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This study traces the evolution of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) by investigating published research articles (RAs) in four major CALL journals: ReCALL, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Language Learning & Technology, and CALICO Journal. All 2,397 RAs published over four decades (1983-2019) were included in the pool of data, and the Google Scholar citation metric was adopted to assess the impact of the papers. By selecting the top 15% of widely cited papers from each individual year, we minimized the time bias between years, enabling a balanced narration of the history of CALL through a representative dataset of 426 high-impact RAs. To identify the evolution of research trends, the contexts, methodologies, theoretical underpinnings and research foci of all 426 RAs were investigated using NVivo 12 and AntConc. The analysis of the data yielded encouraging results such as the upward trend in the number of publications and the international reach of CALL in the last two decades, the physical or virtual presence of language learners with diverse language profiles, and the growing tendency to triangulate methodology for increased complexity. However, long-standing issues such as the heavy reliance on traditional research contexts, poor reporting practices of basic demographic information, the large number of atheoretical papers and the concentration on a limited number of research foci continue to pose challenges in CALL research. Based on the findings, the paper suggests solutions for the controversies and addresses key issues for future research in CALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this conceptual work, we describe cross-disciplinary meaning and language related to the innovation phenomenon located in a business context. Our work attempts to find common meaning and language for innovation that can be applied across all business innovation projects irrespective of the business discipline, and to synthesize these common terms into an innovation communication and planning tool. The objective of providing a common meaning and language for innovation is to give practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders a shared communication platform, and common language and meaning that assist incumbents to discuss and collaborate during innovation projects without the boundaries created by siloed, nuanced, and discipline-specific understandings. The outcome of the paper is a conceptual framework and canvas tool constructed from universal meaning and language for business innovation with the aim of providing a set of common questions that business practitioners could ask during times of innovation. Furthermore, the Business Innovation Canvas provides new directions for future study and the development of tools that take advantage of common meaning and language to aid innovation practitioners and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to outline the initial pilot use of the client complexity matrix (CCM), an outcome measure developed for an NHS Adult Intellectual Disabilities Intensive Support Team (IST) in the West Midlands of England. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed method approach was used to report the results and evaluate the use of the CCM within this IST. The CCM was trialled for six months between January 2022 and June 2022. CCM scores pre and post IST intervention were analysed via t-test, and qualitative feedback from clinicians is detailed. Findings: Analysis suggests the CCM captures service success showing a significant decrease in complexity and risk post-intervention. Qualitative comments from clinicians were generally positive; however, there were requested changes regarding specific presentations, use of labels/language and for a digital version. Research limitations/implications: The tool is not co-constructed with the client. Because of this IST's caseload, the sample size was small. Only one clinician was asked to complete the CCM pre and post intervention. Future use of the measure will encourage two clinicians to complete the measure to evidence its inter-rater reliability. Each client's specific presentation was not explicitly analysed here. Practical implications: The CCM will be updated using the feedback from clinicians and from the peer review process. Research that examines the generalisability of this measure to other IST services would be beneficial. Originality/value: The CCM appears to fill a gap in outcome measurements for this IST service which looks at breadth and depth of client complexity and risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embodied theories of cognition consider many aspects of language and other cognitive domains as the result of sensory and motor processes. In this view, the appraisal and the use of concepts are based on mechanisms of simulation grounded on prior sensorimotor experiences. Even though these theories continue receiving attention and support, increasing evidence indicates the need to consider the flexible nature of the simulation process, and to accordingly refine embodied accounts. In this consensus paper, we discuss two potential sources of variability in experimental studies on embodiment of language: individual differences and context. Specifically, we show how factors contributing to individual differences may explain inconsistent findings in embodied language phenomena. These factors include sensorimotor or cultural experiences, imagery, context-related factors, and cognitive strategies. We also analyze the different contextual modulations, from single words to sentences and narratives, as well as the top-down and bottom-up influences. Similarly, we review recent efforts to include cultural and language diversity, aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and brain disorders, as well as bilingual evidence into the embodiment framework. We address the importance of considering individual differences and context in clinical studies to drive translational research more efficiently, and we indicate recommendations on how to correctly address these issues in future research. Systematically investigating individual differences and context may contribute to understanding the dynamic nature of simulation in language processes, refining embodied theories of cognition, and ultimately filling the gap between cognition in artificial experimental settings and cognition in the wild (i.e., in everyday life). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to embodied theories (including embodied, embedded, extended, enacted, situated, and grounded approaches to cognition), language representation is intrinsically linked to our interactions with the world around us, which is reflected in specific brain signatures during language processing and learning. Moving on from the original rivalry of embodied vs. amodal theories, this consensus paper addresses a series of carefully selected questions that aim at determining when and how rather than whether motor and perceptual processes are involved in language processes. We cover a wide range of research areas, from the neurophysiological signatures of embodied semantics, e.g., event-related potentials and fields as well as neural oscillations, to semantic processing and semantic priming effects on concrete and abstract words, to first and second language learning and, finally, the use of virtual reality for examining embodied semantics. Our common aim is to better understand the role of motor and perceptual processes in language representation as indexed by language comprehension and learning. We come to the consensus that, based on seminal research conducted in the field, future directions now call for enhancing the external validity of findings by acknowledging the multimodality, multidimensionality, flexibility and idiosyncrasy of embodied and situated language and semantic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intersubjectivity is the proposition that human experience occurs in a world of shared and embodied understandings, mediated by culture and language. Nursing is fundamentally relational, and nursing research stems from an exchange between participants and researchers and indeed around the transaction of the patient and the nurse in the intersubjective space of clinical settings. Through the philosophical standpoints of Husserl, Merleau‐Ponty, Heidegger, and Gadamer we examine these differing philosophical constructs of intersubjectivity and the contribution of these positions to phenomenological nursing inquiry. Particular framings of intersubjectivity should influence the way researchers interact with their participants and data so that the chosen philosophy sits coherently within a research plan and methodology. This exploration of philosophical standpoints is extended through examples of, and reflections upon, the authors' experiences of intersubjectivity in our published phenomenological nursing studies and through dynamic interactions that characterise interpretive activities within a research team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: So far, many studies have investigated the extent and nature of the grammatical deficit in aphasia. However, to the best of our knowledge, this research is the first in the Persian language to inspect the comprehension of patients with Broca’s aphasia on diverse syntactically complex structures. Materials and Methods: To scrutinize the impact of task on aphasics’ performance, four age-, education- and gender-matched Persian-speaking patients with Broca’s aphasia were compared with their healthy matched controls regarding the two different tasks of grammatical judgment and figurine act-out task. The structures used to examine the subjects’ performance included agentive passive, subject cleft, object cleft, object relative clause, and object experiencer psychological verbs. Results: Our results which supported the trade-off hypothesis, showed that our subjects generally performed better in grammatical judgment task than in figurine act-out task (P≤0.05). Particularly in the second task, as our inner task comparison, the patients’ problems were more severe in object cleft, object experiencer, and object relative clauses: all structures whose interpretations need more cognitive load. Conclusion: Our findings put more weight on the interactive or constraint-based model of language processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Expressive vocabulary plays a vital role in child language development, and its assessment can be one of the essential indicators to identify language developmental delay, especially in children with Down syndrome. We developed a list of expressive vocabulary and compared the size and class of expressive vocabularies between typically developing and Down syndrome children. Materials and Methods: Expressive vocabulary of 150 children was examined in this study. A total of 120 typically developing Farsi-speaking children (in four age Groups, with a 6-month interval) and 30 children with Down syndrome (aged 24-48 months) participated in this study. The parents of the children filled out the form that included 636 words from different vocabulary classes. These classes were based on studies that investigated language development in Farsi-speaking children. Results: The expressive vocabulary size in Farsi-speaking children was significantly higher than in Down syndrome children (P≤0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between boys and girls regarding expressive vocabulary size in two Groups of children. The size of nouns in all age Groups is more than other classes, and the size of conjunctions in all age Groups is less than the other ones. A direct correlation was found between age and the size of expressive vocabulary. Conclusion: According to the study findings, the list of expressive vocabulary can detect delays in developing expressive vocabulary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language interference is one of the most common problems in foreign language teaching. Language learners inevitably apply knowledge of their native language to a second language, which leads to linguistic interference. The more differences there are between the two languages, the more prominent the interference between them will be. This paper examines the key issues faced by Russian students learning English and English-speaking students learning Russian and suggests key areas of teaching needed in both disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Im ersten Teil des folgenden Aufsatzes wird die Situation des DaF-Unterrichts in Brasilien beschrieben und der Ansatz der critical literacy präsentiert, der den Fremdsprachenunterricht auch als Raum zur Förderung kritischen Denkens versteht und aus der brasilianischen Fremdsprachendidaktik kaum wegzudenken ist. Im zweiten Teil wird eine didaktische Sequenz zur Förderung des kritischen Denkens und des Fremdverstehens vorgestellt, bei der Texte aus Straßenzeitungen, die von obdachlosen Menschen geschrieben wurden, eingesetzt wurden. Außerdem wird die Erstellung von Profilen obdachloser Menschen aus einem der DACHL-Länder sowie der gedankliche Transfer zum Heimatland der Lernenden beschrieben. Die wichtigsten Studienergebnisse werden am Ende präsentiert. In the first part of this article the approach of critical literacy will be presented that plays an important role in Brazilian foreign language discussion and focuses on critical thinking when learning foreign languages. In the second part of the article a five-lesson plan to promote critical thinking in a German language class by using texts written by homeless people will be described. This includes the profile creation of German speaking homeless people and the transfer to the students' country. In the end the most important research results will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andi (Nakh-Daghestanian; Russia) displays a typologically remarkable phenomenon: adverbs of numerous morphological and functional types inflect for agreement with a clause-level controller. To the extent that adverb agreement has been observed elsewhere, it is commonly taken to signal that the items involved are semantically oriented towards the participants they agree with, aligning the phenomenon with secondary predication. This paper demonstrates that Andi works differently: the widespread clausal agreement seen