Recent research has emphasized that attitude is key to language learners’learning outcomes.More specifically,language learners’feelings about languages and language learning may affect their study behavior and willi...Recent research has emphasized that attitude is key to language learners’learning outcomes.More specifically,language learners’feelings about languages and language learning may affect their study behavior and willingness to engage with a second or foreign language.Few studies on language attitudes have been conducted with ethnic minority groups in China.As such,influencing factors(e.g.,gender,language proficiency)have not gained sufficient attention.The present study aims to explore language attitudes,especially towards multilingualism,among members of the Li minority group in Hainan,China.First,we conceptualized and validated a questionnaire on attitudes towards multilingualism.Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis verified the survey’s validity.Then,we examined how selected sociodemographic variables(e.g.,gender and language proficiency)influenced students’attitudes towards multilingualism.Hierarchical regression was performed to ascertain the contribution of each predictor variable to learners’attitudes towards multilingualism.Results revealed no significant relationship between gender and language attitudes but found a significant impact of students’language proficiency level on their attitudes towards multilingualism.Implications for minority students’multilingual learning were discussed based on the findings.展开更多
This paper seeks to do three things： （1） examine the linguistic situation of Cameroon; （2） identify the language（s） used in education; and （3） discuss whether in the light of the social linguistic evidence, t...This paper seeks to do three things： （1） examine the linguistic situation of Cameroon; （2） identify the language（s） used in education; and （3） discuss whether in the light of the social linguistic evidence, the current choice of language for education （English） is well motivated. The methodology employed is a socio-lin some randomly selected urban centers in Cameroon for example, Buea, Bamenda, Kumba, guistic survey of etc.. The results suggest among other things： （1） that Cameroon is a highly multilingual country with over 280 home languages and （2） that while English is the language for Anglophone education, Pidgin English is actually the predominant language and the first language for most Anglophones. Based on these findings, the author proposes Pidgin English as the choice language for early education in Anglophone Cameroon （the southwest and northwest regions）. Pidgin English is the only language which expresses Cameroonian reality. It is spoken by more than 70% of the population. It is the only language that is not associated with a particular tribe, religion, or with a specific colonial government.展开更多
This paper compares the multilingualism in the linguistic landscapes of Zhongyang Street in the beginning of the 20th century(before 1932)and now.The distribution of languages is discussed with Russian being dominant ...This paper compares the multilingualism in the linguistic landscapes of Zhongyang Street in the beginning of the 20th century(before 1932)and now.The distribution of languages is discussed with Russian being dominant in the first period and sim plified Chinese being dominant now.The connection between societal factors and the multilingualism are also discussed in the as pects of politics,demography,business,tourism,globalization,etc.Results show that while the multilingualism of the past was more a result of different ethnic groups living together and competition between different ethnicities in business,today’s is more for communication and tourism purposes.展开更多
It is undoubted that language,as an intermediate,plays an important role in today’s trading.Collins(1994)also supported this view that language smooths the process of trading and even contributes to the growth of glo...It is undoubted that language,as an intermediate,plays an important role in today’s trading.Collins(1994)also supported this view that language smooths the process of trading and even contributes to the growth of global trading.This study will thus investigate how two opposite language phenomena,Englishisation and multilingualism,boost or hinder companies from conducting their business.We used secondary research and questionnaires distributed to employees in multinational corporations.We found that multilingualism tends to be the trend in future global trading and the company tends to apply languages used by countries with higher trading volumes.This work explains that language professionals are still highly demanded by society.展开更多
It is often assumed that foreign language pedagogy and first language pedagogy are two homogeneous and independentsystems.However,there is a growing awareness that second or foreign language teaching should not be eas...It is often assumed that foreign language pedagogy and first language pedagogy are two homogeneous and independentsystems.However,there is a growing awareness that second or foreign language teaching should not be easily distinguished with theassistance of the fist language of the learners.This article reports on research that question the challenges and advantages to multi-lingualism and translanguaging.It sets out to describe flexible implications to language teaching and learning in bilingual or multi-lingual context.展开更多
Recently, a rise in attention of Brexit has come to the public. The UK and European Union would both have an enormouamount of influence mutually. One of the important issues raised by the European Union(EU) is also de...Recently, a rise in attention of Brexit has come to the public. The UK and European Union would both have an enormouamount of influence mutually. One of the important issues raised by the European Union(EU) is also deserved to cope with, namely language policy. In this paper, I develop an analysis aimed at presenting the basis introduction of multilingualism and its negative effectduring the implementary process. The paper focuses on the current language policy—how does the multilingualism work and some challenges confronted by EU language official institution, whether maintaining or abandoning the present form of institutional multilingualism or not to keep balance between promoting diversity and achieving efficiency.展开更多
With the rapid growth of the Internet and social media, information is widely disseminated in multimodal forms, such as text and images, where discriminatory content can manifest in various ways. Discrimination detect...With the rapid growth of the Internet and social media, information is widely disseminated in multimodal forms, such as text and images, where discriminatory content can manifest in various ways. Discrimination detection techniques for multilingual and multimodal data can identify potential discriminatory behavior and help foster a more equitable and inclusive cyberspace. However, existing methods often struggle in complex contexts and multilingual environments. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an innovative detection method, using image and multilingual text encoders to separately extract features from different modalities. It continuously updates a historical feature memory bank, aggregates the Top-K most similar samples, and utilizes a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) to integrate current and historical features, generating enhanced feature representations with stronger semantic expressiveness to improve the model’s ability to capture discriminatory signals. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits superior discriminative power and detection accuracy in multilingual and multimodal contexts, offering a reliable and effective solution for identifying discriminatory content.展开更多
In this modern era, platforms for digital/social media and video games are growing daily. People are becoming dependent on them from all ages and with many positive aspects, but there are drawbacks as well, one of whi...In this modern era, platforms for digital/social media and video games are growing daily. People are becoming dependent on them from all ages and with many positive aspects, but there are drawbacks as well, one of which is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that uses technological platforms to bully others. It has effects on victims mentally, emotionally, and physically, which include low self-esteem, acting violently, despair, increased stress/anxiety, depression, self-harming/suicide, etc. Findings from this research study justify that it affects young people more, impacting their emotional development and overall safety. Real-time cyberbullying detection identifies and protects the target from further abuse and its effects. This study aids in determining the seriousness of the issue and the vulnerabilities that individuals can take advantage of to bully others. Additionally, it will help to understand how various features of cyberbullying detection function assist in developing a strong and trustworthy system and making a healthy online community. Natural Language Processing (NLP) models assess the textual content and analyze hashtags and comments. Similarly, image context is analyzed using Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which converts images into a machine-readable format for further examination. There are also Deep Neural Network models, such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Bidirectional LSTM (BLSTM). CNN is utilized for text/picture classification, LSTM is used for long-term dependency learning, and BLSTM expands the network’s input by encoding data in both forward and backward directions. Classifiers like Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Naïve Bayes help detect cyberbullying. A working cyberbullying detection system can detect cyberbullying on multiple platforms. A deeper understanding of each machine learning algorithm allows one to build a model that improves upon their predecessors. With models being developed for different attributes providing results with high accuracy, the cyberbullying detection system contributes by leading us to a healthier online community.展开更多
This editorial critically evaluated the recent study by AlMousa et al,which examined the impact of the Arabic version of the American Academy of Or-thopedic Surgeons Foot and Ankle Outcomes Questionnaire(AAOS-FAOQ)on ...This editorial critically evaluated the recent study by AlMousa et al,which examined the impact of the Arabic version of the American Academy of Or-thopedic Surgeons Foot and Ankle Outcomes Questionnaire(AAOS-FAOQ)on postoperative quality of life and recovery in Arabic-speaking patients with traumatic foot and ankle injuries.In the context of systemic linguistic exclusion in orthopedic research—where English-language journals dominated most publi-cations and non-English-speaking populations faced dual barriers of trial under-representation and semantic distortions(e.g.,mistranslations of terms like"joint instability"in Arabic)—AlMousa et al's work highlighted the transformative po-tential of culturally adapted methodologies.Their rigorous four-stage adaptation framework validated the Arabic AAOS-FAOQ as a reliable tool,enhancing ecological validity and reducing bias in patient-reported outcomes.However,limitations such as regional specificity(Gulf-centric sampling)and short follow-up periods(4 months)underscored broader challenges in non-English research:Redundant studies,prolonged hospital stays for limited English proficiency patients,and underrepresentation of certain ethnic groups in trials.To dismantle linguistic hegemony,we proposed semantic reconstruction(e.g.,integrating culturally specific indicators like"prayer posture"),dialect-aware neural tran-slation,and World Health Organization led terminology standardization.In line with these proposed solutions,AlMousa et al’s study exemplified how language-sensitive adaptations could bridge equity gaps,while future efforts would need to balance cultural specificity with cross-study comparability through AI-driven multilingual databases and policy mandates for cultural adaptation roadmaps.展开更多
