CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 3 2004
Janice Hegewald
The existence of seasonal patterns to patch test reactions has been described, but with conflicting causal interpretations. The potential seasonality of patch tests may be due to irritation, changes to skin barrier or changes to immunological functions caused by meteorological fluctuations. For example, increased skin irritability due to cold winter weather and low humidity may cause an increase in irritative/doubtful and weak positive (false positive) reactions. To investigate the extent of the association between weather and patch test results, consecutive patients (N = 73691) patch tested with the standard series of the German Contact Dermatitis Research Group (DKG) at German or Austrian IVDK (http://www.ivdk.de) centres were matched with weather data collected at a nearby (30 km radius) weather station. Temperature and absolute humidity (AH) on the day of patch test application and the two preceding days were averaged to represent the environment most likely to have influenced the skin condition at the time of testing. The results of 24 standard series substances were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. Half of the standard series substances examined, including fragrance mix, nickel sulphate, and formaldehyde, exhibited evidence of a relationship with meteorological conditions. Fragrance mix and p-Phenylene diamine exhibited the strongest evidence of an association to weather, with the odds of the reactions in all three reaction categories (ir/?, +, ++/+++) increasing during winter conditions. Due to the association between weather and patch test reactivity, the potential effect of meteorological conditions should be considered in the interpretation of patch test reactions. [source]

Contact allergy to Disperse Blue 106/124 mix in consecutive German, Austrian and Swiss patients

CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 5 2003
Wolfgang Uter
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Contact sensitization from Compositae-containing herbal remedies and cosmetics

CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 4 2002
Evy Paulsen
The Compositae (Asteraceae) family of plants is currently an important cause of allergic plant contact dermatitis in Europe. The family comprises some of the oldest and most valued medicinal plants, and the increasing popularity of herbal medicine and cosmetics may theoretically result in a growing number of Compositae sensitizations from these sources. According to the literature at least 15 species, including among others arnica (Arnica montana), German and Roman chamomile (Chamomilla recutita and Chamaemelum nobile), marigold (Calendula officinalis), Echinacea and elecampane (Inula helenium), have been suspected of sensitization or elicitation of Compositae dermatitis. Epidemiological data are available for 2 species only, arnica and German chamomile, the rest of the evidence being anecdotal. Based on this, sensitization seems to occur relatively frequently with a few species such as arnica and elecampane, and occurs rarely with the majority, especially the widely used German chamomile. Sesquiterpene lactones are the most important allergens, but there are a few cases of sensitization from a coumarin, a sesquiterpene alcohol and a thiophene. The risk of elicitation of dermatitis by using Compositae-containing products in Compositae-sensitive individuals is by-and-large unknown. [source]

Continuity and Change in Corporate Governance: comparing Germany and Japan

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2005
Gregory Jackson
Germany and Japan are often seen deviating from an economic model of shareholder control and thereby as being similar by virtue of their mutual contrast with the US. Given the common challenges for bank-based and stakeholder-oriented models of corporate governance, Germany,Japan comparison seems particularly timely. This article provides an introductory overview and analysis for the Special Issue by comparing recent developments in corporate law reform, banking and finance, and employment in Germany and Japan. While rejecting arguments for international convergence, we discuss this evidence of simultaneous continuity and change in corporate governance as a potential form of hybridisation of national models or renegotiation of stakeholder coalitions in German and Japanese firms. One consequence is the growing diversity of firm-level corporate governance practices within national systems. [source]

USA: German in the Changing Landscape of Postsecondary Education

DIE UNTERRICHTSPRAXIS/TEACHING GERMAN, Issue 1 2010
Lynne Tatlock
This article identifies recent indicators of the state of German Studies in the United States with special attention to postsecondary enrollments in German. It additionally reviews challenges to the postsecondary teaching of German as they manifest themselves both locally and nationally, including the positioning of German Studies in the life of universities and colleges and the equitable treatment, well being, and success of those teaching German. [source]

The New Cosmopolitan Monolingualism: On Linguistic Citizenship in Twenty-First Century Germany

DIE UNTERRICHTSPRAXIS/TEACHING GERMAN, Issue 2 2009
David Gramling
In the early years of the twenty-first century, being German has become a matter of linguistic competence and performance. An acute shift in citizenship statutes at the end of the 1990s brought about a peripatetic departure from Germany's "right of blood" (ius sanguinis) toward a French-inspired "right of territory" (ius soli). Yet in the nine years since the policy's implementation, a paradigm quite removed from territorial citizenship has taken hold,one that I will outline as a ius linguarum, or "right of languages." This article analyzes the civic discourse on German language use as it has evolved from the late 1990s in immigration statutes, press discourse, school reform initiatives, and national service awards. Together, these developments serve as interlocking case studies in the emergence of a new cosmopolitan monolingualism,amid the fluctuating conditions of European integration and economic globalization. The article concludes with some speculations on the impact of a ius linguarum for teachers of literature and language in the German Studies context. [source]

Learners' Descriptions of German Pronunciation, Vocabulary, and Grammar: A Folk Linguistic Account

DIE UNTERRICHTSPRAXIS/TEACHING GERMAN, Issue 1 2009
Monika Chavez
Following a folk linguistic approach, this investigation of first-, second- and fourth-year learners' accounts of German found that (1) few had held pre-conceived notions about German prior to language study; (2) most pre-conceived notions concerned German pronunciation; (3) pre-conceived notions about vocabulary were most likely to influence the decision to study German; and (4) among current perceptions of German, learners (a) believe German to be more "systematic" than English; (b) are virtually exclusively concerned with rules of "accuracy" (not appropriateness); (c) tend to judge the "merits" of German rules in comparison with English but also the Romance languages; (d) consider grammar more different between English and German than vocabulary and pronunciation; and (e) register no observable differences across different years of study or between German and non-German majors. [source]

The Role of Explicit Information in Instructed SLA: An On-Line Study with Processing Instruction and German Accusative Case Inflections

DIE UNTERRICHTSPRAXIS/TEACHING GERMAN, Issue 1 2009
Hillah Culman
The present study reports the findings of an experiment on the effects of explicit information on the learning of German case markings. Fifty-nine learners of first- and second-year German received computer-based processing instruction on German accusative case marking and word order. These learners were divided into two groups: one received explicit information on the nature and form of case marking in German prior to the treatment, and one group did not. We measured the effects of explicit information by tracking correct responses on the computer as participants made their way through the activities. Analyses revealed that explicit information had an effect: those who received explicit information began to correctly respond to stimulus sentences (i.e., began to correctly indicate who did what to whom) sooner than those who did not. These results contradict previous research and suggest a hidden role for explicit information within processing instruction. [source]

Modern Classics: Reflections on Rammstein in the German Class,

DIE UNTERRICHTSPRAXIS/TEACHING GERMAN, Issue 1 2008
Martina Lüke
The decreasing interest in the study of foreign languages forces us to reconsider and re-evaluate new teaching methods and approaches. Nevertheless, the use of music, in particular modern or pop music, for interdisciplinary studies and students' language skills appears to be still neglected. I claim that the lyrics and music of the popular group Rammstein deal with classical German literature and music and therefore should be added to the curriculum. Based on personal teaching experiences while teaching German for a couple of years at both high-school and university level I will provide insight into some aspects dealing with Rammstein in the classroom. [source]

Using Virtual Reality for Task-Based Exercises in Teaching Non-Traditional Students of German

DIE UNTERRICHTSPRAXIS/TEACHING GERMAN, Issue 2 2004
Stephanie E. Libbon
[source]

Investigations regarding Alpine talus slopes using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in the Bavarian Alps, Germany

EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 10 2001
Oliver Sass
Abstract The applicability of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) for the investigation of loose debris was tested at two sites (Viererkar and Zugspitzplatt). A pulseEKKO 100 GPR system equipped with 25 MHz antennae was utilized. The aim of the investigation was to record the base of the debris layer, and thereby acquire an estimation of the backweathering rates of the adjacent rockwalls. The study areas are situated in the Northern Alps near the German,Austrian border. The sites are characterized by steep limestone rockwalls and extensive talus accumulations. A total of six profiles was surveyed. The method is suitable and effective for a quick survey in this dry, high-ohmic substrate. The GPR system was able to deliver information about the subsurface stratigraphy to c. 70 m depth. The boundary line to the bedrock was discovered , depending upon the profile surveyed ,5 to 25 m below the surface. The base of the debris material sometimes shows no distinct reflection. Buried features (V-shaped furrows, zones overdeepened by ice action, geological structures) could be detected. Arched structures well below the talus,bedrock interface can be interpreted as drainage systems in the karstic bedrock. A thick scree layer of Late Glacial age was separated from a thinner layer on the talus surface, which was related to the Holocene. The backweathering rates were fixed by a calculation of talus volume to c. 100 mm/103 a during the Holocene (Viererkar) and 150,300 mm/103 a (Zugspitzplatt). The detrital formation in north-exposed sites is twice as intense as in south-exposed sites. These results match the rates of recent rockfall in the same area of investigation. The calculated backweathering for the late glacial period is 150,730 mm/103 a. The magnitude of the calculated rockwall retreat lies well within the range of previous measurements. The discrepancy between some weathering rates highlights the fact that recent and past relief formation must be differentiated. Otherwise recent removal rates may be overestimated. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Changes in alcohol consumption and beverage preference among adolescents after the introduction of the alcopops tax in Germany

