Reading Passages Research Articles

Articulatory working space in first and second languages

Articulatory working space (acoustic and kinematic) is often studied to understand the overall size (limits) of a speaker’s articulatory behaviors. For example, prior research has shown that the magnitude of articulators’ movement (e.g., maximum tongue advancement, lip aperture) changes as a function of speech effort (loud, clear, and slow speech). To better understand second language acquisition in adults (i.e., articulatory working space determined by the language or anatomical differences), we compare both acoustic and kinematic working space of adult learners of English between their first language (L1) and second language (L2), which is also compared with that of native speakers of English. Specifically, the articulatory convex hull is measured during passage reading for both acoustic (F1 and F2 trajectories) and kinematic (tongue trajectories on x- and y-dimensions) data. Participants include 11 adult learners of English (four men and seven women) with a Korean language background and 10 adult L1 speakers of English (six men and four women). In the presentation, the findings will be discussed to address whether articulatory space is (1) different between native and nonnative languages (determined by linguistic needs) or (2) rather a constant articulatory characteristic of speakers between the languages, regardless of the speaker’s English proficiency.

북한 공장대학교 영어교과서 읽기지문에 대한 코퍼스 기반 분석

This paper aims to analyze reading passages found in an English textbook used at Factory College in North Korea and examine the characteristics of English education for adults, particularly “learning while working system” implemented in North Korea. To investigate the linguistic properties; lexical frequency(high frequency vocabulary, keywords, and 4gram) and readability(measured by FKGL and FRE), this corpus-based analysis was conducted with Wordsmith, AntConc and Readable. The findings demonstrate frequent appearance of science and technology terms, and their frequent description. This confirms that North Korea attempts to connect education with industrial sites by combining English and technical education. In addition, as a result of analyzing vocabulary diversity and readability, it was found that the level of difficulty increased rapidly compared to high school English textbooks. The vocabulary appeared less varied than English reading passages of Korean SAT and readability showed a similar level.

An Analytical Study of Assimilation in English Reading Texts

Abstract This study is concerned with analysing of assimilation as an English co-articulated phenomenon in a selected reading course assigned for Iraqi students in order to enhance the Iraqi ESL learners understanding of variety of English reading skills as well as phonology which is one of the bases of effective and successful reading. The aim of this paper is to help students overcome their problems through reading, listening and fluently pronouncing assimilated words in connected speech of English utterances for successful interaction and minimizing the Iraqi ESL students’ foreign accent. The collected data are the soundtracks of 14 reading passages taken from “Intermediate-Select Readings” /Second Edition by Linda Lee & Erik Gundersen as a second year reading textbook at the College of Languages / University of Kufa. The study analysed the data under scrutiny and found that the reciprocal assimilation is not as it is defined as adjacent sounds having mutual influence on each other to produce a third new fused sound, some features are copied just by one of them. It was also revealed that germination mostly occurs in complete assimilation when consonants in sequence are homorganic (the consonants have two features in common, manner of articulation and phonation). Since manner of articulation feature is existed in both sounds, the third place of articulation feature is copied automatically from the adjacent sound. Keywords: Assimilation, Germination, Voicing, Place, Manner, Regressive, Progressive

Perpetually preoccupied: Applying interference framework to understand the effects of smartphone use and vibrations on an academic task

AbstractSmartphones are useful—albeit disruptive—devices. Cognitive control research conceptualizes smartphone disruption as external interference. Actively using a smartphone and hearing smartphone notifications while trying to accomplish a goal can impair performance. In the current project, performance was compared across these contexts. Participants were presented with reading passages and retention was assessed through a quiz. The reading portion was completed without interference (control), while a hidden smartphone vibrated, or while participants responded to text messages. Participants in the interference conditions performed equally poor and worse than those in the control condition. Completion time followed a different pattern. Participants in the vibration condition took longer to complete the quiz than those in the texting condition but did not differ from those in the control condition. Results are situated in Clapp and Gazzaley's (2012) interference framework and suggest that smartphone vibrations are an external stimulus that can trigger internal interference.