Languages and linguistic resources transport from one locality to another,adapting to the norms,customs,and regulations of a new locality.This process involves translocalization.Translocalization emphasizes the moveme...Languages and linguistic resources transport from one locality to another,adapting to the norms,customs,and regulations of a new locality.This process involves translocalization.Translocalization emphasizes the movement of linguistic resources against the backdrop of globalization and the combination or reframing of resources from different localities.This research explores the extent to which translocalization is reflected by the linguistic landscapes of three distinct commercial areas in Guangzhou,China.It goes on to discuss how translocalization works together with social rescaling to incur the movement of linguistic resources and to result in distinct linguistic landscapes of the three commercial areas.It concludes that some languages or linguistic resources,such as English,pinyin and traditional Chinese writing,are transported to local contexts for the purpose of rescaling,whereas other languages or dialects,like Cantonese,might gradually lose their function of rescaling and retain its function in indexing local identity and solidarity.This study calls for more attention to the local resources and contexts in linguistic landscape studies.It argues for the indexical function of linguistic resources in social rescaling and city planning.展开更多
Translation is a significant communicative activity with a long history. Translation study is developing into two turnsmacro and micro turn. Edwin Gentzler researched these two turns deeply in his thesis Macro-and Mic...Translation is a significant communicative activity with a long history. Translation study is developing into two turnsmacro and micro turn. Edwin Gentzler researched these two turns deeply in his thesis Macro-and Micro-turns in translation studies. The study in the circumstance of America can provide our Chinese translation study with some new aspects. Translation is more a frequent activity in the inner circunstance in China.展开更多
This paper examines the teaching and learning of non-official languages in formal secondary education in Cameroon and the attitudes of learners to these languages. The data consist of a ten-item questionnaire administ...This paper examines the teaching and learning of non-official languages in formal secondary education in Cameroon and the attitudes of learners to these languages. The data consist of a ten-item questionnaire administered in the University of Yaounde I during registration, a period when pupils from the ten regions of the country come to Yaounde to seek admission into this university＇. The informants, who were 432 learners having completed secondary education in Cameroon, were distributed as follows： 180 arts pupils, 192 science pupils and 60 parents. The findings revealed that these languages are compulsory school subjects that most learners hated but had to take them just to pass their examinations. As a result, they had very limited competence in them as most of them reported that they could not hold a three-minute conversation in these languages on completion of secondary education. They suggested that the pool of languages to choose from be increased from the current two languages to many others including Cameroonian, African and Asian tongues. Innovative ways for diversifying the pool of non-official languages and implementation strategies for a smooth integration of such a pool of languages in the school system are outlined.展开更多
Following the author＇s own experiencing in supervising Ph.D. theses in literature, languages, linguistics, and teacher education, the author will focus on new trends of advanced research projects that have been contr...Following the author＇s own experiencing in supervising Ph.D. theses in literature, languages, linguistics, and teacher education, the author will focus on new trends of advanced research projects that have been contributing to reinforce the importance of research in these areas in a time of crisis in the humanities. The organization and funding of science and scholarship in Europe has been promoting anything else but social sciences research, including educational areas. The author will follow the recent call from the Board of Trustees da Academia Europaea to redirect policies toward the organization of multidisciplinary research projects. Among these so-called ＂small subjects＂, we will find original, inspired, and valuable research projects in the humanities, It is worth mentioning that the crisis that has been diminishing this type of scholarship strangely cohabits with several policies promoted by the European Commission and the Council of Europe to develop programs for plurilingual education and linguistic diversity, new framework strategies for multilingualism, and the use of new technologies for language teaching and learning. A strong emphasis on research projects leading to interdisciplinary studies involving literature and pure sciences, plus the development of outreach research projects will be proposed.展开更多
More than ever before, multilingualism is a key resource that opens the doors for participation in internationalisation and in the globalization process and participation in the knowledge society. As such, it is of ou...More than ever before, multilingualism is a key resource that opens the doors for participation in internationalisation and in the globalization process and participation in the knowledge society. As such, it is of outmost importance that governments consider language learning as an educational priority. Mozambique is no exception to this rule, as it has also already acknowledged the need not only to teach languages of wider communication such as English, French, and Portuguese, but also the Mozambican national languages. The present paper discusses the importance and value that is attached to multilingualism in Mozambique and focuses particularly on Foreign Language Teaching and Learning at tertiary level. This paper reports specifically on data collected through a questionnaire given to first year university students at Universidade Pedag6gica in Maputo, in June, 2008. In addition, it examines the university＇s language policy of providing English language teaching to first year students, focuses on some of the constraints that presently affect the development of productive and receptive multilingualism, and suggests ways of making foreign language learning more effective展开更多
In August 2015 the government of South Afiica issued Circular S10 of 2015, to inform education authorities that Mandarin would be taught in the schools beginning January 2016. Immediately, the South African Democratic...In August 2015 the government of South Afiica issued Circular S10 of 2015, to inform education authorities that Mandarin would be taught in the schools beginning January 2016. Immediately, the South African Democratic Teachers＇ Union （Sadtu） expressed stiff opposition to it, rejecting it as constituting a ＂new form of colonization＂. The notification informed national and provincial education authorities that Mandarin would be incrementally implemented in schools such that ＂Grades 4-9 and 10 will be implemented in January 2016, followed by grade 11 in 2017 and grade 12 in 2018＂ （Nkosi, 2015）. Part of the justification for the introduction of Mandarin is that China is South Africa＇s biggest trading partner; as such, it is important for the children of South Africa to ＂become proficient in the Confucius language and develop a good understanding of Chinese culture＂ （Nkosi, 2015）. There was nothing said about China＇s reciprocation through changes to the language curriculum of China＇s educational system. Sadtu＇s reaction conforms to the interrogation of the use of language and education as the arena of power politics, exemplified here by the asymmetric power relations between the two countries. This feeds into the realities of African education that, largely, remains shackled through its content and languages of instruction to foreign knowledge systems, reinforced through globalization, science and technology. For instance, with regard to language of instruction the Malawi Government issued the Education Act of 2012 that decreed that English would be studied and used as medium of instruction from grade 1. Language-in-education policies of other African countries differ minimally from that of Malawi. With focus on Kenya and Malawi the paper will examine the politics of language and curricula in African education.展开更多
This paper reports on seven years of collaborative research with the Department for Education and Child Development. The longitudinal study examines the impact ofa multilingual literacy approach as it has been applied...This paper reports on seven years of collaborative research with the Department for Education and Child Development. The longitudinal study examines the impact ofa multilingual literacy approach as it has been applied in the teaching of French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish across 12 different schools in South Australia. The move to introduce the study of additional languages in Australian primary schools has yet to establish wide-ranging and on-going student engagement and often fails to progress students beyond simple pragmatic language use. It is argued that a new approach integrates languages in daily classroom literacy practices can redress this situation： a multilingual literacy approach. The theoretical framework that drives this approach draws from the notions of universality and transfer that are established in the literature. A critical realist paradigm provided a framework for integrating research methods： employing contingency theory and pragmatic methods of philosophy also ensured that values and hermeneutics were not sidelined in the explanation of the study＇s acts and outcomes. This longitudinal study demonstrates that when the aforementioned theoretical notions bridge the research-practice divide and are adopted into daily classroom teaching and learning activities, there is a qualitative and quantitative improvement in students＇ literacy learning展开更多
Post independence the challenge before educators and policy-makers was to ensure that the diverse socio-cultural, linguistic and economic backgrounds of India＇s children are respected and represented in the school cu...Post independence the challenge before educators and policy-makers was to ensure that the diverse socio-cultural, linguistic and economic backgrounds of India＇s children are respected and represented in the school curriculum. The need for a comprehensive plan to devise a national system of education was therefore felt. The same mandate holds relevance in contemporary India as many languages are becoming endangered, while some have actually become extint despite claims of multilingualism and maintenance. The loss of a language is equivalent to the erasure of an entire culture itself. This is where schools can play a critical role in preservation and perpetuation by relating the home language to the school language of learners. The integration of one or more language can lead to progressive understanding and use of another language without losing the former. The result would be maintenance of languages in a complementary model. It is also important that in this scheme English is not contextualized in a western ambience, but is taught through a contextually rich local perspective because English is no longer a colonial language per se but a global language in a multilingual milieu. It must therefore find place among local and vernacular languages.展开更多
