Plurilingualism and polish teenage learners of english

Using several languages has become a norm for those who want to learn and work in the European Union. However, teaching for plurilingualism is also a challenge. The present paper first clarifies the notions of plurilingualism and multilingualism, then discusses the role of crosslinguistic similarity in language learning in the case of European languages. It also shows how lexical crosslinguistic similarity can be used in teaching typologically related and unrelated languages, and discusses the key factors in noticing such similarity. The research presented reports on examining and raising language awareness of Polish‑‑ English cognate vocabulary in the case of a group of Polish teenage learners of English. It presents the results of a small‑‑ scale study in quasi‑‑ experimental design, as well as qualitative research on the learners’ opinions and attitudes. Finally, the paper presents implications for language pedagogy and focuses on the fact that awareness raising may affect the learners’ plurilingual competence

The more similar the better? : factors in learning cognates, false cognates and non-cognate words

In this study we explored factors that determine the knowledge of L2 words with orthographic neighbours in L1 (cognates and false cognates). We asked 150 Polish learners of English to translate 105 English non-cognate words, cognates, and false-cognates into Polish, and to assess the confidence of each translation. Confidence ratings allows us to employ a novel analytic procedure which disentangles knowing cognates and false cognates from strategic guessing. Mixed-effects logistic regression models revealed that cognates were known better, whereas false cognates were known worse, relative to non-cognate controls. The advantage of knowing cognates, but not false cognates, was modulated by the degree of similarity to their L1 equivalents. The knowledge of cognates and false cognates was not affected by the frequency of their formal equivalent in L1. Based on these findings we conclude how cross-linguistic formal similarity affects L2 word learnability, proposing a mechanism by which cognates and false cognates are acquired

Wpływ numeru laktacji, wydajności i składników mleka na temperaturę zamarzania mleka krów rasy polskiej holsztyńsko-fryzyjskiej

The objective of the study was to assess the influence of lactation number, daily milk yield, somatic cell count and milk composition on the freezing point of milk of Polish Holstein-Friesian cows. The data comprised 3,067,343 test day milk samples collected in 2014 from 865,198 first seven lactations of 714,018 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows, made available by the Polish Federation of Cattle Breeders and Dairy Farmers. The cows calved in 20,043 herds in 2013 and 2014. Four lactation classes were created: first, second, third, and fourth to seventh (4 class). Analysis of variance using the MIXED procedure in SAS was applied to milk freezing point (MFP). The following factors were included in the analysis: lactation class, daily milk yield (16 kg, 16.1–24 kg, >24 kg), fat content (4.4%), protein content (3.5%), urea content (150 mg·L-1, 151–269 mg·L-1, 270 mg·L-1), lactose content (5%), somatic cell count (24 kg), zawartość tłuszczu (4,4%), zawartość białka (3,5%), zawartość mocznika (≤150 mg·L-1, 151–269 mg·L-1, ≥270 mg·L-1), zawartość laktozy (5%), liczbę komórek somatycznych (<400 000, ≥400 000) oraz zawartość suchej masy w mleku (≤12,5%, 12,6–13,4%, ≥13,5%). W modelu uwzględniono interakcje między klasą laktacji i pozostałymi czynnikami. Temperatura zamarzania mleka (TZM) malała wraz ze wzrostem dziennej wydajności mleka, zawartości białka, mocznika, laktozy i suchej masy, natomiast TZM nieznacznie podwyższała się gdy rosła zawartość tłuszczu oraz liczba komórek somatycznych w mleku. Stwierdzono wysoce istotny wpływ (P<0.001) wszystkich badanych czynników na temperaturę zamarzania mleka

Bilingual children's phonology shows evidence of transfer, but not deceleration in their L1

Bilingual language development might be characterized by transfer, deceleration, and/or acceleration, the first two being relevant for the language impairment diagnosis. Studies on bilingual children’s productive phonology show evidence of transfer, but little is known about deceleration in this population. Here, we focused on phonological transfer and deceleration in L1 speech of typically developing Polish-English bilingual children of Polish migrants to the United Kingdom (aged 4.7-7). We analyzed L1 speech samples of 30 bilinguals and 2 groups of Polish monolinguals, matched to the bilinguals on age or vocabulary size. We found that bilingual children’ speech (both simultaneous and early sequential) was characterized by transfer, but not by deceleration, suggesting that while phonological deceleration phases out in children above the age of 4.7, transfer does not. We discuss our findings within the PRIMIR model of bilingual phonological acquisition (Curtin et al., 2011) and show their implications for SLT practices

How does L1 and L2 exposure impact L1 performance in bilingual children? : evidence from Polish-English migrants to the United Kingdom

Most studies on bilingual language development focus on children’s second language (L2). Here, we investigated first language (L1) development of Polish-English early migrant bilinguals in four domains: vocabulary, grammar, phonological processing and discourse. We first compared Polish language skills between bilinguals and their Polish non-migrant monolingual peers, and then investigated the influence of the cumulative exposure to L1 and L2 on bilinguals’ performance. We then examined whether high exposure to L1 could possibly minimize the gap between monolinguals and bilinguals. We analyzed data from 233 typically developing children (88 bilingual, 145 monolingual) aged 4;0 to 7;5 (years; months) on six language measures in Polish: receptive vocabulary, productive vocabulary, receptive grammar, productive grammar (sentence repetition), phonological processing (non-word repetition) and discourse abilities (narration). Information about language exposure was obtained via parental questionnaires. For each language task, we analyzed the data from the subsample of bilinguals who had completed all the tasks in question and from monolinguals matched one-on-one to the bilingual group on age, SES (measured by years of mother’s education), gender, non-verbal IQ and short term memory. The bilingual children scored lower than monolinguals in all language domains, except discourse. The group differences were more pronounced on the productive tasks (vocabulary, grammar, phonological processing) and moderate on the receptive tasks (vocabulary and grammar). L1 exposure correlated positively with the vocabulary size and phonological processing. Grammar scores were not related to the levels of L1 exposure, but were predicted by general cognitive abilities. L2 exposure negatively influenced productive grammar in L1, suggesting possible L2 transfer effects on L1 grammatical performance. Children’s narrative skills benefitted from exposure to two languages: both L1 and L2 exposure influenced story structure scores in L1. Importantly, we did not find any evidence (in any of the tasks in which the gap was present) that the performance gap between monolinguals and bilinguals could be fully closed with high amounts of L1 input

