An investigation of working memory effects on oral grammatical accuracy and fluency in producing questions in English

This article addresses the question of how far working memory may affect second language (L2) learners' improvement in spoken language during a period of immersion. Research is presented testing the hypothesis that individual differences in working memory (WM) capacity are associated with individual variation in improvements in oral production of questions in English. Thirty-two Chinese adult speakers of English were tested, before and after a year's postgraduate study in the United Kingdom, to measure grammatical accuracy and fluency using a question elicitation task, and to measure WM using a battery of first language (L1) and L2 WM tests. Story recall in L1 (Mandarin) was significantly associated with individuals' improvement in oral grammatical measures (p < .05). However, there was no significant mean improvement across the cohort in grammatical accuracy, although there was for fluency. The findings suggest that WM may aid certain aspects of individuals' L2 oral proficiency during academic immersion through postgraduate study. They also indicate that academic immersion in itself can lead to improvements in oral proficiency, independent of WM capacity, but there is no general guarantee of significant grammatical change. Further research to clarify the opportunities for input and interaction available in academic immersion settings is called for.

Can we predict when “dying” will be difficult?: Progressive achievements in L2 English

A large body of research has focused on the observation that second language (L2) learners are limited in their production of temporal and aspectual forms. For example, in L2 English, it has been shown learners use progressive marking with activity verbs and only rarely extend the form to telic verb phrases such as accomplishments or achievements (Bardovi-Harlig and Reynolds, 1995; Bardovi-Harlig, 2000; Robison, 1995). Shirai and Andersen (1995) proposed that activities represent the prototype for the category of progressive aspect and learners generally acquire the prototype first. However, very little research has focused explicitly on advanced learners to see if they eventually extend beyond the prototype. In addition, properties of the native language have not systematically been taken into account. Achievements such as "die" are especially interesting in that they interact differently with markers of progressive aspect across languages. The present study investigated the acquisition of progressive achievements in English by native speakers of Chinese and Korean in order to examine whether there is evidence of universal difficulty, as would be predicted by the prototype account, or whether similarity between the L1 and L2 (as in the case of English and Korean) can facilitate acquisition, as would be predicted by transfer. Our results suggest that the properties of the native language play an important role, supporting the transfer account. However, neither L1 group performs at the level of native speakers. We argue that the acquisition of aspect is influenced by both the properties of the native language and the semantic and pragmatic complexity of the target computation.

Assessment of PD Speech Anomalies @ Home

Background: Voice processing in real-time is challenging. A drawback of previous work for Hypokinetic Dysarthria (HKD) recognition is the requirement of controlled settings in a laboratory environment. A personal digital assistant (PDA) has been developed for home assessment of PD patients. The PDA offers sound processing capabilities, which allow for developing a module for recognition and quantification HKD. Objective: To compose an algorithm for assessment of PD speech severity in the home environment based on a review synthesis. Methods: A two-tier review methodology is utilized. The first tier focuses on real-time problems in speech detection. In the second tier, acoustics features that are robust to medication changes in Levodopa-responsive patients are investigated for HKD recognition. Keywords such as Hypokinetic Dysarthria , and Speech recognition in real time were used in the search engines. IEEE explorer produced the most useful search hits as compared to Google Scholar, ELIN, EBRARY, PubMed and LIBRIS. Results: Vowel and consonant formants are the most relevant acoustic parameters to reflect PD medication changes. Since relevant speech segments (consonants and vowels) contains minority of speech energy, intelligibility can be improved by amplifying the voice signal using amplitude compression. Pause detection and peak to average power rate calculations for voice segmentation produce rich voice features in real time. Enhancements in voice segmentation can be done by inducing Zero-Crossing rate (ZCR). Consonants have high ZCR whereas vowels have low ZCR. Wavelet transform is found promising for voice analysis since it quantizes non-stationary voice signals over time-series using scale and translation parameters. In this way voice intelligibility in the waveforms can be analyzed in each time frame. Conclusions: This review evaluated HKD recognition algorithms to develop a tool for PD speech home-assessment using modern mobile technology. An algorithm that tackles realtime constraints in HKD recognition based on the review synthesis is proposed. We suggest that speech features may be further processed using wavelet transforms and used with a neural network for detection and quantification of speech anomalies related to PD. Based on this model, patients' speech can be automatically categorized according to UPDRS speech ratings.