Lexical Coverage Required for Minimal and Optimal Levels of Reading Comprehension in the English Tests of the Higher Education Institutions Examination

The current research investigates the lexical coverage of reading passages required for achieving the minimal and optimal levels of reading comprehension in a foreign language. More specifically, the aim of the study is to identify the word frequency bands within the reading passages in the English tests of The Higher Education Institutions Examination that surpass the 95% and 98% lexical coverage thresholds needed for minimal and optimal reading comprehension. Fifty reading passages in the exams held in the last decade (2012-2021) were analyzed in the Compleat Web VP system to determine their lexical coverage. The results indicate that when the reading passages are analyzed separately, the vocabulary needed for minimal reading comprehension varies between 2,000 and 18,000 word families. Similarly, the vocabulary required to achieve an optimal level of reading comprehension ranges from 3,000 to 18,000 word families. In addition, upon analyzing reading passages grouped by year, it becomes evident that the word families necessary for achieving minimal and optimal levels of reading comprehension are found in the 4K and 8K word frequency bands, respectively. These findings suggest that when developing a curriculum for the entire high school period, emphasis should be placed on teaching the most frequent 8,000 word families to avoid inconsistency between taught and tested vocabulary. Furthermore, given the substantial number of word families to be addressed, it is important to establish opportunities for both intentional and incidental vocabulary teaching methods. Moreover, it is essential to acquaint learners with vocabulary learning strategies that enable them to acquire vocabulary indirectly.

한국어 교재 어미 출현 분포의 정보학

The purpose of this study is to find and discuss linguistics implications that can be found in the distribution of endings in Korean textbooks through quantitative analysis of listening and reading passages in Korean textbooks. Through this work, we will have more meaningful information about the distributional characteristics of the appearance of endings in Korean textbooks, and it is expected that this information can be used as an objective basis for seeking improvements in Korean textbooks. This study used Korean textbooks published by Seoul National University as analysis data. Python was used as an analysis tool. The kkma morpheme analyzer included in the konlpy package was used. For analysis, functions such as ‘kkma.sentences()’, ‘kkma.morphos()’, ‘kkma.pos()’, and ‘len()’ were applied. I went through the process of configuring it as a data frame using the pandas library. Through this process, it was possible to know the characteristics of the type frequency and appearance frequency of final endings, pre-final endings, conjunctive endings, and function-converting endings in listening and reading passages, respectively. In addition, the necessary items for the kkma morpheme analyzer to perform more appropriate endings analysis were also mentioned.

Is seeing believing?

Abstract This study compares the effects of visual and oral corrective feedback (CF) on L2 pronunciation development. While many studies have investigated the effects of oral CF for various types of L2 learner productions (Li, 2010; Mackey & Goo, 2007), research in visual biofeedback is still developing (Antolík et al., 2019; Gick, et al., 2008). In this study, 21 Japanese learners of English were divided into two groups: an oral CF group and a visual (ultrasound) CF group where participants received either oral or visual feedback on task-essential pronunciations of English /l/ and /r/ after induced communication breakdowns in task-based interactions. Development, determined by accuracy ratings of /l/ and /r/ productions and comprehensibly ratings of phrases from reading passages by naïve raters, was examined pre and post participation in task-based interactions. Introspective reports in the form of stimulated recall interviews assessed learners’ noticing of visual and oral CF and provided qualitative evaluations of the utility of ultrasound imaging for improving pronunciation. Findings uncovered gains for the group who received biofeedback using ultrasound on a story reading task, but not a word list task, when compared with learners who only received oral CF. The training was positively received by participants with those in the ultrasound group finding use of the ultrasound motivating and useful for their production of /r/ and /l/.

Assessing the Students’ Use of Cohesive Devices in Writing Hortatory Exposition Text

This research began in the challenging of writing Hortatory Exposition Text, faced by students, especially second language learners in academic settings. Despite writing's crucial role in analysis and communication, limited structured practice leads to incoherent expression. Qualitative descriptive was applied to analyze the use of cohesive devices proposed by Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) theory. The object of this research were fifteen students of SMA Kesatrian 2 Semarang. The students’ texts were analyzed by using Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) theory. The findings show 336 grammatical and 138 lexical cohesions in the reading passages. The grammatical consisted of 170 (35.9%) references, 3 (0.6%) substitutions, 28 (5.9%) ellipses, and 135 (28.5%) conjunctions and the lexical cohesion consisted of 82 reiterations (17.3%) and 56 (11.8%) collocations. Hopefully, this research offers insights, particularly to English teachers, enhancing their ESL teaching approaches and addressing students' challenges more effectively.

