Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Oliveira, Luciana C., Ed.

2016-01-01

This volume in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Learners series was designed to deepen teacher's knowledge and provides instructional approaches and practices for supporting grades 6-12 ELLs as they meet the ambitious expectations of the CCSS for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. This…

Teaching Writing in Japanese. Instructional Materials for the Less Commonly Taught Languages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Yonkers, NY.

This volume offers a set of writing activities designed to correspond with two levels of proficiency on the American Council of Foreign Languages scale: Novice and Intermediate. The activities have been designed to accompany any type of textbook in any type of instruction. The intention is to provide learners with the opportunity to use Japanese…

Designing a VOIP Based Language Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia Laborda, Jesus; Magal Royo, Teresa; Otero de Juan, Nuria; Gimenez Lopez, Jose L.

2015-01-01

Assessing speaking is one of the most difficult tasks in computer based language testing. Many countries all over the world face the need to implement standardized language tests where speaking tasks are commonly included. However, a number of problems make them rather impractical such as the costs, the personnel involved, the length of time for…

Cognitive Task Analysis of the Battalion Level Visualization Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-01

of the visualization space are identified using commonly understood doctrinal language and mnemonic devices. a Degree to which the commander and staff...the elements of the visualization space are identified using commonly understood doctrinal language and mnemonic devices. Visualization elements are...11 skill areas were identified as potential focal points for future training development. The findings were used to design and develop exemplar

Programming Language Software For Graphics Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beckman, Brian C.

1993-01-01

New approach reduces repetitive development of features common to different applications. High-level programming language and interactive environment with access to graphical hardware and software created by adding graphical commands and other constructs to standardized, general-purpose programming language, "Scheme". Designed for use in developing other software incorporating interactive computer-graphics capabilities into application programs. Provides alternative to programming entire applications in C or FORTRAN, specifically ameliorating design and implementation of complex control and data structures typifying applications with interactive graphics. Enables experimental programming and rapid development of prototype software, and yields high-level programs serving as executable versions of software-design documentation.

TLC Pack Unpacked

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oberhofer, Margret; Colpaert, Jozef

2015-01-01

TLC Pack stands for Teaching Languages to Caregivers and is a course designed to support migrants working or hoping to work in the caregiving sector. The TLC Pack resources range from A2 to B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and will be made available online in the six project languages: Dutch, English,…

Examining Samoan Language Development in Samoan Bilingual Students' Understanding of Texts in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amituanai-Toloa, Meaola; McNaughton, Stuart; Kuin Lai, Mei

2009-01-01

This paper examines language development of Samoan students in bilingual contexts in Aotearoa, New Zealand. In the absence of valid and standardized assessments tools in Samoan, one was designed to test reading comprehension and oral language development for Samoan students using common narratives as a base. For reading comprehension, the tool…

Teaching Listening in Russian. Instructional Materials for the Less Commonly Taught Languages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Yonkers, NY.

The video-based exercises, designed at the Novice High to Intermediate High skill levels on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages language proficiency scale, are aimed at developing non-interactive listening comprehension. The tapes used contain authentic broadcast Russian. Nothing is adapted. The trick to using real Russian is…

Mapping lexical-semantic networks and determining hemispheric language dominance: Do task design, sex, age, and language performance make a difference?

PubMed

Chang, Yu-Hsuan A; Javadi, Sogol S; Bahrami, Naeim; Uttarwar, Vedang S; Reyes, Anny; McDonald, Carrie R

2018-04-01

Blocked and event-related fMRI designs are both commonly used to localize language networks and determine hemispheric dominance in research and clinical settings. We compared activation profiles on a semantic monitoring task using one of the two designs in a total of 43 healthy individual to determine whether task design or subject-specific factors (i.e., age, sex, or language performance) influence activation patterns. We found high concordance between the two designs within core language regions, including the inferior frontal, posterior temporal, and basal temporal region. However, differences emerged within inferior parietal cortex. Subject-specific factors did not influence activation patterns, nor did they interact with task design. These results suggest that despite high concordance within perisylvian regions that are robust to subject-specific factors, methodological differences between blocked and event-related designs may contribute to parietal activations. These findings provide important information for researchers incorporating fMRI results into meta-analytic studies, as well as for clinicians using fMRI to guide pre-surgical planning. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alternative Assessment in Engineering Language Education: The Case of the Technical University of Madrid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Joana; Duran, Pilar; Ubeda, Paloma

2011-01-01

Engineering institutions across Europe are currently involved in a major process of reform and restructuring as a part of the Bologna Process, which stresses the role of competencies and outcomes in curriculum design. In the field of languages, the Council of Europe has developed the CEFR (Common European Framework of References) for languages,…

A Study of Multimodal Discourse in the Design of Interactive Digital Material for Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burset, Silvia; Bosch, Emma; Pujolà, Joan-Tomàs

2016-01-01

This study analyses some published interactive materials for the learning of Spanish as a f?irst language and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) commonly used in primary and secondary education in Spain. The present investigation looks into the relationships between text and image on the interface of Interactive Digital Material (IDM) to develop…

MRML: an extensible communication protocol for interoperability and benchmarking of multimedia information retrieval systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Wolfgang; Mueller, Henning; Marchand-Maillet, Stephane; Pun, Thierry; Squire, David M.; Pecenovic, Zoran; Giess, Christoph; de Vries, Arjen P.

2000-10-01

While in the area of relational databases interoperability is ensured by common communication protocols (e.g. ODBC/JDBC using SQL), Content Based Image Retrieval Systems (CBIRS) and other multimedia retrieval systems are lacking both a common query language and a common communication protocol. Besides its obvious short term convenience, interoperability of systems is crucial for the exchange and analysis of user data. In this paper, we present and describe an extensible XML-based query markup language, called MRML (Multimedia Retrieval markup Language). MRML is primarily designed so as to ensure interoperability between different content-based multimedia retrieval systems. Further, MRML allows researchers to preserve their freedom in extending their system as needed. MRML encapsulates multimedia queries in a way that enable multimedia (MM) query languages, MM content descriptions, MM query engines, and MM user interfaces to grow independently from each other, reaching a maximum of interoperability while ensuring a maximum of freedom for the developer. For benefitting from this, only a few simple design principles have to be respected when extending MRML for one's fprivate needs. The design of extensions withing the MRML framework will be described in detail in the paper. MRML has been implemented and tested for the CBIRS Viper, using the user interface Snake Charmer. Both are part of the GNU project and can be downloaded at our site.

Combatting Sexist Attitudes through Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Popham, Rae Jeane

A composition activity designed to raise students' consciousness of sexually stereotyped language and to encourage exploration of assumptions about men, women, and language had three parts: students were given a list of ten concrete details about an activity commonly associated with men or women (backpacking, cooking hamburgers, and grocery…

Ilokano Language Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace Corps, Manila (Philippines).

The workbook for Ilokano was designed for language training of Peace Corps volunteers in the Philippines. It consists of: a list of commonly-used phrases for greetings, leavetaking, shopping, asking for directions, managing a conversation, and introducing oneself; a more extensive vocabulary/phrase book of words and expressions used in everyday…

Generalizing the Arden Syntax to a Common Clinical Application Language.

PubMed

Kraus, Stefan

2018-01-01

The Arden Syntax for Medical Logic Systems is a standard for encoding and sharing knowledge in the form of Medical Logic Modules (MLMs). Although the Arden Syntax has been designed to meet the requirements of data-driven clinical event monitoring, multiple studies suggest that its language constructs may be suitable for use outside the intended application area and even as a common clinical application language. Such a broader context, however, requires to reconsider some language features. The purpose of this paper is to outline the related modifications on the basis of a generalized Arden Syntax version. The implemented prototype provides multiple adjustments to the standard, such as an option to use programming language constructs without the frame-like MLM structure, a JSON compliant data type system, a means to use MLMs as user-defined functions, and native support of restful web services with integrated data mapping. This study does not aim to promote an actually new language, but a more generic version of the proven Arden Syntax standard. Such an easy-to-understand domain-specific language for common clinical applications might cover multiple additional medical subdomains and serve as a lingua franca for arbitrary clinical algorithms, therefore avoiding a patchwork of multiple all-purpose languages between, and even within, institutions.

The Grammar of Exchange: A Comparative Study of Reciprocal Constructions Across Languages

PubMed Central

Majid, Asifa; Evans, Nicholas; Gaby, Alice; Levinson, Stephen C.

2010-01-01

Cultures are built on social exchange. Most languages have dedicated grammatical machinery for expressing this. To demonstrate that statistical methods can also be applied to grammatical meaning, we here ask whether the underlying meanings of these grammatical constructions are based on shared common concepts. To explore this, we designed video stimuli of reciprocated actions (e.g., “giving to each other”) and symmetrical states (e.g., “sitting next to each other”), and with the help of a team of linguists collected responses from 20 languages around the world. Statistical analyses revealed that many languages do, in fact, share a common conceptual core for reciprocal meanings but that this is not a universally expressed concept. The recurrent pattern of conceptual packaging found across languages is compatible with the view that there is a shared non-linguistic understanding of reciprocation. But, nevertheless, there are considerable differences between languages in the exact extensional patterns, highlighting that even in the domain of grammar semantics is highly language-specific. PMID:21713188

The Roles of Assessment in Language Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, Jerrold

2012-01-01

This piece makes a case for using assessment to understand and identify the needs of learners and introduces the three reprints that follow: "Twenty Common Testing Mistakes for EFL Teachers to Avoid," "Coming to Grips with Progress Testing: Some Guidelines for Its Design," and "Purposeful Language Assessment: Selecting the Right Alternative Test."

Designing Distance Learning Tasks to Help Maximize Vocabulary Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loucky, John Paul

2012-01-01

Task-based language learning using the benefits of online computer-assisted language learning (CALL) can be effective for rapid vocabulary expansion, especially when target vocabulary has been pre-arranged into bilingual categories under simpler, common Semantic Field Keywords. Results and satisfaction levels for both Chinese English majors and…

Epidemiology: Informing Clinical Practice and Research on Language Disorders in Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lubker, Bobbie Boyd; Tomblin, J. Bruce

1998-01-01

Describes the discipline of epidemiology and the application of epidemiologic methods to the study of children's language disorders. Epidemiology is described as the study of the distributions and determinants of disease, disorders, disabilities, and desirable health events in populations. Common epidemiologic research designs are discussed.…

Statistical Significance Testing in Second Language Research: Basic Problems and Suggestions for Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norris, John M.

2015-01-01

Traditions of statistical significance testing in second language (L2) quantitative research are strongly entrenched in how researchers design studies, select analyses, and interpret results. However, statistical significance tests using "p" values are commonly misinterpreted by researchers, reviewers, readers, and others, leading to…

Cebuano Language Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace Corps, Manila (Philippines).

The materials in this packet were designed for the rapid Cebuano language training of Peace Corps volunteers, focusing on daily communication needs in this context. The packet contains: lists of common phrases, expressions, and vocabulary on a variety of topics related to Peace Corps work; a list of core competencies for specific topics…

(Re)Conceptualizing Design Approaches for Mobile Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoven, Debra; Palalas, Agnieszka

2011-01-01

An exploratory study conducted at George Brown College in Toronto, Canada between 2007 and 2009 investigated language learning with mobile devices as an approach to augmenting ESP learning by taking learning outside the classroom into the real-world context. In common with findings at other community colleges, this study identified inadequate…

Stratification, Elaboration and Formalisation of Design Documents: Effects on the Production of Instructional Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boot, Eddy W.; Nelson, Jon; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.; Gibbons, Andrew S.

2007-01-01

Designers and producers of instructional materials lack a common design language. As a result, producers have difficulties translating design documents into technical specifications. The 3D-model is introduced to improve the stratification, elaboration and formalisation of design documents. It is hypothesised that producers working with improved…

Working with Sparse Data in Rated Language Tests: Generalizability Theory Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Chih-Kai

2017-01-01

Sparse-rated data are common in operational performance-based language tests, as an inevitable result of assigning examinee responses to a fraction of available raters. The current study investigates the precision of two generalizability-theory methods (i.e., the rating method and the subdividing method) specifically designed to accommodate the…

India - 103 Agricultural Extension. Madhya Pradesh Hindi Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papazian, Elaine; Ray, S. B.

This guide is designed for Hindi language training of Peace Corps workers in agriculture in India and reflects daily communication needs in that context. It consists of notes on Hindi phonology and pronunciation and a series of lessons on description, common phrases, and grammatical constructions. The 41 lessons are presented in four sections,…

Preschool Experience in 10 Countries: Cognitive and Language Performance at Age 7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montie, Jeanne E.; Xiang, Zongping; Schweinhart, Lawrence J.

2006-01-01

The IEA Preprimary Project is a longitudinal, cross-national study of preprimary care and education designed to identify how process and structural characteristics of the settings children attended at age 4 are related to their age-7 cognitive and language performance. Investigators collaborated to develop common instruments to measure family…

The Design of Hand Gestures for Human-Computer Interaction: Lessons from Sign Language Interpreters.

PubMed

Rempel, David; Camilleri, Matt J; Lee, David L

2015-10-01

The design and selection of 3D modeled hand gestures for human-computer interaction should follow principles of natural language combined with the need to optimize gesture contrast and recognition. The selection should also consider the discomfort and fatigue associated with distinct hand postures and motions, especially for common commands. Sign language interpreters have extensive and unique experience forming hand gestures and many suffer from hand pain while gesturing. Professional sign language interpreters (N=24) rated discomfort for hand gestures associated with 47 characters and words and 33 hand postures. Clear associations of discomfort with hand postures were identified. In a nominal logistic regression model, high discomfort was associated with gestures requiring a flexed wrist, discordant adjacent fingers, or extended fingers. These and other findings should be considered in the design of hand gestures to optimize the relationship between human cognitive and physical processes and computer gesture recognition systems for human-computer input.

Speech-language pathologists and the Common Core Standards initiative: an opportunity for leadership and organizational change.

PubMed

Dunkle, Jennifer; Flynn, Perry

2012-05-01

The Common Core State Standards initiative within public school education is designed to provide uniform guidelines for academic standards, including more explicit language targets. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are highly qualified language experts who may find new leadership roles within their clinical practice using the Common Core Standards. However, determining its usage by SLPs in clinical practice needs to be examined. This article seeks to discover the social context of organizations and organizational change in relation to clinical practice. Specifically, this article presents the diffusion of innovations theory to explain how initiatives move from ideas to institutionalization and the importance of social context in which these initiatives are introduced. Next, the values of both SLPs and organizations will be discussed. Finally, this article provides information on how to affect organizational change through the value of an affirmative, socially based theoretical perspective and methodology, appreciative inquiry. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Comparing the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and NCTM's "Curriculum Focal Points". Achieving the Common Core

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achieve, Inc., 2010

2010-01-01

Through the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative, states and territories have collaborated in the development of a common core of standards in English Language Arts and mathematics for grades kindergarten through twelve that are now being adopted by states. Designed not only for the purpose of providing strong, shared expectations, the…

Educational provision for children with specific speech and language difficulties: perspectives of speech and language therapy service managers.

PubMed

Dockrell, Julie E; Lindsay, Geoff; Letchford, Becky; Mackie, Clare

2006-01-01

Children with specific speech and language difficulties (SSLD) pose a challenge to the education system, and to speech and language therapists who support them, as a result of their language needs and associated educational and social-behavioural difficulties. The development of inclusion raises questions regarding appropriate provision, whether the tradition of language units or full inclusion into mainstream schools. To gather the views of speech and language therapy service managers in England and Wales regarding approaches to service delivery, terminology and decision-making for educational provision, and the use of direct and indirect (consultancy) models of intervention. The study reports on a national survey of speech and language therapy (SLT) services in England and Wales (129 respondents, 72.1% response rate) and interviews with 39 SLT service managers. Provision varied by age group with support to children in the mainstream common from pre-school to the end of Key Stage 2 (up to 11 years), and to those in designated specialist provision, common at Key Stages 1/2 (ages 5-11 years), but less prevalent at Key Stages 3/4 (11-16 years). Decision-making regarding provision was influenced by the lack of common terminology, with SSLD and specific language impairment (SLI) the most common, and criteria, including the use of the discrepancy model for defining SSLD. Practice was influenced by the difficulties in distinguishing children with SSLD from those with autistic spectrum disorder, and difficulties translating policies into practice. The implications of the study are discussed with reference to SLT practice, including consultancy models, and the increasingly prevalent policy in local education authorities of inclusion of children with special educational needs.

Teaching Reading in Russian, Volume 1. Instructional Materials for the Less Commonly Taught Languages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Yonkers, NY.

These reading comprehension exercises, based on authentic Russian texts, are aimed at developing reading strategies in lower-level students of Russian. The exercises are designed for students reading at the Novice and Intermediate levels as determined by the American Counsel on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Educational Testing…

Why the Language of Work Is Not Our Best Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newbold, Patricia L.

2011-01-01

As Danny G. Langdon wrote in September 2010, for human performance technology to be a science, it needs commonly understood and applied models. He proposed his language of work (LOW) model. This article presents arguments for a very different model, one that cuts the cord to our profession's beginnings in the design of programmed instruction,…

A natural language query system for Hubble Space Telescope proposal selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hornick, Thomas; Cohen, William; Miller, Glenn

1987-01-01

The proposal selection process for the Hubble Space Telescope is assisted by a robust and easy to use query program (TACOS). The system parses an English subset language sentence regardless of the order of the keyword phases, allowing the user a greater flexibility than a standard command query language. Capabilities for macro and procedure definition are also integrated. The system was designed for flexibility in both use and maintenance. In addition, TACOS can be applied to any knowledge domain that can be expressed in terms of a single reaction. The system was implemented mostly in Common LISP. The TACOS design is described in detail, with particular attention given to the implementation methods of sentence processing.

THE SOUNDS OF ENGLISH AND ITALIAN, A SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE SOUND SYSTEMS. CONTRASTIVE STRUCTURE SERIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AGARD, FREDERICK B.; DI PIETRO, ROBERT J.

DESIGNED AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR PROFESSIONALS PREPARING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, PLANNING COURSES, OR DEVELOPING CLASSROOM TECHNIQUES FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAMS, A SERIES OF STUDIES HAS BEEN PREPARED THAT CONTRASTS, IN TWO VOLUMES FOR EACH OF THE FIVE MOST COMMONLY TAUGHT FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE UNITED STATES, THE SOUND AND GRAMMATICAL…

Natural language processing: an introduction.

PubMed

Nadkarni, Prakash M; Ohno-Machado, Lucila; Chapman, Wendy W

2011-01-01

To provide an overview and tutorial of natural language processing (NLP) and modern NLP-system design. This tutorial targets the medical informatics generalist who has limited acquaintance with the principles behind NLP and/or limited knowledge of the current state of the art. We describe the historical evolution of NLP, and summarize common NLP sub-problems in this extensive field. We then provide a synopsis of selected highlights of medical NLP efforts. After providing a brief description of common machine-learning approaches that are being used for diverse NLP sub-problems, we discuss how modern NLP architectures are designed, with a summary of the Apache Foundation's Unstructured Information Management Architecture. We finally consider possible future directions for NLP, and reflect on the possible impact of IBM Watson on the medical field.

Natural language processing: an introduction

PubMed Central

Ohno-Machado, Lucila; Chapman, Wendy W

2011-01-01

Objectives To provide an overview and tutorial of natural language processing (NLP) and modern NLP-system design. Target audience This tutorial targets the medical informatics generalist who has limited acquaintance with the principles behind NLP and/or limited knowledge of the current state of the art. Scope We describe the historical evolution of NLP, and summarize common NLP sub-problems in this extensive field. We then provide a synopsis of selected highlights of medical NLP efforts. After providing a brief description of common machine-learning approaches that are being used for diverse NLP sub-problems, we discuss how modern NLP architectures are designed, with a summary of the Apache Foundation's Unstructured Information Management Architecture. We finally consider possible future directions for NLP, and reflect on the possible impact of IBM Watson on the medical field. PMID:21846786

The Design of Hand Gestures for Human-Computer Interaction: Lessons from Sign Language Interpreters

PubMed Central

Rempel, David; Camilleri, Matt J.; Lee, David L.

2015-01-01

The design and selection of 3D modeled hand gestures for human-computer interaction should follow principles of natural language combined with the need to optimize gesture contrast and recognition. The selection should also consider the discomfort and fatigue associated with distinct hand postures and motions, especially for common commands. Sign language interpreters have extensive and unique experience forming hand gestures and many suffer from hand pain while gesturing. Professional sign language interpreters (N=24) rated discomfort for hand gestures associated with 47 characters and words and 33 hand postures. Clear associations of discomfort with hand postures were identified. In a nominal logistic regression model, high discomfort was associated with gestures requiring a flexed wrist, discordant adjacent fingers, or extended fingers. These and other findings should be considered in the design of hand gestures to optimize the relationship between human cognitive and physical processes and computer gesture recognition systems for human-computer input. PMID:26028955

Development of a prototype commonality analysis tool for use in space programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeager, Dorian P.

1988-01-01

A software tool to aid in performing commonality analyses, called Commonality Analysis Problem Solver (CAPS), was designed, and a prototype version (CAPS 1.0) was implemented and tested. The CAPS 1.0 runs in an MS-DOS or IBM PC-DOS environment. The CAPS is designed around a simple input language which provides a natural syntax for the description of feasibility constraints. It provides its users with the ability to load a database representing a set of design items, describe the feasibility constraints on items in that database, and do a comprehensive cost analysis to find the most economical substitution pattern.

An Examination of the Applications of Constitutional Concepts as an Approach to Classroom Management: Four Studies of Judicious Discipline in Various Classroom Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEwan, Barbara; Gathercoal, Paul; Nimmo, Virginia

This paper presents a composite of four separate research studies conducted to assess the impact of constitutional language on classroom environments. The studies were designed to examine the uses of "Judicious Discipline" in a variety of classrooms and how the use of a common language based on rights and responsibilities affected the…

State Incentive Grants: Language Development Support Systems; Intensive Second Language Development for CAR Schools; Curriculum Development Project, 1987-88. OREA Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berney, Tomi D.; Friedman, Grace Ibanez

Three New York City public school projects funded by the New York State Education Department's Bureau of Bilingual Education had the common goal of improving the quality of instruction in schools that the state's Comprehensive Assessment Report (CAR) had designated as needing special assistance for raising low student performance levels. The…

Shifting Gears. Hands-on Activities for Learning Workplace Skills and English as a Second Language. A Teacher's Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Education, Inc., New York, NY.

This curriculum handbook uses a hands-on approach to teaching basic skills and language for the U.S. workplace to students who are not familiar with many common tools and procedures. Although designed for Southeast Asian refugees, the curriculum can be adapted for use with other groups, including older adults or young people. The handbook consists…

Cross-language Babel structs—making scientific interfaces more efficient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prantl, Adrian; Ebner, Dietmar; Epperly, Thomas G. W.

2013-01-01

Babel is an open-source language interoperability framework tailored to the needs of high-performance scientific computing. As an integral element of the Common Component Architecture, it is employed in a wide range of scientific applications where it is used to connect components written in different programming languages. In this paper we describe how we extended Babel to support interoperable tuple data types (structs). Structs are a common idiom in (mono-lingual) scientific application programming interfaces (APIs); they are an efficient way to pass tuples of nonuniform data between functions, and are supported natively by most programming languages. Using our extended version of Babel, developers of scientific codes can now pass structs as arguments between functions implemented in any of the supported languages. In C, C++, Fortran 2003/2008 and Chapel, structs can be passed without the overhead of data marshaling or copying, providing language interoperability at minimal cost. Other supported languages are Fortran 77, Fortran 90/95, Java and Python. We will show how we designed a struct implementation that is interoperable with all of the supported languages and present benchmark data to compare the performance of all language bindings, highlighting the differences between languages that offer native struct support and an object-oriented interface with getter/setter methods. A case study shows how structs can help simplify the interfaces of scientific codes significantly.

Common Standards Ignite Debate over Student "Prereading" Exercises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gewertz, Catherine

2012-01-01

Sparked by the Common Core State Standards, teachers and literacy experts are arguing about the role of a time-honored pillar of English/language arts instruction: classroom activities designed to help students understand what they are about to read. The attacks on--and defenses of--"prereading" are unfolding largely in cyberspace, through online…

The Feasibility of a Common Course in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott-Little, Catherine; La Paro, Karen M.; Thomason, Amy C.; Pianta, Robert C.; Hamre, Bridget; Downer, Jason; Burchinal, Margaret; Howes, Carollee

2011-01-01

This study offers a glimpse into the feasibility and potential benefits of offering a common course across multiple institutions of higher education. The research-based course was designed to enhance students' knowledge and beliefs regarding intentional teaching practices in language and literacy instruction. Researchers found evidence that a…

The association between scalp hair-whorl direction, handedness and hemispheric language dominance: is there a common genetic basis of lateralization?

PubMed

Jansen, Andreas; Lohmann, Hubertus; Scharfe, Stefanie; Sehlmeyer, Christina; Deppe, Michael; Knecht, Stefan

2007-04-01

The hemispheres of the human brain are functionally asymmetric. The left hemisphere tends to be dominant for language and superior in the control of manual dexterity. The mechanisms underlying these asymmetries are not known. Genetic as well as environmental factors are discussed. Recently, atypical anticlockwise hair-whorl direction has been related to an increased probability for non-right-handedness and atypical hemispheric language dominance. These findings are fascinating and important since hair-whorl direction is a structural marker of lateralization and could provide a readily observable anatomical clue to functional brain lateralization. Based on data on handedness and hair-whorl direction, Amar Klar proposed a genetic model ("random-recessive model") in that a single gene with two alleles controls both handedness and hair-whorl orientation (Klar, A.J.S., 2003. Human handedness and scalp hair-whorl direction develop from a common genetic mechanism. Genetics 165, 269-276). The present study was designed to further investigate the relationship between scalp hair-whorl direction with handedness and hemispheric language dominance. 1212 subjects were investigated for scalp hair-whorl direction and handedness. Additionally, we determined hemispheric language dominance (as assessed by a word generation task) in a subgroup of 212 subjects using functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD). As for the single attributes - hair-whorl direction, handedness, and language dominance - we reproduced previously published results. However, we found no association between hair-whorl direction and either language dominance or handedness. These results strongly argue against a common genetic basis of handedness or language lateralization with scalp hair-whorl direction. Inspection of hair patterns will not help us to determine language dominance.

ANSYS UIDL-Based CAE Development of Axial Support System for Optical Mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, De-Hua; Shao, Liang

2008-09-01

The Whiffle-tree type axial support mechanism is widely adopted by most relatively large optical mirrors. Based on the secondary developing tools offered by the commonly used Finite Element Anylysis (FEA) software ANSYS, ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) is used for creating the mirror FEA model driven by parameters, and ANSYS User Interface Design Language (UIDL) for generating custom menu of interactive manner, whereby, the relatively independent dedicated Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) module is embedded in ANSYS for calculation and optimization of axial Whiffle-tree support of optical mirrors. An example is also described to illustrate the intuitive and effective usage of the dedicated module by boosting work efficiency and releasing related engineering knowledge of user. The philosophy of secondary-developed special module with commonly used software also suggests itself for product development in other industries.

Manual sobre la Educacion en California para Padres de Idiomas Minoritarios (A Handbook on California Education for Language Minority Parents). Revised Edition. Spanish/English Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Office of Bilingual Bicultural Education.

The handbook, an update of the 1986 handbook, is designed for Spanish-speaking parents of California public school students, and answers commonly-asked questions about the state public education system and its services, particularly those of interest to this population. Information is presented in both Spanish-and English-language sections, in a…

SBOL Visual: A Graphical Language for Genetic Designs.

PubMed

Quinn, Jacqueline Y; Cox, Robert Sidney; Adler, Aaron; Beal, Jacob; Bhatia, Swapnil; Cai, Yizhi; Chen, Joanna; Clancy, Kevin; Galdzicki, Michal; Hillson, Nathan J; Le Novère, Nicolas; Maheshwari, Akshay J; McLaughlin, James Alastair; Myers, Chris J; P, Umesh; Pocock, Matthew; Rodriguez, Cesar; Soldatova, Larisa; Stan, Guy-Bart V; Swainston, Neil; Wipat, Anil; Sauro, Herbert M

2015-12-01

Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) Visual is a graphical standard for genetic engineering. It consists of symbols representing DNA subsequences, including regulatory elements and DNA assembly features. These symbols can be used to draw illustrations for communication and instruction, and as image assets for computer-aided design. SBOL Visual is a community standard, freely available for personal, academic, and commercial use (Creative Commons CC0 license). We provide prototypical symbol images that have been used in scientific publications and software tools. We encourage users to use and modify them freely, and to join the SBOL Visual community: http://www.sbolstandard.org/visual.

Teaching to the Common Core by Design, Not Accident

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Vicki; Wong, Carina

2012-01-01

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has created tools and supports intended to help teachers adapt to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics. The tools seek to find the right balance between encouraging teachers' creativity and giving them enough guidance to ensure quality. They are the product of two years of…

Creating Multimedia Courseware for ESP.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goertzen, Philip; Howard, Ron

1995-01-01

This report details the development of computer software to teach English-as-a-Second-Language skills for medical diagnosis. Design of a prototype unit of multimedia materials using a common authoring tool required about 300 hours of work over a period of 9 months. The report describes the overall design of the courseware, hardware used, stages of…

Design space for space design: Dialogs through boundary objects at the intersections of art, design, science, and engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balint, Tibor S.; Pangaro, Paul

2017-05-01

For over half a century space exploration has been dominated by engineering and technology driven practices. This paradigm leaves limited room for art and design. Yet in other parts of our lives, art and design play important roles: they stimulate new ideas and connect people to their experiences and to each other at a deeper level, while affecting our worldview as we evolve our cognitive models. We develop these models through circular conversations with our environment, through perception and making sense through our sensory systems and responding back through language and interactions. Artists and designers create artifacts through conversation cycles of sense-giving and sense-making, thus increasing variety in the world in the form of evolving messages. Each message becomes information when the observer decodes it, through multiple sense-making and re-sampling cycles. The messages form triggers to the cognitive state of the observer. Having a shared key between the artist/designer and the observer-for example, in the form of language, gestures, and artistic/design styles-is fundamental to encode and decode the information, in conversations. Art, design, science, and engineering, are all creative practices. Yet, they often speak different languages, where some parts may correspond, while others address a different variety in a cybernetic sense. These specialized languages within disciplines streamline communications, but limit variety. Thus, different languages between disciplines may introduce communication blocks. Nevertheless, these differences are desired as they add variety to the interactions, and could lead to novel discourses and possibilities. We may dissolve communication blocks through the introduction of boundary objects in the intersection of multiple disciplines. Boundary objects can ground ideas and bridge language diversity across disciplines. These artifacts are created to facilitate circular cybernetic conversations, supporting convergence towards common shared languages between the actors. The shared language can also create new variety that evolves through conversations between the participants. Misunderstandings through conversations can also lead to new ideas, as they stimulate questions and may suggest novel solutions. In this paper we propose new categorizations for boundary objects, drawn from design and cybernetic approaches. We evidence these categories with a number of space-related object examples. Furthermore, we discuss how these boundary objects facilitate communications between diverse audiences, ranging from scientists, and engineers, to artists, designers, and the general public.

Effects of Persuasive Designed Courseware on Children with Learning Difficulties in Learning Malay Language Subject

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Kien Heng; Bakri, Aryati; Rahman, Azizah Abdul

2016-01-01

The effects of courseware learning for children with learning difficulties have been studied over the years. Educational courseware is very common nowadays as a teaching tool for children's early education. However, most of the coursewares are designed for children with normal learning ability. Special children who face difficulty in the learning…

minimUML: A Minimalist Approach to UML Diagramming for Early Computer Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Scott A.; Perez-Quinones, Manuel A.; Edwards, Stephen H.

2005-01-01

In introductory computer science courses, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) is commonly used to teach basic object-oriented design. However, there appears to be a lack of suitable software to support this task. Many of the available programs that support UML focus on developing code and not on enhancing learning. Programs designed for…

A Design Quality Learning Unit in OO Modeling Bridging the Engineer and the Artist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waguespack, Leslie J.

2015-01-01

Recent IS curriculum guidelines compress software development pedagogy into smaller and smaller pockets of course syllabi. Where undergraduate IS students once may have practiced modeling in analysis, design, and implementation across six or more courses in a curriculum using a variety of languages and tools they commonly now experience modeling…

SBOL Visual: A Graphical Language for Genetic Designs

DOE PAGES

Quinn, Jacqueline Y.; Cox, Robert Sidney; Adler, Aaron; ...

2015-12-03

Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) Visual is a graphical standard for genetic engineering. We report that it consists of symbols representing DNA subsequences, including regulatory elements and DNA assembly features. These symbols can be used to draw illustrations for communication and instruction, and as image assets for computer-aided design. SBOL Visual is a community standard, freely available for personal, academic, and commercial use (Creative Commons CC0 license). We provide prototypical symbol images that have been used in scientific publications and software tools. We encourage users to use and modify them freely, and to join the SBOL Visual community: http://www.sbolstandard.org/visual.

SBOL Visual: A Graphical Language for Genetic Designs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quinn, Jacqueline Y.; Cox, Robert Sidney; Adler, Aaron

Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) Visual is a graphical standard for genetic engineering. We report that it consists of symbols representing DNA subsequences, including regulatory elements and DNA assembly features. These symbols can be used to draw illustrations for communication and instruction, and as image assets for computer-aided design. SBOL Visual is a community standard, freely available for personal, academic, and commercial use (Creative Commons CC0 license). We provide prototypical symbol images that have been used in scientific publications and software tools. We encourage users to use and modify them freely, and to join the SBOL Visual community: http://www.sbolstandard.org/visual.

SBOL Visual: A Graphical Language for Genetic Designs

PubMed Central

Adler, Aaron; Beal, Jacob; Bhatia, Swapnil; Cai, Yizhi; Chen, Joanna; Clancy, Kevin; Galdzicki, Michal; Hillson, Nathan J.; Le Novère, Nicolas; Maheshwari, Akshay J.; McLaughlin, James Alastair; Myers, Chris J.; P, Umesh; Pocock, Matthew; Rodriguez, Cesar; Soldatova, Larisa; Stan, Guy-Bart V.; Swainston, Neil; Wipat, Anil; Sauro, Herbert M.

2015-01-01

Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) Visual is a graphical standard for genetic engineering. It consists of symbols representing DNA subsequences, including regulatory elements and DNA assembly features. These symbols can be used to draw illustrations for communication and instruction, and as image assets for computer-aided design. SBOL Visual is a community standard, freely available for personal, academic, and commercial use (Creative Commons CC0 license). We provide prototypical symbol images that have been used in scientific publications and software tools. We encourage users to use and modify them freely, and to join the SBOL Visual community: http://www.sbolstandard.org/visual. PMID:26633141

Formal language of Lanna Shop House’s Façade in Lampang Old city, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phetsuriya, Natthakit

2017-10-01

This article aims to presents ‘the formal architectural language of Lanna Designs” that is a linguistic paradigm for decrypt the linguistic system which is hidden in the Lanna façade style. Lanna Designs present an identity of vital ordered and crucial articulated formal language which inherently set of mathematical rules for the arrangement of ornaments. The scope of this article is attempted to the morphology of façades of the ten shop houses which located in Lampang Old city and have familiar proportion and style. In this article, the sampling of façade buildings required proportion as three-stall and two-story with familiar style. The morphology is described based on terms of a symbolic encoding system that is represented as graphically building grammar. The system helps to emphasize commonalities in façade languages and propose a prototype of identified Lanna façade design. This methodology might be the option for decrypt or study in every facades style.

Aligning ESP Courses with the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasiou, Androulla; Constantinou, Elis Kakoulli; Neophytou, Maro; Nicolaou, Anna; Papadima Sophocleous, Salomi; Yerou, Christina

2016-01-01

This article explains how the "Common European Framework of References for Languages" (CEFR; Council of Europe 2001, "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment." Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) has been applied in language courses at the Language Centre (LC) of the Cyprus…

Incorporating advanced language models into the P300 speller using particle filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speier, W.; Arnold, C. W.; Deshpande, A.; Knall, J.; Pouratian, N.

2015-08-01

Objective. The P300 speller is a common brain-computer interface (BCI) application designed to communicate language by detecting event related potentials in a subject’s electroencephalogram signal. Information about the structure of natural language can be valuable for BCI communication, but attempts to use this information have thus far been limited to rudimentary n-gram models. While more sophisticated language models are prevalent in natural language processing literature, current BCI analysis methods based on dynamic programming cannot handle their complexity. Approach. Sampling methods can overcome this complexity by estimating the posterior distribution without searching the entire state space of the model. In this study, we implement sequential importance resampling, a commonly used particle filtering (PF) algorithm, to integrate a probabilistic automaton language model. Main result. This method was first evaluated offline on a dataset of 15 healthy subjects, which showed significant increases in speed and accuracy when compared to standard classification methods as well as a recently published approach using a hidden Markov model (HMM). An online pilot study verified these results as the average speed and accuracy achieved using the PF method was significantly higher than that using the HMM method. Significance. These findings strongly support the integration of domain-specific knowledge into BCI classification to improve system performance.

An evaluation of Turbo Prolog with an emphasis on its application to the development of expert systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loftin, Richard B.

1987-01-01

Turbo Prolog is a recently available, compiled version of the programming language Prolog. Turbo Prolog is designed to provide not only a Prolog compiler, but also a program development environment for the IBM Personal Computer family. An evaluation of Turbo Prolog was made, comparing its features to other versions of Prolog and to the community of languages commonly used in artificial intelligence (AI) research and development. Three programs were employed to determine the execution speed of Turbo Prolog applied to various problems. The results of this evaluation demonstrated that Turbo Prolog can perform much better than many commonly employed AI languages for numerically intensive problems and can equal the speed of development languages such as OPS5+ and CLIPS, running on the IBM PC. Applications for which Turbo Prolog is best suited include those which (1) lend themselves naturally to backward-chaining approaches, (2) require extensive use of mathematics, (3) contain few rules, (4) seek to make use of the window/color graphics capabilities of the IBM PC, and (5) require linkage to programs in other languages to form a complete executable image.

An Intensive Academic English Course for Generation 1.5 ELLs Bound for Postsecondary Studies: Curriculum Design, Development, and Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crossman, Katie; Pinchbeck, Geoffrey

2012-01-01

Immigrants and the children of immigrants who have completed their schooling in Canadian school settings, commonly referred to as Generation 1.5, are increasingly identified in the research literature as academically at risk due to inadequately developed academic language proficiency and learning strategies. This article describes the design,…

Design and Validation of a Photographic Expressive Persian Grammar Test for Children Aged 4-6 Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haresabadi, Fatemeh; Ebadi, Abbas; Shirazi, Tahereh Sima; Dastjerdi Kazemi, Mehdi

2016-01-01

Syntax has a high importance among linguistic parameters, and syntax-related problems are the most common in language disorders. Therefore, the present study aimed to design a Photographic Expressive Persian Grammar Test for Iranian children in the age group of 4-6 years and to determine its validity and reliability. First, the target…

Language, Language Development and Teaching English to Emergent Bilingual Users: Challenging the Common Knowledge Theory in Teacher Education & K-12 School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faltis, Christian

2013-01-01

Popular views about language and how children and youth learn language are based mainly in cognitive approaches in support of a common knowledge theory of language development. This common theory feeds into the efforts to increase teacher and learner accountability as measured on narrow assessments of what it means to use language well and in…

Large Scale Software System Design of the Missile Minder AN/TSQ-73 Using the ADA Programming Language.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-09

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE U. S . ARMY CECOM CONTRACT NO. DAAK8O-81-C-3107 CONTROL DATA CORPORATION GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS 40 AVENUE AT THE COMMON SHREWSBURY, NJ...contained in this report :. are those of the author( s ) and should not be construed as an .J : . official Department of the Army position, policy or...fomIn Orimaniatil Rt. No. Control Data Corporation S . PfmgOrgnizatla Name and Address 10. PmolatTasklWwrk Unit Mo. Control Data Corporation

Research in advanced formal theorem-proving techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rulifson, J. F.

1971-01-01

The present status is summarized of a continuing research program aimed at the design and implementation of a language for expressing problem-solving procedures in several areas of artificial intelligence, including program synthesis, robot planning, and theorem proving. Notations, concepts, and procedures common to the representation and solution of many of these problems were abstracted and incorporated as features into the language. The areas of research covered are described, and abstracts of six papers that contain extensive description and technical detail of the work are presented.

24 CFR 100.306 - Intent to operate as housing designed for persons who are 55 years of age or older.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (7) Public posting in common areas of statements describing the facility or community as housing for... good faith attempt to remove such language in determining whether the housing facility or community...

Construction and validation of logMAR visual acuity charts in seven Indian languages.

PubMed

Negiloni, Kalpa; Mazumdar, Deepmala; Neog, Aditya; Das, Biman; Medhi, Jnanankar; Choudhury, Mitalee; George, Ronnie Jacob; Ramani, Krishna Kumar

2018-05-01

The evaluation of visual impairment requires the measurement of visual acuity with a validated and standard logMAR visual acuity chart. We aimed to construct and validate new logMAR visual acuity chart in Indian languages (Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Assamese). The commonly used font in each language was chosen as the reference and designed to fit the 5 × 5 grid (Adobe Photoshop). Ten letters (easiest to difficult) around median legibility score calculated for each language based on the results of legibility experiment and differing by 10% were selected. The chart was constructed based on the standard recommendations. The repeatability of charts was tested and also compared with a standard English Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) logMAR chart for validation. A total of 14 rows (1.0 to -0.3 logMAR) with five letters in each line were designed with the range of row legibility between 4.7 and 5.3 for all the language charts. Each chart showed good repeatability, and a maximum difference of four letters was noted. The median difference in visual acuity was 0.16 logMAR for Urdu and Assamese chart compared to ETDRS English chart. Hindi and Malayalam chart had a median difference of 0.12 logMAR. When compared to the English chart a median difference of 0.14 logMAR was noted in Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali chart. The newly developed Indian language visual acuity charts are designed based on the standard recommendations and will help to assess visual impairment in people of these languages across the country.

Learning bias, cultural evolution of language, and the biological evolution of the language faculty.

PubMed

Smith, Kenny

2011-04-01

The biases of individual language learners act to determine the learnability and cultural stability of languages: learners come to the language learning task with biases which make certain linguistic systems easier to acquire than others. These biases are repeatedly applied during the process of language transmission, and consequently should effect the types of languages we see in human populations. Understanding the cultural evolutionary consequences of particular learning biases is therefore central to understanding the link between language learning in individuals and language universals, common structural properties shared by all the world’s languages. This paper reviews a range of models and experimental studies which show that weak biases in individual learners can have strong effects on the structure of socially learned systems such as language, suggesting that strong universal tendencies in language structure do not require us to postulate strong underlying biases or constraints on language learning. Furthermore, understanding the relationship between learner biases and language design has implications for theories of the evolution of those learning biases: models of gene-culture coevolution suggest that, in situations where a cultural dynamic mediates between properties of individual learners and properties of language in this way, biological evolution is unlikely to lead to the emergence of strong constraints on learning.

