Language Users Research Articles

Interactive math comics: An analysis of Indonesian and Spanish students’ responses

This study investigates the responses of Indonesian and Spanish students to the use of interactive mathematics comics in their education. The research aims to see the practicality of these comics on student engagement, comprehension, and retention of mathematical concepts across different cultural contexts. Using a quantitative approach, the study analyzes data through normality and homogeneity tests to ensure the reliability and consistency of responses. Results show that Indonesian and Spanish students respond positively to interactive mathematics comics, demonstrating increased motivation and interest. However, cultural differences significantly influence the perception of specific indicators such as content quality, technical quality, and language usage. Indonesian students, who are generally accustomed to traditional teaching methods, found the comics engaging and helpful in understanding complex concepts. On the other hand, Spanish students, who are more familiar with interactive and student-centered learning, showed mixed responses depending on their educational experiences and expectations. Despite these differences, both groups recognized the value of interactive comics as a supplementary educational tool. Future research could explore a larger and more diverse sample size, including longitudinal studies to assess the sustained impact of such tools and further investigate the integration of other multimedia elements like augmented reality to enhance interactivity. From these results, the Mathematics Comic on Cartesian coordinates material developed is practical and can be used in mathematics learning. This is because the Mathematics Comic on Cartesian coordinates material received a good response, and students hope that learning mathematics will be more fun and effective.

Aristotle on Materiate Paronymy: Concerning an Apparent Inconsistency in Aristotle’s Metaphysics

Abstract Aristotle offers apparently inconsistent explanations for paronymous expressions derived from matter: on the received picture, derived from Metaphysics Θ.7, such expressions are used in all and only cases of substantial change, because predicating the matter directly of a substance would be false; on the error picture, derived from Metaphysics Z.7, the same expressions are used in all and only cases of change from an unclear and nameless privation, because ordinary language users conflate such privations with matter. I propose a resolution: the received picture explains why the usage is fitting, but the error picture explains how the usage originated.

The Postmodern Transformation of Language through Social Media, Memes, Emojis, and GIFs: A Study Among Selected North Indian University Students

This study explores how digital communication technologies—a consequence of late capitalism—have changed language usage. The study looks at how GIFs, memes, emojis, and social media language have evolved and how postmodern cultural logic is embodied in these forms of communication. Based on Fredric Jameson's theory that postmodernism is the cultural logic of late capitalism, the study highlights the digital forms' inherent fragmentation, intertextuality, and pastiche. It focuses on how language has evolved to reflect postmodern society's hyperreal and dispersed structure by becoming more context-dependent, expressive, and visual. The study employs a mixed-methods approach to examine how social media content is analyzed and to obtain perspectives on various communicative forms from 300 university students in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. The findings imply that, in addition to changing language, digital communication technologies have also introduced new forms of expression that combine text, image, and emotion, challenging established linguistic theories. This study advances our knowledge of language in the digital era and has implications for the larger cultural shifts these developments signify.

Changing perspective from being to becoming—An alternative approach to language development and speaker categorization based on longitudinal data

Abstract In the face of transnational mobility and migration, globally networked communities and super-diverse social environments, traditional research practices of speaker categorization such as the distinction between native and non-native speakers, first, second, and third language users and mono-, bi-, and pluri-/multilinguals, which rest on the assumption of categorical differences between types of speakers and the general stability of speaker categories as biographical fact, are increasingly called into question. Critical voices point out that in real life, differences between language users turn out to be fuzzy, gradient, and continuous, and that conventional speaker categorizations are conceptualized from a monolingual perspective, providing grounds for discriminatory practices. Based on a longitudinal study design, the paper aims to offer an alternative quantitative approach for researchers who are dissatisfied with common practices of speaker categorization and wish to shift perspective to a more comprehensive way of studying language development within communities. The analysis draws on the results of c-tests for German, Italian, and English that were specifically designed for the study and administered to the same students (n = 170) in their first and final year at lower secondary school.

The use of Slovakia Hungarian dialects in social media

AbstractThis paper analyzes dialect-stylizing internet content on current events that depict Slovakia Hungarian dialects speakers. The regular display of dialect phenomena on social media platforms allows rapid spread, constant presence, and the possibility of comments. The figure of the dialect speaker, previously geographically bounded, can become a symbol of authenticity, accessible from anywhere in the world. The paper examines the importance of the views of lay language users and content creators in simple language management and citizen science in the contexts of the recognition of dialects, of their oral and written representation, and of the evaluation of languages and varieties.

