Own-language use in language teaching and learning: state of the art

Until recently, the assumption of the language-teaching literature has been that new languages are best taught and learned monolingually, without the use of the students’ own language(s). In recent years, however, this monolingual assumption has been increasingly questioned, and a re-evaluation of teaching that relates the language being taught to the students’ own language has begun. This article surveys the developing English language literature on the role of students’ own language(s) in the language classroom. After clarifying key terms, the paper charts the continuing widespread use of students’ own languages in classrooms around the world and the contemporary academic and societal trends which have led to a revival of support for this. It then explores key arguments which underpin this revival, and reviews a range of empirical studies which examine the extent and functions of own-language use within language classrooms. Next, the article examines the support for own-language use that a range of theoretical frameworks provide, including psycholinguistic and cognitive approaches, general learning theory and sociocultural approaches. Having explored the notion of ‘optimal’ in-class own-language use, the article then reviews research into teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards own-language use. It concludes by examining how a bilingual approach to language teaching and learning might be implemented in practice

Own-language use in ELT: exploring global practices and attitudes

In this research paper Graham Hall and Guy Cook explore teacher attitudes to own-language use in the classroom. They conducted a global survey and interviews with practising teachers. They found evidence of widespread own-language use within ELT, and suggest that teachers’ attitudes towards own-language use, and their classroom practices, are more complex than usually acknowledged. The findings also suggest that there is a potential gap between mainstream ELT literature and teachers’ practices on the ground

The English language needs and priorities of young adults in the European Union: student and teacher perceptions

The rapidly changing communicative landscape presents challenges to ELT professionals and students. In the European Union (EU), as elsewhere, increased mobility, migration, and integration, combined with developments in online communication, have led to substantial changes in English language use and practices. Young-adult learners are inevitably most receptive to and arguably most affected by such changes, with potential implications for English language teaching. This paper reports on the project The English language needs and priorities of young adults in the EU: student and teacher perceptions, an investigation into the contemporary English language needs of 18–24 year olds in a context of increasing English language use, emergent forms of English, and increasing use of new technologies for communication. The project involved the collection of both quantitative survey data gathered through a Europe-wide questionnaire for teachers and students, and qualitative interview and focus-group data from three specific EU contexts: Germany (a founder member), Romania (a later acceding member) and Turkey (a candidate member). The body of this report draws mainly upon the qualitative data, using it to exemplify and add depth to the quantitative findings, which are presented in the appendices. The findings offer clear evidence that young-adult students and their teachers in the three contexts share generally similar attitudes towards English. They accept both different native English language varieties and non-native English as a lingua franca for communication; they recognise the need for English language proficiency for employment and study; and they emphasise the importance of English in online communication – perhaps the most notable use of English in young adults’ current non-academic and personal lives – while also noting evident differences between ‘classroom English’ and ‘online’ or social English. Consequently, young adults and their teachers identify a tension between learning English for real-life use, and teaching/learning English to pass a test, for further study or for future employment. Two possible resolutions to this tension were suggested by participants. In contexts in which students had fewer opportunities for communication in English outside the classroom, whether face-to-face or online, the preferred solution was to focus more on communication than form in class. However, in those contexts where young adults often communicate in English outside class (for example, online) and may be more familiar with emergent and non-standard aspects of the language, the best use of classroom time may be to provide more formal language instruction in areas where young-adult students are less competent than their teachers, to reduce attempts to reproduce contemporary, informal communication in materials and activities and instead to draw on students’ own knowledge of these aspects of English language use. In this way, the ELT classroom would become a two-way exchange in which students and teachers bring together complementary sources of English language knowledge

COMPARISON OF POSTUROGRAPHY ANALYSIS IN A FORMULA-3000 DRIVER AND IN SUBJECTS SUBMITIED TO LINEAR OSCILLATION

Driving a Formula car represents a highly demanding technical task during which the driver is submitted to large +/- G forces. Cervical muscular pain and discomfort are common complaints reported not only by rookies but also by more experienced drivers. We have previously observed that even imited track time produces significant changes in postural sway (Gosselin, 2000). Studies performed at racing tracks are not practical, are expensive and involve numerous variables that are difficult to control. The aim of this project was to compare the postural disturbances observed in a Formula3000 driver after track time to the postural disturbances in subjects submitted to linear oscillation in our laboratory. Linear oscillation is used to stimulate the somatosensory and vestibular system and more specifically the otholith since they are the primary receptors involved in the detection of linear oscillation (Hlavacka, 1996)

Biofilm on Ventriculo-Peritoneal Shunt Tubing as a Cause of Treatment Failure in Coccidioidal Meningitis

We describe a case of recurrent coccidioidal meningitis in which a fungal biofilm on the tip of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt tubing was likely responsible for a 4-year persistence of Coccidioides immitis, despite the patient’s taking an adequate dosage of fluconazole. Fungal biofilms should be considered as a cause for treatment failure and fungal persistence, especially when artificial prostheses or indwelling catheters are present