on Andi adverbs is insensitive to participant orientation. While agreement exponence on adverbs is morphologically complex, a simple structural principle (modelled here in Minimalist terms) ensures that clause-level agreement is always with the absolutive-case argument. The Andi facts thus provide evidence for a typological distinction between those languages where clausal agreement on adverbs can serve a semantic function and those where it cannot. A potential challenge is posed by the exceptional “biabsolutive” construction, where both subject and object appear in absolutive case and either may control adverb agreement, suggesting a role for some additional non-structural factor. However, on independent grounds this paper identifies the two arguments as belonging to distinct structural layers; this apparent flexibility in controller choice merely reflects the ability of certain adverbs to modify either layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of toxic language in the Arabic language has emerged as an active area of research in recent years, and reviewing the existing datasets employed for training the developed solutions has become a pressing need. This paper offers a comprehensive survey of Arabic datasets focused on online toxic language. We systematically gathered a total of 54 available datasets and their corresponding papers and conducted a thorough analysis, considering 18 criteria across four primary dimensions: availability details, content, annotation process, and reusability. This analysis enabled us to identify existing gaps and make recommendations for future research works. For the convenience of the research community, the list of the analysed datasets is maintained in a GitHub repository. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Alemannic dialects of German, [n] is particularly vulnerable to assimilation, deletion, and epenthesis. Although these changes are not necessarily uniform across all Alemannic varieties, the Alemannic dialect areas all exhibit some, if not all, of these processes. In this article, we present data from a diverse array of Alemannic dialects and show that [n] behaves similarly throughout Alemannic, assimilating to the place of following stops, deleting word-finally, and repairing hiatus through epenthesis. We contend that coronal [n] is interacting with so many processes because it is unmarked in terms of place and manner. This paper contributes to the phonological literature on dialectology and Markedness Theory. First, by considering similar processes which occur across multiple Alemannic dialects, we show how Alemannic prefers eliminating or modifying word-final [n]. Second, this analysis gives insight into theories of segment (un)markedness; thus, the data presented in this paper support descriptions of unmarked segments as undergoing assimilation, deletion, and epenthesis, while they challenge markedness accounts by scholars who bar [n] as an epenthetic segment. Third, we provide data for a language family in which one segment undergoes all three processes of assimilation, deletion, and epenthesis; this is unprecedented in the literature on unmarked segments, which typically focuses on languages which possess only one of these three processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endovascular clot retrieval (ECR) is known to reduce global disability at 3 months post stroke however limited research exists regarding the trajectory of specific clinical impairments including language, swallowing and cognitive deficits between onset and 3 months. Aims: To assess language, swallowing, and cognitive performance following ECR and explore whether impairment severity is correlated with modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score (mTICI), stroke severity or quality of life (QoL). Methods: Assessment was completed within 7 days (T1), 1 month (T2) and 3 months (T3) post‐stroke. Performance was measured with the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Trail Making Test (TMT A and B) and Brixton Spatial Awareness Test. The Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) was used for left hemisphere stroke. QoL was measured with the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale. Results: Twenty‐five participants (median 72 years; 64% male) were prospectively recruited following ECR. High reperfusion success (68% mTICI 3) and low stroke severity post ECR (median 24 h NIHSS = 3, IQR 7–18) were noted. At T1, 10 participants presented with aphasia, eight required a modified diet and 20 had impaired cognition. At T3 all had recovered to a normal oral diet, 39% had persistent cognitive impairment and 45% of patients with left hemisphere stroke remained aphasic. Performance on the WAB, FOIS, RBANS and TMT changed significantly over time (all p < 0.05). The severity score at T1 for all measures, excluding TMT B and Brixton, was significantly correlated with 24 h NIHSS. WAB scores at T3 were correlated with QoL (r = 0.618; p = 0.043). Conclusion: This exploratory study found the longitudinal performance of language, swallowing and cognition significantly improved over time and severity in the first‐week post‐ECR was correlated with 24 h NIHSS rather than the degree of reperfusion. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Randomised control trials have demonstrated the benefit of ECR in patients with ischemic stroke using global measures of disability and function. Limited research exists regarding the trajectory of specific clinical impairments including language, swallowing and cognitive deficits. There is also a reliance on screening assessments and a lack of consideration of the influence of co‐occurring impairments. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This prospective study is amongst the first to explore the longitudinal trajectory of language, swallowing and cognitive impairment using a standardised assessment battery. Twenty‐four‐hour NIHSS was significantly correlated with language, swallowing, global cognition and some measures of executive function. Language performance post ECR was correlated with domain‐specific cognitive assessment of attention, immediate memory and delayed memory, which differed from swallowing performance post ECR that correlated with measures of executive function. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: It is important for speech‐language pathologists and the wider medical team to monitor language, swallowing and cognitive performance post ECR regardless of treatment success. Stroke severity at 24 h post‐ECR influences the severity of language, swallowing and cognitive impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies on language learner emotions mainly focus on Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) and Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE). They are primarily conducted in offline learning settings. This paper reports the empirical findings of an exploratory investigation conducted in a fully synchronous online learning environment for ab initio Korean. Through an Achievement Emotions Questionnaire administered to 117 students in an Australian university, this study measures learners' pride as well as their enjoyment and anxiety during four teaching weeks. In addition, this paper examines how learner emotions correlate with academic achievement as well as crucial learner and teacher variables. The study confirms many patterns of learner emotions in offline teaching environments, such as the association of positive emotions with positive outcomes and with some teacher characteristics, and the association of anxiety with negative outcomes. However, it also reveals patterns that appear to be new, warranting further empirical studies. The pedagogical implications of results for L2 teaching and learning are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the following questions: What is reading all about, as our technical milieu becomes increasingly digital and our reading increasingly automated? What is entailed in closely reading a book, in studying and handling the book as an object? And what is the role of philosophy—and in reading philosophy—as we grapple with new technical modes of reading? Guided by philosopher Gilbert Simondon, this paper compares the language heuristics of large language models (LLM) with human reading practices, revealing parallel and diverging technical tactics, with the aim of increasing our understanding of how and why these algorithms are part of our technical reality. This comparison moves beyond concerns with automation and alienation, using Simondon's notions of technicity and transindividuality to philosophically analyze the nature of collaborative reading in a distraction economy, and the extent to which transformer neural network models achieve an implicit embodied or grounded sense of language-use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has asked whether European integration leads to the formation of a new kind of 'transnational class' or 'elite' in and around the European institutions in Brussels. This paper focuses instead on intra‐group distinctions and symbolic boundaries between EU professionals from different countries. Drawing on Bourdieu's notion of language as a marker of distinction, it argues that language continues to be a resource for symbolic boundary making. Empirically, this paper builds on in‐depth interviews with officials of the European Commission, who are at the heart of an emerging transnational elite of EU professionals. It shows that while Commission officials are multilingual and use multilingualism to construct themselves as a transnational group, intra‐group symbolic boundaries continue to be drawn based on competence in the Commission's two main working languages, English and French. Overall, this paper points out the overlooked importance of language differences for transnational professionals' symbolic boundary making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is relativism a coherent thesis? The paper argues for a new view of relativism that opposes both classic and contemporary views. On this view, the thesis of relativism is coherent even if the key notions in the standard apparatus of relativism—of alternative conceptual schemes, relative truth, perspectival content—are all incoherent. The view defended here highlights issues about attitude attribution and explanation in formulating the thesis of relativism and it proposes a surprising connection between relativism and nonsense. The paper argues further that the thesis of relativism, so understood, is coherent, by considering different accounts of the semantics of attitude attributions in their application to the attribution of nonsensical thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates Gibraltar in a state of linguistic transition. This transition is feared by many to culminate in the loss of Llanito among younger generations. Llanito is a local variety made up of code-switched Gibraltar-Spanish, Gibraltar-English, Genoese, culturally specific words, and loanwords from other Mediterranean varieties. To evaluate the scope of this loss, this paper presents interviews with Gibraltarian politicians, as elected representatives who can influence the language situation, and grandparents who have contributed to the generational replenishment of Llanito. Llanito reflects Gibraltar's culture of hybridity, and this paper interrogates why Llanito is in decline among younger generations. Gibraltar has the ability to transform this situation: educational policy, community effort, and oral and written preservation of Llanito can help to maintain Llanito and save its linguistic loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the sources and literary function of references to the ancient Greeks and Romans in the Japanese author Natsume Sōseki's first novel, I am a Cat, written and published from 1905 to 1907. It places Sōseki and his work in the context of Meiji Japan and its renewed engagement with the West. The paper shows how Sōseki was uniquely placed to reflect on this engagement, particularly its intellectual and literary aspects. Despite his personal familiarity with Greek and Roman materials as demonstrated in his scholarly works and notes, the references in his novel are mediated, drawn primarily from other (mainly English) texts rather than ancient sources. This reflects the most common manner of encountering this material for Sōseki's contemporary readership and therefore sheds some light on the diffusion of Greek and Roman material among the 'educated elite'. The paper further demonstrates that Sōseki's use of this material has literary and thematic point: it contributes to his satire of the emerging class of intellectuals in the Meiji period by critiquing the social weaponization of such knowledge, especially in instances where it is not backed by true understanding. The mediated nature of the Greek and Roman material in the novel also raises questions about the efficacy of language as a means of communication as it contributes to the destabilization of meaning. This is most noticeable in Sōseki's discussion of Greek and Latin language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africans' voices and contributions to communication scholarship are of interest to many Africanists. Some discourses have explored reasons for this interest. This article continues this conversation. It recognizes the challenges contributing to the limited influence of the African voice in global communication scholarship and contributes to the theorizing of the African media. There are a range of factors impeding robust African engagement in global communication scholarship. These factors are explored in this paper. However, African scholars should look beyond these factors. The first part of the article explores reasons for the lack of active African input in this discussion. The second part of the paper explores the peculiarities of Africa that should form building blocks for the emergence of African media typologies. The extant normative media theories fail to consider the realities of African governance structures and philosophies. These should lead to a media framework more reflective of the realities of Africa. Indeed, the article proposes a conversation of four media typologies that closely match the continental conditions: pragmatic authoritarianism, pragmatic progressive, pragmatic libertarianism, and civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the