Language and interaction in online asynchronous communication in university level English courses

Interaction involves people communicating and reacting to each other. This process is key to the study of discourse, but it is not easy to study systematically how interaction takes place in a specific communicative event, or how it is typically performed over a series of repeated communicative events. However, with a written record of the interaction, it becomes possible to study the process in some detail. This thesis investigates interaction through asynchronous written discussion forums in a computer-mediated learning environment. In particular, this study investigates pragmatic aspects of the communicative event which the asynchronous online discussions comprise. The first case study examines response patterns to messages by looking at the content of initial messages and responses, in order to determine the extent to which characteristics of the messages themselves or other situational factors affect the interaction. The second study examines in what ways participants use a range of discourse devices, including formulaic politeness, humour and supportive feedback as community building strategies in the interaction. The third study investigates the role of the subject line of messages in the interaction, for example by examining how participants choose different types of subject lines for different types of messages. The fourth study examines to what extent features serving a deictic function are drawn on in the interaction and then compares the findings to both oral conversation and formal academic discourse. The overall findings show a complex communicative situation shaped by the medium itself, type of activity, the academic discipline and topic of discussion and by the social and cultural aspects of tertiary education in an online learning environment. In addition, the findings may also provide evidence of learning.  

Mobile Assisted Language Learning : A Literature Review

Mobile assisted language learning (MALL) is a subarea of the growing field of mobile learning (mLearning) research which increasingly attracts the attention of scholars. This study provides a systematic review of MALL research within the specific area of second language acquisition during the period 2007 - 2012 in terms of research approaches, methods, theories and models, as well as results in the form of linguistic knowledge and skills. The findings show that studies of mobile technology use in different aspects of language learning support the hypothesis that mobile technology can enhance learners’ second language acquisition. However, most of the reviewed studies are experimental, small-scale, and conducted within a short period of time. There is also a lack of cumulative research; most theories and concepts are used only in one or a few papers. This raises the issue of the reliability of findings over time, across changing technologies, and in terms of scalability. In terms of gained linguistic knowledge and skills, attention is primarily on learners’ vocabulary acquisition, listening and speaking skills, and language acquisition in more general terms.

"Ungerska för rötternas skull" : Språkval och identitet bland andragenerationens ungrare i Sverige och Finland

This thesis is a comparative sociolinguistic study which describes and compares language choice among people with Hungarian background in Sweden and Finland and studies their views on the importance of the Hungarian language and Hungarian cultural heritage for identity. The future prospects of language maintenance and language shift and differences between the Swedish-Hungarians and the Finnish-Hungarians are discussed. A survey was completed among 50 Swedish-Hungarian informants and 38 Finnish-Hungarian informants during 2006. The survey was supplemented by in-depth interviews with 15 informants during 2007. The majority language, either Swedish or Finnish, is much more active in the second-generation Hungarians’ lives than Hungarian is. Hungarian is mostly used in the domain of family relations. The language choices made today are dependent on the informant’s situation during childhood, particularly the parents’ usage of the language and the ability to learn and use Hungarian, chiefly gained through contact with the parents’ mother country and other Hungarian speakers. For some informants, having Hungarian roots forms the sole foundation for belonging, while for others it is this heritage combined with the culture, the ability to use the language or specific character traits. The Hungarian background is most often seen as a treasure offering diversity in life. Finnish-Hungarians are generally more positive about their Hungarian background, have better competence in the language and a greater awareness of the culture than Swedish-Hungarians. The Hungarian language plays a central though often symbolic role. The most important conditions for minority language preservation are language competence together with the desire and opportunity to use it; whereof the largest deficit among second-generation Hungarians is knowledge of the Hungarian language. Only one-fourth of the informants have all of the conditions necessary to be able to maintain the language, which means that Hungarian is an endangered minority language in Sweden and Finland.

Design and use of mobile technology in distance language education : Matching learning practices with technologies-in-practice

This thesis focuses on the adaptation of formal education to people’s technology- use patterns, theirtechnology-in-practice, where the ubiquitous use of mobile technologies is central. The research question is: How can language learning practices occuring in informal learning environments be effectively integrated with formal education through the use of mobile technology? The study investigates the technical, pedagogical, social and cultural challenges involved in a design science approach. The thesis consists of four studies. The first study systematises MALL (mobile-assisted language learning) research. The second investigates Swedish and Chinese students’ attitudes towards the use of mobile technology in education. The third examines students’ use of technology in an online language course, with a specific focus on their learning practices in informal learning contexts and their understanding of how this use guides their learning. Based on the findings, a specifically designed MALL application was built and used in two courses. Study four analyses the app use in terms of students’ perceived level of self-regulation and structuration. The studies show that technology itself plays a very important role in reshaping peoples’ attitudes and that new learning methods are coconstructed in a sociotechnical system. Technology’s influence on student practices is equally strong across borders. Students’ established technologies-in-practice guide the ways they approach learning. Hence, designing effective online distance education involves three interrelated elements: technology, information, and social arrangements. This thesis contributes to mobile learning research by offering empirically and theoretically grounded insights that shift the focus from technology design to design of information systems.

