Language Technology Research Articles

'The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Technology' Edited by Nicole Ziegler and Marta González-Lloret

The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and TechnologyEdited by Nicole Ziegler and Marta González-LloretNew York: Routledge, US $ 220, ISBN 9780815360773 (Hardback), 428 pages, 2022

Toward Blended Language Learning Frameworks

Over the past decades, but particularly as a response to the global pandemic, online language technologies have made blended approaches increasingly practical for the language learning classroom. Despite the growing interest in blended learning generally, research has shown an overemphasis on comparative studies (Goertler, 2019), and left the field with a lack of summative research in blended language learning (BLL). For this article, therefore, we reviewed 208 peer-reviewed studies on BLL to identify predominant scholarly trends, including gaps in the literature, and to encourage further investigation in targeted areas. We specifically advocate for scholarship that addresses language proficiency outcomes, connects the domains of language learning theory and blended instruction, and centers on design-based aims. We invite educators within blended education, foreign language acquisition, and other relevant fields to work collaboratively across disciplines, using our review as a springboard to develop a more complete BLL design framework to better use the affordances of technology to advance BLL.

Holistic Evaluation of Language Models.

Language models (LMs) like GPT-3, PaLM, and ChatGPT are the foundation for almost all major language technologies, but their capabilities, limitations, and risks are not well understood. We present Holistic Evaluation of Language Models (HELM) to improve the transparency of LMs. LMs can serve many purposes and their behavior should satisfy many desiderata. To navigate the vast space of potential scenarios and metrics, we taxonomize the space and select representative subsets. We evaluate models on 16 core scenarios and 7 metrics, exposing important trade-offs. We supplement our core evaluation with seven targeted evaluations to deeply analyze specific aspects (including world knowledge, reasoning, regurgitation of copyrighted content, and generation of disinformation). We benchmark 30 LMs, from OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Cohere, AI21 Labs, and others. Prior to HELM, models were evaluated on just 17.9% of the core HELM scenarios, with some prominent models not sharing a single scenario in common. We improve this to 96.0%: all 30 models are now benchmarked under the same standardized conditions. Our evaluation surfaces 25 top-level findings. For full transparency, we release all raw model prompts and completions publicly. HELM is a living benchmark for the community, continuously updated with new scenarios, metrics, and models https://crfm.stanford.edu/helm/latest/.

Technology-enhanced or Technology-exhausted Learning in Adult Migrant Literacy Education in Finland: Exploring Teachers’ Experiences and Views in Pre-pandemic and Pandemic Times

This exploratory mixed data study investigated the role of technology in adult migrant language and late literacy education in Finland. In addition to an online pre-pandemic survey targeted at Finnish language and literacy teachers, four in-service teachers were interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020. With means of qualitative content analysis an account of teachers’ individual experiences and views of technology-equipped language and literacy learning was generated. Problematic issues were the use of devices for educational purposes, lacking user experience, inadequate provision of suitable devices, IT courses, and insufficient support for learners and teachers, causing inequality. Teachers reported of various ways to ensure and enable device access and learning opportunities, resulting particularly during pandemic times in high workloads. The emergency remote teaching circumstances during this global health crisis posed an enormous additional challenge for teachers and students. Findings raise questions about the pedagogical cost of the pandemic for adult migrant literacy education in Finland and call for discussions on post-pandemic changes on a national and international level.

Pemanfaatan Aplikasi Sistem Pendataan Anggota UMKM Paguyuban (THB) Kota Bekasi

The UMKM Association of Bekasi City has challenges in collecting data on members of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Taman Harapan Baru RW 23, Pejuang Village, Medan Satria District, Bekasi City. Limitations in making periodic reports cause difficulties for cooperatives in providing accurate MSME member data information to the MSME Cooperative Service. To overcome this problem, we developed a computer and database system that would make data collection easier. This system enables efficient and easy monitoring of member data, considering the large number of members who are members of the community. Through community service activities, we have succeeded in producing a website application that uses JavaScript programming language technology with the Next.js Library and the MongoDB database. This application assists the community in collecting data and searching for member data, as well as creating member business identities through online cards that can be accessed from anywhere via the internet. The information system that has been developed provides a solution to improve the efficiency and accuracy of data collection for MSME members, as well as facilitating easier access to information for related parties, such as the MSME Cooperative Office. With this website application, UMKM Paguyuban Kota Bekasi can carry out data collection activities more effectively and efficiently. In addition, the information system that has been developed can also support data-based decision making for MSME empowerment programs in the region.

