Terms Of Language Skills Research Articles

Sleep quality relates to language impairment in children with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability

ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify sleep quality profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), to compare these profiles with those of typically developing (TD) children, and to verify whether there are differences between them in terms of language skills. MethodsWe evaluated the sleep quality and language skills of 47 children with ASD without intellectual disability (ID) and 32 children with TD. Using a hierarchical cluster analysis, we identified two sleep quality ASD profiles (poor and good). We then performed a series of MANCOVAs and ANOVAs to compare the sleep quality and language skills of the two ASD clusters and the TD group. ResultsA main group effect (TD, “poor” cluster, and “good” cluster) was found in the total sleep quality and all its dimensions. Significant differences were revealed between the “good” and “poor” clusters in the total structural language score (F1,46 = 10.75, p < 0.001) and three of its subscales (speech: F1,46 = 9.19, p < 0.001; syntax, F1,46 = 8.61, p = 0.001; coherence: F1,46 = 11.36, p < 0.001); the total pragmatic language score (F1,46 = 7.00, p = 0.001) and three of its subscales (inappropriate initiation: F1,46 = 8.02, p = 0.001; use of context: F1,46 = 8.07, p = 0.001; nonverbal communication: F1,46 = 7.35, p = 0.001); and the social relations score (F1,46 = 9.97, p = 0.003). ConclusionsSleep quality in children with ASD (especially a subgroup) is worse than in children with TD. There is an association between sleep quality and language skills, both at the pragmatic and structural levels.

SENI BAHASA DALAM LEKA PELIAN BERDASARKAN PERSPEKTIF TEORI METAFORA KONSEPTUAL

“Leka pelian” is a traditional poem of the Iban community in the invocation category, which is used in traditional Iban healing rituals. Every word sung by the “manang” in “leka pelian” is decorated with figurative language and metaphors to add more beauty to the art of poetry. However, the lack of experts in “leka pelian” makes it difficult for the younger generation, especially the Iban community, to understand the figurative language and metaphors used in “leka pelian” by the “manang”. This has led to the younger generation showing less interest in delving into oral traditions such as “leka pelian”. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the meaning of the metaphors that shapes the “leka pelian” based on the conceptual metaphor theory of Lakoff and Johnson (1980). This study is qualitative and uses the Conceptual Metaphor Theory of Lakoff and Johnson (1980) to analyse the categories of metaphors found in “leka pelian”. Content analysis method is used to analyse each category of metaphor found in “leka pelian”. The findings show that the figurative language in “leka pelian” consists of abstract metaphors to reality, simile metaphors, animal metaphors, nature metaphors, as well as adapted and cultural comparison metaphors in their lives. The investigation shows that nature metaphors are more dominant than other metaphors because they are influenced by the surrounding nature, making nature a metaphor in communication. This category of metaphor is also used as a medium of communication between human world and the supernatural world. The implication of this research shows that the use of different categories of metaphor in “leka pelian” can increase the knowledge of traditional healers and the Iban community, especially in terms of language skills.

Students’ self-consciousness of comic strips as narrative writing teaching aids

The use of comic strips as teaching aids for narrative writing is the subject of this study. This study used comic strips in the context of narrative writing to examine students' feelings of self-consciousness. The researchers conducted a case study to gather qualitative information for this study. A questionnaire was used as a research instrument in this study. The form of the questionnaire used by the researchers is a close-ended question with a short rating questionnaire (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree or strongly agree) which consists of ten statements. To analyze the data, the researchers used the formula of the computation for calculating the data to be a percentage of each student's response to each questionnaire item by presenting them on the table and then described it as the questionnaire was examined. The findings indicate that using comic strips as teaching aids for the narrative writing curriculum is well received by students. It showed that the students gave positive responses towards the implementation of comic strips as teaching media in narrative learning material. Almost all of the students in the classroom were interested and enjoyed it while the researchers implemented the comic strips. The students are active in class activities. They felt using the comic strips as a learning media makes them better able to develop their imagination and create ideas for developing the stories discussed because, in the comic, the explanations accompanied by pictures and dialogues make it easier for them to interpret the stories or material discussed, even though in terms of language skills and vocabulary are inadequate.