Language-Independent and Language-Specific Aspects of Early Literacy: An Evaluation of the Common Underlying Proficiency Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodrich, J. Marc; Lonigan, Christopher J.

2017-01-01

According to the common underlying proficiency model (Cummins, 1981), as children acquire academic knowledge and skills in their first language, they also acquire language-independent information about those skills that can be applied when learning a second language. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relevance of the common underlying…

A Comparison of Higher-Order Thinking between the Common Core State Standards and the 2009 New Jersey Content Standards in High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sforza, Dario; Tienken, Christopher H.; Kim, Eunyoung

2016-01-01

The creators and supporters of the Common Core State Standards claim that the Standards require greater emphasis on higher-order thinking than previous state standards in mathematics and English language arts. We used a qualitative case study design with content analysis methods to test the claim. We compared the levels of thinking required by the…

NASA Data Acquisition System Software Development for Rocket Propulsion Test Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herbert, Phillip W., Sr.; Elliot, Alex C.; Graves, Andrew R.

2015-01-01

Current NASA propulsion test facilities include Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, Plum Brook Station in Ohio, and White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. Within and across these centers, a diverse set of data acquisition systems exist with different hardware and software platforms. The NASA Data Acquisition System (NDAS) is a software suite designed to operate and control many critical aspects of rocket engine testing. The software suite combines real-time data visualization, data recording to a variety formats, short-term and long-term acquisition system calibration capabilities, test stand configuration control, and a variety of data post-processing capabilities. Additionally, data stream conversion functions exist to translate test facility data streams to and from downstream systems, including engine customer systems. The primary design goals for NDAS are flexibility, extensibility, and modularity. Providing a common user interface for a variety of hardware platforms helps drive consistency and error reduction during testing. In addition, with an understanding that test facilities have different requirements and setups, the software is designed to be modular. One engine program may require real-time displays and data recording; others may require more complex data stream conversion, measurement filtering, or test stand configuration management. The NDAS suite allows test facilities to choose which components to use based on their specific needs. The NDAS code is primarily written in LabVIEW, a graphical, data-flow driven language. Although LabVIEW is a general-purpose programming language; large-scale software development in the language is relatively rare compared to more commonly used languages. The NDAS software suite also makes extensive use of a new, advanced development framework called the Actor Framework. The Actor Framework provides a level of code reuse and extensibility that has previously been difficult to achieve using LabVIEW. The

The Implementation and Effects of the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC): Early Findings in Sixth-Grade Advanced Reading Courses. CRESST Report 846

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Joan L.; Epstein, Scott; Leon, Seth; Dai, Yunyun; La Torre Matrundola, Deborah; Reber, Sarah; Choi, Kilchan

2015-01-01

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invested in the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) as one strategy to support teachers' and students' transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts. This report provides an early look at the implementation of LDC in sixth-grade Advanced Reading classes in a large Florida…

Languages for artificial intelligence: Implementing a scheduler in LISP and in Ada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hays, Dan

1988-01-01

A prototype scheduler for space experiments originally programmed in a dialect of LISP using some of the more traditional techniques of that language, was recast using an object-oriented LISP, Common LISP with Flavors on the Symbolics. This object-structured version was in turn partially implemented in Ada. The Flavors version showed a decided improvement in both speed of execution and readability of code. The recasting into Ada involved various practical problems of implementation as well as certain challenges of reconceptualization in going from one language to the other. Advantages were realized, however, in greater clarity of the code, especially where more standard flow of control was used. This exercise raised issues about the influence of programming language on the design of flexible and sensitive programs such as schedule planners, and called attention to the importance of factors external to the languages themselves such as system embeddedness, hardware context, and programmer practice.

CALL and Less Commonly Taught Languages--Still a Way to Go

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Monica

2016-01-01

Many Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) innovations mainly apply to the Most Commonly Taught Languages (MCTLs), especially English. Recent manifestations of CALL for MCTLs such as corpora, Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) and Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are found less frequently in the world of Less Commonly Taught…

ATLAS, an integrated structural analysis and design system. Volume 3: User's manual, input and execution data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dreisbach, R. L. (Editor)

1979-01-01

The input data and execution control statements for the ATLAS integrated structural analysis and design system are described. It is operational on the Control Data Corporation (CDC) 6600/CYBER computers in a batch mode or in a time-shared mode via interactive graphic or text terminals. ATLAS is a modular system of computer codes with common executive and data base management components. The system provides an extensive set of general-purpose technical programs with analytical capabilities including stiffness, stress, loads, mass, substructuring, strength design, unsteady aerodynamics, vibration, and flutter analyses. The sequence and mode of execution of selected program modules are controlled via a common user-oriented language.

Abstractions for DNA circuit design.

PubMed

Lakin, Matthew R; Youssef, Simon; Cardelli, Luca; Phillips, Andrew

2012-03-07

DNA strand displacement techniques have been used to implement a broad range of information processing devices, from logic gates, to chemical reaction networks, to architectures for universal computation. Strand displacement techniques enable computational devices to be implemented in DNA without the need for additional components, allowing computation to be programmed solely in terms of nucleotide sequences. A major challenge in the design of strand displacement devices has been to enable rapid analysis of high-level designs while also supporting detailed simulations that include known forms of interference. Another challenge has been to design devices capable of sustaining precise reaction kinetics over long periods, without relying on complex experimental equipment to continually replenish depleted species over time. In this paper, we present a programming language for designing DNA strand displacement devices, which supports progressively increasing levels of molecular detail. The language allows device designs to be programmed using a common syntax and then analysed at varying levels of detail, with or without interference, without needing to modify the program. This allows a trade-off to be made between the level of molecular detail and the computational cost of analysis. We use the language to design a buffered architecture for DNA devices, capable of maintaining precise reaction kinetics for a potentially unbounded period. We test the effectiveness of buffered gates to support long-running computation by designing a DNA strand displacement system capable of sustained oscillations.

Language-Independent and Language-Specific Aspects of Early Literacy: An Evaluation of the Common Underlying Proficiency Model.

PubMed

Goodrich, J Marc; Lonigan, Christopher J

2017-08-01

According to the common underlying proficiency model (Cummins, 1981), as children acquire academic knowledge and skills in their first language, they also acquire language-independent information about those skills that can be applied when learning a second language. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relevance of the common underlying proficiency model for the early literacy skills of Spanish-speaking language-minority children using confirmatory factor analysis. Eight hundred fifty-eight Spanish-speaking language-minority preschoolers (mean age = 60.83 months, 50.2% female) participated in this study. Results indicated that bifactor models that consisted of language-independent as well as language-specific early literacy factors provided the best fits to the data for children's phonological awareness and print knowledge skills. Correlated factors models that only included skills specific to Spanish and English provided the best fits to the data for children's oral language skills. Children's language-independent early literacy skills were significantly related across constructs and to language-specific aspects of early literacy. Language-specific aspects of early literacy skills were significantly related within but not across languages. These findings suggest that language-minority preschoolers have a common underlying proficiency for code-related skills but not language-related skills that may allow them to transfer knowledge across languages.

The Relationship between User Expertise and Structural Ontology Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldstein, Ilya Michael

2014-01-01

Ontologies are commonly used to support application tasks such as natural language processing, knowledge management, learning, browsing, and search. Literature recommends considering specific context during ontology design, and highlights that a different context is responsible for problems in ontology reuse. However, there is still no clear…

Strategies for teaching object-oriented concepts with Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sicilia, Miguel-Ángel

2006-03-01

A considerable amount of experiences in teaching object-oriented concepts using the Java language have been reported to date, some of which describe language pitfalls and concrete learning difficulties. In this paper, a number of additional issues that have been experienced as difficult for students to master, along with approaches intended to overcome them, are addressed. Concretely, practical issues regarding associations, interfaces, genericity and exceptions are described. These issues suggest that more emphasis is required on presenting Java programs as derivations of conceptual models, in order to guarantee that a thorough design of the object structure actually precedes implementation issues. In addition, common student misunderstandings about the uses of interfaces and exceptions point to the necessity of introducing both specific design philosophies and also a clear distinction between design-for-reuse and more specific implementation issues.

A new formal graphic language for the representation of complex energy distribution systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benes, E.; Viehboeck, F. P.

A schematic notation system for the representation in design and analysis of multi-component heating systems is presented. This graphic language is clear and rigorous and allows quick changes between two basic levels of abstraction, as shown by two examples: a swimming pool with combined solar/electric heating system and the low temperature heating system of the Institute of Molecular Biology in Salzburg, Austria. The notation's 'energy path graphs' are more adequate for judging the relative merits of alternative system configurations than commonly used simplified installation schemes.

Pharmacometrics Markup Language (PharmML): Opening New Perspectives for Model Exchange in Drug Development.

PubMed

Swat, M J; Moodie, S; Wimalaratne, S M; Kristensen, N R; Lavielle, M; Mari, A; Magni, P; Smith, M K; Bizzotto, R; Pasotti, L; Mezzalana, E; Comets, E; Sarr, C; Terranova, N; Blaudez, E; Chan, P; Chard, J; Chatel, K; Chenel, M; Edwards, D; Franklin, C; Giorgino, T; Glont, M; Girard, P; Grenon, P; Harling, K; Hooker, A C; Kaye, R; Keizer, R; Kloft, C; Kok, J N; Kokash, N; Laibe, C; Laveille, C; Lestini, G; Mentré, F; Munafo, A; Nordgren, R; Nyberg, H B; Parra-Guillen, Z P; Plan, E; Ribba, B; Smith, G; Trocóniz, I F; Yvon, F; Milligan, P A; Harnisch, L; Karlsson, M; Hermjakob, H; Le Novère, N

2015-06-01

The lack of a common exchange format for mathematical models in pharmacometrics has been a long-standing problem. Such a format has the potential to increase productivity and analysis quality, simplify the handling of complex workflows, ensure reproducibility of research, and facilitate the reuse of existing model resources. Pharmacometrics Markup Language (PharmML), currently under development by the Drug Disease Model Resources (DDMoRe) consortium, is intended to become an exchange standard in pharmacometrics by providing means to encode models, trial designs, and modeling steps.

Pharmacometrics Markup Language (PharmML): Opening New Perspectives for Model Exchange in Drug Development

PubMed Central

Swat, MJ; Moodie, S; Wimalaratne, SM; Kristensen, NR; Lavielle, M; Mari, A; Magni, P; Smith, MK; Bizzotto, R; Pasotti, L; Mezzalana, E; Comets, E; Sarr, C; Terranova, N; Blaudez, E; Chan, P; Chard, J; Chatel, K; Chenel, M; Edwards, D; Franklin, C; Giorgino, T; Glont, M; Girard, P; Grenon, P; Harling, K; Hooker, AC; Kaye, R; Keizer, R; Kloft, C; Kok, JN; Kokash, N; Laibe, C; Laveille, C; Lestini, G; Mentré, F; Munafo, A; Nordgren, R; Nyberg, HB; Parra-Guillen, ZP; Plan, E; Ribba, B; Smith, G; Trocóniz, IF; Yvon, F; Milligan, PA; Harnisch, L; Karlsson, M; Hermjakob, H; Le Novère, N

2015-01-01

The lack of a common exchange format for mathematical models in pharmacometrics has been a long-standing problem. Such a format has the potential to increase productivity and analysis quality, simplify the handling of complex workflows, ensure reproducibility of research, and facilitate the reuse of existing model resources. Pharmacometrics Markup Language (PharmML), currently under development by the Drug Disease Model Resources (DDMoRe) consortium, is intended to become an exchange standard in pharmacometrics by providing means to encode models, trial designs, and modeling steps. PMID:26225259

Investigating the Language Demands in the Common Core State Standards for English Language Learners: A Comparison Study of Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Mikyung Kim; Wang, Yuan; Huang, Becky H.; Blood, Ian

2014-01-01

This study reports on a critical review of the language demands contained in the Common Core State Standards for English language arts (CCSS-ELA) with the aim of deriving important implications for the instruction of English language learners. The language demands of the CCSS-ELA were compared with those of existing English language arts (ELA) and…

Shared brain lateralization patterns in language and Acheulean stone tool production: a functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound study.

PubMed

Uomini, Natalie Thaïs; Meyer, Georg Friedrich

2013-01-01

The popular theory that complex tool-making and language co-evolved in the human lineage rests on the hypothesis that both skills share underlying brain processes and systems. However, language and stone tool-making have so far only been studied separately using a range of neuroimaging techniques and diverse paradigms. We present the first-ever study of brain activation that directly compares active Acheulean tool-making and language. Using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (fTCD), we measured brain blood flow lateralization patterns (hemodynamics) in subjects who performed two tasks designed to isolate the planning component of Acheulean stone tool-making and cued word generation as a language task. We show highly correlated hemodynamics in the initial 10 seconds of task execution. Stone tool-making and cued word generation cause common cerebral blood flow lateralization signatures in our participants. This is consistent with a shared neural substrate for prehistoric stone tool-making and language, and is compatible with language evolution theories that posit a co-evolution of language and manual praxis. In turn, our results support the hypothesis that aspects of language might have emerged as early as 1.75 million years ago, with the start of Acheulean technology.

A human language corpus for interstellar message construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, John

2011-02-01

The aim of HuLCC (the human language chorus corpus), is to provide a resource of sufficient size to facilitate inter-language analysis by incorporating languages from all the major language families: for the first time all aspects of typology will be incorporated within a single corpus, adhering to a consistent grammatical classification and granularity, which historically adopt a plethora of disparate schemes. An added feature will be the inclusion of a common text element, which will be translated across all languages, to provide a precise comparable thread for detailed linguistic analysis for translation strategies and a mechanism by which these mappings can be explicitly achieved. Methods developed to solve unambiguous mappings across these languages can then be adopted for any subsequent message authored by the SETI community. Initially, it is planned to provide at least 20,000 words for each chosen language, as this amount of text exceeds the point where randomly generated text can be disambiguated from natural language and is of sufficient size useful for message transmission [1] (Elliot, 2002). This paper details the design of this resource, which ultimately will be made available to SETI upon its completion, and discusses issues 'core' to any message construction.

The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML): Language Specification for Level 3 Version 2 Core.

PubMed

Hucka, Michael; Bergmann, Frank T; Dräger, Andreas; Hoops, Stefan; Keating, Sarah M; Le Novère, Nicolas; Myers, Chris J; Olivier, Brett G; Sahle, Sven; Schaff, James C; Smith, Lucian P; Waltemath, Dagmar; Wilkinson, Darren J

2018-03-09

Computational models can help researchers to interpret data, understand biological functions, and make quantitative predictions. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is a file format for representing computational models in a declarative form that different software systems can exchange. SBML is oriented towards describing biological processes of the sort common in research on a number of topics, including metabolic pathways, cell signaling pathways, and many others. By supporting SBML as an input/output format, different tools can all operate on an identical representation of a model, removing opportunities for translation errors and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. This document provides the specification for Version 2 of SBML Level 3 Core. The specification defines the data structures prescribed by SBML, their encoding in XML (the eXtensible Markup Language), validation rules that determine the validity of an SBML document, and examples of models in SBML form. The design of Version 2 differs from Version 1 principally in allowing new MathML constructs, making more child elements optional, and adding identifiers to all SBML elements instead of only selected elements. Other materials and software are available from the SBML project website at http://sbml.org/.

Historic Preservation Vocabulary, Designations, and Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Stacy D.

2011-01-01

Preservationists use a common language that had its beginnings in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. This act created the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, which defined the terms and treatments that have become the standard for preservation projects and plans. These terms have been used…

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Seed Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fine, Caitlin; Conover, Margaret

2013-01-01

Finding common interests with which to engage learners from different cultural backgrounds can be a challenge in any classroom. It is particularly so in an urban, English/Spanish dual-language immersion school, which draws a socioeconomically and linguistically diverse population of students from a wide geographic area. The curriculum design in…

A LEARNER'S SYNOPSIS OF SWAHILI STRUCTURE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foreign Service (Dept. of State), Washington, DC. Foreign Service Inst.

WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY TO HELP STUDENTS LEARN TO READ SWAHILI NEWSPAPERS, THIS BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THAT LANGUAGE EMPHASIZES VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR PATTERNS MOST COMMONLY FOUND IN EAST AFRICAN NEWSWRITING. IT ASSUMES NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF SWAHILI AND IS DESIGNED TO BE USED WITH LESSONS 1-25 OF "AN ACTIVE INTRODUCTION TO NEWSPAPER…

Differential Language Influence on Math Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Fang

2010-01-01

New models are commonly designed to solve certain limitations of other ones. Quantile regression is introduced in this paper because it can provide information that a regular mean regression misses. This research aims to demonstrate its utility in the educational research and measurement field for questions that may not be detected otherwise.…

An Explanation for the Morpheme Acquisition Order of Second Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larsen-Freeman, Diane E.

1976-01-01

Reports on a study designed to yield data that would suggest a reason for the reported morpheme sequence. A significant correlation was found between the common morpheme difficulty order of the learners and the frequency of occurrence of these morphemes in adult native-speaker speech. (Author/RM)

Discovering Folklore Through Community Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumpter, Magdalena Benavides, Ed.

The folkways and cultural heritage of the Mexican Americans of South Texas are explored in this volume which is designed to provide the student with the opportunity for cultural enrichment, oral language development, and vocabulary expansion. The first chapter deals with "Creencias" which are common beliefs handed down from generation to…

Korean Word Frequency and Commonality Study for Augmentative and Alternative Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Sangeun; Hill, Katya

2016-01-01

Background: Vocabulary frequency results have been reported to design and support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions. A few studies exist for adult speakers and for other natural languages. With the increasing demand on AAC treatment for Korean adults, identification of high-frequency or core vocabulary (CV) becomes…

Dissect, Design, and Customize the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tienken, Christopher H.

2013-01-01

Education bureaucrats in 45 states have approved the Common Core State Standards ([CCSS], 2010) as the de facto national curriculum. The implementation of the CCSS will be monitored by a national standardized test in language arts and mathematics. The confluence of a standardized curriculum enforced with a standardized test will entrench a…

A Critique of Botswana's Language Policy from a Translanguaging Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagwasi, Mompoloki Mmangaka

2017-01-01

This paper critiques the language practices and language-in-education policy of Botswana from a translanguaging perspective. By so doing, it revisits our commonly held perceptions about multilingualism, bilingualism and language and its boundary. We commonly perceive languages as autonomous and as having boundaries and we perceive bilingualism or…

Reuseable Objects Software Environment (ROSE): Introduction to Air Force Software Reuse Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cottrell, William L.

1994-01-01

The Reusable Objects Software Environment (ROSE) is a common, consistent, consolidated implementation of software functionality using modern object oriented software engineering including designed-in reuse and adaptable requirements. ROSE is designed to minimize abstraction and reduce complexity. A planning model for the reverse engineering of selected objects through object oriented analysis is depicted. Dynamic and functional modeling are used to develop a system design, the object design, the language, and a database management system. The return on investment for a ROSE pilot program and timelines are charted.

XML Based Markup Languages for Specific Domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varde, Aparna; Rundensteiner, Elke; Fahrenholz, Sally

A challenging area in web based support systems is the study of human activities in connection with the web, especially with reference to certain domains. This includes capturing human reasoning in information retrieval, facilitating the exchange of domain-specific knowledge through a common platform and developing tools for the analysis of data on the web from a domain expert's angle. Among the techniques and standards related to such work, we have XML, the eXtensible Markup Language. This serves as a medium of communication for storing and publishing textual, numeric and other forms of data seamlessly. XML tag sets are such that they preserve semantics and simplify the understanding of stored information by users. Often domain-specific markup languages are designed using XML, with a user-centric perspective. Standardization bodies and research communities may extend these to include additional semantics of areas within and related to the domain. This chapter outlines the issues to be considered in developing domain-specific markup languages: the motivation for development, the semantic considerations, the syntactic constraints and other relevant aspects, especially taking into account human factors. Illustrating examples are provided from domains such as Medicine, Finance and Materials Science. Particular emphasis in these examples is on the Materials Markup Language MatML and the semantics of one of its areas, namely, the Heat Treating of Materials. The focus of this chapter, however, is not the design of one particular language but rather the generic issues concerning the development of domain-specific markup languages.

Bayesian molecular design with a chemical language model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikebata, Hisaki; Hongo, Kenta; Isomura, Tetsu; Maezono, Ryo; Yoshida, Ryo

2017-04-01

The aim of computational molecular design is the identification of promising hypothetical molecules with a predefined set of desired properties. We address the issue of accelerating the material discovery with state-of-the-art machine learning techniques. The method involves two different types of prediction; the forward and backward predictions. The objective of the forward prediction is to create a set of machine learning models on various properties of a given molecule. Inverting the trained forward models through Bayes' law, we derive a posterior distribution for the backward prediction, which is conditioned by a desired property requirement. Exploring high-probability regions of the posterior with a sequential Monte Carlo technique, molecules that exhibit the desired properties can computationally be created. One major difficulty in the computational creation of molecules is the exclusion of the occurrence of chemically unfavorable structures. To circumvent this issue, we derive a chemical language model that acquires commonly occurring patterns of chemical fragments through natural language processing of ASCII strings of existing compounds, which follow the SMILES chemical language notation. In the backward prediction, the trained language model is used to refine chemical strings such that the properties of the resulting structures fall within the desired property region while chemically unfavorable structures are successfully removed. The present method is demonstrated through the design of small organic molecules with the property requirements on HOMO-LUMO gap and internal energy. The R package iqspr is available at the CRAN repository.

Bayesian molecular design with a chemical language model.

PubMed

Ikebata, Hisaki; Hongo, Kenta; Isomura, Tetsu; Maezono, Ryo; Yoshida, Ryo

2017-04-01

The aim of computational molecular design is the identification of promising hypothetical molecules with a predefined set of desired properties. We address the issue of accelerating the material discovery with state-of-the-art machine learning techniques. The method involves two different types of prediction; the forward and backward predictions. The objective of the forward prediction is to create a set of machine learning models on various properties of a given molecule. Inverting the trained forward models through Bayes' law, we derive a posterior distribution for the backward prediction, which is conditioned by a desired property requirement. Exploring high-probability regions of the posterior with a sequential Monte Carlo technique, molecules that exhibit the desired properties can computationally be created. One major difficulty in the computational creation of molecules is the exclusion of the occurrence of chemically unfavorable structures. To circumvent this issue, we derive a chemical language model that acquires commonly occurring patterns of chemical fragments through natural language processing of ASCII strings of existing compounds, which follow the SMILES chemical language notation. In the backward prediction, the trained language model is used to refine chemical strings such that the properties of the resulting structures fall within the desired property region while chemically unfavorable structures are successfully removed. The present method is demonstrated through the design of small organic molecules with the property requirements on HOMO-LUMO gap and internal energy. The R package iqspr is available at the CRAN repository.

Literacy through Languages: Connecting with the Common Core

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandrock, Paul

2013-01-01

The Common Core Standards have defined literacy and outlined the mission for English Language Arts in a way that provides a natural fit with the National Standards for Language Learning. Taking advantage of this connection, language teachers can showcase the importance of learning languages by demonstrating how literacy is learned, practiced, and…

TRANSFORM - TRANsient Simulation Framework of Reconfigurable Models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greenwood, Michael S; Cetiner, Mustafa S; Fugate, David L

Existing development tools for early stage design and scoping of energy systems are often time consuming to use, proprietary, and do not contain the necessary function to model complete systems (i.e., controls, primary, and secondary systems) in a common platform. The Modelica programming language based TRANSFORM tool (1) provides a standardized, common simulation environment for early design of energy systems (i.e., power plants), (2) provides a library of baseline component modules to be assembled into full plant models using available geometry, design, and thermal-hydraulic data, (3) defines modeling conventions for interconnecting component models, and (4) establishes user interfaces and supportmore » tools to facilitate simulation development (i.e., configuration and parameterization), execution, and results display and capture.« less

An overview of software design languages. [for Galileo spacecraft Command and Data Subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callender, E. D.

1980-01-01

The nature and use of design languages and associated processors that are used in software development are reviewed with reference to development work on the Galileo spacecraft project, a Jupiter orbiter scheduled for launch in 1984. The major design steps are identified (functional design, architectural design, detailed design, coding, and testing), and the purpose, functions and the range of applications of design languages are examined. Then the general character of any design language is analyzed in terms of syntax and semantics. Finally, the differences and similarities between design languages are illustrated by examining two specific design languages: Software Design and Documentation language and Problem Statement Language/Problem Statement Analyzer.

Understanding novel language

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dejong, G.F.; Waltz, D.L.

1983-01-01

This paper treats in some detail the problem of designing mechanisms that will allow one to deal with two types of novel language: (1) text requiring scheme learning; and (2) the understanding of novel metaphorical use of verbs. Schema learning is addressed by four types of processes: scheme composition, secondary effect elevation, schema alteration, and volitionalization. The processing of novel metaphors depends on a decompositional analysis of verbs into event shape diagrams, along with a matching process that uses semantic marker-like information, to construct novel meaning structures. The examples described have been chosen to be types that occur commonly, somore » that rules that are needed to understand them can also be used to understand a much wider range of novel language. 38 references.« less

Empirical Learner Language and the Levels of the "Common European Framework of Reference"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisniewski, Katrin

2017-01-01

The "Common European Framework of Reference" (CEFR) is the most widespread reference tool for linking language tests, curricula, and national educational standards to levels of foreign language proficiency in Europe. In spite of this, little is known about how the CEFR levels (A1-C2) relate to empirical learner language(s). This article…

The "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages," the European Language Portfolio, and Language Teaching/Learning at University: An Argument and Some Proposals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, David

2016-01-01

I begin this article by briefly explaining why I think CercleS should encourage university language centres to align their courses and assessment with the proficiency levels of the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR) and why they should use a version of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) to support the…

BEASTling: A software tool for linguistic phylogenetics using BEAST 2

PubMed Central

Forkel, Robert; Kaiping, Gereon A.; Atkinson, Quentin D.

2017-01-01

We present a new open source software tool called BEASTling, designed to simplify the preparation of Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of linguistic data using the BEAST 2 platform. BEASTling transforms comparatively short and human-readable configuration files into the XML files used by BEAST to specify analyses. By taking advantage of Creative Commons-licensed data from the Glottolog language catalog, BEASTling allows the user to conveniently filter datasets using names for recognised language families, to impose monophyly constraints so that inferred language trees are backward compatible with Glottolog classifications, or to assign geographic location data to languages for phylogeographic analyses. Support for the emerging cross-linguistic linked data format (CLDF) permits easy incorporation of data published in cross-linguistic linked databases into analyses. BEASTling is intended to make the power of Bayesian analysis more accessible to historical linguists without strong programming backgrounds, in the hopes of encouraging communication and collaboration between those developing computational models of language evolution (who are typically not linguists) and relevant domain experts. PMID:28796784

BEASTling: A software tool for linguistic phylogenetics using BEAST 2.

PubMed

Maurits, Luke; Forkel, Robert; Kaiping, Gereon A; Atkinson, Quentin D

2017-01-01

We present a new open source software tool called BEASTling, designed to simplify the preparation of Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of linguistic data using the BEAST 2 platform. BEASTling transforms comparatively short and human-readable configuration files into the XML files used by BEAST to specify analyses. By taking advantage of Creative Commons-licensed data from the Glottolog language catalog, BEASTling allows the user to conveniently filter datasets using names for recognised language families, to impose monophyly constraints so that inferred language trees are backward compatible with Glottolog classifications, or to assign geographic location data to languages for phylogeographic analyses. Support for the emerging cross-linguistic linked data format (CLDF) permits easy incorporation of data published in cross-linguistic linked databases into analyses. BEASTling is intended to make the power of Bayesian analysis more accessible to historical linguists without strong programming backgrounds, in the hopes of encouraging communication and collaboration between those developing computational models of language evolution (who are typically not linguists) and relevant domain experts.

Retaining the Learning Disabled Adult. A Handbook for Adult Basic Education Instructors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Diane, Comp.

This handbook is designed to address teachers' most common concerns about learning disabilities (LDs) and teaching adults with LDs. Section 1 defines LDs by describing traits that adults with LDs share. Section 2 focuses on identification of students with LDs. LD characteristics are divided into eight categories: academics, speech/language, motor…

K-2 at the Zoo.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Lori; Andrews, Steve

This packet is designed to help teachers maximize a zoo visit for children ages 5 to 7. The packet provides activities for use before, during, and after the zoo visit. Activities are provided to enhance student skills in language arts, reading, art, science, and math, and are correlated to the Oregon Essentials Learning Skills Common Curriculum…

Assessment and Management of the Communication Difficulties of Children with Cerebral Palsy: A UK Survey of SLT Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Rose Mary; Pennington, Lindsay

2015-01-01

Background: Communication difficulties are common in cerebral palsy (CP) and are frequently associated with motor, intellectual and sensory impairments. Speech and language therapy research comprises single-case experimental design and small group studies, limiting evidence-based intervention and possibly exacerbating variation in practice. Aims:…

Intelligent Tutoring Systems: Formalization as Automata and Interface Design Using Neural Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curilem, S. Gloria; Barbosa, Andrea R.; de Azevedo, Fernando M.

2007-01-01

This article proposes a mathematical model of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS), based on observations of the behaviour of these systems. One of the most important problems of pedagogical software is to establish a common language between the knowledge areas involved in their development, basically pedagogical, computing and domain areas. A…

Stereo Orthogonal Axonometric Perspective for the Teaching of Descriptive Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Méxas, José Geraldo Franco; Guedes, Karla Bastos; Tavares, Ronaldo da Silva

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the development of a software for stereo visualization of geometric solids, applied to the teaching/learning of Descriptive Geometry. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents the traditional method commonly used in computer graphic stereoscopic vision (implemented in C language) and the…

Benchmark Lisp And Ada Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Gloria; Galant, David; Lim, Raymond; Stutz, John; Gibson, J.; Raghavan, B.; Cheesema, P.; Taylor, W.

1992-01-01

Suite of nonparallel benchmark programs, ELAPSE, designed for three tests: comparing efficiency of computer processing via Lisp vs. Ada; comparing efficiencies of several computers processing via Lisp; or comparing several computers processing via Ada. Tests efficiency which computer executes routines in each language. Available for computer equipped with validated Ada compiler and/or Common Lisp system.

English-Dari Dictionary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace Corps, Washington, DC.

This 7,000-word dictionary is designed for English speakers learning Dari. The dictionary consists of two parts, the first a reference to find words easily translatable from one language to the other, the second a list of idioms and short phrases commonly used in everyday conversation, yet not readily translatable. Many of these entries have no…

Source Lines Counter (SLiC) Version 4.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monson, Erik W.; Smith, Kevin A.; Newport, Brian J.; Gostelow, Roli D.; Hihn, Jairus M.; Kandt, Ronald K.

2011-01-01

Source Lines Counter (SLiC) is a software utility designed to measure software source code size using logical source statements and other common measures for 22 of the programming languages commonly used at NASA and the aerospace industry. Such metrics can be used in a wide variety of applications, from parametric cost estimation to software defect analysis. SLiC has a variety of unique features such as automatic code search, automatic file detection, hierarchical directory totals, and spreadsheet-compatible output. SLiC was written for extensibility; new programming language support can be added with minimal effort in a short amount of time. SLiC runs on a variety of platforms including UNIX, Windows, and Mac OSX. Its straightforward command-line interface allows for customization and incorporation into the software build process for tracking development metrics. T

Ecological View of the Learner-Context Interface for Online Language Learning: A Phenomenological Case Study of Informal Learners of Macedonian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belamaric Wilsey, Biljana

2013-01-01

Studies of informal language learning and self-instruction with online materials have recently come into prominence. However, those studies are predominantly focused on more commonly taught languages and there is a gap in the literature on less commonly taught languages (LCTL), precisely the languages that are often studied outside of formal…

Common Problems of Mobile Applications for Foreign Language Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia Laborda, Jesus; Magal-Royo, Teresa; Lopez, Jose Luis Gimenez

2011-01-01

As the use of mobile learning educational applications has become more common anywhere in the world, new concerns have appeared in the classroom, human interaction in software engineering and ergonomics. new tests of foreign languages for a number of purposes have become more and more common recently. However, studies interrelating language tests…

Common Language Effect Size for Multiple Treatment Comparisons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Xiaofeng Steven

2015-01-01

Researchers who need to explain treatment effects to laypeople can translate Cohen's effect size (standardized mean difference) to a common language effect size--a probability of a random observation from one population being larger than a random observation from the other population. This common language effect size can be extended to represent…

The Use of UML for Software Requirements Expression and Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, Alex; Clark, Ken

2015-01-01

It is common practice to write English-language "shall" statements to embody detailed software requirements in aerospace software applications. This paper explores the use of the UML language as a replacement for the English language for this purpose. Among the advantages offered by the Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a high degree of clarity and precision in the expression of domain concepts as well as architecture and design. Can this quality of UML be exploited for the definition of software requirements? While expressing logical behavior, interface characteristics, timeliness constraints, and other constraints on software using UML is commonly done and relatively straight-forward, achieving the additional aspects of the expression and management of software requirements that stakeholders expect, especially traceability, is far less so. These other characteristics, concerned with auditing and quality control, include the ability to trace a requirement to a parent requirement (which may well be an English "shall" statement), to trace a requirement to verification activities or scenarios which verify that requirement, and to trace a requirement to elements of the software design which implement that requirement. UML Use Cases, designed for capturing requirements, have not always been satisfactory. Some applications of them simply use the Use Case model element as a repository for English requirement statements. Other applications of Use Cases, in which Use Cases are incorporated into behavioral diagrams that successfully communicate the behaviors and constraints required of the software, do indeed take advantage of UML's clarity, but not in ways that support the traceability features mentioned above. Our approach uses the Stereotype construct of UML to precisely identify elements of UML constructs, especially behaviors such as State Machines and Activities, as requirements, and also to achieve the necessary mapping capabilities. We describe this approach in the context of a space-based software application currently under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Memory and Common Ground Processes in Language Use

PubMed Central

Brown-Schmidt, Sarah; Duff, Melissa C.

2018-01-01

During communication, we form assumptions about what our communication partners know and believe. Information that is mutually known between the discourse partners—their common ground—serves as a backdrop for successful communication. Here we present an introduction to the focus of this topic, which is the role of memory in common ground and language use. Two types of questions emerge as central to understanding the relationship between memory and common ground, specifically questions having to do with the representation of common ground in memory, and the use of common ground during language processing. PMID:27797165

Investigation into interactive graphics data base exchange via Gerber data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parks, R.E.

1980-03-01

Data representing the same interactive grahic design vary greatly from one graphics system manufacturer to another. Therefore, translating the data into a common form to effect data base exchange is a difficult problem. This study examines the use of the Gerber language as a common data form through which design data could be exchanged between unlike systems. For this study Applicon Graphic System was used cyclically to check retention or degeneration of the data integrity when the original design was extracted/defined in the Gerber language and reentered into the AGS utilizing various Gerber Interface Programs. The various parts of thismore » study include the transferring of data not only in the 2D environment, but 2D to 3D and 3D to 2D. Even though plots of the files appear very similar, the individual data bases are very dissimilar. Programs, both present and future, that might supply needed information or design aids and characteristics would find it virtually impossible to do so from a data base lacking the sophistication and completeness of the original AGS data base. Man-machine hours required to bring the data base back to original quality would be extensive. The loss of data base integrity shown by this study was restricted to an AGS to AGS transfer. The loss could very easily be magnified if the transfer were between unlike systems. 8 figures. (RWR)« less

Software Design for Interactive Graphic Radiation Treatment Simulation Systems*

PubMed Central

Kalet, Ira J.; Sweeney, Christine; Jacky, Jonathan

1990-01-01

We examine issues in the design of interactive computer graphic simulation programs for radiation treatment planning (RTP), as well as expert system programs that automate parts of the RTP process, in light of ten years of experience at designing, building and using such programs. An experiment in object-oriented design using standard Pascal shows that while some advantage is gained from the design, it is still difficult to achieve modularity and to integrate expert system components. A new design based on the Common LISP Object System (CLOS) is described. This series of designs for RTP software shows that this application benefits in specific ways from object-oriented design methods and appropriate languages and tools.

The "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" and the European Language Portfolio: Some History, a View of Language Learner Autonomy, and Some Implications for Language Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, David

2013-01-01

This article is based on a plenary talk given at the CercleS seminar hosted by the University of Groningen in November 2011 to mark the tenth anniversary of the publication of the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" and the launch of the European Language Portfolio. The first part of the article summarizes the history…

Using A Model-Based Systems Engineering Approach For Exploration Medical System Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, A.; Mindock, J.; McGuire, K.; Reilly, J.; Cerro, J.; Othon, W.; Rubin, D.; Urbina, M.; Canga, M.

2017-01-01

NASA's Human Research Program's Exploration Medical Capabilities (ExMC) element is defining the medical system needs for exploration class missions. ExMC's Systems Engineering (SE) team will play a critical role in successful design and implementation of the medical system into exploration vehicles. The team's mission is to "Define, develop, validate, and manage the technical system design needed to implement exploration medical capabilities for Mars and test the design in a progression of proving grounds." Development of the medical system is being conducted in parallel with exploration mission architecture and vehicle design development. Successful implementation of the medical system in this environment will require a robust systems engineering approach to enable technical communication across communities to create a common mental model of the emergent engineering and medical systems. Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) improves shared understanding of system needs and constraints between stakeholders and offers a common language for analysis. The ExMC SE team is using MBSE techniques to define operational needs, decompose requirements and architecture, and identify medical capabilities needed to support human exploration. Systems Modeling Language (SysML) is the specific language the SE team is utilizing, within an MBSE approach, to model the medical system functional needs, requirements, and architecture. Modeling methods are being developed through the practice of MBSE within the team, and tools are being selected to support meta-data exchange as integration points to other system models are identified. Use of MBSE is supporting the development of relationships across disciplines and NASA Centers to build trust and enable teamwork, enhance visibility of team goals, foster a culture of unbiased learning and serving, and be responsive to customer needs. The MBSE approach to medical system design offers a paradigm shift toward greater integration between vehicle and the medical system and directly supports the transition of Earth-reliant ISS operations to the Earth-independent operations envisioned for Mars. Here, we describe the methods and approach to building this integrated model.

A Comparison and Evaluation of Real-Time Software Systems Modeling Languages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evensen, Kenneth D.; Weiss, Kathryn Anne

2010-01-01

A model-driven approach to real-time software systems development enables the conceptualization of software, fostering a more thorough understanding of its often complex architecture and behavior while promoting the documentation and analysis of concerns common to real-time embedded systems such as scheduling, resource allocation, and performance. Several modeling languages have been developed to assist in the model-driven software engineering effort for real-time systems, and these languages are beginning to gain traction with practitioners throughout the aerospace industry. This paper presents a survey of several real-time software system modeling languages, namely the Architectural Analysis and Design Language (AADL), the Unified Modeling Language (UML), Systems Modeling Language (SysML), the Modeling and Analysis of Real-Time Embedded Systems (MARTE) UML profile, and the AADL for UML profile. Each language has its advantages and disadvantages, and in order to adequately describe a real-time software system's architecture, a complementary use of multiple languages is almost certainly necessary. This paper aims to explore these languages in the context of understanding the value each brings to the model-driven software engineering effort and to determine if it is feasible and practical to combine aspects of the various modeling languages to achieve more complete coverage in architectural descriptions. To this end, each language is evaluated with respect to a set of criteria such as scope, formalisms, and architectural coverage. An example is used to help illustrate the capabilities of the various languages.

Sociological Implications of English as an International Language in Music Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra

2016-01-01

Internationalization and globalization have created a global music education community which is not only linked by similar ideas, but also shares a common language. English functions as a global language and facilitates the international discourse in music education. While it is good to have a common language supporting international dialogue, it…

Strategies for searching medical natural language text. Distribution of words in the anatomic diagnoses of 7000 autopsy subjects.

PubMed Central

Moore, G. W.; Hutchins, G. M.; Miller, R. E.

1984-01-01

Computerized indexing and retrieval of medical records is increasingly important; but the use of natural language versus coded languages (SNOP, SNOMED) for this purpose remains controversial. In an effort to develop search strategies for natural language text, the authors examined the anatomic diagnosis reports by computer for 7000 consecutive autopsy subjects spanning a 13-year period at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. There were 923,657 words, 11,642 of them distinct. The authors observed an average of 1052 keystrokes, 28 lines, and 131 words per autopsy report, with an average 4.6 words per line and 7.0 letters per word. The entire text file represented 921 hours of secretarial effort. Words ranged in frequency from 33,959 occurrences of "and" to one occurrence for each of 3398 different words. Searches for rare diseases with unique names or for representative examples of common diseases were most readily performed with the use of computer-printed key word in context (KWIC) books. For uncommon diseases designated by commonly used terms (such as "cystic fibrosis"), needs were best served by a computerized search for logical combinations of key words. In an unbalanced word distribution, each conjunction (logical and) search should be performed in ascending order of word frequency; but each alternation (logical inclusive or) search should be performed in descending order of word frequency. Natural language text searches will assume a larger role in medical records analysis as the labor-intensive procedure of translation into a coded language becomes more costly, compared with the computer-intensive procedure of text searching. PMID:6546837

The Influence of Partner-Specific Memory Associations on Language Production: Evidence from Picture Naming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horton, William S.

2007-01-01

In typical interactions, speakers frequently produce utterances that appear to reflect beliefs about the common ground shared with particular addressees. Horton and Gerrig (2005a) proposed that one important basis for audience design is the manner in which conversational partners serve as cues for the automatic retrieval of associated information…

Iowa Department of Education Guidance Document. Response to Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iowa Department of Education, 2011

2011-01-01

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of Response to Intervention (RtI), including essential components. Iowa's RtI document is designed to provide the state with common language and understanding of RtI, why RtI is important for improving student results, general timelines for implementation and answers to Frequently Asked…

A Process for the Critical Analysis of Instructional Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bostwick, Jay A.; Calvert, Isaac Wade; Francis, Jenifer; Hawkley, Melissa; Henrie, Curtis R.; Hyatt, Frederick R.; Juncker, Janeel; Gibbons, Andrew S.

2014-01-01

Some have argued for a common language in the field of instructional design in an effort to reduce misunderstandings and simplify a multitude of synonymous terms and concepts. Others feel that this goal is undesirable in that it precludes development and flexibility. In this article we propose an ontology-building process as a way for readers to…

A Climate Change Board Game for Interdisciplinary Communication and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenack, Klaus

2013-01-01

This article reports and reflects on the design and use of the board game KEEP COOL on climate change. The game covers and integrates central biophysical, economic, and political aspects of the issue. By using a board game as common language between students and scientists from different scientific cultures, knowledge of different disciplines can…

Non-Speech Oro-Motor Exercises in Post-Stroke Dysarthria Intervention: A Randomized Feasibility Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackenzie, C.; Muir, M.; Allen, C.; Jensen, A.

2014-01-01

Background: There has been little robust evaluation of the outcome of speech and language therapy (SLT) intervention for post-stroke dysarthria. Non-speech oro-motor exercises (NSOMExs) are a common component of dysarthria intervention. A feasibility study was designed and executed, with participants randomized into two groups, in one of which…

Evaluation of Creative Problem-Solving Abilities in Undergraduate Structural Engineers through Interdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCrum, Daniel Patrick

2017-01-01

For a structural engineer, effective communication and interaction with architects cannot be underestimated as a key skill to success throughout their professional career. Structural engineers and architects have to share a common language and understanding of each other in order to achieve the most desirable architectural and structural designs.…

Get That Job! A Project on the German Job Application Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magedera-Hofhansl, Hanna

2016-01-01

With decreasing numbers of students studying German at Higher Education Institutions in the United Kingdom, there is an increasing demand for graduate Germanists. This project, designed for C1/C2 level students according to the Common European Framework of Reference for languages, prepares finalist students for a job market in which UK and German…

PIR-1 and PIRPL. A Project in Robotics Education. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, Charles P.

This paper presents the results of a project in robotics education that included: (1) designing a mobile robot--the Personal Instructional Robot-1 (PIR-1); (2) providing a guide to the purchase and assembly of necessary parts; (3) providing a way to interface the robot with common classroom microcomputers; and (4) providing a language by which the…

A Giant Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baggaley, Jon

2011-01-01

The term Tower of Babel has become synonymous with projects that have grand designs but end in confusion. So named in the Bible, the Tower is described in the Qur'an and in Judaic texts also, under different names. Its reputed purpose was to unify the nations of the earth with a common language. The Tower fell, however, and those who collaborated…

Survey of Poetry Reading Strategy as the Modern Tool to Identify Poetry Reading Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebrahimi, Shirin Shafiei; Zainal, Zaidah

2016-01-01

This study examines common strategies that English as a Foreign language (EFL) students employ when reading English poetry. To identify the strategies, a survey was designed for data collection from TESL students. The result shows that students significantly tend to use the strategies that require their creativity to construct new ideas in the…

The Exclusion of the Creative Arts from Contracted School Curricula for Teaching the Common Core Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gormley, Kathleen; McDermott, Peter

2016-01-01

Many people would agree the creative arts are essential for children's education and development. For years, the creative arts were integrated into classroom learning units, especially in the language arts, by using drama, music, and drawing; this was considered good teaching. In this study we examined whether contracted curricula designed for…

A Peer-Assisted Learning Experience in Computer Programming Language Learning and Developing Computer Programming Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altintas, Tugba; Gunes, Ali; Sayan, Hamiyet

2016-01-01

Peer learning or, as commonly expressed, peer-assisted learning (PAL) involves school students who actively assist others to learn and in turn benefit from an effective learning environment. This research was designed to support students in becoming more autonomous in their learning, help them enhance their confidence level in tackling computer…

Toward a molecular programming language for algorithmic self-assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patitz, Matthew John

Self-assembly is the process whereby relatively simple components autonomously combine to form more complex objects. Nature exhibits self-assembly to form everything from microscopic crystals to living cells to galaxies. With a desire to both form increasingly sophisticated products and to understand the basic components of living systems, scientists have developed and studied artificial self-assembling systems. One such framework is the Tile Assembly Model introduced by Erik Winfree in 1998. In this model, simple two-dimensional square 'tiles' are designed so that they self-assemble into desired shapes. The work in this thesis consists of a series of results which build toward the future goal of designing an abstracted, high-level programming language for designing the molecular components of self-assembling systems which can perform powerful computations and form into intricate structures. The first two sets of results demonstrate self-assembling systems which perform infinite series of computations that characterize computably enumerable and decidable languages, and exhibit tools for algorithmically generating the necessary sets of tiles. In the next chapter, methods for generating tile sets which self-assemble into complicated shapes, namely a class of discrete self-similar fractal structures, are presented. Next, a software package for graphically designing tile sets, simulating their self-assembly, and debugging designed systems is discussed. Finally, a high-level programming language which abstracts much of the complexity and tedium of designing such systems, while preventing many of the common errors, is presented. The summation of this body of work presents a broad coverage of the spectrum of desired outputs from artificial self-assembling systems and a progression in the sophistication of tools used to design them. By creating a broader and deeper set of modular tools for designing self-assembling systems, we hope to increase the complexity which is attainable. These tools provide a solid foundation for future work in both the Tile Assembly Model and explorations into more advanced models.

Through the Learners' Eyes: Reconceptualizing the Heritage and Non-Heritage Learner of the Less Commonly Taught Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jin Sook

2005-01-01

This study investigates how learners of the less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) (i.e., Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Swahili, Yoruba) perceive their identities as heritage or non-heritage language learners. A survey of 530 college-level language learners reveals that heritage and non-heritage…

The Foreign Language Classroom: New Techniques. Report of Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garfinkel, Alan, Ed.; And Others

The summary of the 1983 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages includes these papers: "A Look at Our Profession: Common Concerns, Common Dreams" (Mary Finocchiaro's keynote address to the 1982 Central States Conference); "Traversing the Language 'Gateway': The Passport Lesson" (Dana Carton); "Personal Growth Through…

Memory and Common Ground Processes in Language Use.

PubMed

Brown-Schmidt, Sarah; Duff, Melissa C

2016-10-01

During communication, we form assumptions about what our communication partners know and believe. Information that is mutually known between the discourse partners-their common ground-serves as a backdrop for successful communication. Here we present an introduction to the focus of this topic, which is the role of memory in common ground and language use. Two types of questions emerge as central to understanding the relationship between memory and common ground, specifically questions having to do with the representation of common ground in memory, and the use of common ground during language processing. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

RenderMan design principles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Apodaca, Tony; Porter, Tom

1989-01-01

The two worlds of interactive graphics and realistic graphics have remained separate. Fast graphics hardware runs simple algorithms and generates simple looking images. Photorealistic image synthesis software runs slowly on large expensive computers. The time has come for these two branches of computer graphics to merge. The speed and expense of graphics hardware is no longer the barrier to the wide acceptance of photorealism. There is every reason to believe that high quality image synthesis will become a standard capability of every graphics machine, from superworkstation to personal computer. The significant barrier has been the lack of a common language, an agreed-upon set of terms and conditions, for 3-D modeling systems to talk to 3-D rendering systems for computing an accurate rendition of that scene. Pixar has introduced RenderMan to serve as that common language. RenderMan, specifically the extensibility it offers in shading calculations, is discussed.

Developing a common language for using social marketing: an analysis of Public Health literature.

PubMed

Quinn, Gwendolyn P; Ellery, Jane; Thomas, Kamilah B; Marshall, Robert

2010-10-01

The term social marketing has been used to describe a multitude of interventions that incorporate the use of traditional marketing techniques to promote a behavior that will improve the health or well-being of a target audience or of society as a whole. However, there is wide variation in the way social marketing is defined and used. This systematic review article examines how social marketing has been defined and applied to social problems within the public health literature from 2001-2006, by adapting a grading-system borrowed from evidence-based medicine and utilizing Kotler and Zaltman's definition of social marketing. Additionally, definitions of social marketing were identified in the reviewed articles. Identifying a common language in the description and design of social marketing interventions will benefit researchers and practitioners interested in social marketing as a behavior change approach.

Phonotactic Probability of Brand Names: I'd buy that!

PubMed Central

Vitevitch, Michael S.; Donoso, Alexander J.

2011-01-01

Psycholinguistic research shows that word-characteristics influence the speed and accuracy of various language-related processes. Analogous characteristics of brand names influence the retrieval of product information and the perception of risks associated with that product. In the present experiment we examined how phonotactic probability—the frequency with which phonological segments and sequences of segments appear in a word—might influence consumer behavior. Participants rated brand names that varied in phonotactic probability on the likelihood that they would buy the product. Participants indicated that they were more likely to purchase a product if the brand name was comprised of common segments and sequences of segments rather than less common segments and sequences of segments. This result suggests that word-characteristics may influence higher-level cognitive processes, in addition to language-related processes. Furthermore, the benefits of using objective measures of word characteristics in the design of brand names are discussed. PMID:21870135

A Common Programming Language for the Department of Defense--Background and Technical Requirements

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

Method Findings I. Introduction A. The Problem 1. Software Costs 2. Programming Language 3. Lack of Comrr.onality 4. Common Language 5...accessible soft- ware tools and aids. There are a number of widely held perceptions about the ill effects of the lack of programming language ...cost- effective (at lea~t during development) than de- velopi~g a new programming language specialized to the project. On the other hand,

Distinct cortical areas for names of numbers and body parts independent of language and input modality.

PubMed

Le Clec'H, G; Dehaene, S; Cohen, L; Mehler, J; Dupoux, E; Poline, J B; Lehéricy, S; van de Moortele, P F; Le Bihan, D

2000-10-01

Some models of word comprehension postulate that the processing of words presented in different modalities and languages ultimately converges toward common cerebral systems associated with semantic-level processing and that the localization of these systems may vary with the category of semantic knowledge being accessed. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate this hypothesis with two categories of words, numerals, and body parts, for which the existence of distinct category-specific areas is debated in neuropsychology. Across two experiments, one with a blocked design and the other with an event-related design, a reproducible set of left-hemispheric parietal and prefrontal areas showed greater activation during the manipulation of topographical knowledge about body parts and a right-hemispheric parietal network during the manipulation of numerical quantities. These results complement the existing neuropsychological and brain-imaging literature by suggesting that within the extensive network of bilateral parietal regions active during both number and body-part processing, a subset shows category-specific responses independent of the language and modality of presentation. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Analyzing the Rate at Which Languages Lose the Influence of a Common Ancestor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rafferty, Anna N.; Griffiths, Thomas L.; Klein, Dan

2014-01-01

Analyzing the rate at which languages change can clarify whether similarities across languages are solely the result of cognitive biases or might be partially due to descent from a common ancestor. To demonstrate this approach, we use a simple model of language evolution to mathematically determine how long it should take for the distribution over…

The Comparison of the View of "Communicative Language Teaching" in Abant Izzet Baysal University, Turkey and Sussex University; UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metin Tekin, Bilge

2017-01-01

For language teachers, the study of education from international and comparative points of view, which is undertaken by comparative education, is essential because of the international nature of language education. For language teachers, working abroad to widen their experience is very common. Therefore, knowing the latest and common approach is…

A common distributed language approach to software integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antonelli, Charles J.; Volz, Richard A.; Mudge, Trevor N.

1989-01-01

An important objective in software integration is the development of techniques to allow programs written in different languages to function together. Several approaches are discussed toward achieving this objective and the Common Distributed Language Approach is presented as the approach of choice.

Creating Tasks in a Less-Commonly Taught Language for an Open Educational Resource: Why the CEFR Is Important for Irish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ó Ciardúbháin, Colm; Nic Giolla Mhichíl, Mairéad

2014-01-01

If teachers of Less-Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs), such as Irish, are to make use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and many other CALL tools, then there must be an appropriate adaptation of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in that LCTL. The need to be "Bologna-compliant" has seen language courses and syllabuses…

Modeling and simulation of biological systems using SPICE language

PubMed Central

Lallement, Christophe; Haiech, Jacques

2017-01-01

The article deals with BB-SPICE (SPICE for Biochemical and Biological Systems), an extension of the famous Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE). BB-SPICE environment is composed of three modules: a new textual and compact description formalism for biological systems, a converter that handles this description and generates the SPICE netlist of the equivalent electronic circuit and NGSPICE which is an open-source SPICE simulator. In addition, the environment provides back and forth interfaces with SBML (System Biology Markup Language), a very common description language used in systems biology. BB-SPICE has been developed in order to bridge the gap between the simulation of biological systems on the one hand and electronics circuits on the other hand. Thus, it is suitable for applications at the interface between both domains, such as development of design tools for synthetic biology and for the virtual prototyping of biosensors and lab-on-chip. Simulation results obtained with BB-SPICE and COPASI (an open-source software used for the simulation of biochemical systems) have been compared on a benchmark of models commonly used in systems biology. Results are in accordance from a quantitative viewpoint but BB-SPICE outclasses COPASI by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude regarding the computation time. Moreover, as our software is based on NGSPICE, it could take profit of incoming updates such as the GPU implementation, of the coupling with powerful analysis and verification tools or of the integration in design automation tools (synthetic biology). PMID:28787027

Communication rehabilitation in sub-Saharan Africa: The role of speech and language therapists.

PubMed

Wylie, Karen; McAllister, Lindy; Davidson, Bronwyn; Marshall, Julie

2018-01-01

Workforce factors present a significant barrier to the development of rehabilitation services for people with communication disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Exploring how the work of speech and language therapists (SLTs) in the region is organised and delivered can provide insight into existing services, areas for future workforce development and improved rehabilitation access for people with communication disability. This paper describes the employment and service provision patterns and work roles of a sample of SLTs in SSA. A broad, purpose-designed, mixed-methods survey was designed to collect data from SLTs living in Anglophone countries of SSA. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were undertaken. This paper reports on a subset of data from the wider survey. A description of the employment and work roles of the 33 respondents to the survey and characteristics of their service users is presented. SLTs were commonly employed within private and not-for-profit sectors and frequently worked in temporary jobs. SLTs engaged in a range of work roles, including capacity building and training others. Services were provided by SLTs across age ranges, health conditions and settings, with paediatric, urban services commonly reported. Costs for service users and urban-centred services give indications of barriers to service access. Knowledge of the way in which speech and language therapy services are organised and provided has the potential to shape the development of communication disability rehabilitation in SSA. This research has identified a range of issues requiring consideration as the profession develops and grows.

On the antiquity of language: the reinterpretation of Neandertal linguistic capacities and its consequences

PubMed Central

Dediu, Dan; Levinson, Stephen C.

2013-01-01

It is usually assumed that modern language is a recent phenomenon, coinciding with the emergence of modern humans themselves. Many assume as well that this is the result of a single, sudden mutation giving rise to the full “modern package.” However, we argue here that recognizably modern language is likely an ancient feature of our genus pre-dating at least the common ancestor of modern humans and Neandertals about half a million years ago. To this end, we adduce a broad range of evidence from linguistics, genetics, paleontology, and archaeology clearly suggesting that Neandertals shared with us something like modern speech and language. This reassessment of the antiquity of modern language, from the usually quoted 50,000–100,000 years to half a million years, has profound consequences for our understanding of our own evolution in general and especially for the sciences of speech and language. As such, it argues against a saltationist scenario for the evolution of language, and toward a gradual process of culture-gene co-evolution extending to the present day. Another consequence is that the present-day linguistic diversity might better reflect the properties of the design space for language and not just the vagaries of history, and could also contain traces of the languages spoken by other human forms such as the Neandertals. PMID:23847571

A tutorial on aphasia test development in any language: Key substantive and psychometric considerations

PubMed Central

Ivanova, Maria V.; Hallowell, Brooke

2013-01-01

Background There are a limited number of aphasia language tests in the majority of the world's commonly spoken languages. Furthermore, few aphasia tests in languages other than English have been standardized and normed, and few have supportive psychometric data pertaining to reliability and validity. The lack of standardized assessment tools across many of the world's languages poses serious challenges to clinical practice and research in aphasia. Aims The current review addresses this lack of assessment tools by providing conceptual and statistical guidance for the development of aphasia assessment tools and establishment of their psychometric properties. Main Contribution A list of aphasia tests in the 20 most widely spoken languages is included. The pitfalls of translating an existing test into a new language versus creating a new test are outlined. Factors to consider in determining test content are discussed. Further, a description of test items corresponding to different language functions is provided, with special emphasis on implementing important controls in test design. Next, a broad review of principal psychometric properties relevant to aphasia tests is presented, with specific statistical guidance for establishing psychometric properties of standardized assessment tools. Conclusions This article may be used to help guide future work on developing, standardizing and validating aphasia language tests. The considerations discussed are also applicable to the development of standardized tests of other cognitive functions. PMID:23976813

EPOS--The European E-Portfolio of Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kühn, Bärbel

2016-01-01

Democratic principles and human rights, the core values of the Council of Europe, informed the development of the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR; Council of Europe 2001. "Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment." Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.…

Dyslexia in Modern Language Learning: A Case Study on Collaborative Task-Design for Inclusive Teaching and Learning in an Online Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motzo, Anna; Quattrocchi, Debora

2015-01-01

In recent years, universities have been involved in developing new strategies to promote widening participation in higher education, and consequently they have been focusing on increasing the variety of support offered to students with disabilities for a more inclusive and widely accessible learning environment. However, there is a common feeling…

The Development of More Efficient Measures for Evaluating Language Impairments in Aphasic Patients.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Phyllis P.; Halpin, Gerald

Because it generally took over an hour to administer the Porch Index of Communicative Ability (PICA), a shorter but comparable version of the test was developed. The original test was designed to quantify aphasic patients' ability level on common communicative tasks and consisted of 18 ten-item subtests. Each item resulted in a proficiency rating,…

Presence and Image of Women in the Information Media Aimed at Adolescents Aged 10 to 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dansereau, Stephanie; Maranda, Jeanne

An exploratory study identified the areas of information most commonly featured in the printed and electronic media designed specifically for adolescents aged 10-16 and also identified the presence and role of women in the information targeted to this age group. A content analysis was made of both French- and English-language television programs…

"Looking through the Eyes of the Learner": Implementation of Building Blocks for Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Annolfo, Suzanne Cordier; Schumann, Jeffrey A.

2012-01-01

The Building Blocks for Student Engagement (BBSE) protocol was designed to provide a consistent framework of common language and a visual point of reference shared among students, teachers and school leaders to keep a laser-like focus on the instructional core and student engagement. Grounded in brain-based learning and implemented in urban,…

Comprehensive Early Stimulation Program for Infants. Instruction Manual [and] Early Interventionist's Workbook [and] Parent/Caregiver Workbook. William Beaumont Hospital Speech and Language Pathology Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santana, Altagracia A.; Bottino, Patti M.

This early intervention kit includes a Comprehensive Early Stimulation Program for Infants (CESPI) instruction manual, an early interventionist workbook, and ten parent/caregiver workbooks. The CESPI early intervention program is designed to provide therapists, teachers, other health professionals, and parents with a common-sense, practical guide…

Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Teachers. Topics in Down Syndrome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oelwein, Patricia Logan

This book is designed to give parents and teachers of children with Down syndrome and other developmental delays an alternative reading program. The program is based on a functional, language-experience approach which attempts to compensate for common deficits in auditory memory and verbal skills. The seven chapters of Part 1 describe how children…

A Multi-Peer Assessment Platform for Programming Language Learning: Considering Group Non-Consensus and Personal Radicalness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yanqing; Liang, Yaowen; Liu, Luning; Liu, Ying

2016-01-01

Multi-peer assessment has often been used by teachers to reduce personal bias and make the assessment more reliable. This study reviews the design and development of multi-peer assessment systems that detect and solve two common issues in such systems: non-consensus among group members and personal radicalness in some assessments. A multi-peer…

Formalizing Knowledge in Multi-Scale Agent-Based Simulations

PubMed Central

Somogyi, Endre; Sluka, James P.; Glazier, James A.

2017-01-01

Multi-scale, agent-based simulations of cellular and tissue biology are increasingly common. These simulations combine and integrate a range of components from different domains. Simulations continuously create, destroy and reorganize constituent elements causing their interactions to dynamically change. For example, the multi-cellular tissue development process coordinates molecular, cellular and tissue scale objects with biochemical, biomechanical, spatial and behavioral processes to form a dynamic network. Different domain specific languages can describe these components in isolation, but cannot describe their interactions. No current programming language is designed to represent in human readable and reusable form the domain specific knowledge contained in these components and interactions. We present a new hybrid programming language paradigm that naturally expresses the complex multi-scale objects and dynamic interactions in a unified way and allows domain knowledge to be captured, searched, formalized, extracted and reused. PMID:29338063

Formalizing Knowledge in Multi-Scale Agent-Based Simulations.

PubMed

Somogyi, Endre; Sluka, James P; Glazier, James A

2016-10-01

Multi-scale, agent-based simulations of cellular and tissue biology are increasingly common. These simulations combine and integrate a range of components from different domains. Simulations continuously create, destroy and reorganize constituent elements causing their interactions to dynamically change. For example, the multi-cellular tissue development process coordinates molecular, cellular and tissue scale objects with biochemical, biomechanical, spatial and behavioral processes to form a dynamic network. Different domain specific languages can describe these components in isolation, but cannot describe their interactions. No current programming language is designed to represent in human readable and reusable form the domain specific knowledge contained in these components and interactions. We present a new hybrid programming language paradigm that naturally expresses the complex multi-scale objects and dynamic interactions in a unified way and allows domain knowledge to be captured, searched, formalized, extracted and reused.

Kidwatching: A Vygotskyan Approach to Children's Language In the "Star Wars" Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monroe, Suzanne S.

A Vygotskyan review of children's language examines language samples of a 7-year-old boy at home, at a birthday party, and at play in a sandbox. The language samples indicate common patterns, including his use of tools and symbol together in play. A common thread in the samples is his involvement with high tech tools of futuristic toys. Vygotsky…

Less Commonly Taught Languages: Resources and Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Centre for Information on Language Teaching, London (England).

This collection of papers from a conference on languages less commonly taught in Britain is concerned with administrative and material problems of teaching these languages. Contents of the publication are: an introduction by G. E. Perren; "Practical Needs" by Anthony Crane; "Problems of Producing Printed Materials" by Rosemary…

Literacy in Language and Mathematics: More in Common Than You Think

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Denisse R.; Rubenstein, Rheta N.