ʿAbd Al-Jabbār and Bāqillānī on the Meaning of Miracles (Muʿjizāt): a Study of Convergences and Divergences

Abstract This article presents the technical terminology, concepts, and theological principles developed by Bāqillānī and ʿAbd al-Jabbār in Kitāb al-Bayān and the Mughnī (respectively). It traces the convergences and divergences in their approaches to the word muʿjiz and describes the parallel methodological processes through which they critique postulates established by the “language users or experts” (ahl al-lugha). I argue that we can better understand how the meaning of the word muʿjiz was contested in medieval Islam and how its semantic range was established by reading Muʿtazilī (ʿAbd al-Jabbār) and Ashʿarī-Sunnī (Bāqillānī) texts alongside one another. An examination of how claims to the authority over the meaning of the word muʿjiz are made and the social significance of such claims are also central themes of this study.

PL-SKT Loanwords in NE Thai Dialect Dictionary: A Case Study of Sound Changes in Vowels and Consonants

The Northeastern (NE) Thai dialect dictionary compiled by the National Cultural Council is one of the best NE dialect dictionaries. Pali and Sanskrit (PL-SKT) loanwords used in the spoken and written language and in NE literature were collected from the dictionary. Some words were very different from the original Pali and Sanskrit words because of sound changes in vowels and consonants. The objectives of this study were to explore the sound changes in vowels and consonants of PL-SKT loanwords in the Northeastern (NE) dialect dictionary compiled by the National Cultural Council. The conceptual framework of this study consists of usage of PL-SKT words through sound change theories. A qualitative method was employed and the data collection was done from the Northeastern (NE) dialect dictionary compiled by the National Cultural Council. It was found that there were 3,022 PL-SKT loanwords. Two kinds of sound change in vowels and consonants were found: intentional sound change and unintentional sound change. Seven types of vowel sound change and fourteen types of consonant sound change were found. Surprisingly sound changes in vowels and consonants with analogy in PL-SKT declension were found. The types of sound change in PL-SKT words seem to have occurred because they were more convenient to pronounce and beautiful in the spoken and written language including NE dialect literature.

Influence of English Language Usage on Students' Academic Performance in Physics in Public Secondary Schools in Rwanda. A Case of Gakenke District

Influence of English Language Usage on Students' Academic Performance in Physics in Public Secondary Schools in Rwanda. A Case of Gakenke District

Das also war des Pudels Kern oder: „Geflügelte Worte“ als Phrasemklasse? – Problemfelder und begriffliche Präzisierung

Abstract As a class belonging to phraseology, winged words are characterized above all by the fact they are also used in other contexts as quotations, especially from literary texts (e.g., Grau, teurer Freund, ist alle Theorie from Goethes Faust I), thus acquiring a life of their own. However, they can be referred to the original sources in the consciousness of the language user. Forms of expression from areas other than literary areas, such as movies and television, advertising, etc., are increasingly gaining a comparable status in public language use. The imprinting of these expressions often stems from the fact that winged words are not only or no longer used as quotations but also used as a means of commenting on facts, evaluating them, etc., and at the same time calling up knowledge scenarios that refer to the original context of use as backgrounds for understanding. Over time, new patterns of expression may be established by modifying parts of the original formulation so that – expressed in construction grammar – new situationally adaptable form-meaning pairs can emerge. Based on this “phraseologization mechanism”, problematic aspects of phraseology theory are identified and discussed using the example of Das also war des Pudels Kern. Finally, suggestions are made for the conceptual sharpening of the category “winged words”.

(Un-)persönliches Schreiben in der Wissenschaftssprache? Eine vergleichende quantitative Studie zu deutschen und polnischen Doktorarbeiten aus der Germanistik

This paper deals with agent demotion and self reference in German as an academic language used by non-native speakers. It examines two comparative corpora consisting of German language dissertations written by L1 speakers from Germany and Austria and L2 speakers from Poland. Significant differences between the two groups are detected regarding the use of different types of agent demotion. These differences may be explained based on the different linguistic and cultural backgrounds of the authors. To complement these statistical findings, the paper also examines some forms of non-standard language use by the L2 speakers that may be traced to Polish influence. A comparison with two previous studies with bachelor and master theses shows that rare constructions increase in terms of type frequency among the Polish students. Moreover, on both sides there are developments in language usage that seem to be connected with an increase in academic expertise.

