Error analysis of expressive analogy task in Spanish-English bilingual school age children with and without specific language impairment

textPurpose: The relational shift hypothesis (RSH) states that, as children age, the way in which they interpret analogies shifts from a focus on object similarities to relational aspects of objects. This study investigated the validity of the RSH by describing the error patterns of typically developing (TD), low normal (LN), and language impaired (LI) bilingual school-age children when completing an expressive analogy task in A:B::C:D format (e.g. good:bad::happy:_____) in English and Spanish. Method: Participants included a total of 49 Spanish-English bilingual children between the ages of 7;4 and 8; 9 (mean = 8; 1). Ten children were identified as LI, ten scored in the LN range, and 29 were TD. Children were administered English and Spanish versions of the item twice, initially during the second grade and once again approximately one year later. Responses were recorded verbatim and coded as correct (C), thematic/category error (THEM/CAT), wrong object, correct relationship error (WO-CR), unrelated error (UNREL), or repetition/no response (REP/NR). Results: A repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare children’s analogy scores by time, ability, and language. Results demonstrated significant differences for ability. Four chi square tests investigated the error patterns of TD, LN, and LI bilingual children in English and Spanish. We compared responses provided children by response type (C, THEM/CAT, WO-CR, UNREL, or REP/NR). Results from the Spanish analogical reasoning task indicated a decrease in THEM/CAT with age for the LN and TD children. Results from the English analogical reasoning task were inconsistent. Conclusions: Results provide partial support for the RSH in LN and TD children, but not in children with LI. This difference in error patterns may provide insight into the validity of the RSH in bilingual children with specific language impairment and typically developing second language learners.Communication Sciences and Disorder

Gender, race, religion, faith? Rethinking intersectionality in German feminisms

Despite the recent wave of scholarship on intersectionality, as well as a surge in feminist scholarship on Islam in German feminist studies, feminist research has yet to adequately engage with the role of religion in intersectionality. In this article the author draws on the work of the Aktionsbündnis muslimischer Frauen in Germany to explore the possibility for incorporating religion and faith into intersectional frameworks, which requires attention to women of color theorizing in German feminisms, recognition of ways in which religions and forms of secularism have been racialized, and recognition of affective attachment to faith

The Impact of EU Enlargement on the Euro-Med Partnership. Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series Vol. 5 No. 23 July 2005

[From the introduction]. This essay assesses the impact of the 2004 EU enlargement on the aims of the Euro-Med Partnership and the prospects for its success. Does the Mediterranean policy of an enlarged Europe herald a new era of foreign policy behavior—as stated in the Barcelona Declaration—or does it represent the continued politics of power and domination? Either way, will the net impact be a stabilizing one, enhancing regional security and economic prosperity, or will it be destabilizing, widening the gap between Europe and its southern neighbors

Membership?

For graduate students and young faculty in the field of Canadian history, membership in the CHA is a right of passage, a token of their commitment to a chosen career and one of the important means of establishing professional ties within the wider academic community in Canada. For their colleagues in other areas of history this commitment is not so frequently made. Yet the advantages of CHA membership are many, advantages that are important to all historians working in Canada

We need to use the words...

Sometimes it’s important to simply say the words … as it is in the beginning of wisdom that is the definition of terms. When historians look at the world of project management, what will they say that we have said about climate change? Certainly more general—but absolutely legitimate—terms such as ‘sustainability’ have been used, but in a basic term search in the 3 oldest project management journals, I was surprised to see only a few dozen uses of ‘climate change’ as a specific term. Theconversation started a long time ago using those words, and PMRP would like to encourage more with this commentary on one of the central topics of this journal … climate change

The baby friendly hospital initiative : level of implementation in ten New Zealand hospitals : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Midwifery at Massey University

The potential benefits of breastfeeding are well documented. These include benefits for the infant which may extend into adult life, as well as benefits for the mother, the family, the economy, and the environment. Yet despite this, breastfeeding rates in New Zealand are not improving, and there is evidence of practices in New Zealand hospitals which have a negative influence on breastfeeding. One possible solution to this is to try to improve hospital policies and practices through implementation of the Global Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (WHO/UNICEF, 1989). The purpose of this study was to ascertain the level of implementation of BFHI related policies and practices in New Zealand hospitals which provide maternity services. A descriptive survey utilizing face to face interviews of groups of 2-6 participants was undertaken in ten hospitals located in the North Island of New Zealand. Respondents included midwifery managers, lactation consultants, midwives, and nurses, familiar with their hospital's breastfeeding policy and practices. An adapted questionnaire and classification system developed by Kovach (1995) classified hospitals within four levels of implementation ranging from high, moderately high, partial, and low. Most of the hospitals were implementing six of the Ten Steps. The majority were not fully implementing Steps 1 and 2, and some hospitals had insufficient knowledge of current practices to be able to demonstrate implementation of Steps 3 and 5. The area identified as needing the greatest attention by hospitals is staff education on breastfeeding. Overall, five hospitals were classified as high implementers and five as moderately high, however no hospital was considered to be fully implementing BFHI. The study identified four main findings: a lack of consistent breastfeeding definitions and insufficient knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding rates; current difficulties in obtaining data, particularly about self-employed Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) practices; a lack of staff knowledge and misperceptions about the BFHI; and a gap between recommended evidence-based practices and reported breastfeeding practices in the surveyed hospitals