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Language Skills (language + skill)
Selected AbstractsThe Effect of Linguistic Distance and Country of Origin on Immigrant Language Skills: Application to IsraelINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 3 2001Michael Beenstock This article is concerned with identifying, for the first time, the separate effects of linguistic distance (language of origin) and country of origin on the destination language proficiency of immigrants. The determinants of Hebrew language proficiency (fluency and literacy) among immigrants in Israel are studied using the 1972 Census of Israel and the Immigration Absorption (panel) Surveys conducted in the 1970s. Country of origin and language of origin matter for proficiency in Hebrew, especially in the longer term. By country of origin, those from North Africa are the least proficient. By language of origin, Arabic speakers are the most proficient, suggesting a small linguistic distance from Hebrew. Immigrants from English-speaking origins are the least proficient in Hebrew. This may reflect a large linguistic distance or, more likely, the unique role of English as the international language, which reduces incentives for investments in Hebrew. Immigrants from dual-language countries of origin are more proficient in Hebrew than those from single language origins. [source] Research Review: Williams syndrome: a critical review of the cognitive, behavioral, and neuroanatomical phenotypeTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 6 2008Marilee A. Martens This review critically examines the research findings which characterize the cognitive, behavioral, and neuroanatomical features of Williams syndrome (WS). This article analyzes 178 published studies in the WS literature covering the following areas: 1) General intelligence, 2) Language skills, 3) Visuospatial and face processing skills, 4) Behavior patterns and hypersociability, 5) Musical abilities, and 6) Brain structure and function. We identify methodological issues relating to small sample size, use and type of control groups, and multiple measures of task performance. Previously described ,peaks' within the cognitive profile are closely examined to assess their veracity. This review highlights the need for methodologically sound studies that utilize multiple comparison groups, developmental trajectories, and longitudinal analyses to examine the WS phenotype, as well as those that link brain structure and function to the cognitive and behavioral phenotype of WS individuals. [source] Infertility, infertility treatment and psychomotor development: the Danish National Birth CohortPAEDIATRIC & PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Jin Liang Zhu Summary Babies born of infertile couples, regardless of treatment, have a higher risk of preterm birth and low birthweight, conditions associated with delayed development. We examined developmental milestones in singletons as a function of parental infertility [time to pregnancy (TTP) > 12 months] and infertility treatment. From the Danish National Birth Cohort (1997,2003), we identified 37 897 singletons born of fertile couples (TTP , 12 months), 4351 born of infertile couples conceiving naturally (TTP > 12 months), and 3309 born after infertility treatment. When the children were about 18 months old, mothers reported 12 developmental milestones by responding to structured questions. We defined a failure to achieve the assessed milestone or the minimal numbers of milestones in a summary (motor, or cognitive/language skills) as delay. Naturally conceived children born of infertile couples had a pattern of psychomotor development similar to that of children born of fertile couples, but increasing TTP correlated with a modest delay. When the analysis was restricted to infertile couples (treated and untreated), children born after treatment showed a slight delay in cognitive/language development (odds ratio 1.24, [95% confidence interval 1.01, 1.53]) for not meeting at least three out of six cognitive/language milestones); children born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) had the highest estimated relative risk of delay for most milestones, especially motor milestones. These results suggest that a long TTP may be associated with a modest developmental delay. Infertility treatment, especially ICSI, may be associated with a slight delay for some of these early milestones. [source] The language-specific nature of grammatical development: evidence from bilingual language learnersDEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2004Virginia A. Marchman The fact that early lexical and grammatical acquisition are strongly correlated has been cited as evidence against the view that the language faculty is composed of dissociable and autonomous modules (Bates & Goodman, 1997). However, previous studies have not yet eliminated the possibility that lexical,grammar associations may be attributable to language-general individual differences (e.g. children who are good at learning words are good at learning grammar). Parent report assessments of toddlers who are simultaneously learning English and Spanish (n = 113) allow an examination of the specificity of lexical,grammar relationships while holding child factors constant. Within-language vocabulary,grammar associations were stronger than cross-language relationships, even after controlling for age, proportion of language exposure, general language skill and reporter bias. Similar patterns were found based on naturalistic language samples (n = 22), ruling out a methodological artifact. These results are consistent with the view that grammar learning is specifically tied to lexical progress in a given language and provide further support for strong lexical,grammatical continuity early in