Vocabulary Decoding and Inferencing Processes of Young Learners during Reading - A Think-Aloud Case Study

This study investigates the role of strategic and non-strategic knowledge sources that young EFL learners retrieve for decoding vocabulary and inferring contextual meaning whilst reading. The inquiry is based on the theoretical frameworks of incidental vocabulary acquisition and interactive reading comprehension processes. The study uses the Think-Aloud Method (TAM) to probe the introspective and retrospective verbalisations of 9 to 10 year old German-speaking students during reading. The main study data were collected over a 3-week period at the German School Shanghai and consists of the learners’ Think-Aloud Protocols (TAP). The findings of the study support the view of reading as an interactive process. In order to understand written texts, the learner’s cognitive and metacognitive processes in his or her short-term memory trigger the retrieval of appropriate schematic knowledge from the long-term memory for decoding vocabulary and inferring contextual meaning. The results of the study suggest that the learners retrieved a variety of knowledge sources whilst reading. These included linguistic knowledge, external knowledge and strategic knowledge. The range of strategic and non-strategic knowledge sources retrieved by the learners in this study appear to be similar to the knowledge sources retrieved by both adult and young L2 learners in previous empirical studies. The quantity and quality of verbal data collected for this study seem to suggest that the learners were capable of introspective and retrospective verbalisation. This study supports the findings of other think-aloud studies which have demonstrated the effectiveness of TAM for investigating the vocabulary learning and reading processes of young learners. Nevertheless, it appears that the use of well-planned training sessions for the researcher to model the thinking aloud process is important for the success of the method. The study also demonstrates that the use of appropriately leveled reading material is essential for effective data collection and analysis

Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Europe: The Past and the Future

Purpose Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a frequent, complex disorder in elderly of European ancestry. Risk profiles and treatment options have changed considerably over the years, which may have affected disease prevalence and outcome. We determined the prevalence of early and late AMD in Europe from 1990 to 2013 using the European Eye Epidemiology (E3) consortium, and made projections for the future. Design Meta-analysis of prevalence data. Participants A total of 42 080 individuals 40 years of age and older participating in 14 population-based cohorts from 10 countries in Europe. Methods AMD was diagnosed based on fundus photographs using the Rotterdam Classification. Prevalence of early and late AMD was calculated using random-effects meta-analysis stratified for age, birth cohort, gender, geographic region, and time period of the study. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was compared between late AMD subtypes; geographic atrophy (GA) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of early and late AMD, BCVA, and number of AMD cases. Results Prevalence of early AMD increased from 3.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1%–5.0%) in those aged 55–59 years to 17.6% (95%

Evaluation du diagnostic anténatal des cardiopathies congénitales en Indre-et-Loire de 1995 à 1999

TOURS-BU Médecine (372612103) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF