Language Requirements Research Articles

Addressing the Gap: Perspectives on Developing English for Specific Purposes Course Books for Business Management in Mongolia

This research paper explores the necessity for the development of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course books tailored to the needs of professionals in Business Management in Mongolia. Despite the availability of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) books, there remains a significant gap in resources catering to the specific language requirements of professionals in this field. English teachers in Mongolia recognize the importance of ESP materials in enhancing language proficiency and employability among Business Management students. Drawing upon interviews and surveys with English teachers, this paper highlights the challenges faced due to the absence of relevant ESP course books and proposes of recommendations for their creation and implementation.

Can Facebook's community standards keep up with legal certainty? Content moderation governance under the pressure of the Digital Services Act

AbstractContent moderation by social media companies is a challenge for regulators around the world. The European Union is trying to tackle this challenge with its Digital Services Act (DSA). Notably, Article 14 DSA aims to impose language requirements based on the principle of legal certainty to social media companies' terms and conditions, of which community standards (CS) are a part. The principle of legal certainty is one of the building blocks of international human rights law, and its inclusion in the DSA illustrates the human rights‐based approach anchored in this European regulation. Based on a content analysis of Facebook's CS, this paper shows that their standards do not meet European requirements for legal certainty and argues that important changes in content moderation governance would be needed for proper compliance. Such changes could generate a domino effect beyond the European Union and on Facebook's content moderation governance itself. At the same time, the DSA could also generate a boomerang effect on the legal certainty principle as such. From this perspective, the paper contributes to the literature on regulatory governance studies, and on international human rights law in social media studies from a European Union perspective.

Overcoming Language Barriers in Contracts – A South African Perspective

Language forms the basis of written contracts, but the use of language may also function as a barrier to contracting parties, particularly when the parties are not proficient in the commercial language of choice, such as English in the case of South Africa. The plain language movement and specifically legislative interventions have placed significant pressure on lawmakers to reform the use of traditional legal English, and consequently, traditional drafting styles. However, many contracts continue to exhibit convoluted language, legalese and poor visual appeal, which ultimately functions as a language barrier for many people. This article examines the various language barriers that exist in contracts from a South African perspective. It does so by assessing the barriers that exist under first, the common law (or the so-called default rules), second, the use of standard contracts, and third, the resistance to the use of plain language as well as the limited application of existing plain language legislation in certain types of contractual engagements. The author proposes dismantling the language barriers by adopting both textual and visual communication devices in order to achieve clear and comprehensible language in all types of contracts. Furthermore, it is suggested that such communication devices should not necessarily be limited to consumer contracts that are legislatively required to comply with plain language requirements. It is only by dismantling existing language barriers that social justice within contracts can be achieved in a society with diverse language proficiencies, such as South Africa. Therein, this article offers insights that are relevant not only within the South African context but also for countries that may face similar language barriers characterised by multiple languages and varying language proficiencies within their populations.

Abstract PO1-19-06: Physical exercise during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer as a mean to increase pathological complete response rates: the randomized Neo-ACT trial

Abstract Introduction In early breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is increasingly used. The proof of efficacy is pathologically complete response (pCR), i.e. the absence of invasive tumour in breast and lymph nodes at surgery. Today, pCR is a common endpoint in pharmaceutical trials since it is significantly associated with survival especially in triple-negative and HER2-positive subtypes. Apart from the mitigation of treatment-related toxicity and symptoms, physical exercise mediates anti-tumoral systemic effects associated with tumour regression in preclinical and clinical models. The aim of Neo-ACT is to test the hypothesis that physical exercise can improve pCR rates in breast cancer patients receiving NACT. Method The Neo-ACT trial is an international prospective clinical trial, randomising T1-3N0-2 breast cancer patients planned for NACT to either a home-based physical exercise intervention supported by a mobile application or routine care. The primary endpoint is pCR; secondary endpoints are patient-reported quality of life, toxicity-related outcomes, and oncological outcomes such as Residual Cancer Burden, objective radiological tumour response, as well as overall, breast cancer-specific and disease-free survival at 2, 5 and 10 years. The intervention consists of a combination of high-intensity interval and resistance training of progressing intensity, and includes two weekly 60-min exercise sessions plus at least 150 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. The Neo-ACT has been registered at clinicaltrials.gov on January 11, 2022 (NCT05184582). Statistical methods Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion. It is anticipated that the rate of the primary endpoint pCR will be approximately 30% in the control arm (all subtypes). We aim to increase the rate of pCR in the experimental arm to 40%, i.e. a 10 percentage points increase, which is regarded clinically relevant since it would translate into improved disease-related outcomes. With a power of 80% and an alpha of 5%, a total of 712 patients have to be included; 356 in each arm. Accounting for a drop-out of 10%, we aim to include 790 patients. Stratification at the moment of computerized randomization is based on site of treatment (hospital) and biological tumour subtype (ER+HER2-, ER+HER2+, ER-HER2+, ER-HER2-). All outcomes will primarily be analysed using an intention-to-treat approach, i.e. all study subjects will belong to the treatment group (exercise intervention or control) they were assigned to, disregarding compliance. As sensitivity analysis, all outcomes will also be analysed using a per-protocol approach, meaning that participants in the intervention group who comply with less than 65% of the prescribed physical exercise program, and participants who complete less than 40% of the planned neoadjuvant systemic therapy (around two 3-weekly courses) will be excluded from analysis. Present accrual The Neo-ACT trial has started enrolment at the first site in December 2022 and since then initiated a further five Swedish and one Finnish site. Until June 15, 2023, 26 participants had been randomized in the trial. A feasibility questionnaire is distributed via the EUBREAST network which officially supports this trial and has added the designation EUBREAST12-R. Further participating sites can be accommodated depending on volume, competing trials and language requirements for the mobile application. Contact: jana.de-boniface@ki.se Citation Format: Jana de Boniface, Cecilia Haddad Ringborg, Renske Altena, Yvonne Wengström. Physical exercise during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer as a mean to increase pathological complete response rates: the randomized Neo-ACT trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-19-06.

Automatic derivation of use case diagrams from interrelated natural language requirements

AbstractTransferring natural language requirements to use case diagrams helps to avoid inherent ambiguities. However, this is usually a manual, time-consuming task that can be accelerated by utilizing Artificial Intelligence in terms of Natural Language Processing. Thus, this contribution proposes a conceptual framework for automatically grouping interrelated functional requirements and deriving use case diagrams by combining formerly isolated approaches. Moreover, the latter are evaluated by a qualitative potential analysis to support their future industrial application.

Why and how to collect representative study samples in educational neuroscience research

BackgroundEducational neuroscience research, which investigates the neurobiological mechanisms of learning, has historically incorporated samples drawn mostly from white, middle-class, and/or suburban populations. However, sampling in research without attending to representation can lead to biased interpretations and results that are less generalizable to an intended target population. Prior research revealing differences in neurocognitive outcomes both within- and across-groups further suggests that such practices may obscure significant effects with practical implications. BarriersNegative attitudes among historically marginalized communities, stemming from historical mistreatment, biased research outcomes, and implicit or explicit attitudes among research teams, can hinder diverse participation. Qualities of the research process including language requirements, study locations, and time demands create additional barriers. SolutionsFlexible data collection approaches, community engaugement, and transparent reporting could build trust and enhance sampling diversity. Longer-term solutions include prioritizing research questions relevant to marginalized communities, increasing workforce diversity, and detailed reporting of sample demographics. Such concerted efforts are essential for robust educational neuroscience research to maximize positive impacts broadly across learners.

African time travellers: What can we learn from 500 years of written accounts?

AbstractIn this paper we study 500 years of African economic history using traveller accounts. We systematically collected 2464 unique documents, of which 855 pass language and rigorous data quality requirements. Our final corpus of texts contains more than 230 000 pages. Analysing such a corpus is an insurmountable task for traditional historians and would probably take a lifetime's work. Applying modern day computational linguistic techniques such as a structural topic model approach (STM) in combination with domain knowledge of African economic history, we analyse how first‐hand accounts (topics) evolve across space and time. Apart from obvious accounts of climate, geography, and zoology, we find topics around imperialism, diplomacy, conflict, trade/commerce, health/medicine, evangelization, and many more topics of interest to scholarship. We illustrate how this novel database and text analysis can be employed in three applications (1) What views are introduced by travellers as a result of their occupational background? (2) Did the adoption of quinine as treatment and prophylaxis against malaria facilitate European expansion into Africa? (3) When and how did the diffusion of New World crops alter the African economic landscape?

