The effect of cultural background on metaphor interpretation

This article describes a study that investigated the ways in which Bangladeshi students interpreted metaphors used by their lecturers during a short course at a British university. The students were asked to interpret a number of metaphors presented in context. They were also asked to identify the value judgements that were being expressed through these metaphors in these particular contexts. Culture-specific assumptions about the target domains appeared to affect the students’ recognition of the lecturers’ attitudes to the issues they were discussing. In order to identify areas of disparity between the (working) cultures of the Bangladeshi students and their British lecturers, Hofstede’s (1980) cultural values questionnaire was administered. The students were found to be more likely than their lecturers to favour uncertainty avoidance, and to favour high power distance at work. The kinds of (mis)interpretations that the students made of (the evaluative content of) the metaphors appeared in accordance with these cultural differences. Implications of these findings are discussed

Soil organic matter changes and crops responses to fertiliser under conservation cropping systems in the semi-arid tropics of North Queensland, Australia

Soil organic matter changes due to cropping in the semi-arid tropics were studied in an area with cropping potential. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen (N) decreased after clearing and tillage, but decline was less where pasture-crop rotations were used. Crop N removal was high and exceeded the recommended fertiliser N rate. These results suggest that if cropping expansion occurs, careful management the is necessary for long-term productivity and land resource protection

Decision-making Concerning Individual Learner Differences in the EFL Classroom : Perspectives of Japanese Junior High School Teachers

Over the last few decades there have been considerable advances in the literature on individual learner differences in foreign or second language (L2) learning. Research shows in what ways learners are different and how these differences can affect their success in L2 learning. While admitting the significance of individual learner differences, few attempts have been made to investigate how teachers actually cope with such differences in the classroom. It is assumed that the way teachers view these individual learner differences may affect their decision-making in planning their approach to particular lessons, the level of language or teaching/learning material to be used, or the design of tasks or tests, which may in turn determine the final overall success of the lessons. The focus of the present paper is on one aspect of this issue; specifically Japanese teachers\u27 views about their classes. It reports preliminary findings of the English teachers\u27 perceptions of their EFL classes at the junior high school level. The data shows that Japanese EFL teachers are more concerned with relatively low achieving students and assumes that their lessons are planned accordingly. The data further suggests that the teachers\u27 attitudes may be affected by the fact that junior high school education is part of the compulsory education system in Japan where credence is given to the belief that it is more important not to leave any low achieving student behind rather than to help high achieving students

’Something happened, something bad’:Blackouts, uncertainties and event construal in The Girl on the Train

This article examines the representation of mind style in Paula Hawkins’ (2015) best-selling novel The Girl on the Train. It examines how Hawkins presents the fictional mind of Rachel, a character who is affected by anterograde amnesia as a result of alcoholic blackouts. Rachel’s narrative voice drives the novel and its retelling of events is characterised by her inability to recall important information related to the night that a young woman disappeared and was murdered. This article specifically draws on the Cognitive Grammar notion of construal to explore the presentation of Rachel’s mind style and its affordances and limitations. In doing so, it builds on developing scholarship that has identified the potential for Cognitive Grammar to provide a richly nuanced account of the representation of a fictional mind. The analysis specifically examines two ways in which event construal is presented: nominal grounding strategies and reference point relationships. For the latter, the article also develops emerging work that has sought to make a connection between Cognitive Grammar and Text World Theory in terms of how mental representations are projected by the text

Longitudinal change in ultrasound-derived rectus femoris cross-sectional area in COPD

Background: Skeletal muscle dysfunction is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ultrasound-derived rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RFCSA) is a radiation free, non-invasive measure of muscle bulk that relates to quadriceps strength in people with COPD. However, there are limited longitudinal data for RFCSA, and it is not known whether longitudinal change in RFCSA reflects change in quadricep strength, exercise capacity, lower limb function or muscle mass. We aimed to quantify longitudinal change in ultrasound-derived RFCSA and assess its relationship with change in quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction (QMVC), incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT), five repetition sit-to-stand (5STS) and fat free mass (FFM) over 12 months in people with COPD. Methods: We measured ultrasound-derived RFCSA, QMVC, ISWT, 5STS and FFM (measured by bioelectric impedance analysis) at baseline and 12 months in 169 people with stable COPD. Change was correlated using Pearsons or Spearman's coefficients. Results: Baseline characteristics: Mean (sd) age 70 (9.4) years; FEV1 52.6 (18.8)% predicted. Over the course of 12 months mean (99% confidence interval) RFCSA change was −33.7mm2 (−62.6 to −4.9, p=0.003) representing a mean (sd) percentage change of −1.8% (33.5). There was a weak correlation between change in RFCSA and FFM (r=0.205 p=0.009), but not with change in QMVC, ISWT or 5STS. Conclusion: There is a statistically significant decrease in ultrasound-derived RFCSA over 12 months in people with stable COPD, but this decrease does not correlate with change in quadriceps strength, exercise capacity, fat free mass nor lower limb function.This cohort study was funded by a Medical Research Council (UK) New Investigator Research Grant (G1002113) awarded to WM. MM is part funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration South London. TOJ is funded by a Health Education England and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) ICA Predoctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship

The use of hedgerows as flight paths by moths in intensive farmland landscapes

Linear boundary features such as hedgerows are important habitats for invertebrates in agricultural landscapes. Such features can provide shelter, larval food plants and nectar resources. UK butterflies are known to rely on such features, however their use by moths is understudied. With moth species suffering from significant declines, research into their ecology is important. This research aimed to determine whether UK moth species are using hedgerows as flight paths in intensive farmland. The directional movements of moths were recorded along hedgerows at 1, 5 and 10 m from the hedgerow face. The majority of moths recorded within the study were observed at 1 m from the hedgerow (68 %), and of these individuals, 69% were moving parallel in relation to the hedge. At further distances, the proportion of parallel movements was reduced. These results suggest that hedgerows may be providing sheltered corridors for flying insects in farmland landscapes, as well as likely providing food plants and nectar resources, emphasising the importance of resource-based approaches to conservation for Lepidoptera

Individual differences in second language learning Towards an identification of the strategy preferences and language learning strengths of L2 students with holistic and/or imager cognitive styles

In 2 vols.SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DX202657 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo