Avoiding initiation of repair in L2 conversations-for-learning

Using audio-recorded data from second language (L2) English conversations-for-learning between an L2 user of English and a first language (L1) user of English (the researcher), this study analyzes cases in which the L1 user avoids initiation of repair. In each case, the L2 user appears to have misunderstood something said by the L1 user. Instead of initiating repair in next turn on the L2 user’s talk, or in third position on his own talk, the L1 user goes along, at least briefly, with the direction set by the L2 user. Often, the L1 user, sooner or later, returns to the misunderstood talk. Avoidance of repair initiation is one way in which the L1 user contributes to the construction of the L2 user as interactionally competent to participate in conversations-for-learning

Private Speech as Social Action

An important theoretical construct within the Vygotskian sociocultural approach to second language learning is private speech. Within a conversation-analytic framework, an agnostic stance is taken in this paper toward the possible intrapsychological function(s) of private speech in order to (1) illustrate how private speech can be identified within the details of talk-in-interaction and (2) how private speech can be understood as social action. It is argued that attention to the details of how private speech is produced is important in order to show how private speech has been identified as such; that viewing private speech as social action allows for a more emic perspective; and that, at least within interaction, private speech is social not just in origin, but each time that it is produced

Corrective recasts in interaction: A case study

The research that this paper reports on comes from a pilot study that investigates three questions about how corrective recasts may fit into the local sequential organization of interaction. First, does, and if so, how does the local sequential organization of interaction, including the organization of repair, act as a variable influencing incorporation by language learners of recasts? Second, how do recasts, with and without being incorporated, affect the local sequential organization of interaction? And third, can evidence be found in interaction which indicates that recasts are associated with learning? The details of how particular recasts fit into the organizational structure of interaction are being investigated quite closely, so the methodology chosen for this research is conversation analysis, or CA, a methodology specifically designed to investigate the details of how interaction is organized (Hutchby & Wooffit, 1998; Psathas, 1995; ten Have, 1999). The adoption of this methodology leads to a fourth question of interest, which is the extent to which CA can be a useful methodology in the study of second language acquisition (SLA), and particularly in the study of corrective recasts

Embodied Uses of Electronic Bilingual Dictionaries

Electronic bilingual dictionaries are widely used among university students in East Asia. There is a small body of research, based on questionnaires or experiments or both, on their use and effectiveness, but with one exception, research has not been focussed on the details of actual dictionary use. Drawing on conversation analysis, the current study presents analyses of students’ embodied use of electronic dictionaries during second language English discussions. It is shown that (a) the layout of items on the screen is a resource for recognition, (b) there is an orientation to dictionary ownership, (c) the configuration of objects and bodies is consequential for how dictionaries are used, (d) manipulation of a dictionary can be interactionally significant, and (e) there is not a strong normative element to how dictionaries should be consulted. It is argued that dictionaries are used to accomplish a variety of objectives unlikely to be revealed through questionnaire or experimental research.電子辞書は、東アジアの大学生の間に広く普及している。これまで、アンケートや実験の結果に基づいた電子辞書の効果と使用状況についての報告はいくつかあるが、実際の辞書使用を詳細に分析した研究はほとんど見られない。本論文は、第二言語としての英語ディスカッションに見られる学生の電子辞書の具現化された使い方を、会話分析を使って詳細に示す。分析では、以下の点について提示する：（a）電子辞書画面上に表示される画像・文字が認識のリソースになること、（b）辞書の所有権に対する意識が見られること、（c）辞書使用に関して、物と身体の配置が重要であること、（d）辞書の操作が相互行為的な意味を持つ可能性があること、（e）辞書の使用について、それほど強い規範的な志向性がみられないこと。これらの分析に基づいて、アンケートや実験に基づく従来の研究では観察されなかった多様な目的の辞書使用の実態を論じる

Learning and the Immediate Use(fulness) of a New Vocabulary Item

Within the framework of Conversation Analysis for Second Language Acquisition (CA‐SLA), this study uses learning behavior tracking (LBT) (Markee, 2008) with longitudinal data to investigate word learning by one adult second language (L2) user of English. The adult is a first language (L1) user of Japanese with limited proficiency in English. Data are drawn from audio‐recorded conversations‐for‐learning (Kasper, 2004) between this adult and the researcher, an L1 user of English and L2 user of Japanese, across a 7‐month period. The analysis focuses on the learning of the word near and the nonuse of the synonym close. Repair work is found to create opportunities for learning. It is argued that a word is likely to be learned if it is found to be immediately useful. Methodologically, this study shows that CA‐SLA used with longitudinal data can be used to investigate word learning, meeting the criteria developed by Ellis (2010) for showing learning

Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages – An Emerging Trend in Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol use disorders are pervasive in society and their impact affects quality of life, morbidity and mortality, as well as individual productivity. Alcohol has detrimental effects on an individual’s physiology and nervous system, and is associated with disorders of many organ and endocrine systems impacting an individual’s health, behavior, and ability to interact with others. Youth are particularly affected. Unfortunately, adolescent usage also increases the probability for a progression to dependence. Several areas of research indicate that the deleterious effects of alcohol abuse may be exacerbated by mixing caffeine with alcohol. Some behavioral evidence suggests that caffeine increases alcohol drinking and binge drinking episodes, which in turn can foster the development of alcohol dependence. As a relatively new public health concern, the epidemiological focus has been to establish a need for investigating the effects of caffeinated alcohol. While the trend of co-consuming these substances is growing, knowledge of the central mechanisms associated with caffeinated ethanol has been lacking. Research suggests that caffeine and ethanol can have additive or synergistic pharmacological actions and neuroadaptations, with the adenosine and dopamine systems in particular implicated. However, the limited literature on the central effects of caffeinated ethanol provides an impetus to increase our knowledge of the neuroadaptive effects of this combination and their impact on cognition and behavior. Research from our laboratories indicates that an established rodent animal model of alcoholism can be extended to investigate the acute and chronic effects of caffeinated ethanol

The 5-HT7 receptor as a potential target for treating drug and alcohol abuse

Alcohol and drug abuse take a large toll on society and affected individuals. However, very few effective treatments are currently available to treat alcohol and drug addiction. Basic and clinical research has begun to provide some insights into the underlying neurobiological systems involved in the addiction process. Several neurotransmitter pathways have been implicated and distinct reward neurocircuitry have been proposed—including the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (MCL-DA) system and the extended amygdala. The serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmitter system is of particular interest and multiple 5-HT receptors are thought to play significant roles in alcohol and drug self-administration and the development of drug dependence. Among the 5-HT receptors, the 5-HT7 receptor is currently undergoing characterization as a potential target for the treatment of several psychiatric disorders. Although this receptor has received only limited research regarding addictive behaviors, aspects of its neuroanatomical, biochemical, physiological, pharmacological, and behavioral profiles suggest that it could play a key role in the addiction process. For instance, genomic studies in humans have suggested a link between variants in the gene encoding the 5-HT7 receptor and alcoholism. Recent behavioral testing using high-affinity antagonists in mice and preliminary tests with alcohol-preferring rats suggest that this receptor could mediate alcohol consumption and/or reinforcement and play a role in seeking/craving behavior. Interest in the development of new and more selective pharmacological agents for this receptor will aid in examining the 5-HT7 receptor as a novel target for treating addiction

Theoretical Evaluations of the Fission Cross Section of the 77 eV Isomer of 235-U

We have developed models of the fission barrier (barrier heights and transition state spectra) that reproduce reasonably well the measured fission cross section of $^{235}$U from neutron energy of 1 keV to 2 MeV. From these models we have calculated the fission cross section of the 77 eV isomer of $^{235}$U over the same energy range. We find that the ratio of the isomer cross section to that of the ground state lies between about 0.45 and 0.55 at low neutron energies. The cross sections become approximately equal above 1 MeV. The ratio of the neutron capture cross section to the fission cross section for the isomer is predicted to be about a factor of 3 larger for the isomer than for the ground state of $^{235}$U at keV neutron energies. We have also calculated the cross section for the population of the isomer by inelastic neutron scattering form the $^{235}$U ground state. We find that the isomer is strongly populated, and for $E_n = 1 MeV$ the $(n,n'\gamma)$ cross section leading to the population of the isomer is of the order of 0.5 barn. Thus, neutron reaction network calculations involving the uranium isotopes in a high neutron fluence are likely to be affected by the 77 eV isomer of $^{235}$U. With these same models the fission cross sections of $^{233}$U and $^{237}$U can be reproduced approximately using only minor adjustments to the barrier heights. With the significant lowering of the outer barrier that is expected for the outer barrier the general behavior of the fission cross section of $^{239}$Pu can also be reproduced.Comment: 17 pages including 8 figure