Enabling Real-Time Shared Environments on Mobile Head-Mounted Displays

Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) are becoming more prevalent consumer devices, allowing users to experience scenes and environments from a point of view naturally controlled by their movement. However there is limited application of this experiential paradigm to telecommunications -- that is, where a HMD user can 'call' a mobile phone user and begin to look around in their environment. In this thesis we present a telepresence system for connecting mobile phone users with people wearing HMDs, allowing the HMD user to experience the environment of the mobile user in real-time. We developed an Android application that supports generating and transmitting high quality spherical panorama based environments in real-time, and a companion application for HMDs to view those environments live. This thesis focusses on the technical challenges involved with creating panoramic environments of sufficient quality to be suitable for viewing inside a HMD, given the constraints that arise from using mobile phones. We present computer vision techniques optimised for these constrained conditions, justifying the trade-offs made between speed and quality. We conclude by comparing our solution to conceptually similar past research along the metrics of computation speed and output quality

A theory of discourse deviation : the application of schema theory to the analysis of literary discourse

Schema theory suggests that people understand texts and experiences by comparing them with stereotypical mental representations of similar cases. This thesis examines the relevance of this theory (as developed in some Artificial Intelligence (AI) work of the 1970s and 1980s) to literary theory and the analysis of literary texts. The general theoretical framework is that of discourse analysis. In this approach, the usefulness of schema theory is already widely acknowledged for the contribution it can make to an explanation of 'coherence': the quality of meaningfulness and unity perceived in discourse. Building upon this framework, relevant AI work on text processing is discussed, evaluated, and applied to literary and non-literary discourse. The argument then moves on to literary theory, and in particular to the 'scientific' tradition of formalism, structuralism and Jakobsonian stylistics. The central concept of this tradition is 'defamiliarization': the refreshing of experience through deviation from expectation. In structuralism, attention has been concentrated on text structure, and in Jakobsonian stylistics on language. It is argued that whereas AI work on text pays little attention to linguistic and textual form, seeking to 'translate' texts into a neutral representation of 'content', the literary theories referred to above have erred in the opposite direction, and concentrated exclusively on form. Through contrastive analyses of literary and non-literary discourse, it is suggested that neither approach is capable of accounting for •literariness* on its own. The two approaches are, however, complementary, and each would benefit from the insights of the other. Human beings need to change and refresh their schematic representations of the world, texts and language. It is suggested that such changes to schemata are effected through linguistic and textual deviation from expectation, but that deviations at these levels are no guarantee of change (as is often the case in advertisements). Discourses which do. effect changes through text and language are described as displaying 'discourse deviation*. Their primary function and value may be this effect. Discourse categorized as 'literary' is frequently of this type. Discourse deviation is best described by a combination of the methods of A1 text analysis with formalist, structuralist and Jakobsonian literary theories. In illustration of these proposals, the thesis concludes with analyses of three well-known literary texts

A linguistic ethnography of theatre production

Voices and Practices in Applied Linguistics comprises a selection of original applied linguistics-based research on the theme of the diversity of Applied Linguistics and in Applied Linguistics. It is a unique collection of reflections and cutting-edge research relating to academic, policy and professional fields of Applied Linguistics, featuring chapters written by founders of the field, established researchers, and rising stars. This accessible, eclectic and forward-looking volume is significant both for research and practice. It highlights current globalised perspectives on diversity in language use and communication, across a variety of contexts, and with a rich mix of frameworks, methodologies and participants. Compiled and edited by a team of academic experts in the field, this edited collection will be of interest to established and emerging researchers in Applied Linguistics globally. It will also be relevant to language professionals, practitioners, and policy makers. The volume draws together papers from the 2017 British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) conference, marking the 50th anniversary of its inaugural meeting. Founded in the mid-1960s, this UK-based professional association provides a forum for Applied Linguistics and its annual meeting brings together researchers and language professionals from across this field

CAST: Proximity broadcasting as a mode of news distribution in rural Armenia

CAST (DisCovery Amplification Sustainability and InTeractions) has trialled a new community communication network in rural Armenia developing models to emerge alternative news media in a highly politically pressured national state. The project was a collaboration between the Media Innovation Studio, UK, Impact Hub Yerevan and SMART Edge Platform provider WICASTR™, Yerevan. The project also ran with the support of the United Nations Development Programme, award-winning investigative journalism outlet Hetq, and Civilnet from the Civilitas Foundation. It was a three-phase year-long pilot that ran in 2016 and 2017, funded by the UK Higher Education Innovation Fund. The aim was to: Build a lightweight community connectivity system for content distribution Generate proximity insights: new data analytics that allow publishers to pinpoint what content is consumed where Facilitate novel approaches to digital literacy by creating engaged digital communities New knowledge and impact have been created around: How to build hyperlocal proximity networks using online to offline wifi technology Future scoping information systems for remote communities New hyperlocal news data analytics for publishers Novel methods to add to media plurality in a highly politically pressured environment Strategies to improve digital literacy and community communication that can challenge a digital divid