The Rot of the Bones: A New Analysis of קנאה (“Envy/Jealousy”) in the Hebrew Bible

Abstract This article reassesses the expression of jealousy and envy in the Hebrew Bible as well as their ethical status. Through a systematic analysis of the Hebrew root קנא, I argue that קנאה arises exclusively in scenarios involving a relative loss in status to a rival and that its closest English counterparts are therefore envy and jealousy. While some sort of link between קנאה and envy/jealousy is widely acknowledged, communis opinio has it that קנאה in the Bible regularly refers to other emotions and states, from anger and fury, to devotion and love, to vaguer feelings of passion, emotional excitement, zeal, or the desire for vengeance. Likewise, קנאה is widely considered to be ethically neutral—an emotion that might be positive or negative, good or bad. I challenge these views through new readings of several passages (esp. Song 8:6, Prov 14:30, Num 11:29, 2 Sam 21:1–2) and close with a brief discussion of the significance of these findings for biblical theology, religious zealotry, and the lexical expression of jealousy in cultures that evolved in contact with the Hebrew Bible and its translations.

Kant über das Satanisch-Böse

Abstract According to Kant, men cannot do evil for the sake of evil. A satanic act of resistance against the moral law is impossible, and therefore the idea of ultimate evil is called a “mere idea”. However, it isn’t impossible to realize the idea of satanic evil, as is widely thought: the idea of ultimate evil can be fully realized by the everyday evil of men, as if they were ultimately evil. Kant exposes this structure within his Doctrine of Right (1797) as an extension of his philosophy of radical evil, presented in Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (1793). This interpretation will be developed in a close reading of the crucial passage – where it is the revolutionizing people of France who are held responsible for having realized the idea of satanic evil.

Effect of clear speech on acoustic measures of dysprosody in Parkinson disease for different reading tasks

Purpose The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of clear speech instruction on acoustic measures of dysprosody between reading passages of differing linguistic content for speakers with and without Parkinson Disease (PD). Method Ten speakers with PD and 10 controls served as participants and read five simple and three standard reading stimuli twice. First, speakers read habitually and then following clear speech instruction. Acoustic measures of fundamental frequency variation (semitone standard deviation, STSD), articulation rate, and between-complex pause durations were calculated. Result Results indicated speakers with PD exhibited less fundamental frequency variation than controls across reading stimuli and instructions. All speakers exhibited lower STSD and longer between-complex pause durations for the standard compared to simple reading stimuli. For clear speech, all speakers reduced articulation rate and increased between-complex pause durations in both simple and standard reading stimuli. However, speakers with PD exhibited a significantly less robust reduction in articulation rate for clear speech than control speakers for all reading stimuli. Conclusion Linguistic content of reading stimuli contributes to differences in fundamental frequency variation and pause duration for all speakers. All speakers reduced articulation rate for clear speech compared to habitual instruction, but speakers with PD did so to a lesser extent than controls. Linguistic content of reading stimuli to examine dysprosody in PD should be considered for clinical application.

Utilizing speech analysis to differentiate progressive supranuclear palsy from Parkinson's disease

