Linguistics and LIS: A Research Agenda

Linguistics and Library and Information Science (LIS) are both interdisciplinary fields that draws from areas such as languages, psychology, sociology, cognitive science, computer science, anthropology, education, and management. The theories and methods of linguistic research can have significant explanatory power for LIS. This article presents a research agenda for LIS that proposes the use of linguistic analysis methods, including discourse analysis, typology, and genre theory

‘It’s a-me, Mario!’ Exploring dynamic changes and similarities in the composition of early Nintendo video game music

As with films, a thoughtfully composed video game soundtrack has the ability to dramatically enhance and elevate the experience for the audience or player. This article explores the potential issues and difficulties of composing for video game systems by studying the sound-producing hardware and music for two popular systems from one manufacturer. By comparing two of Nintendo’s Super Mario titles, which appeared on both 8-bit and 16-bit systems, through an analysis of the technology, audio, visual (audiovisual), music, and gameplay elements, it is shown that the musical composition was affected by the limitations of processing power. The discussion shows how the composer, Koji Kondo, overcame the issues of limited computing power by using layers of repetition while applying various functions of music for film to enhance player immersion. Kondo composed theme music that has become engrained in popular culture and is synonymous with one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises (Greening, 2014). By attempting to understand the method or approach behind the composition for earlier systems, it is possible to investigate and discuss the evolution of video game music while acknowledging and contributing to the study of music for games. A musical analysis of the Castle and Underwater themes on each system allows for a direct comparison of the compositional approach, while an audiovisual analysis reveals the presence of existing cinematic tropes and identifies potential influences on the creation of effective musical soundtracks for video games. Applying audiovisual theory to games will require the use of existing literature from Lissa (1965), Gorbman (1987), Chion (1994) and Tagg (2004), along with the work of Collins (2005; 2007a; 2007b; 2008a; 2008b), which adapts and applies audiovisual analysis to video games

Indexing Voice: A Morality Tale

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88054/1/j.1548-1395.2011.01104.x.pd

Raising Teacher\u27s Grammatical Consciousness on English Medio-passive Constructions

Some researchers reported that the EFL learners\u27 ability in understanding and using tense, aspects, and voice of English at the English Department of Universitas Negeri Padang was not academically satisfied yet. Most EFL learners of English Education department were not in “expected” ability in understanding and using appropriate grammatical constructions both in writing and speaking. This condition may give negative ef-fects to the success of EFL learning in Indonesia. It seems that learners\u27 and teachers\u27 grammatical con-sciousness on EFL should be academically and practically raised in such a way that they may have basic and better competency standards. One of stylistic clause constructions in English which is called medio-passive has not yet a well-known construction for many teachers and learners of English in Indonesia. This paper briefly discusses how authentic materials may psychologically and academically raise the grammatical con-sciousness on the medio-passive constructions as part competency standards in EFL. Keywords: medio-passive, grammatical consciousness, authentic materials, competency standard

With the Support of Listeners Like You : Lessons from U.S. Public Radio

This chapter provides an assessment of public broadcasting in the United States. It asserts that European public service broadcasting (PSB) could learn from U.S. practices that may prove to be particularly relevant in the current PSB climate