Utilizing ESL Learners’ Socio-Cognitive Resources to Enhance General Academic Vocabulary Acquisition

This study examined the extent to which English as a Second Language Learner (ESL) graduate students’ socio-cognitive resources (the combination of culturally relevant imagery and first language (L1) facilitate their Second Language (L2) general academic vocabulary acquisition in a social learning setting. The study investigated whether the use of culturally relevant imagery and L1 translation equivalents facilitate retrieval of new general academic vocabulary. The study was informed by the following theories: Levels of Processing Theory (Craik & Lockhart, 1972), Vocabulary Learning Strategy Taxonomy (Gu & Johnson, 1996), Social Constructivist Theory (Vygotsky, 1978) and the Bilingual Dual Coding Theory (Paivio & Desrochers, 1980)—which assumes that bilinguals’ cognitive activity is mediated by their two verbal systems and the image system representing their knowledge of the world. Utilizing a sequential explanatory mixed method strategy, the study first explored the general vocabulary learning strategy (VLS) preferences of 41 ESL graduate students with a survey. Then with a sub-sample of nine ESL graduate students, in a collaborative setting. the study used a case study approach to determine the extent to which a VLS that utilizes the socio-cognitive resources of the bilingual might activate the connections in the verbal systems and image system that lead to deep processing and retrieval of new vocabulary. The findings of the study indicate that the ESL learners’ socio-cognitive resources have a positive impact on their general academic vocabulary acquisition. Outcomes of the study inform students and educators alike on how a VLS honouring ESL learners’ socio-cognitive resources can be utilized to enhance general academic vocabulary acquisition. It also contributes to a domain of teaching and learning where there is a dearth of literatur

Ninth Circuit v. Board of Immigration Appeals: Defining Sexual Abuse of a Minor after \u3ci\u3eEstrada-Espinoza v. Mukasey\u3c/i\u3e

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), lawful permanent residents are rendered removable if they commit an “aggravated felony” at any time after they are admitted into the United States. Significant interpretive issues arise in determining whether a non-citizen’s state-based criminal conviction meets the INA’s definition of an aggravated felony. One aggravated felony enumerated in the INA is “sexual abuse of a minor.” The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has interpreted the phrase using a broad federal definition as a guide. In Estrada-Espinoza v. Mukasey, however, the Ninth Circuit declined to defer to the BIA’s interpretation because the BIA’s decision was not a precedential opinion warranting deference. In reviewing whether a California statutory rape conviction constituted sexual abuse of a minor, the Estrada-Espinoza court applied a different federal definition and concluded there was no violation, and thus, Mr. Estrada-Espinoza was not deportable. The question of how to define “sexual abuse of a minor” will likely come before the Ninth Circuit on substantive grounds once the BIA issues a deference-warranting definition of the provision. This Comment argues that when the Ninth Circuit revisits the issue, it should not defer to the BIA, regardless of the definition it promulgates. Rather, the court should rule that the phrase “sexual abuse of a minor” is unambiguous based on its plain meaning, the Ninth Circuit’s precedent, holdings from sister circuits, and policy considerations. This holding would be consistent with the best interpretation of the statute, and Chevron U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council and its progeny

Under the gaze : a study of the portrayal by the New Zealand print media of Pacific Island workers in the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, 2007-2012 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Media Studies at Massey University, Wellington New Zealand