In Nigeria, almost 500 indigenous languages continue to compete with the English language that has assumed the status of a global linguistic code. The contact, in different domains between English and indigenous langu...In Nigeria, almost 500 indigenous languages continue to compete with the English language that has assumed the status of a global linguistic code. The contact, in different domains between English and indigenous languages in the country continues to affect performance in English and contact languages, making effective communication in either English or any of the indigenous languages unattainable. The purpose of this study is to show that although no particular document, so named, exists expressing the nation＇s policy on language, nonetheless, the country has a policy on language that accommodates the indigenous languages as substrates, while the English language holds sway in various linguistic domains. Using a simple descriptive survey with data from previous studies, this paper examines the linguistic implications of the contact between English and indigenous languages on the younger generations who are losing contact with the mother tongue, and also not demonstrating enough proficiency in the English language. It is recommended that the opportunities that competence and maturation afforded a second language learner should be latched onto to gain the needed proficiency in English thus making them effective bilinguals and communicators in a world that is fast becoming a global village, and the inhabitants global citizens.展开更多
文摘Recent research has emphasized that attitude is key to language learners’learning outcomes.More specifically,language learners’feelings about languages and language learning may affect their study behavior and willingness to engage with a second or foreign language.Few studies on language attitudes have been conducted with ethnic minority groups in China.As such,influencing factors(e.g.,gender,language proficiency)have not gained sufficient attention.The present study aims to explore language attitudes,especially towards multilingualism,among members of the Li minority group in Hainan,China.First,we conceptualized and validated a questionnaire on attitudes towards multilingualism.Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis verified the survey’s validity.Then,we examined how selected sociodemographic variables(e.g.,gender and language proficiency)influenced students’attitudes towards multilingualism.Hierarchical regression was performed to ascertain the contribution of each predictor variable to learners’attitudes towards multilingualism.Results revealed no significant relationship between gender and language attitudes but found a significant impact of students’language proficiency level on their attitudes towards multilingualism.Implications for minority students’multilingual learning were discussed based on the findings.
文摘This paper seeks to do three things： （1） examine the linguistic situation of Cameroon; （2） identify the language（s） used in education; and （3） discuss whether in the light of the social linguistic evidence, the current choice of language for education （English） is well motivated. The methodology employed is a socio-lin some randomly selected urban centers in Cameroon for example, Buea, Bamenda, Kumba, guistic survey of etc.. The results suggest among other things： （1） that Cameroon is a highly multilingual country with over 280 home languages and （2） that while English is the language for Anglophone education, Pidgin English is actually the predominant language and the first language for most Anglophones. Based on these findings, the author proposes Pidgin English as the choice language for early education in Anglophone Cameroon （the southwest and northwest regions）. Pidgin English is the only language which expresses Cameroonian reality. It is spoken by more than 70% of the population. It is the only language that is not associated with a particular tribe, religion, or with a specific colonial government.
文摘This paper compares the multilingualism in the linguistic landscapes of Zhongyang Street in the beginning of the 20th century(before 1932)and now.The distribution of languages is discussed with Russian being dominant in the first period and sim plified Chinese being dominant now.The connection between societal factors and the multilingualism are also discussed in the as pects of politics,demography,business,tourism,globalization,etc.Results show that while the multilingualism of the past was more a result of different ethnic groups living together and competition between different ethnicities in business,today’s is more for communication and tourism purposes.
文摘It is undoubted that language,as an intermediate,plays an important role in today’s trading.Collins(1994)also supported this view that language smooths the process of trading and even contributes to the growth of global trading.This study will thus investigate how two opposite language phenomena,Englishisation and multilingualism,boost or hinder companies from conducting their business.We used secondary research and questionnaires distributed to employees in multinational corporations.We found that multilingualism tends to be the trend in future global trading and the company tends to apply languages used by countries with higher trading volumes.This work explains that language professionals are still highly demanded by society.
文摘It is often assumed that foreign language pedagogy and first language pedagogy are two homogeneous and independentsystems.However,there is a growing awareness that second or foreign language teaching should not be easily distinguished with theassistance of the fist language of the learners.This article reports on research that question the challenges and advantages to multi-lingualism and translanguaging.It sets out to describe flexible implications to language teaching and learning in bilingual or multi-lingual context.
文摘Recently, a rise in attention of Brexit has come to the public. The UK and European Union would both have an enormouamount of influence mutually. One of the important issues raised by the European Union(EU) is also deserved to cope with, namely language policy. In this paper, I develop an analysis aimed at presenting the basis introduction of multilingualism and its negative effectduring the implementary process. The paper focuses on the current language policy—how does the multilingualism work and some challenges confronted by EU language official institution, whether maintaining or abandoning the present form of institutional multilingualism or not to keep balance between promoting diversity and achieving efficiency.
基金funded by the Open Foundation of Key Laboratory of Cyberspace Security,Ministry of Education[KLCS20240210].
文摘With the rapid growth of the Internet and social media, information is widely disseminated in multimodal forms, such as text and images, where discriminatory content can manifest in various ways. Discrimination detection techniques for multilingual and multimodal data can identify potential discriminatory behavior and help foster a more equitable and inclusive cyberspace. However, existing methods often struggle in complex contexts and multilingual environments. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an innovative detection method, using image and multilingual text encoders to separately extract features from different modalities. It continuously updates a historical feature memory bank, aggregates the Top-K most similar samples, and utilizes a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) to integrate current and historical features, generating enhanced feature representations with stronger semantic expressiveness to improve the model’s ability to capture discriminatory signals. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits superior discriminative power and detection accuracy in multilingual and multimodal contexts, offering a reliable and effective solution for identifying discriminatory content.
文摘In this modern era, platforms for digital/social media and video games are growing daily. People are becoming dependent on them from all ages and with many positive aspects, but there are drawbacks as well, one of which is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that uses technological platforms to bully others. It has effects on victims mentally, emotionally, and physically, which include low self-esteem, acting violently, despair, increased stress/anxiety, depression, self-harming/suicide, etc. Findings from this research study justify that it affects young people more, impacting their emotional development and overall safety. Real-time cyberbullying detection identifies and protects the target from further abuse and its effects. This study aids in determining the seriousness of the issue and the vulnerabilities that individuals can take advantage of to bully others. Additionally, it will help to understand how various features of cyberbullying detection function assist in developing a strong and trustworthy system and making a healthy online community. Natural Language Processing (NLP) models assess the textual content and analyze hashtags and comments. Similarly, image context is analyzed using Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which converts images into a machine-readable format for further examination. There are also Deep Neural Network models, such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Bidirectional LSTM (BLSTM). CNN is utilized for text/picture classification, LSTM is used for long-term dependency learning, and BLSTM expands the network’s input by encoding data in both forward and backward directions. Classifiers like Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Naïve Bayes help detect cyberbullying. A working cyberbullying detection system can detect cyberbullying on multiple platforms. A deeper understanding of each machine learning algorithm allows one to build a model that improves upon their predecessors. With models being developed for different attributes providing results with high accuracy, the cyberbullying detection system contributes by leading us to a healthier online community.
文摘This editorial critically evaluated the recent study by AlMousa et al,which examined the impact of the Arabic version of the American Academy of Or-thopedic Surgeons Foot and Ankle Outcomes Questionnaire(AAOS-FAOQ)on postoperative quality of life and recovery in Arabic-speaking patients with traumatic foot and ankle injuries.In the context of systemic linguistic exclusion in orthopedic research—where English-language journals dominated most publi-cations and non-English-speaking populations faced dual barriers of trial under-representation and semantic distortions(e.g.,mistranslations of terms like"joint instability"in Arabic)—AlMousa et al's work highlighted the transformative po-tential of culturally adapted methodologies.Their rigorous four-stage adaptation framework validated the Arabic AAOS-FAOQ as a reliable tool,enhancing ecological validity and reducing bias in patient-reported outcomes.However,limitations such as regional specificity(Gulf-centric sampling)and short follow-up periods(4 months)underscored broader challenges in non-English research:Redundant studies,prolonged hospital stays for limited English proficiency patients,and underrepresentation of certain ethnic groups in trials.To dismantle linguistic hegemony,we proposed semantic reconstruction(e.g.,integrating culturally specific indicators like"prayer posture"),dialect-aware neural tran-slation,and World Health Organization led terminology standardization.In line with these proposed solutions,AlMousa et al’s study exemplified how language-sensitive adaptations could bridge equity gaps,while future efforts would need to balance cultural specificity with cross-study comparability through AI-driven multilingual databases and policy mandates for cultural adaptation roadmaps.
基金supported by MOE Project of Humanities and Social Sciences for Young Researchers(Project No.:16YJC740023)Project of Humanities and Social Sciences in Universities and Colleges in Guangdong Province[Project No.:2016WTSCX033]the support from the Chinese MOE Research Project of Humanities and Social Science(Project No.:16JJD740006)conducted by the Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics,Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.
文摘Languages and linguistic resources transport from one locality to another,adapting to the norms,customs,and regulations of a new locality.This process involves translocalization.Translocalization emphasizes the movement of linguistic resources against the backdrop of globalization and the combination or reframing of resources from different localities.This research explores the extent to which translocalization is reflected by the linguistic landscapes of three distinct commercial areas in Guangzhou,China.It goes on to discuss how translocalization works together with social rescaling to incur the movement of linguistic resources and to result in distinct linguistic landscapes of the three commercial areas.It concludes that some languages or linguistic resources,such as English,pinyin and traditional Chinese writing,are transported to local contexts for the purpose of rescaling,whereas other languages or dialects,like Cantonese,might gradually lose their function of rescaling and retain its function in indexing local identity and solidarity.This study calls for more attention to the local resources and contexts in linguistic landscape studies.It argues for the indexical function of linguistic resources in social rescaling and city planning.
文摘Translation is a significant communicative activity with a long history. Translation study is developing into two turnsmacro and micro turn. Edwin Gentzler researched these two turns deeply in his thesis Macro-and Micro-turns in translation studies. The study in the circumstance of America can provide our Chinese translation study with some new aspects. Translation is more a frequent activity in the inner circunstance in China.
文摘This paper examines the teaching and learning of non-official languages in formal secondary education in Cameroon and the attitudes of learners to these languages. The data consist of a ten-item questionnaire administered in the University of Yaounde I during registration, a period when pupils from the ten regions of the country come to Yaounde to seek admission into this university＇. The informants, who were 432 learners having completed secondary education in Cameroon, were distributed as follows： 180 arts pupils, 192 science pupils and 60 parents. The findings revealed that these languages are compulsory school subjects that most learners hated but had to take them just to pass their examinations. As a result, they had very limited competence in them as most of them reported that they could not hold a three-minute conversation in these languages on completion of secondary education. They suggested that the pool of languages to choose from be increased from the current two languages to many others including Cameroonian, African and Asian tongues. Innovative ways for diversifying the pool of non-official languages and implementation strategies for a smooth integration of such a pool of languages in the school system are outlined.
文摘Following the author＇s own experiencing in supervising Ph.D. theses in literature, languages, linguistics, and teacher education, the author will focus on new trends of advanced research projects that have been contributing to reinforce the importance of research in these areas in a time of crisis in the humanities. The organization and funding of science and scholarship in Europe has been promoting anything else but social sciences research, including educational areas. The author will follow the recent call from the Board of Trustees da Academia Europaea to redirect policies toward the organization of multidisciplinary research projects. Among these so-called ＂small subjects＂, we will find original, inspired, and valuable research projects in the humanities, It is worth mentioning that the crisis that has been diminishing this type of scholarship strangely cohabits with several policies promoted by the European Commission and the Council of Europe to develop programs for plurilingual education and linguistic diversity, new framework strategies for multilingualism, and the use of new technologies for language teaching and learning. A strong emphasis on research projects leading to interdisciplinary studies involving literature and pure sciences, plus the development of outreach research projects will be proposed.
文摘More than ever before, multilingualism is a key resource that opens the doors for participation in internationalisation and in the globalization process and participation in the knowledge society. As such, it is of outmost importance that governments consider language learning as an educational priority. Mozambique is no exception to this rule, as it has also already acknowledged the need not only to teach languages of wider communication such as English, French, and Portuguese, but also the Mozambican national languages. The present paper discusses the importance and value that is attached to multilingualism in Mozambique and focuses particularly on Foreign Language Teaching and Learning at tertiary level. This paper reports specifically on data collected through a questionnaire given to first year university students at Universidade Pedag6gica in Maputo, in June, 2008. In addition, it examines the university＇s language policy of providing English language teaching to first year students, focuses on some of the constraints that presently affect the development of productive and receptive multilingualism, and suggests ways of making foreign language learning more effective
文摘In August 2015 the government of South Afiica issued Circular S10 of 2015, to inform education authorities that Mandarin would be taught in the schools beginning January 2016. Immediately, the South African Democratic Teachers＇ Union （Sadtu） expressed stiff opposition to it, rejecting it as constituting a ＂new form of colonization＂. The notification informed national and provincial education authorities that Mandarin would be incrementally implemented in schools such that ＂Grades 4-9 and 10 will be implemented in January 2016, followed by grade 11 in 2017 and grade 12 in 2018＂ （Nkosi, 2015）. Part of the justification for the introduction of Mandarin is that China is South Africa＇s biggest trading partner; as such, it is important for the children of South Africa to ＂become proficient in the Confucius language and develop a good understanding of Chinese culture＂ （Nkosi, 2015）. There was nothing said about China＇s reciprocation through changes to the language curriculum of China＇s educational system. Sadtu＇s reaction conforms to the interrogation of the use of language and education as the arena of power politics, exemplified here by the asymmetric power relations between the two countries. This feeds into the realities of African education that, largely, remains shackled through its content and languages of instruction to foreign knowledge systems, reinforced through globalization, science and technology. For instance, with regard to language of instruction the Malawi Government issued the Education Act of 2012 that decreed that English would be studied and used as medium of instruction from grade 1. Language-in-education policies of other African countries differ minimally from that of Malawi. With focus on Kenya and Malawi the paper will examine the politics of language and curricula in African education.
文摘This paper reports on seven years of collaborative research with the Department for Education and Child Development. The longitudinal study examines the impact ofa multilingual literacy approach as it has been applied in the teaching of French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish across 12 different schools in South Australia. The move to introduce the study of additional languages in Australian primary schools has yet to establish wide-ranging and on-going student engagement and often fails to progress students beyond simple pragmatic language use. It is argued that a new approach integrates languages in daily classroom literacy practices can redress this situation： a multilingual literacy approach. The theoretical framework that drives this approach draws from the notions of universality and transfer that are established in the literature. A critical realist paradigm provided a framework for integrating research methods： employing contingency theory and pragmatic methods of philosophy also ensured that values and hermeneutics were not sidelined in the explanation of the study＇s acts and outcomes. This longitudinal study demonstrates that when the aforementioned theoretical notions bridge the research-practice divide and are adopted into daily classroom teaching and learning activities, there is a qualitative and quantitative improvement in students＇ literacy learning
文摘Post independence the challenge before educators and policy-makers was to ensure that the diverse socio-cultural, linguistic and economic backgrounds of India＇s children are respected and represented in the school curriculum. The need for a comprehensive plan to devise a national system of education was therefore felt. The same mandate holds relevance in contemporary India as many languages are becoming endangered, while some have actually become extint despite claims of multilingualism and maintenance. The loss of a language is equivalent to the erasure of an entire culture itself. This is where schools can play a critical role in preservation and perpetuation by relating the home language to the school language of learners. The integration of one or more language can lead to progressive understanding and use of another language without losing the former. The result would be maintenance of languages in a complementary model. It is also important that in this scheme English is not contextualized in a western ambience, but is taught through a contextually rich local perspective because English is no longer a colonial language per se but a global language in a multilingual milieu. It must therefore find place among local and vernacular languages.
文摘In Nigeria, almost 500 indigenous languages continue to compete with the English language that has assumed the status of a global linguistic code. The contact, in different domains between English and indigenous languages in the country continues to affect performance in English and contact languages, making effective communication in either English or any of the indigenous languages unattainable. The purpose of this study is to show that although no particular document, so named, exists expressing the nation＇s policy on language, nonetheless, the country has a policy on language that accommodates the indigenous languages as substrates, while the English language holds sway in various linguistic domains. Using a simple descriptive survey with data from previous studies, this paper examines the linguistic implications of the contact between English and indigenous languages on the younger generations who are losing contact with the mother tongue, and also not demonstrating enough proficiency in the English language. It is recommended that the opportunities that competence and maturation afforded a second language learner should be latched onto to gain the needed proficiency in English thus making them effective bilinguals and communicators in a world that is fast becoming a global village, and the inhabitants global citizens.