Estudo experimental de vigas de alvenaria estrutural sujeitas à flexão

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Big 4 audit fee premiums for national and office-level industry leadership in the United Kingdom

The pricing of Big 4 industry leadership Is examined for a sample of U.K. publicly-listed companies, and adds to the evidence from the Australian and U.S. audit markets that city-specific industry leadership commands a fee premium. There is a significant fee premium for city-specific industry leaders relative to other Big 4 auditors, but no evidence that either the top-ranked or second-ranked firm nationally commands a fee premium relative to other Big 4 auditors, after controlling for city-level industry leadership. We also test for Big 4 fee premiums relative to non-Big 4 auditors and the U.K. data suggest a three-level hierarchy based on audit fee differentials: (1) Big 4 city-specific industry leaders have the largest fees; (2) other Big 4 auditors (noncity leaders) and second-tier national firms have comparable fees that are lower than Big 4 city leaders but larger than third-tier firms; and (3) third-tier accounting firms have the lowest fees.

A co-ordinated business object approach for supporting tactical level management decisions

The proliferation of data throughout the strategic, tactical and operational areas within many organisations, has provided a need for the decision maker to be presented with structured information that is appropriate for achieving allocated tasks. However, despite this abundance of data, managers at all levels in the organisation commonly encounter a condition of ‘information overload’, that results in a paucity of the correct information. Specifically, this thesis will focus upon the tactical domain within the organisation and the information needs of management who reside at this level. In doing so, it will argue that the link between decision making at the tactical level in the organisation, and low-level transaction processing data, should be through a common object model that used a framework based upon knowledge leveraged from co-ordination theory. In order to achieve this, the Co-ordinated Business Object Model (CBOM) was created. Detailing a two-tier framework, the first tier models data based upon four interactive object models, namely, processes, activities, resources and actors. The second tier analyses the data captured by the four object models, and returns information that can be used to support tactical decision making. In addition, the Co-ordinated Business Object Support System (CBOSS), is a prototype tool that has been developed in order to both support the CBOM implementation, and to also demonstrate the functionality of the CBOM as a modelling approach for supporting tactical management decision making. Containing a graphical user interface, the system’s functionality allows the user to create and explore alternative implementations of an identified tactical level process. In order to validate the CBOM, three verification tests have been completed. The results provide evidence that the CBOM framework helps bridge the gap between low level transaction data, and the information that is used to support tactical level decision making.

Resource management and optimization in wireless mesh networks

A wireless mesh network is a mesh network implemented over a wireless network system such as wireless LANs. Wireless Mesh Networks(WMNs) are promising for numerous applications such as broadband home networking, enterprise networking, transportation systems, health and medical systems, security surveillance systems, etc. Therefore, it has received considerable attention from both industrial and academic researchers. This dissertation explores schemes for resource management and optimization in WMNs by means of network routing and network coding.^ In this dissertation, we propose three optimization schemes. (1) First, a triple-tier optimization scheme is proposed for load balancing objective. The first tier mechanism achieves long-term routing optimization, and the second tier mechanism, using the optimization results obtained from the first tier mechanism, performs the short-term adaptation to deal with the impact of dynamic channel conditions. A greedy sub-channel allocation algorithm is developed as the third tier optimization scheme to further reduce the congestion level in the network. We conduct thorough theoretical analysis to show the correctness of our design and give the properties of our scheme. (2) Then, a Relay-Aided Network Coding scheme called RANC is proposed to improve the performance gain of network coding by exploiting the physical layer multi-rate capability in WMNs. We conduct rigorous analysis to find the design principles and study the tradeoff in the performance gain of RANC. Based on the analytical results, we provide a practical solution by decomposing the original design problem into two sub-problems, flow partition problem and scheduling problem. (3) Lastly, a joint optimization scheme of the routing in the network layer and network coding-aware scheduling in the MAC layer is introduced. We formulate the network optimization problem and exploit the structure of the problem via dual decomposition. We find that the original problem is composed of two problems, routing problem in the network layer and scheduling problem in the MAC layer. These two sub-problems are coupled through the link capacities. We solve the routing problem by two different adaptive routing algorithms. We then provide a distributed coding-aware scheduling algorithm. According to corresponding experiment results, the proposed schemes can significantly improve network performance.^

Developing Young Learners’ Logical/Deductive Thinking Skills and Second Language Skills through a CLIL approach

Trabalho de Projecto apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Teaching English as a Second / Foreign Language.