investigation and analysis of speech accommodation effects in data obtained from Spanish learners of German with varying proficiency levels. The production data were recorded during a collaborative map task of the Spanish learners of German among each other and with a native speaker of German. The map task was designed to target words and phrases with specific segmental and suprasegmental characteristics. These characteristics were derived from contrastive analyses of Spanish and German. The main objectives of the paper were to investigate whether segmental and suprasegmental characteristics of the target language German are affected by phonetic accommodation to varying degrees and whether these differences depend on the proficiency level of the speaker or the interlocutor. The statistical analysis, using regression analyses, revealed inconsistent accommodation effects across learners of different proficiency levels as well as different linguistic phenomena. In line with previous findings the results can best be accounted for by an adaptation of a dynamic system approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking a languaging perspective, this paper considers how kindergarten students and their teacher are relationally and intellectually responsive to one another in authoring conversations by constructing a sense of copresence. Copresence is defined by Goffman (1966) as being "uniquely accessible, available, and subject to one another" (p. 22). In this paper, I make Goffman's construct visible by showing how students and their teacher discursively align with each other. Microethnographic discourse analyses of sharing time events in writing workshop reveal that copresence is performed as playfulness, empathy, and disagreement. Implications include using the construct of copresence to assess the relation between the performance of authoring and the social life of the classroom as well as drawing upon the dialogic, improvisational nature of copresence as a point of pedagogical leverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that researchers can carry out subtle and complex ways of elaborating the words of others (BAZERMAN, 2011) in the writing of academic-scientific texts, we intend to examine, in this study, forms of dialogue with the words of others in the writing of scientific articles produced by young researchers. Based on theoretical assumptions of the Bakhtin Circle about the dialogical approach of language and on papers that discuss academic-scientific writing, we have analyzed a corpus composed of 10 scientific articles produced by master's students. The results have indicated that, in the process of appropriation of scientific writing by the young researcher, the dialogue with the word of another in its interdiscursive dimension is marked, in a stressed way, by quotative practices with arrangements that, in terms of form and content, are not always considered acceptable from the point of view of academic-scientific conventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pierre Swiggers (Hg.), Language, Grammar, and Erudition: From Antiquity to Modern Times. A collection of papers in honour of Alfons Wouters (Orbis Supplementa, Tome 44). [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Self-mention in academic writing has been studied extensively, especially from the point of view of rhetorical functions. In this paper I argue that rhetorical functions represent only one dimension of self-mention. Adding the dimensions of grammatical forms and of hedging and boosting, I propose a three-dimensional model of self-mention. I then employ the model in the analysis of three types of writing in the field of linguistics – L1 English, L1 Slovak (a typologically different language), and L2 English writing by Slovak authors. The study shows that authors employ various degrees of the three dimensions of self-mention to meet expectations of their readers while maintaining a balanced power of self-mention. The results suggest that some, but not all, discourse practices related to self-mention might be transferred to L2 English from one's L1. Highlights • Argues for a three-dimensional view of self-mention in academic writing. • Explores how writers exploit the three dimensions to meet readers' expectations. • Contrasts self-mention in L1 and L2 research articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attitudes to sign languages or language policies are often not overtly discussed or recorded but they influence deaf young people's educational opportunities and outcomes. Two qualitative studies from Scotland investigate the provision of British Sign Language as accommodation in public examinations. The first explores the views of deaf pupils and staff about the official system for face‐to‐face interpretation of exam papers. The second investigates a centrally translated digital paper with embedded video questions. Discussion focuses on contrasts between the USA and UK approaches to accommodations, raising issues of standardized technical terms in signed languages, the right to respond in sign, and candidate choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Prize Paper Collections in the National Archives in Kew Gardens contain more than fifty-five Arabic letters and another two dozen accounts and other documents, which were seized in 1759 by British privateers as part of the loot on a Tuscan ship, set out from Livorno towards Alexandria. Virtually untouched since that time, they present a most exciting source of documentary Ottoman Arabic. The letters were written by Christian merchants trading in the Mediterranean and by Christian clergy in Rome to their co-religionists in Egypt and Turkey. This article presents an introduction to the Arabic Prize Papers, a short linguistic analysis of a preliminary corpus of eleven letters, the edition and translation of three sample letters. Particular attention is paid to the linguistic divergence between those letters written by merchants and those composed by church dignitaries, as well as to the sociolinguistic variation found in specific writers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the editors offer information on how to submit articles for the October 2023 issue of the journal on the topic of child language teaching and therapy.