2014-01-01

This paper shares perspectives on literacy in mathematics, particularly highlighting commonalities with literacy in language arts. We discuss levels of language development appropriate for the mathematics classroom, issues related to mathematical definitions, implied meanings in many mathematics concepts, and the importance of justification. We…

Language and thought in Bilinguals: The Case of Grammatical Number and Nonverbal Classification Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasopoulos, Panos; Kasai, Chise

2008-01-01

Recent research shows that speakers of languages with obligatory plural marking (English) preferentially categorize objects based on common shape, whereas speakers of nonplural-marking classifier languages (Yucatec and Japanese) preferentially categorize objects based on common material. The current study extends that investigation to the domain…

"Rewind and Replay:" Changing Teachers' Heterosexist Language to Create an Inclusive Classroom Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Nicole Aydt; Markowitz, Linda

2009-01-01

Objectives: By completing the "Rewind and Replay" activity, participants will: (1) identify heterosexist language in common classroom interactions, (2) discuss underlying heterosexist assumptions embedded in common teacher statements, (3) brainstorm inclusive terms and expressions for use in place of heterosexist language, and (4) verbally…

Ethnic and Nationality Stereotypes in Everyday Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kite, Mary E.; Whitley, Bernard E., Jr.

2012-01-01

The authors describe a demonstration of stereotype use in everyday language that focuses on common phrases reflecting stereotypic beliefs about ethnic groups or nationalities. The exercise encourages students' discussion of stereotype use. Students read 13 common phrases from the English language and stated whether they had used each phrase and…

Historical Development of NATO Stanag 6001 Language Standards and Common European Framework (CEF) and the Comparison of Their Current Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solak, Ekrem

2011-01-01

The aim of the article is to shed light on the historical development of language studies in military and social context and to compare the current status of NATO Stanag (Standard Agreement) 6001 language scale with Common European Framework (CEF). Language studies in military context date back to World War II and the emergence of Army Specialized…

Medical knowledge and the improvement of vernacular languages in the Habsburg Monarchy: A case study from Transylvania (1770–1830)

PubMed Central

Sechel, Teodora Daniela

2012-01-01

In all European countries, the eighteenth century was characterised by efforts to improve the vernaculars. The Transylvanian case study shows how both codified medical language and ordinary language were constructed and enriched by a large number of medical books and brochures. The publication of medical literature in Central European vernacular languages in order to popularise new medical knowledge was a comprehensive programme, designed on the one hand by intellectual, political and religious elites who urged the improvement of the fatherland and the promotion of the common good by perfecting the arts and sciences. On the other hand, the imperial administration’s initiatives affected local forms of medical knowledge and the construction of vernacular languages. In the eighteenth century, the construction of vernacular languages in the Habsburg Monarchy took on a significant political character. However, in the process of building of the scientific and medical vocabulary, the main preoccupation was precision, clarity and accessibility of the neologisms being invented to encompass the medical phenomena being described. In spite of political conflicts among the ‘nations’ living in Transylvania, physicians borrowed words from German, Hungarian and Romanian. Thus they elevated several words used in everyday language to the upper social stratum of language use, leading to the invention of new terms to describe particular medical practices or phenomena. PMID:22595134

Concurrent Collections (CnC): A new approach to parallel programming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knobe, Kathleen

2010-05-07

A common approach in designing parallel languages is to provide some high level handles to manipulate the use of the parallel platform. This exposes some aspects of the target platform, for example, shared vs. distributed memory. It may expose some but not all types of parallelism, for example, data parallelism but not task parallelism. This approach must find a balance between the desire to provide a simple view for the domain expert and provide sufficient power for tuning. This is hard for any given architecture and harder if the language is to apply to a range of architectures. Either simplicitymore » or power is lost. Instead of viewing the language design problem as one of providing the programmer with high level handles, we view the problem as one of designing an interface. On one side of this interface is the programmer (domain expert) who knows the application but needs no knowledge of any aspects of the platform. On the other side of the interface is the performance expert (programmer or program) who demands maximal flexibility for optimizing the mapping to a wide range of target platforms (parallel / serial, shared / distributed, homogeneous / heterogeneous, etc.) but needs no knowledge of the domain. Concurrent Collections (CnC) is based on this separation of concerns. The talk will present CnC and its benefits. About the speaker. Kathleen Knobe has focused throughout her career on parallelism especially compiler technology, runtime system design and language design. She worked at Compass (aka Massachusetts Computer Associates) from 1980 to 1991 designing compilers for a wide range of parallel platforms for Thinking Machines, MasPar, Alliant, Numerix, and several government projects. In 1991 she decided to finish her education. After graduating from MIT in 1997, she joined Digital Equipment’s Cambridge Research Lab (CRL). She stayed through the DEC/Compaq/HP mergers and when CRL was acquired and absorbed by Intel. She currently works in the Software and Services Group / Technology Pathfinding and Innovation.« less

Concurrent Collections (CnC): A new approach to parallel programming

ScienceCinema

Knobe, Kathleen

2018-04-16

A common approach in designing parallel languages is to provide some high level handles to manipulate the use of the parallel platform. This exposes some aspects of the target platform, for example, shared vs. distributed memory. It may expose some but not all types of parallelism, for example, data parallelism but not task parallelism. This approach must find a balance between the desire to provide a simple view for the domain expert and provide sufficient power for tuning. This is hard for any given architecture and harder if the language is to apply to a range of architectures. Either simplicity or power is lost. Instead of viewing the language design problem as one of providing the programmer with high level handles, we view the problem as one of designing an interface. On one side of this interface is the programmer (domain expert) who knows the application but needs no knowledge of any aspects of the platform. On the other side of the interface is the performance expert (programmer or program) who demands maximal flexibility for optimizing the mapping to a wide range of target platforms (parallel / serial, shared / distributed, homogeneous / heterogeneous, etc.) but needs no knowledge of the domain. Concurrent Collections (CnC) is based on this separation of concerns. The talk will present CnC and its benefits. About the speaker. Kathleen Knobe has focused throughout her career on parallelism especially compiler technology, runtime system design and language design. She worked at Compass (aka Massachusetts Computer Associates) from 1980 to 1991 designing compilers for a wide range of parallel platforms for Thinking Machines, MasPar, Alliant, Numerix, and several government projects. In 1991 she decided to finish her education. After graduating from MIT in 1997, she joined Digital Equipment’s Cambridge Research Lab (CRL). She stayed through the DEC/Compaq/HP mergers and when CRL was acquired and absorbed by Intel. She currently works in the Software and Services Group / Technology Pathfinding and Innovation.

Advanced Design and Implementation of a Control Architecture for Long Range Autonomous Planetary Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin-Alvarez, A.; Hayati, S.; Volpe, R.; Petras, R.

1999-01-01

An advanced design and implementation of a Control Architecture for Long Range Autonomous Planetary Rovers is presented using a hierarchical top-down task decomposition, and the common structure of each design is presented based on feedback control theory. Graphical programming is presented as a common intuitive language for the design when a large design team is composed of managers, architecture designers, engineers, programmers, and maintenance personnel. The whole design of the control architecture consists in the classic control concepts of cyclic data processing and event-driven reaction to achieve all the reasoning and behaviors needed. For this purpose, a commercial graphical tool is presented that includes the mentioned control capabilities. Messages queues are used for inter-communication among control functions, allowing Artificial Intelligence (AI) reasoning techniques based on queue manipulation. Experimental results show a highly autonomous control system running in real time on top the JPL micro-rover Rocky 7 controlling simultaneously several robotic devices. This paper validates the sinergy between Artificial Intelligence and classic control concepts in having in advanced Control Architecture for Long Range Autonomous Planetary Rovers.

Language Educational Policy and Language Learning Quality Management: The "Common European Framework of Reference"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barenfanger, Olaf; Tschirner, Erwin

2008-01-01

The major goal of the Council of Europe to promote and facilitate communication and interaction among Europeans of different mother tongues has led to the development of the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment" (CEFR). Among other things, the CEFR is intended to help language…

Endangered Species? Less Commonly Taught Languages in the Linguistic Ecology of Australian Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunne, Kerry; Palvyshyn, Marko

2012-01-01

Hindi, a less commonly taught language in Australian higher education, was catapulted into the list of four strategically significant languages in the Commonwealth Government's 2012 White Paper, Australia in the Asian Century. Hindi's inclusion is, perhaps, predictable in view of the Commonwealth Government's economic and trade agendas, though the…

Moving Our Can(n)ons: Toward an Appreciation of Multimodal Texts in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiménez, Laura M.; Roberts, Kathryn L.; Brugar, Kristy A.; Meyer, Carla K.; Waito, Kim

2017-01-01

The growing popularity of graphic novels for younger readers is hard to miss. This article provides specific ways to think about, recognize, and teach with multimodal texts that leverage student interest. In this English language arts unit, we taught a sixth-grade class how to read and comprehend the complex design elements common to the graphic…

Bilingual Encounters: Spanish-English Medical and Legal Dialogues. A Practical Resource for Educators and Students of Interpreting. Interpreting and Translation Publications Series, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hale, Sandra

Thirty-eight dialogues are presented, each illustrating a common, real-life interpreting situation involving medical and/or legal issues and terminology. Each involves both Spanish and English languages, and the situations are specific to New South Wales, Australia. They are designed to be used as a resource in teaching interpreting. The…

Task-Based EFL Language Teaching with Procedural Information Design in a Technical Writing Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Debopriyo

2017-01-01

Task-based language learning (TBLL) has heavily influenced syllabus design, classroom teaching, and learner assessment in a foreign or second language teaching context. In this English as foreign language (EFL) learning environment, the paper discussed an innovative language learning pedagogy based on design education and technical writing. In…

Performing skin microbiome research: A method to the madness

PubMed Central

Kong, Heidi H.; Andersson, Björn; Clavel, Thomas; Common, John E.; Jackson, Scott A.; Olson, Nathan D.; Segre, Julia A.; Traidl-Hoffmann, Claudia

2017-01-01

Growing interest in microbial contributions to human health and disease has increasingly led investigators to examine the microbiome in both healthy skin and cutaneous disorders, including acne, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. The need for common language, effective study design, and validated methods are critical for high-quality, standardized research. Features, unique to skin, pose particular challenges when conducting microbiome research. This review discusses microbiome research standards and highlights important factors to consider, including clinical study design, skin sampling, sample processing, DNA sequencing, control inclusion, and data analysis. PMID:28063650

An aircraft model for the AIAA controls design challenge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brumbaugh, Randal W.

1991-01-01

A generic, state-of-the-art, high-performance aircraft model, including detailed, full-envelope, nonlinear aerodynamics, and full-envelope thrust and first-order engine response data is described. While this model was primarily developed Controls Design Challenge, the availability of such a model provides a common focus for research in aeronautical control theory and methodology. An implementation of this model using the FORTRAN computer language, associated routines furnished with the aircraft model, and techniques for interfacing these routines to external procedures is also described. Figures showing vehicle geometry, surfaces, and sign conventions are included.

GLobal Integrated Design Environment (GLIDE): A Concurrent Engineering Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGuire, Melissa L.; Kunkel, Matthew R.; Smith, David A.

2010-01-01

The GLobal Integrated Design Environment (GLIDE) is a client-server software application purpose-built to mitigate issues associated with real time data sharing in concurrent engineering environments and to facilitate discipline-to-discipline interaction between multiple engineers and researchers. GLIDE is implemented in multiple programming languages utilizing standardized web protocols to enable secure parameter data sharing between engineers and researchers across the Internet in closed and/or widely distributed working environments. A well defined, HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) based Application Programming Interface (API) to the GLIDE client/server environment enables users to interact with GLIDE, and each other, within common and familiar tools. One such common tool, Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation), paired with its add-in API for GLIDE, is discussed in this paper. The top-level examples given demonstrate how this interface improves the efficiency of the design process of a concurrent engineering study while reducing potential errors associated with manually sharing information between study participants.

Distributed semantic networks and CLIPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, James; Rodriguez, Tony

1991-01-01

Semantic networks of frames are commonly used as a method of reasoning in many problems. In most of these applications the semantic network exists as a single entity in a single process environment. Advances in workstation hardware provide support for more sophisticated applications involving multiple processes, interacting in a distributed environment. In these applications the semantic network may well be distributed over several concurrently executing tasks. This paper describes the design and implementation of a frame based, distributed semantic network in which frames are accessed both through C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) expert systems and procedural C++ language programs. The application area is a knowledge based, cooperative decision making model utilizing both rule based and procedural experts.

Communication rehabilitation in sub-Saharan Africa: The role of speech and language therapists

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Workforce factors present a significant barrier to the development of rehabilitation services for people with communication disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Exploring how the work of speech and language therapists (SLTs) in the region is organised and delivered can provide insight into existing services, areas for future workforce development and improved rehabilitation access for people with communication disability. Objectives This paper describes the employment and service provision patterns and work roles of a sample of SLTs in SSA. Method A broad, purpose-designed, mixed-methods survey was designed to collect data from SLTs living in Anglophone countries of SSA. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were undertaken. This paper reports on a subset of data from the wider survey. Results A description of the employment and work roles of the 33 respondents to the survey and characteristics of their service users is presented. SLTs were commonly employed within private and not-for-profit sectors and frequently worked in temporary jobs. SLTs engaged in a range of work roles, including capacity building and training others. Services were provided by SLTs across age ranges, health conditions and settings, with paediatric, urban services commonly reported. Costs for service users and urban-centred services give indications of barriers to service access. Conclusion Knowledge of the way in which speech and language therapy services are organised and provided has the potential to shape the development of communication disability rehabilitation in SSA. This research has identified a range of issues requiring consideration as the profession develops and grows. PMID:29707516

Commonalities and differences in the neural representations of English, Portuguese, and Mandarin sentences: When knowledge of the brain-language mappings for two languages is better than one.

PubMed

Yang, Ying; Wang, Jing; Bailer, Cyntia; Cherkassky, Vladimir; Just, Marcel Adam

2017-12-01

This study extended cross-language semantic decoding (based on a concept's fMRI signature) to the decoding of sentences across three different languages (English, Portuguese and Mandarin). A classifier was trained on either the mapping between words and activation patterns in one language or the mappings in two languages (using an equivalent amount of training data), and then tested on its ability to decode the semantic content of a third language. The model trained on two languages was reliably more accurate than a classifier trained on one language for all three pairs of languages. This two-language advantage was selective to abstract concept domains such as social interactions and mental activity. Representational Similarity Analyses (RSA) of the inter-sentence neural similarities resulted in similar clustering of sentences in all the three languages, indicating a shared neural concept space among languages. These findings identify semantic domains that are common across these three languages versus those that are more language or culture-specific. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

First Language Acquisition and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruz-Ferreira, Madalena

2011-01-01

"First language acquisition" commonly means the acquisition of a single language in childhood, regardless of the number of languages in a child's natural environment. Language acquisition is variously viewed as predetermined, wondrous, a source of concern, and as developing through formal processes. "First language teaching" concerns schooling in…

Assessing the Language Proficiency of Second Language Teachers: An LSP Approach to Test Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elder, Catherine

This paper describes a language-for-specific-purposes test development project designed to assess both general language proficiency and classroom communicative competence for the purpose of accrediting teachers of Italian as a second/foreign language. A rationale for test design is presented that draws in a review of the second language…

A collaborative interdisciplinary approach to electronic fetal monitoring: report of a statewide initiative.

PubMed

Miller, Lisa A; Miller, David A

2013-01-01

Intrapartum electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) is one of the most common procedures in obstetrics. Current consensus statements provide clinicians with a common language for EFM as well as provide a basis for a simplified approach to interpretation and management. This article presents a summary of the content and implementation of a statewide initiative in interdisciplinary EFM education and training designed to give clinicians of all backgrounds a shared mental model in EFM. Challenges to implementation at individual institutions may include physician and nursing engagement as well as time and cost constraints.

Math Literacy through French Language Learning: Connecting with the Common Core in the Lower Elementary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis-Wiley, Patricia; Miller, Roy V.

2013-01-01

Among the reported proven positive results of early world Language (WL) study are improved cognitive abilities and "higher achievement test scores in reading and math" (Stewart: 11), which are expected student performance outcomes for the Common Core Standards. The future viability of Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES)…

The Art of Common Ground: Emergence of a Complex Pragmatic Language Skill in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Marchena, Ashley; Eigsti, Inge-Marie

2016-01-01

Deficits in pragmatic language are central to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here we investigate common ground, a pragmatic language skill in which speakers adjust the contents of their speech based on their interlocutor's perceived knowledge, in adolescents with ASD and typical development (TD), using an experimental narrative paradigm.…

A Sociolinguistic Comparison between Quebec's Charter of the French Language and the 1989 Language Laws of Five Soviet Republics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maurais, Jacques

1991-01-01

Compares the language laws of five Soviet Republics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, and Kazakhstan) with Quebec's Charter of the French Language along the following lines: proclamation of an official language; the common language in question; language of communication with customers and citizens; language of education; and linguistic…

Digital systems design language. Design synthesis of digital systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shiva, S. G.

1979-01-01

The Digital Systems Design Language (DDL) is implemented on the SEL-32 computer systems. The details of the language, translator and simulator programs are included. Several example descriptions and a tutorial on hardware description languages are provided, to guide the user.

The Jupyter/IPython architecture: a unified view of computational research, from interactive exploration to communication and publication.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragan-Kelley, M.; Perez, F.; Granger, B.; Kluyver, T.; Ivanov, P.; Frederic, J.; Bussonnier, M.

2014-12-01

IPython has provided terminal-based tools for interactive computing in Python since 2001. The notebook document format and multi-process architecture introduced in 2011 have expanded the applicable scope of IPython into teaching, presenting, and sharing computational work, in addition to interactive exploration. The new architecture also allows users to work in any language, with implementations in Python, R, Julia, Haskell, and several other languages. The language agnostic parts of IPython have been renamed to Jupyter, to better capture the notion that a cross-language design can encapsulate commonalities present in computational research regardless of the programming language being used. This architecture offers components like the web-based Notebook interface, that supports rich documents that combine code and computational results with text narratives, mathematics, images, video and any media that a modern browser can display. This interface can be used not only in research, but also for publication and education, as notebooks can be converted to a variety of output formats, including HTML and PDF. Recent developments in the Jupyter project include a multi-user environment for hosting notebooks for a class or research group, a live collaboration notebook via Google Docs, and better support for languages other than Python.

The effect of language on lesbian nonbirth mothers.

PubMed

Brennan, Robin; Sell, Randall L

2014-01-01

To explore how language affects the transition of social (nonbirth) mothers into motherhood. Nonexperimental, qualitative design. This study took place in large, urban city located on the East Coast. Interviews were conducted in a private location within the social mother's home or in a private room at a coffee shop. Twenty women who became social mothers through donor insemination with their female partners within the previous 24 months. In depth, semistructured interviews lasting from 45 minutes to 90 minutes. The transition to motherhood for social mothers is influenced by the use of language at the individual (social mother), family (mommy, mama, or something else), community (heterosexism of health care providers), and societal (education equals validation) levels. At present, a common language for or understanding of nonbirth mothers and their motherhood roles does not exist. Health care providers, including doctors, nurses, and office personnel working in maternal and child health settings, can help social mothers transition into motherhood by validating and recognizing their maternal roles through the use of written and spoken language. By understanding how language affects the transition of social mothers to motherhood and by addressing their needs, health care providers can deliver better support to social mothers and their families. © 2014 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Role of semantic paradigms for optimization of language mapping in clinical FMRI studies.

PubMed

Zacà, D; Jarso, S; Pillai, J J

2013-10-01

The optimal paradigm choice for language mapping in clinical fMRI studies is challenging due to the variability in activation among different paradigms, the contribution to activation of cognitive processes other than language, and the difficulties in monitoring patient performance. In this study, we compared language localization and lateralization between 2 commonly used clinical language paradigms and 3 newly designed dual-choice semantic paradigms to define a streamlined and adequate language-mapping protocol. Twelve healthy volunteers performed 5 language paradigms: Silent Word Generation, Sentence Completion, Visual Antonym Pair, Auditory Antonym Pair, and Noun-Verb Association. Group analysis was performed to assess statistically significant differences in fMRI percentage signal change and lateralization index among these paradigms in 5 ROIs: inferior frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus for expressive language activation, middle temporal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus for receptive language activation. In the expressive ROIs, Silent Word Generation was the most robust and best lateralizing paradigm (greater percentage signal change and lateralization index than semantic paradigms at P < .01 and P < .05 levels, respectively). In the receptive region of interest, Sentence Completion and Noun-Verb Association were the most robust activators (greater percentage signal change than other paradigms, P < .01). All except Auditory Antonym Pair were good lateralizing tasks (the lateralization index was significantly lower than other paradigms, P < .05). The combination of Silent Word Generation and ≥1 visual semantic paradigm, such as Sentence Completion and Noun-Verb Association, is adequate to determine language localization and lateralization; Noun-Verb Association has the additional advantage of objective monitoring of patient performance.

How the strengths of Lisp-family languages facilitate building complex and flexible bioinformatics applications.

PubMed

Khomtchouk, Bohdan B; Weitz, Edmund; Karp, Peter D; Wahlestedt, Claes

2018-05-01

We present a rationale for expanding the presence of the Lisp family of programming languages in bioinformatics and computational biology research. Put simply, Lisp-family languages enable programmers to more quickly write programs that run faster than in other languages. Languages such as Common Lisp, Scheme and Clojure facilitate the creation of powerful and flexible software that is required for complex and rapidly evolving domains like biology. We will point out several important key features that distinguish languages of the Lisp family from other programming languages, and we will explain how these features can aid researchers in becoming more productive and creating better code. We will also show how these features make these languages ideal tools for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. We will specifically stress the advantages of domain-specific languages (DSLs): languages that are specialized to a particular area, and thus not only facilitate easier research problem formulation, but also aid in the establishment of standards and best programming practices as applied to the specific research field at hand. DSLs are particularly easy to build in Common Lisp, the most comprehensive Lisp dialect, which is commonly referred to as the 'programmable programming language'. We are convinced that Lisp grants programmers unprecedented power to build increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that may ultimately transform machine learning and artificial intelligence research in bioinformatics and computational biology.

