Task irrelevant external cues can influence language selection in voluntary object naming: evidence from Hindi-English bilinguals

We examined if external cues such as other agents’ actions can influence the choice of language during voluntary and cued object naming in bilinguals in three experiments. Hindi– English bilinguals first saw a cartoon waving at a color patch. They were then asked to either name a picture in the language of their choice (voluntary block) or to name in the instructed language (cued block). The colors waved at by the cartoon were also the colors used as language cues (Hindi or English). We compared the influence of the cartoon’s choice of color on naming when speakers had to indicate their choice explicitly before naming (Experiment 1) as opposed to when they named directly on seeing the pictures (Experiment 2 and 3). Results showed that participants chose the language indicated by the cartoon greater number of times (Experiment 1 and 3). Speakers also switched significantly to the language primed by the cartoon greater number of times (Experiment 1 and 2). These results suggest that choices leading to voluntary action, as in the case of object naming can be influenced significantly by external non-linguistic cues. Importantly, these symbolic influences can work even when other agents are merely indicating their choices and are not interlocutors in bilingual communicatio

A PSYCHOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS ON VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL LANGUAGE PROBLEM OF AN INDIVIDUAL WITH ASPERGER SYNDROME IN THE MOVIE ADAM

This research is a psycholinguistic study of verbal and non-verbal language problems of the main male character in Adam, who is also a person having Asperger syndrome during his life. The objectives of this research are (1) to reveal the verbal language problems used by Adam in the movie Adam and (2) to reveal the non-verbal language problem used by Adam in the movie Adam. This research employed descriptive qualitative approach. Considering the approach, the key instrument of the research was the researcher herself. The data sources were the original VCD of Adam and the movie script. The data were in the form of utterances which contain the verbal and non-verbal language problems. The data were collected by choosing the script of Adam, re-reading the script, categorizing into the two types and noting the data. The data were then classified and analyzed. The trustworthiness was attained by using credibility, dependability, and conformability. In this research, the researcher also used two kinds of triangulation. They were theory and expert. The results of the research show two important points. First, based on the findings of the research, there are seven out of eight types of Asperger Syndrome’s verbal language problems in Adam’s utterances. The most frequent phenomena are literal interpretation, followed by lack of pragmatics, verbal fluency, pedantic language, idiosyncratic use of words, auditory discrimination and distortion and odd prosody. One type is absent. It is sounding the mind. Adam is a person with Asperger syndrome who recognizes that he has Asperger syndrome. When Adam’s father is still alive, he might give special treatment for individual with Asperger syndrome so Adam has erased sounding the mind. Second, there are five non-verbal language problems of Asperger syndrome. They are peculiar stiff gaze, limited facial expression, gauche body language, inappropriate expression and limited use of gestures. Peculiar stiff gaze is the most frequent phenomenon. This phenomenon happens because individuals with Asperger syndrome do not know what thing they have to see while they are speaking. They cannot do more than one thing in the same time. It ruins their concentration

Development over Time in Cognitive Function among European 55-69-Year-Olds from 2006 to 2015, and Differences of Region, Gender, and Education

With populations rapidly aging, the development over time in the cognitive function among the elderly approaching or reaching retirement is important for successful aging at work and planning pension policies. However, few studies in this field focus on this age group. This study characterizes time trends in cognitive function among 55-69-year-old Europeans from 2006 to 2015, and compares these trends by region, gender, and education. This study analyzes 40,689 subjects in Waves 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) covering ten countries. Cognitive function was measured by Recall and Verbal Fluency. Educational levels were classified by quartiles. A Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model was used to explore the association between cognitive function and development over time after controlling for confounders. Further stratification analysis using GEE models was conducted, stratified by region, gender and education. Cognitive function improved significantly in southern and central Europe over the observed timeframe, whereas it did not in northern Europe. Those with relative low levels of formal education displayed the most rapid increases in cognitive function in southern and central Europe. Among those with lower education in southern Europe, males’ cognitive function improved more quickly than females’. The improvement of cognitive function at ages 55-69 in southern and central Europe may contribute to continuing engagement with productive activities in old age. Educational interventions for people with lower levels of education may be most effective in achieving such engagement. This paper extends the literature on the development over time in the cognitive function among the elderly close to retirement age in Europe by analysing southern, central and northern Europe, as well as differences by region, gender and education. The results may provide evidence for planning pension policies and educational interventions

Language Fluency Project: An Investigation Into the Training and Development of Socialised Language With Adolescents With a Mental Handicap

Since the publication of the Warnock Report (1978) on children's special educational needs, special schooling has taken a new direction. Some authorities have even gone as far as to abolish their special schools, while others have implemented greater integration between special and ordinary schools. In almost all instances a greater challenge has been given to children hitherto labelled as handicapped, either physically or mentally, or both. They are now expected to cope in a greater variety of educational settings. Such demands highlight the need for more action research in the social and communication skills of persons of all ages with a mental handicap. The Language Fluency Project, hereafter referred to as LFP, was set up to investigate the development and training of socialised language in adolescents with a mental handicap, their linguistic behaviour in a conversation situation, and the development of verbal and social facility

Best of Both Worlds: Foreign Language Preparation for Purdue University’s Undergraduate Global Engineering Education Program

Over the years, Purdue University has drastically increased the number of engineering students studying and interning abroad from less than 3% in 2000 to more than 10% in 2010. In order to increase the capacity of global engineering education curriculum, there is a need to create different study abroad programs to suit different student interests. Yet, the need of foreign language preparation remains in question. At Purdue University, researchers and administrators observed that students often self-select into study abroad programs of varying intensity according to the varying foreign language and GPA requirements. Case studies of student participants from four different Purdue education abroad programs will be demonstrated in this paper in the following order: (1) Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education (GEARE), (2) International Research and Education for Engineering (IREE), (3) Global Internship, and (4) China Maymester Abroad Program. These case studies will be used to illustrate the importance of foreign language preparation and the varying needs. These results will also demonstrate that the achieved level of foreign language competency impacts technical outcomes and engineering professionalism