The paper reports on generalisations drawn from the author's historical analysis of a sample of some five thousand words, which reflect more than two hundred lexical items from up to sixty-six Central Chadic languages and language varieties. The paper provides illustrative examples from present-day languages with explicit diachronic analyses of the evolution of their synchronic segmental and 'prosodic' suprasegmental structures. Four typologically characteristic prosodies (i.e., palatalisation, labialisation, nasalisation, glottalisation) operate across words, which are – in synchronic perspective – mostly monomorphemic, while in diachronic perspective they are mostly polymorphemic. The paper shows that, and how the four reconstructed prosodies lead to the diachronic emergence of innovative phonemes in the modern languages, which were not part of the segmental phonological inventories of the common proto-language. This empirical fact poses considerable challenges to the application of the well-established 'comparative method' as originally developed by the Neogrammarian school of historical linguistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore Michel Serres' approach to issues of text, writing and language. In a first step, his own textual parasitism—his use of other texts without adhering to the academic conventions of citational practices—shall be assessed on grounds of the notion of intertextuality, comparing his position to Roland Barthes and Julia Kristeva. It shall be shown that Serres—understanding writing as an act of invention—seems to return to a traditional author position by conceiving of himself in terms of a creative writing subject. A second step of the paper will explore Serres' search for a language of the natural, material world by discussing his critique of the anthropocentrism of language. Serres' own project of reconnecting language with the material world shall be discussed within the context of his own intertextual dependency on other authors and his interest in information theory as connecting different signifying systems. The paper will end with observations on Serres' experimental style of writing, which attempts to bring the body and nature into language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good communication makes it easier for us to connect with the community and other individuals with various backgrounds. Language is also a catalyst for us to understand ourselves and others, and is the key that opens the window of our world’s view. Every aspect on human life is very dependent on the proficiency of language skills. The goal of this paper was to see how the use of Instagram improved the students’ EFL writing ability. The method used to conduct this paper was Systematic Literature Review. There are 10 articles from various journals that are analyzed and synthetized to extract the data from. Based on the authors finding, the use of Instagram brought forth positive improvement on the students’ writing ability, as well as their motivation in language acquisition study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If used correctly, language can be a guiding force, allowing an individual to influence others and achieve the desired results. However, the power of language can be used by politicians, one of whom is President Putin, and that was evidenced during the annexation ceremony of the four Ukrainian regions by Russia. Thus, the purpose of this paper is a critical analysis of Putin‟s speech, and the author employed Fairclough‟s three-dimensional discourse analysis to investigate how language is used to control mass opinion and gain dominance. The study results show that President Putin successfully used rhetoric to encourage nationalism and patriotism among (nearly) all Russians who were not satisfied by the set of events in Ukraine. Moreover, politicians can achieve the desired results by using several linguistic features and rhetorical strategies, and since a series of geopolitical conflicts mark international relations, that issue is essential. On the other hand, a more accurate understanding of the language and its usage can be achieved through critical discourse analysis. Therefore, in this paper, the author uses Norman Fairclough‟s 3D Model of Critical Discourse Analysis to investigate President Putin‟s linguistic features and rhetoric to understand the interrelation between language, power, and political discourse in contemporary conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, self-report measures are the primary assessment tool for anxiety disorders. Since they have some limitations, alternative measurements, such as language-based measures, are worth investigating. This paper explores which language markers signal anxiety in fictitious stories written in response to four Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) cards. Participants (n = 492) from a non-probabilistic convenience sample were asked to write a short story next to each TAT card after completing the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. We used RoLIWC2015 to conduct the text analysis and applied the LASSO method to identify which language markers predict anxiety. The results showed that the respondents scoring high on anxiety also tend to use more words expressing negative emotions, and fewer words expressing positive emotions. Moreover, their language contained a higher frequency of words that implied semantic differentiation (i.e., but, else) and a lower frequency of words indicating leisure. In conclusion, this paper aims to shed new light on the multimethod assessment of anxiety, mainly focused on specific language signatures as reliable predictors of anxiety symptoms. Further research using more extensive text data is recommended to discover more linguistic markers and improve prediction accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the so-called „new literacies”, or 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication, have been increasingly developed in the foreign language classroom through the integration of language knowledge, cross-cultural skills and digital competences. These complex perspectives put greater demands on foreign language teachers and learners and raise their awareness of the fundamental changes in the educational setting. PURPOSE: This study seeks to identify university students’ perceptions of the challenges faced by 21st century foreign language teaching and learning. METHODS: A survey among 31 first- and third-year students in Primary School Pedagogy and Foreign Language at St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo was conducted through anonymous pen-to-paper questionnaire in 2022. RESULTS: The results shed light on students’ beliefs, opinions and awareness of the high-order skills that have reshaped the English language classroom in the 21st century. Though students have scarce knowledge on 21st century skills, they are positive about the implementation of these skills in foreign language teaching and learning. CONCLUSION: The paper concludes that there is a pronounced need to raise the students’ awareness as to the potential of the „new literacies” in the foreign language classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of digital technologies has frequently been hailed as a 'game-changer' in education. However, like previous technological innovations, such as television, these recent developments have failed thus far to demonstrate any significant large-scale improvement in the quality of educational provision or in educational outcomes. The papers in this special issue suggest that there is potential to change this scenario. Digital platforms such as Binogi have been able to exploit technological advances such as vastly improved crosslinguistic machine translation ushered in by artificial intelligence to make curriculum content much more accessible to multilingual students. Drawing on the papers in this special issue, I highlight three dimensions of digital learning environments that have demonstrated pedagogical credibility to enhance multilingual learners' development of literacy and their acquisition of academic content in the target language: (a) they provide extensive access to and promote engagement with written (and oral) input in the target language, (b) they provide instructional scaffolds within the digital environment to promote both awareness of how language works and intentional learning of academic concepts and subject matter content, and (c) they encourage and enable students to become autonomous learners who are capable of self-regulating and evaluating their own learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A separate Alberta Pension Plan (APP) has recently gained renewed attention. In this paper, I assess the long-run viability of such a plan by using both a detailed quantitative model and simple, intuitive approaches. I find only modest scope for changes in benefit levels and contribution rates relative to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Specifically, I estimate an APP minimum contribution rate of 8.2 percent, compared to the base CPP's 9.5 percent. With the same 0.4 percentage point cushion as in the CPP, the APP legislated contribution rate would then be 8.6 percent. This figure is in sharp contrast to a recent government-commissioned report (LifeWorks 2023), which found a contribution rate of 5.9 percent. I explain this disparity and show that much depends on how one interprets imprecise language in the Canada Pension Plan Act. I also explore several relevant risks. Alberta's positive net migration flows, for example, account for nearly two-thirds of its pension advantage. And, depending on the time horizon, investment risks may eliminate its entire advantage. Overall, this paper provides an updated foundation not only to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of an APP but also to understand pension sustainability more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to test negotiation outcomes when bilinguals negotiate in a foreign rather than their native language. Decision research on the foreign language effect indicates that bilingual individuals may be less susceptible to framing bias when using a foreign language because they make less emotional and biased choices. With increasing international business activity, there is a pressing need to examine the effect of language on bilingual negotiators. Design/methodology/approach: The authors tested the hypotheses using a two (task frame: gain vs loss) × 2 (language: foreign vs native) factorial design recruiting 246 Korean–English bilinguals. A negotiation simulation with three issues was used, and participants exchanged offers with a preprogrammed computer they believed to be a real counterpart. Findings: There was no significant interaction effect between framing and language on the offers made, but the framing effect was mitigated and nonsignificant for negotiators who used their foreign language. The interaction between framing and language conditions significantly affected negotiators' positive emotions and satisfaction with the negotiation. Originality/value: The uniqueness of this paper is related to its effort to investigate the effect of negotiation language on a negotiator's decision-making. Considering globalization and the increasing prevalence of international negotiations, this paper has implications for researchers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I agree wholeheartedly with the authors of "At Least One Black Sheep: Pragmatics and Mathematical Language" on their main thesis that the language of mathematics is permeated by phenomena that belong to pragmatics. I also agree with what they take to be the opposite view, which is presented in Mohan Ganesalingam's monograph The Language of Mathematics (2013). I think that the conflict is to a large extent terminological and has to do with what is meant by pragmatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Everywhen: Australia and the Language of Deep History" is a book that explores Indigenous perspectives on time and history. The book consists of twelve essays and an introduction by the editors, who aim to incorporate Indigenous temporalities into modern historical thinking. The essays in the book alternate between Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives, highlighting the differences in understanding and conceptualizing time and history. The book emphasizes the importance of blending different understandings of the past to enrich our overall historical understanding. [Extracted from the article]

This study explores the dynamics of migration in the growing prominence of German in Nigeria, and the ways self-perception of language competence shapes ethnolingual belonging and future trajectories of transmigrant Nigerians residing in Germany. Drawing on promotional texts of German language schools and migration-themed discourses on Nairaland, I show that while German is mainly espoused for migration purposes back at home, most Nigerians in Germany conceptualise belonging and otherness through the lens of language proficiency—a perspective that rationalises their inclination towards relocating to Anglophone destinations for greater linguistic capital and social inclusion. I argue that the narrowed view of German as a migration asset impedes its wider adoption and mainstreaming in the Nigerian linguistic market, and illuminate the complex nexus between language, racialisation, migration, and belonging, as well as the tenuous link between language learning and acculturation. The paper offers insights into the ways language competence shapes ethnolingual membership and migration patterns in a globalised world and suggests a nuanced understanding of new language acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a tension at the heart of Aristotle's understanding of organic activities, created by his appeals to the productive activities of craftsmen and his use of normative language to characterize the goals of such activities. In this paper I discuss two ways of interpreting Aristotle's teleology aimed at resolving this tension, and discuss a closely analogous tension at the heart of a number of contemporary defenses of teleological reasoning in biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Amyloid positron emission tomography scans can enhance the accuracy of dementia diagnoses. However, the perspectives and experiences of people with cognitive impairment and their care partners undergoing an amyloid scan are less well understood. Therefore, this review aimed to identify and summarize qualitative studies exploring patient and care partner experiences of undergoing an amyloid scan. Research Design and Methods We searched Embase, MEDLINE, and PsychInfo in March 2024. Articles were screened for inclusion by 2 reviewers and critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool for Qualitative Studies. Data from the included studies were synthesized using thematic synthesis. Results We identified 10 papers from 6 studies. We identified 4 themes: (1) motivations for undergoing an amyloid scan, (2) experiences of receiving the result, (3) emotional responses to the result, and (4) actions in light of the scan result. Participants reported undergoing the scan to determine the cause of cognitive impairment. They described the information