Search results for: college English

Authors: Zylfi Shehu, Shpetim Madani, Bashkim Delia

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Context: The study focuses on the interest and engagement of high school students in Tirana, Albania, in physical activity, sports, and foreign languages. It acknowledges the numerous physiological benefits of physical activity, such as cardiovascular health and improved mood. It also recognizes the importance of physical activity in childhood and adolescence for proper skeletal development and long-term health. Research Aim: The main purpose of the study is to investigate and analyze the preferences and interests of male and female high school students in Tirana regarding their functional development, physical activity, sports participation, and choice of foreign languages. The aim is to provide insights for the students and teachers to guide future objectives and improve the quality of physical education. Methodology: The study employed a survey-based approach, targeting both male and female students in public high schools in Tirana. A total of 410 students aged 15 to 19 years old, participated in the study. The data collected from the survey were processed using Excel and presented through tables and graphs. Findings: The results revealed that team sports were more favored by the students, with football being the preferred choice among males, while basketball and volleyball were more popular among females. Additionally, English was found to be the most preferred foreign language, selected by a higher percentage of females (38.57%) compared to males (16.90%). German followed as the second preferred language. Theoretical Importance: This study contributes to the understanding of students' interests in physical activity, sports, and foreign languages in Tirana's high schools. The findings highlight the need to focus on specific sports and languages to cater to students' preferences and guide future educational objectives. It also emphasizes the importance of physical education in promoting students' overall well-being and highlights potential areas for policy and program improvement. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: The study collected data through surveys administered to high school students in Tirana. The survey responses were processed and analyzed using Excel, and the findings were presented through tables and graphs. The data analysis allowed for the identification of preferences and trends among male and female students, providing valuable insights for future decision-making. Question Addressed: The study aimed to address the question of high school students' interest in physical activity, sports, and foreign languages. It sought to understand the preferences and choices made by students in Tirana and investigate factors such as gender, family income, and accessibility to extracurricular sports activities. Conclusion: The study revealed that high school students in Tirana show a preference for team sports, with football being the most favored among males and basketball and volleyball among females. English was found to be the most preferred foreign language. The findings provide important insights for educators and policymakers to enhance physical education programs and consider students' preferences and interests to foster a more effective learning environment. The study also emphasizes the importance of physical activity and sports in promoting students' physical and mental well-being.

Keywords: female, male, foreign languages, sports, physical education, high school students

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Authors: Samia Al-Shayban

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Conventionally, Fielding Author’s Farce is read as an attack on literary and theatrical establishment. This paper attempt to read it as a disguised scathing political attack upon, King George II, his court and administration. Fielding achieves his design through complex dramatization based on implicit connections between King George II and the poor poet Luckless who shifts his stand from defending the liberties of the authors into becoming one of their oppressors. Through the same connection, the king is accused of being the originator and protector of literary corruption. To strengthen the attack against the king, the court of nonsense which appeared in Luckless’ play is connected to George II’s court through the presence of opera and ignorance. Thus, Fielding’s literary dramatization is used as a medium to expose the corrupting influence of the ruling elite. The King, his court and administration are all complacent in devaluing the English theatre and turning it into a circus that generate nothing but ignorance and poverty. This practice is deliberately designed to keep people ignorant and authors poor so they remain unable to challenge their corrupt politics.

Keywords: fielding, King George II, ignorance, theatre, plays

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Authors: Adelina Castelo

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The increasing number of learners of Portuguese as Foreign Language in China justifies the need to define the phonetic profile of these learners and to design didactic materials that are adjusted to their specific problems in pronunciation. Different aspects of this topic have been studied, but the production of oral vowels still needs to be investigated. This study aims: (i) to identify the problems the Chinese learners of Portuguese experience in the pronunciation of oral vowels; (ii) to discuss the didactic implications drawn from those problems. The participants were eight native speakers of Mandarin Chinese that had been learning Portuguese in College for almost a year. They named pictured objects and their oral productions were recorded and phonetically transcribed. The selection of the objects to name took into account some linguistic variables (e.g. stress pattern, syllable structure, presence of the Portuguese oral vowels in different word positions according to stress location). The results are analysed in two ways: the impact of linguistic variables on the success rate in the vowels' production; the replacement strategies used in the non-target productions. Both analyses show that the Chinese learners of Portuguese (i) have significantly more difficulties with the mid vowels as well as the high central vowel and (ii) do not master the vowel height feature. These findings contribute to define the phonetic profile of these learners in terms of oral vowel production. Besides, they have important didactic implications for the pronunciation teaching to these specific learners. Those implications are discussed and exemplified.