Adaptation of Affinity for Technology Interaction Scale to Turkish Culture and Evaluation of Measurement Invariance: ATI-T

An important dimension of human-technology interaction is whether people approach actively interacting with technological systems or avoid intense interaction with them. This dimension is also important for an individual’s ability to cope with technological changes, necessitating the need to observe and comprehend individual differences. In this study, we aimed to adapt the Affinity for Technology Interaction (ATI) scale to Turkish and evaluate its psychometric properties, including measurement invariance, in the target culture. A team of English and Turkish language linguists, psychometrists, and technology education experts carried out the process. Four applications were conducted in four different respondent groups to examine intelligibility, linguistic equivalence, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance. The one-dimensional and nine-item original scale structure was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability coefficients were calculated as 0.90 and 0.94, respectively. We also concluded that a strict level of measurement invariance was provided in the analysis of invariance between age and gender groups. These findings demonstrated that ATI-T is a measurement tool capable of measuring affinity for technology interaction in Turkish-speaking societies.

Sociolinguistic Pedagogical Implications of EFL Issues: A Case Study of Saudi Universities

In this study, the sociolinguistic pedagogical implications of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) issues in Saudi universities have been considered. Future EFL instructors require education that acknowledges linguistic, socio-historical, cultural, and pedagogical aspects. Areas of improvement in explaining instructors' vital role in changing language education are highly concentrated in language proficiency and technology. Investigating in the significant influence of sociolinguistic characteristics on the educational context and the growth and use of EFL results in raising social and cultural awareness, enabling students to know how to interpret the surrounding environment. In this study report, we describe the close relationship between social and educational settings, and the classroom environment as suitable factors for fostering sociolinguistic competence in EFL learners. The desired outcomes were to explore whether culture and education could be viewed as two inseparable independent parameters and whether EFL learners needed to master the cultural rules of use and rules of discourse. EFL instructors believe that teaching a language in its natural context is the best way to teach the language. The authors used a questionnaire to collect data from Saudi university staff members. A significant conclusion was reached about the sociolinguistic pedagogical implications of EFL issues. Responses to the questionnaire were analysed by SPSS. The use of a socio-pedagogical approach to teaching EFL can have a positive impact on EFL issues. It is recommended that EFL instructors in Saudi universities take a socio-pedagogical approach to teach the language and that universities provide teachers and students with adequate resources to help them understand the language.

Exploring the Challenges of Technology in Language Teaching in the Aftermath of the Pandemic

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been varied, and while there was a clear upsurge in the use of technology in language and learning contexts during the worst lockdown periods, the long-term impact on technology usage remains to be seen. As has been widely noted, lockdowns forced teaching into remote modes, making technology indispensable. Many teachers found themselves struggling to use technologies with little or no experience or training, and often in spite of earlier resistance to using it. The affective barriers to using technology may have decreased somewhat, but other potential problems have arisen as well. There has generally been a narrow view about the effectiveness of technology use in language teaching and learning. During the pandemic, teaching often entailed using videoconferencing tools as a means of emulating face-to-face teaching, albeit inhibited by the limitations and the affordances of the technologies. While research into mobile learning prospered prior to the pandemic, long periods of lockdown saw them being used as little more than a backup for when other technologies experienced technical difficulties. In this paper, we discuss not only the often-cited positive effects of technology usage in language learning during COVID, but also the possible negative implications for how technology has come to be used and viewed by learners, teachers, and administrators. Suggestions for a potential way forward in this ‘aftermath’ of the pandemic are discussed, along with some guidelines for making the most of what we have learned about using technology for language learning in the future.

Can AI communication tools increase legislative responsiveness and trust in democratic institutions?

Smart replies, writing enhancements, and virtual assistants powered by artificial intelligence (AI) language technologies are becoming part of consumer products and everyday experiences. This study explores the opportunities and risks of using language-generating AI systems in politics to increase legislative responsiveness. Legislators receive a large volume of constituent communication and often cannot devote individual consideration and timely response to each. Here, AI language technologies may allow legislators to process constituent communication more efficiently. For example, AI writing tools can suggest reply snippets when a staffer responds to a common concern. However, legislative human-AI collaboration could reduce constituent trust or undermine the representative process. In two experiments, we compared constituents' impressions of human-written legislative correspondence to correspondences partially or fully generated by GPT-3, a state-of-the-art language model. Our results suggest that legislative correspondence generated by AI with human oversight may be received favorably and increase constituent trust compared to generic auto-responses that busy legislators may employ. However, poorly performing AI language technologies may damage confidence in the legislator. Our findings highlight the potential and risks of introducing AI-mediated communication to the representation process. We discuss the importance of disclosure, transparency, and maintaining human-in-the-loop accountability for political deployments of AI language technologies.

