Trials and tribulations of Sla framework in designing Arabic courses for speakers of other languages

There is a consensus among language teachers and researchers that language course design is always a work in progress. This is influenced by variables such as the type of language being taught and whether the teaching of this language has been researched. Arabic is one the languages that have created aperennial debate among its teachers about the anticipated challenges pointing principally to three reasons. The first reason refers to the dichotomy that exists between MSA and Colloquial Arabic, which will have a direct impact on teaching the macro-skill of „speaking‟. The second reason deals with the complexity of MSA in terms of grammar. The final reason discusses the theoretical aspects of language teaching and learning and its implications to the design of the Arabic program. This paper discusses these problems stemming from the recent empirical pilot study of teaching Arabic for a specific purposes (ASP). The study exposes some the problems mentioned above and suggests solutions to improve the teaching of Arabic in the light of theories of SLA and language teaching and learning.

Interethnic understanding and the teaching of local languages in Sri Lanka

 In precolonial times, equal socioeducational recognition accorded to local languages played a key role in promoting inter-ethnic harmony, co-existence and 'connectedness' between linguistically and ethnically .diverse people of Sri Lanka. This history should motivate policy considerations in postcolonial situations in the country. This chapter has its focus on educational issues surrounding the promotion of local languages for interethnic harmony in Sri Lanka, where the promotion of Sinhala among minority Tamils, and Tamil among the majority Sinhalese has been the subject of many current political, policy and popular discourses. Proficiency in the local languages was encouraged actively through policies and practices during precolonial times. However, despite popular thinking that there is an acute need to promote Tamil, its manifestation as a classroom subject in school education curricula for the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils in post-war Sri Lanka has been lost in the public and policy discourses. Using archival records and opinions expressed in newspapers as data, this chapter explores these ambiguities in attitudes, policies and practices from precolonial times to the present day.

A suite of visual languages for model-driven development of statistical surveys and services

Objective: To provide statistician end users with a visual language environment for complex statistical survey design and implementation. Methods: We have developed, in conjunction with professional statisticians, the Statistical Design Language (SDL), an integrated suite of visual languages aimed at supporting the process of designing statistical surveys, and its support environment, SDLTool. SDL comprises five diagrammatic notations: survey diagrams, data diagrams, technique diagrams, task diagrams and process diagrams. SDLTool provides an integrated environment supporting design, coordination, execution, sharing and publication of complex statistical survey techniques as web services. SDLTool allows association of model components with survey artefacts, including data sets, metadata, and statistical package analysis scripts, with the ability to execute elements of the survey design model to implement survey analysis. Results: We describe three evaluations of SDL and SDLTool: use of the notation by expert statistician to design and execute surveys; useability evaluation of the environment; and assessment of several generated statistical analysis web services. Conclusion: We have shown the effectiveness of SDLTool for supporting statistical survey design and implementation. Practice implications: We have developed a more effective approach to supporting statisticians in their survey design work.

HorusCML: context-aware domain-specific visual languages designer

The objective behind building domain-specific visual languages (DSVLs) is to provide users with the most appropriate concepts and notations that best fit with their domain and experience. However, the existing DSVL designers do not support integrating environment and user context information when modeling, editing or viewing DSVL models at different locations, permissions, devices, etc. In this paper, we introduce HorusCML, a context-aware DSVL designer, which supports DSVL experts in integrating necessary context details within their DSVLs. The resultant DSVLs can reflect different facets, layouts, and behaviours according to context it is used in. We show a case study on developing a context-aware data flow diagram DSVL tool using HorusCML.

Personality types and languages learning strategies: chameleons changing colours

This exploration of associations between the reported Language Learning Strategy (LLS) preferences of learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) and their personality types is positioned within the contention that the two are generally related. Our findings unequivocally support the existence of this relationship. Moreover, they also provide a platform from which to understand the contribution to learning a second language of two very commonly cited personality traits, introversion/extroversion and neuroticism. However, they also provide the basis for the important caution that the association between personality types and LLS is quite volatile. We have found that it is variation rather than unwavering stability that features in how personality traits apply as predictive of ESL learners' specific LLS preferences. Such prediction is specified even further by the particular contexts of ESL learning where the LLS are applied, for example for listening or speaking and whether this occurs inside or outside a classroom. The implications of these findings for ESL teaching and learning are discussed as is the explanatory power of the chameleon metaphor.

Crossing geographies, crossing languages

This book is of pivotal importance to the development of women's poetry in America and will serve as an invaluable reference for specialists and students alike.