English as a Second Language and Children’s literature : An empirical study on Swedish elementary school teachers’ methods and attitudes towards the use of children’s literature in the English classroom

Previous research has shown multiple benefits and challenges with the incorporation of children’s literature in the English as a Second language (ESL) classroom. In addition, the use of children’s literature in the lower elementary English classroom is recommended by the Swedish National Agency for Education. Consequently, the current study explores how teachers in Swedish elementary school teach ESL through children’s literature. This empirical study involves English teachers from seven schools in a small municipality in Sweden. The data has been collected through an Internet survey. The study also connects the results to previous international research, comparing Swedish and international research. The results suggest that even though there are many benefits of using children’s literature in the ESL classroom, the respondents seldom use these authentic texts, due to limited time and a narrow supply of literature, among other factors. However, despite these challenges, all of the teachers claim to use children’s literature by reading aloud in the classroom. Based on the results, further research exploring pupils’ thoughts in contrast to teachers would be beneficial. In addition, the majority of the participants expressed that they wanted more information on how to use children’s literature. Therefore, additional research relating to beneficial methods of teaching English through children’s literature, especially in Sweden, is recommended.

Enhancing Intercultural Communication in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language : An Action Research Study

Enhancing Intercultural Communication in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language – An Action Research Study Over the past few decades, the rapid development of information communication technology, internationalization and globalization worldwide have required a shift in the focus of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) towards competence in intercultural communication in which the role of culture in the acquisition of CFL and in the pragmatic use of the language is emphasized and promoted. However, most of the current research in this academic area remains only on a theoretical level. Practical examples, particularly with regard to distance learning/teaching of the Chinese language, are very limited. This motivated the implementation of an action research study which aimed at exploring the possibilities and limitations of integrating Chinese culture and applying intercultural communication theory into a contemporary distance CFL course for beginners. By observing and comparing the performance of subjects in the control and experimental groups, this action research study focuses on exploring three basic areas. Firstly, it discloses the cultural elements which underlie effective daily communication. Secondly, it investigates how students acquire cultural knowledge and develop their ability to competently communicate in the target course. And thirdly, it evaluates how the modified course syllabus could enhance students’ intercultural communicative competence. The findings of the research aim to serve as both a resource and reference for educators and researchers who are interested in carrying out reforms and research in this academic domain.

Projetos de letramento na educação de jovens e adultos: o ensino da escrita em uma perspectiva emancipatória

This ethnographical research-action is included in the Applied Linguistics area and its study object is related to literacy projects (KLEIMAN, 2000), since they bring a new sense to the literacy practices in school and emphasizes the agentive writing character and the role of the discursive genres in the formation of literacy agents who aim at the action and the social change. Considering the emancipatory potential that these didactic organizations have in the civic literacy of those who live in social risk and vulnerability situations our aim in this investigation is: to reflect about the role of the redefinition of the literacy school practices and investigate how the action of teachers and students as literacy agents occur. The specific aims are: to promote literacy events which encourage the writing practice for the action and social change; to comprehend how the identity construction of the literacy student-agent occurs by the reflection of its agency process in the literacy projects; to identify teaching strategies and procedures which enable the development of emancipatory language practices; to investigate the axiological values constructed by the learners in and about the writing work in literacy projects. Our discussion is based on the language conception supported by Bakhtin (BAKHTIN/VOLOSHINOV, 2000; BAKHTIN, 1990, 2003); in literacy studies (KLEIMAN, 1995; BAYNHAM, 1995; BARTON; HAMILTON; IVANIC, 2000, LAZERE, 2005); on critical studies which defend the idea that the texts are ideological instruments able to give power to the individuals (MCLAREN, 1988, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001; FREIRE, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1992, 1996, 2001a, 2001b, 2009; GIROUX, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2003; APPLE, 1989); on the social genre approach inspired by the New Rhetoric (BAZERMAN, 2005, 2006, 2007; MILLER, 1984, 2009). The data were generated between 2006 and 2010 in the Youth and Adult Education (YAE), in public schools in Natal-RN. The research permitted us to deduce, firstly, that the redefinition of the work with discursive genres provide the learner to read and write to act discursively in the social world, earning, thus, empowerment, autonomy and emancipation; secondly, that involving the students in literacy projects goes beyond didactic competence related to specificities and content domain. It is necessary that the teacher is certain about to whom, what, why and how to teach and that he/she gets a reflexive posture, becoming a learner as well; thirdly, that through the literacy practices which were developed, the collaborators of the research have constructed a more conscious and a more critical view in relation to the language and to the world where they live through the social-political writing and they have improved as interventive and politicized citizens

Acupuntura: histórico, bases teóricas e sua aplicação em Medicina Veterinária

A acupuntura (AP) é uma técnica terapêutica empírica desenvolvida em uma cultura oriental e que utiliza pensamento mágico (linguagem pré-científica) em seu raciocínio. É uma terapia reflexa que utiliza a estimulação de pontos específicos do corpo com objetivo de atingir um efeito terapêutico ou homeostático. A AP preconiza que a saúde é dependente das funções psico-neuro-endócrinas, sob influência do código genético e de fatores extrínsecos como nutrição, hábitos de vida, clima, qualidade do ambiente, entre outros. O presente artigo faz uma breve revisão sobre a filosofia da AP, seus marcos históricos na China e no Ocidente, a história da AP veterinária no Brasil e no mundo. Também aborda a prática da AP, incluindo as formas de diagnóstico, a definição do protocolo de tratamento, os métodos de estimulação dos pontos, o agulhamento de animais, suas indicações, contra-indicações e reações adversas.

