From Research to Practice: Considering Context and the Teacher as Theorist

Language pedagogy has drawn on various disciplines to inform it, one of which is Second Language Acquisition (SLA). However, while considerable developments in SLA have generated more confidence in it, there are still those among SLA researchers who have been reticent in applying results of their research to language pedagogy. Perhaps the problematic relationship between theory and practice and between specialists and teachers need not in principle be oppositional, if we have a greater understanding of the complex nature of the language classroom, as Prabhu has suggested in “The Dynamics of the Language Lesson” (TESOL 1992). In this paper, I expound on two central themes earlier explored by Prabhu, namely the interplay between pedagogic and non-pedagogic dimensions that influences much of what happens in the classroom and the theorizing role teachers have to play if any change aimed at productive learning is to be realized, discussing these issues particularly in relation to SLA studies on interaction to promote L2 learning. In the process, I discuss the implications of the aforementioned points for language teaching, with reference to my teaching context

Genome-wide Association Study Identifies Five New Susceptibility Loci For Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma

Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is a major cause of blindness worldwide. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) followed by replication in a combined total of 10,503 PACG cases and 29,567 controls drawn from 24 countries across Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. We observed significant evidence of disease association at five new genetic loci upon meta-analysis of all patient collections. These loci are at EPDR1 rs3816415 (odds ratio (OR) = 1.24, P = 5.94 x 10(-15)), CHAT rs1258267 (OR = 1.22, P = 2.85 x 10(-16)), GLIS3 rs736893 (OR = 1.18, P = 1.43 x 10(-14)), FERMT2 rs7494379 (OR = 1.14, P = 3.43 x 10(-11)), and DPM2-FAM102A rs3739821 (OR = 1.15, P = 8.32 x 10(-12)). We also confirmed significant association at three previously described loci (P < 5 x 10(-8) for each sentinel SNP at PLEKHA7, COL11A1, and PCMTD1-ST18)(1), providing new insights into the biology of PACG.485556+Singapore Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council under its Translational and Clinical Research (TCR) Flagship Programme Grant Stratified Medicine for Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma [NMRC/TCR/008-SERI/2013]Singapore Translational Research (STaR) Investigator Award Singapore Angle Closure Glaucoma Program Characterization, Prevention, and Management [NMRC/STAR/0023/2014]Biomedical Research CouncilAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A-STAR), SingaporeUniversiti Sains Malaysia [RUI 1001/PPSP/812101, RUI 1001/PPSP/812152]Program of Beijing ScholarsLeading Talents-High-Level Talents of the Health System of Beijing [2009-1-05]National Major Scientific and Technological Special Project for 'Significant New Drugs Development' [2011ZX09302-007-05]National Natural Science Foundation of China [81570837

Genome-wide association study identifies five new susceptibility loci for primary angle closure glaucoma.

Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is a major cause of blindness worldwide. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) followed by replication in a combined total of 10,503 PACG cases and 29,567 controls drawn from 24 countries across Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. We observed significant evidence of disease association at five new genetic loci upon meta-analysis of all patient collections. These loci are at EPDR1 rs3816415 (odds ratio (OR) = 1.24, P = 5.94 × 10(-15)), CHAT rs1258267 (OR = 1.22, P = 2.85 × 10(-16)), GLIS3 rs736893 (OR = 1.18, P = 1.43 × 10(-14)), FERMT2 rs7494379 (OR = 1.14, P = 3.43 × 10(-11)), and DPM2-FAM102A rs3739821 (OR = 1.15, P = 8.32 × 10(-12)). We also confirmed significant association at three previously described loci (P < 5 × 10(-8) for each sentinel SNP at PLEKHA7, COL11A1, and PCMTD1-ST18), providing new insights into the biology of PACG