In Conversation with Artificial Intelligence: Aligning language Models with Human Values

Large-scale language technologies are increasingly used in various forms of communication with humans across different contexts. One particular use case for these technologies is conversational agents, which output natural language text in response to prompts and queries. This mode of engagement raises a number of social and ethical questions. For example, what does it mean to align conversational agents with human norms or values? Which norms or values should they be aligned with? And how can this be accomplished? In this paper, we propose a number of steps that help answer these questions. We start by developing a philosophical analysis of the building blocks of linguistic communication between conversational agents and human interlocutors. We then use this analysis to identify and formulate ideal norms of conversation that can govern successful linguistic communication between humans and conversational agents. Furthermore, we explore how these norms can be used to align conversational agents with human values across a range of different discursive domains. We conclude by discussing the practical implications of our proposal for the design of conversational agents that are aligned with these norms and values.

Modelling assistants based on information reuse: a user evaluation for language engineering

Modelling assistants based on information reuse: a user evaluation for language engineering

Extensible Business Reporting Language Technology Adoption and Diffusion—A Tripartite Evolutionary Game Perspective

The adoption and diffusion level of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) technology among listed enterprises is an important indicator of the capital market‘s openness and efficiency degree. In this study, we established an evolutionary model between the government, listed enterprises, and institutional investors, analyzed the evolutionary path and evolutionary law of the model, and conducted numerical simulations. In the numerical simulations, we discussed the impact of different parameters change on the strategic choices of the three parties, and the results show that increasing government enforcement and subsidies intensity, reducing the adoption cost for listed enterprises, increasing the incremental benefits of adoption for enterprises, and increasing the participation level of institutional investors all promote the adoption of XBRL technology by listed enterprises. The adoption behavior of listed enterprises is driven by a combination of the government’s policy guidance and institutional investors’ XBRL engagement level. Therefore, this paper is an effective supplement to the innovative technology adoption and diffusion theory and provides policy recommendations and management insights for the government’s efforts in promoting XBRL technology, which is conducive to solving the problem of insufficient motivation for XBRL technology adoption by listed enterprises.

The Rule of Law as a Defense Against the Threat to the Balinese Language and Script’s Extinction

Balinese is one of 718 local languages in Indonesia facing degradation since national and international language influences are getting stronger in the country. Bali is relatively in a better position than the others because it is supported by its speakers, the governmental laws and costumery laws, and by its own script. This article examines the form of local laws on Balinese language and its script, the implementation of the local laws on Balinese language and its script usage, and factors that determine unparallel law of language between the Balinese Provincial Government and the national government. Observation and questionnaires were applied in the data collection method, while descriptive-qualitative technique was used for the analysis. Both were guided by Language Engineering and Forensic Linguistics approaches. The article concludes that Balinese speakers and the Provincial Government work hand in hand to develop the language and its scripts

Beyond model checking of idealized Lustre in Kind 2

This paper describes several new features of the open-source model checker Kind 2. Its input language and model checking engines have been extended to allow users to model and reason about systems with machine integers. In addition, Kind 2 can now provide traceability information between specification and design elements, which can be used for several purposes, including assessing the quality of a system specification, tracking the safety impact of model changes, and analyzing the tolerance and resilience of a system against faults or cyber-attacks. Finally, Kind 2 is also able to check whether a component contract is realizable or not, and provide a deadlocking computation and a set of conflicting guarantees when the contract is unrealizable.

Design-based research for the development of augmented reality applications: the case of virtual playground

Augmented Reality applications for education change the classroom experience for both teachers and students. However, the use of these tools is not widespread yet. Current applications still have some limitations, such as: hard to use interfaces, lack of freedom to create content, lack of support for a shared experience among others. This work presents the update of Virtual Playground, an application collaboratively created with language teachers, designers and engineers; and Virtual Playground Creator, an authorship tool for this application. This process was developed following Design-based research methodology in two cycles of ideation, implementation and testing. We present the updates and results regarding the second round of six tests of Virtual Playground with teachers. The main goals were to evaluate if Virtual Playground Creator allows teachers to create AR experiences to use in classrooms; and (2) investigate if there were missing or unnecessary features in Virtual Playground Creator. Results have shown that the tool allowed teachers to work with diverse skills and competences. The Virtual Playground Creator prototype allowed the teacher to create their AR experiences proposed, although, in some cases modifications were needed. The main issues were related to the limited 3D library in the prototype evaluated and lack of creation possibilities.

