EFL learners developing critical intercultural awareness through process drama: Dialogue and discovery

Abstract The overall aim of this research study is to look for a paradigm shift in foreign language (English) education in Taiwan. By challenging the role of foreign languages teaching and learning in the reproductive purpose of education systems, this study addresses the significance and urgency of developing critical intercultural awareness (CIA) in Taiwan students’ language learning experience. This study is a reflective account of an action research project that explores the how and why CIA can be developed in process drama praxis in the context of the Advanced English Learners’ Programmes for 27 junior high school students in Taiwan. Drawing on the theoretical framework of socio-cultural and educational drama theories for foreign language learning, this study follows the line of performative inquiry (Fels, 1999; 2000; 2008). As such, the drama site is regarded as a space for reflective action to take place, the drama workshop is seen as a collective experience of reflection, in which the participants are made able to problematise the current situation, to see things from different and distanced perspectives, and develop understanding in every moment of encountering with others, while co-constructing meanings together through dialogue and critical reflections. The narrative accounts of this inquiry serve to answer the major research question: How would a process drama syllabus help EFL learners develop critical intercultural awareness? The qualitative data demonstrated how such the multilayered mental space in drama allowed the language learners to develop flexibility and mobility through a freedom in the choice of action endowed upon them by the drama syllabus. The analysis revealed how drama created a milieu for the participants to engage, to negotiate, and co-construct meanings with SELF and Others from critical perspectives. The foreign language learning experience serves as a contact zone in which the SELF is deconstructed and reconstructed through a constant interplay and negotiation of meaning with the OTHER. The drama syllabus and approaches furthered this inter-space experience, deepened the impact of encountering the OTHER, and thus enabled the process of recognizing and re-strengthening of one’s own cultural identity. The evidence in the research demonstrated that, when given appropriate opportunities, the EFL learners are able to develop critical intercultural awareness though the language learning experiences. A model for the development of such intercultural education is then constructed through this study. The research thus argues for a need of a critical pedagogy approach in the foreign language classroom

The relationship of language orientation and racial/ethnic attitude among Chinese-American primary grade children

This study to determine whether there was a relationship between the language orientation of Chinese-American primary-grade children in the San Francisco Unified School District and their racial/ethnic attitude. Generally, Chinese-Americans are monolingual Chinese speakers (MCS), monolingual English speakers (BECS). These three linguistic groups of Chineses-American children were compared in this study to determine the existence of a language orientation-racial/ethnic attitude relationship. A review of the literature shows that 1) language, thought, and perception are interrelated, 2) racial attitudes are significant factors in American society, 3) attitudes and behavior are interrelated, and 4) children develop racial/ethnic attitudes at an early age. The problem incorporates each of these areas, while focusing on the dependent variable of racial/ethnic attitude

Flowsheet Design and Simulation of Carbon Dioxide Removal System via Reactive Absorption Using Mixed (AMP + MEA) Solvent

Currently, around 90 % of the world’s primary energy requirement is supplied by fossil fuels in which causes rising in the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contributes to global warming effects and climate change. Carbon dioxide gas is the largest component of greenhouse gas. Moreover, carbon dioxide lowers the heating value of natural gas as well as is corrosive to pipelines and equipments. Therefore, removal of carbon dioxide from natural gas stream is crucial. There are several technologies for carbon dioxide removal available commercially. Chemical solvent absorption is the most common and extensively used in existing natural gas processing and liquefaction plants nowadays

Mechanical properties of La-based bulk amorphous alloy and composites

Influence of different microstructure of La-based fully amorphous samples and its composites on the impact fracture energy were investigated and discussed. Results showed improvement in fracture energy of glassy metals with the presence intermetallic phases, but deteriorated in the presence of dendrite phases and high volume % of crystalline phases.Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA

THE IDEA OF CAPITALIST EXPLOITATION IN VICTORIAN ERA REPRESENTED IN CHARLES DICKENS’ OLIVER TWIST NOVEL

In Victorian era, Capitalism was known as an economic system in which power was dominated by private ownership. The work system applied in Capitalism influenced the life of Victorian era and literary works recorded it. The aim of this research is to identify the idea of capitalist exploitation that exists and to describe how capitalist exploitation is represented through character, characterization, and setting in Oliver Twist novel. This research uses a theory by Mariano Zukerfeld about the types of capitalist exploitation which appear through alienation, reproduction, and attention. This is accomplished through library research and the use of a Historicism approach to identify capitalist exploitation in the Victorian era. The result of this research shows that capitalist exploitation is mostly experienced by Oliver Twist as a representative of the lower class. The researcher can conclude that the lower class character, which emerged from the working class, has been subjected to various forms of capitalist exploitation, such as exploitation through alienation refers to labor power, exploitation through reproduction refers to labor product, and exploitation through attention refers to labor time

Estetika među nama: cjeloživotno učenje iz prakse

In the contemporary world, art education provides the possibilities for the development of pupils’ creativity, critical thinking, and critical attitude towards art and culture. However, “the disenchantment of the world” makes “aesthetics” a need to be continuously defined in the present age. The narrow and one-sided nature of traditional aesthetics has become increasingly apparent, and it is difficult for the ideals of beauty and art to provide reliable support for the development of aesthetics. In the late 1980s, perceptual knowledge became a frequently discussed and meaningful keyword in aesthetics research and education. Creativity comes from perceptual knowledge. Creativity is based on popular art training and aesthetic education. Creative thinking should be achieved through the process of diversification to form an area with multi-faceted and abstract structure. Because art has an essential quality (Timbre), I proposed a visual art and aesthetics project based on the implementation of artistic objectives in the teaching of visual arts and the aesthetic encounter of politics, society, history, culture and the environment. The experimental programme was performed at National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. The results of the research confirmed that implementation of aesthetic perception education can have a positive impact on students’ views of art and on the overall popularity of related learning. Examples of education in aesthetic experience and aesthetic perception can be used as guidelines for the implementation of art and multicultural education. Well-rounded and open-minded education (from politics, society, history, culture and the environment, etc.) has become the door to the continuous development of intelligence and thinking.Umjetničko obrazovanje u suvremenom svijetu pruža mogućnosti za razvoj kreativnosti, kritičkoga mišljenja i kritičkoga stava učenika prema umjetnosti i kulturi. Ipak, razočaranje u svijetu čini estetiku potrebom koju u sadašnje vrijeme treba kontinuirano definirati. Ograničena i jednostrana priroda tradicionalne estetike postaje sve očitija, stoga je otežan razvoj estetike na pouzdanoj osnovi ideala ljepote i umjetnosti. Kasnih 1980-ih godina perceptivno znanje postalo je ključni pojam o kojemu se često raspravlja u sklopu istraživanja i obrazovanja u području estetike. Kreativnost proizlazi iz perceptivnoga znanja, a zasnovana je na popularnom umjetničkom i estetskom obrazovanju. Kako bi se oblikovalo područje s višestrukom i apstraktnom strukturom, potrebno je razvijati kreativno mišljenje kroz proces diversifikacije. Zbog toga što umjetnost ima esencijalno svojstvo (timbar), predložio sam projekt iz područja likovne umjetnosti i estetike zasnovan na ostvarivanju umjetničkih ciljeva u poučavanju likovne umjetnosti i na estetskom susretu s politikom, društvom, povijesti, kulturom i okolinom. Eksperimentalni program realiziran je u Nacionalnom tajvanskom muzeju likovnih umjetnosti. Rezultati istraživanja potvrđuju da obrazovanje u području estetske percepcije može imati pozitivne učinke na učeničke poglede na umjetnosti i na cjelokupnu popularnost povezanoga učenja. Primjeri razvijanja estetskoga doživljaja i estetske percepcije mogu se koristiti kao smjernice za ostvarivanje umjetničkoga i multikulturnoga obrazovanja. Dobro zaokruženo i otvoreno obrazovanje (od politike, društva, povijesti, kulture, okoline itd.) postalo je prag za kontinuirani razvoj inteligencije i mišljenja

Corporate governance : disclosure on directors’ remuneration in Malaysia – is it adequate?

Ever since numerous corporate failures that shaken the faith and confidence of the public, the introduction of good corporate governance mechanism has swept the world off their feet. A sound corporate governance mechanism not only encourages proper management of risk, but at the same time, promotes effective performance. A vital part of corporate governance, directors’ remuneration has gain considerable focus from the policy makers, academics, media and public over the years. The measurements and determinants of the directors’ remuneration has attracts numerous different views and opinions which ultimately landed it as hot-debatable topic. The purpose of this study is to assess the adequacy of Malaysia’s current state on directors’ remuneration disclosure regime with the focus drawn upon six particular banking organisations since banking industry in Malaysia offers a diversified portfolio ranging from government-controlled, family-controlled to foreign-owned where effects of diversified ownership structures can be drawn. The paper outlines several angles: composition of remuneration and levels of remuneration and the process in determining the remuneration package i.e. remuneration committee. The benchmark is acquired by comparing Malaysia’s current disclosure regime with other countries’ regime. The paper concludes that Malaysia’s current disclosure regime is satisfactory but there are still some shortcomings and regulators need to overcome such inadequacies in order to achieve better corporate governance in the international arena

Procrastinación y logros de aprendizaje en construye interpretaciones históricas en estudiantes del VI ciclo de una institución pública, Callería 2022

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar cómo se relaciona la procrastinación y logros de aprendizaje en construye interpretaciones históricas en estudiantes del VI ciclo en una Institución pública de Callería. Metodológicamente la investigación utilizó un enfoque cuantitativo, de tipo básico, nivel correlacional y diseño no experimental, cuya muestra estuvo conformada por 156 alumnos, y se empleó la técnica de la encuesta y como instrumento el cuestionario por variable. Luego de procesar la información se obtuvieron los resultados, según el coeficiente de correlación de Rho Spearman de 0,413 y con una significancia bilateral de 0,000 lo que indica la relación existente entre las variables procrastinación y logros de aprendizaje en construye interpretaciones históricas, lo que finalmente permite concluir que, la procrastinación y los logros de aprendizaje se relacionan de manera positiva en el sentido que la procrastinación en sus aspectos de autorregulación termina incidiendo en los logros de aprendizaje y de mayor manera en el aspecto postergación, y ello se visibiliza en cada una de las capacidades de la competencia construye interpretaciones históricas