The development of intercultural awareness and changes of beliefs: the effects of studying abroad on learners of English as a second language

The present study examines the development of interculturality and changes of beliefs, by analyzing 106 compositions produced by 53 advanced level university students of translation studies at a university in Spain before and shortly after a stay-abroad (SA) period. The study draws on data collected at two different times: before (T1) and after the SA (T3). In addition, we compared the results with the writings produced by a control group of 10 native English speakers on SA too. Data were collected by means of a composition which tried to elicit the learners’ opinion about cultural habits maintenance. The results reveal significant changes between T1 and T3 in the degree of better attitudes and intercultural acquisition.

Profiles of Second Language Learners in Bilingual Education: A Comparative Study of the Characteristics of Finnish and American Students

The purpose of this comparative study is to profile second language learners by exploring the factors which have an impact on their learning. The subjects come from two different countries: one group comes from Milwaukee, US, and the other from Turku, Finland. The subjects have attended bilingual classes from elementary school to senior high school in their respective countries. In the United States, the subjects (N = 57) started in one elementary school from where they moved on to two high schools in the district. The Finnish subjects (N = 39) attended the same school from elementary to high school. The longitudinal study was conducted during 1994-2004 and combines both qualitative and quantitative research methods. A Pilot Study carried out in 1990-1991 preceded the two subsequent studies that form the core material of this research. The theoretical part of the study focuses first on language policies in the United States and Finland: special emphasis is given to the history, development and current state of bilingual education, and the factors that have affected policy-making in the provision of language instruction. Current language learning theories and models form the theoretical foundation of the research, and underpin the empirical studies. Cognitively-labeled theories are at the forefront, but sociocultural theory and the ecological approach are also accounted for. The research methods consist of questionnaires, compositions and interviews. A combination of statistical methods as well as content analysis were used in the analysis. The attitude of the bilingual learners toward L1 and L2 was generally positive: the subjects enjoyed learning through two languages and were motivated to learn both. The knowledge of L1 and parental support, along with early literacy in L1, facilitated the learning of L2. This was particularly evident in the American subject group. The American subjects’ L2 learning was affected by the attitudes of the learners to the L1 culture and its speakers. Furthermore, the negative attitudes taken by L1 speakers toward L2 speakers and the lack of opportunities to engage in activities in the L1 culture affected the American subjects’ learning of L2, English. The research showed that many American L2 learners were isolated from the L1 culture and were even afraid to use English in everyday communication situations. In light of the research results, a politically neutral linguistic environment, which the Finnish subjects inhabited, was seen to be more favorable for learning. The Finnish subjects were learning L2, English, in a neutral zone where their own attitudes and motivation dictated their learning. The role of L2 as a means of international communication in Finland, as opposed to a means of exercising linguistic power, provided a neutral atmosphere for learning English. In both the American and Finnish groups, the learning of other languages was facilitated when the learner had a good foundation in their L1, and the learning of L1 and L2 were in balance. Learning was also fostered when the learners drew positive experiences from their surroundings and were provided with opportunities to engage in activities where L2 was used.

How Learning Styles, Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences, Confidence, and Demographics Correlate with Academic Success in First and Second Year Chemistry Courses

At Brock University, the Faculty of Mathematics and Science currently has one of the highest percentages of students on academic probation, with many students reporting the most difficulty with Introductory Chemistry in first year and Organic Chemistry in second year. To identify strategies to improve students' performance and reduce the number of students on academic probation, a multi-year research project was undertaken involving several chemistry courses. Students were asked to complete three questionnaires, and provide consent to obtain their final Chemistry grade from the Registrar's Office. Research began at the end of the 2007-08 academic year with CHEM IPOO, and in the 2008-09 academic year, students in the larger CHEM IF92 Introductory Chemistry course were invited to participate in this research near the beginning of the academic year. Students who went on to take second year Organic and Analytical Chemistry were asked to complete these questionnaires in each second year course. The three questionnaires included the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory (Kolb, 1984) modified to include specific reference to Chemistry in each question, Dalgety, ColI, and Jones' (2002) Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ), and lastly, a demographic survey. Correlations were found between learning style and academic success; concrete learners were not as successful as abstract learners. Differences were noted between females and males with respect to learning styles, academic success, and confidence. Several differences were also noted between those who are the First in the Family to attend university and those who are not First in the Family to attend university.