IntroductionDistinguishing Parkinson's disease (PD) from Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) at early disease stages is important for clinical trial enrollment and clinical care/prognostication. MethodsWe recruited 21 participants with PSP(n = 11) or PD(n = 10) with reliable caregivers. Standardized passage reading, counting, and sustained phonation were recorded on the BioDigit Home tablet (BioSensics LLC, Newton, MA USA), and speech features from the assessments were analyzed using the BioDigit Speech platform (BioSensics LLC, Newton, MA USA). An independent t-test was performed to compare each speech feature between PSP and PD participants. We also performed Spearman's correlations to evaluate associations between speech measures and clinical scores (e.g., PSP rating scales and MoCA). In addition, the model's performance in classifying PSP and PD was evaluated using Rainbow passage reading analysis. ResultsDuring Rainbow passage reading, PSP participants had a significantly slower articulation rate (2.45(0.49) vs 3.60(0.47) words/minute), lower speech-to-pause ratio (2.33(1.08) vs 3.67(1.18)), intelligibility dynamic time warping (DTW, 0.26(0.19) vs 0.53(0.26)), and similarity DTW (0.43(0.27) vs 0.67(0.13)) compared to PD participants. PSP participants also had longer pause times (17.24(5.47) vs 8.45(3.13) sec) and longer total signal times (52.44(6.67) vs (36.67(6.73) sec) when reading the passage. In terms of the phonation ‘a’, PSP participants showed a significant higher spectral entropy, spectral centroid, and spectral spread compared to PD participants and no differences were found for phonation ‘e’. PD participants had more accurate reverse number counts than PSP participants (14.89(3.86) vs 7.36(4.67)). PSP Rating Scale (PSPRS) dysarthria (r = 0.79, p = 0.004) and bulbar item scores (r = 0.803, p = 0.005) were positively correlated with articulation rate in reverse number counts. Correct reverse number counts were positively correlated with total Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores (r = 0.703, p = 0.016). Machine learning models using passage reading-derived measures obtained an AUC of 0.93, and the sensitivity/specificity in correctly classifying PSP and PD participants were 0.95 and 0.90, respectively. ConclusionOur study demonstrates the feasibility of differentiating PSP from PD using a digital health technology platform. Further multi-center studies are needed to expand and validate our initial findings.

Korean High School Students' L1 Summary Writing as a Predictor of EFL Reading Comprehension

This study examines the role of the L1 summarization task as a predictor of English reading comprehension for Korean EFL high school students. Participants were given two different types of reading passages, along with five multiple-choice question items and one summarization task item for each passage. A rubric for summary writing was constructed for the purpose of the study and examined on its reliability and use. Correlation analysis between reading comprehension and summary writing reported a moderate to high correlation. A simple linear regression analysis of the test results indicates that L1 summary writing can be a predictor of Korean EFL learners' English reading comprehension. Despite the findings in this study, the survey results inquiring about the participants' views on summarization tasks suggest the difficulties and limitations of implementing summarization tasks in high-stakes assessments.

Efficacy οf Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatment οn Reading: A Pilot Study Using Eye-movement Analysis.

Functional vision, as evaluated with silent passage reading speed, improves after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment in patients with wet age-related macular antidegeneration (wAMD), reflecting primarily a concomitant reduction in the number of fixations. Implementing eye movement analysis when reading may better characterize the effectiveness of therapeutic approaches in wAMD. This study aimed to evaluate silent reading performance by means of eye fixation analysis before and after anti-VEGF treatment in wAMD patients. Sixteen wAMD patients who underwent anti-VEGF treatment in one eye and visual acuity (VA) better than 0.5 logMAR served as the AMD group. Twenty adults without ocular pathology served as the control group. Central retinal thickness and near VA were assessed at baseline and 3 to 4 months after their first visit. Reading performance was evaluated using short passages of 0.4-logMAR print size. Eye movements were recorded using EyeLink II video eye tracker. Data analysis included computation of reading speed, fixation duration, number of fixations, and percentage of regressions. Frequency distributions of fixation durations were analyzed with ex-Gaussian fittings. In the AMD group, silent reading speed in the treated eye correlated well with central retinal thickness reduction and improved significantly by an average of 15.9 ± 28.5 words per minute (P = .04). This improvement was accompanied by an average reduction of 0.24 ± 0.38 in fixations per word (P = .03). The corresponding improvement in monocular VA was not statistically significant. Other eye fixation parameters did not change significantly after treatment. No statistically significant differences were found in the control group. Visual acuity tests may underestimate the potential therapeutic effects after anti-VEGF treatment in patients with relatively good acuity who are being treated for wAMD. Evaluating silent reading performance and eye fixation parameters may better characterize the effectiveness of therapeutic approaches in wAMD patients.

Global Acoustic Speech Temporal Characteristics for Mandarin Speakers With Parkinson's Disease During Syllable Repetition and Passage Reading.