Biomechanics intervention promotes college students’ English vocabulary acquisition and mental health

The ability to access and use vocabulary effectively is critical to academic performance. Strong English vocabulary is important for college students because they will not only understand course material but also engage in discussion and writing activities, and interact with colleagues and teachers. However, the word order learning can be difficult, often leading to dissatisfaction and decreased desire students. The effectiveness of biomechanical intervention college students improves their mental health and develop vocabulary in English. A total of 145 college students participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to group A, which received a biomechanics-based exercise program, and group B, which received a traditional physical activity (PA) program. Participants completed validated questionnaires to measure mental health indicators, including anxiety, stress, and overall well-being. The questionnaires used included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a well-established tool in psychological research. This research conducted tests that assessed various aspects of vocabulary knowledge, including word recognition, meaning, and usage in context. The data was analyzed using statistical methods, including descriptive statistics, t-tests, and regression analysis. ANOVA was to analyze connections between two groups. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 29 software. The results showed that it significantly improved English vocabulary acquisition and cognition health in Group A. These students also reported well, if low, mental health levels of stress and anxiety increased well-being in general. This study emphasizes biomechanics, which can be incorporated into language learning, showing increased PA. Vocabulary acquisition and positively influence mental health. The results showed that significantly improved English vocabulary acquisition and cognition health in Group A. These students also reported good, if low, mental health levels of stress and anxiety and increased well-being in general.

Multiple-wave admixture and adaptive evolution of the Pamirian Wakhi people.

While whole-genome sequencing has been applied extensively to investigate the genetic diversity of global populations, ethnic minority groups in Pakistan are generally underrepresented. In particular, little is known about the genetic origin and highland adaptation of the Pamirian Wakhi people. According to Chinese historical records, the geographical location and language usage of Wakhi may be closely related to Xinjiang Tajiks (XJT). In this study, based on high-coverage (∼30×) whole-genome sequencing of eight Wakhi and 25 XJT individuals, we performed data analyses together with worldwide populations to gain insights into their genetic composition, demography, and adaptive evolution to the highland environment. The Wakhi derived more than 85% of their ancestry from West Eurasian populations (European ∼44.5%, South Asian ∼42.2%) and 10% from East Eurasian populations (Siberian ∼6.0%, East Asian ∼4.3%). Modeling the admixture history of the Wakhi indicated that the early West-East admixture occurred approximately 3,875-2,250 years ago and that the recent admixture occurred 750-375 years ago. We identified selection signatures across EGLN3, in particular, a distinctive evolutionary signature was observed, and a certain underlying selected haplotype showed higher frequency (87.5%) in the Wakhi than in nearby XJT and other highlanders. Interestingly, we found high-frequency archaic sequences in the Wakhi genome, which overlapped with several genes related to cellular signaling transduction, including MAGI2, previously associated with high-altitude adaptation. Our analysis indicates that the Wakhi are distinct from the XJTs and Tajikistan Tajiks, and shed light on the Wakhi's ancestral origin and genetic basis of high-altitude adaptation.

Näkymättömyysviitta ja tuntoisuuskysymys – kielenomistajuus, kehollisuus ja tila kielikeskusopiskelijoiden kertomina

This article examines university students’ experiences with the embodied and spatial aspects of language learning and use, along with the concept of language ownership. Bridging sociolinguistics, cognitive science, and the phenomenology of embodiment, the study is based on 11 thematic interviews with students who have taken at least one language course at a Finnish university language center. Our data illustrates how language users describe their bodily and spatial language experiences. We also demonstrate that language ownership, akin to grounded cognition, exists at the intersection of sensory perception, the external body as the object of perception, and the material and social environment. This research enriches the discussion on language learning environments and practices in higher education, while providing an interdisciplinary perspective on sociolinguistic concepts.

Self-evaluations and the language of the beholder: objective performance and language solidarity predict L2 and L1 self-evaluations in bilingual adults

