Learners’ Viewpoint of Individual Differences: Enhancing Learning of English as a Second or Foreign Language

This research endeavors to reveal the core issues from the position of the English as a Second or Foreign Language learner to meaningfully associate essential individual learning processes essential to Second Language Acquisition

Assessment by Thai academic English writing teachers of the flow of given to new topic information within academic writing

Adhering to a structured process of the flow of given to new topic information within academic written discourse is a significant challenge for most tertiary-level non-native EFL students. The progression of given to new topic information in written academic text is equally difficult for many non-native academic English writing teachers to distinguish, much less assess. This research seeks to determine if given to new information progression can be significantly identified, and explore the possibility of such topic progression being utilized as a practical form of academic writing assessment by experienced Thai tertiary teachers of academic English. Multiple Linear Regression was employed to determine the relationship between the Thai writing teachers' identification of the flow of given to new topic information and a preliminary analysis of topic information flow by a qualified native English writing teacher. The insights gained from this study show that the Thai academic English writing teachers could not significantly detect the presence of given to new topic information progression within the academic texts. The implication of this research suggests that at this time, the practical utilization of a given to new progression analysis may not be a feasible evaluative measure in written assessments for Thai academic English writing teachers

Foreign language reading anxiety: Exploring the experiences of EFL students at a state university in Padang, Indonesia

This study investigates the levels of foreign language reading anxiety among EFL students at a state university in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, to identify the main factors contributing to this anxiety. The study included 30 participants who provided data through two questionnaires. The first questionnaire utilized the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS) to assess anxiety levels, while the second questionnaire aimed to determine the primary factor behind this anxiety. The results indicated that 67% of the students experienced moderate anxiety, 20% experienced high levels, and 13% reported low anxiety. The study identified two main factors influencing foreign language reading anxiety: text features and personal factors. Text features encompassed unfamiliar vocabulary, topics, and culture, while personal factors included concerns about the effect of reading and fear of making errors. The second questionnaire revealed that unfamiliar language ranked as the most dominant factor, followed by concerns about the impact of reading, unfamiliar topics, fear of making errors, and unfamiliar culture. Recognizing that reading anxiety is a common experience among language learners is essential. However, with the proper support and guidance, students can overcome these challenges and succeed in their English language learning journey

Single pulse and profile variability study of PSR J1022+1001

Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are known as highly stable celestial clocks. Nevertheless, recent studies have revealed the unstable nature of their integrated pulse profiles, which may limit the achievable pulsar timing precision. In this paper, we present a case study on the pulse profile variability of PSR J1022+1001. We have detected approximately 14,000 sub-pulses (components of single pulses) in 35-hr long observations, mostly located at the trailing component of the integrated profile. Their flux densities and fractional polarisation suggest that they represent the bright end of the energy distribution in ordinary emission mode and are not giant pulses. The occurrence of sub-pulses from the leading and trailing components of the integrated profile is shown to be correlated. For sub-pulses from the latter, a preferred pulse width of approximately 0.25 ms has been found. Using simultaneous observations from the Effelsberg 100-m telescope and the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, we have found that the integrated profile varies on a timescale of a few tens of minutes. We show that improper polarisation calibration and diffractive scintillation cannot be the sole reason for the observed instability. In addition, we demonstrate that timing residuals generated from averages of the detected sub-pulses are dominated by phase jitter, and place an upper limit of ~700 ns for jitter noise based on continuous 1-min integrations.Comment: 13 pages, 20 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Crystalline Bi4Ge3O12 fibers fabricated by micro-pulling down technique for optical high voltage sensing

AbstractCommonly optical high voltage sensors employ the Pockels effect in a bulk electro-optic crystal such as Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO). Typically, the maximum crystal length is 100-200mm and determined by the limits of the conventional growth technique (Czochralski). In this paper we report on the growth by a micro-pulling down technique of long single crystalline BGO fibers as an alternative to bulk crystals and their characterization for voltage sensing. The fiber thickness may range from a few 100μm to a few mm. The parameters needed for stable growth over the entire length of the crystal were analyzed and optimized. Thin rods with a length of up to 850mm were grown. Samples were characterized with respect to homogeneity of growth, residual birefringence (BGO is free of natural birefringence), crystal orientation, and performance under voltage

Next-to-leading order spin-orbit and spin(a)-spin(b) Hamiltonians for n gravitating spinning compact objects

We derive the post-Newtonian next-to-leading order conservative spin-orbit and spin(a)-spin(b) gravitational interaction Hamiltonians for arbitrary many compact objects. The spin-orbit Hamiltonian completes the knowledge of Hamiltonians up to and including 2.5PN for the general relativistic three-body problem. The new Hamiltonians include highly nontrivial three-body interactions, in contrast to the leading order consisting of two-body interactions only. This may be important for the study of effects like Kozai resonances in mergers of black holes with binary black holes.Comment: 13 pages, 1 Mathematica source file, v2: submitted version, v3: published version, some minor correction

Assessment of soil contamination and ecotoxicity by the use of an ascending flow percolation - bioassay approach

International audienceSoil contamination and subsequent ecotoxicity are to be assessed by the use of appropriate methodologies allowing high repeatability and reproducibility. Non-direct methods consist in preparing either lixiviates or percolates which can be analysed for chemical contaminants and whose toxicities on aquatic organisms may be further determined. During experimental water percolation through soil columns, the movement of water is generally due to natural gravity. Here we proposed a complementary method in which an ascending water flow through the soil column is created. This system was developed in order to minimise boundary flow during percolation, which may result in improving repeatability and reproducibility of the aqueous extraction. In this work, the ascending flow percolation method was used for studying soils sampled from 2 contaminated sites. The resulting percolates were then tested for contaminant concentrations, ecotoxicity and genotoxicity

Model-based asymptotically optimal dispersion measure correction for pulsar timing

In order to reach the sensitivity required to detect gravitational waves, pulsar timing array experiments need to mitigate as much noise as possible in timing data. A dominant amount of noise is likely due to variations in the dispersion measure. To correct for such variations, we develop a statistical method inspired by the maximum likelihood estimator and optimal filtering. Our method consists of two major steps. First, the spectral index and amplitude of dispersion measure variations are measured via a time-domain spectral analysis. Second, the linear optimal filter is constructed based on the model parameters found in the first step, and is used to extract the dispersion measure variation waveforms. Compared to current existing methods, this method has better time resolution for the study of short timescale dispersion variations, and generally produces smaller errors in waveform estimations. This method can process irregularly sampled data without any interpolation because of its time-domain nature. Furthermore, it offers the possibility to interpolate or extrapolate the waveform estimation to regions where no data is available. Examples using simulated data sets are included for demonstration.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figures, submitted 15th Sept. 2013, accepted 2nd April 2014 by MNRAS. MNRAS, 201

Community empowerment in leading pesantren: A research of Nyai’s leadership

Leadership is one of the essential factors that can influence community involvement in realizing the character of male and female students in the pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) in Jambi, Indonesia. This study proposed Nyai’s (female religious leaders in the pesantren) charismatic, economic, and social responsibility leadership models in the context of community empowerment (CE). This quantitative research aimed to determine the contribution of Nyai’s leadership models to CE. The data from the questionnaire were analyzed using path and flowchart analysis. The results showed that the three Nyai’s leadership models in this study influenced and contributed to CE to support the pesantren’s activities and programs. This study recommended adopting the three Nyai’s leadership models in empowering the community in the pesantren