Keywords: Chinese learners, learners’ phonetic profile, linguistic variables, Portuguese as foreign language, production data, pronunciation teaching, oral vowels

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Authors: M. Rilliard

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Based on a Multiliteracies-inspired and sociolinguistically-informed advanced French composition class, this study employed autobiographical narratives from speakers traditionally considered non-legitimate models for L2 teaching purposes of inspiring students to develop an authentic L2 voice and to see themselves as legitimate L2 speakers. Students explored their L2 identities in French through a self-inspired fictional character. Two autobiographical narratives of identity quest by non-traditional French speakers provided them guidance through this process: the novel Le Bleu des Abeilles (2013) and the film Qu’Allah Bénisse la France (2014). Written and French oral productions for different genres, as well as metalinguistic reflections in English, were collected and analyzed. Results indicate that ideas and materials that were relatable to students, namely relatable experiences and relatable language, were most useful to them in developing their L2 voices and achieving authentic and legitimate L2 speakership. These results point towards the benefits of using non-traditional speakers as pedagogical models, as they serve to legitimize students’ sense of their own L2-speakership, which ultimately leads them towards a better, more informed, mastery of the language.

Keywords: foreign language classroom, L2 identity, L2 learning and teaching, L2 writing, sociolinguistics

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Authors: Indhumathi Gopal

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Undergraduate research is well documented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), neurosciences, and microbiology disciplines, though it is hardly part of a physical fitness & wellness discipline. However, students need experiential learning opportunities, like internships and research assistantships, to get ahead with graduate schools and be gainfully employed. The first step towards this goal is to have students do a simple research project in a semester-long course. The value of research experiences and how to integrate research activity in a physical fitness & wellness course are discussed. The investigator looks into a mini research project, “Awareness of Obesity among College Students” and explains how to guide students through the research process, including journal search, data collection, and basic statistics. Besides, students will be introduced to the statistical package program SPSS 22.0 to assist with data evaluation. The lab component of the combined lecture-physical activity course could include the measurement of student’s weight with respect to their height to obtain body mass index (BMI). Students could categorize themselves in accordance with the World Health Organization’s guidelines. Results obtained after completing the data analysis help students be aware of their own potential health risks associated with overweight and obesity. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. It is hoped that this experience will get students interested in scientific studies, gain confidence, think critically, and develop problem-solving and good communication skills.

Keywords: physical fitness, undergraduate research experience, obesity, BMI

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Authors: Lamin B Ceesay, Cecilia Rossignoli

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Inter-organizational collaboration is a growing phenomenon in both research and practice. The partnership between organizations enables firms to leverage external resources, experiences, and technology that lie with other firms. This collaborative practice is a source of improved business model performance, technological advancement, and increased competitive advantage for firms. However, the competitive intents, and even diverse institutional logics of firms, make inter-firm innovation-based partnership even more complex, and its governance more challenging. The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic review of research linking the inter-organizational relationship of firms with their innovation practice and specify the different project management issues and gaps addressed in previous research. To do this, we employed a systematic review of the literature on inter-organizational innovation using two complementary scholarly databases - ScienceDirect and Web of Science (WoS). Article scoping relies on the combination of keywords based on similar terms used in the literature:(1) inter-organizational relationship, (2) business network, (3) inter-firm project, and (4) innovation network. These searches were conducted in the title, abstract, and keywords of conceptual and empirical research papers done in English. Our search covers between 2010 to 2019. We applied several exclusion criteria including Papers published outside the years under the review, papers in a language other than English, papers neither listed in WoS nor ScienceDirect and papers that are not sharply related to the inter-organizational innovation-based partnership were removed. After all relevant search criteria were applied, a final list of 84 papers constitutes the data for this review. Our review revealed an increasing evolution of inter-organizational relationship research during the period under the review. The descriptive analysis of papers according to Journal outlets finds that International Journal of Project Management (IJPM), Journal of Industrial Marketing, Journal of Business Research (JBR), etc. are the leading journal outlets for research in the inter-organizational innovation project. The review also finds that Qualitative methods and quantitative approaches respectively are the leading research methods adopted by scholars in the field. However, literature review and conceptual papers constitute the least in the field. During the content analysis of the selected papers, we read the content of each paper and found that the selected papers try to address one of the three phenomena in inter-organizational innovation research: (1) project antecedents; (2) project management and (3) project performance outcomes. We found that these categories are not mutually exclusive, but rather interdependent. This categorization also helped us to organize the fragmented literature in the field. While a significant percentage of the literature discussed project management issues, we found fewer extant literature on project antecedents and performance. As a result of this, we organized the future research agenda addressed in several papers by linking them with the under-researched themes in the field, thus providing great potential to advance future research agenda especially, in the under-researched themes in the field. Finally, our paper reveals that research on inter-organizational innovation project is generally fragmented which hinders a better understanding of the field. Thus, this paper contributes to the understanding of the field by organizing and discussing the extant literature to advance the theory and application of inter-organizational relationship.

Keywords: inter-organizational relationship, inter-firm collaboration, innovation projects, project management, systematic review

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Authors: Nattapong Techarattanased

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This survey research aimed to study the influence of attitude in services, product, and marketing mix affected intention to revisit in boutique hotel of foreign travelers in Bangkok, Thailand. The total 400 sets of closed-ended questionnaires were utilized for conducting data from foreign tourists who come to boutique hotel and can communicate in English. The descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze data. The research found that tourists’ attitude towards the service of check in and check out process, food and beverage, guest room and other facilities affected in opportunity of revisiting, recommending to others and possibility of revisiting in the future at 0.05 statistically significant levels. Tourists’ attitude towards service and marketing mix in term of people, physical evidence, price, process and channel of distribution could forecast intention to revisit in term of recommending to others and intention to revisit in the future at 0.05 statistically significant levels.

