A pedagogical perspective on communication strategies: Benefits of training and an analysis of English language teaching materials

Effective strategies used to overcome communication difficulties are of crucial importance for second language (L2) learners. Therefore, L2 learners might benefit from instruction on how to cope with such difficulties. Since the early 1970’s, much research has been conducted on communication strategies (CS), the means used to overcome some difficulty in expressing an intended meaning. Due to differing theoretical perspectives, researchers have disagreed about the question of whether such strategy training is beneficial. However, few studies have specifically considered communication strategies from a pedagogical point of view. Also, practicing teachers of communication strategies may be at a loss when searching for appropriate materials. This study addresses this issue. In this paper, I will first briefly present a definition, some conceptualizations, and examples of communication strategies. Then, I will discuss the controversy concerning teaching CS, arguing in favor of it. This will be followed by a description of a research project that analyzed communication strategies found in English language teaching (ELT) materials. Findings suggest that although there are at least a few materials available from which language teachers could draw appropriate, adaptable CS activities, particularly from teachers’ resource books, most of the surveyed materials offer few suitable ideas for CS instruction. More materials that introduce communication strategy activities/tasks would be welcomed. Finally, suggestions for materials and pedagogical implications will be discussed

Warner Bros. Forgotten Men: Representations of Shifting Masculinities in 1930s Hollywood

This dissertation examines the stardom, characters, and and shifting nature of the styles of masculinities enacted by Paul Muni, George Brent, Dick Powell, and Errol Flynn's characters in the films produced during their tenure at Warner Bros. in the 1930s. This study argues that the styles of masculinities in operation on the Warner Bros. lot were in fact more complex and contradictory than previous studies have acknowledged. Robert Sklar argues that the dominant type of masculinity represented by the studio was that of the "city boy." However in examining the films, fan magazines, movie reviews and studio records from the period dealing with Muni, Brent, Powell, and Flynn what is evident is that crafting a unified stable masculine screen presence for each of these men was something that the studio was unable to achieve. The dissertation uses elements of "whiteness," as well as gender, and class to look at how each of these four men and their characters represented an image of American masculinities during the 1930s that attempted to model the various experiences and frustrations of men as a result of the Great Depression

Southern Echoes : March And Two - Step

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-ps/2030/thumbnail.jp

Author Impact Measures in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Author impact metrics were collected from approximately 2000 academic research faculty in 257 accredited universities in the US and Canada. Three databases (Scopus, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate) were utilized. Indices (e.g., publications, citations, and h-index) were examined as a function of gender, rank, area of study, region, and Carnegie Classification

Incision Precision: Engaging Students During Dissection Labs

Active learning tools, such as gamification, have facilitated teamwork and improved decision-making skills in Anatomy and Physiology classes. However, most Anatomy and Physiology labs currently contain dissection activities where students are not likely to engage in inquiry, critical thinking, or problem-solving. Usually, the instructor gives a brief lecture on the topic, and students are left to dissect without understanding how the lecture relates to what is in front of them, which is frustrating. Coupled with the frustration, some students have adverse opinions on dissecting specimens, including hesitation to dissect the specimen and religious or ethical concerns with dissection. Utilizing similar game mechanics to Taboo (Hasbro) and Milton Bradley\u27s Operation, Incision Precision is a card game that was made to engage students in the dissection lab by allowing them to connect lecture-based information to a physical structure within an organ system. Each card contains an anatomical or physiological description of the organs commonly dissected in the undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology laboratory. For effective gameplay and full participation, the class should be divided into groups containing 3 to 4 students. The group will draw two cards where members can either correctly name the organ or identify the named organ on the dissected specimen. Playing Incision Precision resulted in participation from all group members during the dissection activity, including those with negative feelings about touching the dissected specimen. Due to positive student feedback, Incision Precision has been adapted and played with system-specific organ dissections

RELEASE FROM MASKING: BEHAVIORAL AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES IN YOUNG AND OLDER LISTENERS

Difficulty listening to speech under challenging conditions is the main complaint of audiology patients. Researchers have explored the cause of this concern, however, many questions are left unanswered. The primary concern of the present series of experiments is the contribution of temporal resolution to speech in noise processing. Specifically, the phenomenon of “release from masking�, the aptitude of the auditory system to make use of temporal gaps in competing signals, allowing for perception of target speech. In Experiment I, a commonly researched behavioral paradigm to measure temporal release from masking was explored in young and older normal hearing adults to determine the effect of noise type, aging, presentation level, and SNR on speech recognition. Words and sentences were presented in interrupted and continuous noises at varying intensities and signal to noise ratios. There was a significant effect of presentation level on interrupted noise benefit (i.e., release from masking). Higher intensities created improved understanding in interrupted noise. This finding suggests an intensity to exploit temporal abilities when completing behavioral assessments, particularly if evaluating temporal resolution through release from masking. It was also determined that younger adults were received greater perceptual advantage in interrupted noise than older adults, indicating an effect of age on temporal resolution despite continued normal hearing thresholds. Experiment II investigated neural encoding of this phenomenon through electrophysiological measures of the auditory cortex. Cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) were utilized to demonstrate interrupted noise benefit and explore the effect of SNR and age on this response. With the older adults exhibiting similar auditory thresholds as younger adults and yet displaying a clear temporal deficit in speech in noise understanding, Experiment II sought to determine if a deficit in neural encoding of these signals within the auditory cortex was evident. A speech stimulus (/da/) was used to elicit the CAEPs in interrupted and continuous noises. Decreased P1 and P2 latencies and increased N1 amplitudes were recorded in interrupted noise versus continuous noise, indicating a temporal benefit. These differences were considered a cortical release from masking. Identifying this response in a localized measure may lead to better understanding of the auditory cortex’s role in temporal processing of speech in difficult listening environments. With an increase in P1 and N1 amplitudes in older listeners, decreased neural inhibition was indicated. It is plausible that this aging affect could result in the temporal deficit measured behaviorally. A significant correlation between this electrophysiological finding and behavioral measures of the same deficit would confirm this theory. Experiment II was designed to explore the associations between the behavioral and electrophysiological measures of Experiments I and II. No clinically significant correlations were found between these measures. A failure to demonstrate this correlation brings into question the clinical utility of the electrophysiological measures of Experiment II. Significant correlations would have allowed for the electrophysiological response to be measured in lieu of behavioral assessment for those that are difficult to test due to physical and mental limitations. However, without a clear relationship, this electrophysiological response cannot be used in this fashion

Changes in Gene Expression of Goat Developing Testes and Sperm During Breeding and Non-breeding Season

Testicular function is fundamental to male fertility, since testicular cells act in collaboration with each other to signal sex differentiation, the initiation of puberty and spermatogenesis. Complications that can be influenced by many factors will affect sperm number, morphology, motility, chromatin quality and acrosomal integrity. The purpose of these studies was to analyze the changes in gene expression in the developing testes and analyze the seasonal changes in gene products in sperm of mature bucks. In the first experiment, testes were harvested from five Alpine bucks at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 months of age. Northern and in situ hybridization indicated that the largest change in gene expression occurred during the first 4 months of goat testes development. Sex determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9) and Heat Shock protein A8 (HSPA8) peaked at 2 months of age, and were expressed in Sertoli cells and spermatogonium, respectively. At 4 months, expression of Stimulated by Retinoic Acid gene 8 (STRA8), Protamine1 (PRM1) and Outer Dense Fiber protein 2 (ODF2) was strongly up-regulated in early and maturing germ cells, respectively. In the second experiment, RNA from ejaculated spermatozoa collected from mature Alpine bucks in peak (October) and non-peak (April) breeding season were analyzed on a 4 x 44K Agilent bovine microarray. One thousand three hundred and eighteen gene products were differentially expressed 2-fold or more (p ≤ 0.05 ) was expressed in mature goat sperm collected October and April. To eliminate the likelihood of false positives, the cut off was set to fold change of 3 or more at p ≤ 0.01 which narrowed the list of genes to 50 transcripts. Real time PCR results confirmed the expression of Sperm Adhesion Molecule 1 (SPAM1) in April, and the expression of Glycerol kinase 2(GK2) and Myc Binding Protein 2 (MYCBP2) in October. Based on the results from both experiments, it can be concluded that: SOX9 and HSPA8 expression play an important role in tubular formation and germ cell maintenance; two months after SOX9 and HSPA8 expression, genes that are associated with spermatogenesis initiation and completion are upregulated; and validation of the seasonal changes in sperm mRNA levels may provide additional insight to testicular events as they relate to breeding and non-breeding season