Teaching strategies in motivating global English learners : The Adaptive Relatability Motivation Framework

English has undoubtedly become a global language. Within the last decades, however, societies and individuals have changed, became more complex, and identities, emotions and social spaces have been dramatically affected and re-negotiated by globalisation (Heyward, 2004; Tanu, 2016). This opinion article focuses on the author’s researches and experiences in Central Asia and Eastern Europe as a teacher and lecturer. Based on her previous researches and observations the author offers a new framework that addresses students’ needs and preferences for learning Global English. According to the Adaptive Relatability Motivation Framework, learners should be provided with culturally less invasive, identitysafe and emotionally more accommodating learning environment, where they can become more engaged, autonomous and adaptive in their own learning processes. Thus, learners will be able to continually relate their needs, social spaces and motivations to the successful use of the target language. The framework’s concepts are summarized in four points that give a more pragmatic view on its use. These four points are further detailed, offering how these ideas can be implemented in an empirical fashion by educators and students

Emociones académicas y validación emocional como factores motivadores y desmotivadores en la enseñanza de inglés

Introducció. Les emocions tenen un paper fonamental en l’aprenentatge de llengües estrangeres, ja que els aprenents estan en procés d’adquirir no només una llengua, sinó també noves estructures de pensament i nous elements culturals. Mètode. En aquest estudi, setanta estudiants de Mongòlia i onze professors van respondre entrevistes semiestructurades. Les dades es van analitzar calculant els percentatges en les respostes segons el gènere dels estudiants. Per analitzar les respostes del professorat, es va aplicar una anàlisi narrativa. Resultats. Les dades suggereixen que els i les estudiants mostren emocions diferents durant l’adquisició d’un idioma estranger, segons si són nois o noies. Es va constatar que tots dos grups percebien els sentiments dels educadors similars a les seves pròpies emocions, i creien que un bon o mal professor podia alterar el seu èxit en l’aprenentatge. L’estudi mostra com els professors experimentaven diverses emocions positives, però el seu entusiasme disminuïa fàcilment quan els estudiants no els corresponien. Els professors percebien i entenien les emocions dels estudiants, però no sempre eren capaços de  tenir-les en compte, o no hi estaven predisposats. Discussió i conclusió. Aquesta investigació revela que tant estudiants com professorat consideren que les emocions són fonamentals a l’aula. Les emocions positives sempre semblen estar condicionades pel comportament de l’altra part. No obstant això, la validació de les possibles emocions negatives es considera una gran eina motivadora capaç de transformar les actituds negatives en positives.Introduction. Emotions experienced in the classroom significantly affect learners’ and educators’ motivation. In foreign language learning, emotions are of critical importance, since learners are acquiring not only a language but new structures of thinking and new cultural elements. Method. In this study, 70 Mongolian students and eleven teachers responded to questionnaires or interviews. The data from students were analysed by taking percentages of their responses by gender group, while narrative analysis was applied to the teachers’ responses. Results. The data suggest that male and female students display different emotions during foreign language acquisition. Both groups perceived educators’ feelings similarly to their own emotions. They stated that a good or bad teacher could alter their learning success. Teachers experienced a variety of positive emotions, but their enthusiasm readily decreased if students did not reciprocate. Teachers perceived and understood learners’ emotions, but were not always able or willing to take them into consideration. Discussion. The present study finds that both students and teachers consider emotions in the classroom and towards one another to be crucial. Positive emotions are always conditioned by the other party’s behaviour. Validation of (sometimes negative) emotions is regarded as a great motivational tool that can transform negative attitudes into positive ones.Introducción. Las emociones tienen un papel fundamental en el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras, ya que los estudiantes no solo están adquiriendo un idioma, sino también nuevas estructuras de pensamiento y nuevos elementos culturales. Método. En este estudio 70 estudiantes mongoles y once profesores respondieron a entrevistas semiestructuradas. Los datos se analizaron considerando porcentajes sobre las respuestas según el género de los estudiantes. Se aplicó un análisis narrativo para analizar las respuestas de los profesores. Resultados. Los datos sugieren que el estudiantado muestra emociones diferentes durante el proceso de adquisición de un idioma extranjero. Ambos géneros percibían los sentimientos de los educadores similares a sus propias emociones y declaraban que un profesor bueno o malo podría alterar su éxito en el aprendizaje. Los docentes experimentaban diversas emociones positivas, pero su entusiasmo disminuía fácilmente cuando los estudiantes no las correspondían. También percibían y entendían las emociones de los alumnos, pero no siempre eran capaces o estaban dispuestos a tenerlas en cuenta. Discusión y conclusión. Esta investigación revela que tanto los estudiantes como el profesorado consideran que las emociones son fundamentales en el aula y hacia las otras personas. Las emociones positivas siempre parecen estar condicionadas por el comportamiento de la otra parte. Sin embargo, la validación de las posibles emociones negativas se considera una gran herramienta motivadora capaz de transformar las actitudes negativas en positivas

Breeding possibilities of Booroola Merino in East-Europe

Booroola Merino (BM)rams and ewes were imported from New Zealand to Hungary and Czechoslovakia in the 1980’s. Part of the imported animals were proved to be homozygous for the F gene. Frozen semen of these has been used for spreading this gene to Hungarian (HM) and Czechish (CM) Merinos. The crossbred lambs were 4—7 % lighter at birth and at 30 d.,6—24 % lighter at 100 d. and 5—10 % lighter at 1-yr than HM. The 1-yr weight was 10—22 % lighter than that of CM. Greasy fleece weights were 5—10 % higher, staple lengths 7—11 % longer than in HM or CM, while fibres were finer. The litter size of BM x HM ewes at 1 st lambing was 1.42, at 2nd 1.52 and at 3rd 1.69, while the last figure for HM ewes was 1.15. The % of twins born to the BM x HM ewes was ca. 35 %, when HM ewes had 12%. The corresponding figures for triplets were 9 and 0.2 %. The BM x HM crosses had shorter anestrus periods after lambing than HM ewes, except after the first lambing. The BM x HM ewes produced 2.4 lambs/yr. in a continuous lambing system, while HM ewes gave 1.9 lambs

Optimizing entrepreneurial development processes for smart specialization in the European Union

This paper demonstrates how the Regional Entrepreneurship and Development Index (REDI) can be used to optimize local entrepreneurial discovery processes, in a manner which can support smart specialization strategies (S3). While S3 industry prioritization is based on the identification of local strengths, regional improvement can be achieved by improving the weakest features of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. REDI based suggestions are place-based and offer rationale for tailor-made regional policy interventions. We found that without optimizing the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the industry specialization alone may not be successful because of the inability of the ecosystem to nurture high growth ventures

Differences in Circulating Carnitine Status of Preterm Infants Fed Fortified Human Milk or Preterm Infant Formula

Objective:The aim of the study was to compare plasma carnitine profiles in fortified human milk (HM)-fed preterm infants or formula-fed preterm infants.Methods:Plasma acylcarnitine concentrations were determined in 20 formula-fed and 18 HM-fed preterm infants (birth weights between 1000 and 2200 g) by isotope dilution ESI MS/MS technique on study days 0, 14, and 28.Results:Concentrations of free carnitine (FC) and different acylcarnitines did not change during the 4 weeks of the study in infants fed HM. In contrast, in infants fed formula FC increased markedly (day 0: 29.989 16.646] mol/L, median interquartile range], day 14: 43.972 8.455], P<0.05) along with increases of short-chain esters (C2 day 0: 5.300 3.272], day 14: 6.773 2.127], P<0.05; C3 day 0: 0.070 0.059], day 14: 0.110 0.069], P<0.05). In contrast, some medium-chain (C8:1, C12) and long-chain esters (C14, C16) decreased significantly in infant formula by day 14, whereas FC and C2 and C3 esters increased further by day 28 (FC: 47.672 14.753], C2: 7.430 4.688], C3: 0.107 0.047]).Conclusions:The altered carnitine ester profile likely reflects active involvement of the carnitine molecule in the buffering, metabolism, and elimination of nonphysiological acyl moieties

Quality of life and clinical characteristics of self-improving congenital ichthyosis within the disease spectrum of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis

Background Autosomal-recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a heterogeneous group of ichthyoses presenting at birth. Self-improving congenital ichthyosis (SICI) is a subtype of ARCI and is diagnosed when skin condition improves remarkably (within years) after birth. So far, there are sparse data on SICI and quality of life (QoL) in this ARCI subtype. This study aims to further delineate the clinical spectrum of SICI as a rather unique subtype of ARCI. Objectives This prospective study included 78 patients (median age: 15 years) with ARCI who were subdivided in SICI (n = 18) and non-SICI patients (nSICI, n = 60) by their ARCI phenotype. Methods Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the (Children's) Dermatology Life Quality Index. Statistical analysis was performed with chi-squared and t-Tests. Results The genetically confirmed SICI patients presented causative mutations in the following genes: ALOXE3 (8/16; 50.0%), ALOX12B (6/16; 37.5%), PNPLA1 (1/16; 6.3%) and CYP4F22 (1/16; 6.3%). Hypo-/anhidrosis and insufficient vitamin D levels (<30 ng/mL) were often seen in SICI patients. Brachydactyly (a shortening of the 4th and 5th fingers) was statistically more frequent in SICI (P = 0.023) than in nSICI patients. A kink of the ear's helix was seen in half of the SICI patients and tends to occur more frequently in patients with ALOX12B mutations (P = 0.005). QoL was less impaired in patients under the age of 16, regardless of ARCI type. Conclusions SICI is an underestimated, milder clinical variant of ARCI including distinct features such as brachydactyly and kinking of the ears. Clinical experts should be aware of these features when seeing neonates with a collodion membrane. SICI patients should be regularly checked for clinical parameters such as hypo-/anhidrosis or vitamin D levels and monitored for changes in quality of life

Predominantly linear summation of metabotropic postsynaptic potentials follows coactivation of neurogliaform interneurons

Summation of ionotropic receptor-mediated responses is critical in neuronal computation by shaping input-output characteristics of neurons. However, arithmetics of summation for metabotropic signals are not known. We characterized the combined ionotropic and metabotropic output of neocortical neurogliaform cells (NGFCs) using electrophysiological and anatomical methods in the rat cerebral cortex. These experiments revealed that GABA receptors are activated outside release sites and confirmed coactivation of putative NGFCs in superficial cortical layers in vivo. Triple recordings from presynaptic NGFCs converging to a postsynaptic neuron revealed sublinear summation of ionotropic GABA(A) responses and linear summation of metabotropic GABA(B) responses. Based on a model combining properties of volume transmission and distributions of all NGFC axon terminals, we predict that in 83% of cases one or two NGFCs can provide input to a point in the neuropil. We suggest that interactions of metabotropic GABAergic responses remain linear even if most superficial layer interneurons specialized to recruit GABA(B) receptors are simultaneously active