors. Keywords: Turkish-origin students, bilingualism, speech, pronunciation errors, stress

Speaking French, German and Spanish in Swedish lower secondary school

This study investigates levels of oral proficiency in French, German and Spanish attained by Swedish speaking students in lower secondary school. A total of 122 students performed two tasks: one production task and one interaction task. The oral performances were rated using scales from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The rating was done in successive steps by researchers in the project and external raters. The results show that slightly less than half of the students’ performances were rated at or above the expected proficiency level at the end of lower secondary school (A2.1). While there was no difference in rated levels between the two tasks, the performances by the students of German were significantly more often rated at or above the A2.1 level than the performances by students of French and Spanish. In the article, we discuss the results in relation to the few previous studies available on the topic, as well as some aspects of the learning conditions that might contribute to the interpretation of the results. In addition, certain structural phenomena regarding language education in Sweden are briefly considered in relation to equity at a general level.

TEACHING AND LEARNING BUSINESS GERMAN: DIDACTIC APPROACHES

<p><span>The design of lessons for the Business German subject necessitates adherence to specific didactic parameters to ensure the effectiveness of the learning process. This article elucidates critical factors to contemplate when strategizing and conducting Business German classes. Commencing with a comprehensive needs analysis is pivotal when imparting the technical language of Business German. It is imperative to discern the precise requirements of learners while taking into account their objectives, interests, and professional backgrounds. Subsequently, teaching content and learning objectives can be meticulously outlined. The utilization of is paramount, offering learners insights into the real-world business environment and illustrating the application of technical language within a professional context. Additionally, it is imperative to incorporate intercultural aspects, as Business German is frequently employed within an international framework. Given the ever-evolving nature of the economy, it is vital to ensure that Business German classes remain current. Inclusion of contemporary examples, case studies, and information regarding economic developments is essential to enrich the lessons. This approach provides learners with insights into ongoing trends and challenges in the business world. Consequently, learners can gain a deeper understanding of how terminology is applied in real economic contexts and prepare themselves for the dynamic nature of the business landscape. Through consistent updates to teaching content, learners can also cultivate the skills needed to analyze and critically assess information from diverse sources, thereby continually expanding their proficiency in Business German.</span></p><p><span><strong><span>Keywords: </span></strong><span>Business German, authentic materials, technical Language Business Language, Terminology, Didactics, intercultural communication.</span></span></p>

A socio-psychological analysis of goal-setting when deciding to learn a second language

Abstract This study bridges a gap in the current research on motivation and demotivation learning a second language (L2). It is meant to provide an overview of students’ goal setting when they start to learn an L2 at university level in Australia. Drawing on goal-setting and learning goal orientation constructs (cf. Miller, 2020), goal formation is deconstructed and analysed to throw new light on students’ psychological processes identified at the micro level and the influences on goal setting stemming from the social context at the macro level in which students operate. The interaction between the two levels is explored in order to understand which dynamics lie behind research participants’ desire of gaining proficiency in French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Qualitative data analysis outcomes are shown in an attempt to provide clear and applicable pedagogical suggestions for L2 practitioners (see, e.g., Al-Hoorie et al., 2021).

Israeli‐Jewish immigrants in Germany: An assessment of the destination‐language acquisition model and the role of Holocaust memory

AbstractSince its reunification in 1990, Germany has been the destination of a large number of immigrants from Israel. They chose to settle in a country that is associated with the greatest tragedy in Jewish history, the Holocaust. Furthermore, they were raised in a country in which Holocaust memory and commemoration are major component of group identity. Within this context, the present study uses data from a survey carried out in 2014/2015 among Israeli‐Jewish immigrants in Germany (N = 510) to assess their linguistic adjustment in the new country. Incorporating factors of Holocaust memory (noneconomic incentives) into the model of destination‐language acquisition (MDLA), I ran similar equations for the three uses of language: speaking, reading and writing. Results from the multivariate analysis suggest that Holocaust memory does not inhibit the immigrants' proficiency in the German language. Accordingly, I adapt the indifference hypothesis, centring on maximizing gains and pleasure, and refute the two competing hypotheses, disruption and heightening. Variables of the MDLA—exposure, efficiency and economic incentives, and, especially, duration in the host country and young age at immigration—are significantly associated with proficiency in German; they were able to explain much of the variation in each of the uses of language. In the Discussion, I venture a proposal as to how fluency in German may help to attenuate intergroup tensions.

The linguistic constraints of precision of verbal working memory.