ADDICTION, Issue 7 2010
Stefanie Müller
ABSTRACT Aims The aim of this study is to assess the contribution of the alcopops tax to changes in alcohol consumption and beverage preference among adolescents in Germany. We hypothesize that the decrease of alcohol intake by alcopops is substituted by an increase of alcohol intake by other alcoholic beverages. Design Data came from the German 2003 (n = 10 551) and 2007 (n = 10 598) cross-sectional study of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD). Participants A propensity score-matched subsample of 9th and 10th graders (n = 4694) was used for the analyses. Measurement Alcohol consumption within the last 7 days was assessed by a beverage-specific quantity,frequency index. An individual's beverage preference was assigned for the beverage that had the highest share in total alcohol consumption. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess changes in alcohol consumption; changes in beverage preference were tested using multinomial logistic regression. Findings While alcopop consumption declined after the alcopops tax was implemented, consumption of spirits increased. Changes in beverage preference revealed a decrease in alcopop preference and an increase in the preference for beer and spirits. Conclusions Results indicate a partial substitution of alcopops by spirits and a switch in preference to beverages associated with riskier drinking patterns. Effective alcohol policies to prevent alcohol-related problems should focus upon the reduction of total alcohol consumption instead of regulating singular beverages. [source]

European Union scientific production on alcohol and drug misuse (1976,2000)

ADDICTION, Issue 8 2005
Xavier Sánchez-Carbonell
ABSTRACT Background Alcohol and drug misuse is a social and health phenomenon of great relevance in the European Union (EU). One indicator of scientific production in a given area is the analysis of publications included in bibliographic databases. Scientific production on alcohol and drug misuse was analysed in EU member countries, and comparisons were made between countries. Methods Analysis of articles on alcohol and drug misuse published during the period 1976,2000 by institutions based in a country of the EU, indexed by PsycINFO. Results A total of 4825 citations was retrieved. Great Britain published 38.6%, while Sweden, Germany and Spain accounted for a further 30%. The articles dealt with drug and alcohol usage (12.8%), substance abuse (53.5%) and drug and alcohol rehabilitation (34.5%). The articles were published in 13 different languages, more than three-quarters being in English. Spanish was the second language, and was followed by French, German, Dutch and Italian. The articles were published in 521 different journals, and 62 of these published more than 10 articles. The journals publishing most were Addiction, Alcohol and Alcoholism and Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Sixty-eight per cent of the articles were signed by more than one author, and the index of collaboration, between 1996 and 2000, was 3.24. Discussion and conclusions PsycINFO is useful for making comparisons between countries, because it includes the name and country of the institution. The number of publications in the EU on alcohol and drug misuse increased over the quarter-century analysed. The most used language was English, as it also is for PsycINFO as a whole, and a tendency towards its increased use was observed. Classification of the articles by subject by the Classification Code is too general, and makes it difficult to distinguish between the areas it proposes. Production tends to be concentrated in journals dealing specifically with drug dependence and psychiatry. The index of collaboration is similar to that found in other scientific areas. [source]

A New Chrna4 Mutation with Low Penetrance in Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy

EPILEPSIA, Issue 7 2003
Tobias Leniger
Summary: Purpose: To identify and characterize the mutation(s) causing nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy in a German extended family. Methods: Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit genes were screened by direct sequencing. Once a CHRNA4 mutation was identified, its biophysical and pharmacologic properties were characterized by expression experiments in Xenopus oocytes. Results: We report a new CHRNA4 mutation, causing a ,4-T265I amino acid exchange at the extracellular end of the second transmembrane domain (TM). Functional studies of ,4-T265I revealed an increased ACh sensitivity of the mutated receptors. ,4-T265I is associated with an unusual low penetrance of the epilepsy phenotype. Sequencing of the TM1-TM3 parts of the 1 known nAChR subunits did not support a two-locus model involving a second nAChR sequence variation. Conclusions: nAChR mutations found in familial epilepsy are not always associated with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. ,4-T265I is the first nAChR allele showing a markedly reduced penetrance consistent with a major gene effect. The low penetrance of the mutation is probably caused by unknown genetic or environmental factors or both. [source]

