Researching language learning processes in open CALL settings for advanced learners

This article reports on a project (electronic role-play) run at Nottingham Trent University. It investigates how knowledge can be constructed collaboratively in an open setting based on computer-mediated communication (CMC) and the internet as primary source for material. The analysis will concentrate on evidence of (1) focus on language form and (2) acquisition of content. Furthermore, it reports about observations made regarding the way in which students utilize the electronic environment during the learning process, namely (3) the flow of information within an open CALL framework and (4) the non-linear composition of text

Repeated contests with asymmetric information

The same contestants often meet repeatedly in contests. Behavior in a contest potentially provides information with regard to one's type and can therefore influence the behavior of the opponents in later contests. This paper shows that if effort is observable, this can induce a ratchet effect in contests: high ability contestants sometimes put in little effort in an early round in order to make the opponents believe that they are of little ability. The effect reduces overall effort and increases equilibrium utility of the contestants when compared with two unrelated one-shot contests. It does, however, also introduce an allocative inefficiency since sometimes a contestant with a low valuation wins. The model assumes an imperfectly discriminating contest. In extension I show that, qualitatively, results are similar in a perfectly discriminating contest (all pay auction). -- Dieselben Wettkämpfer treffen oft wiederholt in Wettkämpfen aufeinander. Aus dem Verhalten in einem Wettkampf können die Gegner Informationen über den Typ eines Wettkämpfers erhalten: seine Fähigkeit und Motivation zu gewinnen. Auf diesem Weg kann das Verhalten einen Einfluss auf das Verhalten der Gegenspieler in späteren Wettkämpfen haben. Dieser Aufsatz zeigt, dass dies zu einem Sperrklinken Effekt in wiederholten Wettkämpfen führen kann. Die Beteiligten strengen sich in einer frühen Runde manchmal nicht sehr an, um ihre Gegenspieler glauben zu lassen, dass sie nicht sehr an einem Gewinn interessiert sind, und so eine spätere Runde einfach gewinnen zu können. Dieser Effekt verringert die gesamte Leistung in dem Wettkampf. Er führt darüber hinaus zu einer allokativen Ineffizienz, da manchmal ein Spieler gewinnt, dem dies nicht viel Wert ist.

Working with the CHILDES tools : transcription, coding and analysis

The Child Language Data Exchange System (CHILDES) consists of Codes for the Human Analysis of Transcripts (CHAT), Computerized Language Analysis (CLAN), and a database. There is also an online manual which includes the CHILDES bibliography, the database, and the CHAT conventions as well as the CLAN instructions. The first three parts of this paper concern the CHAT format of transcription, grammatical coding, and analyzing transcripts by using the CLAN programs. The fourth part shows examples of transcribed and coded data

Computer-assisted transcription and analysis of speech

The two papers included in this volume have developed from work with the CHILDES tools and the Media Editor in the two research projects, "Second language acquisition of German by Russian learners", sponsored by the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, from 1998 to 1999 (directed by Ursula Stephany, University of Cologne, and Wolfgang Klein, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen) and "The age factor in the acquisition of German as a second language", sponsored by the German Science Foundation (DFG), Bonn, since 2000 (directed by Ursula Stephany, University of Cologne, and Christine Dimroth, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen). The CHILDES Project has been developed and is being continuously improved at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, under the supervision of Brian MacWhinney. Having used the CHILDES tools for more than ten years for transcribing and analyzing Greek child data there it was no question that I would also use them for research into the acquisition of German as a second language and analyze the big amount of spontaneous speech gathered from two Russian girls with the help of the CLAN programs. When in the spring of 1997, Steven Gillis from the University of Antwerp (in collaboration with Gert Durieux) developed a lexicon-based automatic coding system based on the CLAN program MOR and suitable for coding languages with richer morphologies than English, such as Modern Greek. Coding huge amounts of data then became much quicker and more comfortable so that I decided to adopt this system for German as well. The paper "Working with the CHILDES Tools" is based on two earlier manuscripts which have grown out of my research on Greek child language and the many CHILDES workshops taught in Germany, Greece, Portugal, and Brazil over the years. Its contents have now been adapted to the requirements of research into the acquisition of German as a second language and for use on Windows

