Identifying language needs of ESL students in a Canadian university based intensive English language program

This study investigated the needs of adult ESL learners intending to pursue higher education in Canada. Its chief purpose was to enable educators and administrators to design ESL programs that would prepare students to function at optimal levels in academic and social settings during their university studies. The study adopted a mixed research method that was predominantly qualitative in its orientation and narrative in its implementation. It focused on an Intensive English Language Program (IELP) offered at an Ontario university. Using a holistic approach, the study sought to represent the various perspectives of all the participants in the program: the students, the instructors, and the administrators. Analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data gathered from 17 students, 6 instructors, and 1 administrator in the IELP showed that to a large extent the academic needs ofESL learners in the IELP were generally not being met. Most notably, the study found that learners were not receiving sufficient training in speaking and listening skills, a factor that contributed to their sense of insecurity and lack of confidence in their ability to communicate successfully in academic and social settings. The study also revealed that the solutions to many of the problems it identified lay not in the classroom but in the way the ESL program was structured administratively. One major recommendation to come out of the study is that programs like the IELP should be restructured so as to give them greater flexibility in meeting individual needs. While the study labored under certain limitations and did not achieve all of its goals, it did succeed in creating awareness ofthe problems and in establishing a methodological approach that can serve as a framework within which future research may be conducted in this somewhat neglected area.

The role of education in building individual human capital : How do professionals look at it?

This study followed a qualitative research approach to investigate how welleducated professionals see the role of formal education in building human capital. Individuals need to understand the relationship between education and their human capital to justify the time and money they invested to get their education. Colleges and universities need to know the value of their output, to better value and promote the process of knowledge production and transmission and help the general public appreciate their work more. While the importance of a good education is a key factor in the success of learners, this study revealed the power of social capital in making this success a reality. It may not be enough for an individual to acquire good education to guarantee a better future. The power of social connections can be the main determinant in one’s wellbeing. This study shows that it is important to address students’ life outside school beside the importance of a classroom education.

Mapping one university's response to internationalization : a case study

This study explored one university's response to the internationalization of higher education. Case study methodology was employed through a review of current and archival documents and interviews with key actors in the international spheres of the university. The historical, current, and future contexts were considered to situate the case study on a time line. Data analysis revealed that there were several points of division among the university community related to the response to internationalization, but also a major point of coherence in the centrality of inter-cultural understanding in efforts to internationalize. Other key findings included strengths, areas for improvement, and future directions of the university's response to internationalization. All of these findings were contextualized in findings related to the history of the university. In addition to these major findings, three themes in relation to the vision for internationalization at the institution were revealed: ( a) intercultural understanding, (b) the comprehensive status of the university, and (c) the financial benefits of internationalization. Recommendations are made for practice at the university in order to clarify this vision to develop a clear foundation from which to further build a response to internationalization that is solidly based on inter-cultural understanding, and recommendations for future research into the process of internationalization at the institutional level in Canada are suggested.

Paying for Higher Education: Are Top-Up Fees Fair?

This paper considers four institutional models for funding higher education in the light of principles of fairness and meritocracy, with particular reference to the debate in the UK over ‘top-up fees’. It concludes that, under certain plausible but unproven assumptions, the model the UK government has adopted is fairer and more meritocratic than alternatives, including, surprisingly, the Graduate Tax.

Experience in introduction of English terminology in engineering lessons: methodology and evaluation

This communication explains a experience for the introduction of English terminology in a technical degree of higher education. We present the methodology and assessment procedures used to evaluate the way the students perceived the introduction of terminology in English in two different subjects from 3rd and 5th year courses of a Computer Science degree in which English was not the vehicular language. We propose a strategy based on two main pillars, namely: 1) The design of materials, explanations, and exams, paying particular attention to the way in which the specific terminology was exposed to the students, and 2) The assessment of the impact in the students by means of the analysis of the feedback trough a set of enquiries. Our experience showed that the students responded very positively to the introduction of English terminology, and presented an affirmative feedback about the impact that an improvement of their linguistic abilities would have in their future work. Further, we present statistics regarding the use of English as the vehicular language for technical reports, which is envisaged as very useful by the students. Finally, we propose a set of questions for further debate which are centered in the role that English terminology should pay in technical degrees, and about the way in which universities should deploy resources in English languages within the different Syllabus

Nuevos escenarios de formación en psicología en Brasil

La formación en Psicología en Brasil pasa por transformaciones, debido a la expansión del sector de enseñanza superior. Por un lado, se observa un crecimiento de cursos de psicología en las regiones del interior del país, por otro, se observa la incorporación cada vez más frecuente de instituciones de enseñanza por parte de grupos extranjeros. Se pretende con este estudio mostrar las etapas de interiorización e internacionalización de los cursos de psicología, enfocando los desafíos para la formación del psicólogo brasileño. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo exploratorio con base en datos oficiales sobre la enseñanza superior en el Brasil. Creemos que este es un contexto que presenta nuevos escenarios y desafíos para la formación de los psicólogos, pues reposiciona a la profesión en nuestro país, vinculándola no apenas a las capitales y grandes centros urbanos, sino también exigiendo que los cursos, inclusive los internacionalizados, pasen a considerar en sus currículos la heterogeneidad espacial, social y simbólica, a veces conflictiva y ambigua, que atraviesa la realidad brasileña.