Working memory (WM) precision has received little interest in the verbal WM domain, contrary to the visual WM domain. The aim of this study was to assess the precision with which words can be maintained in verbal WM. A probe-recognition task was used, in which the amount of phonological overlap between target and probe items was varied (25-75%). In Experiment 1, we assessed WM precision in monolingual, French-speaking young adults. In Experiment 2, we assessed WM precision in multilingual speakers with variable levels of language proficiency in German (L1), French (L2), and English (L3) in order to determine the extent to which WM precision is determined by the quality of underlying language representations. In Experiment 1, we observed that WM precision at the single-phoneme level was limited, with recognition performance decreasing considerably for the 75% overlap trials in which the probe and the target differed by a single phoneme. At the same time, recognition performance stayed above chance. In Experiment 2, we showed in multilingual speakers that discrimination accuracy was further reduced when tested in a second language. This study shows that phonological WM precision at the single-phoneme level is limited and furthermore depends upon the precision of the lexical representations in the linguistic system. Overall, this study provides support for theoretical models considering that verbal WM is grounded in the language architecture.

Why are they so similar?

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between (extra)linguistic variables and proficiency in a foreign language. Based on 1,403 secondary school students in Germany (age 12/13 and 14/15), we assess whether proficiency in German, if applicable also Russian or Turkish, cognitive ability, school type, gender, socio-economic status, self-concept, motivation, and self-assessment function differently in predicting English language proficiency when monolingual German learners of English (n = 849) are compared to their bilingual peers (Russian-German: n = 236; Turkish-German: n = 318). Two comprehensive structural equation models capture the multitude of factors influencing foreign language acquisition and contribute to the discussion on multilingual advantages or effects. The results reveal that most variables are statistically significant, but the models function comparably across the three language groups with only minor contrasts regarding effect sizes. We submit that the three language groups are more similar than different and that the heritage languages Russian and Turkish add comparatively little to predicting English language proficiency.

Centenary of epidural anaesthesia.

March 2021 marked the first centenary of the publication of Fidel Pagés Miravé's seminal article Anestesia metamérica in the Revista Española de Cirugía. Pagés' knowledge of Bier and Tuffier's intradural (1889-1900) and Gil Vernet's sacral (1917-1918) techniques played a pivotal role in the development of the epidural anesthesia technique. Fidel Pagés' extensive experience with treating the casualties of armed conflicts, his proficiency in French and German, and his vast knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology lie behind the accuracy with which he describes the different approaches, the different anesthetic solutions, or the different instruments used, and the indications, contraindications and complications associated with his technique. In the centenary of his article, we would like to thank Fidel Pagés' for describing an anesthetic and analgesic technique that has improved the lives of so many patients.

Centenario de la anestesia epidural

March 2021 marked the first centenary of the publication of Fidel Pagés Miravé’s seminal article Anestesia metamérica in the Revista Española de Cirugía. Pagés’ knowledge of Bier and Tuffier's intradural (1889-1900) and Gil Vernet's sacral (1917-1918) techniques played a pivotal role in the development of the epidural anesthesia technique. Fidel Pagés’ extensive experience with treating the casualties of armed conflicts, his proficiency in French and German, and his vast knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology lie behind the accuracy with which he describes the different approaches, the different anesthetic solutions, or the different instruments used, and the indications, contraindications and complications associated with his technique.In the centenary of his article, we would like to thank Fidel Pagés’ for describing an anesthetic and analgesic technique that has improved the lives of so many patients.

„Vocational School is not like a German language course …“ – Young Refugees’ perspectives on Vocational School in Germany

This article deals with young refugee’s experiences at vocational schools in Germany. It focuses on the aspect of language proficiency in German and the challenges that come with entering vocational schools in Germany for language learners. First results are presented on the basis of a qualitative empirical research project in which young refugees attending vocational schools were interviewed. Based on their reports, it is discussed how multilingualism can be dealt with in a way that promotes learning instead of preventing it.

What influences our attitudes? A survey study on attitudes of Polish university students towards German people

This study reports the results of a survey conducted on 121 Polish students at three universities in Szczecin, Wrocław and Lublin. The goal was to examine what young Poles think about Germany and Germans, and to what extent their attitudes towards German people are influenced by factors such as where they live, their level of German, the frequency of contact they have with Germans, and their acquaintances with them. The analysis reveals that while proficiency in German is not significant, other parameters such as frequency of contact or where they live contribute to forming their attitudes.