Design Language for Digital Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shiva, S. G.

1985-01-01

Digital Systems Design Language (DDL) is convenient hardware description language for developing and testing digital designs and for inputting design details into design automation system. Describes digital systems at gate, register transfer, and combinational block levels. DDL-based programs written in FORTRAN IV for batch execution.

A survey of electric and hybrid vehicle simulation programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bevan, J.; Heimburger, D. A.; Metcalfe, M. A.

1978-01-01

Results of a survey conducted within the United States to determine the extent of development and capabilities of automotive performance simulation programs suitable for electric and hybrid vehicle studies are summarized. Altogether, 111 programs were identified as being in a usable state. The complexity of the existing programs spans a range from a page of simple desktop calculator instructions to 300,000 lines of a high-level programming language. The capability to simulate electric vehicles was most common, heat-engines second, and hybrid vehicles least common. Batch-operated programs are slightly more common than interactive ones, and one-third can be operated in either mode. The most commonly used language was FORTRAN, the language typically used by engineers. The higher-level simulation languages (e.g. SIMSCRIPT, GPSS, SIMULA) used by "model builders" were conspicuously lacking.

Hardware description languages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, Jerry H.

1994-01-01

Hardware description languages are special purpose programming languages. They are primarily used to specify the behavior of digital systems and are rapidly replacing traditional digital system design techniques. This is because they allow the designer to concentrate on how the system should operate rather than on implementation details. Hardware description languages allow a digital system to be described with a wide range of abstraction, and they support top down design techniques. A key feature of any hardware description language environment is its ability to simulate the modeled system. The two most important hardware description languages are Verilog and VHDL. Verilog has been the dominant language for the design of application specific integrated circuits (ASIC's). However, VHDL is rapidly gaining in popularity.

National nutrition planning in developing countries via gaming-simulation.

PubMed

Duke, R D; Cary, R

1977-01-01

A nutrition game designed for the Food Policy and Nutrition Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to aid in planning national nutrition education programs in Third World countries is described. The Simulated Nutrition System Game allows high-level ministerial staff in developing countries to discuss, via a common language created by SNUS I, the issues, problems, and complexities of national nutrition programs.

Geonames Processing System Functional Design Specification. Volume 5. Performance Specifications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-03-01

Chinese, Japanese , and Thai are the important ideographies to consider for electronic names processing. Chinese and Japanese character sets are...was no written Japanese language. Chinese characters are called Kanji by the Japanese . There are approximately 55(X) Chinese characters of common...Kanji was taken from A.V. Hershey, "Calligraphy for Computers," U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory, Dahlgren, VA, August 1967. AD (-2398. C-1 Japanese

Teaching for Social Justice and the Common Core: Justice-Oriented Curriculum for Language Arts and Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dover, Alison G.

2016-01-01

In this article, Dover draws from a multistate, qualitative study of 24 justice-oriented secondary English language arts teachers to illustrate how justice-oriented curriculum can be used to address the emphases of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy. In addition to referencing a comprehensive array of social…

A Survey of Materials Development Needs in the Less Commonly Taught Languages in the United States. Final Project Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, John L. D.; Johnson, Dora E.

Materials development needs in the less commonly taught languages were surveyed in order to update an earlier conference report and set priorities for the 1980s. Questionnaires were developed for university department chairpersons, instructors, and business language programs. The survey response data are reported on (1) teaching program structure,…

One Framework to Unite Them All? Use of the CEFR in European University Entrance Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deygers, Bart; Zeidler, Beate; Vilcu, Dina; Carlsen, Cecilie Hamnes

2018-01-01

Fifteen years after its publication, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is a commonly used document in language tests and policies across Europe. This article considers the CEFR's impact on university entrance language tests and policies that are used to regulate the entrance of international L2 students who wish to study in…

Pushing up daisies: implicit and explicit language in oncologist-patient communication about death.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Keri L; Gambino, Frank J; Butow, Phyllis; Hagerty, Rebecca; Arnold, Robert M

2007-02-01

Although there are guidelines regarding how conversations with patients about prognosis in life-limiting illness should occur, there are little data about what doctors actually say. This study was designed to qualitatively analyze the language that oncologists and cancer patients use when talking about death. We recruited 29 adults who had incurable forms of cancer, were scheduled for a first-time visit with one of six oncologists affiliated with a teaching hospital in Australia, and consented to having their visit audiotaped and transcribed. Using content analytic techniques, we coded various features of language usage. Of the 29 visits, 23 (79.3%) included prognostic utterances about treatment-related and disease-related outcomes. In 12 (52.2%) of these 23 visits, explicit language about death ("terminal," variations of "death") was used. It was most commonly used by the oncologist after the physical examination, but it was sometimes used by patients or their kin, usually before the examination and involving emotional questioning about the patient's future. In all 23 (100%) visits, implicit language (euphemistic or indirect talk) was used in discussing death and focused on an anticipated life span (mentioned in 87.0% of visits), estimated time frame (69.6%), or projected survival (47.8%). Instead of using the word "death," most participants used some alternative phrase, including implicit language. Although oncologists are more likely than patients and their kin to use explicit language in discussing death, the oncologists tend to couple it with implicit language, possibly to mitigate the message effects.

Designing Strategies for an Efficient Language MOOC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perifanou, Maria

2016-01-01

The advent of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has dramatically changed the way people learn a language. But how can we design an efficient language learning environment for a massive number of learners? Are there any good practices that showcase successful Massive Open Online Language Course (MOOLC) design strategies? According to recent…

Multilingual Learners in Language Assessment: Assessment Design for Linguistically Diverse Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schissel, Jamie L.; Leung, Constant; López-Gopar, Mario; Davis, James R.

2018-01-01

The assessments designed for and analyzed in this study used a task-based language design template rooted in theories of language reflecting heteroglossic language practices and funds of knowledge learning theories, which were understood as transforming classroom teaching, learning, and assessment through continua of biliteracy lenses. Using a…

Software design and documentation language, revision 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleine, H.

1979-01-01

The Software Design and Documentation Language (SDDL) developed to provide an effective communications medium to support the design and documentation of complex software applications is described. Features of the system include: (1) a processor which can convert design specifications into an intelligible, informative machine-reproducible document; (2) a design and documentation language with forms and syntax that are simple, unrestrictive, and communicative; and (3) methodology for effective use of the language and processor. The SDDL processor is written in the SIMSCRIPT II programming language and is implemented on the UNIVAC 1108, the IBM 360/370, and Control Data machines.

Automated design synthesis of robotic/human workcells for improved manufacturing system design in hazardous environments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, Joshua M.

Manufacturing tasks that are deemed too hazardous for workers require the use of automation, robotics, and/or other remote handling tools. The associated hazards may be radiological or nonradiological, and based on the characteristics of the environment and processing, a design may necessitate robotic labor, human labor, or both. There are also other factors such as cost, ergonomics, maintenance, and efficiency that also effect task allocation and other design choices. Handling the tradeoffs of these factors can be complex, and lack of experience can be an issue when trying to determine if and what feasible automation/robotics options exist. To address thismore » problem, we utilize common engineering design approaches adapted more for manufacturing system design in hazardous environments. We limit our scope to the conceptual and embodiment design stages, specifically a computational algorithm for concept generation and early design evaluation. In regard to concept generation, we first develop the functional model or function structure for the process, using the common 'verb-noun' format for describing function. A common language or functional basis for manufacturing was developed and utilized to formalize function descriptions and guide rules for function decomposition. Potential components for embodiment are also grouped in terms of this functional language and are stored in a database. The properties of each component are given as quantitative and qualitative criteria. Operators are also rated for task-relevant criteria which are used to address task compatibility. Through the gathering of process requirements/constraints, construction of the component database, and development of the manufacturing basis and rule set, design knowledge is stored and available for computer use. Thus, once the higher level process functions are defined, the computer can automate the synthesis of new design concepts through alternating steps of embodiment and function structure updates/decomposition. In the process, criteria guide function allocation of components/operators and help ensure compatibility and feasibility. Through multiple function assignment options and varied function structures, multiple design concepts are created. All of the generated designs are then evaluated based on a number of relevant evaluation criteria: cost, dose, ergonomics, hazards, efficiency, etc. These criteria are computed using physical properties/parameters of each system based on the qualities an engineer would use to make evaluations. Nuclear processes such as oxide conversion and electrorefining are utilized to aid algorithm development and provide test cases for the completed program. Through our approach, we capture design knowledge related to manufacturing and other operations in hazardous environments to enable a computational program to automatically generate and evaluate system design concepts.« less

Cross-language differences in the brain network subserving intelligible speech.

PubMed

Ge, Jianqiao; Peng, Gang; Lyu, Bingjiang; Wang, Yi; Zhuo, Yan; Niu, Zhendong; Tan, Li Hai; Leff, Alexander P; Gao, Jia-Hong

2015-03-10

How is language processed in the brain by native speakers of different languages? Is there one brain system for all languages or are different languages subserved by different brain systems? The first view emphasizes commonality, whereas the second emphasizes specificity. We investigated the cortical dynamics involved in processing two very diverse languages: a tonal language (Chinese) and a nontonal language (English). We used functional MRI and dynamic causal modeling analysis to compute and compare brain network models exhaustively with all possible connections among nodes of language regions in temporal and frontal cortex and found that the information flow from the posterior to anterior portions of the temporal cortex was commonly shared by Chinese and English speakers during speech comprehension, whereas the inferior frontal gyrus received neural signals from the left posterior portion of the temporal cortex in English speakers and from the bilateral anterior portion of the temporal cortex in Chinese speakers. Our results revealed that, although speech processing is largely carried out in the common left hemisphere classical language areas (Broca's and Wernicke's areas) and anterior temporal cortex, speech comprehension across different language groups depends on how these brain regions interact with each other. Moreover, the right anterior temporal cortex, which is crucial for tone processing, is equally important as its left homolog, the left anterior temporal cortex, in modulating the cortical dynamics in tone language comprehension. The current study pinpoints the importance of the bilateral anterior temporal cortex in language comprehension that is downplayed or even ignored by popular contemporary models of speech comprehension.

Cross-language differences in the brain network subserving intelligible speech

PubMed Central

Ge, Jianqiao; Peng, Gang; Lyu, Bingjiang; Wang, Yi; Zhuo, Yan; Niu, Zhendong; Tan, Li Hai; Leff, Alexander P.; Gao, Jia-Hong

2015-01-01

How is language processed in the brain by native speakers of different languages? Is there one brain system for all languages or are different languages subserved by different brain systems? The first view emphasizes commonality, whereas the second emphasizes specificity. We investigated the cortical dynamics involved in processing two very diverse languages: a tonal language (Chinese) and a nontonal language (English). We used functional MRI and dynamic causal modeling analysis to compute and compare brain network models exhaustively with all possible connections among nodes of language regions in temporal and frontal cortex and found that the information flow from the posterior to anterior portions of the temporal cortex was commonly shared by Chinese and English speakers during speech comprehension, whereas the inferior frontal gyrus received neural signals from the left posterior portion of the temporal cortex in English speakers and from the bilateral anterior portion of the temporal cortex in Chinese speakers. Our results revealed that, although speech processing is largely carried out in the common left hemisphere classical language areas (Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas) and anterior temporal cortex, speech comprehension across different language groups depends on how these brain regions interact with each other. Moreover, the right anterior temporal cortex, which is crucial for tone processing, is equally important as its left homolog, the left anterior temporal cortex, in modulating the cortical dynamics in tone language comprehension. The current study pinpoints the importance of the bilateral anterior temporal cortex in language comprehension that is downplayed or even ignored by popular contemporary models of speech comprehension. PMID:25713366

How the strengths of Lisp-family languages facilitate building complex and flexible bioinformatics applications

PubMed Central

Khomtchouk, Bohdan B; Weitz, Edmund; Karp, Peter D; Wahlestedt, Claes

2018-01-01

Abstract We present a rationale for expanding the presence of the Lisp family of programming languages in bioinformatics and computational biology research. Put simply, Lisp-family languages enable programmers to more quickly write programs that run faster than in other languages. Languages such as Common Lisp, Scheme and Clojure facilitate the creation of powerful and flexible software that is required for complex and rapidly evolving domains like biology. We will point out several important key features that distinguish languages of the Lisp family from other programming languages, and we will explain how these features can aid researchers in becoming more productive and creating better code. We will also show how these features make these languages ideal tools for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. We will specifically stress the advantages of domain-specific languages (DSLs): languages that are specialized to a particular area, and thus not only facilitate easier research problem formulation, but also aid in the establishment of standards and best programming practices as applied to the specific research field at hand. DSLs are particularly easy to build in Common Lisp, the most comprehensive Lisp dialect, which is commonly referred to as the ‘programmable programming language’. We are convinced that Lisp grants programmers unprecedented power to build increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that may ultimately transform machine learning and artificial intelligence research in bioinformatics and computational biology. PMID:28040748

Signs of Change: Contemporary Attitudes to Australian Sign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slegers, Claudia

2010-01-01

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…

A novel visual hardware behavioral language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Xueqin; Cheng, H. D.

1992-01-01

Most hardware behavioral languages just use texts to describe the behavior of the desired hardware design. This is inconvenient for VLSI designers who enjoy using the schematic approach. The proposed visual hardware behavioral language has the ability to graphically express design information using visual parallel models (blocks), visual sequential models (processes) and visual data flow graphs (which consist of primitive operational icons, control icons, and Data and Synchro links). Thus, the proposed visual hardware behavioral language can not only specify hardware concurrent and sequential functionality, but can also visually expose parallelism, sequentiality, and disjointness (mutually exclusive operations) for the hardware designers. That would make the hardware designers capture the design ideas easily and explicitly using this visual hardware behavioral language.

Big Programs from a Small State: Less Commonly Taught Languages Find Their Home in Delaware Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulkerson, Gregory

2009-01-01

This article describes three big programs from Delaware where the less commonly taught languages find their home in Delaware elementary schools. Odyssey Charter School, located in Wilmington, is one of the very few Greek-language-focused public schools in the nation. The school began in 2006 as a Greek immersion program that concentrated on the…

The semantics of Chemical Markup Language (CML) for computational chemistry : CompChem.

PubMed

Phadungsukanan, Weerapong; Kraft, Markus; Townsend, Joe A; Murray-Rust, Peter

2012-08-07

: This paper introduces a subdomain chemistry format for storing computational chemistry data called CompChem. It has been developed based on the design, concepts and methodologies of Chemical Markup Language (CML) by adding computational chemistry semantics on top of the CML Schema. The format allows a wide range of ab initio quantum chemistry calculations of individual molecules to be stored. These calculations include, for example, single point energy calculation, molecular geometry optimization, and vibrational frequency analysis. The paper also describes the supporting infrastructure, such as processing software, dictionaries, validation tools and database repositories. In addition, some of the challenges and difficulties in developing common computational chemistry dictionaries are discussed. The uses of CompChem are illustrated by two practical applications.

The semantics of Chemical Markup Language (CML) for computational chemistry : CompChem

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

This paper introduces a subdomain chemistry format for storing computational chemistry data called CompChem. It has been developed based on the design, concepts and methodologies of Chemical Markup Language (CML) by adding computational chemistry semantics on top of the CML Schema. The format allows a wide range of ab initio quantum chemistry calculations of individual molecules to be stored. These calculations include, for example, single point energy calculation, molecular geometry optimization, and vibrational frequency analysis. The paper also describes the supporting infrastructure, such as processing software, dictionaries, validation tools and database repositories. In addition, some of the challenges and difficulties in developing common computational chemistry dictionaries are discussed. The uses of CompChem are illustrated by two practical applications. PMID:22870956

What is a Trophic Cascade?

PubMed

Ripple, William J; Estes, James A; Schmitz, Oswald J; Constant, Vanessa; Kaylor, Matthew J; Lenz, Adam; Motley, Jennifer L; Self, Katharine E; Taylor, David S; Wolf, Christopher

2016-11-01

Few concepts in ecology have been so influential as that of the trophic cascade. Since the 1980s, the term has been a central or major theme of more than 2000 scientific articles. Despite this importance and widespread usage, basic questions remain about what constitutes a trophic cascade. Inconsistent usage of language impedes scientific progress and the utility of scientific concepts in management and conservation. Herein, we offer a definition of trophic cascade that is designed to be both widely applicable yet explicit enough to exclude extraneous interactions. We discuss our proposed definition and its implications, and define important related terms, thereby providing a common language for scientists, policy makers, conservationists, and other stakeholders with an interest in trophic cascades. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Profiles in Bilingualism: Factors Influencing Kindergartners' Language Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, L. Quentin; Wu, Shuang; Daraghmeh, Ahlam

2012-01-01

Three common assumptions concerning bilingual children's language proficiency are: (1) their proficiency in two languages is usually unbalanced; (2) low socioeconomic status (SES) indicates low proficiency in both languages; and (3) encouraging parents to speak some societal language at home will promote its development. Examining the vocabulary…

Design Recommendations for Query Languages

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUERY LANGUAGES S.L. Ehrenreich Submitted by: Stanley M. Halpin, Acting Chief HUMAN FACTORS TECHNICAL AREA Approved by: Edgar ...respond to que- ries that it recognizes as faulty. Codd (1974) states that in designing a nat- ural query language, attention must be given to dealing...impaired. Codd (1974) also regarded the user’s perception of the data base to be of critical importance in properly designing a query language system

Common Core Preparation in Special Education Teacher Education Programs: Beginning the Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Michelle R.; Marshall, Kathleen J.

2015-01-01

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed to encourage a common focus of instruction and evaluation in the areas of mathematics, reading/language arts, writing, speaking, and listening. As of 2011, all but five states have adopted CCSS for math and English Language Arts (ELA), with another adopting only the standards for ELA. With…

Concurrent and Construct Validity of Oral Language Measures with School-Age Children with Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, LaVae M.; Loeb, Diane Frome; Brandel, Jayne; Gillam, Ronald B.

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study investigated the psychometric properties of 2 oral language measures that are commonly used for diagnostic purposes with school-age children who have language impairments. Method: Two hundred sixteen children with specific language impairment were assessed with the Test of Language Development--Primary, Third Edition (TOLD-P:3;…

Principles of Course Design for Language Teaching. New Directions in Language Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalden, Janice

An introduction to contemporary views of second/foreign language course design is intended for even relatively inexperienced teachers wishing to meet the somewhat sophisticated current expectations for language training. First, it provides theoretical background concerning the concepts of communicative competence and second language proficiency,…

New Ways to Learn a Foreign Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Robert A., Jr.

This text focuses on the nature of language learning in the light of modern linguistic analysis. Common linguistic problems encountered by students of eight major languages are examined--Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, and Russian. The text discusses the nature of language, building new language habits, overcoming…

Usage-Based Language: Investigating the Latent Structures That Underpin Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Nick C.; O'Donnell, Matthew Brook; Romer, Ute

2013-01-01

Each of us as language learners had different language experiences, yet somehow we have converged upon broadly the same language system. From diverse, often noisy samples, we have attained similar linguistic competence. How so? What mechanisms channel language acquisition? Could our linguistic commonalities possibly have converged from our shared…

A general framework for characterizing studies of brain interface technology.

PubMed

Mason, S G; Jackson, M M Moore; Birch, G E

2005-11-01

The development of brain interface (BI) technology continues to attract researchers with a wide range of backgrounds and expertise. Though the BI community is committed to accurate and objective evaluation of methods, systems, and technology, the very diversity of the methods and terminology used in the field hinders understanding and impairs technology cross-fertilization and cross-group validation of findings. Underlying this dilemma is a lack of common perspective and language. As seen in our previous works in this area, our approach to remedy this problem is to propose language in the form of taxonomy and functional models. Our intent is to document and validate our best thinking in this area and publish a perspective that will stimulate discussion. We encourage others to do the same with the belief that focused discussion on language issues will accelerate the inherently slow natural evolution of language selection and thus alleviate related problems. In this work, we propose a theoretical framework for describing BI-technology-related studies. The proposed framework is based on the theoretical concepts and terminology from classical science, assistive technology development, human-computer interaction, and previous BI-related works. Using a representative set of studies from the literature, the proposed BI study framework was shown to be complete and appropriate perspective for thoroughly characterizing a BI study. We have also demonstrated that this BI study framework is useful for (1) objectively reviewing existing BI study designs and results, (2) comparing designs and results of multiple BI studies, (3) designing new studies or objectively reporting BI study results, and (4) facilitating intra- and inter-group communication and the education of new researchers. As such, it forms a sound and appropriate basis for community discussion.

Chemical Markup, XML, and the World Wide Web. 7. CMLSpect, an XML vocabulary for spectral data.

PubMed

Kuhn, Stefan; Helmus, Tobias; Lancashire, Robert J; Murray-Rust, Peter; Rzepa, Henry S; Steinbeck, Christoph; Willighagen, Egon L

2007-01-01

CMLSpect is an extension of Chemical Markup Language (CML) for managing spectral and other analytical data. It is designed to be flexible enough to contain a wide variety of spectral data. The paper describes the CMLElements used and gives practical examples for common types of spectra. In addition it demonstrates how different views of the data can be expressed and what problems still exist.