Keywords: boutique hotel, foreign tourists, intention to revisit, service marketing mix

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Authors: Neeru Deep, Kimberly McAlister

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Mental health issues have been increasing worldwide for many decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic has brought mental health issues into the spotlight. Within higher education, promoting the well-being of students has dramatically increased in focus. The Northwestern State University of Louisiana opened the Center for Positivity, Well-being, and Hope using the action research process of reflecting, planning, acting, and observing. The study’s purpose is two-fold: First, it highlights how to create a collaborative team to reflect, plan, and act to develop a well-being culture in higher education institutions. Second, it investigates the efficacy of the center through Seligman’s lenses. The researchers shared their experience in the first three phases of the action research process and then applied an identical concurrent mixed methods design. A purposive sample evaluated the efficacy of the center through Seligman’s lenses. The researcher administered PERMA-Profiler Measure, the PERMA-Profiler Measure overview, the CoPWH Evaluation I, and the CoPWH Evaluation II questionnaires to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The thematic analysis for qualitative and descriptive statistics for quantitative data concluded that the center creates a well-being culture and promotes well-being in college students. In conclusion, this action research shares the successful implementation of the cyclic process of research in promoting a well-being culture in higher education with the implications for promoting a well-being culture in various educational settings, workplaces, and communities.

Keywords: action research, mixed methods research design, Seligman, well-being.

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Authors: Dharam Bhugun

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The growth of immigration and social diversity and advances in global technology, have contributed to an increase in intercultural marriages and relationships in Australia. Consequently, intercultural parenting experience is shaping as an important issue within society. Parenting experiences can be both challenging and rewarding for the intercultural couple and their children. Much of the Australian literature has focussed on parenting styles among different cultural groups and the experiences of children, with more research needed on the parenting experience of intercultural couples, with emphasis on those who have not sought professional help. This study employed a qualitative research design consistent with humanistic approaches in social sciences. A social constructionism theoretical framework was used to explore the experience of intercultural parents. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, and semi-structured interviews in English were employed to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to examine participant’s experiences. It is anticipated that the research will generate insights and findings that may assist current and future intercultural parents, add to the family systems theory to inform practice, and suggest possible professional strategies for clinicians and other government and community agencies.

Keywords: culture, intercultural couples, parenting styles and practices, conflicts resolution

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Authors: Hamideh Marefat, Eskandar Samadi

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This study examined the effect of semantics on processing ambiguous sentences containing Relative Clauses (RCs) preceded by a complex Determiner Phrase (DP) by Persian-speaking learners of L2 English with different proficiency and Working Memory Capacities (WMCs). The semantic relationship studied was one between the subject of the main clause and one of the DPs in the complex DP to see if, as predicted by Spreading Activation Model, priming one of the DPs through this semantic manipulation affects the L2ers’ preference. The results of a task using Rapid Serial Visual Processing (time-controlled paradigm) showed that manipulation of the relationship between the subject of the main clause and one of the DPs in the complex DP preceding RC has no effect on the choice of the antecedent; rather, the L2ers' processing is guided by the phrase structure information. Moreover, while proficiency did not have any effect on the participants’ preferences, WMC brought about a difference in their preferences, with a DP1 preference by those with a low WMC. This finding supports the chunking hypothesis and the predicate proximity principle, which is the strategy also used by monolingual Persian speakers.

Keywords: semantics, relative clause processing, ambiguity resolution, proficiency, working memory capacity

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Authors: Jim O'brien

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Contemporary global representation and consumption of La Liga across a plethora of media platform outlets has resulted in significant implications for the historical, political and cultural developments which shaped the development of Spanish club football. This has established and reinforced a hierarchy of a small number of teams belonging to or aspiring to belong to a cluster of global elite clubs seeking to imitate the blueprint of the English Premier League in respect of corporate branding and marketing in order to secure a global fan base through success and exposure in La Liga itself and through the Champions League. The synthesis between globalization, global sport and the status of high profile clubs has created radical change within the folkloric iconography of Spanish football. The main focus of this paper is to critically evaluate the consequences of globalization on the rich tapestry at the core of the game’s distinctive history in Spain. The seminal debate underpinning the study considers whether the divergent aspects of globalization have acted as a malevolent force, eroding tradition, causing financial meltdown and reducing much of the fabric of club football to the status of by standers, or have promoted a renaissance of these traditions, securing their legacies through new fans and audiences. The study draws on extensive sources on the history, politics and culture of Spanish football, in both English and Spanish. It also uses primary and archive material derived from interviews and fieldwork undertaken with scholars, media professionals and club representatives in Spain. The paper has four main themes. Firstly, it contextualizes the key historical, political and cultural forces which shaped the landscape of Spanish football from the late nineteenth century. The seminal notions of region, locality and cultural divergence are pivotal to this discourse. The study then considers the relationship between football, ethnicity and identity as a barometer of continuity and change, suggesting that tradition is being reinvented and re-framed to reflect the shifting demographic and societal patterns within the Spanish state. Following on from this, consideration is given to the paradoxical function of ‘El Clasico’ and the dominant duopoly of the FC Barcelona – Real Madrid axis in both eroding tradition in the global nexus of football’s commodification and in protecting historic political rivalries. To most global consumers of La Liga, the mega- spectacle and hyperbole of ‘El Clasico’ is the essence of Spanish football, with cultural misrepresentation and distortion catapulting the event to the global media audience. Finally, the paper examines La Liga as a sporting phenomenon in which elite clubs, cult managers and galacticos serve as commodities on the altar of mass consumption in football’s global entertainment matrix. These processes accentuate a homogenous mosaic of cultural conformity which obscures local, regional and national identities and paradoxically fuses the global with the local to maintain the distinctive hue of La Liga, as witnessed by the extraordinary successes of Athletico Madrid and FC Eibar in recent seasons.

Keywords: Spanish football, globalization, cultural identity, tradition, folklore

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Authors: Ofelia A. Damag

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The study was focused on the development and assessment of the illustrated language activities of the 1996 Edition of the Portage Guide to Early Education. It determined the extent of appropriateness, applicability, time efficiency and aesthetics of the illustrated language activities to be used as instructional material not only by teachers, but parents and caregivers as well. The eclectic research design was applied in this study using qualitative and quantitative methods. To determine the applicability and time efficiency of the study, a try out was done. Since the eclectic research design was used, it made use of a researcher-made survey questionnaire and focus group discussion. Analysis of the data was done through weighted mean and ANOVA. The respondents of the study were representatives of Special Education (SPED) teachers, caregivers and parents of a special-needs child, particularly with difficulties in learning basic language skills. The results of the study show that a large number of respondents are SPED teachers and caregivers and are mostly college graduates. Many of them have earned units towards Master’s studies. Moreover, a majority of the respondents have not attended seminars or in-service training in early intervention for them to be more competent in the area of specialization. It is concluded that the illustrated language activities under review in this study are appropriate, applicable, time efficient and aesthetic for use as a tool in teaching. The recommendations are focused on the advocacy for SPED teachers, caregivers and parents of special-needs children to be more consistent in the implementation of the new instructional materials as an aid in an intervention program.

Keywords: illustrated language activities, inclusion, portage guide to early education, special educational needs

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Authors: Xinyuan Zou, Qihui Tang, Shujian Wang, Yulin Huang, Jie Gui, Xiangping Liu, Gang Liu, Yanqiang Tao

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Childhood trauma can have a long-lasting influence on individuals and contribute to mental disorders, including depression and anxiety. The current study aimed to explore the symptomatic and developmental patterns of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents who have suffered from childhood trauma. A total of 3,598 college students (female = 1,617 (44.94%), Mean Age = 19.68, SD Age = 1.35) in China completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and 2,337 participants met the selection standard based on the cut-off scores of the CTQ. The symptomatic network and directed acyclic graph (DAG) network approaches were used. The results revealed that males reported experiencing significantly more physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse compared to females. However, females scored significantly higher than males on all items of DASS-21, except for “Worthless”. No significant difference between the two genders was observed in the network structure and global strength. Meanwhile, among all participants, “Down-hearted” and “Agitated” appeared to be the most interconnected symptoms, the bridge symptoms in the symptom network, as well as the most vital symptoms in the DAG network. Apart from that, “No-relax” also served as the most prominent symptom in the DAG network. The results suggested that intervention targeted at assisting adolescents in developing more adaptive coping strategies with stress and regulating emotion could benefit the alleviation of comorbid depression, anxiety, and stress.

Keywords: symptom network, childhood trauma, depression, anxiety, stress

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Authors: Alaa Alrakaf, Sk. Md. Mizanur Rahman

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Since the last two decades’ Arabic natural language processing (ANLP) has become increasingly much more important. One of the key issues related to ANLP is ambiguity. In Arabic language different pronunciation of one word may have a different meaning. Furthermore, ambiguity also has an impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of Machine Translation (MT). The issue of ambiguity has limited the usefulness and accuracy of the translation from Arabic to English. The lack of Arabic resources makes ambiguity problem more complicated. Additionally, the orthographic level of representation cannot specify the exact meaning of the word. This paper looked at the diacritics of Arabic language and used them to disambiguate a word. The proposed approach of word sense disambiguation used Diacritizer application to Diacritize Arabic text then found the most accurate sense of an ambiguous word using Naïve Bayes Classifier. Our Experimental study proves that using Arabic Diacritics with Naïve Bayes Classifier enhances the accuracy of choosing the appropriate sense by 23% and also decreases the ambiguity in machine translation.

Keywords: Arabic natural language processing, machine learning, machine translation, Naive bayes classifier, word sense disambiguation

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Authors: Duangkamol Thitivesa

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This paper focuses on the use of project work as a pretext for applying the conventions of writing, or the correctness of mechanics, usage, and sentence formation, in a content-based class in a Rajabhat University. Its aim was to explore to what extent the student teachers’ academic achievement of the basic writing features against the 70% attainment target after the use of project is. The organization of work around an agreed theme in which the students reproduce language provided by texts and instructors is expected to enhance students’ correct writing conventions. The sample of the study comprised of 38 fourth-year English major students. The data was collected by means of achievement test and student writing works. The scores in the summative achievement test were analyzed by mean score, standard deviation, and percentage. It was found that the student teachers do more achieve of practicing mechanics and usage, and less in sentence formation. The students benefited from the exposure to texts during conducting the project; however, their automaticity of how and when to form phrases and clauses into simple/complex sentences had room for improvement.

Keywords: project-based learning, project work, writing conventions, academic achievement

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Authors: Nguyen Thu Ha, Vu Viet Phuong, Do Thi Tieu Yen, Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha

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This semi-experimental research investigated the correlation between 42 English as a foreign language (EFL) sophomores' self-regulated learning strategies (SRL) use and their reading comprehension in the Vietnamese context. The analysis from TOEIC reading tests with SPSS 25.0 indicated that there are substantial differences between the post-test reading scores between the experimental group and the control group; therefore, SRL impacts the reading comprehension of EFL participants. Contrary to the alternative hypothesis, teaching learners SRL approaches had a statistically significant influence on reading comprehension. The findings may aid educators in teaching reading comprehension as an essential skill and in using SRL to improve reading comprehension and achievement and enhance reading comprehension aids for language students and instructors. They should equip educators with a variety of instructional strategies which assist academics in preparing learners for lifetime language study and independence. Moreover, the results might encourage educators, administrators, and policymakers to capitalize on the effects of teaching SRL strategies by providing EFL teachers with preparation programs and experiences that help them improve their teaching methods and strategies, especially when teaching reading comprehension.

Keywords: correlation, reading proficiency, self-regulated learning strategies, SRL, TOEIC reading comprehension

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Authors: Francisco Lobo

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Kant’s household theory of human dignity as a common feature of all rational beings is the starting point of any intellectual endeavor to unravel the implications of this normative notion. Yet, it is incomplete, as it neglects considering the importance of the singularity or uniqueness of the individual. In a first, deconstructive stage, this paper describes the Kantian account of human dignity as one among many conceptions of human dignity. It reads carefully into the original wording used by Kant in German and its English translations, as well as the works of modern commentators, to identify its shortcomings. In a second, constructive stage, it then draws on the theories of Aristotle, Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and Hannah Arendt to try and enhance the Kantian conception, in the sense that these authors give major importance to the singularity of the individual. The Kantian theory can be perfected by including elements from the works of these authors, while at the same time being mindful of the dangers entailed in focusing too much on singularity. The conclusion of this paper is that the Kantian conception of human dignity can be enhanced if it acknowledges that not only morality has dignity, but also the irreplaceable human individual to the extent that she is a narrative, original creature with the potential to act morally.

Keywords: commonality, dignity, Kant, singularity

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Authors: Samantha Rix

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The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the cognitive processing of learners who receive input but produce very little or no output, and who, when they do produce output, exhibit a similar language proficiency as do those learners who produced output more regularly in the language classroom. Previous studies have investigated the benefits of output (with somewhat differing results); therefore, the presentation will begin with an investigation of what may underlie gains in proficiency without output. Consequently, a pilot study was designed and conducted to gain insight into the cognitive processing of low-output language learners looking, for example, at quantity and quality of noticing. This will be carried out within the paradigm of action classroom research, observing and interviewing low-output language learners in an intensive English program at a small Midwest university. The results of the pilot study indicated that autonomy in language learning, specifically utilizing strategies such self-monitoring, self-talk, and thinking 'out-loud', were crucial in the development of language proficiency for academic-level performance. The presentation concludes with an examination of pedagogical implication for classroom use in order to aide students in their language development.

Keywords: cognitive processing, language learners, language proficiency, learning strategies

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Authors: Kadir Özsoy

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Creating a moderately competitive learning environment is believed to have positive effects on student interest and motivation. The best way today to attract young learners to get involved in a fun, competitive learning experience is possible through mobile applications as these learners mostly rely on games and applications on their phones and tablets to have fun, communicate, look for information and study. In this study, a mobile application called ‘QuizUp’ is used to create a specific game topic for elementary level students at Anadolu University Preparatory School. The topic is specially designed with weekly-added questions in accordance with the course syllabus. Students challenge their classmates or randomly chosen opponents to answer questions related to their course subjects. They also chat and post on the topic’s wall in English. The study aims at finding out students’ perceptions towards the use of the application as a classroom and extra-curricular activity through a survey. The study concludes that educational games boost students’ motivation, lead to increased effort, and positively change their studying habits.