People are often asked to self-evaluate their abilities, and these evaluations may not always reflect objective reality. Here, we investigated this issue for bilingual adults’ self-evaluations of language proficiency and usage. We specifically examined how people’s self-reported language solidarity impacted their first- (L1) and second-language (L2) self-evaluations, while statistically controlling for their objective language performance (i.e. LexTALE). We also investigated whether this impact varied for value-laden evaluations (e.g. how “good” am I at my L2) vs. usage-based evaluations (e.g. how often do I use my L2) for two sociolinguistically distinct groups (i.e. English-L1 speakers vs. French-L1 speakers in Montreal). Starting with value-laden self-evaluations, we found that French-L1 speakers with more favourable L2-English solidarity tended to underestimate their objective L2 ability, whereas French-L1 speakers with less favourable L2-English solidarity more accurately estimated their objective L2 ability. In contrast, English-L1 speakers with more favourable L2-French solidarity more accurately estimated their objective L2 ability than those with less favourable L2-French solidarity who underestimated their L2-French abilities. Turning to usage-based self-evaluations, we found that participants' self-evaluations were generally more accurate reflections of their performance, in a manner that was less affected by individual differences in self-reported language solidarity. This implies that language solidarity (or perhaps language attitudes more generally) can implicitly or explicitly impact bilingual adults’ language self-evaluations when these evaluations are value-laden. These data suggest that people’s language attitudes can bias how they perceive their abilities, although self-evaluations based on language use may be less susceptible to bias than those that are value-laden. These data have implications for the study of language and cognition that depend on self-assessments of individual differences and are relevant to work on how people self-assess their abilities generally.

A Magyarországon tartózkodó belső ukrajnai menekültek nyelvhasználati szokásai és nyelvi attitűdjei

The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine since 2014 has escalated into the Russo–Ukrainian war that broke out on February 24, 2022, leading millions of Ukrainian citizens to decide about leaving the country and seeking temporary and, in many cases, permanent shelter abroad, including in Hungary. The threat to their existence posed by the military actions, the general mobilisation of men aged 18–60, and the economic downturn have led to a significant increase in the number of Ukrainian citizens leaving their homeland behind. At the same time, it is also important to highlight that the mobilisation law banned men of military age from leaving the country as of February 25, 2022, so that men who left the Eastern Ukraine region have predominantly found temporary shelter in the Western part of the country, including in Transcarpathia. At the same time, many men who were not obliged to mobilise because of a medical condition (e.g., disability) or family status (e.g., having at least three children) and who still had the right to leave the country also decided to go abroad. Their numbers are, of course, negligible compared to the number of women and children, who have left Ukraine. On the basis of the results of an online questionnaire survey conducted among internally displaced Ukrainians currently residing in Hungary, the paper aims to show how the Russian and Ukrainian native speakers of the data, having been exposed to a language environment with which they are completely unfamiliar, have developed language usage strategies and attitudes towards their mother tongue, Hungarian, and the various intermediary languages used during everyday communication. In the first part of the work, the migration processes that developed in the context of the war and the measures taken by the European Union in response to them are presented. The second part provides general information on the distribution of respondents by place of residence in Ukraine and by place of residence in Hungary, as well as other sociological indicators. The next section describes the respondents’ language skills and characteristics. This is followed by a presentation of respondents’ opinions on their attitude towards Hungary, the Hungarian language, learning the Hungarian language, and the possibility of returning to Ukraine. The paper also includes comments from respondents in the form of narrative texts, which help to provide a more balanced picture of the statistics.

Bimodal aphasia and dysgraphia: Phonological output buffer aphasia and orthographic output buffer dysgraphia in spoken and sign language

We report a case of crossmodal bilingual aphasia -- aphasia in two modalities, spoken and sign language-- and dysgraphia in both writing and fingerspelling. The patient, Sunny, was a 42 year-old woman, after a left temporo-parietal stroke, a speaker of Hebrew, Romanian, and English and an adult learner, daily user of Israeli Sign language (ISL).We assessed Sunny’s spoken and sign languages using a comprehensive test battery of naming, reading, and repetition tasks, and also analysed her spontaneous-speech and sign. Her writing and fingerspelling were assessed using tasks of dictation, naming, and delayed copying.In spoken language production, Sunny showed a classical phonological output buffer (POB) impairment in naming, reading, repetition, and spontaneous production, with phonological errors (transpositions, substitutions, insertions, and omissions) in words and pseudo-words, and whole-unit errors in morphological affixes, function-words, and number-words, with a length effect. Importantly, her error pattern in ISL was remarkably similar in the parallel tasks, with phonological errors in signs and pseudo-signs, affecting all the phonological parameters of the sign (movement, handshape, location, and orientation), and whole-unit errors in morphemes, function-signs, and number-signs. Sunny’s impairment was selective to the POB, without phonological input, semantic-conceptual, or syntactic deficits. This shows for the first time how POB impairment, a kind of conduction aphasia, manifests itself in a sign language, and indicates that the POB for sign-language has the same cognitive architecture as the one for spoken language. It may also indicate similar neural underpinnings for spoken and sign languages.In writing, Sunny forms the first case of a selective type of dysgraphia in fingerspelling, orthographic (graphemic) output buffer dysgraphia. In both writing and fingerspelling, she made letter errors (letter transpositions, substitutions, insertions, and omissions), as well as morphological errors and errors in function words, and showed length effect. Sunny’s impairment was selective to the orthographic output buffer, whereas her reading, including orthographic input processing, was intact. This suggests that the orthographic output buffer is shared for writing and in fingerspelling, at least in a late learner of sign language. The results shed further light on the architecture of phonological and orthographic production.

Linguistic correlates of second language users’ attitudes to Arabic and Chinese varieties of English: a verbal guise study

ABSTRACT Research into language attitudes suggests that L2 users often hold negative attitudes toward their own and others’ L2 accents. However, less is known about specific features that affect these attitudes. Beinhoff’s study explored consonantal variation and its impact on perceptions of L2 speakers, but this study further examines linguistic correlates of L2 users’ attitudes toward Arabic and Chinese varieties of English. Using the verbal guise method, Arabic and Chinese male and female speakers read a paragraph in English with varying L1 influences. Each sample was rated by 30 L2 listeners on a 6-point semantic differential scale assessing status, solidarity, and dynamism. Phonological and fluency analyses of the samples revealed that non-segmental features, such as prosody, play a more significant role in eliciting positive attitudes toward these English varieties than do segmental features. These findings highlight the importance of suprasegmental aspects in shaping listener perceptions of L2 English speech.

Language and Knowledge of the World

Abstract: This article addresses language and knowledge of the world within the communicative process, as it is understood that knowledge of the world plays a preponderant role in effective communication between language users. The main objective of this article was to demonstrate the relevance of knowledge of the world in the communicative process, showing that for the construction of a textual meaning or understanding of the text, several processes occur and the mastery of linguistic knowledge is not a sufficient condition for calculating the sense. This study's starting question is the following: does mastery of linguistic knowledge in itself constitute a sufficient and/or exclusive condition for the construction of textual meaning? To answer this question, bibliographical research was adopted as the study methodology, and the type and method of approach were qualitative and inductive respectively, taking into account that the inductive method starts from the examination of particular data, sufficiently verified and inferred the results of the part examined to the entire population (Marconi & Lakatos, 2003). To carry out this study, participant observation and interviews were also chosen as data collection techniques. Thus, this study showed that for effective communication, that is, construction of textual meaning within the communicative process, a large part has to do with knowledge of the world manifested through shared knowledge about sociocultural conventions and/or pragmatic aspects of language, contradicting the perceptions according to which linguistic knowledge, which is limited only to the domain of the grammatical rules of the language and the lexicon, means that the individual would be able to understand the text.

Code-Mixing and Code-Switching in the TV Culinary Show MasterChef Indonesia

This study has explored the phenomenon of Indonesian language use in the culinary world within the public television space, with a focus on code-mixing and code-switching. This research contributes to an understanding of how Indonesian language usage is evolving in culinary television programs and examines its potential impacts on the preservation and development of Indonesian as a national language. A problem-solving approach, based on Gumperz's and Poplack's theories of code-mixing and code-switching, was utilized to analyze language use within Indonesian culinary television programs. The data comprised sentences featuring code-mixing and code-switching instances, extracted from culinary television program videos. This study analyzed the forms of code-mixing and code-switching present within Indonesian culinary television and identified factors influencing their usage. Moreover, it assessed how shifts in Indonesian language use through code-mixing and code-switching may impact the preservation and development of Indonesian as a national language in the public television context.

Sign Language to Speech Conversion

Human communication relies heavily on verbal and non-verbal cues, with sign language serving as a crucial method of interaction for individuals with hearing impairments. However, the communication barrier between sign language users and those unfamiliar with it remains a significant challenge. This paper presents an innovative approach to bridging this gap through an Arduino-based system that converts sign language gestures directly into speech without the use of a camera. By utilizing flex sensors and an accelerometer, this system detects hand gestures and movements, processes this data, and produces corresponding audio output. This approach offers a more accessible and portable solution compared to traditional camera-based systems, potentially revolutionizing real-time communication for the deaf community. The experimental results demonstrate a gesture recognition accuracy of 92% and a response time of under 500 milliseconds, indicating the system's viability for practical applications