Lingvistiskās attieksmes izpausmes ārkārtējās epidemioloģiskās situācijas apstākļos (2020–2022)

The article deals with Latvian language attitudes and their practical expression in the years 2020–2022, reflecting on the linguistic changes and perception of language use in the context of the COVID-19 crisis and, partially, of the Russian aggression over Ukraine. The unexpected situation has showcased social and deep-rooted humanitarian challenges that can be critical not only in an epidemiological context. It concerns language attitudes, too. The sustainability and competitiveness of the Latvian language depend on its use in all socially important functions, which in turn is determined by linguistic attitude – a complex of subjective factors that characterize language perceptions, attitude towards different languages (language variants), and measures taken by state or public institutions to regulate the language situation. Therefore, in addition to monitoring the Latvian language situation in terms of language skills and language use, special attention should be paid to identifying public opinions and linguistic stereotypes and studying linguistic behaviour. Positive language attitudes are recognised as one of the criteria for the success of language policy. Several important contributions on language innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic have already been published (Dite Liepa, Evija Liparte, et al.). Language is a living organism that responds to all environmental developments, and this so-called covid-lexis is essentially only an external expression for the processes that take place at many levels of language and have always been there. Neologisms and occasional new coinages, stylistic features, wordplay and jokes, and borrowings have been found in media (press, electronic media, social communication platforms), graffiti, and promotional materials based on public discussions about the topics of the pandemic. The meanings of the already known and customary Latvian language words have expanded during the COVID-19 crisis. The existence of creativity in a language is one of the indicators that a language is viable, that its speakers perceive language as their own, as a value. We now see a confirmation that the Latvian language can adapt to any circumstances. The other part of the research deals with language attitudes towards bilingual communication in Latvia, i.e. the use of Russian in public information on the epidemiological situation. The analysis of the most popular narratives reveals controversial views concerning the compatibility and necessity of bilingual information with the language policy guidelines for an inclusive society. The conclusion is that the pandemic has given new concreteness to society’s vulnerabilities, one of which is language attitudes towards the Latvian language among the Latvians.

The Power of Visualization – Instilling Safety Excellence in Multinational Workforces at Wind Farm Construction Sites

The construction of wind farms involves a mixture of – often centrally deployed – highly specialized experts and local resources depending on the type of activity. The common denominator is that crews are increasingly multinational. For the prevention of accidents and adverse impacts, safety requirements have to be communicated to the workforce in a form which is adequate to the workforce composition and easy to deploy to remote worksites. Field work performed by the authors indicates that visual and/or digital tools for effective safety communication are not yet widely employed, and many field safety trainings and toolbox talks rely on written communication of rules with often repetitive content and no checks of effectiveness. Ways of effective field safety communication are analysed and an approach is presented for enhancing in-the-field conversations and toolbox talks for field sites with limited access to digital learning tools. Simple and easy-to-deploy visuals will remain to be important in-the-field aids for safety communication in remote areas, even as advanced immersive training methods become increasingly available. Any tools should be designed for or should be adaptable to the composition of workforces in terms of language skills, workers qualifications and demographic aspects such as age or diversity. Lastly, field safety communication and training should always be accompanied by personal interactions between workers and supervisors and/or peer multipliers to highlight the “why” behind safety, i.e. the role of every single individual for providing a sound and healthy operating environment and ultimately protecting human lives.

REVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON PRIMARY EDUCATION

The paper explores the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the subsequent closure of schools globally. The pandemic has caused irrevocable damage to the education system in human history affecting almost every country worldwide. The presented paper is an effort to understand and analyze the impact of learning loss, and its adverse effect on the learning outcomes of the upcoming generation. The loss of learning so caused is not simply the curricular learning that children's world had acquired if schools would have remained open but also include the ability to read, the ability to write and the ability to discuss; since all these abilities are the foundation to further learning. The author has reviewed various such studies done worldwide and the interventions carried out. Findings of these studies suggest that there is an adverse impact on marginalized children, girl children and children of migrant labourers. It also emphasizes the impact of learning loss in terms of language skills (reading, writing, speaking) along with the mathematical ability of the children. Another insight of the study is about the psychological stress on students, parents and caregivers due to the long closure of schools which is exponentially higher for vulnerable families. The catastrophe of education is also seen in learning poverty (the inability of a student to read and understand a simple story by the age of 10). This learning poverty is feared to be increased from 53% in low and middle-income countries to up to 70% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The review comes out with various kinds of research done in this field and there is a need to take urgent action for minimizing the impact on all the stakeholders.

Language education from a post-native-speakerist perspective: The case of English as an international language

Language education has traditionally been based on native-speakerism, which is defined in the present article, by simplifying Hollidays original definition, as a belief in the authority or superiority of native speakers. With the prevalence of native-speakerism, it tends to be taken for granted that non-native speakers should strive to accommodate themselves to native speaker models. However, in todays globalized world, such a conventional attitude is quickly becoming outdated. Above all, a most serious problem with native-speakerism is that it suppresses the freedom of thought and expression as fundamental human rights. Drawing on the case of English as an international language, this study aims to analyze the need for post-native-speakerism (a term attributed to Houghton and Hashimoto) in language teaching, or the need for relativizing native speaker norms for language learners. After illustrating major issues of native-speakerism, three theoretical paradigms for post-native-speakerism in global Englishes are presented, namely EIL (English as an International Language), WE (World Englishes), and ELF (English as a Lingua Franca), along with a prospect for integrating those different frameworks especially for pedagogical purposes. Then, educational objectives are summarized in terms of language skills, followed by the authors own examples of teaching methodologies and actual classroom practices in higher education. Several key concepts for EIL education emerge from these pedagogical efforts, including authenticity and critical literacy. In view of the urge to embrace diversity in the world today, this paper argues that post-native-speakerism is of vital importance as it allows language users to express their true selves in global communication. While many of the discussions in the present article stem from linguacultural and educational situations in Japan, it is assumed that the insights should often be applicable also to other Expanding Circle, or EFL (English as a Foreign Language), countries such as Russia and China.

Needs analysis on English language use by homestay owners in Ubud Gianyar

This study aims to conduct a basic level needs analysis of the use of English by homestay owners in the village of Ubud, Gianyar, Bali. The analysis was carried out in three main areas, namely what the learners know in terms of language skills and language functions, what they do not know in terms of problems they encountered in in handling guests and what they want to know in terms of their expectation to increase their competencies in handling guests. This study used a mixed method research by exploratory design that focuses on a qualitative approach before measuring or testing it quantitatively. The results showed that in terms of language skills what they need the most are speaking and listening skills, whereas in terms of language functions they mostly need general conversation, providing information, providing services and answering question. In terms of problem they often face are guests who speak too fast, do not have enough vocabulary and the feeling of insecure communicating with guests. In terms of expectation on language use, homestay owners need a standard of language pattern which includes handling guests from checking in to checking out.

Textbook Evaluation: A Case Study of Cutting Edge

This paper, in deviation from the traditional practices of textbook evaluation, reports the faculty members’ evaluation of Cutting Edge, Student Book, KSA Third Edition Intermediate Level, by Sarah Cunningham &amp; Peter Moor, published by Pearson 2013 in terms of Language Development Skills, in general, and, Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Grammar &amp; Vocabulary, and Style &amp; Appropriacy in particular. 20 EFL teachers participated in this mixed method approach of study who work at the Department of English Skills, Preparatory Year, Najran University, Saudi Arabia. A google form questionnaire, consisted of 57 numerically rated items &amp; open-ended questions under 7 domains, was created to elicit faculty members’ responses. The validity of the questionnaire was examined by a group of experts in the textbook evaluation and content analysis. The analysis indicates that the respondents evaluated the textbook contents positively and the majority viewed them mostly suitable in terms of language skills, usage, and appropriacy. However, the researcher, based on the adverse comments like video material for listening, lack of specific strategies for conversation or other spoken activities, and hardly distinction between active and passive vocabulary under listening, speaking and grammar &amp; vocabulary domains, suggests that a latest EFL commercial textbook or series be reviewed which, potentially, will cover the space. To conclude, the researcher recommends developing authentic materials that are tailored to the needs and interests of the learners.

