54,843 research outputs found
Locating the critical end point using the linear sigma model coupled to quarks
We use the linear sigma model coupled to quarks to compute the effective
potential beyond the mean field approximation, including the contribution of
the ring diagrams at finite temperature and baryon density. We determine the
model couplings and use them to study the phase diagram in the baryon chemical
potential-temperature plane and to locate the Critical End Point.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, conference paper from ISMD 201
Short-Term Study Abroad: Perspectives on Speaking Gains and Language Contact
Previous studies have shown that study abroad has a positive effect on second language (L2) learning outcomes for students who spend at least a semester abroad. It is unclear, however, whether a short-term experience also has a measurable impact on L2 development. The present study examines the relationship between speaking proficiency gains made by students during a short-term study abroad program and their target language use outside of class in the host environment. To determine the potential relationships between speaking gains and language use, a background information questionnaire, a two-part modified language contact profile (LCP), and a pre-program and post-program simulated oral proficiency interview (SOPI) were administered to 20 students in a traditional short-term study abroad program in Spain. Findings indicate that the group did improve their speaking proficiency. At the same time, data taken from the LCP suggest that study abroad learners did not engage in extensive social interaction with native speakers throughout the duration of the program. To improve traditional short-term study abroad programs, the author uses these results to discuss aspects of the programmatic structure that could strengthen the program’s linguistic benefits
Review of \u3cem\u3eThe Art of Teaching Spanish: Second Language Acquisition from Research to Praxis\u3c/em\u3e by B. Lafford and R. Salaberry
Review of \u3cem\u3eFrom Input to Output: A Teacher’s Guide to Second Language Acquisition\u3c/em\u3e by B. VanPatten
Review of \u3cem\u3eEducating for Advanced Foreign Language Capacities: Constructs, Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment\u3c/em\u3e by H. Byrnes, H. Weger-Guntharp, and K. Sprang
Review of \u3cem\u3eA Multiliteracies Framework for Collegiate Foreign Language Teaching\u3c/em\u3e by K. Paesani, H.W. Allen, and B. Dupuy
Review of \u3cem\u3eMind and Context in Adult Second Language Acquisition: Methods, Theory, and Practice\u3c/em\u3e by C. Sanz
Review of \u3cem\u3eSecond Language Teaching and Learning in the Net Generation\u3c/em\u3e by R. Oxford and J. Oxford
Integrative Motivation as a Predictor of Achievement in the Foreign Language Classroom
This study examines the relationship among five independent variables—integrative motivation, instrumental motivation, the need to fulfill a foreign language requirement, grade point average (GPA), and previous years studying Spanish—as predictors of five dependent variables: scores on a simulated oral proficiency interview (SOPI), final exam grades, final grades, the desire to enroll in Spanish courses after completing the language requirement, and intention to major in Spanish. Data from a questionnaire and a SOPI administered to 130 students enrolled in fourth-semester Spanish identified integrative motivation as a significant predictor of SOPI scores and final exam grades. Furthermore, integrative motivation was a significant predictor of students’ desire to enroll in additional coursework after completing the four-semester foreign language requirement. It also had an important role in students’ intention to major in the language. A negative relationship was found between the need to fulfill the language requirement and intent to continue with further studies in Spanish. The findings demonstrate that integrative motivation is important in predicting student achievement in the foreign language classroom
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