Utilizing the Project Method for Teaching Culture and Intercultural Competence

This article presents a detailed methodological outline for teaching culture through project work. It is argued that because project work makes it possible to gain transferrable and applicable knowledge and insight, it is the ideal tool for teaching culture with the aim of achieving real intercultural communicative competence (ICC). Preceding the pedagogical presentation, the term culture is conceptualized as small-c culture/deep culture, that is, as the sociopsychological programming of a given community. This concept is developed with practical examples and conceptualizations for pedagogical implementability. Finally, a project course with American undergraduate students conducted in Germany is briefly presented. This presentation includes project sheets, the methodological rationale of each project, and the observations the participants made during the course. These observations include many aspects of the way German and U.S. American deep culture differ and also shed light on the “truth” behind some German cultural clichés

On the Desirability of an Efficiency Defense in Merger Control

We develop a model in which two firms that have proposed to merge are privately informed about merger-specific efficiencies. This enables the firms to influence the merger control procedure by strategically revealing their information to an antitrust authority. Although the information improves upon the quality of the authority's decision, the influence activities may be detrimental to welfare if information processing/gathering is excessively costly. Whether this is the case depends on the merger control institution and, in particular, whether it involves an efficiency defense. We derive the optimal institution and provide conditions under which an efficiency defense is desirable. We also discuss the implications for antitrust policy and outline a three-step procedure that take the influence activities into consideration. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG - (Wann ist eine Effizienzverteidigung in der Fusionskontrolle wünschenswert?) Eine Effizienzverteidigung in der Fusionskontrolle besagt, dass wettbewerbsbeschränkende Fusionen dann erlaubt werden, wenn hinreichend große Synergieeffekte zu erwarten sind. Mögliche Synergieeffekte einer Fusion sind jedoch hauptsächlich den fusionierenden Unternehmen bekannt. Eine Effizienzverteidigung ermöglicht es den fusionierenden Unternehmen, die Entscheidung der Wettbewerbsbehörde zu beeinflussen, indem sie der Wettbewerbsbehörde ihre Informationen strategisch weitergeben (oder zurückhalten). Die Autoren untersuchen, ob und wann eine Effizienzverteidigung aus gesellschaftlicher Sicht wünschenswert ist. Hierzu entwickeln sie ein Model, in dem Unternehmen, die fusionieren möchten, private Informationen über die Synergieeffekte der Fusion besitzen. Die Unternehmen können die Entscheidung der Wettbewerbsbehörde beeinflussen, indem sie ihre Informationen strategisch an die Wettbewerbsbehörde weiterleiten. Obwohl die Informationen über Synergien die Entscheidung der Wettbewerbsbehörde verbessern, kann die Einflussnahme der Firmen die Wohlfahrt verringern, falls die Firmen zu viel in das Sammeln und Verarbeiten dieser Informationen investieren. Ob dies der Fall ist, hängt von der Ausgestaltung der Fusionskontrolle ab und insbesondere davon, ob die Fusionskontrolle eine Effizienzverteidigung zulässt. In dem theoretischen Model wird die optimale Fusionskontrollinstitution hergeleitet und Bedingungen herausgearbeitet unter denen eine Effizienzverteidigung wünschenswert ist. Die Autoren erörtern die Implikationen des Modells für die Fusionspolitik und entwickeln ein Drei-Stufen-Verfahren für Fusionsentscheidungen, welches die Einflussaktivitäten der Unternehmen berücksichtigt.Lobbying, Rent Seeking, Asymmetric Information, Disclosure, Efficiency Gains, Antitrust