Learning to speak German: an investigation of the language learning strategies associated with the achievement of higher levels of oral proficiency in German among second year university students

This paper presents a study designed to identify the language learning strategies associated with the achievement of higher levels of oral proficiency in German for one hundred Irish, third level students. The study also investigates the way in which learners achieving higher levels of proficiency use these strategies.

Troubling Signs

This essay argues that any critical engagement with the literary writings of W. G. Sebald requires a thorough understanding of both contemporary German cultural history as well as his largely untranslated critical corpus. I further contend that scholars who lack proficiency in German are disadvantaged because they are barred not only from a wealth of research and scholarship but also from unpublished papers at the German Literary Archives in Marbach. My argument is supported by a case study at the end of the essay that explores an overlooked facet of Sebald’s writing in German—namely, the persistent use of the word Neger, which translates as both “Negro” and “nigger” but has been silently neutralized in English translation.

Deserto: Zwischen den Welten by Luis S. Krausz

Reviewed by: Deserto: Zwischen den Welten by Luis S. Krausz Dagmar C. G. Lorenz Luis S. Krausz, Deserto: Zwischen den Welten. Vienna: Sonderzahl, 2017. 132 pp. Luis Krausz's Deserto offers a highly personal introduction to the Brazilian post-Shoah Austrian-German-Jewish community, and it challenges genre boundaries. This intriguing prose work examines ways in which an extended family copes with the trials of exile and uncovers effects of the Shoah and Nazi persecution in the generation of the grandson. Anecdotes, historical information, and a wealth of cultural insights pertain to the youthful narrator's journey from his native São Paulo to Israel and England. In these different settings he encounters members of his family and the Ashkenazic diaspora. The narrative perspective blends adolescent naiveté and an adult awareness, past and present. In the account the norms of the diaspora society become visible, as do the distinct traditions to which his relatives subscribe—Reform Judaism, Jewish orthodoxy, and secular cosmopolitanism. Not without a transgressive bent, the narrator notes the extraordinary traits of his society from an insider's point of view. His trip enables him to gain distance from Jewish São Paulo with its bourgeois homes hidden behind hedges and the cemetery [End Page 114] of Vila Mariana as the residents' final destination (16). Moving "zwischen den Welten," Krausz's narrator increasingly assumes the role of an affectionate, erudite interpreter. Krausz draws a cultural and historical panorama that extends beyond Central Europe, notably Vienna, into the destroyed world of the shtetl, where the Ashkenazic communities originated. Krausz's earlier novel Verbannung (2011) focused on the formative years of the narrator in Jewish São Paulo, but Deserto suggests an impending departure. The narrator is identified as the grandson of exiles, who, like the author, is beholden to the high culture of Austria and Germany: classical literature, music, and the humanities. To him, Europe represents an unattainable ideal as well as a forbidden fruit. Deserto foregrounds the narrator's travels to Israel and England and the exile milieu in which his relatives live. Like his parents, they escaped National Socialism, and like the Ashkenazim in Brazil, they assimilated themselves superficially while maintaining Jewish values and identity as expressed through their attire, practices, and food as well as a language rooted in pre-Shoah Vienna and Berlin speech. References to post-Enlightenment history and the ideal of Bildung epitomized by Heine, Freud, Zweig, Schnitzler, Mann, and Wassermann establish an intellectual cohesion in Krausz's novel. From German-Jewish literature and his elders' accounts, this Brazil-born grandson has constructed a text-based identification wiTheurope that instilled in him a longing for the mysterious "drüben" and for the past. Integral to this cultural profile are furthermore an appreciation for Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms; proficiency in German and classical languages; and the etiquette of the European bourgeoisie. Krausz also specifies language registers and accents that identify distinct groups within his circles, for instance the "altvertraute Wiener Vorkriegsdeutsch" (95) or the Jewish "Jargon," the Yiddish-accented German that the sixteen-year-old narrator understands but does not speak. For those who can afford it, the lifestyle of the exiles includes a household with maids, tailors, and pastry chefs from the territories of imperial Habsburg, Viennese-style furniture and soups, pastries, meat dishes, even "panierte Schweinsschnitzel" of the cuisine of Old Vienna, and the Jewish delicacies hamantashen, kugel, and tsimmes. In his memory book Die Tante Jolesch oder Der Untergang des Abendlandes in Anekdoten (1975) Friedrich Torberg mourned and celebrated Ashkenazic culture, which he considered forever lost. Krausz subtly revises the notion of finality and replaces it with a notion of diasporic dispersement evident [End Page 115] from the perpetuation but also the repression of Ashkenazic patterns. Cultural cohesion, he suggests, requires transparency as well as taboos, for example, traveling to post-Nazi Austria or Germany or breaking the silence about the Shoah and Eastern Jewish life. Uncle Richard's taboo-breaking but enjoyable trip to the Salzburg Festival is one example. It stands in contrast to Uncle Eugen's avoidance of a collection of Yiddish folk songs and early Zionist dances, which he keeps intact but does not share or...