Affordances and challenges of teaching language skills by virtual reality: A systematic review (2010–2020)

The emergence of newer educational technologies provides opportunities for computer-assisted language learning practitioners and software developers to capitalize on the affordances for the second language (L2) learning purposes. This article explored and brought together the reported affordances and challenges of virtual reality to teach the L2 receptive and productive skills by reviewing seventy-five peer-reviewed articles published from 2010 to 2020. The results revealed an imbalanced trend of research on language skills learning by virtual reality tools and affordances in favor of listening and speaking skills compared to reading and writing skills. The obtained data were tabularized in terms of language skills. The results were visualized by hierarchical database formats. Pedagogical implications of the study inform teachers about affordances available to teach L2 skills in educational virtual reality environments toward a more digitally enhanced L2 pedagogy. Theoretical implications of the study inform researchers about the challenges that need to be addressed.

MANAJEMEN PROGRAM KURSUS INTENSIF BAHASA ARAB: STUDI PADA METODE MUSTAQILLI

This study is to analyze the management of Mustaqilli intensive Arabic language course program held in Jakarta and online. The interview, observation, and documentation are used to collect primary data, while data analysis is based on descriptive qualitative techniques with three processes namely data reduction, data display, and verification. This study figures out that Mustaqilli intensive Arabic course management program has been well implemented with the fulfillment of management functions, i.e. planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling, related to the components of Arabic intensive course program management. The Mustaqilli learning Arabic method focused on student’s active participation through the formulation of Arabic sentence patterns in terms of language skills. By using the book al-‘Arabiyah li ghairi al ‘Arab and Audhahu al Manahij, this program is initiated to reach the whole targeted skills of learning Arabic. Although some deficiencies of this program need to be refined, especially related to user and time management, the Mustaqilli Arabic intensive course method is a good program as a reference to the management of Arabic intensive courses in all levels.

ANALISIS ISI BUKU SISWA BAHASA ARAB MADRASAH TSANAWIYAH KURIKULUM 2013

Learning materials are one element of learning and this is the task of getting teachers' attention so that students can learn the things required in achieving learning goals. This study aims to find the compatibility of the textbook with the theory of the drafting of books to learn Arabic for non-native speakers. This study uses a content analysis method that is a research method used to draw conclusions that can be re-examined based on facts by paying attention to the empirically oriented context of interpretation and explanation of the true symptoms and the purpose of the prediction .from the previous statements the results showed: 1) In the preparation of the book, the degree of compatibility reached 20%; 2) In the normative aspect of cognitive and cultural content, the degree of compatibility reached 91%. 3) In terms of language skills, the degree of compatibility reached 84%. 4) On the vocabulary side, the score reached 91%. 5) On the side of grammatical structures, the degree of compatibility reached 89%. 7) In terms of learning mode, the degree of compatibility reached 92%. 8) In the book output side, the degree of compatibility reached 75.%. 9) In general aspects, the degree of compatibility reached 81%. 10) In the material accompanying the book, the degree ofcompatibility reached 50%.

Whatsapp sebagai Media Literasi Digital Siswa

Whatsapp is as one of the most influential social media and widely used by people in Indonesia. Students in Indonesia in the digital era are now using gadgets in their daily activities both at school and outside of school. However, most of these students use social media applications, especially Whatsapp, only for social media, whereas in the application, there are benefits that can improve digital literacy skills. The purpose of this research is to find out: 1) the use of whatsapp as the digital literacy media of students and 2) the digital literacy skills of students in terms of language skills. The method used in this study is to refer, note, and study the literature. This research is a qualitative descriptive study. The results of this study are, 1) the level of digital literacy of students with whatsapp social media is still lacking and 2) improvement of students’ digital literacy ability in terms of aspects of language ability, namely, listening, speaking, reading, watching, writing, and writing.

Examining the Morphological Awareness of Deaf Turkish Readers

The purpose of this study was to comparatively examine the morphological awareness skills of Turkish deaf and normal hearing readers. The study group consisted of 112 students (53 were deaf students and 59 were students with normal hearing) who were enrolled in high schools in Ankara. Two different fill-in the blank tasks were developed in order to assess students’ morphological awareness skills in this study. For both of the tasks the students were asked to fill-in the blanks in the sentences by adding appropriate suffixes to the target words. The tasks were carried out in a predetermined place in students’ schools during one-to-one sessions and lasted about 10 to 15 minutes in average. MANOVA was used to analyze the data collected from the tasks. The results of the analyses showed that deaf students had significant limitations in morphological awareness skills compared to their hearing counterparts. This finding is discussed in terms of language skills and its impacts on reading acquisition of deaf students.

EXPLORING COURSE DESIGN FOR A UNIVERSITY-LEVEL ESP- BASED COLLEGE ENGLISH PROGRAM AT UNIVERSITY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMICS IN CHINA

By undertaking needs analysis of the learners, teachers and prospective job positions regarding the language skills and language contents, this study identified the students' needs in terms of language skills and preferred contents, and then combined EFL teachers' academic expertise with the needs of other immediate stakeholders before devising an updated College English Program featured by ESP-based courses for finance and economic purposes available to students. Empirical studies on the effectiveness of the newly designed College English Program showed that the satisfaction is higher than that for EGP-based courses, and students' learning motivation and classroom engagement were boosted in ESP-based courses for finance and economic purposes.

ESP TEXTBOOK EVALUATION: English for Islamic Learning for College Students

ESP Textbook evaluation has become a necessary practice in the field of teaching, seeking to assist in the choice of the best suitable textbook for a specific context. This article presents an evaluation of English textbook “English for Islamic Learning: for College Students”.The researcher identifies how well the textbook meets the students' English learning needs and how much appropriate activities it is presented.The ESP textbook has been evaluated impressionistically which covers the textbook (contents, presentations, and strategies) and student’s needs and interests.For this purpose, 20 students and 1 teacher were selected and data were gathered by two questionnaires which were made by Garant (1987). The teacher questionnaire consisted of 10 items and the student version is also consisted of 10 items. An additional component of the study consisted of a student “needs analysis” that was conducted at the same time as the textbook evaluation survey. After analyzing data, it was shown that although the textbook had some drawbacks, especially in terms of language skills, it had met students’ needs and interests.

IMPLEMENTING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING CALLED AS “BEST OF BOTH WORLDS PROJECT (BBWP)’’ IN ENGLISH SYLLABUS

INTRODUCTION:There is a need in global economy for knowledge and technology due to which higher education is being viewed as central to national strategies to secure shares in the Global Human Resource Market by producing valuable human capital to support the development of the nation. According to UNESCO (2012) the contribution of universities towards economic development can be observed in three areas: (i) producing and accumulating human capital; (ii) generating, disseminating, and applying knowledge; and (iii) innovating and inventing new information and technology.According to UNESCO (2012) annually, the amount of graduates from universities around Malaysia to fulfil the current job market needs locally and internationally is higher compared to the employment rate as they are unable to secure job. The National Graduate Employability Blueprint 2012 -2017 reported that employers have identified that the most common problem with fresh graduates is their poor command in English. A research conducted by Noor Azina (2011) supported the findings and added that good grades did not guarantee employment for graduates if they did not possess a good command over English and other soft skills.In addressing this issue, the Centre for Language Studies and Generic Development of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), has taken an initiative to implement project based learning in second language (L2) classrooms. Stein (1995) mentioned that project -based learning helps to place the learners in a situation which requires authentic use of language in order to communicate. This is because, when the learners work in pairs or teams, they need skills to plan, organize, negotiate and arrive at consensus about the project. Hence, this project, known as Best of Both Worlds Project (BBWP) combines pedagogical methods such as project-based learning, active pedagogy and traditional teaching. This project is based on drama and entrepreneurial activities which aims to stimulate entrepreneurial attributes and enhance language skills among undergraduates.OBJECTIVES:This research deals with the application of Project -Based Learning method by outlining its essence and effect from the perspectives of the students. This research thoroughly describes the Project -Based Learning environment, namely BBWP, which has been implemented and foster the process of learning in terms of language skills and entrepreneurial attributes. Finally, this research presents the results on undergraduates' perceptions towards the implementation of BBWP project at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.METHODOLOGY:This project was carried out in one semester starting from February 2014 until May 2014 (refer to Table 1: BBWP's Timeline). This project used convenience sampling and students from all the campuses were randomly given a questionnaire to answer. After the researchers explained about the process of the project, a number of 30 participants volunteered (self -selecting sample) to join this research and they were asked to reflect and write about their experience throughout the project especially in preparing for the drama presentation as well as organizing a booth for the project.The data for this research was collected from questionnaire (closed and open -ended questions) and reflective journals written by the students, therefore this research is considered as mixed -method research. The information from reflective journal is hoped to explain on why certain issue or problem occurred and how students overcome the problem. According to Creswell (2003), mixed-method approach is one in which the researcher tends to base knowledge claims and pragmatic grounds as it employs strategies of inquiry that involve collecting data either simultaneously or sequentially to best understand the research problems.The data collection also involves gathering both numeric information as well as text information so that the final database represents both quantitative and qualitative information. …

The influence of knowledge-based resources and business scholars’ internationalization strategies on research performance

This study investigates how business research scholars’ internationalization strategies influence their research performance and how this relationship is moderated by the availability of different knowledge-based resources. The authors analyze citations to journal articles authored by business research scholars with German affiliations and examine how the number of citations is determined by international collaborations and a researcher's knowledge resources in terms of language skills, research experience, and foreign market knowledge. The results demonstrate that the augmentation of complementary knowledge resources (i.e., when researchers lack language skills and foreign market knowledge) positively influences the performance of a collaboration-based internationalization strategy (i.e., collaborations with international researchers). The collaboration-based strategy also improves performance for less experienced researchers, but this advantage diminishes with increasing research experience. The findings provide further insights into drivers of scholars’ research performance and have practical implications for science policy.

An Evaluation of the 9th Grade Local and the International English Coursebooks in Terms of Language Skills and Components

The aim of this study is to evaluate 9th grade local and international English coursebooks used in Turkish high schools in terms of language skills and language components. This study is a replica of the study conducted by the same authors who have previously evaluated the same English coursebooks in terms of aims and methodology. In order to evaluate the specified coursebooks, a comprehensive checklist is designed in terms of language skills and components with reference to some available checklists. Using this checklist, teachers who are the prime users of the coursebooks are asked to evaluate them in terms of language skills and language components. The results are analysed quantitatively and the findings are discussed by considering teacher and student needs. Furthermore, a comparison is made between the local and the international coursebook evaluations and some recommendations are provided relying on the overall findings.

Cross-national qualitative research into the long-term care of older people: some reflections on method and methodology

This paper aims to fill an important gap in cross-national comparison conducted by a solo-researcher through an example of a three-nation study of the long-term care of older people, in order to make transparent some of the key issues—time and space, comparability, culture and language—involved in the practical implementation of cross-national qualitative research. It is argued that cross-national comparison is very demanding in terms of language skills, cultural understanding, resources and time to provide a rigorous comparative instrument and outcome. Key approaches that address challenges for solo-researchers are: careful attention to geographical location and flexibility in timetable and programmes for gathering data; employment of multi-disciplinary knowledge to address the complexity of the research topic; application of a multi-method and multi-layer approach in data collection and analysis; recognition of the caring culture; and sensitivity of national as well as local language. In contrast to the challenges, the paper concludes with an analysis of the added value of solo-researcher activity in cross-national research.