Age, Aptitude, and Autonomy: An Exploration of Self-Guided Learning and Autonomy Development in Adult Learners

Optimal language learning facilitation requires drawing on insights from many feeder disciplines. Key among them has been the field of second language acquisition. With the significant developments in technology and the urgency for English learners to compete in today’s globalized world, there has been a particular focus on more advanced learning strategies as well as on research in the area of student autonomy. The latter type of research has tapped into insights offered not just by applied linguists but also by polyglots who have achieved high levels of fluency in multiple languages. Independent language learning has drawn further attention as it has been shown to be an important factor in the experiences of learners who have acquired exceptional levels of attainment. This has necessitated a careful analysis and some revision of extant theories of language acquisition, with some promoting self-directed language learning as perhaps the most feasible method for individuals seeking optimal language development and cultural immersion conducive to deeper, expedited learning. This research paper seeks to understand traditional theories of second language acquisition as they relate to self-directed learning, and the fostering of autonomy in adult learners with limited educational background, studying in a somewhat mixed level context. The author will examine factors such as age, motivation, and aptitude, and correlate their interpretation in the literature with observations, surveys, and analyses of students in the context under study. To these she will add an emic perspective to self-directed learning, describing her own experience with three months of self-directed language learning. The goal of this multifaceted description is to shed light on methods, learning strategies, and other variables that determine levels of attainment outside conventional language learning approaches

Improving Self Regulation in Early Adolescents

My capstone project focuses on the development of self-regulation in early adolescent middle school years. Self-regulation is the ability to understand and manage your behavior and reactions to feelings and things happening around you. Adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood that begins with the onset of puberty and ends with successful independence from the parent

An Exploration of Linguistic Relativity Theory for Consideration of Terence McKenna’s “Stoned Ape Theory” on the Origins of Consciousness and Language: Implications for Language Pedagogy

The “linguistic turn” from the early 20th century created a shift in the ontological underpinnings of various disciplines within the social sciences. Several key figures asserted that much of what we think of as reality is constructed based on a system of social institution that we call language. Language shifted to becoming a fundamental aspect of the ontological realities within a given discipline in the social sciences. Most significant to my understanding of the relationship between language, its origins, and the emergence of higher forms of human consciousness is Terence McKenna’s Stoned Ape Theory. In this article, an exploration of McKenna’s theory will be addressed as it relates to the emergence of human language and consciousness while including a brief introduction to linguistic relativity in order to demonstrate how many great thinkers and scholars reasoned that language has indeed shaped our worldview. Finally, a reflection on the implications of McKenna’s theory for research in language pedagogy will be given as it relates to the current state of my research inquiry. Furthermore, it is my contention that McKenna’s theory be deemed worthy of in-depth consideration within the field of Consciousness Studies as it seems to offer a valuable lens to the current discourse on consciousness

Let\u27s Establish a Negotiation: The Influence of Ecuadorean SMEs Culture on their International Negotiations

The hackneyed phrase“to be or not to be” seems to apply to everything, and everyone. So deciding whether being a good global manager or not depends entirely on us.However, some of us think that this is an innate characteristic, and if one lacks it, there is nothing we can do about it. Luckily not everyone shares this ideology. According to Percy Barnevick, the CEO of the Swedish firm ABB said, “Global managers have exceptionally open minds. They respect how different countries do things, and they have the imagination to appreciate why they do them that way…Global managers are made, not born” (qtd. in House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman, and Gupta 5). Having this in mind there is nothing that can stop someone from succeeding in the business world. Nevertheless, there are important things that one should take into consideration; even though at first sight they might seem unimportant actually they are essential. A good global business manager knows how businesses work. An excellent global business manager knows how to conduct, manage, and negotiate business across boundaries. He/she is an expert in differentiating and understanding cross-cultural factors. How can culture, business, and negotiations possibly be connected? Well, studieshave proved that cultural factors have a large impact on how to do business in each country. A major factor that we tend to oversimplify is MEDC’s and LEDC’s. Taking Ecuador as an example, just like other countries, it has its unique and different characteristics with a potential for success. However, not knowing which these are makes it hard for a business manager to deal with it. Even if Ecuador offers a lot of opportunities for great business deals, it can be an extreme challenge when it comes to try and understand this culture. Therefore, this thesis will serve as a guide and a reference for Ecuadorians and foreigners to understand its culture for a successful negotiation. Take into consideration: “The greatest barrier to businesses’ success is the one erected by culture” – Edward and Mildred Hall “International business is like international soccer games: The rules are internationaland just for all, but the games are local” – Geert Hofsted

Jointly structuring triadic spaces of meaning and action:book sharing from 3 months on

This study explores the emergence of triadic interactions through the example of book sharing. As part of a naturalistic study, 10 infants were visited in their homes from 3-12 months. We report that (1) book sharing as a form of infant-caregiver-object interaction occurred from as early as 3 months. Using qualitative video analysis at a micro-level adapting methodologies from conversation and interaction analysis, we demonstrate that caregivers and infants practiced book sharing in a highly co-ordinated way, with caregivers carving out interaction units and shaping actions into action arcs and infants actively participating and co-ordinating their attention between mother and object from the beginning. We also (2) sketch a developmental trajectory of book sharing over the first year and show that the quality and dynamics of book sharing interactions underwent considerable change as the ecological situation was transformed in parallel with the infants' development of attention and motor skills. Social book sharing interactions reached an early peak at 6 months with the infants becoming more active in the coordination of attention between caregiver and book. From 7-9 months, the infants shifted their interest largely to solitary object exploration, in parallel with newly emerging postural and object manipulation skills, disrupting the social coordination and the cultural frame of book sharing. In the period from 9-12 months, social book interactions resurfaced, as infants began to effectively integrate object actions within the socially shared activity. In conclusion, to fully understand the development and qualities of triadic cultural activities such as book sharing, we need to look especially at the hitherto overlooked early period from 4-6 months, and investigate how shared spaces of meaning and action are structured together in and through interaction, creating the substrate for continuing cooperation and cultural learning

Alternatives to Firm Innovation with IT in the Face of Performance Gaps

What do firms do when they choose NOT to innovate with IT when they face performance problems and why? Though counterintuitive, we suggest that studying this question enables us to: explore alternatives to the dominant rational maximizer logic prevalent in innovation research; overcome the pro-innovation bias critique; and more carefully study the very earliest time period of the innovation process. We answer this question through an exploratory, qualitative study of what firms do when they encounter problems (specifically performance gaps) and we pay special attention to what they do when they elect not to adopt new information technology solutions to solve them. Through systematic analysis of our qualitative data set and application of a problemistic search/sensemaking lens, we discover that common actions include tinkering, stretching, making do and going back to prior IT. Because firms wrestle with complex environments with multiple, weak and ambiguous cues which hinder the identification of performance problems, and feel pressed to economize on scarce resources, they develop smaller and more familiar solutions rather than attempting unfamiliar and more resource-demanding innovations. When these solutions work, they become long-term alternatives to IT innovation. We conclude with a discussion of how our approach succeeds in going beyond the dominant paradigm, informs an agnostic stance towards innovation and promotes a call for a new frontier of research into the pre-innovation phase of IT innovation research

Exploring Racial Injustice Conversations in Intergenerational Asian American Households Following The Death of George Floyd: A Case Study

This study explores intergenerational racial injustice conversations in Asian American households by focusing on conversations that occurred following the death of George Floyd. Asian American historical oppression, Eastern versus Western ideologies, and intergenerational communication conflict present several challenges for navigating conversations about racial injustice among family members. Given the important role of family in facilitating identity and fostering support, this study also considers the implications of mental health and well-being of Asian Americans associated with their ability to communicate about racial injustice. Informed by Racial Triangulation Theory and Family Communication Patterns Theory, four in-depth interviews were conducted, along with a self-exploration, among first and second generation self-identified Asian Americans living with intergenerational family members. Participants either attempted to or engaged in racial injustice conversations following the death of George Floyd. Findings point to present day racial tension and communication patterns that impact successful navigation of racial injustice conversations in intergenerational Asian American families and provide potential resources to promote mental health and well-being

Garden of Truth: The Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women in Minnesota

Explores mental health needs of Native women working as prostitutes; their experience of sexual or physical violence and homelessness; use of shelters, rape crisis centers, and substance abuse treatment; and role of culture. Makes policy recommendations