acquisition. [source] LANGUAGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS ESTIMATION: EVIDENCE FROM A MAIL SURVEYCONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 1 2008XIAOLIN REN In contingent valuation studies, failing to accommodate populations with limited language skills might yield biased estimates. In the United States, there are many residents primarily fluent in Spanish. This study uses conditional logit models applied to data from a bilingual (English and Spanish) conjoint choice mail survey to evaluate the effects of language proficiency on estimates of the economic benefits of contaminated site cleanup. Results indicate that language does have significant effects on welfare estimates. The results suggest that mail surveys addressing environmental issues that may affect a linguistically diverse population should be designed at the outset with multiple languages in mind. (JEL Q51, J19) [source] The impact of language skills on mental health in teenagers with hearing impairmentsACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2009J. Fellinger Objective:, The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of language competence level and mental distress in teenagers with hearing impairments. Method:, 43 pupils were given a battery of linguistic tests and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which was also completed by 40 parents. Comparisons were made between the group of 33 children in mainstream education and 10 who were in a segregated school for the deaf. Results:, The children had impaired language skills relative to published norms, especially marked in segregated schools. Parents rated children as having more distress than published norms. Those with superior level of spoken language had fewer peer relationship problems in mainstream education, but significantly more in segregated schools. The reverse was almost significant for those proficient in signed language. Conclusion:, Peer relationship problems are associated with the language competence levels in the way that children at school communicate with one another. [source] Deletion of 8p: a report of a child with normal intelligenceDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2001Linda Gilmore PhD The case is presented of a female infant with a distal deletion of 8p (8p23.1,pter) whose development was monitored over a 5-year period from 12 months of age. Although previous literature has suggested that 8p deletion is associated with mild to moderate intellectual disability, the child reported here has normal intelligence. Despite initial delays in gross motor and language skills, cognitive development (assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development) and intellectual ability (measured on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale) were within average range. It is argued that the small number of previous case reports may have created a misleading impression of intellectual development in individuals with distal deletions of 8p. [source] Modern Classics: Reflections on Rammstein in the German Class,DIE UNTERRICHTSPRAXIS/TEACHING GERMAN, Issue 1 2008Martina 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] Dyslexia: nature and nurture,DYSLEXIA, Issue 3 2002Richard K. Olson Abstract This paper explores the balance of genetic and environmental influences on dyslexia in generally supportive educational environments. Evidence from family studies suggests and research with identical and fraternal twins confirms the presence of strong genetic influences on dyslexia, though the way dyslexia is defined influences the degree of genetic influence. The behavioural genetic evidence is supported with molecular genetic evidence from DNA analyses suggesting regions on several different chromosomes where genes related to dyslexia are likely to be found. The behavioural and molecular genetic analyses are also applied to different component word reading skills (orthographic coding and phonological decoding) as well as to related language skills (phoneme awareness) to better understand the genetic and cognitive pathways to dyslexia. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] From language to reading and dyslexia,DYSLEXIA, Issue 1 2001Margaret J. Snowling Abstract This paper reviews evidence in support of the phonological deficit hypothesis of dyslexia. Findings from two experimental studies suggest that the phonological deficits of dyslexic children and adults cannot be explained in terms of impairments in low-level auditory mechanisms, but reflect higher-level language weaknesses. A study of individual differences in the pattern of reading skills in dyslexic children rejects the notion of ,sub-types'. Instead, the findings suggest that the variation seen in reading processes can be accounted for by differences in the severity of individual children's phonological deficits, modified by compensatory factors including visual memory, perceptual speed and print exposure. Children at genetic risk who go on to be dyslexic come to the task of reading with poorly specified phonological representations in the context of a more general delay in oral language development. Their prognosis (and that of their unaffected siblings) depends upon the balance of strengths and difficulties they show, with better language skills being a protective factor. Taken together, these findings suggest that current challenges to the phonological deficit theory can be met. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hemispheric Surgery in Children with Refractory Epilepsy: Seizure Outcome, Complications, and Adaptive FunctionEPILEPSIA, Issue 1 2007Sheikh Nigel Basheer Summary:,Purpose: To describe seizure control, complications, adaptive function and language skills following hemispheric surgery for epilepsy. Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients who underwent hemispheric surgery from July 1993 to June 2004 with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Results: The study population comprised 24 children, median age at seizure onset six months and median age at surgery 41 months. Etiology included malformations of cortical development (7), infarction (7), Sturge-Weber Syndrome (6), and Rasmussen's encephalitis (4). The most frequent complication was intraoperative bleeding (17 transfused). Age <2 yr, weight <11 kg, and hemidecortication were risk factors for transfusion. Postoperative complications included aseptic meningitis (6), and hydrocephalus (3). At median follow-up of 7 yr, 79% of patients are seizure free. Children with malformations of cortical development and Rasmussen's encephalitis were more likely to have ongoing seizures. Overall adaptive function scores were low, but relative strengths in verbal abilities were observed. Shorter duration of epilepsy prior to surgery was related significantly to better adaptive functioning. Conclusions: Hemispheric surgery is an effective therapy for refractory epilepsy in children. The most common complication was bleeding. Duration of epilepsy prior to surgery is an important factor in determining adaptive outcome. [source] The Effects of Adjunctive Topiramate on Cognitive Function in Patients with EpilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 3 2003Suzee Lee Summary: ,Purpose: We investigated possible cognitive effects of topiramate (TPM) in polypharmacy on patients with intractable epilepsy. Methods: Study 1 evaluated 22 consecutively admitted patients whose antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on admission to the Montreal Neurological Hospital included TPM. Performance on neuropsychological tests administered on and subsequently off TPM was analyzed. Four patients also were tested before taking TPM, allowing comparisons off, then on, and then off the drug again. Measures included intellectual function, verbal and nonverbal memory, language, word and design fluency, somatosensory sensitivity, and motor skills. In Study 2, 16 patients at the Minnesota Epilepsy Group were tested first off, then on TPM with nine cognitive tasks that measured concentration, verbal fluency, language, and psychomotor speed. Results: In Study 1, significant (p , 0.01) improvements were observed off TPM on 13 measures including verbal and nonverbal fluency and certain verbal and perceptual tasks. Notably, verbal learning and memory were unaffected; a limited effect was observed on nonverbal memory. Patients tested 3 times scored better in both tests off TPM compared with on this drug. In Study 2, declines on TPM were observed on all measures, significantly (p , 0.05) for tests of fluency, sustained concentration, and visual motor processing speed. Conclusions: TPM was associated with declines in fluency, attention/concentration, processing speed, language skills, and perception; working memory but not retention was affected. As the two studies used an opposite order of testing on versus off TPM, our results clearly show a performance decrement while patients are taking TPM, without respect to which condition is tested first. [source] Short-Term Study Abroad: Predicting Changes in Oral SkillsFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 3 2010Rob A. Martinsen Abstract: Increasing numbers of students are opting for study abroad programs of 2 months or less while research on study abroad generally focuses on semester- or year-long programs. This study quantitatively examines changes in students' spoken Spanish after 6 weeks in Argentina using native speaker ratings of student speech. The researcher then uses self-report measures to determine which of the following variables predict improvements in speaking, pre-program motivation and intercultural sensitivity, relationship with the host family, and interaction with native speakers. Results suggest that short-term programs can benefit language skills, as the majority of students in this program demonstrated small yet highly significant improvements in spoken Spanish even though a percentage of students showed a decrease in their skills. Surprisingly, only pre-program levels of cultural sensitivity predicted students' improvements in language skills, providing further evidence of the importance of culture in language learning. [source] Podcasting Communities and Second Language PronunciationFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 2 2008Gillian Lord Abstract: Although often neglected in language classrooms, second language phonology is a crucial element in language learning because it is often the most salient feature in the speech of a foreigner. As instructors, we must decide how to emphasize pronunciation and what techniques to use. This article discusses a collaborative pod-casting project in an undergraduate Spanish phonetics class. Students worked in small groups to create and maintain their own podcast channel on which they uploaded recordings for group member feedback. Each recording focused on particular aspects of Spanish pronunciation, using tongue twisters, short readings, and personal reflection on students' own pronunciation. Both attitudes and pronunciation abilities were assessed before and after the project, and both were found to improve. The benefits of podcasting projects to improve language skills are discussed from an empirical as well as a pedagogical perspective. [source] How Foreign Language Teachers in Georgia Evaluate their Professional Preparation: A Call for ActionFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 1 2004Article first published online: 31 DEC 200, Thomas C. Cooper PhD The project involved conducting an online survey of 341 current foreign language teachers in Georgia in order to determine how these K-12 teachers perceived