Previous research has revealed considerable variation in speech rates among English speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD) with slower, faster, or similar rates than controls. The purpose of this study was to characterize speech rates of Mandarin speakers with PD and the corresponding articulation and pause characteristics explaining the speech rates to enhance rate control therapies. Eighteen Mandarin speakers with PD and 18 controls produced syllable repetitions and passage reading using their typical speech style. Speech rates, articulation rates, mean pause durations (≥ 10 ms), and the number of pauses with duration between 10 ms and 300 ms and greater than 300 ms were measured and compared between groups and tasks as well as across the initial, middle, and final periods of the passage. Two-way, mixed-model analyses of variance were employed for data analysis. Compared to controls, individuals with PD spoke with similar speech rates and faster articulation rates during passage reading, whereas during syllable repetitions, they produced slower speech rates and comparable articulation rates. The slower syllable repetitions produced by speakers with PD may be explained by longer pauses and more perceptual pauses, whereas faster articulation rates may explain the trend of faster speech rates during reading. Speech and articulation rates accelerated for both groups during passage reading. Speech rates of Mandarin speakers with PD were characterized by faster articulation, longer pauses, and more perceptual pauses for passage reading. A descriptive model of speech rate suggested that speakers with PD and dysarthria in this study would benefit from rate reduction therapy decreasing articulation rate. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23982282.

Query Context Expansion for Open-Domain Question Answering

Humans are accustomed to autonomously associating prior knowledge with the text in a query when answering questions. However, for machines lacking cognition and common sense, a query is merely a combination of some words. Although we can enrich the semantic information of the given query through language representation or query expansion (QE) , the information contained in the query is still insufficient. In this paper, we propose an effective passage retrieval method named query context expansion-based retrieval (QCER) for open-domain question answering (OpenQA) . QCER associates a query with domain information by adding contextual association information based on the pseudo-relevance feedback (PRF) . QCER uses a dense reader to select top-n expansion terms for QE. We implement QCER by appending reader predictions, theoretically present in candidate passages, as contextual information to the initial query to form the new query. QCER with sparse representations (BM25) can improve retrieval efficiency and accelerate query convergence so that the reader can find the desired answer using fewer relevant passages, e.g., 10 passages, as soon as possible. Moreover, QCER can be easily combined with dense passage retrieval (DPR) to achieve even better performance, as sparse and dense representations are often complementary. Remarkably, we demonstrate that QCER achieves state-of-the-art performance in three tasks, passage retrieval, passage reading, and passage reranking, on the Natural Questions (NQ) and TriviaQA (Trivia) datasets under an extractive QA setup.

The Feminist Dystopian Themes in Margret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale: A Reflection of the Social and Political Issues

This paper explores the feminist themes present in Margaret Atwood's seminal novel, "The Handmaid's Tale," and analyzes their resonance with contemporary political and social issues. The aims of this study are to understand how Atwood's depiction of a dystopian society highlights the suppression of women's rights, autonomy, and agency and to elucidate the relevance of these themes to the current socio-political landscape. This qualitative study aims to explore the feminist themes in Margaret Atwood's acclaimed novel, "The Handmaid's Tale," and examine their relevance to current political and social issues. To achieve this, a multi-step approach will be adopted. The method employed involves a comprehensive analysis of the novel, encompassing close reading and critical examination of key passages. The results of this study reveal that "The Handmaid's Tale" intricately explores themes of gender inequality, reproductive rights, and the patriarchal control exerted over women's bodies. Atwood's dystopian society of Gilead serves as a stark warning of the potential consequences of eroding women's rights and dismantling feminist progress. The analysis also illustrates the novel's relevance to contemporary issues, such as the ongoing struggle for reproductive rights, gender-based violence, and women's representation in politics and leadership roles. In the discussion section, the findings are further examined in light of present-day political and social challenges faced by women around the world. Utilizing the critical feminist dystopia concept, the paper explores the parallels between Gilead's oppressive regime and the actual threats to gender equality and women's rights in various societies. Moreover, the analysis highlights how "The Handmaid's Tale" serves as a poignant critique of patriarchal structures and a call to action for addressing systemic gender disparities. The conclusion of this study emphasizes the enduring significance of "The Handmaid's Tale" as a powerful feminist work, reflecting the resilience of patriarchal forces and the need for continued activism to safeguard women's rights. Atwood's narrative serves as both a cautionary tale and a source of inspiration, urging readers to remain vigilant in defending women's agency, autonomy, and equality. Ultimately, this research reaffirms the timelessness of feminist literature and its vital role in fostering awareness and mobilizing societal change.