Meta-analysis on drugs in people with eating disorders

EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 4 2009
Ana Calero-Elvira
Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to examine whether drug use (DU) is higher in people with eating disorders (EDs) compared to a healthy control group and to perform a meta-analysis on the literature related to DU in people with EDs. Method We searched electronic databases (Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL) and reviewed studies published from 1994 to August, 2007, in English, German or Spanish. A total of 16 papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included. Results The general meta-analysis revealed a negligible albeit significant effect size (0.119, p,<,.05). Risk was found to be higher in bulimia nervosa (BN, ,,=,0.462, p,=,,<,.001), smaller in binge eating disorder (,,=,0.14, p,<,.05) and non-significant in anorexia nervosa (AN, ,,=,,.167, p,=,.070). Conclusions The differential risk observed in patients with BN might be related to differences in temperament or might be the result of reward sensitization. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source]

The Determinants of Debt Maturity Structure: Evidence from France, Germany and the UK

EUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2006
Antonios Antoniou
G20; G32 Abstract We examine the determinants of the debt maturity structure of French, German and British firms. These countries represent different financial and legal traditions that may have implications on corporate debt maturity structure. Our model incorporates the factors representing three major theories (tax considerations, liquidity and signalling, and contracting costs) of debt maturity. It also controls for capital market conditions. The results confirm the applicability of most theories of debt maturity structure for the UK firms. However, the evidence from France and Germany are mixed. Overall the findings suggest that the debt maturity structure of a firm is determined by firm-specific factors and the country's financial systems and institutional traditions in which it operates. [source]

Adapted Finnish Migraine-Specific Questionnaire for family studies (FMSQFS): a validation study in two languages

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 10 2008
M. F. Facheris
Background and purpose:, The hypothesis of a genetic component in the etiology of migraine is getting a foothold. However, to explore genetic associations, precision in clinical phenotypization is crucial. For this reason, migraine-specific questionnaires, well discriminating between primary headaches, are required when large numbers of individuals need to be assessed. Methods:, We adapted and translated in two languages, German and Italian, the Finnish Migraine-Specific Questionnaire for use in family studies. Results and conclusions:, This adaptation proved to be reliable when differentiating from primary headaches, and to be in very good agreement with the standard for comparison. However, discriminating between migraine with and without aura still relays on a specialist evaluation. This article describes the validation of this questionnaire. [source]

Nearly half of dental randomized controlled trials published in German are not included in Medline

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 6 2002
Jens C. Türp
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the most reliable type of clinical intervention studies. However, not all reports of RCTs are accessible in Medline. This can impede the validity of the results of systematic reviews. Ten German-language dental journals were manually searched to locate reports of controlled clinical trials published between 1970 and 2000. The publication type was determined and compared with Medline. Of the 15 777 articles, 210 reports of RCTs and 410 articles of non-randomized controlled clinical trials (CCTs) were identified. Only 56% of the RCTs and 75% of the CCTs are available in Medline. Of the 118 reports of RCTs registered in Medline, 15 are indexed with the correct Publication Type term. Our data suggest that (a) hand-searching plays a valuable role in identifying reports of clinical dental trials, and (b) a literature search in Medline is likely to yield incomplete results. [source]

Sex differences in school achievement: what are the roles of personality and achievement motivation?

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2008
Ricarda Steinmayr
Abstract It is consistently reported that despite equal cognitive ability, girls outperform boys in school. In several methodological steps, the present study examined sex differences in school achievement and some of the most important personality and motivational constructs in a sample of 204 females and 138 adolescent males (mean age M,=,16.94 years; SD,=,0.71). Grades in Math and German as well as grade point average (GPA) served as achievement criteria. Intelligence, the Big Five of personality and motivational variables (achievement motives, goal orientation, task values and ability self-concepts) served as predictors. After controlling for intelligence, girls' grades were significantly better than boys'. Mean sex differences were found for most variables. There were no gender-specific associations between predictors and grades. Agreeableness, work avoidance, ability self-concepts and values ascribed to German mediated the association between sex and grades in German. Controlling for ability self-concepts and values ascribed to Math enhanced the association between sex and math grades. We concluded that personality and motivation play important roles in explaining sex differences in school attainment. Results are discussed against the background of practical and methodological implications. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Morningness in German and Spanish students: a comparative study