and evaluated the effectiveness of their professional preparation. Close to 60% of the teachers in the sample were graduates of colleges and universities in Georgia. Most of the others had received their training from various other colleges and universities in the United States, and 51 individuals reported that they had graduated from foreign institutions. The survey consisted of 42 questions asking teachers to evaluate their preparation in language skills, knowledge of foreign language standards, planningfor instruction, methodology, using technology in instruction, meeting the needs of socially and economically diverse students, classroom management skills, and professional growth. The survey results strongly suggest that foreign language teacher development programs should include (1) more time spent in carefully supervised and monitored prestudent-teaching field experiences; (2) more careful mentoring of student teachers during the student-teaching internship; (3) more time spent in language learning experiences in countries where the target language is spoken; (4) more emphasis on developing foreign language proficiency in the requisite university classes; and (5) more effort spent on teaching effective classroom management. [source] A locus for an auditory processing deficit and language impairment in an extended pedigree maps to 12p13.31-q14.3GENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2010L. Addis Despite the apparent robustness of language learning in humans, a large number of children still fail to develop appropriate language skills despite adequate means and opportunity. Most cases of language impairment have a complex etiology, with genetic and environmental influences. In contrast, we describe a three-generation German family who present with an apparently simple segregation of language impairment. Investigations of the family indicate auditory processing difficulties as a core deficit. Affected members performed poorly on a nonword repetition task and present with communication impairments. The brain activation pattern for syllable duration as measured by event-related brain potentials showed clear differences between affected family members and controls, with only affected members displaying a late discrimination negativity. In conjunction with psychoacoustic data showing deficiencies in auditory duration discrimination, the present results indicate increased processing demands in discriminating syllables of different duration. This, we argue, forms the cognitive basis of the observed language impairment in this family. Genome-wide linkage analysis showed a haplotype in the central region of chromosome 12 which reaches the maximum possible logarithm of odds ratio (LOD) score and fully co-segregates with the language impairment, consistent with an autosomal dominant, fully penetrant mode of inheritance. Whole genome analysis yielded no novel inherited copy number variants strengthening the case for a simple inheritance pattern. Several genes in this region of chromosome 12 which are potentially implicated in language impairment did not contain polymorphisms likely to be the causative mutation, which is as yet unknown. [source] Quality of private personal care for elderly people with a disability living at home: correlates and potential outcomesHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 4 2008Claudio Bilotta MD Abstract To investigate correlates of the quality of private personal care for community-dwelling elderly people, this cross-sectional study enrolled 100 elderly outpatients living at home, along with their private aides and 88 informal caregivers, from May 2005 to January 2007. Cases were stratified according to the quality of private care as was described by both elderly participants and informal caregivers. In cases where the elderly person was suffering from overt cognitive impairment, only the opinions of the informal caregivers were taken into account. A comparison was made between the ,poor or fair care' group (n = 16), the ,intermediate care' group (n = 39) and the ,optimal care' group (n = 45). Considering the characteristics of private aides, there was a significant trend across the three groups in terms of language skills (P = 0.002) and level of distress with life conditions (P = 0.020). A statistical analysis performed on elderly participants without an overt cognitive impairment (n = 59) and informal caregivers showed an increase in the European Quality of Life Visual Analogue Scale score in the elderly group [mean ± standard deviation (SD) were, respectively, 45 ± 23.2, 63.7 ± 19.7 and 68.8 ± 21.6; P = 0.007], and a decrease in the Caregiver Burden Inventory score (mean ± SD were, respectively, 34.9 ± 25.3, 26 ± 17.7 and 17.6 ± 14.6; P = 0.020) across the three groups. We found no significant difference between elderly people in the three groups in terms of social variables, functional and cognitive status, prevalence of depressive disorders and morbidity. Therefore, good language skills and non-distressing life conditions of private aides appeared to be correlates of an optimal quality of care for community-dwelling elderly people with a disability, and also a better quality of life for them and less distress for their informal caregivers appeared to be potential outcomes of the quality of personal care. [source] Exploring the relation between memory, gestural communication, and the emergence of language in infancy: a longitudinal studyINFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2006Mikael Heimann Abstract The relationship between recall memory, visual recognition memory, social communication, and the emergence of language skills was measured in a longitudinal study. Thirty typically developing Swedish children were tested at 6, 9 and 14 months. The result showed that, in combination, visual recognition memory at 6 months, deferred imitation at 9 months and turn-taking skills at 14 months could explain 41% of the variance in the infants' production of communicative gestures as measured by a Swedish variant of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDI). In this statistical model, deferred imitation stood out as the strongest predictor. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Expressive and receptive language skills of temperamentally shy preschoolersINFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2004Katherine A. Spere Abstract Although shy children speak less in social situations, the extent to which their language skills fall behind those of their more outgoing peers remains unclear. We selected 22 temperamentally shy and 22 non-shy children from a larger group of 400 4-year-old children who were prescreened for temperamental shyness by maternal report, using the Colorado Childhood Temperament Inventory (CCTI). We then compared the two groups on widely used measures that index expressive and receptive language skills. We found that, although the temperamentally shy children scored lower on both expressive and receptive language skills compared with their non-shy counterparts, they were nonetheless performing at their age equivalency. The non-shy children, however, were performing significantly above their age level on expressive and receptive language skills. These findings suggest that the development of normal language skills is not compromised in temperamentally shy preschoolers. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Managing international trade of food products: A survey of German and Australian companiesAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 1 2004Christian Fischer The major obstacles encountered in the management of international marketing are higher transaction costs and risks relative to home market business activities. More specifically, for food products there are six main problem areas, which arise from the literature: (1) education and training of export staff (including foreign language skills and knowledge of foreign business partners' mentality); (2) trade fair activities; (3) special food product logistics and marketing problems; (4) trade terms, export documentation and billing, and foreign exchange risk management; (5) provision of foreign market information; and (6) government assistance. Results from a questionnaire-based survey of companies from Germany and Australia engaging in exporting and/or importing of food products suggest that staff education/training and logistics are the most important factors affecting success in international markets. Implications of this study are that agribusinesses must give special attention to staff recruitment and training and to the mastering of food product logistics if they want to compete successfully internationally. [EconLit citations: F140, Q130, Q170]. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 20: 61,80, 2004. [source] Imaging of Language-Related Brain Regions in Detoxified AlcoholicsALCOHOLISM, Issue 6 2009Sandra Chanraud-Guillermo Background:, Neuroimaging studies showed clear evidence of alcoholism-related damage to the frontal lobes and cerebellum. Although these regions have been involved in language processing, language skills are relatively spared in alcoholics. Here, we aimed at identifying neural substrates associated with the preserved mechanisms of language processing in alcoholics. We hypothesized that alcoholics would show a different pattern of neural activity compared with the controls. Methods:, Alcoholic and nonalcoholic subjects performed an auditory language task while receiving a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan in a 1.5 T magnet. This task has been previously shown to solicit the comprehension processing in healthy controls, with reliable fMRI response in the left frontal and temporal/parietal lobes. Results:, Behavioral results showed comparable performance (error rates, response time) between the alcoholics and the matched controls. However, analysis of the functional data revealed that the alcoholics exhibited greater fMRI response in the left middle frontal gyrus (pars triangularis), the right superior frontal gyrus, and the cerebellar vermis relative to the controls. Conclusions:, These findings suggest that frontocerebellar neural activity, supporting the comprehension processing of the auditory language task, may require compensatory mechanisms in alcoholics in order to maintain the same level of performance as the controls. [source] The developmental progression of comprehension-related skills in children learning EALJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN READING, Issue 1 2003Jane M. Hutchinson Many children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) underachieve in areas of English literacy, especially in the primary years. These difficulties are often attributed to low levels of English language fluency as they enter the education system. In an effort to provide a greater understanding of this underachievement, the cognitive-linguistic factors underlying literacy development in monolingual children and children learning EAL were examined in a three-year longitudinal project. The project, conducted in schools in the north of England, followed the developmental progression of forty-three children learning EAL and forty-three monolingual children from school years Two to Four. Children were assessed on measures of reading accuracy, reading and listening comprehension, receptive and expressive vocabulary, and reception of grammar. Analysis revealed similarities between the two groups of children on reading accuracy, but children learning EAL had lower levels of vocabulary and comprehension at each point in time. Data are discussed in terms of the development of underlying language skills and the impact of these skills on both reading and listening comprehension. The implications of the findings for classroom practice are considered. [source] Highlights of Programmatic, Interdisciplinary Research on WritingLEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 2 2009Virginia W. Berninger An overview of research topics and findings from an interdisciplinary, programmatic line of research on writing over the past 25 years is presented. The cross-sectional assessment studies (grades 1 to 9) showed which measures uniquely explained variance in handwriting, spelling, and composing and thus validated their use in assessment. These and the longitudinal studies (grades 1 to 5 and 3 to 7) contributed to knowledge of the cognitive processes of writing, within a working memory architecture that orchestrates multiple component processes in time to achieve specific writing goals, especially the translation of ideas into words, syntax, and text, and transcription (handwriting and spelling) by pen and by keyboard. Combined brain imaging and behavioral studies of writing have provided converging evidence for brain,behavior relationships for handwriting, spelling, and composing and for the role of temporally coordinated working memory, including an orthographic loop with a graphic-motor envelope for word production. A series of instructional studies for at-risk writers, which was taught to all levels of language to overcome working memory inefficiencies, were organized according to the developmental steppingstones in writing acquisition and show that writing problems can be prevented. Other studies with older, struggling writers validated effective instructional approaches for helping struggling writers become reading-writers who integrate both written language skills in literacy learning. [source] The Competitive Advantage of Foreign Languages and Cultural KnowledgeMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2004Christine Uber Grosse This study presents the results of an electronic survey of 2,500 randomly selected alumni from the graduating classes of 1970 through 2002 of Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management. Of the 2,500 alumni, 581 responded. Thunderbird required a minimum of 4 semesters of foreign language for graduation. The survey concerned whether or not the alumni had received a competitive advantage in their careers from their foreign language skills and cultural knowledge. The vast majority of the respondents acknowledged that both foreign language skills and cultural knowledge had benefited them in their professional lives. Slightly more of them reported receiving an edge from their cultural skills (89%) than from their foreign language abilities (82%). The research results provide empirical data on how members of the U.S. and international business communities perceive the value of foreign language and cultural knowledge to their work. [source] The Omnipresent Classroom during Summer Study Abroad: American Students in Conversation with Their French HostsMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2002Sharon Wilkinson Study abroad is often promoted as one of the best opportunities to use foreign language skills outside the classroom. Yet, relatively little is known about the language that students produce when speaking in noninstructional settings. Relying on conversation analysis and ethnographic techniques, this qualitative study investigates both speech and speaker perceptions through tape,recorded conversations between summer study abroad students and their French hosts, as well as through interviews and observations. Findings indicate that natives and nonnatives alike relied heavily on classroom roles and discourse structures to manage their interactions, calling into question the assumption that language use with a native,speaking host family liberates students from classroom limitations. The inappropriateness of transferring didactic discourse patterns to out,of,class interactions also raises issues for consideration about the nature of in,class instructional practices. [source] Updating the Foreign Language AgendaMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2001Richard D. Lambert At the founding of the National Foreign Language Center in 1987, several major structural problems facing the field of foreign language (FL) instruction were identified in an editorial in The Modern Language Journal. These broad architectural issues are part of a national agenda for change, both here and abroad, and have been the focus of the NFLC's activities since its establishment. The agenda issues identified in the article are: evaluating language competency; articulating instruction across educational levels and the different contexts in which FLs are taught; increasing the range of languages taught and studied; achieving higher levels of language skills; promoting language competency and use among adults; expanding research and maximizing its impact on FL teaching and learning; and assessing and diffusing new technologies in instructional practice, with particular attention to Internet communication, machine translation, and distance education. The article briefly indicates the nature of these challenges and notes the progress that has been made. [source] Together we are heard: Effectiveness of daily ,language' groups in a community preschoolNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 2 2004Telęri Hodge BSc Abstract Strong oral language skills are a prerequisite for successful literacy and there is a strong interdependence between oral language acquisition and emergent literacy development. Ramifications of this are that children with language impairments are at great risk for difficulties in learning to read and write, with problems often persisting