Ḥurriyya – Freedom, Human ‘Will’, and Related Notions in ‘Ammār al-Baṣrī’s Kitāb al-masāʾil wa-l-aǧwiba

The study of ‘Ammār’s understanding of freedom complements previous research on Arabic Christian formulations of the subject. Studies either relate them to the concept of ḥērūṯā in Syriac tradition or the context of Christian-Muslim controversy. I demonstrate that in ‘Ammār’s discussion, on a terminological-lexical level, engagement with Islamic thought is less evident while Syriac influences and Patristic and Greek philosophical parallels can be identified. I reconstruct the meanings of his terms through a close reading of extensive passages and group the occurrences lexically-thematically into the following units: 1. freedom (ḥurriyya, derivations from ḥ-r-r, related or synonymous expressions); 2. capacity, choice (istiṭā‘a, iḫtiyār); 3. acquisition, deserving, necessitating (iktisāb, istiḥqāq, istīğāb); 4. intentions, moral responsibility.

Comparing community-based reading interventions for middle school children with learning disabilities: possible order effects when emphasizing skills or reasoning

IntroductionThere is an abundance of community-based reading programs for school-age children who are struggling learners. The aim of this study was to compare two community-based programs (i.e., skill and reason-based programs) and to analyze any complementary benefits.MethodsIn this randomized cross-over study, 20 children completed two 8-week literacy intervention programs. The skills-based program, Leap to Literacy, focused on explicit teaching and repeated practice of the five key components of literacy instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension). The reason-based program, Wise Words, focused on morphological knowledge, hypothesis testing, and critical thinking.ResultsResults revealed study-wide improvements in phonemic awareness, nonword reading, passage reading accuracy, spelling words and features, and affix identification. There were consistent program by program order effects with robust effects of completing the skills-based program first for phonemic awareness, the reason-based program first for passage reading accuracy, and both programs for affix identification. A significant increase in an oral language measure, recalling sentences, was observed for the group who completed the reason-based program first, although they also started off with a lower initial score.DiscussionFindings indicated improvements from participating in either program. The observed order effects suggest potential additive effects of combining reason- and skills-based approaches to intervention.

Vocal Characteristics across English-Northern Sotho Bilingual Speakers: A Comparative Study

Introduction: Bilinguals constitute a significant portion of speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) caseloads. Insight into the cross-linguistic effect on voice is needed to guide SLPs to make linguistically appropriate observations when working with heterogenous populations. Method: Nineteen female English-Northern Sotho bilinguals performed three speech tasks (reading, picture description, and monologue) in each language. Acoustic analysis of mean fundamental frequency (f₀), intensity, and articulation rate was conducted with Praat. A panel of blinded listeners reached consensus after independently reviewing the recordings during perceptual analysis of voice quality, resonance, and glottal attack. Results: The following statistically significant differences were found across and within the languages: The mean f₀ was 204.61 Hz in the Northern Sotho picture description yet 196.50 Hz in the English picture description. The mean intensity of reading in Northern Sotho was 66.38 dB whereas the mean intensity of reading in English was 65.09 dB. Articulation rate was 3.78 syllables/s in English passage reading and 3.41 syllables/s in Northern Sotho passage reading. Within English, passage reading elicited a significantly quicker articulation rate than the picture description (3.34 syllables/s) and monologue (3.46 syllables/s). Within Northern Sotho, mean f₀ was 203.83 Hz in passage reading yet 191.11 Hz in the monologue. Perceptual voice quality, glottal attack, and resonance were comparable across languages. Conclusion: Relationships between languages spoken, task performance, and vocal characteristics were observed in English-Northern Sotho bilingual females. SLPs must consider the interaction of language, task performance, and vocal characteristics when working with bilingual clients.