Professor de língua estrangeira para crianças: conhecimentos teórico-metodológicos desejados

Tem aumentado o interesse pelo domínio da língua inglesa como ferramenta de comunicação para inclusão no mundo globalizado, bem como a oferta de seu ensino para crianças (CAMERON, 2001; PINTER, 2006). Neste texto, buscamos refletir acerca da formação do docente para atuar junto a esse público em especial. Trazemos sugestões de mudanças no processo vigente, que venham ao encontro das necessidades contemporâneas (SACRISTÁN, 2006; LIBÂNEO, 2006), mediante a visão de cinco professoras que lecionam língua inglesa para crianças em um município matogrossense. Os dados fazem parte de um estudo qualitativo e foram gerados por meio de entrevistas individuais e sessões reflexivas coletivas entre o grupo de docentes e a pesquisadora. Com base em seus dizeres, apresentamos os conhecimentos teórico-metodológicos adquiridos e os desejados, e algumas características peculiares a esses docentes (SPADA, 2004). São abordadas, também, algumas dificuldades encontradas e a importância da experiência para o desenvolvimento da docência. A formação é entendida como contínua, com caráter coletivo, colaborativo e reflexivo (PORTO, 2004; IMBERNÓN, 2005; PIMENTA e GHEDIN, 2005), possibilitando ao docente desenvolver ação investigativa de sua prática pedagógica.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 mimics Epstein-Barr virus EBNA1 immune evasion through central repeat domain effects on protein processing

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/human herpesvirus 8 [HHV8]) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV/HHV4) are distantly related gammaherpesviruses causing tumors in humans. KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 (LANA1) is functionally similar to the EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) protein expressed during viral latency, although they have no amino acid similarities. EBNA1 escapes cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) antigen processing by inhibiting its own proteosomal degradation and retarding its own synthesis to reduce defective ribosomal product processing. We show here that the LANA1 QED-rich central repeat (CR) region, particularly the CR2CR3 subdomain, also retards LANA1 synthesis and markedly enhances LANA1 stability in vitro and in vivo. LANA1 isoforms have half-lives greater than 24 h, and fusion of the LANA1 CR2CR3 domain to a destabilized heterologous protein markedly decreases protein turnover. Unlike EBNA1, the LANA1 CR2CR3 subdomain retards translation regardless of whether it is fused to the 5′ or 3′ end of a heterologous gene construct. Manipulation of sequence order, orientation, and composition of the CR2 and CR3 subdomains suggests that specific peptide sequences rather than RNA structures are responsible for synthesis retardation. Although mechanistic differences exist between LANA1 and EBNA1, the primary structures of both proteins have evolved to minimize provoking CTL immune responses. Simple strategies to eliminate these viral inhibitory regions may markedly improve vaccine effectiveness by maximizing CTL responses. Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The construction of a juridical ontology

The need for the representation of both semantics and common sense and its organization in a lexical database or knowledge base has motivated the development of large projects, such as Wordnets, CYC and Mikrokosmos. Besides the generic bases, another approach is the construction of ontologies for specific domains. Among the advantages of such approach there is the possibility of a greater and more detailed coverage of a specific domain and its terminology. Domain ontologies are important resources in several tasks related to the language processing, especially in those related to information retrieval and extraction in textual bases. Information retrieval or even question and answer systems can benefit from the domain knowledge represented in an ontology. Besides embracing the terminology of the field, the ontology makes the relationships among the terms explicit. Copyright 2007 ACM.

Computational linguistic systematization of a lexicon from the ibitinga embroidery industry conceptual domain

This work discusses a proposition for organizing the lexical items from the conceptual domain labeled THE EMBROIDERY INDUSTRY OF IBITINGA in terms of a natural ontology. It also aims to establish the alignment between this ontology and the bases WordNet.Pr and WordNet.Br. © 2009 IEEE.

A importância da observação da estrutura textual durante a catalogação de assunto de livros científicos em bibliotecas universitárias: uma análise realizada a partir da técnica de Protocolo Verbal

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

T-Commerce e televisão digital: estudo e implementação de modelos conceituais

Pós-graduação em Televisão Digital: Informação e Conhecimento - FAAC

Análise de domínio para avaliação de tesauros: uma experiência com a cadeia produtiva do calçado no Brasil

Pós-graduação em Ciência da Informação - FFC