Laughter in the Dark: ethical aspects of drama education

This chapter considers two questions. Firstly, in what ways might drama be an effective medium through which to explore difficult and sensitive issues that concern teenagers? And secondly, what ethical questions surround the use of drama to explore such issues? A practical workshop on teenage suicide is used as a platform for a discussion on the use and implications of different drama strategies and the role of humour as a critical lens and distancing device. The work of actual teenagers is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the techniques in both raising awareness and facilitating both critical and creative responses to the delicate issue explored in the workshop.

Built environment education and research in West Africa

Built environment programmes in West African universities; and research contributions from West Africa in six leading international journals and proceedings of the WABER conference are explored. At least 20 universities in the region offer degree programmes in Architecture (86% out of 23 universities); Building (57%); Civil Engineering (67%); Estate Management (52%); Quantity Surveying (52%); Surveying and Geoinformatics (55%); Urban and Regional Planning (67%). The lecturer-student ratio on programmes is around 1:25 compared to the 1:10 benchmark for excellence. Academics who teach on the programmes are clearly research active with some having published papers in leading international journals. There is, however, plenty of scope for improvement particularly at the highest international level. Out of more than 5000 papers published in six leading international peer-reviewed journals since each of them was established, only 23 of the papers have come from West Africa. The 23 papers are published by 28 academics based in 13 universities. Although some academics may publish their work in the plethora of journals that have proliferated in recent years, new generation researchers are encouraged to publish in more established journals. The analyses of 187 publications in the WABER conference proceedings revealed 18 research-active universities. Factors like quality of teaching, research and lecturer-student ratio, etc count in the ranking of universities. The findings lay bare some of the areas that should be addressed to improve the landscape of higher education in West Africa.

Prevalence and severity of dental caries in schoolchildren of Porto, Portugal

Objectives: To measure the prevalence and severity of dental caries in adolescents of the city of Porto, Portugal, and to assess socioeconomic and behavioural covariates of dental caries experience. Methods: A sample of 700 thirteen-year-old schoolchildren was examined. Results from the dental examination were linked to anthropometric information and to data supplied by two structured questionnaires assessing nutritional factors, socio-demographic characteristics and behaviour related to health promotion. Dental caries was measured using the DMFT index, and two dichotomous outcomes, one assessing the prevalence of dental caries (DMFT>0); the other assessing the prevalence of a high level of dental caries (DMFT=4). Results: Consuming soft drinks derived from cola (irrespective of sugared or diet) two or more times per week, attending a public school, being female and having parents with low educational attainment were identified as risk factors both for having dental caries and for having a high level of dental caries. Conclusion: Caries levels were positively associated with frequency of intake of sweetened foods and drinks.

Forebrain projections to brainstem nuclei involved in the control of mandibular movements in rats

Mandibular movements occur through the triggering of trigeminal motoneurons. Aberrant movements by orofacial muscles are characteristic of orofacial motor disorders, such as nocturnal bruxism (clenching or grinding of the dentition during sleep). Previous studies have suggested that autonomic changes occur during bruxism episodes. Although it is known that emotional responses increase jaw movement, the brain pathways linking forebrain limbic nuclei and the trigeminal motor nucleus remain unclear. Here we show that neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area, in the central nucleus of the amygdala, and in the parasubthalamic nucleus, project to the trigeminal motor nucleus or to reticular regions around the motor nucleus (Regio h) and in the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus. We observed orexin co-expression in neurons projecting from the lateral hypothalamic area to the trigeminal motor nucleus. In the central nucleus of the amygdala, neurons projecting to the trigeminal motor nucleus are innervated by corticotrophin-releasing factor immunoreactive fibers. We also observed that the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus receives dense innervation from orexin and corticotrophin-releasing factor immunoreactive fibers. Therefore, forebrain nuclei related to autonomic control and stress responses might influence the activity of trigeminal motor neurons and consequently play a role in the physiopathology of nocturnal bruxism.

Patterns of water and heat flux across a biome gradient from tropical forest to savanna in Brazil

We investigated the seasonal patterns of water vapor and sensible heat flux along a tropical biome gradient from forest to savanna. We analyzed data from a network of flux towers in Brazil that were operated within the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA). These tower sites included tropical humid and semideciduous forest, transitional forest, floodplain (with physiognomies of cerrado), and cerrado sensu stricto. The mean annual sensible heat flux at all sites ranged from 20 to 38 Wm(-2), and was generally reduced in the wet season and increased in the late dry season, coincident with seasonal variations of net radiation and soil moisture. The sites were easily divisible into two functional groups based on the seasonality of evaporation: tropical forest and savanna. At sites with an annual precipitation above 1900 mm and a dry season length less than 4 months (Manaus, Santarem and Rondonia), evaporation rates increased in the dry season, coincident with increased radiation. Evaporation rates were as high as 4.0 mm d(-1) in these evergreen or semidecidous forests. In contrast, ecosystems with precipitation less than 1700 mm and a longer dry season (Mato Grosso, Tocantins and Sao Paulo) showed clear evidence of reduced evaporation in the dry season. Evaporation rates were as low as 2.5 mm d(-1) in the transitional forests and 1 mm d(-1) in the cerrado. The controls on evapotranspiration seasonality changed along the biome gradient, with evaporative demand (especially net radiation) playing a more important role in the wetter forests, and soil moisture playing a more important role in the drier savannah sites.