High-resolution reconstruction of a Jumbo-bacteriophage infecting capsulated bacteria using hyperbranched tail fibers

The Klebsiella jumbo myophage ϕKp24 displays an unusually complex arrangement of tail fibers interacting with a host cell. In this study, we combine cryo-electron microscopy methods, protein structure prediction methods, molecular simulations, microbiological and machine learning approaches to explore the capsid, tail, and tail fibers of ϕKp24. We determine the structure of the capsid and tail at 4.1 Å and 3.0 Å resolution. We observe the tail fibers are branched and rearranged dramatically upon cell surface attachment. This complex configuration involves fourteen putative tail fibers with depolymerase activity that provide ϕKp24 with the ability to infect a broad panel of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) types of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Our study provides structural and functional insight into how ϕKp24 adapts to the variable surfaces of capsulated bacterial pathogens, which is useful for the development of phage therapy approaches against pan-drug resistant K. pneumoniae strains

Effects of lactation number, milk yield and milk composition on freezing point of milk of Polish Holstein-Friesian cows

The objective of the study was to assess the influence of lactation number, daily milk yield, somatic cell count and milk composition on the freezing point of milk of Polish Holstein-Friesian cows. The data comprised 3,067,343 test day milk samples collected in 2014 from 865,198 first seven lactations of 714,018 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows, made available by the Polish Federation of Cattle Breeders and Dairy Farmers. The cows calved in 20,043 herds in 2013 and 2014. Four lactation classes were created: first, second, third, and fourth to seventh (4 class). Analysis of variance using the MIXED procedure in SAS was applied to milk freezing point (MFP). The following factors were included in the analysis: lactation class, daily milk yield (16 kg, 16.1–24 kg, >24 kg), fat content (4.4%), protein content (3.5%), urea content (150 mg·L-1, 151–269 mg·L-1, 270 mg·L-1), lactose content (5%), somatic cell count (<400,000, 400,000) and dry matter in milk (12.5%, 12.6–13.4% and 13.5%), with interactions between lactation and each of the factors mentioned above. MFP decreased with increasing daily milk yield, protein, urea, lactose content and dry matter content, while MFP slightly increased with increasing fat content and somatic cell count. The differences in means of MFP between daily milk yield classes, fat, protein, urea and lactose content, dry matter and somatic cell count were highly significant (P<0.001)

Supporting multilingual learning in educational contexts : Lessons from Poland, Finland, and California

The chapter addresses how multilingual learning can be supported in educational contexts. We argue that all children need support for their languages and opportunities to become familiar with linguistic diversity. We briefly define multilingualism and highlight selected linguistic and cognitive features of multilingual children. Then we zoom in on educational solutions in three very different contexts, two in the EU (Poland and Finland), one in the US (California). With the provided contextual background we discuss some of the challenges that learners might experience at school depending on how support for multilingual learning is implemented in a given context. Finally, we argue that supporting multilingual learning can be enhanced in everyday practices and discuss solutions for supporting multilingual learning from the perspective of teachers and teacher training.The chapter addresses how multilingual learning can be supported in educational contexts. We argue that all children need support for their languages and opportunities to become familiar with linguistic diversity. We briefly define multilingualism and highlight selected linguistic and cognitive features of multilingual children. Then we zoom in on educational solutions in three very different contexts, two in the EU (Poland and Finland) and one in the USA (California). With the provided contextual background we discuss some of the challenges that learners might experi- ence at school, depending on how support for multilingual learning is implemented in a given context. Finally, we argue that supporting multilingual learning can be enhanced in everyday practices and discuss solutions for supporting multilingual learning from the perspective of teachers and teacher training.Peer reviewe

Are Polish CLIL learners more willing to communicate in English than non-CLIL learners?

Willingness to communicate (WTC) is the probability that one will choose to initiate communication given the opportunity to do so. We investigated the second language (L2) WTC (L2WTC) in Polish teenagers aged 16-19 (N = 177) attending bilingual Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and general English classes in the same Polish school. Using a tailor-made WTC questionnaire, we gathered data twice, before and after the summer holidays, assuming that WTC would depend on the time of testing. The results did not reveal high WTC in English in both groups, and the time of testing did not influence the results. Students’ age, but not gender, influenced the L2WTC, with older students being more willing to communicate than the younger ones. Contrary to expectations, L2WTC in the bilingual CLIL and non-CLIL groups did not differ. The findings suggest that the bilingual programmes in Polish secondary schools may not increase students’ WTC in English

Water-network percolation transition in hydrated yeast

We discovered two percolation processes in succession in dc conductivity of bulk baker’s yeast in the course of dehydration. Critical exponents characteristic for the three-dimensional network for heavily hydrated system, and two dimensions in the light hydration limit, evidenced a dramatic change of the water network dimensionality in the dehydration process