Relacja pomiędzy poziomem znajomości języka docelowego a wyborem preferowanych struktur gramatycznych i temporalnych oraz perspektywy aspektualnej w przypadku osób niebędących rodzimymi użytkownikami języka angielskiego i niemieckiego

Die Relation zwischen dem zielsprachlichen Niveau und der Wahl der bevorzugten temporalen und grammatikalischen Strukturen sowie der aspektuellen Perspektive bei Nichtmuttersprachlern in Englisch und Deutsch The aim of this article is to examine event construals and aspectual perspective in English and German preferred by the study participants. There are presented and discussed selected theoretical aspects of Second Language Acquisition, such as error analysis, contrastive analysis, fossilization, stabilization and interlanguage, which were taken into consideration in terms of the present study. The research investigates relations between the level of L2 proficiency in English and German and the choice of preferred temporal concepts and grammatical structures among the study participants – non-native adult speakers of both languages. Moreover, it attempts to examine whether the output language (aspectual and non-aspectual) influences the choice of aspectual perspective.

The wage premium from foreign language skills

The globalisation of labour markets makes language skills one of the key competences required by employers nowadays. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the wage premium from the foreign language skills earned by Poles. Poles seem to be a good case study, because the Polish language is not used for international communication and as many as 58% of Poles command at least one foreign language. I use data from three waves (2012–2014) of the Human Capital Balance survey with a pooled sample of about 35,000 individuals. I estimate a wage equation with the Heckman correction for selection to employment and I check for robustness with propensity score matching. I find that the advanced command of a foreign language yields a wage premium of 11% on average. Interestingly, I find a much higher wage premium from proficiency in Spanish (32%), French (22%) or Italian (15%) than from proficiency in English (11%) or German (12%).

Errors of Indefinite Articles Use in German Language Learning: A Case Study Involving Translating Sentences by Level 2 Students of UiTM Cawangan Pulau Pinang

This study was aimed at identifying and analyzing German grammar errors in terms of the use of indefinite articles by Level 2 students for the course, “Introductory German Level II” at Universiti Technologi MARA Cawangan Pulau Pinang. This study is a qualitative study in terms of its design. The research data was obtained from the answers to the writing test submitted by the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and the Bachelor of Electrical Engineering students who were studying German as an elective course. The total number of participants in the study was 27. After identifying, analyzing and comparing the translation errors of indefinite articles from English to German, the study found that there were so many students who made mistakes with using indefinite articles in German where there were 25 students out of the total number of the sample, 27 students. Indirectly, this study identifies the level of proficiency in German particularly with regard to using indefinite articles among students for the course investigated. This study is expected to help German teachers and students improve their German language teaching and learning strategies to become better, easier and more efficient.

Language choices and practices of migrants in Germany

AbstractThe language uses of twenty migrants in Germany who have English in their language repertoires are investigated through semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis. The findings suggest that in occupation-related situations and daily life, these migrants resort to English in situations that are too difficult to handle in German. For most of them this is only temporary, before they have a sufficient command of German. Whether and how well migrants learn German depends on factors such as the planned length of stay, the demand for the language in their professional field, previous migration experiences, and personality. Most of the interviewees had taken language classes and were highly motivated to learn German, as English is not always a viable option for communication in Germany and because they considered proficiency in German a sign of respect. The use of German and English as a lingua franca were the two major mediation strategies, along with language technologies like Google Translate, while some interviewees reported successful use of intercomprehension.

Foreign language teaching and learning in the Netherlands 1500–2000: an overview

ABSTRACTThe Netherlands are quite unique in that the Dutch have always learned various foreign languages. Until 1940, French was the most important foreign language. Between roughly 1870 and 1970, Dutch learners in grammar schools and higher secondary schools were even obliged to learn three foreign languages: French, German and English. Since 1970, however, English has become the first foreign language, and proficiency in French and German has declined. As for methodology, Dutch foreign language teaching/learning (FLT) has always taken a practical stand, in which the question ‘does it work?’ is paramount. This article provides an overview of the developments that have characterised Dutch FLT from approximately 1500 to the present day.