bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Language choice and second language learning opportunities in learners’ social networks
Authors: Kurata Naomi
Published: July 2016

This paper examines the patterns of language choice and the construction of L2 learning opportunities in foreign language learners’ social networks by focusing on how these patterns and opportunities are socially structured in a Japanese language learner’s natural interactions. It is based on a range of data, including a script of on-line chat occurring in natural environments as well interview data. Drawing on Cummins’ (1996) concept of interpersonal space, the findings indicate that there were a number of social and contextual factors that seemed to affect the learner’s language choice and L2 learning opportunities in complex ways. Most of these factors appeared to be related to the learner’s and/or his network interactants’ identity as an adequate L2 user and their perception of each other’s L2 proficiency and/or role. This paper provides insights into how to create environments that promote the learners’ opportunities for L2 use and learning.
How I survived as an overseas teacher of Japanese in Australia
Authors: Nakahara Masumi , Black Paul
Published: July 2016

Languages education, or what has been called the study of languages other than English (LOTE), seems to involve a paradox in Australia. It is supposed to promote cultural enrichment and intercultural understanding, and yet the process of becoming a qualified language teacher tends to be intolerant of the cultural differences of overseas born and educated speakers of these languages. This is clear from an increasing body of literature on the difficulties experienced by overseas educated language teachers, which we review in the first half of this paper. Since this raises questions on how such teachers survive in Australia, we then present an introspective study of the experiences of the first author, including the circumstances that brought her to Australia, the difficulties she faced in teacher training and as a newly employed teacher, and the factors that enabled her to cope and eventually succeed. Her experiences highlight the particular importance of supportive supervisors and colleagues, thus suggesting a valuable role for mentoring.
Doing battle with a noun
Authors: Crichton Jonathan
Published: July 2016

Studies from a range of disciplinary perspectives have highlighted how the public rhetoric of the Bush administration has shaped the representation of the conflict which has followed 9/11. However, the literature in this area raises but does not itself address the question of how the administration’s use of ‘terror’, ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist(s)’ contributes to this representation. This paper addresses the question by providing a preliminary analysis of how these terms participate in the grammar of twelve of George W. Bush’s speeches since 9/11. Drawing on Systemic Functional Grammar, the analysis suggests that ‘terror’ has become interchangeable with ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist(s)’, resulting in the personification of ‘terror’ as an abstract agent. The implications of this construction are explored in relation to the literature on the rhetoric associated with the ‘war on terror’.
Who’s the friend in the background?
Authors: Emmison Michael , Danby Susan
Published: July 2016

A significant number of calls made to Kids Help Line are seen by the organisation as not requiring counselling support, but are rather young people testing or ‘checking out’ the service. Although the status of many of these ‘testing calls’ is self-evident, determining the authenticity of others presents the helpline counsellors with a dilemma: confronting the caller if they have doubts about the caller’s reason for calling while, at the same time, avoiding a premature challenge when the call is genuine. We examine the various interactional strategies that the counsellors artfully deploy in their determination of the status of a call. Outright challenges are rare, and counsellors typically will employ devices that announce their suspicions indirectly and which, at the same time, seamlessly accomplish the mundane business of responding to a call in ways which treat the callers with respect.
Applied Linguistics in “dialogue” with hermeneutics in discoursing “the intercultural” in educational praxis
Authors: Papademetre Leo
Published: July 2016

Ever since the Socratic-Platonic inquiry on the nature of language, linguistic and socio-cultural thinking in Eurocentric academic cultures about human communication has been discoursed from various philosophical perspectives based on diverse conceptualisations, perceptions, understandings, notions, theories, descriptions and explanations of the variable phenomena observed in intra- and intercultural interaction and communication. In the variable research areas of applied linguistics ‘scholars from a variety of disciplines have applied themselves to defining what the nature of intercultural communication might be and how it might be taught’ (Kramsch, 2002, p. 277). However, in the concerted effort to apply our understanding of “the intercultural” in our research and educationalpraxis, we ‘have no other recourse but discourse itself – the discourse of [our] discipline, laid out on the page as disciplinary truth. And that, as James Clifford (Clifford, 1988) would say, is the “predicament of culture”’ (Kramsch, 2002, p. 282). In the following essay, this “predicament” is examined in the contexts of the discourse tradition which centres on “dialogue” as a valued means of understanding self-and-otherintra-and-inter-culturally. Discussion will focus on how “dialogue” can impose “situated/positioned” ways of interpreting and understanding “the intercultural” in languages education, especially when it defers engaging with variable-linguisticalityand variable-traditionalityin its discourse tradition.
English as an international language
Authors: Clyne Michael , Sharifian Farzad
Published: July 2016

In recent years, there has been a rapid evolution in the demographics of English speaking communities and individuals around the world, with an unprecedented growth in the number of users and learners of English. In the majority of cases, these learners and users are those who would traditionally have been classified as “non-native” speakers. This trend towards non-native speakers far outweighing native speakers in number is projected to pick up speed. The evolving nature of English in this context of its globalisation has called for a reassessment of a number of key dimensions in applied linguistic studies of English. Scholarly debates have surfaced about various political issues including the validity of the old distinction between “native” and “nonnative” speakers, what form English should – or is likely to – take as a language of international/intercultural communication (or lingua franca), and which groups are empowered and which ones disadvantaged by the accelerating prominence of English. Collectively, the essays in this issue of the journal engage with these issues in order to take the debate up to the next level. This article is a position paper which offers to open up the forum and to expand on some of some of these fundamental questions.
Living in two worlds
Authors: Zheng Lin
Published: July 2016

This paper is based on an analysis of interviews, conducted at three primary schools in Melbourne, which sought to explore the determinants of code-switching between English and Chinese. Specifically, it examined school education and other specific possible determinants of code switching amongst Chinese-Australian bilingual children. The specific determinants of codeswitching that emerge from this study include: the length of residence in an English speaking community; the exposure to languages in schools and family communication patterns. The nature of school education played a leading role in Chinese language maintenance for the bilingual children.
Towards homogeneity in homes languages
Authors: Ting Su-Hie , dummy contact - do not alter ZZZ
Published: July 2016

This preliminary study examines the languages used by parents with their children in Malay, Chinese Foochow and Indian Tamil families to find out how the similarity or dissimilarity in parents’ ethnic language influenced the choice of language transmitted to children and how far standard languages have permeated the family domain in Kuching City in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Standard languages refer to the three main written languages taught in the school system, namely, English, Bahasa Malaysia (Malay language) and Chinese Mandarin. Interviews were conducted with 17 families (6 Malay, 6 Chinese Foochow, 5 Indian Tamil). The results showed that the ethnic language is mostly still retained in the Malay and Indian Tamil families but has been pushed out by English and Mandarin Chinese in Chinese Foochow families. English has emerged in parental communication with children to different extents across ethnic group. Bahasa Malaysia, on the other hand, is spoken in Malay families with parents from West Malaysia. Factors found to be influencing the parental decision on language to use with their children include similarity/dissimilarity of the couple’s ethnic languages, their educational background, family and social linguistic environment, instrumental value of languages and ethnic identity.
A study of EL2 pilots’ radio communication in the General Aviation Environment
Authors: Estival Dominique , Molesworth Brett
Published: July 2016

This paper reports on the preliminary stages of a project designed to investigate communication problems in General Aviation and assess the utility of language technologies as a means of mitigation. The study presented in this paper is the first of a three-part study, in which we aim to investigate the extent to which the English language proficiency of pilots whose native language is not English (EL2) impacts on their ability to effectively communicate with Air Traffic Control (ATC), and its potential impact on safety outcomes. In a preliminary survey, we distributed a questionnaire to General Aviation pilots at various flight training organisations and collected self-reported instances of miscommunication between themselves and ATC. In addition, we asked pilots to rank, in order of difficulty, five typical radio communication tasks. The results indicated that pilots who are English native speakers and EL2 pilots give a similar ranking of difficulty to the radio communicative tasks, and that both EL2 and native speakers rank understanding other pilots as the most challenging task.
Implementing ICAO language proficiency requirements in the Versant Aviation English test
Authors: Van Moere Alistair , Suzuki Masanori , Downey Ryan , Cheng Jian
Published: July 2016

This paper discusses the development of an assessment to satisfy the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Language Proficiency Requirements. The Versant Aviation English Test utilizes speech recognition technology and a computerized testing platform, such that test administration and scoring are fully automated. Developed in collaboration with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, this 25-minute test is delivered via a telephone or computer. Two issues of interest are discussed. The first concerns the practicalities of assessing candidates in each of six separate dimensions of spoken proficiency: Pronunciation, Structure, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension, and Interactions. Although an automated scoring system can objectively segregate these skills, we question whether human raters have the capacity to do this in oral interviews. The second issue discussed is how an automated test can provide a valid assessment of spoken interactions. Tasks were designed to simulate the information exchange between pilots and controllers on which candidates’ proficiency in ‘Interactions’ could be measured, for example, by eliciting functions such as correcting miscommunications and providing clarification. It is argued that candidate ability can be probed and estimated in a fair and standardized way by presenting a series of independent items which are targeted in difficulty at the various ICAO levels.
Signs of change
Authors: Slegers Claudia
Published: July 2016

This study explores contemporary attitudes to Australian Sign Language (Auslan). Since at least the 1960s, sign languages have been accepted by linguists as natural languages with all of the key ingredients common to spoken languages. However, these visual-spatial languages have historically been subject to ignorance and myth in Australia and internationally. Absorbing these views, deaf Australians have felt confused and ambivalent about Auslan. Whilst recognising the prestige of spoken and signed versions of the majority language and the low status of their own, they have been nevertheless powerfully drawn to sign language. In the past two decades, a growing awareness and acceptance of Auslan has emerged among deaf and hearing Australians alike, spurred by linguistic research, lobbying by deaf advocacy groups and other developments. These issues are explored using semi-structured interviews with deaf and hearing individuals, participant observation in the deaf community, and analysis of government and educational language policies.
Pair interactions and mode of communication
Authors: Tan Lan Liana , Wigglesworth Gillian , Storch Neomy
Published: July 2016

In today’s second language classrooms, students are often asked to work in pairs or small groups. Such collaboration can take place face-to-face, but now more often via computer mediated communication. This paper reports on a study which investigated the effect of the medium of communication on the nature of pair interaction. The study involved six pairs of beginner participants in a Chinese class completing seven different tasks. Each task was completed twice, once face to face (FTF), and once via computer mediated communication (CMC). All pair talk was audio recorded, and on-line communication was logged. Using Storch’s (2002) model of patterns of pair interaction, five patterns were identified: collaborative, cooperative, dominant/dominant, dominant/passive and expert/novice. The medium of communication was found to affect the pattern of interaction. In CMC some pairs became more collaborative, or cooperative. The implications of these findings for language teaching, particularly for the use of CMC in language classes, are discussed.
Learner language analytic methods and pedagogical implications
Authors: Dyson Bronwen Patricia
Published: July 2016

Methods for analysing interlanguage have long aimed to capture learner language in its own right. By surveying the cognitive methods of Error Analysis, Obligatory Occasion Analysis and Frequency Analysis, this paper traces reformulations to attain this goal. The paper then focuses on Emergence Analysis, which fine-tunes learner language analysis by measuring the ‘onset’ of spoken grammar as hypothesised in Processability Theory (PT) (Pienemann, 1998, 2005a). Since doubts have been expressed regarding the emergence approach’s rigour and pedagogical relevance, a study is presented which aims to provide a more in-depth and wide-ranging account of the ‘onset’ of. English grammar. Having sketched and amplified Processability Theory’s predictions, the paper applies emergence analysis to the longitudinal development of two adolescent ESL learners. As well as exemplifying the rigour of the emergence procedures, the results show overall support for the more comprehensive predictions. The paper concludes that learner language analysis does not have a deficit emphasis on transition to the target language, as claimed by Firth and Wagner (1997, 2007). Indeed, such methods have a role in assessing developmental readiness in a learner-oriented approach to grammar teaching.
Chatting in L2 Spanish
Authors: Sánchez-Castro Olga , Mrowa-Hopkins Colette
Published: July 2016

This study seeks to examine variations in patterns of interactivity as they are displayed in the ongoing discourse construction of high and low self-efficacy learners of Spanish in the context of computermediated-communication. The paper specifically focuses on the analysis of synchronous text chats of six university students of Spanish at intermediate level over the course of two semesters as they carried out semi-directed discussions. The analytical framework is drawn from Eggins and Slade’s (2006) model of speech functions within Systemic Functional Linguistics which, to our knowledge, has never been applied to second language online chat discussions. This approach highlights how general patterns of dominance, sustainability and dependence in the management of discourse behaviour are displayed through the participants’ contributions. The analysis suggests in particular that the realisation of interactivity can be traced back to the negotiation of exchanges concerned with social and interpersonal relations. These findings become particularly relevant when considered within the wider educational debate of participation and acquisition (Sfard, 1998), as the interpersonal relations of people who engage in collaborative activities are normally considered peripheral to second or foreign language learning (Pavlenko & Lantolf, 2000). On the basis of the present analysis, a further elaboration of the model is proposed to take account of the relational perspective that would need to be tested in future studies using similar data.
‘Why didn’t they teach us any of this before?’
Authors: Beykont Zeynep F.
Published: July 2016

This article examines youth assessment of the quality and success of languages provision. The discussion draws on data collected from students and graduates of Victoria’s 16 secondary Turkish programs in large-scale surveys (n=858) and follow-up interviews (n=177). Surveys revealed that upper secondary Turkish classrooms serve predominantly Australian-born Turkish students. Nine out of ten respondents rated their English language and literacy skills considerably higher than Turkish despite regular Turkish exposure beyond school, an average of four years of Turkish study, and a positive orientation toward Turkish maintenance in Australia. Thematic interview analyses indicated that informants found classes beneficial in expanding contexts and purposes of Turkish use, improving Turkish fluency and understanding, broadening cultural knowledge, deepening communication with family, creating a sense of belonging to the larger Turkish community, and helping students prepare for the comprehensive language exam. Across all sites, student motivation and learning were adversely affected by increasingly heterogeneous class composition and a lack of a cohesive Turkish-as-a-second-language curriculum. Youth recommendations included redesigning the curriculum to teach Turkish language and literacy skills systematically, emphasizing literacy development throughout the program, parallel teaching of Turkish and English writing styles, enhancing professional development, improving school outreach, and establishing prerequisites to prolong student participation.
How does time-on-task affect the achievement of early and late starters of Indonesian in schools?
Authors: Kohler Michelle
Published: July 2016

In the Australian education context, there are typically two cohorts of language learners at the secondary school level, those who commence their study of the target language early in their primary schooling (early starters), and those who commence their study later, at the beginning of secondary school (late starters). The two groups may have undertaken their language study under quite different program conditions, in particular in relation to “time-on-task”i. There is little empirical evidence about the nature of student achievement in languages at the end of primary and in junior secondary and its relationship to time-on-task. This paper compares the achievements of a sample of early and late start students of Indonesian in Australia using score data gathered from common measures of achievement. In addition, a small sample of student written responses are analysed in order to highlight issues related to eliciting and describing student achievement that may not be evident from the quantitative data alone. The findings of the study reveal the nature of achievement by early and late starters of Indonesian in the SAALE study, as well as the complexity of investigating a single variable such as time-on-task in relation to student achievement. The paper concludes by recommending that assessment of student achievement in language learning take into consideration methodologies that may capture more holistically a constellation of variables that impact on students’ language learning.
Cross-linguistic influence as a factor in the written and oral production of school age learners of Japanese in Australia
Authors: Iwashita Noriko
Published: July 2016

The present study investigates to what extent learners’ first language (L1) may have an impact on their writing and speaking performances. While Japanese continues to enjoy a large enrolment across levels in Australian schools and universities, the population of learners has become increasingly diverse creating challenges for teachers. One dimension of this diversity is first language background which is the focus of the present study. The data for the present study includes writing and speaking test task performances from learners of different L1s collected for a larger study (see Scarino et al., 2011, and other papers in this volume). The samples were first scored using the scale developed for the larger study and then further analysed qualitatively. The results show that students from Chinese and Korean language backgrounds received higher scores in both writing and speaking, and showed a richness of content and a variety of forms and structures not evident in the performance of those from English and other L1 backgrounds. These findings are discussed in light of learners’ level of familiarity with aspects of Japanese culture. The paper presents some suggestions for pedagogy, assessment and further research based on the findings.
Learner background and the acquisition of discourse features of Korean in the Australian secondary school context
Authors: Kim Sun Hee Ok
Published: July 2016

This paper explores how learner background shapes learner performance on discourse features in writing by analysing data produced as part of the Student Achievement in Asian Languages Education project (Scarino et al., 2011) by Year 10 (mid-secondary school) students learning Korean as a foreign or heritage language. Five participants were in their second year of learning Korean as a foreign language at an Australian high school, whereas four Korean-speaking participants were learning their mother tongue in Saturday community schools and had varied experience of learning Korean and English, the language of mainstream schooling in Australia. Participants’ performance on two writing tasks–one independent and one integrated– is examined in terms of two assessment categories–“forms and structures” (i.e., morpho-syntax) and “discourse” (i.e., coherence and cohesion). Results reveal that participants’ performance within each group varies according to task types and that the pattern of within-group variation also differs between the two groups. It appears that the two types of learners respond differently to different types of tasks and that their learning is different in nature. It is concluded that this difference needs to be taken into consideration in teaching and assessment in languages education at the secondary school level.
Cognitive and Affective enhancement among older adults
Authors: Swain Merrill
Published: July 2016

This paper was presented at the ALAA/ALANZ conference, Canberra, Australia, December, 2011.
L2 vocabulary knowledge in and out of context
Authors: van Zeeland Hilde
Published: July 2016

The vast majority of second language (L2) vocabulary research focuses on learners’ knowledge of isolated word forms. However, it is unclear to what extent this knowledge can be used as an indicator of knowledge in context (i.e. reading and listening). This study aims to shed light on this issue by comparing ESL learners’ knowledge of the meaning of isolated words (‘decontextual knowledge’) with their knowledge of the same words in both reading and listening (‘contextual knowledge’). Decontextual knowledge was measured in a free recall interview. Contextual knowledge was measured through a task in which participants paraphrased sentences containing the target items from both a written and spoken narrative. Results showed that learners’ decontextual and contextual knowledge agreed in 65% of the cases. This indicates a considerable gap between the two, and emphasises that scores on decontextualised vocabulary test should not be used as predictors of learners’ vocabulary knowledge in context. In addition, learners demonstrated significantly better knowledge of word meaning in the reading than listening mode, which may be due to processing difficulties in listening as well as better inferencing opportunities in reading. Two additional factors found to affect both decontextual and contextual knowledge are word frequency and learners’ vocabulary size.
Exploring dynamism in willingness to communicate
Authors: Cao Yiqian (Katherine)
Published: July 2016

This paper examines dynamism in students’ situational willingness to communicate (WTC) within a second language classroom. This longitudinal study involved twelve English as a Second Language (ESL) participants who enrolled in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme in New Zealand for five months. Based on data from classroom observations, stimulated-recall interviews and reflective journals, the in-depth analysis of a case study reveals that learners’ situational WTC in second language (L2) classes could fluctuate and dynamically change over time. This involved a process where situational WTC was jointly affected by learners’ cognitive condition and linguistic factors, together with classroom environmental factors. The in-depth qualitative analysis of a single case in individual lessons allowed us to see the dynamic nature of WTC.
Writing Aboriginal English & Creoles
Authors: Disbray Samantha , Loakes Deborah
Published: July 2016

Texts in Aboriginal English (AE) and creole varieties have been created by Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers for a range of purposes. In this paper, we focus on materials created in and for five educational contexts, and investigate the orthographic or spelling systems developed in each setting. Choices about orthography are guided by linguistic and non-linguistic considerations. They are sensitive to matters of prestige and identity, and new orthographic conventions are subject to comparison with ‘correct’, ‘standard’ spellings. We explore the processes, motivations and rationale that drive choices for the orthographic conventions and the diverse outcomes in the five settings.
Educational failure or success
Authors: Dixon Sally
Published: July 2016

Within the Australian education system, Aboriginal students’ use of non-standard English features is often viewed simplistically as evidence of non-attainment of literacy and oral-English milestones. One reason for this is the widespread use of assessment tools which fail to differentiate between native- English speakers and students who are learning English as a second language. In these assessments, non-standard English features are framed as ‘mistakes’ and low scores taken as evidence of ‘poor’ performance. This paper will contrast a mistake-oriented analysis with one that incorporates knowledge of the students’ first language. It will clearly show that when consideration is given to the first language, a more nuanced picture of English proficiency emerges: one that is attuned to the specific second language learning pathway and thus far better placed to inform both assessment and classroom instruction.i
Number and two languages in the early years
Authors: Wilkinson Melanie , Bradbury John
Published: July 2016

This paper focuses on the role of language and some issues associated with identifying appropriate language of instruction for three foundational Maths ideas in the Early Years of schooling. These are considered in relation to the project: Strong Literacy and Numeracy in Communities – Numeracy Component. This had two broad goals, firstly to work with paraprofessional Indigenous teachers to determine an effective language of instruction for specific foundational numeracy concepts and secondly, to create a resource to enable this to be shared. Only two of the project sites are considered here. Both are in Yolŋui communities in northeast Arnhem Land, where English is not widely used for interaction. We focus on the use of first language, Djambarrpuyŋu, for the children’s concept development. The English language that can be used is determined by what is possible for early second language learners. We will share some samples of the Djambarrpuyŋu identified for teaching early number ideas. We will describe the process by which suitable expressions for the key ideas in Djambarrpuyŋu were identified and some issues that arose regarding the use of language for comparing numbers. The project showed how ‘Maths’ lessons are a time both for concept development and for language development.
Effect of dialect on the identification of speech impairmentin Indigenous children
Authors: Laffey Kate , Pearce Wendy M. , Steed William
Published: July 2016

The influence of dialect on child speech assessment processes is important to consider in order to ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate intervention (teaching or therapy) for bidialectal children. In Australia, there is limited research evidence documenting the influence of dialectal variations on identification of speech impairment among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The effect of dialect on the identification of speech impairment was therefore investigated in seven eight-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian children living in Townsville, Queensland. Up to eighty words were transcribed from a connected speech sample and phonological patterns were analysed using contrastive analysis. The number of participants identified with a speech impairment decreased when typical characteristics of Australian Indigenous Englishes (AIE) were used as the target reference rather than Standard Australian English (SAE).
‘Like the fish not in water’
Authors: Butorac Donna
Published: July 2016

Learning English is an important aspect of post-migration settlement in Australia, and new migrants with beginner to intermediate proficiency are strongly encouraged to attend government-subsidised English language classes. Underpinning the framing and delivery of these classes is a commitment to the discursive construction of Australia as an English-monolingual nation state, in which increased English proficiency will lead to new migrants gaining employment, thereby achieving an important benchmark of successful inclusion in Australian society. The assumption that English language acquisition leads to social and economic inclusion is not challenged within the settlement English program, and the language learner is seen as linguistically deficient in English, rather than as an emerging bi- or multilingual. Moreover, the ways that race, as well as gender, mediate both language learning and social inclusion are never problematised.

This paper is based on data from a longitudinal ethnography that examines subjectivity in three interactional domains – family, society and work – in order to explore how language, race and gender impact on the post-migration settlement trajectories and sense of social inclusion of women migrants to Australia.
Identities in motion
Authors: Cummins Jim
Published: July 2016

Recent scholarship within the field of applied linguistics highlights the fact that identities are not static but are fluid, multiple, changeable across time and space, and always constructed in relationship to interactions with others. In other words, identities are constantly in motion. This paper presents a framework for examining the notion of ‘identities in motion’ as a core analytic construct in understanding patterns of educational success and failure. This framework is contrasted with the implicit frameworks that have operated in many countries that consign notions of identity negotiation to the margins and focus on ‘educational effectiveness’ as a process of instructional and organisational efficiency in isolation from the historical and current social context.
Betwixt and between
Authors: Frank Monica , Ilieva Roumiana
Published: July 2016

The success of Canada’s immigration policy is intrinsically tied to employment of an immigrant workforce. Teaching is the fourth largest profession among Canadian immigrants, yet immigrants whose occupations are in education are three times less likely to be employed in their matching profession. Failure to incorporate an immigrant workforce not only affects economic success, but has repercussions for immigrant professional identity. This paper reflects on the development of professional identity for twelve internationally educated immigrant teachers (IETs) seeking to reposition themselves as teachers in the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. Through qualitative interviews and Life Positioning Analysis (Martin, 2013), this research explored the role of significant others in facilitating or impeding IETs’ inclusion into the teaching force and subsequent effects on professional identity development. Language and linguistic abilities emerged as a pervasive theme. Participants found acceptance and validation of their language and cultural differences through the perspectives of the students with whom they came into contact. In contrast, the professional teaching community’s perspectives in regard to accents and language proficiency caused IETs to question their competence and negatively impacted their professional identities. Implications for practice with respect to supporting IETs repositioning are offered.
Linguistic barriers among Internationally Educated Teachers in Ireland and Canada
Authors: Schmidt Clea , McDaid Rory
Published: July 2016

Drawing on qualitative interview and focus group data collected from Internationally Educated Teachers (IETs) in the context of two different research studies conducted in Ireland and Manitoba, Canada, this article critically examines how national/regional linguistic requirements and expectations of a hidden curriculum are experienced as barriers to employment and as status inhibitors. While the two sites contrast starkly in terms of size, migration frameworks, and population demographics, some IETs are faced with comparable barriers in terms of securing work in their field in both countries. We make two main arguments on the basis of our findings: 1) language proficiency requirements for IETs should be accompanied by appropriate language supports, and 2) education systems must move beyond viewing language within a monolingual framework to avoid devaluing the rich linguistic repertoires of IETs who are multilingual. Analysis draws on the concept of plurilingualism to advocate for a more complex and inclusive approach to defining linguistic competence for teachers. Further, the theoretical lens of language ecology usefully emphasises the wider linguistic context that should be taken into account when designing and implementing policy and programming for IETs. Implications of this research illuminate the ways power and linguistic identity intersect in international education systems.
Post-war Kosovo landscapes in Pristina: discrepancies between language policy and urban reality
Authors: Demaj Uranela , Vandenbroucke Mieke
Published: July 2016

This paper focuses on the complex nature of post-war multilingual landscapes in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, as shaped by the country's political shift after independence in 2008. We aim to contribute to this sociolinguistically underexplored territory through an examination of the relative predominance and visibility of the capital's most dominant languages: Albanian, Serbian, and English. Our central aim is to empirically problematize the shared co-officialdom of the Albanian and Serb languages, as put forward in the “Ahtisaari Plan” in 2007 and subsequently adopted in the State Constitution in 2008 and Language Laws in 2006 and 2008. We posit that the multilingual language policies which paint an inclusive, multi-ethnic picture of Pristina do not coincide with its monolingual Albanian reality. In addition to these empirical findings, our second aim is to contribute to the theorization of authorship in the public sphere. With reference to the Pristina context, we problematize the analytical categorization conventionally made between top-down and bottom-up agency and distinguish a third category of semi-official authorship. This third category enables us to examine the dynamic nature of the discrepancy between Kosovo's language policy and Pristina's urban linguistic reality in more detail.
Brain-resident memory T cells represent an autonomous cytotoxic barrier to viral infection
Authors: Steinbach Karin , Vincenti Ilena , Kreutzfeldt Mario , Page Nicolas , Muschaweckh Andreas , Wagner Ingrid , Drexler Ingo , Pinschewer Daniel , Korn Thomas , Merkler Doron
Published: July 2016

Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) persist at sites of prior infection and have been shown to enhance pathogen clearance by recruiting circulating immune cells and providing bystander activation. Here, we characterize the functioning of brain-resident memory T cells (bTRM) in an animal model of viral infection. bTRM were subject to spontaneous homeostatic proliferation and were largely refractory to systemic immune cell depletion. After viral reinfection in mice, bTRM rapidly acquired cytotoxic effector function and prevented fatal brain infection, even in the absence of circulating CD8+ memory T cells. Presentation of cognate antigen on MHC-I was essential for bTRM-mediated protective immunity, which involved perforin- and IFN-γ–dependent effector mechanisms. These findings identify bTRM as an organ-autonomous defense system serving as a paradigm for TRM functioning as a self-sufficient first line of adaptive immunity.
Siglec-H protects from virus-triggered severe systemic autoimmunity
Authors: Schmitt Heike , Sell Sabrina , Koch Julia , Seefried Martina , Sonnewald Sophia , Daniel Christoph , Winkler Thomas H. , Nitschke Lars
Published: July 2016

It is controversial whether virus infections can contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases. Type I interferons (IFNs) are critical antiviral cytokines during virus infections and have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. Type I IFN is mainly produced by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). The secretion of type I IFN of pDCs is modulated by Siglec-H, a DAP12-associated receptor on pDCs. In this study, we show that Siglec-H–deficient pDCs produce more of the type I IFN, IFN-α, in vitro and that Siglec-H knockout (KO) mice produce more IFN-α after murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) infection in vivo. This did not impact control of viral replication. Remarkably, several weeks after a single mCMV infection, Siglec-H KO mice developed a severe form of systemic lupus–like autoimmune disease with strong kidney nephritis. In contrast, uninfected aging Siglec-H KO mice developed a mild form of systemic autoimmunity. The induction of systemic autoimmune disease after virus infection in Siglec-H KO mice was accompanied by a type I IFN signature and fully dependent on type I IFN signaling. These results show that Siglec-H normally serves as a modulator of type I IFN responses after infection with a persistent virus and thereby prevents induction of autoimmune disease.
Construction and Characterization of Two Novel Transcriptome Assemblies in the Congeneric Porcelain Crabs Petrolisthes cinctipes and P. manimaculis
Authors: Armstrong Eric J. , Stillman Jonathon H.
Published: July 2016

Crustaceans have commonly been used as non-model systems in basic biological research, especially physiological regulation. With the recent and rapid adoption of functional genomic tools, crustaceans are increasingly becoming model systems for ecological investigations of development and evolution and for mechanistic examinations of genotype–phenotype interactions and molecular pathways of response to environmental stressors. Comparative transcriptomic approaches, however, remain constrained by a lack of sequence data in closely related crustacean taxa. We identify challenges in the use of functional genomics tools in comparative analysis among decapod crustacean in light of recent advances. We present RNA-seq data from two congeneric species of porcelain crabs (Petrolisthes cinctipes and P. manimaculis) used to construct two de novo transcriptome assemblies with ∼194K and ∼278K contigs, respectively. We characterize and contrast these assemblies and compare them to a previously generated EST sequence library for P. cinctipes. We also discuss the potential use of these data as a case-study system in the broader context of crustacean comparative transcriptomics.
Rapid merger of binary primordial black holes: An implication for GW150914
Authors: Hayasaki Kimitake , Takahashi Keitaro , Sendouda Yuuiti , Nagataki Shigehiro
Published: July 2016

We propose a new scenario for the evolution of the binaries of primordial black holes (PBH). We consider dynamical friction by ambient dark matter, scattering of dark matter particles with a highly eccentric orbit besides the standard two-body relaxation process to refill the loss cone, and interaction between the binary and a circumbinary disk, assuming that PBHs do not constitute the bulk of dark matter. Binary PBHs lose the energy and angular momentum by these processes, which could be sufficiently efficient for a typical configuration. Such a binary coalesces due to the gravitational wave emission on a time scale much shorter than the age of the universe. We estimate the density parameter of the resultant gravitational wave background. Astrophysical implications concerning the formation of intermediate-mass to supermassive black holes is also discussed.
BIFIDOGENIC AND BUTYROGENIC EFFECTS OF INULIN‐TYPE FRUCTANS AND ARABINOXYLANS
Authors: De Vuyst L. , Selak M. , Moens F. , Rivière A. , Leroy F.
Published: July 2016

Bifidobacteria are important members of the human gut microbiota. They are capable to degrade inulin‐type fructans (ITF; oligofructose and inulin) and arabinoxylan‐oligosaccharides (AXOS), non‐digestible polysaccharides (NDPs) present in the human diet. However, these properties are strain‐dependent, as they rely on the expression of the appropriate enzymes. Concerning ITF degradation, four phenotypical groups of strains can be distinguished among 18 strains of fecal origin and 19 strains of a human intestinal microbial ecosystem simulator examined. Some strains consume both fructose and oligofructose, with different preferences and degradation rates. Small oligosaccharides (degree of polymerization of 2–7) are taken up, in a sequential order, indicating intracellular degradation and as such giving these bacteria a competitive advantage toward other ITF degraders such as lactobacilli, bacteroides and roseburias. Other strains consume long fractions of oligofructose and inulin. Exceptionally, oligosaccharides with a polymerization degree of up to 20 (inulin) are consumed by specific strains. Concerning AXOS degradation, five phenotypical groups of strains can be distinghuished among 36 strains of different origins examined. Particular strains consume the arabinose substituents, whether or not together with a consumption of the xylose backbone, either up to xylotetraose or higher and either extra‐ or intracellularly. The complimentary degradation mechanisms of ITF, XOS, and AXOS can explain the stimulation of the growth of bifidobacteria by these NDPs in the presence of other and more abundant saccharolytic colon bacteria. Also, it explains niche‐specific adaptations of bifidobacteria and hence cooperation in the human gut, as has been shown by the presence of complimentary activities within the colon of one individual. The production of acetic acid and lactic acid that accompanies ITF, XOS, and AXOS degradation by bifidobacteria cross‐feeds other colon bacteria involved in the production of butyrate. Cross‐feeding has been shown between bifidobacteria and/or lactobacilli on the one hand and butyrate‐producing colon bacteria such as Anaerostipes caccae, Eubacterium spp., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and roseburias on the other hand. It results in mutual cross‐feeding interaction mechanisms, as has been shown through the effect of co‐cultivation on growth and gene expression of individual strains. Also, it explains the link between the bifidogenic and butyrogenic effects of these NDPs.
MICROBIOTA AND PROBIOTICS IN INFANTILE COLIC
Authors: Szajewska H.
Published: July 2016

Infantile colic is usually a self‐limited condition, typically resolving by 4–5 months of age. However, it may be very distressing to parents, hence, any safe and effective preventive and/or therapeutic measures would be desirable. Evidence suggests that gut microbiota plays a role in the development of infantile colic and that the gut microbiota in subjects with this disorder differs from the gut microbiota in an unaffected population. If so, it is logical to assume that manipulation of the gut microbiota with probiotics could be a preventive measure in the evolution of these disorders and also may play a therapeutic role. Three independent RCTs showed that L reuteri DSM 17938 reduced crying times in infants with infantile colic in breast‐fed infants (Szajewska et al. J Pediatr. 2013; Savino et al. Pediatrics. 2010; Chau et al. J Pediatr. 2015). However, one RCT that also involved formula‐fed infants did not confirm this effect (Sung et al. BMJ 2014). Three of these RCTs reported data on crying time on day.i ii iv Compared with placebo, the administration of L reuteri DSM 17938 reduced crying time on day 21 by approximately 43 minutes (mean difference, MD, ‐43 min/day, 95% CI ‐68 to ‐19). This was mainly seen in breast‐fed infants (MD ‐57 min/day, 95% CI ‐67 to ‐46) (Urbanska et al. Eur J Pediatr. 2014). One recent RCT investigated the efficacy of L reuteri for preventing common functional gastrointestinal disorders in infants, particularly infantile colic, in both breast‐fed and formula‐fed infants. In the L reuteri group compared with the placebo group, a reduction of crying time by approximately 51 min/day at 1 month and 33 min/day at 3 months (Indrio et al. JAMA Pediatr. 2014). In conclusion, the administration of L reuteri DSM 17938 is likely to reduce crying time in infants with infantile colic in breast‐fed infants, but its role in formula‐fed infants is less clear. More studies are needed. Recent data suggest that L reuteri DSM 17938 may be effective in the prevention of colic. This innovative approach needs further evaluation by an independent research team.