Subject/Object Asymmetry in the Comprehension of English Relative Clauses by Japanese Learners of English

While a number of studies have shown that object-extracted relative clauses are more difficult to understand than subject-extracted counterparts for second language (L2) English learners (e.g., Izumi, 2003), less is known about why this is the case and how they process these complex sentences. This exploratory study examines the potential applicability of Gibson's (1998, 2000) Syntactic Prediction Locality Theory (SPLT), a theory proposed to predict first language (L1) processing difficulty, to L2 processing and considers whether the theory might also account for the processing difficulties of subject- and object-extracted relative clauses encountered by L2 learners. Results of a self-paced reading time experiment from 15 Japanese learners of English are mainly consistent with the reading time profile predicted by the SPLT and thus suggest that the L1 processing theory might also be able to account for L2 processing difficulty.

The Coefficient of Variance as an index of L2 lexical processing skill

The Coefficient of Variance (mean standard deviation/mean Response time) is a measure of response time variability that corrects for differences in mean Response time (RT) (Segalowitz & Segalowitz, 1993). A positive correlation between decreasing mean RTs and CVs (rCV-RT) has been proposed as an indicator of L2 automaticity and more generally as an index of processing efficiency. The current study evaluates this claim by examining lexical decision performance by individuals from three levels of English proficiency (Intermediate ESL, Advanced ESL and L1 controls) on stimuli from four levels of item familiarity, as defined by frequency of occurrence. A three-phase model of skill development defined by changing rCV-RT.values was tested. Results showed that RTs and CVs systematically decreased as a function of increasing proficiency and frequency levels, with the rCV-RT serving as a stable indicator of individual differences in lexical decision performance. The rCV-RT and automaticity/restructuring account is discussed in light of the findings. The CV is also evaluated as a more general quantitative index of processing efficiency in the L2.

Demotivation: Understanding Resistance to English Language Learning - The Case of Vietnamese Students

Demotivation in English language learning was investigated, using Vietnam as a case study, with three main foci: (i) the reasons (i.e., the demotives) underlying demotivation; (ii) the degree of influence of different demotives; and (iii) students’ experiences in overcoming demotivation. Using stimulated recall essays from 100 university students of their foreign language learning experiences, the findings indicated that demotivation was a significant issue for EFL learning, and a framework for discussing the different sources of demotives was developed. While some categories of demotives occurred more frequent than others, no category appeared to be more or less difficult to overcome. Rather, students’ awareness of the role of English language and their determination to succeed were critical factors in overcoming demotivation.

Acquisition of the English article system in SLA and the Missing Surface Inflection Hypothesis

This paper examines the article system in interlanguage grammar focusing on Japanese learners of English, whose native language lacks articles. It will be demonstrated that for the acquisition of the English article system, count/mass distinctions and definiteness are the crucial factors. Although Japanese does not employ the article system to encode these aspects, it will be argued that they are nevertheless syntactically encoded through its classifier system. Hence, the problem for these learners must be to map these features onto the appropriate surface forms as the Missing Surface Inflection Hypothesis predicts (Prévost & White 2000). This suggestion will further be supported empirically by a fill-in-the article task. It will be concluded that these Japanese learners understand the English article system fairly well, possibly due to their native language, yet have problems with realizing the relevant features (i.e. count/mass distinctions and definiteness) in the target language.

The management of elderly patients with femoral fractures - A randomised controlled trial of early intervention versus standard care

Objective: To determine the effect of an early intervention program in an acute care setting on the length of stay in hospital of elderly patients with proximal femoral fractures. Setting: Acute orthopaedic ward of a large teaching hospital. Design and Participants: A randomised controlled trial comparing 38 intervention patients with 33 Standard Care patients. Intervention: Early surgery, minimal narcotic analgesia, intense daily therapy and close monitoring of patient needs via a multidisciplinary approach versus routine hospital management. Main outcome measures: Length of stay (LOS); deaths; level of independent functioning. Results: Mean LOS was shorter in the Intervention group than in the Standard Care group (21 days v. 32.5 days; P<0.01). After adjusting for other factors that could affect LOS (e.g. age, sex, pre-trauma functional levels, pre-trauma comorbidity and postsurgical complications), the Intervention program was significantly predictive of shorter LOS (P=0.01). The Intervention group did not experience greater numbers of deaths, deterioration in function or need for social support than the Standard Care group. Conclusion: This early intervention program in an acute care setting results in significantly shorter length of hospital stay for elderly patients with femoral fractures.

The perceptual magnet effect in Australian English vowels

Recent research (Kuhl, 1991) has suggested that the internal structure of vowel categories is graded in terms of stimulus goodness. It has been proposed that a best instance stimulus reflects a central point or prototype, which effectively renders within-category members perceptually more similar. Discrimination experiments suggest a nonlinear relationship between acoustic and perceptual space near category centers (Iverson & Kuhl, 1995b). This phenomenon has been described as the perceptual magnet effect. The present study investigated the presence of the perceptual magnet effect in five Australian vowel categories. Australian English speakers identified, rated, and discriminated between a pool of 32 vowel stimuli that varied in F1 and F2 values. The results from Experiments 1 and 2 showed that subjects were able to judge the quality and identity of each stimulus and that a general grading of stimulus quality was reported. This was not symmetrical, and the subjects' responses varied considerably. In Experiment 3, closer control of the methodology in the discrimination task and of contextual factors influencing the test materials was exercised. Despite this, evidence of the warping of perceptual space in discrimination data was not found. In general, these results do not provide support for the existence of the perceptual magnet effect, and explanations for this finding are discussed.

Book Review of: Supervising postgraduates from non-English speaking backgrounds

No abstract

Assessment of image quality of a standard and two dose-reducing protocols in paediatric pelvic CT

Background: Concerns exist regarding the effect of radiation dose from paediatric pelvic CT scans and the potential later risk of radiation-induced neoplasm and teratogenic outcomes in these patients. Objective: To assess the diagnostic quality of CT images of the paediatric pelvis using either reduced mAs or increased pitch compared with standard settings. Materials and methods: A prospective study of pelvic CT scans of 105 paediatric patients was performed using one of three protocols: (1) 31 at a standard protocol of 200 mA with rotation time of 0.75 s at 120 kVp and a pitch factor approximating 1.4; (2) 31 at increased pitch factor approaching 2 and 200 mA; and (3) 43 at a reduced setting of 100 mA and a pitch factor of 1.4. All other settings remained the same in all three groups. Image quality was assessed by radiologists blinded to the protocol used in each scan. Results: No significant difference was found between the quality of images acquired at standard settings and those acquired at half the standard mAs. The use of increased pitch factor resulted in a higher proportion of poor images. Conclusions: Images acquired at 120 kVp using 75 mAs are equivalent in diagnostic quality to those acquired at 150 mAs. Reduced settings can provide useful imaging of the paediatric pelvis and should be considered as a standard protocol in these situations.

Boys performing English

This article explores the gender dynamics of boys' responses to one Particular aspect of English teaching. oral performance work. It focuses on the possibility that the requirement to perform publicly in dramatic and other oral tasks may be an important factor in the rejection of English by many boys, and may contribute to boys' relatively poor achievement in English. The article provides a study of boys' engagement in English oral activities in two classrooms, and identifies a number of factors influencing boys' English learning. In particular, it shows that there is no simple relation between the performance requirements of English learning activities and boys' disengagement with English.