Diagnoses of fipronil resistance in Brazilian cattle ticks (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus) using in vitro larval bioassays

Fipronil is a phenylpyrazolic insecticide that is widely used in agriculture and has been recently used to control the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Because of the serious problems associated with resistance to the available acaricides, this product has been used as an important alternative to control acaricide-resistant ticks. The objective of this work was to analyse the fipronil sensitivity of ticks that were collected from farms with a history of fipronil use by larval bioassays. A total of 11 Brazilian tick populations were studied: one population from Rio Grande do Sul, one population from Mato Grosso do Sul and nine populations from Sao Paulo. To validate the assays, susceptible reference strains, POA (Porto Alegre, Brazil) and Mozo (Dilave, Uruguay), and ticks from six different farms that never used fipronil were tested. The resistance of various tick populations to technical grade fipronil (95.3%) was primarily evaluated using the larvae immersion test (LIT) and the larval packet test (LPT), when a sufficient number of larvae was collected. Using the LIT, the resistance ratios (RR(50)) of the tick populations from Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul were 14.9 and 2.6, respectively, and the populations derived from Sao Paulo had RR(50)s ranging from 2.5 to 6.9. Four populations were evaluated with the LPT, and two populations displayed lower RR(50), while other populations displayed higher RR(50) than those determined by the LIT. This article reports the first cases of fipronil resistance in Brazil and highlights the LIT as a more sensitive technique for the evaluation of fipronil resistance in R. (B) microplus ticks. We suggest the use of the LIT as an evaluation tool for monitoring fipronil resistance in the control programmes of R. (B) microplus. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Languaging in virtual learning sites : studies of online encounters in the language-focused classroom

This thesis focuses upon a series of empirical studies which examine communication and learning in online glocal communities within higher education in Sweden. A recurring theme in the theoretical framework deals with issues of languaging in virtual multimodal environments as well as the making of identity and negotiation of meaning in these settings; analyzing the activity, what people do, in contraposition to the study of how people talk about their activity. The studies arise from netnographic work during two online Italian for Beginners courses offered by a Swedish university. Microanalyses of the interactions occurring through multimodal video-conferencing software are amplified by the study of the courses’ organisation of space and time and have allowed for the identification of communicative strategies and interactional patterns in virtual learning sites when participants communicate in a language variety with which they have a limited experience. The findings from the four studies included in the thesis indicate that students who are part of institutional virtual higher educational settings make use of several resources in order to perform their identity positions inside the group as a way to enrich and nurture the process of communication and learning in this online glocal community. The sociocultural dialogical analyses also shed light on the ways in which participants gathering in discursive technological spaces benefit from the opportunity to go to class without commuting to the physical building of the institution providing the course. This identity position is, thus, both experienced by participants in interaction, and also afforded by the ‘spaceless’ nature of the online environment.

Capital structure choice of foreign subsidiaries: evidence from multinationals in Brazil

Is the capital structure choice of a foreign subsidiary different from the choice of a comparable company controlled by nationals? If so, what are the differences? In this paper we shed some light on these questions by looking at a sample of foreign subsidiaries in Brazil over the period 1985 to 1994. We find that the foreign subsidiaries in our sample are more levered than their Brazilian counterparts. This difference, however, has declined over time. The evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that foreign subsidiaries increase leverage as a hedge against an expropriation of assets in a nationalization process.

Racial discrimination in Brazil: interviews with leaders of the black movement

Racism in Brazil has some specificities when compared to other countries, for, differently from, for instance, South Africa and the United States, Brazilian Constitutions, ever since the Independence (1822), have never distinguished the citizens according to race or color. Furthermore, since the mid-1900s, Afro-Brazilian cultural manifestations, such as, for example, samba and capoeira, started to be valued as a part of our “national identity”. These specificities make race relations in Brazilian society a much more complex issue. This paper is focused on selected parts of interviews that deal with the nature of racial discrimination in Brazil, extracted from interviews with leaders of the black movement produced within the scope of the project “The History of Black Movement in Brazil: organization of a collection of Oral History Interviews”, developed by CPDOC, Getulio Vargas Foundation (Rio de Janeiro). These “histories within history”, as told by our interviewees, may be transformed into images that will be able to condense a given reality, thus allowing us to evaluate the gains obtained by oral history methodology.