Natural language requirements testability measurement based on requirement smells

Natural language requirements testability measurement based on requirement smells

How cognition has been assessed in research with people with aphasia: a systematic scoping review

ABSTRACT Cognitive deficits beyond language may be present in aphasia, and accurately assessing them is fundamental for treatment planning. However, it is unclear which tools are currently used to assess cognition in aphasia, how much language they require, and which cognitive domains should be the focus of assessment. This study aimed to determine which cognitive domains have been the focus of assessment, and systematically appraise the linguistic requirements of these tests. We followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and systematically searched the literature from 2010–2020 for the tests used to assess cognition in research with people with aphasia. 480 studies were included and 389 tests were appraised for their linguistic load. Results showed that cognitive testing focused mostly on executive functions and memory. Over half the tests used to assess cognition in aphasia had some degree of language load (i.e., verbal stimuli, language production or required mapping stimuli to its meaning). This review highlights the difficulty in accurately diagnosing concomitant cognitive deficits in aphasia due to the language requirements in commonly used cognitive assessments. This review underlines the need to be mindful of the linguistic requirements in cognitive assessments. Finally, we offer some recommendations of which tests may be the most appropriate to assess cognition in aphasia.

“Stay tuned!"

“Stay tuned!"

<b>Reality Of Teaching the University Requirement of the Arabic Language and A visionary Proposal For Development in the Light of Quality Standards </b>

#في ضوء واقع الضعف الملحوظ في مهارات اللغة العربية لدى طلبة الجامعة والذي أصبح ظاهرة متفشية ومشكلة تقتضي المعالجة والحل، والمتجسدة ملامحه في قلة واضحة في المعجم اللغوي الذي يمتلكه الطالب الجامعي ، وأخطاء إملائية كثيرة، وضعف في القدرة على تركيب المعلومات وكتابتها بصورة ممنهجه، وانطلاقاً من ضرورة وأهمية الالتزام بمعايير الجودة في تقييم ومراجعة وتطوير البرامج الأكاديمية بما تتضمنه من مقررات دراسية، بوصفها خطوة مهمة للوصول للاعتماد البرامجي، هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم واقع تدريس مقرر مادة اللغة العربية (101) و (102) المتطلب الجامعي من وجهة نظر الأساتذة والطلبة وتقديم تصور مقترح لتطوير هذا المقرر في ضوء معايير الجودة، حيث تم بناء استبانة لتقييم واقع تدريس مادة اللغة العربية المتطلب الجامعي تكونت من 25 فقرة شملت جوانب : الأهداف، والمحتوى، واستراتيجيات التعليم والتعلم ، وأساليب تقويم أداء الطلبة، تم تطبيقها على عينة الدراسة من الأساتذة (9) أفراد) والطلبة (147) طالبا وطالبة). وبناء على نتائج هذا التقييم التي أظهرت أن ملامح الواقع المطلوب لتدريس مادة اللغة العربية المتطلب الجامعي في ضوء تقديرات الأساتذة والطلبة متحققة بدرجة متوسطة في جميع مجالات الاستبانة، باستثناء المحتوى الذي كانت ملامحه متحققة بدرجة ضعيفة ؛ قدمت الدراسة تصوراً مقترحا لتطوير مقرر مادة اللغة العربية (101) و (102) المتطلب الجامعي في صورة توصيف متكامل لمقررها تم اعداده في ضوء معايير جودة المقرر الدراسي المعتمدة من مجلس الاعتماد الأكاديمي وضمان الجودة، شمل : الأهداف العامة لتدريس المادة لطلبة الجامعة من غير المتخصصين فيها، ومخرجات التعلم، والمحتوى بمفرداته وموضوعاته، واستراتيجيات التعليم والتعلم المستخدمة في تدريس المادة، وأساليب التقويم ، والتكليفات والنشاطات التطبيقية اللازمة لإكساب الطلبة المهارات اللغوية المطلوبة.

Requirement patterns in deductive verification of poST Programs

Process-oriented programming is one of the approaches to developing control software. A process-oriented program is defined as a sequence of processes. Each process is represented by a set of named states containing program code that define the logic of the process's behavior. Program execution is sequential execution of each of these processes in their current states at every iteration of the control cycle. Processes can interact through changing each other's states and shared variables. The paper expands a method for classifying temporal requirements for process-oriented programs in order to simplify and automate the deductive verification of such programs. The method consists of the following steps. At the first step, the requirements are formalized in a specialized language DV-TRL, a variant of typed first-order predicate logic with a set of interpreted types and predicate and functional symbols, that reflect specific concepts of control systems in a process-oriented paradigm. At the second step, the formalized requirements are divided into classes, each of which is defined by a pattern — a parametric formula of the DV-TRL language. The correctness conditions generated for process-oriented programs regarding requirements satisfying the same pattern have the same proof scheme. At the third step, appropriate proof schemes are developed. In our paper, we first give a brief introduction to the poST language, a process-oriented extension to the ST language of the IEC 61131-3 standard. Next, the DV-TRL language is defined. We also provide a collection of natural language requirements for several control systems. Then we define patterns that fully cover all the requirements of this collection. For each of these patterns we give an example of a formalized requirement from the collection and describe a scheme for proving the correctness conditions for this pattern. Statistics on the distribution of requirements from the collection across patterns reveals the most popular patterns. We also analyzed related works.

“Nonnative? Next!” Native-speakerism in world language job advertisements

Given the lack of research into native-speakerism among teachers of languages other than English (LOTEs), this qualitative study aims to bridge the gap by investigating the discriminatory and inclusive language employed in online recruitment for post-secondary institution instructors of LOTEs. The study also looks at how post-secondary institutions phrase language requirements and whether there is a difference in “native-speaker-teacher” bias depending on the language. For the purposes of this study, qualitative content analysis was used to examine 187 online job advertisements for teaching positions of different LOTEs that were posted by different post-secondary institutions across the United States. The findings of the study show that post-secondary institutions use discriminatory language such as “native” or “near-native” much more often than inclusive language such as “superior language skills,” regardless of the language(s) that the position advertises for. The findings, however, show that job candidates for teaching positions of LOTEs are often required to have “native” or “near-native” proficiency in at least two languages, most commonly English plus the target language of focus.

Development of a Language Model for Named-Entity-Recognition in Aerospace Requirements

We address the challenges inherent in converting natural language (NL) requirements into machine-readable formats by investigating the application of named-entity recognition (NER) within the aerospace domain. Recognizing the necessity for domain-specific language models, we developed an open-source annotated aerospace corpus and fine-tuned different versions of the BERT language model on the corpus to create aeroBERT-NER: a new model for identifying named entities (NEs) in the aerospace domain. A comparison between aeroBERT-NER and BERTBASE-NER demonstrated the superior performance of aeroBERT-NER in identifying NEs within a set of aerospace requirements. The identified NEs contribute to the development of a glossary, promoting consistent terminology usage in aerospace requirements and addressing challenges associated with the standardization of NL requirements.

Going above and beyond: Motivations of L2 German learners to (dis)continue language study

AbstractSecond‐language (L2) learner motivation has been a thriving subfield within L2 acquisition research for decades, particularly since the development of the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS), a multi‐faceted motivational theory. This survey‐based study examines (1) whether L2MSS facets differ between students intending to continue (or discontinue) learning German past the language requirement and (2) whether any relationship exists between the different selves within the L2MSS, students’ L2 Learning Experience (L2E), and their Willingness to Communicate (WTC). Third‐semester learners’ mean ratings of their Ideal Self, Anti‐Ought‐To Self, WTC, and Attitudes Toward the L2 Community were significantly higher among students intending to continue German study beyond the language requirement (N = 28) than those discontinuing study (N = 46). Multiple regression analyses predicted a positive effect of the Ideal Self on ratings of both L2E and WTC. Qualitative analysis revealed themes of fear and positive attitudes toward the German language/culture among learners intending to continue German study, while non‐continuers predominantly mentioned the language requirement. Both continuers and non‐continuers mentioned the concrete and abstract utility of language learning as an additional motivation. The implications of these results for student recruitment and retention in German language programs are discussed.

Interpretation services used for non-English language speaking patients with head and neck cancer: Findings from a tertiary London cancer centre

BackgroundTreatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) can lead to profound changes in swallowing function and nutrition. UK HNC standards recommend informational counselling is provided pre-treatment by the dietitian and speech and language therapist (SLT). Non-english speaking patients treated in English speaking countries have poorer treatment outcomes. UK guidance recommends all patients should have access to interpretation services where required. This audit aimed to investigate the language needs and utilisation of interpretation services for patients with HNC attending pre-treatment clinics. MethodsA retrospective casenote audit over two-years (2021–2023) of all patients attending pre-treatment clinics in a centralised London cancer centre. Information was collected from electronic hospital records on demographics, disease/treatment characteristics, first language; categorised as English primary language (EPL), non-English primary language (NEPL) and interpretation requirements; formal (professional interpreters) or informal (patients friends/relatives). Data was processed and collated using Microsoft Excel (Version 2308). Descriptive statistics were conducted using Excel Analysis ToolPak. Results408 patients were included. Most patients were male (67%), aged 61 ± 13 years. 18% (n = 74) had NEPL; 58 required interpretation services. Formal interpretation service was provided in 43% (n = 25), informal services in 33% (n = 19), and no service in 24% (n = 14). Non-adherence to formal services included lack of/inaccurate documentation of language needs, patient preference and lack of available interpreters. ConclusionThis audit indicated that barriers exist in utilising formal interpretation services. Future research should investigate how this can be optimised to ensure necessary language support is provided consistent with guidelines that promote equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Speaking Racism – Raciolinguistic Frontiers, Worth and Belonging in the Governing of Refugees in Norway

ABSTRACT This article explores the role that language requirements for residence and citizenship play in delineations of worth and belonging in the governing of refugees in Western Europe after 2015. In the past two decades residence and citizenship rights for migrants have increasingly become conditional on formalised language requirements. While language requirements embed promises of inclusion and opportunity, this framing skirts the ways in which they legitimate and reproduce racially charged inequalities. Based on rich ethnographic data from Norway, this article investigates how refugees encounter, perceive, and contest language requirements. By mobilising Kamran Khan’s notion of ‘raciolinguistic borders’ alongside Ann Laura Stoler’s notion of ‘interior frontiers’, I explore how language requirements are heard to ‘speak racism’. I argue that a political geography of language provides a timely and needed contribution to the geopolitical toolbox, and more specifically, to geographical explorations of the racial taxonomies of contemporary European border regimes.

English language requirement and educational inequality: Evidence from 16 million college applicants in China

This paper studies the unintended effect of English language requirement on educational inequality by investigating how the staggered rollout of English listening tests in China’s high-stakes National College Entrance Exam (NCEE) affected the rural–urban gap in college access. Leveraging administrative data covering the universe of NCEE participants between 1999 and 2003, we find that the introduction of English listening tests significantly lowered rural students’ exam score percentile ranks relative to their urban counterparts, resulting in a 30% increase in the rural–urban gap in college access. Our back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that, as a result of this policy change, more than 54,000 rural students lost college seats to their urban peers between 1999 and 2003, and another 11,000 rural students who elite colleges could have admitted ended up in non-elite colleges, causing them significant future income losses.

Exploring the Impact of E-Learning Strategies on Enhancing Workplace English Competence at an Open Distance E-Learning (ODeL) University in South Africa

This study explores the implementation of e-learning strategies to enhance workplace English competence. The focus is on a semester module that consists of approximately 10,000 first-year university students in an ODeL context in South Africa. The study’s objective was to collect data and contribute to the field of language learning in the workplace. Guided by the TPACK theory, the investigation employed qualitative research methods, incorporating open-ended evaluation questions and an observation schedule. The instruments allowed for a deep exploration of students’ perspectives and experiences with e-learning strategies, specifically their impact on workplace English competence. The results of the study highlighted the positive effects of e-learning strategies on enhancing workplace English competence. Participants reported improved language skills, increased confidence in communication, and an enhanced ability to meet workplace language requirements. In addition, the findings revealed the significance of interactive multimedia materials, collaborative learning activities, and personalised feedback as effective pedagogical approaches in the module. The contributions of this study lie in its exploration and validation of e-learning strategies for the enhancement of workplace English competence at a distance learning university.

Experiences with using ears for stakeholder requirements deve-lopment of the safe integration of unmanned aircrafts in the airspace project

Requirements permeate the entire lifecycle of a system or product, from identifying the stakeholders’ needs to disposal, including verification and validation activities. Therefore, the process for the requirements development must be carefully observed and established in order to ensure that the requirements are complete, consistent, and correct. The use of an appropriate predefined structure can improve the requirements’ elicitation, enabling the reduction of ambiguities and the detection of duplications or omissions. Thus, this article proposes the use of syntax patterns during the development of the stakeholders’ requirements in the context of an airspace project. The result of applying the proposal of this article in a real case was a list of initial requirements in standardized language with their traceability guaranteed.