throughout the school years into adulthood. The Together we are heard program involved improving each child's oral language skills through group sessions facilitated by a speech pathologist on a daily basis at preschool. The aim of the present research was to determine the effectiveness of the program to identify the best way to assist children to develop appropriate language skills. The study showed that the children improved significantly in all four levels of the Preschool Language Assessment Inventory (PLAI). Importantly, the program was effective for both genders and there was no difference in the success of Indigenous children when compared to their European counterparts. There is a strong recommendation for further research and to expand such programs, particularly in areas that target children from impoverished and deprived environmental backgrounds. [source] Factors influencing the performance of English as an Additional Language nursing students: instructors' perspectivesNURSING INQUIRY, Issue 3 2009Tam Truong Donnelly The increasing number of immigrants in Canada has led to more nursing students for whom English is an additional language (EAL). Limited language skills, cultural differences, and a lack of support can pose special challenges for these students and the instructors who teach them. Using a qualitative research methodology, in-depth interviews with fourteen EAL nursing students and two focus group interviews with nine instructors were conducted. In this paper, the instructors' perspectives are presented. Data acquired from the instructors suggest that the challenges experienced by EAL students and instructors reside in a lack of awareness and support at the institutional and structural levels rather than solely on capacities of individual EAL students or instructors. From this study, identification of supportive activities for nurse educators and education sector decision makers emerged. [source] Do delay aversion and executive function deficits make distinct contributions to the functional impact of ADHD symptoms?THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 11 2007A study of early academic skill deficits Background:, The present study examined the distinct properties of executive functioning in relation to ADHD symptoms, as well as functional outcomes associated with ADHD. In line with the dual-pathway model of ADHD, executive functioning and delay aversion were expected to show independent effects on ADHD symptoms. Furthermore, relations to early academic skills were examined, and it was hypothesized that the two processes of the dual-pathway model can be differentiated in terms of their effect on academic skill deficits, such that EF deficits, but not delay aversion, mediate the link between ADHD and academic functioning. Results:, As hypothesized, both EF deficits and delay aversion were independently related to ADHD symptoms. However, when conducting separate analyses for the two ADHD symptom domains, only the effect of EF deficits was independently related to symptoms of inattention, whereas only the effect of delay aversion was independently related to symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity. The mediation analysis showed that EF deficits, but not delay aversion, act as a mediator in the relation between symptoms of inattention and both mathematics and language skills. In addition, there was also a significant direct effect of inattention on early academic skills. Conclusions:, The findings of the present study are of importance for current models of heterogeneity in ADHD as they 1) provide further support for the notion that EF deficits and delay aversion are two possible pathways to ADHD, 2) add new interesting knowledge by showing that EF deficits and delay aversion can be differentiated in terms of their relations to the two ADHD symptom domains, and 3) indicate that the two processes of the dual-pathway model can also be differentiated in terms of their effect on functional impairments associated with ADHD. [source] Specificity and characteristics of learning disabilitiesTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 10 2005Natasha Eisenmajer Background:, The specificity of impairments in specific reading disabilities (SRD) and specific language impairments (SLI) has recently been questioned, with many children recruited for studies of SRD and SLI demonstrating impairments in both reading and oral language development. This has implications for the results of SRD and SLI studies where both reading and oral language skills are not assessed. Thus there is a need to compare the profiles of children with both oral language and reading impairments to groups of children with SRD and SLI. Methods:, The reading, oral language, short-term auditory memory, phonological processing, spelling, and maths abilities of 151 children (aged between 7 and 12 years) drawn from a Learning Disabilities Clinic were assessed. Results:, Five groups were identified, including children who demonstrated either a specific reading disability or a specific language impairment and children who showed evidence of both reading and oral language impairments. Differences were found between the groups on maths, phonological processing, short-term auditory memory, and spelling measures, with the children displaying both language and reading deficits generally performing at a lower level than the children with specific reading or language deficits. Conclusions:, It was concluded that more careful screening needs to be conducted in both clinical and research settings to accurately identify the nature of deficits in children with reading and oral language difficulties. Furthermore, a third and separate category of children with a mixed pattern of impairments needs to be considered. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||