Keywords: competitive learning, educational application, effort, motivation 'QuizUp', study habits

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Authors: Mozhgan Sabzehparvar, Mohammad Montazeri, Mahdie Jafarnejad Shahri, Neda Boroumandi, Shakib Alipour, Hamide Torabi, Zahra Dehghani

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In this article, the aesthetic criteria, which are regarded as the key factors in the product development, and design process are carefully taken into account and an attempt has been made to extract the influential concepts in successful product design. This review article was conducted from 22.05.2021 to 22.06.2021, recent published paper in English (2017-2021) in three search engines of JSTOR, IEEE, and EMERALD were selected. The selected main keywords in our search were "Customer, Behavior, Aesthetics, Marketing and Product". During the screenings, 21 articles were analyzed. The aesthetic criteria play a role in increasing the power of choice, loyalty, satisfaction and purchase intention of the customers. Also, product design has a positive effect on the customers’ perception of aesthetics and acts effectively on customer behavior. Aesthetics has a significant relationship with the customer's intention to buy products and can make the product popular and satisfy people.

Keywords: product design, design process, customer behaviour, aesthetic, marketing

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Authors: Supattra Pranee

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The purposes of this research are to study the current business of health spa and to study the customers’ level of expectation as well as level of satisfaction of the health spa business in Ranong, Thailand. This paper drew upon data collected from health spa customers by using questionnaire. In addition, an in-depth interview was utilized to collect data from health spa entrepreneurs. The findings revealed that the health spa business is growing very fast and the coming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will ameliorate the business growth and increase the customer base. There is a need to improve staff’s ability to communicate in English. However, the economic size of Ranong province is still small which has resulted in the hesitation of investors to increase their investment in this business. The findings also revealed four categories of level of expectation and satisfaction as follows: (1) Service: overall, customers had a high expectation with a mean of 3.80 and 0.873 SD and a high level of satisfaction with a mean of 3.66 and 0.704 SD. (2) Staff: overall, customers had a high expectation with a mean of 3.95 and 0.865 SD and a high level of satisfaction with a mean of 3.84 and 0.783 SD. (3) Product, Equipment, and Tools: overall, customers had a high expectation with a mean of 4.02 and 0.913 SD and a high level of satisfaction with a mean of 3.88 and 0.772 SD. (4) Place, Atmosphere, and Environment: overall, customers had a high expectation with a mean of 3.95 and 0.906 SD and a high level of satisfaction with a mean of 3.86 and 0.785 SD.

Keywords: expectation, health spa business, satisfaction, ranong province

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Authors: John E Coumbe-Lilley

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This IRB-approved study explored athletes' emotional recovery experiences following a severe sports injury keeping them out of their sport for six months or longer. A realistic thematic analytical approach was used to interpret the findings of 44 semi-structured interviews of athletes who competed at high school, college, and professional levels of competition. Thematic analysis validated by a self-rating scale demonstrated athletes cross a series of emotional thresholds during their injury rehabilitation process. Results showed athletes crossed two to six emotional thresholds before positive emotion and coping were consistently experienced following their injury. Athletes reported being unequipped to cope with negative emotional intensity, the longevity of recovery, and enduring depression during long-term rehabilitation. Positive emotional recovery was expected no sooner than nine months and up to 2.5 years following a sports injury. In addition, 100% of athletes received no psychological skills training (PST) for coping and recovery, and 93% of athletes indicated passive psychological coping strategies in the first month following injury, which extended their time to recover. Athletes recommended immediate, realistic, and evidence-based strategies benefitting the emotional recovery of severely injured athletes emotional recovery to improve athletes' emotional well-being during long-term rehabilitation and enhance their return to sport. Future experimental research might compare the post-PST program that emerged from this study to determine its efficacy in improving the recovery of severely injured athletes.

Keywords: sports, injury, rehabilitation, psychological skills training, coping

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Authors: Omotayo Abidemi Funmilayo

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Skill acquisition in professional fields has been prioritized and considered important to demonstrate the mastery of subject matter and present oneself as an expert in such profession. The ability to acquire skills in different fields, however calls for different method from the instructor or teacher during training. Music is not an exception of such profession, where there exist different area of skills acquisition require practical performance. This paper, however, focused on the impact and effects of different methods on acquisition of practical knowledge in the handling of some musical instruments among the students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo. In this study, 30 students were selected and divided into two groups based on the selected area of learning, further division were made on each of the two major groups to consist of five students each, to be trained using different methodology for two months and three hours per week. Comparison of skill acquired were made using standard research instrument at reliable level of significance, test were carried out on the thirty students considered for the study based on area of skill acquisition. The students that were trained on the keyboard and saxophone using play way method, followed by the students that were trained using demonstration method while the set of students that received teaching instruction through lecture method performed below average. In conclusion, the study reveals that ability to acquire professional skill on handling musical instruments are better enhanced using play way method.

Keywords: music education, skill acquisition, keyboard, saxophone

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Authors: Yu-Chu Yeh, WeiChin Hsu, Chih-Yen Chang

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Substitution, combination, modification, putting to other uses, elimination, and rearrangement (SCAMPER) has been regarded as an effective technique that provides a structured way to help people to produce creative ideas and solutions. Although some neuroscience studies regarding creativity training have been conducted, no study has focused on SCAMPER. This study therefore aimed at examining whether the learning of SCAMPER through video tutorials would result in alternations of neural activation. Thirty college students were randomly assigned to the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group was requested to watch SCAMPER videos, whereas the control group was asked to watch natural-scene videos which were regarded as neutral stimulating materials. Each participant was brain scanned in a Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine while undertaking a creativity test before and after watching the videos. Furthermore, a two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the interaction between groups (the experimental group; the control group) and tasks (C task; M task; X task). The results revealed that the left precuneus significantly activated in the interaction of groups and tasks, as well as in the main effect of group. Furthermore, compared with the control group, the experimental group had greater activation in the default mode network (left precuneus and left inferior parietal cortex) and the motor network (left postcentral gyrus and left supplementary area). The findings suggest that the SCAMPER training may facilitate creativity through the stimulation of the default mode network and the motor network.