Media reporting on Pacific people in New Zealand has frequently been criticised for being sensationalised, biased and narrow. Yet, there have been few broad and systematic analyses of the nature of reporting specifically concerning Pacific Island seasonal workers in New Zealand. My thesis explores how the New Zealand print media portrayed Pacific Island seasonal workers travelling under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme from 2007 to 2012. That period represented the first five years of the scheme and a time when it was in the news by virtue of its novelty in New Zealand, thereby providing a rich vein of media representations to study. My research focusses on the media themes occurring in the communities where RSE workers were living, while they were living there, so as to understand the discourse circulating in their immediate community. This provides understanding of the philosophical and cultural assumptions that underpin mainstream regional media reporting in New Zealand with regards to the particular representation of Pacific RSE workers, and how this compares with representations of Pacific people as a whole. Although the goal of my thesis is to trace the nature of the portrayal of Pacific Island workers under the RSE scheme, I have contextualised this with a review of the depiction of Pacific people dating back to their arrival in the 1950s and ‘60s. I look at how Pacific people were racialised in the early 1970s and compare that with coverage of the influx of Pacific Island seasonal workers in 2007, exploring underlying assumptions prevalent in the 1970s that Pacific Island workers were disruptive to New Zealand, such as by taking employment from New Zealanders or posing a threat to health, law or order. A sample of 115 articles drawn from the five regional newspapers – Bay of Plenty Times, Hawkes Bay Today, Nelson Mail, Marlborough Express and The Southland Times – was chosen for media analysis. Additionally, five selected case studies extracted from the NZ Herald, a metropolitan newspaper, for each calendar year from 2007-2012, were explored and compared to the regional sample, to help identify themes about Pacific seasonal workers that were portrayed in the wider New Zealand news media but missing from the regional coverage. I analysed the articles using interpretive thematic analysis. In this method, I looked at newspaper coverage in depth to make sense of the patterns of meaning. I identified themes used by print media to portray Island workers in regions that constitute a high number of Pacific seasonal workers during the scheme’s first five years of operation in New Zealand, and mapped these over time to investigate whether there was a shift in the discourse of stories as the scheme matured. With 115 articles assessed from 2007 to 2012, concentrating on November to March in each season when most RSE workers are in New Zealand, key themes were identified. Media analysis showed the reportage had extensive positive coverage of the scheme’s policy aims in New Zealand, with government, agency officials and industry spokespeople the most frequently cited news sources. Nine key themes; Labour shortage, RSE policy, New Zealanders first, Pastoral care, Economic benefits, New Zealand unemployment, RSE cap, RSE praises and RSE issues were represented in regional coverage across regions and time periods. The overall portrayals of Pacific Island seasonal workers under the scheme represented a more positive light in comparison to what we know broadly about historical depictions of Pacific peoples in the New Zealand media. The patterns and trends in media reporting in the studied RSE regions uncovered a more affirmative portrayal overall, but also indicated that local media perceptions shifted in particular regions as time passed. The characterisation of Pacific RSE workers by the New Zealand print media in the first five years of the scheme carried fewer stigmatising discourses than in the 1970s. However, examined critically, these seeming positive discourses can be understood as positive to those promoting capitalism and seeking cheap labour, but as positioning Pacific temporary workers as dehumanised commodities in ways that may contribute to undermining their human rights and long-term best interests. These discourses and patterns are important to understand. They fill a gap that exists in the examination of how Pacific people working in temporary labour positions have been represented by the New Zealand print media. The findings provide RSE Pacific countries with insights into the issues, challenges and successes depicted by the media about their workers, as well as alerting the New Zealand public more broadly to patterns in the way the scheme has been reported to them, and to broader patterns of racialised and economic discourse. [The RSE scheme was launched in April 2007 with a cap of 5,000 workers under the then Labour Government led by Helen Clark, but the cap was lifted to 8,000 in October 2008 and was lifted again in November 2014 from 8,000 to 9,000, and then again from 9,000 to 9,500 in December 2015 and 10,500 in December 2016. It lifted again in December 2017 to 11,100 and the latest increase was in November 2018 to 12,850. The workers are mostly sourced from the Pacific Islands. They contribute substantially to New Zealand’s economy but do not accrue any rights to citizenship in New Zealand as a result of participating in the scheme.

Reinforcing Conservation with Faith and Beliefs: The Potential of the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka World Heritage Site

The cultural, spiritual, and historical beliefs revolving around the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka World Heritage Site, attracts millions of pilgrims. The symbolic footprint on the peak is worshiped, by various religions, as a sacred footprint of: Lord Buddha by the Buddhists, Adam by the Muslims (hence the name "Adam\u27s Peak"), St. Thomas by the Christians, and Lord Siva by the Hindus. The area is a designated sanctuary under the jurisdiction of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. It includes some of the least disturbed sub-montane and montane rain forests of Sri Lanka and is considered as a "super biodiversity hotspot" within the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot. Although the sacredness of the peak, as held by three major religions, has afforded some degree of protection to the site, it is still threatened by multiple issues that hinder effective conservation management. The Peak Wilderness Sanctuary provides a great potential to understand the influence of religious beliefs and practices on biodiversity conservation as well as develop and implement a management approach that takes these influences into account

Tangihanga: The ultimate form of Māori cultural expression - overview of a research programme

