bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La estrategia virtual de la Revista Raíces: promoviendo la lectura, innovando los procesos editoriales
Authors: Costa Cecilia María Teresa
Published: April 2018

Como respuesta alternativa a los mecanismos hegemónicos de privatización del conocimien­to a nivel global, desde América Latina y otros sures del mundo, se está promoviendo la producción de revistas científicas arbitradas e indexadas de acceso abierto y su alojamiento en portales nacionales y re­gionales. En el caso de Raíces, para poder llegar a un público cada vez más amplio de lectores (no solamente especializados), se ha implementado una estrategia virtual que ha permitido a la revista crecer constante­mente, en cuanto a número de visitas a la página web (de 629 visitas al 14/03/2017 hemos llegado a 3.531 al 29/09/2017) y número de descargas de los artículos científicos (de 516 artículos descargados al 6/04/2017 a 1.253 artículos descargados al 25/09/2017, con in­crementos mensuales del 30%). Los datos cuantita­tivos permiten afirmar que las redes sociales son es­enciales para convertir los “seguidores” en lectores y dar a conocer la iniciativa editorial y sus contenidos más allá de las fronteras nacionales. Desde el Fan Page Facebook de la Revista han sido analizados los perfiles de los lectores, sus procedencias, los horarios de mayor conectividad y el rendimiento de las publicaciones en términos de personas alcanzadas directa e indirecta­mente. Desde el sitio web donde se aloja la Revista se han analizado periódicamente el número de visitas y el número de descargas de artículos. El monitoreo de las métricas generadas en la plataforma OJS y en el Fan Page Facebook han resultados esenciales para comprender quiénes son nuestros lectores y cuáles son sus preferencias. Y al mismo tiempo, permiten mejorar la calidad y pertinencia de nuestra propuesta.Revista Nicaragüense de Antropología Año 1 No.2 2017, p.92-97
Reflexión crítica sobre la memoria colectiva: integración interdisciplinar, metodologías, tensiones y perspectivas
Authors: Alvarez Arzate María Dolores
Published: April 2018

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo presentar una reflexión crítica sobre la memoria colectiva en sus múltiples di­mensiones, tanto de integración interdisciplinar, de metodologías, así como de sus tensiones y perspectivas. Reconoce que la memoria como cualidad humana. Es producto de la reflexividad que se requiere como parte del acercamiento y distanciamiento en el proceso de producción de conocimientos. La base teórica sobre los estudios de la Memoria se encuentra sustentada en el pensamiento de Walter Benjamin, Maurice Halbwachs, Pierre Nora, Walter Mignolo y Elizabeth Jelin. Así mismo, el enfoque metodológico se apoya en la Teoría Basada en Datos, el muestreo teórico, el uso de técnicas cualitativas y el aseguramiento del rigor científico con apoyo de criterios de calidad inspirados en Glaser y Strauss, Yin, Lincoln y Guba. El análisis de los datos, conduce a la creación de constructos analíticos interdisciplinares que permiten relacionar la teoría con la práctica, aplicables para la creación de estrategias coherentes que contribuyan con la dignificación de la población que vive, por experiencia propia, cada uno de los procesos sociales, económicos y políticos que dan pie a sus propias memorias, análisis y reflexiones. Finalmente, se argumenta y concluye sobre las perspectivas de los usos de la memoria en el presente y futuro próximo, en contexto donde los procesos sociales han generado cambios significativos en la vida cotidiana y estratégica de la población.Revista Nicaragüense de Antropología Año 1 No.2 2017, p.99-113
Testimonio y posición situada en investigación, aportes metodológicos para la reconstrucción de la memoria histórica
Authors: Rodríguez Rivera Naví Argentina
Published: April 2018

El presente ensayo es un esfuerzo para visibilizar la evolución del pensamiento latinoamericano, recuperando los aportes metodológicos realizados por Ricardo Falla, durante el proceso de investigación que hiciera sobre la masacre perpetrada en la comunidad Chuj de San Francisco de Nentón, Guatemala, en 1982. Su estrategia se fundamenta en la Investigación Acción Participativa, enfocándose en dar validez al testimonio de tres indígenas sobrevivientes. Adquieren especial relevancia los aspectos jurídicos, los testigos deben ser quienes dicen ser, de lo contrario no es posible demandar justicia, el cuerpo del delito tiene que aparecer, en su defecto el delito no existe.La obra se constituye en un aporte literario, dar voz a las voces ausentes adquiera una connotación de arte. El testimonio es dar vida a la historia que no se contó, San Francisco de Nentón no murió, su tejido social fue disperso y lastimado, es urgente la necesidad de hacer justicia a las comunidades indígenas de Guatemala y América. Ricardo Falla nos dice que es posible hacer investigación situada desde la postura del oprimido.Revista Nicaragüense de Antropología Año 1 No.2 2017, p.114-119
Colaboradores Vol.1(2)
Authors: Editorial Equipo
Published: April 2018

Revista Nicaragüense de Antropología Año 1 No.2 2017, p.121-126
Osteoimmunology: Effects of Standard Orthopaedic Interventions on Inflammatory Response and Early Fracture Healing
Authors: Schneider Prism S. , Sandman Emilie , Martineau Paul A.
Published: April 2018

Achieving fracture union is highly dependent on the initial inflammatory phase of fracture healing, which is influenced by both the local and systemic inflammatory environments. The rapidly emerging field of osteoimmunology involves the study of the interactions between the immune system and the skeletal system. Recent research has advanced the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of the surrounding soft-tissue injury, fracture hematoma, and the method of fracture fixation on the inflammatory phase of fracture healing. Acute systemic inflammation, as seen in patients with polytrauma, and chronic systemic inflammation, as seen in patients with diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, affects the inflammatory phase of fracture healing. The use of NSAIDs can influence early fracture healing. Understanding the effects of standard orthopaedic interventions on the local and systemic inflammatory responses and early fracture healing is important for optimizing fracture union.
Bony Reconstruction of the Anterior Glenoid Rim
Authors: Willemot Laurent B. , Elhassan Bassem T. , Verborgt Olivier
Published: April 2018

Recurrent anterior shoulder instability is associated with glenohumeral bone loss. Glenoid deficiency compromises the concavity-compression mechanism. Medial Hill-Sachs lesions can result in an off-track humeral position. Anterior glenoid reconstruction or augmentation prevents recurrence by addressing the pathomechanics. In Bristow and Latarjet procedures, the coracoid process is harvested for conjoint tendon transfer, capsular reinforcement, and glenoid rim restoration. Complications and the nonanatomic nature of the procedure have spurred research on graft sources. The iliac crest is preferred for autogenous structural grafts. Tricortical, bicortical, and J-bone grafts have shown promising results despite the historical association of Eden-Hybinette procedures with early degenerative joint disease. Allogeneic osteochondral grafts may minimize the risk of arthropathy and donor site morbidity. Tibial plafond and glenoid allografts more closely match the native glenoid geometry and restore the articular chondral environment, compared with conventional grafts. Graft availability, cost, risk of disease transmission, and low chondrocyte viability have slowed the acceptance of osteochondral allografts.
The Role of E-learning in Studying English as a Foreign Language in Saudi Arabia: Students’ and Teachers’ Perspectives
Authors: Mutambik Ibrahim
Published: April 2018

Over the past few decades, there have been tremendous increase in technology advancement and the significance of this in the field of education cannot be overemphasised. The adoption and use of E-learning in studying EFL, in particular, is one such areas that has experienced such fast-paced development for some time now. As a result, the government all over the world are committing a lot of resources to keep up with this technology advancement. In this light, the government of Saudi Arabia through its Ministry of Education has recently made commitment, both as the practical and policy levels, with the hope to also benefit from using E-learning in studying EFL in Saudi Schools. However, little is known about the perception of students and teachers regarding the role of E-learning is studying EFL in the Saudi context. In an attempt to contribute to this research base, this paper draws on an empirical investigation using group interviews with students and teachers in order to gain insight into their perception about the role of E-learning in studying EFL in Saudi Arabia. The findings are presented and discussed in four thematic areas: promoting key learning skills, independent learning, flexible learning and interactive learning. The paper also highlights the limitations of the research and concludes by making a number of recommendations.
A PRODUÇÃO DE CURTAS NA UNIVERSIDADE
Authors: Moura Reis Santos Fabíola
Published: April 2018

Este relato reflete o desenvolvimento de práticas educativas no ensino de jornalismo, priorizando aproximar teoria e prática, pesquisa e produção visual. O desafio era produzir quatro vídeo-documentários na disciplina Laboratório de Vídeo-Arte, uma proposta da professora-orientadora Fabíola Moura, que percebeu nos alunos do Curso de Comunicação Social/Jornalismo em Multimeios, da Universidade do Estado da Bahia, uma vocação para a pesquisa e produção audiovisual. No curto espaço de quatro meses, um semestre letivo, os alunos, utilizando o conhecimento e as técnicas estudados na referida disciplina, não só criaram seus roteiros, como também filmaram e coordenaram a edição do material audiovisual, participando de todo o processo de produção de um vídeo. O material foi exibido na Mostra “Curta na UNEB”, espaço organizado para a socialização de conhecimento e experiências laboratoriais, que chegou este ano a sua terceira edição.
Rapid rise in toxic load for bees revealed by analysis of pesticide use in Great Britain
Authors: Goulson Dave , Thompson Jack , Croombs Amy
Published: April 2018

A strong argument can be made that the European Union has the most rigorous regulatory system for pesticides in the world, and that modern pesticide use poses fewer environmental threats than older regimes. Nevertheless, the impacts of pesticides on bees and other non-target organisms is much debated in Europe as elsewhere. Here we document changing patterns of pesticide use in arable and horticultural crops in Great Britain from 1990 to 2015. The weight of pesticides used has approximately halved over this period, but in contrast the number of applications per field nearly doubled. The total potential kill of honeybees (the total number of LD50 doses applied to the 4.6 million hectares of arable farmland in Great Britain each year) increased six-fold to approximately 3 x 1016 bees, the result of the increasing use of neonicotinoids from 1994 onwards which more than offset the effect of declining organophosphate use. It is important to acknowledge that our simple analysis does not take into account many factors such as differences in persistence, and timing and mode of application of pesticides, that will affect actual exposure of non-target organisms. Nonetheless, all else being equal, these data suggest that the risk posed by pesticides to non-target insects such as bees, other pollinators and natural enemies of pests, has increased considerably in the last 26 years.
What an entangled Web we weave: An information-centric approach to time-evolving socio-technical systems
Authors: Luczak-Roesch Markus , O'Hara Kieron , Dinneen Jesse David , Tinati Ramine
Published: April 2018

A new layer of complexity, constituted of networks of information token recurrence, has been identified in socio-technical systems such as the Wikipedia online community and the Zooniverse citizen science platform. The identification of this complexity reveals that our current understanding of the actual structure of those systems, and consequently the structure of the entire World Wide Web, is incomplete. Here we establish the principled foundations and practical advantages of analyzing information diffusion within and across Web systems with Transcendental Information Cascades, and outline resulting directions for future study in the area of socio-technical systems. We also suggest that Transcendental Information Cascades may be applicable to any kind of time-evolving system that can be observed using digital technologies, and that the structures found in such systems consist of properties common to all naturally occurring complex systems.
Why Riders Perform Risky Riding Behavior in Jakarta: The effects of Hazardous Situation, Gender, and Risk Perception
Authors: Maulina Dewi , Danilasari Keyni Regina , Nazhira Fara , Jufri Satara Samia
Published: April 2018

The relationship between risky riding behavior and traffic accidents has been identified in previous research. However, there is limited research that focuses on the interaction between internal and external factors and the effect this has on riders’ risky riding decisions. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of hazardous situations and gender on risk perception and risky riding behavior among motorcyclists. We focus on lane-splitting behavior as one of the most common risky riding behaviors among motorcyclists in Jakarta. A 2×2 mixed-groups factorial ANOVA (hazardous situation × gender) was conducted with 72 participant riders, male as well as female. Participants were asked to read different scenarios and watch six video clips that showed pro-risk and anti-risk hazardous situations. At the end of each clip, participants answered questions related to risk perception and lane splitting decisions. Results show that hazardous situations have a significant effect on each dimension of risk perception and on risky riding behavior. However, results suggest that gender has a significant effect only on two dimensions of risk perception, namely, efficacy and worry and insecurity. We also found a significant effect of the interaction between hazardous situations and gender on risk perception, which is the dimension of the likelihood of an accident. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that it is important for law enforcement to consider the role of risk perception when granting motorcycle licenses.
The Effects of Written Feedback On ESL Writers’ Ability To Edit Word Choice Errors
Authors: Bobrova Larysa
Published: April 2018

This study examines whether indirect written corrective feedback (CF) can enable 45 ESL writers with intermediate language proficiency to self-edit word choice errors classified as conceptual. Using a pre- and immediate post-test design, the study compares the effects of indirect CF under two conditions: errors are marked and coded without (1) and with metalinguistic explanation and (2) with two types of metalinguistic explanation: traditional and cognitive. Accuracy of word choice is measured in a new piece of writing. The results indicate that (1) CF with metalinguistic explanation is more useful than that without explanation (the control group) and (2) cognitive explanation (the cognitive group) appears to be significantly more effective than one drawn on the traditional account of language (the traditional group). The findings suggest that, when the CF attends to word choice errors as conceptual by addressing the mismatch between L2 forms and their conceptual content structured through cognitive frames and conceptual metaphors, ESL student writers are likely to make correct assumptions about syntagmatic connections of L2 words and correct more erroneous words in their L2 writing than when they are exposed to the feedback that approaches word choice errors as simply lexical and focuses on form-form mismatches.
Using Task-based Materials in Teaching Writing for EFL Classes in Indonesia
Authors: Sundari Hanna , Febriyanti Rina Husnaini , Saragih Gustaman
Published: April 2018

Task-based language teaching has been widely used for language classroom. Using tasks as main activities, task-based materials was developed particularly for writing class. This article is intended to present the study of effectiveness of task-based materials in improving writing class for university. To accommodate the research purposes, mixed method approach was carried out by using quasi experimental research and content analysis of sentence complexity. The respondents were 210 students from writing classes as experiment and control with writing test as instrument. The results of data analysis showed that there were significant differences of writing skill to those who taught using developed task-based materials. Despite the fact that the score did not significantly differ on the aspect of writing mechanics, a developed task-based material has been proved to improve students’ writing skill in the aspect of format, content, organization and grammar. Moreover, the levels of lexical complexity and accuracy from the students whose materials use task-based design are higher than those who do not use it. Then, it can be drawn a conclusion that the use of developed task-based materials brings significant effects toward writing performance.
The Effect of Individualized Technology-Mediated Feedback on EFL Learners’ Argumentative Essays
Authors: Soltanpour Fatemeh , Valizadeh Mohammadreza
Published: April 2018

This quantitative quasi-experimental study, which followed a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest design, was aimed at investigating the effect of individualized technology-mediated feedback (henceforth, ITMF) on the overall quality of Iranian EFL learners’ argumentative essays. The effect of ITMF, as the experimental treatment, was compared with the common written corrective feedback (henceforth, CWCF) strategies as the control treatment. 57 learners, studying at general EFL courses at upper-intermediate level, formed the participants. They were assigned to two groups: ITMF and CWCF, which, in this study, is meant as the pen-and-paper form of direct and indirect feedback. Each group received six sessions of treatment. The writing tasks and tests were all of argumentative type. First, whether there was any significant difference between the ITMF and CWCF in the overall quality of the essays was investigated. The ITMF group significantly outperformed the CWCF one. Then, whether the difference between the groups varied over time was explored, and it was revealed that the ITMF was still significantly superior over the CWCF. Next, whether there would be any significant change in the ITMF in the long term was examined, and no change was seen. The study supports the advocates of screencasting feedback, revision and teacher-learner negotiation following the feedback.
A Central Consciousness at Work Beneath the Surface Artlessness: Narrative Strategies in “Tristram Shandy”
Authors: Xu Junfang
Published: April 2018

‘The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman’ (hereafter shortened to “Tristram Shandy”) is a unique novel written by British author Laurence Sterne in the eighteenth century. While Sterne’s contemporary readers may have conflicting viewpoints about the artistic value of “Tristram Shandy” because of its surface artlessness and chaos, readers today in the contexts of such twentieth-century critical theories as postmodernism, existentialism, and deconstruction, find it congenial and more intriguing. I argue that despite the apparent chaos of this novel, the author-narrator Tristram is a central consciousness that holds the whole work together. And I believe Sterne narrates his story in such a peculiar way in conformity to his own perception of the outside world. Specifically, this paper aims to explore the inventive narrative strategies employed in Sterne’s “Tristram Shandy” in the three aspects of narrative structure, time-shifting technique and self-conscious narrator. Amazingly, “Tristram Shandy” presents a wholly new notion of creative writing, one that goes beyond its time, and has unbreakable connection with twentieth-century literature.
The Comparative Effect of Online Self-Correction, Peer- correction, and Teacher Correction in Descriptive Writing Tasks on Intermediate EFL Learners’ Grammar Knowledge The Prospect of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL)
Authors: Aghajani Mojtaba , Zoghipour Mahsa
Published: April 2018

60 participants of the study were selected based on their scores on the Nelson proficiency test and divided into three Telegram groups comprising a peer-correction, a self-correction and a teacher-correction group, each with 20 students. The pretest was administered to measure the subjects' grammar knowledge. Subsequently, three Telegram groups each with 21 members (20 students + 1 teacher) were formed. Then during a course of nearly one academic term the grammatical notions were taught by the teacher. The members were required to write on the prompt in about 50 to 70 words and post it on the group. Then, their writings were corrected through self-correction, peer-correction and teacher-correction under the feedback provided by the researcher. The study used a pretest-posttest design to compare the learners’ progress after the application of three different types of treatment. One-Way between-groups ANOVA was run to test whether there was any statistically significant difference in grammar knowledge in descriptive writing of intermediate EFL learners’ who receive mobile-assisted self-correction, peer-correction and teacher-correction. The researcher also used Post-Hoc Tests to determine the exact difference between correction methods. Online self-correction, peer-correction and teacher-correction were the independent variables and grammar knowledge was the dependent variable. Examining the result of the study prove that significance level between self-correction and teacher-correction was the strongest (sig. = 0.000) but the significance level was a little less strong between peer-correction and teacher-correction whereas no significance was observed between self-correction and peer-correction.
EFL Teachers’ and Students’ Evaluation of Prospect3 in the Light of Cisar’s Communicative Model
Authors: Kaffash Fatemeh , Yazdanmehr Elham , Ghanizadeh Afsaneh
Published: April 2018

The significance of ELT materials has been emphasized by many researchers including Williams (1983). A body of research was conducted in Iran on English textbooks in general and Prospect series in particular. However, Prospect3 which is newly introduced to the public education has been scarcely investigated. The alleged communicative approach in this textbook was evaluated in the present research. To this aim, Cisar’s standard-based evaluation scale was used for the analysis based on five communicative goals proposed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL, 1996). The evaluation was done by 200 Iranian EFL students and 30 EFL teachers along the five standards-based communicative goals: communication, cultures, connections, communities and comparisons. The Persian translated version of the scale was used and checked for reliability and validity. The overall scale showed to enjoy a high reliability (.91). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the five components and their indicators within the communicative model. The mean scores of EFL students’ and teachers’ rating of each communicative component were compared through an independent-samples T-test via SPSS 21. Both teachers’ and students’ ratings showed that all communicative goals of the textbook were less than partially acceptable (Mean˂2). Prospect3 failed to achieve its claimed communicative goals, as perceived by EFL teachers and students. The present findings make an evidence-based criticism of the alleged communicative promises of the newly-developed EFL textbook, Prospect3. It hopes to raise Iranian ELT material developers’ awareness of the true gist of the communicative approach and hopes to help them revise the target textbook accordingly.
Environmental Metaphors in Contemporary Indonesian Literature
Authors: Ahmadi Anas , Ghazali Abd. Syukur
Published: April 2018

This study is for exploring the environmental metaphor in Indonesian novel. The environmental metaphor is focused on animal and plant metaphors. This study uses qualitative approach and data sources from the novels of Burung-Burung Manyar (2014), Burung-burung Rantau (2014) by YB Mangunwijaya, Mantra Pejinak Ular (2014) by Kuntowijoyo. The data analysis technique that is used refers to the Miles & Huberman flow model (1994) related to (1) data collection, (2) data reduction, (3) display data, (4) conclusion drawing and revision. The results show that the environmental metaphor has a function to understand the philosophy of human life from the environment and the author’s criticism about people who destroy the environment or commit corruptions/evil things.
Investigating the Relationship between Learning Styles and ESP Reading Strategies in Academic Setting
Authors: Ajideh Parviz , Zohrabi Mohammad , Pouralvar Kazem
Published: April 2018

The present study investigated the relationship between Art and Science students’ learning styles and their ESP reading strategies in academic settings. Learning styles are defined as general orientations learners take toward their learning experiences. This notion has recently obtained attention in the area of language learning. Strategies are also defined as specific behaviours or techniques learners employ towards leaning in order to achieve their learning goals. The strategies chosen are often linked to the individual's learning style. The purpose of this study was to identify Art and Science students’ major learning style preferences and their strategies they employ to tackle their reading materials in ESP courses at Tabriz Islamic Art University. To this end, 313 Art and Science students at Tabriz Islamic Art University answered two self-report questionnaires (PLSPQ and SORS) to identify their major and minor learning styles as well as their reading strategies in ESP reading. In order to find any relationship between the students’ preferred learning style (s) and their reading strategies in ESP, Pearson Product Moment Coefficient r was used to analyze the participants’ answers to the questionnaires. The results showed that Art students favored Kinesthetic, Auditory, Visual and Tactile learning styles as their major learning styles while Science students showed preference to only Kinesthetic Learning style as their major learning style and other learning styles as their minor ones. It was also found that the most dominant reading strategies both Art and Science students apply in reading their ESP texts was cognitive strategies. Correlational analyses of their major learning styles and their reading strategies are discussed.
Translation in Light of Bilingual Mental Lexicon: A Psycholinguistic Approach
Authors: Zhao Congmin
Published: April 2018

This paper gives insight into the translating process of second language learners in language use in light of the mechanism of bilingual mental lexicon. Structure and development of second language mental lexicon explains the existence of first language items and translation equivalents. Conversely translation can promote the construction of second language mental lexicon and ultimately second language acquisition.
The Effect of Wiki and E-portfolio on Writing Skill of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners
Authors: Akbari Fatemeh Zahra , Seyed Erfani Shiva
Published: April 2018

Alternative assessment has made remarkable changes in SLA instruction. Along with the assessment, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and technological developments have penetrated into instruction as well. This study was an attempt to compare the effect of wiki and e-portfolio on writing skill of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To do so, 81 out of 107 participants of 9 intact classes were homogenized by the Preliminary Test of English. They attended a 14 session term in two experimental and one control groups. Following the pretest, the writing points were taught in each group. Meanwhile, the students in both experimental groups were instructed to use technology (wiki and e-portfolio) to write their assignments on specific topics, and also they were requested to assess, to give feedback and comments on their classmates’ assignments online and working collaboratively on their feedback in the classes accompanied with the feedback provided by the teacher. Besides, the students in control group were required to do their assignments paper-based and bring them back to the class in order to correct problems. At the end, the posttest of writing was administrated. The results of statistical analysis revealed that applying CALL in both forms of wiki and e-portfolio were significantly more effective in learners’ writing than the conventional way. However, wiki could encourage higher levels of progress in writing skill in comparison with using e-portfolio.
Empirical Analysis of Intonation Activities in EFL Student’s Books
Authors: Nikolić Dušan
Published: April 2018

Intonation instruction has repeatedly proved a challenge for EFL teachers, who avoid getting involved in intonation teaching more than their EFL textbooks demand from them. Since a great number of teachers rely on EFL textbooks when implementing intonation practice, the intonation activities in EFL materials are often central to their classroom. Even though the research on intonation instruction has been well-documented, few papers have explored intonation activities in EFL materials. The present study thus provides an empirical analysis of intonation activities in five EFL student’s books series by exploring the overall coverage of intonation activities across the series and the quality of these activities. The results reveal that intonation activities are underrepresented in the EFL student’s books, and that discourse intonation deserves more attention in the activities. Considerations for EFL teachers and publishers are also discussed.
The Effect of Listening Strategy Instruction on Iranian Pre-intermediate EFL Learners’ Listening ability
Authors: Ghaed sharaf Farzaneh , Mobaraki Melika , Rabani Nia Maryam
Published: April 2018

Listening comprehension plays an important role in the process of language learning as it is one of the four major skills in language acquisition. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of listening strategy instruction on improving listening comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. To achieve this goal, forty students studying at Birjand University were participated in the current study. All of thestudents were within the age range of 18 to 22. Then, they were non-randomly divided into two groups, as a control and an experimental group. Theexperimental was taught based on a guide lesson plan regarding listening strategies while the control group did not receive any treatment. The listening section of TOEFL was utilized to measure the listening performance of the participants before and after the treatment. The results of Independent Samples Test indicated thatinstructing listening strategies had no significant impact onlistening comprehension of Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners.
Interlanguage Pragmatics: Deviant Patterns of Negative Responses to English Negative Yes/No Questions by L1 Thai Speakers
Authors: Chantharasombat Jidapa , Pongpairoj Nattama
Published: April 2018

This study investigated the potential cause of L1 Thai speakers’ persistent deviations from target-like negative responses to negative yes/no questions in L2 English context based on the theory of interlanguage pragmatics, particularly pragmatic transfer. L1 Thai undergraduates were categorized into two groups according to their level of L2 English linguistic proficiency. A discourse completion task (DCT), which required the participants to complete their turns in a conversation under different situations, were used to elicit their negative responses. The results revealed that negative pragmatic transfer, influenced by differences in linguistic action patterns of negative responses to negative yes/no questions between Thai and English, occurred in the performance of L1 Thai speakers in both lower and higher L2 English proficiency groups. However, the overall results suggested that the lower proficiency group tended to rely more on their L1 Thai pragmatic competence and showed higher tendency of negative pragmatic transfer than the higher proficiency group. The research indicated that negative transfer from the speakers’ different L1 Thai pragmatic influence from L2 English could make an impact on their non-target-like performance. Moreover, their level of L2 English linguistic proficiency and degree of reliance on their L1 Thai pragmatic knowledge could affect their production to diverge from L2 English pragmatic norms.
Projecting Gender Identity in Argumentative Written Discourse
Authors: Nasri Mehdi , Biria Reza , Karimi Mahzad
Published: April 2018

Generally speaking, writers use various resources for introducing themselves to their readers. Among these, stance and engagement discourse markers are fundamental properties which manifest the underlying interaction process between writers and readers. The present paper sought to investigate whether male and female Iranian EFL learners performed differently in terms of using stance and engagement features in their writing assignments. To this end, a corpus comprising 80 argumentative essays written by advanced learners (40 males and 40 females) were collected and analyzed respectively. Hyland’s (2008) framework of stance and engagement features including hedges, boosters, attitude markers and self-mention as well as readers’ use of engagement markers such as pronouns, directives, questions, and shared knowledge served as a tertium comprationis for comparing and contrasting the written corpora created by male and female students.  For analyzing the data, a software named Hermetic Word Counter was utilized to determine the frequency of the targeted tokens. The findings revealed that male and female writers made a differential use of stance and engagement features in writing argumentative essays. The significance of the differences was further attested by the application of a chi-square statistical technique. Regarding stance-taking, it was found out that both groups followed the same patterns of stance-taking except for the use of hedges and boosters. Moreover, compared to male students, the female writers tried to create reader engagement by asking questions.
Discourse Functions of Kama in Arabic Journalistic Discourse from the Perspective of Rhetorical Structure Theory
Authors: Ayed Al-Khawaldeh Asem
Published: April 2018

The study aims at examining the functions of the discourse marker Kama in the Arabic journalistic discourse in the light of Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) proposed by Mann and Thompson (1987). To this end, the study compiled a small-scale corpus of journalistic discourse taken from two prominent Arabic news websites:  Aljazeera.net and Alarabia.net. The corpus covers three distinct sub-genres of journalistic discourse: opinion articles, news reports, and sport reports. The journalistic discourse is chosen on the basis that it is considered as the best representative of the contemporary written Arabic and it receives a wide readership in the Arabic-speaking countries. The motivation for the study is that although it is frequently used in the written form of Arabic (particularly in the language of Arabic media), the discourse marker kama is largely neglected and very few has been said about it in the present literature on Arabic discourse markers. The current findings show that kama is found to achieve 290 occurrences in the corpus under investigation. This obviously indicates that kama is commonly used in the language of Arabic journalistic discourse, which calls for paying attention to its usage in such a type of discourse. In the light of Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) proposed by Mann and Thompson (1987), kama was found to serve four common functions: elaboration (around 50 %), similarity (around 19 %), evidence (16 %), and exemplification (13 %). Two functions of kama (similarity and   exemplification) are listed in RST while the other two are incorporated.
Revisiting the Tenets of Critical Pedagogy in Postmethod Pedagogy to Highlight the Concept of Intellectualism
Authors: Zokaeieh Siavash , Fakhri Alamdari Ebrahim
Published: April 2018

Postmethod pedagogy and critical pedagogy have influential roles in education and language teaching. A number of practitioners may claim to instruct based on the tenets of postmethod pedagogy, however, they may not be entirely aware of the oppositional intention and dynamicity of this model. This article aims at revisiting the tenets and constructing elements of critical pedagogy and Freire’s point of view vis-a-vis postmethod pedagogy and Kumaravadivelu’s developed model to enlighten the open-mindedness and dynamic perceptions of these interwoven approaches. Furthermore, some criticisms towards critical pedagogy and postmethod pedagogy are brought into consideration for better understanding of the relevance and the weaknesses. It is hoped that by bringing these two notions, teachers especially those who wish to use postmethod pedagogy in their setting become more aware of the intellectual priorities of critical pedagogy and postmethod pedagogy such as moving from banking model of education, absence of bias and deviation from predetermined and fixed frameworks in the classrooms.
Fragmentation of the fe/male characters in Final Flight from Sanaa: A corpus-based feminist stylistic analysis
Authors: Saif Al-Nakeeb Ohood Ali Mohammed
Published: April 2018

This paper examines the fragmentation of the fe/male characters in a one-novel corpus (henceforth, FFFS Corpus). The text is Final Flight From Sanaa, a Yemeni novel written by Qais Ghanem and published in 2011. The paper unfolds how the fe/male characters are introduced and talked about as anatomical parts in order to describe differences or similarities in gender representation, and to explore power relations and cultural differences between the eastern and western men and women. The analysis is done qualitatively using the feminist stylistic approach set out in Mills (1995) and quantitatively with the help of the corpus linguistic tool Wmatrix. Results have demonstrated that although the female and male bodies are almost equally fragmented, they are depicted differently. For example, female characters are introduced in terms of their physical attractiveness and sexuality while their male counterparts are focalized via their colors, physical deficiencies, skills, personality traits and the level of power they possess (whether physical or social).
Politics of Staging Capitalist Society in Transcultural Adaptations of Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera by Ajoka Theatre in Pakistan
Authors: Kayani Taimur , Ali Termizi Arbaayah , Roselezam Wan Yahya Wan , Baizura Bahar Ida
Published: April 2018

Brecht’s canonical literary work’s indigenization in Pakistan can offer a valuable transcultural adaptation study because it was performed through a radical theatre with a distinct dramaturgy and political philosophy in two different cultural contexts and historical frame of references. As the foremost representative of Brecht’s radical dramaturgy, philosophy and literary works in Pakistan since 1983, Ajoka theatre utilized these adaptations as a platform for airing a critique on capitalism in Pakistan. Prior researches focused on the formal criticism: visual and aural elements. No contextual reading is conducted to explore its political and cultural dimensions of these transcultural adaptations in providing descriptive critique on capitalist society of Pakistan. Realizing the paucity of indigenous academic work in this area this article takes this initiative and addresses this ‘research gap’ by first conducting a new historicist study of Brecht selected work and its transcultural adaptations in Pakistan. This article also investigates the theatrical and cultural factors which contributed to the enormous success of these transcultural adaptations of Brecht’s selected work in Pakistan in light of Hutcheon’s theory of adaptation.
The Effect of Higher Order Thinking Skill Instruction on EFL Reading Ability
Authors: Nourdad Nava , Masoudi Sanam , Rahimali Parisa
Published: April 2018

This quantitative and quasi-experimental study dealt with the effect of the teaching higher order thinking (HOT) on the reading comprehension ability of foreign language learners. Since reading ability plays a crucial role in learners’ education, it is language teachers’ mission to be aware of the useful and beneficial strategies to improve their students’ reading comprehension ability. Considering the fruitful results of applying HOT skills in education, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of their instruction on students’ reading comprehension ability. To achieve the objectives of the study, a group of 236 male and female university students majoring in various fields but all taking General English course was selected by convenience sampling. They were randomly assigned into two groups of control and experimental. PET test was applied to homogenize the participants of the two study groups. The study followed pre-test, treatment, post-test design. While the experimental group followed a nine-session treatment on strategies of HOT, the control group was instructed through conventional method determined by the course book. The results of independent samples t-test revealed the positive effect of teaching HOT skills on improving reading comprehension ability of adult EFL learners. Pedagogical implications of these findings for language learners, language teachers, course book developers, and educational policy makers are discussed.
Translation of Taboos: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
Authors: Nazari Robati Fatemeh Zahra , Zand Fatemeh
Published: April 2018

Taboo terms are intensifiers which flavor our speech. The different outlooks of each society towards these expressions due to religious, political and social attitudes makes translating them difficult. Knowing the frequency of application of translation strategies for translating these terms can be of help to other translators. This study investigated the types of taboo terms and strategies applied in their translation in the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This book has been banned in the home for its taboo terms. For the purpose of this study Cabrera's (2014) categorization of taboo terms and Davoodi's (2007) strategies for translating them were applied. Concerning the 150 found taboos in the novel the types of taboo terms in order of appearance were sexual reference/body part (55.92%), psychological/physical condition (11.84%), violence (9.21), animal name (6.57%), drugs/excessive alcohol consumption (6.57%), urination/scatology (3.94%), filth (1.97%), profane/blasphemous (1.31%) and death/killing (0%). The applied strategies in order of appearance were substitution (35.33%), taboo for taboo (26%), censorship (23.33%) and euphemism (15.33%). The 61% application of substitution and taboo for taboo strategies shows the tendency of the translator to maintain the force of effect of taboo terms than eliminating their force through censorship and euphemism by 38.66% application.
Immigration in the United States 2016 Presidential Debates: A Functional Analysis
Authors: Hasani Yaseen Ahmed , Mohamad Ali Afida , Mohd Kasim Zalina
Published: April 2018

This paper describes an analysis of the three U.S. 2016 presidential debates published in The New York Times using Benoit’s (2007a) functional theory. The three presidential debates in the U.S., which occur every four years, remain as the most sensitive political rhetoric that lead to the election of the next U.S. President. These debates include discussion of different issues between the two presidential candidates. One of these issues is immigration. The U.S. presidential debates have been researched by many on various aspects but there has not been a study that focus primarily on the issue of immigration in the three 2016 U.S. presidential debates. All statements regarding this issue between the two presidential candidates, Trump and Clinton, were extracted from these debates and analyzed using Benoit's (2007a) functional theory. Findings revealed that attack statements occurred more than acclaims, and defences were less used than acclaims. The statements included in these debates pertained to policy (30%) and character (70%). As expected, general goals were employed more often using acclaim function rather than attack and defend. However, ideals were employed more often using defence than to acclaim and attack. Due to different contexts, situations, and participants, Benoit's (2007a) functional theory may not be generalized for all debates. This study reveals certain inconsistencies regarding some of the hypotheses of Benoit's (2007a) functional theory in relation to our knowledge of the presidential debates, specifically the issue of immigration.
The Effect of Mnemonic Vocabulary Instruction on Reading Comprehension of Students
Authors: Fasih Parima , Izadpanah Siros , Shahnavaz Ali
Published: April 2018

The present article was an investigation of mnemonic vocabulary teaching to improve reading comprehension in the EFL classrooms. A major problem with the most of the past researches was that they paid no or little attention to the effects of using mnemonic strategies to improve reading comprehension. The purpose of this paper was to investigate how key word mnemonic vocabulary teaching can improve reading comprehension of the students. To this end, 360 third grade senior high school students from 6 senior high schools of Zanjan were selected through multistage cluster random sampling method and based on Cambridge placement test (2010), 345 students proved to be upper intermediate. A quasi-experimental design was used to determine the effects of a mnemonic vocabulary intervention on reading comprehension. In this article there were one control group (A, n=115), and two experimental groups (B, n=115; C, n=115) all of which were male and there were selected randomly by the researchers. During one month in four weeks, every week in two thirty-minute session, group B received direct vocabulary instruction and group C received key word mnemonic instruction. The quantitative component of this article was comprised of the Unit Cloze test. In order to test the effects of Mnemonic Vocabulary Teaching on reading comprehension, the covariance analysis was employed and the results demonstrated that by eliminating the covariance factor of the pre-test, mnemonic vocabulary instruction improved the reading comprehension of the students. The use of keyword mnemonics as a means to differentiate instruction is an educational implication that can assist teachers seeking better student achievement outcomes.
Ordinary Themes Presented with an Extra-ordinary Talent: An Overview of Emily Dickinson’s Notable Poems
Authors: Aldalabeeh Yousef. A.N.
Published: April 2018

As a poet with varied writing styles and extra-ordinary talent, Emily Dickinson occupied a very prestigious position in the field of American literature. Her poetry deals with a unique and large number of thematic expressions. This paper aims at introducing the unfolded, underlying and amazing thematic expressions of Emily Dickinson’s notable poetry. To unveil these themes of death, love, nature, immortality, pain and suffering from her widely recognized poetry, secondary source of data has been used. In this study, an effort also has been made to trace, examine, and explore the various themes with outstanding style of presentation of her poetry and their impact on readers and critics. Many researchers and critics have spent their great exertion to trace out these themes and they became successful in this regard. It is hoped that this study will also be a part in this line of contribution and serve the purpose for which it is designed.