Keywords: creativity, default mode network, neural activation, SCAMPER

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Authors: Christian H. Girsang, M. Razi B. Mansoor, Noorizal N. Huang

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An offshore platform was installed in 1977 at about 260km offshore West Malaysia at the water depth of 73.6m. Twelve (12) piles were installed with four (4) are skirt piles. The piles have 1.219m outside diameter and wall thickness of 31mm and were driven to 109m below seabed. Deterministic analyses of the pile capacity under axial loading were conducted using the current API (American Petroleum Institute) method and the four (4) CPT-based methods: the ICP (Imperial College Pile)-method, the NGI (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute)-Method, the UWA (University of Western Australia)-method and the Fugro-method. A statistical analysis of the model uncertainty associated with each pile capacity method was performed. There were two (2) piles analysed: Pile 1 and piles other than Pile 1, where Pile 1 is the pile that was most affected by shallow gas problems. Using the mean estimate of soil properties, the five (5) methods used for deterministic estimation of axial pile capacity in compression predict an axial capacity from 28 to 42MN for Pile 1 and 32 to 49MN for piles other than Pile 1. These values refer to the static capacity shortly after pile installation. They do not include the effects of cyclic loading during the design storm or time after installation on the axial pile capacity. On average, the axial pile capacity is expected to have increased by about 40% because of ageing since the installation of the platform in 1977. On the other hand, the cyclic loading effects during the design storm may reduce the axial capacity of the piles by around 25%. The study concluded that all piles have sufficient safety factor when the pile aging and cyclic loading effect are considered, as all safety factors are above 2.0 for maximum operating and storm loads.

Keywords: axial capacity, cyclic loading, pile ageing, shallow gas

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Authors: Noury Bakrim

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When dealing with motivation/arbitrariness, forming form (Forma Formans) and morphodynamics are to be grasped as relevant implications of enunciation/enactment, schematization within the specificity of language as sound/meaning articulation. Thus, the fact that a language is a form does not contradict stasis/dynamic enunciation (reflexivity vs double articulation). Moreover, some languages exemplify the role of the forming form, uttering, and schematization (roots in Semitic languages, the Chinese case). Beyond the evolutionary biosemiotic process (form/substance bifurcation, the split between realization/representation), non-isomorphism/asymmetry between linguistic form/norm and linguistic realization (phonetics for instance) opens up a new horizon problematizing the role of Brain – sensorimotor contribution in the continuous forming form. Therefore, we hypothesize biotization as both process/trace co-constructing motivation/forming form. Henceforth, referring to our findings concerning distribution and motivation patterns within Berber written texts (pulse based obstruents and nasal-lateral levels in poetry) and oral storytelling (consonant intensity clustering in quantitative and semantic/prosodic motivation), we understand consonant clustering, motivation and schematization as a complex phenomenon partaking in patterns of oral/written iconic prosody and reflexive metalinguistic representation opening the stable form. We focus our inquiry on both Amazigh and English clusters (/spl/, /spr/) and iconic consonant iteration in [gnunnuy] (to roll/tumble), [smummuy] (to moan sadly or crankily). For instance, the syllabic structures of /splaeʃ/ and /splaet/ imply an anamorphic representation of the state of the world: splash, impact on aquatic surfaces/splat impact on the ground. The pair has stridency and distribution as distinctive features which specify its phonetic realization (and a part of its meaning) /ʃ/ is [+ strident] and /t/ is [+ distributed] on the vocal tract. Schematization is then a process relating both physiology/code as an arthron vocal/bodily, vocal/practical shaping of the motor-articulatory system, leading to syntactic/semantic thematization (agent/patient roles in /spl/, /sm/ and other clusters or the tense uvular /qq/ at the initial position in Berber). Furthermore, the productivity of serial syllable sequencing in Berber points out different expressivity forms. We postulate two Components of motivated formalization: i) the process of memory paradigmatization relating to sequence modeling under sensorimotor/verbal specific categories (production/perception), ii) the process of phonotactic selection - prosodic unconscious/subconscious distribution by virtue of iconicity. Basing on multiple tests including a questionnaire, phonotactic/visual recognition and oral/written reproduction, we aim at patterning/conceptualizing consonant schematization and motivation among EFL and Amazigh (Berber) learners and speakers integrating biolinguistic hypotheses.