Death, observed through the process of tangihanga (time set aside to grieve and mourn, rites for the dead) or tangi (to grieve and mourn), is the ultimate form of Māori cultural expression. It is also the topic least studied by Māori or understood by outsiders, even after televised funeral rites of Māori leaders and intrusive media engagements with more humble family crises. It has prevailed as a cultural priority since earliest European contact, despite missionary and colonial impact and interference, and macabre Victorian fascination. Change is speculative rather than confirmed. Tangi and death rituals have yet to be rigorously examined in the Māori oral canon, or in the archival and historic record that may be discarded or reinforced by current practice. As researchers we are committed to studying tangi, conscious of the belief that such work carries the inherent risk of karanga aituā (inviting misfortune or even death itself) by drawing attention to it. Contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand is constantly touched by aspects of tangi practice through popular media and personal exposure. This volatile subject nevertheless demands careful and comprehensive scrutiny in order to extend and enrich the knowledge base, reveal the logic that guides ritual, inform the wider New Zealand community and, more importantly, support the cultural, social, ritual, economic and decision making processes of bereaved whānau (family, including extended family), people affiliated with marae (communal meeting complex) and iwi (tribe, tribal). This paper provides an overview of a research programme that began in July 2009, based at The University of Waikato. The programme is funded by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, the Marsden Fund of New Zealand and the Health Research Council of New Zealand

Editorial

No abstract availabl

MC Sensor—A Novel Method for Measurement of Muscle Tension

This paper presents a new muscle contraction (MC) sensor. This MC sensor is based on a novel principle whereby muscle tension is measured during muscle contractions. During the measurement, the sensor is fixed on the skin surface above the muscle, while the sensor tip applies pressure and causes an indentation of the skin and intermediate layer directly above the muscle and muscle itself. The force on the sensor tip is then measured. This force is roughly proportional to the tension of the muscle. The measurement is non-invasive and selective. Selectivity of MC measurement refers to the specific muscle or part of the muscle that is being measured and is limited by the size of the sensor tip. The sensor is relatively small and light so that the measurements can be performed while the measured subject performs different activities. Test measurements with this MC sensor on the biceps brachii muscle under isometric conditions (elbow angle 90°) showed a high individual linear correlation between the isometric force and MC signal amplitudes (0.97 ≤ r ≤ 1). The measurements also revealed a strong correlation between the MC and electromyogram (EMG) signals as well as good dynamic behaviour by the MC sensor. We believe that this MC sensor, when fully tested, will be a useful device for muscle mechanic diagnostics and that it will be complementary to existing methods

Increase in heterogeneity of biceps brachii activation during isometric submaximal fatiguing contractions: a multichannel surface EMG study

The effects of fatigue emerge from the beginning of sustained submaximal contractions, as shown by an increase in the amplitude of the surface electromyogram (EMG). The increase in EMG amplitude is attributed to an augmentation of the excitatory drive to the motor neuron pool that, more importantly than increasing discharge rates, recruits additional motor units for the contraction. The aim of this study was to determine whether the spatiotemporal distribution of biceps brachii (BB) activity becomes more or less heterogeneous during a fatiguing isometric contraction sustained at a submaximal target force. Multiple electrodes were attached over the entire BB muscle, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to extract the representative information from multiple monopolar EMG channels. The development of heterogeneity during the fatiguing contraction was quantified by applying a cluster algorithm on the PCA-processed EMG amplitudes. As shown previously, the overall EMG amplitude increased during the sustained contraction, whereas there was no change in coactivation of triceps brachii. However, EMG amplitude did not increase in all channels and even decreased in some. The change in spatial distribution of muscle activity varied across subjects. As found in other studies, the spatial distribution of EMG activity changed during the sustained contraction, but the grouping and size of the clusters did not change. This study showed for the first time that muscle activation became more heterogeneous during a sustained contraction, presumably due to a decrease in the strength of common inputs with the recruitment of additional motor units

Knee joint neuromuscular activation performance during muscle damage and superimposed fatigue

This study examined the concurrent effects of exercise-induced muscle damage and superimposed acute fatigue on the neuromuscular activation performance of the knee flexors of nine males (age: 26.7 ± 6.1yrs; height 1.81 ± 0.05m; body mass 81.2 ± 11.7kg [mean ± SD]). Measures were obtained during three experimental conditions: (i) FAT-EEVID, involving acute fatiguing exercise performed on each assessment occasion plus a single episode of eccentric exercise performed on the first occasion and after the fatigue trial; (ii) FAT, involving the fatiguing exercise only and; (iii) CON consisting of no exercise. Assessments were performed prior to (pre) and at lh, 24h, 48h, 72h, and 168h relative to the eccentric exercise. Repeated-measures ANOVAs showed that muscle damage within the FAT-EEVID condition elicited reductions of up to 38%, 24%) and 65%> in volitional peak force, electromechanical delay and rate of force development compared to baseline and controls, respectively (F[io, 80] = 2.3 to 4.6; p to 30.7%>) following acute fatigue (Fp; i6] = 4.3 to 9.1; p ; Fp, iq = 3.9; p <0.05). The safeguarding of evoked muscle activation capability despite compromised volitional performance might reveal aspects of capabilities for emergency and protective responses during episodes of fatigue and antecedent muscle damaging exercise