Benefits and development of assistive technologies for Deaf people's communication: A systematic review

The development of technologies has made digital accessibility relevant to many everyday processes. Multiple resources have been designed to meet the special needs of a wide variety of people, such as Deaf sign language users, who require inclusive technologies to facilitate their communication in work, educational, and social environments. The objective of this study is to identify assistive technologies that favor and improve communication between Deaf and hearing people. To this end, a systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA checklist and using the Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases. A total of 492 documents were identified and subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria, of which 27 were included in the quantitative synthesis. As a result, technologies based on gesture recognition for the translation of sign language into speech and vice versa, technologies for sign language teaching, technologies for automatic caption generation, technologies based on online content, and technologies based on text and illumination networks were found in the studies. The findings suggest that there is a need for further research into the motivations for developing sign language technologies, as a contribution to the inclusion of Deaf communities in society without linguistic impositions.

Code Cloning in Smart Contracts on the Ethereum Platform: An Extended Replication Study

Smart contracts are programs deployed on blockchains that run upon meeting predetermined conditions. Once deployed, smart contracts are immutable, thus, defects in the deployed code cannot be fixed. As a consequence, software engineering anti-patterns, such as code cloning, pose a threat to code quality and security if unnoticed before deployment. In this paper, we report on the cloning practices of the Ethereum blockchain platform by analyzing 33,073 smart contracts amounting to over 4MLOC. Prior work reported an unusually high 79.2% of code clones in Ethereum smart contracts. We replicate this study at the conceptual level, i.e., we answer the same research questions by employing different methods. In particular, we analyze clones at the granularity of functions instead of code files, thereby providing a more fine-grained estimate of the clone ratio. Furthermore, we analyze more complex clone types, allowing for a richer analysis of cloning cases. To achieve this finer granularity of cloning analysis, we rely on the NiCad clone detection tool and extend it with support for Solidity, the programming language of the Ethereum platform. Our analysis shows that most findings of the original study hold at the finer granularity of our study as well; but also sheds light on some differences, and contributes new findings. Most notably, we report a 30.13% overall clone ratio, out of which 27.03% are exact duplicates. Our findings motivate improving the reuse mechanisms of Solidity, and in a broader context, of programming languages used for the development of smart contracts. Tool builders and language engineers can use this paper in the design and development of such reuse mechanisms. Business stakeholders can use this paper to better assess the security risks and technical outlooks of blockchain platforms.

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ІКТ У СУЧАСНИХ УМОВАХ НАВЧАННЯ ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ МАЙБУТНІХ ІНЖЕНЕРІВ

The article justifies the relevance of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in a foreign language and professional disciplines teaching of future engineers in quarantine conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis of scientific sources in the context of the use of ICT in education was carried out. One of the most difficult and acute pedagogical problems of foreign language training of students of technical universities in general is to ensure individualization of training and stimulation of students' motivation for self- development. According to the authors of the article, a possible effective means of solving these problems in distance learning is the use of educational blogging technology. The purpose of the article is to highlight and analyze the organization of the educational process in modern conditions with the help of educational ICT during a foreign language and professional disciplines teaching of future engineers, in particular, an educational blog and online exercises of the LearningApps service. The article highlights the main issues of organizing online foreign language teaching for technical students. The method of blogging is partially similar to the project method and the “portfolio” methods. On the one hand, an educational blog should be considered as a project: its creation and regular content requires a pragmatic focus on a result that can be comprehended and applied in real-life practice. In blogging, just like in the project method, students are engaged in a cultural dialogue and have the opportunity to receive feedback from professional linguists and native speakers based on the comment function built into the blog platform. On the other hand, an educational blog serves as an electronic "portfolio" - a means of monitoring and evaluating the quality of a student's independent work and his/her progress in developing professional foreign language competence, which are revealed by comparing the first and last blog post. The blog is also a specific student report, which presents the results of the analysis of English-language materials on professional topics. The article presents a survey of future engineers regarding their assessment of the modern teaching of foreign languages and professional disciplines in higher technical educational establishments. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Electronics at the National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute". A distance learning process based on online classes using an educational blog, mind maps and interactive exercises of the LearningApps service was proposed for consideration. In the course of the study, the insufficient level of students’ knowledge and practical skills of a foreign language was determined. The shortcomings of the professional training of future engineers during the study of a foreign language and professional disciplines have been revealed, in particular, the traditional nature of training and the limited use of ICT. It is concluded that the use of ICT in the educational process significantly improves the quality and effectiveness of education, brings students closer to the real conditions of the professional environment, and allows them to qualitatively improve their practical skills. Taking into account the results of the study, it is possible to determine the prospects for further research on the implementation of the above ICT in the study of humanities and science disciplines in the current conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and martial law in Ukraine.

Особливості інтеграції геопросторових даних автомобільних доріг із застосуванням операції з’єднання (JOIN)

The purpose of the article is to research the integration of attributes of the set of geospatial data “Roads”, which was created on the basis of the topographic database of the Main State Topographic Map, and the geoinformation system of roads of the State Agency of Roads of Ukraine (hereinafter – Ukravtodor) for the creation and maintenance of core reference data of roads of the national spatial data infrastructure (hereinafter – NSDI) using an operation Theta-JOIN in object-relational database management systems (hereinafter referred to as DBMS). Method. The basis of the research is the analysis of the possibilities of applying the theory of spatial databases and knowledge bases, international and national harmonized standards in the field of Geographic Information/Geomatics to solve the issue of integration of spatial data using the Theta-JOIN operation in object-relational database management systems. The results. The article analyzes the geo-information model of the road, based on the data of which it is possible to make management decisions during planning, design, operation, management, organization of road safety, etc. The requirements for the presentation of this model are defined in the GDF 5.1 standard, which is used for modeling road infrastructure in a geographic information environment using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and Model Management Architecture (MDA) technologies. This allows for data interoperability at different levels, for example, national and pan-European. The geoinformation model of a public road of state importance in the topographic database is a continuous feature that is an aggregation of the features of the road and transport network through which this model passes. Also, on the basis of regulatory and technical support, the geographic identifier of the highway was established – the road index, the structure and principles of which are defined in the draft of the national standard DSTU xxx:20xx “Geoinformation system of public highways. Part 1. Composition, content and requirements for the database”. Two sets of spatial data TDB of the Main state topographic map and GIS roads of Ukravtodor were combined using the theta-JOIN operation in the PostgreSQL/PostGIS. The scientific novelty and practical significance is in the fact that the integration of sets of core reference and thematic spatial data of roads was investigated using the theta-join operation of relational algebra, which is implemented in modern GIS and DBMS for the development of the national spatial data infrastructure. This will make it possible to expand the attributes of road features contained in TDB, due to the official data of Ukravtodor, joining these sets with a geographic identifier, road index.

ANALYSIS OF STOCK MARKET DYNAMICS

The article analyzes the application of information technologies to the analysis of the stock market, namely to the study of the dynamics of the Ukrainian currency exchange rate, which will allow us to draw a conclusion about the market as a whole. Exploratory data analysis was used to review and analyze financial data. It is an approach to summarizing, visualizing, and gaining insight into the important characteristics of a data set. When analyzing and predicting the dynamics of complex financial systems, one cannot do without such a powerful tool as the Python programming language and neural network technologies. Neural networks find new successful applications in the practice of management and decision-making, including in the financial and trade spheres, i.e. wherever it is necessary to find a certain hidden regularity and make a forecast of stock market tools aimed at achieving macroeconomic stabilization and dynamic development of the financial market. Forecasting of the dynamics of stock market instruments is carried out, which allows for analysis and precautionary conclusions and proposals to minimize risks related to the pricing of derivatives that arise on the stock market. Neural networks are used for forecasting the exchange rate, which allows to minimize speculative changes in pricing, to analyze the progress of processes on the stock market and to take specific steps to improve the situation regarding the optimization of financial strategies. As a result of the analysis, it can be noted that information technologies are widely used in the financial sphere of activity. The effectiveness of the use of information technologies for data analysis and the ability of neural networks to one of the most sought-after tasks of financial activity – forecasting the future value of various instruments – have been proven. It can be argued that the best result is given by the combination of information technologies with expert systems, it allows to calculate the value of derivatives prices with great accuracy and to monitor changes in the speed of financial flows. The used technique allows to increase the accuracy of the forecast and to make informed management strategic decisions by the participants of the stock market.