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 4 2007
Christoph Randler
Abstract Humans show pronounced individual differences in circadian orientation. Transcultural comparisons are interesting since biological (or environmental) factors together with cultural ones may contribute to differences in morningness,eveningness. We compared Spanish and German undergraduates using the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM) to assess circadian preferences. Confirmatory and multiple groups confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess factor structure and structural invariance across countries. The results showed that a three-factor model of morningness best characterises the CSM structure of both samples. Partial factorial invariance (factor loadings) across countries was demonstrated for the factors ,morningness' and ,morning alertness'. Scores of both factors were higher in German students. Potential cultural and biological explanations for the differences are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Evaluating cluster analysis solutions: an application to the Italian NEO personality inventory

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue S1 2002
Claudio Barbaranelli
This paper is concerned with the evaluation of cluster analysis solutions. Internal criteria and replication issues are compared and applied to empirical data collected from an Italian sample of 421 young adults, using the NEO Personality Inventory. The following internal criteria were considered: C, gamma, and G(,+,) indices, and point-biserial correlation. Replication was examined (i) ,internally' using double cross-validation and bootstrap approaches and (ii) ,externally' by comparing the solution obtained on the Italian sample with the results obtained in German and Spanish samples. While replication analyses supported three- and four-cluster solutions, internal criteria (with the exception of point-biserial correlation) tended to privilege solutions with a much larger number of groups. Advantages and limitations of the different strategies are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

How news content influences anti-immigration attitudes: Germany, 1993,2005

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2009
HAJO G. BOOMGAARDEN
Immigration is an increasingly important political issue in Western democracies and a crucial question relates to the antecedents of public attitudes towards immigrants. It is generally acknowledged that information relayed through the mass media plays a role in the formation of anti-immigration attitudes. This study considers whether news coverage of immigrants and immigration issues relates to macro-level dynamics of anti-immigration attitudes. It further explores whether this relationship depends on variation in relevant real world contexts. The models simultaneously control for the effects of established contextual explanatory variables. Drawing on German monthly time-series data and on ARIMA time-series modeling techniques, it is shown that both the frequency and the tone of coverage of immigrant actors in the news significantly influence dynamics in anti-immigration attitudes. The strength of the effect of the news, however, depends on contextual variation in immigration levels and the number of asylum seekers. Implications of these findings are discussed in the light of the increasing success of extreme right parties and growing opposition to further European integration. [source]

Governments and unpopular social policy reform: Biting the bullet or steering clear?

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2009
BARBARA VIS
This article shows that there exists substantial cross-cabinet variation in the degree to which governments take unpopular measures and argues that current studies cannot adequately explain this variation. Using insights from prospect theory, a psychological theory of choice under risk, this study hypothesises that governments only engage in unpopular reform if they face a deteriorating socio-economic situation, a falling political position, or both. If not, they shy away from the risk of reform. A fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs/QCA) of the social policy reform activities pursued by German, Dutch, Danish and British cabinets between 1979 and 2005 identifies a deteriorating socio-economic situation as necessary for unpopular reform. It is only sufficient for triggering reform, however, if the political position is also deteriorating and/or the cabinet is of rightist composition. This study's findings further the scholarly debate on the politics of welfare state reform by offering a micro-foundation that helps one to understand what induces political actors aspiring to be re-elected to engage in electorally risky unpopular reform. [source]

Mainstreaming the Duty of Clarity and Transparency as part of Good Administrative Practice in the EU

EUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 3 2004
Miriam Aziz
It is argued that an efficient language policy in the EU is one that reconciles respect for diversity with the need for effective communication. The use of specialist jargon in effect consolidates networks and power, of which there are two separate but related dimensions. The first is the external dimension of language, namely the lingua francaof deliberation, be it English, French, German, and so on. The second dimension refers to the use of élite codes, that is, language for ,insiders', which operates in spheres of politics, the law, economics, culture, medicine, and so on. It is the latter which the EU language rights régime has neglected. The absence of enabling provisions governing a duty of clear language renders democratic legitimacy intended by the former relatively meaningless. It is argued that the law can protect, facilitate, safeguard, and encourage clarity and transparency as part of good administrative practice. The duty to use language in a clear and comprehensible manner that has arisen in relation to producers in the EC law context of consumer rights is a useful case in point. [source]

The Case for Cameral Accounting

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY & MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2002
Norvald Monsen
Cameral accounting was developed as early as the 16th century onwards in order to contribute to increased control of public money. Such a control demand does not seem to be of minor importance at the threshold of a new millennium as it was several centuries ago, and therefore Ludwig Mülhaupt in the excerpt above states that ,Unfortunately there are very few researchers and practitioners who are interested in developing the cameral bookkeeping method, which is strongly to be regretted with a view to the importance of these questions.' Most of the literature dealing with cameral accounting is published in German, and it seems to be known only to a small extent beyond the German speaking countries. The purpose of this article is therefore to present this historically important accounting model to a larger audience, allowing us to draw upon the experiences of cameral accounting in our continuous attempts to control public money, including the current international debate about the introduction of commercial (accrual) accounting in the public sector. [source]

The Practicality and Efficiency of Web-Based Placement Testing for College-Level Language Programs

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 3 2004
Elizabeth B. Bernhardt
A key component of the articulation process is an assessment of student language abilities. On college and university campuses this process is usually conducted via a placement test. As developments in proficiency research have progressed, it is clear that programs need information about a student's grammatical command of a language as well as about their integrative use of the language specifically in speaking. This article examines the process of having students test online before their arrival on campus and provides insights into efficiencies brought about by such testing. The data for the article were generated by 679 learners of Spanish and 78 learners of German as well as by their 14 instructors and 2 language program directors. [source]

Integrating Technology and Classroom Assessment

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 4 2001
Tony Spanos PhD
This article examines classroom assessment techniques and how technology can be used to enhance their effectiveness. Examples from upper-division courses in German, French, and Spanish are given. [source]

Strategies for Success: Profiling the Effective Learner of German

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 3 2001
Jennifer Bruen
The primary objective of this study is to identify the language-learning strategies associated with the achievement of higher levels of oral proficiency in German for 100 Irish students about to complete their second year at Dublin City University. It also investigates the way in which these strategies are used by those with higher and lower levels of proficiency. The methodology combines quantitative assessment (using questionnaires)with in-depth, qualitative interviews. The article begins by explaining key concepts in the field of language learning strategy research and then reviews a selection of relevant studies. An experiment designed to achieve the above objectives is then described. The results indicate that more-proficient students use more language-learning strategies, in particular more cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Furthermore, ten. strategies correlate with higher levels of oral proficiency at a significant level. These provide a tentative strategic profile of the more effective learner of German. Finally, the qualitative findings suggest that more-proficient students use language-learning strategies in a more structured and purposeful manner and apply them to a wider range of situations and tasks. Finally, implications for future research and for the language classroom are discussed. [source]

Regularized Intergovernmentalism: France,Germany and Beyond (1963,2009)

FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2010
Ulrich Krotz
Regularized intergovernmentalism refers to a distinct kind of foreign policy practice that connects and intertwines foreign policy processes in particular ways. This paper puts forth a concept to properly capture and expose such distinctive foreign policy realities characterizing certain periods and places. With this concept, the article systematically scrutinizes the intergovernmental fabric of bilateral Franco,German relations from 1963 to 2009. The characteristic features of Franco,German regularized intergovernmentalism represent a crucial foreign policy connection, foundational for European affairs of the past half century and a defining feature of Europe's post-war order and regional governance. Exploring key aspects of what it is that links France and Germany in particular ways, this paper offers a historically deeply grounded constitutive analysis. Based on its constitutive inquiries, the papers points at new possibilities of causal theorizing and explores some of regularized intergovernmentalism's hypothesized effects and limitations. Franco,German intergovernmental affairs may be the most developed instance of this practice. But regularized bilateral intergovernmentalism is not a Franco,German idiosyncrasy. Rather, it is an important and apparently growing approach to structuring foreign policy conduct, and seems an increasingly prominent aspect of how the world is organized. [source]

Germans as Venutians: The Culture of German Foreign Policy Behavior

FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2006
AKAN MALICI
The end of the Cold War eliminated many of the external constraints that had straitjacketed German policy during the Cold War era. At the same time, unification augmented Germany's already substantial power base. In light of these changed geopolitical circumstances, it was only logical for the dominant theory of security studies, namely realism, to expect a reorientation in German foreign policy behavior toward unilateralism and increased levels of power politics. Yet these expectations proved wrong. This article argues that German foreign policy behavior in the post-Cold War era can be ascribed to a foreign policy culture of reticence,a culture of restraint and accommodation that can be traced to well-defined sets of fundamental beliefs of the German decision-making elite. This article systematically examines these beliefs in the post-Cold War era, relates them to foreign policy choices, and concludes with a plea for increased attention to ideational variables. [source]