Keywords: consonant motivation and prosody, language and order of life, anamorphic representation, represented representation, biotization, sensori-motor and brain representation, form, formalization and schematization

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Authors: Sara Corvino

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The aim of this study is to explore the potential of inclusive learning and assessment strategies to foster students' engagement with historical debates surrounding the field of graphic design. The goal is to respond to the diversity of L4 Graphic Design students, at Nottingham Trent University, in a way that instead of 'lowering standards' can benefit everyone. This research tests, measures, and evaluates the impact of a specific intervention, an assessment task, to develop students' critical visual analysis skills and stimulate a deeper engagement with the subject matter. Within the action research approach, this work has followed a case study research method to understand students' views and perceptions of a specific project. The primary methods of data collection have been: anonymous electronic questionnaire and a paper-based anonymous critical incident questionnaire. NTU College of Business Law and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee granted the Ethical approval for this research in November 2019. Other methods used to evaluate the impact of this assessment task have been Evasys's report and students' performance. In line with the constructivist paradigm, this study embraces an interpretative and contextualized analysis of the collected data within the triangulation analytical framework. The evaluation of both qualitative and quantitative data demonstrates that active learning strategies and the disruption of thinking patterns can foster greater students' engagement and can lead to meaningful learning.

Keywords: active learning, assessment for learning, graphic design, higher education, student engagement

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Authors: Emmanuel S. Adeyanju

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This study assessed the effects of continuous training on anthropometric characteristics of adolescents in Kano, Nigeria. The anthropometric measures of per cent body fat (%BF), body mass index (BMI), conicity index (CI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were selected because of their roles in increased adiposity and favourable cardiovascular disease (CVD) factor profiles in children and adolescence. The international standards and procedures were followed in all the measurements. A total of thirty (30) subjects (M=15; F=15), selected at random, were divided into two groups; one training (M=10; F=10) and the other control (M=5; F=5). Both groups were tested before training, at six (6) and 12 weeks in all the listed variables. The training group had 12 weeks continuous training which involved running round the standard 400 m track of the college following standard procedures; while the control group did not. The findings revealed significant sex-specific reductions in %BF (F=610.482 ˂ 0.05), BMI (F=73.860 ˂ 0.05), WHR (F=49.756 ˂ 0.05); however, no significant training effect on CI (F=1.855 ˃ 0.05) and WHR (F=1.956 ˃ 0.05) was found. Greater modifications found in females than in males (except in CI and WHR) due to training were probably related to their initial level of fitness and enzymatic modifications at subcellular level during training. The result also revealed significant relationship between the modifications in %BF, BMI and WHR but failed to establish any between CI and other adiposity measures. Thus, to avert the consequences of obesity and overweight, the declining fitness level of adolescents should be checked by ensuring they engaged in regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) programmes. Such a childhood habit of exercise developed early in life will have a carry-over value into adult life and improve the quality of adult population.

Keywords: adiposity, anthropometry, conicity, continuous training

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Authors: Ya-Lin Chang, Chia Chen Chang, Yu-Ru Liang, Joyce Chen, You-Kang Chang, Tina Chiu

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Physical activity and mental health status are important for health. The purpose of this study was to examine levels of physical activities and depression in Taiwanese vegetarians (VEG) and omnivores (OMNI). Sixty-three vegetarians (20 males) and 56 omnivores (23 males) with an average age of 51 years were recruited for a food frequency validation study at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital from July to September in 2016. Participants filled out a validated Chinese version international physical activity questionnaire-short-form (IPAQ), Beck Depression Inventory-II-Chinese version (BDI), food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a questionnaire on demographics and medical history upon recruitment. Total BDI scores were calculated for depression and the metabolic equivalent of task (MET) was calculated for physical activity levels. Mann-Whitney U tests and Chi-square test were used to compare demographics, physical activity levels and depression scores. VEG and OMNI did not differ significantly on MET (1441.9 ± 3387.3 vs. 1605.8 ± 2486.1. p=0.2652, respectively). VEG scored slightly lower on BDI compared to OMNI without statistical significance (5.6 ± 5.7 vs. 7.4 ± 6.3. p=0.06). In addition, we found that regardless of diet practice, those who held a college degree and above scored better on MET (1788.1 ± 2532.6 vs. 1215.5 ± 3425.5. p=0.0014) and BDI (5.2 ± 5.1 vs. 7.8 ± 6.7. p=0.03). In this cross-sectional study, Taiwanese vegetarians and omnivores scored comparatively on physical activity levels and depression. However, education is a significant determinant of physical activity and depression.

Keywords: BDI, diet, education, physical activity

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Authors: Prompt Udomdech, Eleni Papadonikolaki, Andrew Davies

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Building information modelling (BIM) is the major technological trend amongst built environment organisations. Digitalising businesses and operations, BIM brings forth a digital transformation in any built environment industry. The adoption of BIM presents challenges for organisations, especially small- and medium-sizes enterprises (SMEs). The main problem for built-environment SMEs is the lack of project actors with adequate BIM competences. The research highlights learning in projects as the key and explores into the learning of BIM in projects of designers and engineers within Thai design and engineering SMEs. The study uncovers three impeding attributes, which are: a) lack of English proficiency; b) unfamiliarity with digital technologies; and c) absence of public standards. This research expands on the literature on BIM competences and adoption.

Keywords: BIM competences and adoption, digital transformation, learning in projects, SMEs, and developing built environment industry

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