gained from the scan as helpful but struggled to recall the correct terminology or implications of the scan. Emotional responses to the scan varied depending on the scan result. In light of the scan result, the most common action was making advanced plans; however, this was mainly discussed among participants with elevated amyloid. Discussions and Implications Amyloid scans can provide useful and actionable information. However, learning the scan result could be distressing. Future research is needed to balance the potential benefits and harms of amyloid scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A resurgence in teaching coding in primary school classrooms has led to a pedagogical swing towards using physical computing and coding to develop students' use of algorithms, computational thinking, and problem‐solving skills. Two obstacles impede the optimal development of these objectives: the availability of a suitable pedagogy and an instructional sequencing model for primary school teachers to effectively present coding and computational thinking concepts and skills to students in alignment with their developmental stage. Objective: This study aims to address both obstacles by introducing the 3C Model, a newly developed instructional sequence grounded in established pedagogies and designed to effectively teach coding and computational thinking skills to primary school students based on their developmental stage. Methods: The qualitative study employed two data sources to triangulate findings, using: (1) semi‐structured interviews and thematic analysis to investigate 11 primary school students' perceptions of their learning experiences with the 3C Model, and (2) researcher observations along with reflections of the students' developed and demonstrated learning through the method of knowing‐in‐action, reflection‐in‐action, and reflection‐on‐action. Results and Conclusions: The findings of this study fill a gap in the existing literature by demonstrating that the pedagogical and sequential approach embedded in the 3C Model not only enhanced students' engagement levels but also resulted in improved curriculum learning outcomes. The 3C Model provides teachers with a coherent and age‐appropriate instructional structure. It uses physical computing devices and digital coding platforms to introduce coding concepts, furthering the development of computational thinking skills in primary school students beyond mere procedural and rote learning. Implications: The study holds important implications for practical applications, as it addresses an absence in the literature of an established pedagogy and instructional sequencing model for effectively teaching coding and computational thinking concepts and skills to primary school students. Drawing on established pedagogical and developmental learning theories, the 3C Model provides primary school teachers with an engaging, age‐appropriate instructional method that avoids decontextualised teaching and surface‐based learning. Instead, it encourages collaborative student work and contextualised learning, steering away from isolated and generic approaches. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: Teaching coding and computational thinking concepts and skills is complex due to their abstract nature.Teaching resources such as work samples, curriculum connections and tools are available to primary school teachers.There is no consensus on the most effective methods to teach these abstract concepts and skills.Primary school teachers default to applying general teaching strategies due to the lack of an age‐appropriate, specific activity sequencing model to use during coding instruction. What does this paper add: The study fills the existing gap by presenting a newly conceptualised instructional model, which considers the students' developmental stage of learning and pedagogical best practices.The study trialled the 3C Model with primary school students in a classroom setting.The study found that employing the pedagogical approach of the 3C Model increased students' engagement levels and resulted in enhanced curriculum learning outcomes. Implications for practitioners: Without an age‐appropriate instructional sequencing model students may not be grasping the underlying concepts.Simply focusing on the code without emphasising concepts such as decomposition and algorithmic thinking will result in shallow learning.Key considerations in using the 3C Model are ensuring that conceptual development occurs using physical computing devices and language students are familiar with prior to introducing coding language and its symbolic representations.Primary school teachers should consider incorporating physical interactive digital devices, physical movement, staged language development and subsequent coding procedures within the context of an engaging and authentic problem. This approach enables students to effectively grasp and represent coding and computational thinking concepts and skills, surpassing mere procedural and rote learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify attitudes towards HIV/STI screening guidelines and explore the acceptability of assessing sexual positioning practices among Black sexual minority men (SMM). Background: Risks for HIV/STIs vary by sexual positioning practices. However, clinicians and Black SMM do not always discuss sexuality with each other. Therefore, HIV/STI screening and testing remain suboptimal. Design: Qualitative study using focus groups. Methods: Data were obtained from 12 focus groups and one in‐depth interview conducted in Baltimore, MD among HIV‐negative Black SMM between October 2019 and May 2020 (N = 39). Groups were stratified into three age categories: 18–24, 25–34 and 35+. Participants were given the "5 P's" from the CDC's 2015 Sexual History Screening Guidelines and asked to discuss attitudes towards existing questions regarding sexual positioning practices. Themes were identified using an electronic pile sorting approach. Results: Most identified as homosexual/gay/same gender‐loving (68%), were employed (69%) and single (66%). Additionally, 34% had ever been diagnosed with an STI, of whom 38% had a history of repeated STI acquisition in their lifetime. Participants across age groups said clinicians should use the words "top" and "bottom" to demonstrate cultural familiarity and build trust. Some said that screening for sexual positioning was unnecessary and intrusive; others said that questions should be justified. Younger men wanted clinicians to ask questions in ways that make them feel cared for. Discussion: Guidelines should include language for clinicians to use culturally specific language and better ways to prepare Black SMM patients for screening. Impact to Nursing Practice: Some Black SMM will not discuss sexual positioning practices without clinicians' demonstration of cultural understanding and respect. Screening should incorporate culturally responsive language, justification and convey care. Reporting Method: Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). No Patient or Public Contribution: There was no patient or public involvement in the design or drafting of this discursive paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]