HDL Based FPGA Interface Library for Data Acquisition and Multipurpose Real Time Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, Ana M.; Pereira, R. C.; Sousa, J.; Batista, A. J. N.; Combo, A.; Carvalho, B. B.; Correia, C. M. B. A.; Varandas, C. A. F.

2011-08-01

The inherent parallelism of the logic resources, the flexibility in its configuration and the performance at high processing frequencies makes the field programmable gate array (FPGA) the most suitable device to be used both for real time algorithm processing and data transfer in instrumentation modules. Moreover, the reconfigurability of these FPGA based modules enables exploiting different applications on the same module. When using a reconfigurable module for various applications, the availability of a common interface library for easier implementation of the algorithms on the FPGA leads to more efficient development. The FPGA configuration is usually specified in a hardware description language (HDL) or other higher level descriptive language. The critical paths, such as the management of internal hardware clocks that require deep knowledge of the module behavior shall be implemented in HDL to optimize the timing constraints. The common interface library should include these critical paths, freeing the application designer from hardware complexity and able to choose any of the available high-level abstraction languages for the algorithm implementation. With this purpose a modular Verilog code was developed for the Virtex 4 FPGA of the in-house Transient Recorder and Processor (TRP) hardware module, based on the Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA), with eight channels sampling at up to 400 MSamples/s (MSPS). The TRP was designed to perform real time Pulse Height Analysis (PHA), Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) and Pile-Up Rejection (PUR) algorithms at a high count rate (few Mevent/s). A brief description of this modular code is presented and examples of its use as an interface with end user algorithms, including a PHA with PUR, are described.

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope OCS and TCS models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumacher, German; Delgado, Francisco

2010-07-01

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is a project envisioned as a system of systems with demanding science, technical, and operational requirements, that must perform as a fully integrated unit. The design and implementation of such a system poses big engineering challenges when performing requirements analysis, detailed interface definitions, operational modes and control strategy studies. The OMG System Modeling Language (SysML) has been selected as the framework for the systems engineering analysis and documentation for the LSST. Models for the overall system architecture and different observatory subsystems have been built describing requirements, structure, interfaces and behavior. In this paper we show the models for the Observatory Control System (OCS) and the Telescope Control System (TCS), and how this methodology has helped in the clarification of the design and requirements. In one common language, the relationships of the OCS, TCS, Camera and Data management subsystems are captured with models of the structure, behavior, requirements and the traceability between them.

Development of an Ontology for Occupational Exposure

EPA Science Inventory

When discussing a scientific domain, the use of a common language is required, particularly when communicating across disciplines. This common language, or ontology, is a prescribed vocabulary and a web of contextual relationships within the vocabulary that describe the given dom...

A Methodology to Improving Unity of Effort for Mission Partner Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2014 to 00-00-2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE A Methodology to Improving Unity of Effort for Mission Partner... language , or better yet, use a common lexicon (common definitions and terms for greater understanding). One fundamental step toward developing...to attempt to develop strong relationships while learning to speak each other’s language , or better yet, use a common lexicon (common definitions and

Neurobiological roots of language in primate audition: common computational properties.

PubMed

Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Ina; Schlesewsky, Matthias; Small, Steven L; Rauschecker, Josef P

2015-03-01

Here, we present a new perspective on an old question: how does the neurobiology of human language relate to brain systems in nonhuman primates? We argue that higher-order language combinatorics, including sentence and discourse processing, can be situated in a unified, cross-species dorsal-ventral streams architecture for higher auditory processing, and that the functions of the dorsal and ventral streams in higher-order language processing can be grounded in their respective computational properties in primate audition. This view challenges an assumption, common in the cognitive sciences, that a nonhuman primate model forms an inherently inadequate basis for modeling higher-level language functions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human attribute concepts: relative ubiquity across twelve mutually isolated languages.

PubMed

Saucier, Gerard; Thalmayer, Amber Gayle; Bel-Bahar, Tarik S

2014-07-01

It has been unclear which human-attribute concepts are most universal across languages. To identify common-denominator concepts, we used dictionaries for 12 mutually isolated languages-Maasai, Supyire Senoufo, Khoekhoe, Afar, Mara Chin, Hmong, Wik-Mungkan, Enga, Fijian, Inuktitut, Hopi, and Kuna-representing diverse cultural characteristics and language families, from multiple continents. A composite list of every person-descriptive term in each lexicon was closely examined to determine the content (in terms of English translation) most ubiquitous across languages. Study 1 identified 28 single-word concepts used to describe persons in all 12 languages, as well as 41 additional terms found in 11 of 12. Results indicated that attribute concepts related to morality and competence appear to be as cross-culturally ubiquitous as basic-emotion concepts. Formulations of universal-attribute concepts from Osgood and Wierzbicka were well-supported. Study 2 compared lexically based personality models on the relative ubiquity of key associated terms, finding that 1- and 2-dimensional models draw on markedly more ubiquitous terms than do 5- or 6-factor models. We suggest that ubiquitous attributes reflect common cultural as well as common biological processes.

Trials and Tribulations of SLA Framework in Designing Arabic Courses for Speakers of Other Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabsi, Zouhir; Patel, Fay; Hamad, Ahmed

2015-01-01

There is a consensus among language teachers and researchers that language course design is always a work in progress. This is influenced by variables such as the type of language being taught and whether the teaching of this language has been researched. Arabic is one the languages that have created a perennial debate among its teachers about the…

Standardising Assessment to Meet Student Needs in Foreign Language Modules in a University Context: Is Standardisation Possible?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunan, Anna

2014-01-01

The Applied Language Centre at University College Dublin offers foreign language modules to students in ten languages at CEFR [Common European Framework of Reference for Languages] levels ranging from A1 to B2. Efforts have been underway in the Centre to standardise the assessment components across languages to ensure parity between module credits…

Standardization of the Revised Token Test in Bangla

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Suman; Kumar, Prashant; Kumari, Punam

2013-01-01

Bengali or Bangla is an Indo-Aryan language. It is the state language of West Bengal and Tripura and also spoken in some parts of Assam. Bangla is the official language of Bangladesh. With nearly 230 million speakers (Wikipedia 2010), Bangla is one of the most spoken language in the world. Bangla language is the most commonly used language in West…

Outcome Measurement Using Naturalistic Language Samples: A Feasibility Pilot Study Using Language Transcription Software and Speech and Language Therapy Assistants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overton, Sarah; Wren, Yvonne

2014-01-01

The ultimate aim of intervention for children with language impairment is an improvement in their functional language skills. Baseline and outcome measurement of this is often problematic however and practitioners commonly resort to using formal assessments that may not adequately reflect the child's competence. Language sampling,…

Using Narrative Intervention to Accelerate Canonical Story Grammar and Complex Language Growth in Culturally Diverse Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Douglas B.; Spencer, Trina D.

2016-01-01

Oral narratives are a commonly used, meaningful means of communication that reflects academic language. New state curriculum standards include narrative-related language expectations for young school-age children, including story grammar and complex language. This article provides a review of preschool narrative-based language intervention…

The Impacts of Language Background and Language-Related Disorders in Auditory Processing Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loo, Jenny Hooi Yin; Bamiou, Doris-Eva; Rosen, Stuart

2013-01-01

Purpose: To examine the impact of language background and language-related disorders (LRDs--dyslexia and/or language impairment) on performance in English speech and nonspeech tests of auditory processing (AP) commonly used in the clinic. Method: A clinical database concerning 133 multilingual children (mostly with English as an additional…

Autistic Symptomatology and Language Ability in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loucas, Tom; Charman, Tony; Pickles, Andrew; Simonoff, Emily; Chandler, Susie; Meldrum, David; Baird, Gillian

2008-01-01

Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and specific language impairment (SLI) are common developmental disorders characterised by deficits in language and communication. The nature of the relationship between them continues to be a matter of debate. This study investigates whether the co-occurrence of ASD and language impairment is associated…

Digital systems design language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shiva, S. G.

1979-01-01

Digital Systems Design Language (DDL) is implemented on the SEL-32 Computer Systems. The detaileds of the language, the translator, and the simulator, and the smulator programs are given. Several example descriptions and a tutorial on hardware description languages are provided, to guide the user.

When the Test Developer Does Not Speak the Target Language: The Use of Language Informants in the Test Development Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Ève; Brunfaut, Tineke

2016-01-01

It is not unusual for tests in less-commonly taught languages (LCTLs) to be developed by an experienced item writer with no proficiency in the language being tested, in collaboration with a language informant who is a speaker of the target language, but lacks language assessment expertise. How this approach to item writing works in practice, and…

Common Genetic Variants in FOXP2 Are Not Associated with Individual Differences in Language Development.

PubMed

Mueller, Kathryn L; Murray, Jeffrey C; Michaelson, Jacob J; Christiansen, Morten H; Reilly, Sheena; Tomblin, J Bruce

2016-01-01

Much of our current knowledge regarding the association of FOXP2 with speech and language development comes from singleton and small family studies where a small number of rare variants have been identified. However, neither genome-wide nor gene-specific studies have provided evidence that common polymorphisms in the gene contribute to individual differences in language development in the general population. One explanation for this inconsistency is that previous studies have been limited to relatively small samples of individuals with low language abilities, using low density gene coverage. The current study examined the association between common variants in FOXP2 and a quantitative measure of language ability in a population-based cohort of European decent (n = 812). No significant associations were found for a panel of 13 SNPs that covered the coding region of FOXP2 and extended into the promoter region. Power analyses indicated we should have been able to detect a QTL variance of 0.02 for an associated allele with MAF of 0.2 or greater with 80% power. This suggests that, if a common variant associated with language ability in this gene does exist, it is likely of small effect. Our findings lead us to conclude that while genetic variants in FOXP2 may be significant for rare forms of language impairment, they do not contribute appreciably to individual variation in the normal range as found in the general population.

MIST: An Open Source Environmental Modelling Programming Language Incorporating Easy to Use Data Parallelism.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellerby, Tim

2014-05-01

Model Integration System (MIST) is open-source environmental modelling programming language that directly incorporates data parallelism. The language is designed to enable straightforward programming structures, such as nested loops and conditional statements to be directly translated into sequences of whole-array (or more generally whole data-structure) operations. MIST thus enables the programmer to use well-understood constructs, directly relating to the mathematical structure of the model, without having to explicitly vectorize code or worry about details of parallelization. A range of common modelling operations are supported by dedicated language structures operating on cell neighbourhoods rather than individual cells (e.g.: the 3x3 local neighbourhood needed to implement an averaging image filter can be simply accessed from within a simple loop traversing all image pixels). This facility hides details of inter-process communication behind more mathematically relevant descriptions of model dynamics. The MIST automatic vectorization/parallelization process serves both to distribute work among available nodes and separately to control storage requirements for intermediate expressions - enabling operations on very large domains for which memory availability may be an issue. MIST is designed to facilitate efficient interpreter based implementations. A prototype open source interpreter is available, coded in standard FORTRAN 95, with tools to rapidly integrate existing FORTRAN 77 or 95 code libraries. The language is formally specified and thus not limited to FORTRAN implementation or to an interpreter-based approach. A MIST to FORTRAN compiler is under development and volunteers are sought to create an ANSI-C implementation. Parallel processing is currently implemented using OpenMP. However, parallelization code is fully modularised and could be replaced with implementations using other libraries. GPU implementation is potentially possible.

FuGEFlow: data model and markup language for flow cytometry.

PubMed

Qian, Yu; Tchuvatkina, Olga; Spidlen, Josef; Wilkinson, Peter; Gasparetto, Maura; Jones, Andrew R; Manion, Frank J; Scheuermann, Richard H; Sekaly, Rafick-Pierre; Brinkman, Ryan R

2009-06-16

Flow cytometry technology is widely used in both health care and research. The rapid expansion of flow cytometry applications has outpaced the development of data storage and analysis tools. Collaborative efforts being taken to eliminate this gap include building common vocabularies and ontologies, designing generic data models, and defining data exchange formats. The Minimum Information about a Flow Cytometry Experiment (MIFlowCyt) standard was recently adopted by the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry. This standard guides researchers on the information that should be included in peer reviewed publications, but it is insufficient for data exchange and integration between computational systems. The Functional Genomics Experiment (FuGE) formalizes common aspects of comprehensive and high throughput experiments across different biological technologies. We have extended FuGE object model to accommodate flow cytometry data and metadata. We used the MagicDraw modelling tool to design a UML model (Flow-OM) according to the FuGE extension guidelines and the AndroMDA toolkit to transform the model to a markup language (Flow-ML). We mapped each MIFlowCyt term to either an existing FuGE class or to a new FuGEFlow class. The development environment was validated by comparing the official FuGE XSD to the schema we generated from the FuGE object model using our configuration. After the Flow-OM model was completed, the final version of the Flow-ML was generated and validated against an example MIFlowCyt compliant experiment description. The extension of FuGE for flow cytometry has resulted in a generic FuGE-compliant data model (FuGEFlow), which accommodates and links together all information required by MIFlowCyt. The FuGEFlow model can be used to build software and databases using FuGE software toolkits to facilitate automated exchange and manipulation of potentially large flow cytometry experimental data sets. Additional project documentation, including reusable design patterns and a guide for setting up a development environment, was contributed back to the FuGE project. We have shown that an extension of FuGE can be used to transform minimum information requirements in natural language to markup language in XML. Extending FuGE required significant effort, but in our experiences the benefits outweighed the costs. The FuGEFlow is expected to play a central role in describing flow cytometry experiments and ultimately facilitating data exchange including public flow cytometry repositories currently under development.

Learning to Learn a Foreign Language. Principles of Second Language Acquisition: An Orientation for Foreign Language Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfannkuche, Anthony; And Others

The manual designed to accompany an orientation seminar for students concerning language learning processes and strategies and the design of their program includes materials for five sessions, in three sections. The first section covers language learning and acquisition in general and contains a survey of the participants' foreign language…

Development and Validation of a Taiwanese Communication Progression in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsin, Ming-Chin; Chien, Sung-pei; Hsu, Yin-Shao; Lin, Chen-Yung; Yore, Larry D.

2016-01-01

Common core standards, interdisciplinary education, and discipline-specific literacy are common international education reforms. The constructive-interpretative language arts pairs (speaking-listening, writing-reading, representing-viewing) and the communication, construction, and persuasion functions of language are central in these movements.…

Educational Commons and the New Radical Democratic Imaginary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Means, Alexander J.

2014-01-01

This article reflects on emergent (radical-progressive) languages of democracy to consider what common educational institutions might mean today. It explores distinct philosophical and political tensions that cut across these languages in relation to educational organization and pedagogy including--antagonism versus exodus, transcendence versus…

Caregiver Talk to Young Spanish-English Bilinguals: Comparing Direct Observation and Parent-Report Measures of Dual-Language Exposure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchman, Virginia A.; Martínez, Lucía Z.; Hurtado, Nereyda; Grüter, Theres; Fernald, Anne

2017-01-01

In research on language development by bilingual children, the early language environment is commonly characterized in terms of the relative amount of exposure a child gets to each language based on parent report. Little is known about how absolute measures of child-directed speech in two languages relate to language growth. In this study of…

On the Difficulties of Concurrent-System Design, Illustrated with a 2×2 Switch Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daylight, Edgar G.; Shukla, Sandeep K.

While various specification languages for concurrent-system design exist today, it is often not clear which specification language is more suitable than another for a particular case study. To address this problem, we study four different specification languages for the same 2×2 Switch case study: TLA + , Bluespec, Statecharts, and the Algebra of Communicating Processes (ACP). By slightly altering the design intent of the Switch, we obtain more complicated behaviors of the Switch. For each design intent, we investigate how each specification, in each of the specification languages, captures the corresponding behavior. By using three different criteria, we judge each specification and specification language. For our case study, however, all four specification languages perform poorly in at least two criteria! Hence, this paper illustrates, on a seemingly simple case study, some of the prevailing difficulties of concurrent-system design.

Software For Clear-Air Doppler-Radar Display

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Bruce W.

1990-01-01

System of software developed to present plan-position-indicator scans of clear-air Doppler radar station on color graphical cathode-ray-tube display. Designed to incorporate latest accepted standards for equipment, computer programs, and meteorological data bases. Includes use of Ada programming language, of "Graphical-Kernel-System-like" graphics interface, and of Common Doppler Radar Exchange Format. Features include portability and maintainability. Use of Ada software packages produced number of software modules reused on other related projects.

Top Languages Spoken by English Language Learners Nationally and by State. ELL Information Center Fact Sheet Series. No. 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batalova, Jeanne; McHugh, Margie

2010-01-01

While English Language Learner (ELL) students in the United States speak more than 150 languages, Spanish is by far the most common home or first language, but is not the top language spoken by ELLs in every state. This fact sheet, based on analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 American Community Survey, documents the top languages spoken…

A "Common" Vision of Instruction? An Analysis of English/Language Arts Professional Development Materials Related to the Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodge, Emily; Benko, Susanna L.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the stances put forward by a selection of professional development resources interpreting the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) teachers, and to analyse where these resources stand in relation to research in ELA. Specifically, we analyse resources written by English educators…

Can Non-Interactive Language Input Benefit Young Second-Language Learners?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Au, Terry Kit-fong; Chan, Winnie Wailan; Cheng, Liao; Siegel, Linda S.; Tso, Ricky Van Yip

2015-01-01

To fully acquire a language, especially its phonology, children need linguistic input from native speakers early on. When interaction with native speakers is not always possible--e.g. for children learning a second language that is not the societal language--audios are commonly used as an affordable substitute. But does such non-interactive input…

Helping ELLs Meet Standards in English Language Arts and Science: An Intervention Focused on Academic Vocabulary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

August, Diane; Artzi, Lauren; Barr, Christopher

2016-01-01

The Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards require students to understand and produce academic language that appears in informational text. Vocabulary is a critical domain of academic language, but English language learners (ELLs) come to the English Language Arts classroom with more limited English vocabulary than…

Using Academic Language to Level the Playing Field for English-Language Learners in Physical Education: Part 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Constantinou, Phoebe; Wuest, Deborah A.

2015-01-01

With the common core emphasis on English language art and mathematics skills, physical educators are faced with a challenging task. Educators, in general, are expected to identifying the language demands of their discipline and develop academic language skills within each disciplinary area. In other words, educators are expected to prepare…

Students' Choice of Language and Initial Motivation for Studying Japanese at the University of Jyväskylä Language Centre

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takala, Pauliina

2015-01-01

Elective language courses, particularly those starting from the beginner level, constitute their own special group within the communication and language course offerings of universities. The elementary courses of less commonly taught languages (LCTL), such as Japanese, provide students with the opportunity to acquire, among other benefits, a…

Review Article: Recent Publications on Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ionin, Tania

2013-01-01

The central goal of the field of second language acquisition (SLA) is to describe and explain how second language learners acquire the target language. In order to achieve this goal, SLA researchers work with second language data, which can take a variety of forms, including (but not limited to) such commonly used methods as naturalistic…

Differential Language Markers of Pathology in Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified and Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demouy, Julie; Plaza, Monique; Xavier, Jean; Ringeval, Fabien; Chetouani, Mohamed; Perisse, Didier; Chauvin, Dominique; Viaux, Sylvie; Golse, Bernard; Cohen, David; Robel, Laurence

2011-01-01

Language impairment is a common core feature in Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) and Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Many studies have tried to define the specific language profiles of these disorders, some claiming the existence of overlaps, and others conceiving of them as separate categories. Fewer have sought to determine whether…

Introducing the Infant Bookreading Database (IBDb).

PubMed

Hudson Kam, Carla L; Matthewson, Lisa

2017-11-01

Studies on the relationship between bookreading and language development typically lack data about which books are actually read to children. This paper reports on an Internet survey designed to address this data gap. The resulting dataset (the Infant Bookreading Database or IBDb) includes responses from 1,107 caregivers of children aged 0-36 months who answered questions about the English-language books they most commonly read to their children. The inclusion of demographic information enables analysis of subsets of data based on age, sex, or caregivers' education level. A comparison between our dataset and those used in previous analyses reveals that there is relatively little overlap between booklists gathered from proxies such as bestseller lists and the books caregivers reported reading to children in our survey. The IBDb is available for download for use by researchers at .

29 CFR 500.78 - Information in foreign language.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... English or, as necessary and reasonable, in Spanish or another language common to migrant or seasonal... available in English, Spanish, Haitian-Creole and other languages, as necessary, which may be used in...

Linking English-Language Test Scores onto the Common European Framework of Reference: An Application of Standard-Setting Methodology. TOEFL iBT Research Report TOEFL iBt-06. ETS RR-08-34

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tannenbaum, Richard J.; Wylie, E. Caroline

2008-01-01

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) describes language proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening on a 6-level scale. In this study, English-language experts from across Europe linked CEFR levels to scores on three tests: the TOEFL® iBT test, the TOEIC® assessment, and the TOEIC "Bridge"™ test.…

American Society of Functional Neuroradiology-Recommended fMRI Paradigm Algorithms for Presurgical Language Assessment.

PubMed

Black, D F; Vachha, B; Mian, A; Faro, S H; Maheshwari, M; Sair, H I; Petrella, J R; Pillai, J J; Welker, K

2017-10-01

Functional MR imaging is increasingly being used for presurgical language assessment in the treatment of patients with brain tumors, epilepsy, vascular malformations, and other conditions. The inherent complexity of fMRI, which includes numerous processing steps and selective analyses, is compounded by institution-unique approaches to patient training, paradigm choice, and an eclectic array of postprocessing options from various vendors. Consequently, institutions perform fMRI in such markedly different manners that data sharing, comparison, and generalization of results are difficult. The American Society of Functional Neuroradiology proposes widespread adoption of common fMRI language paradigms as the first step in countering this lost opportunity to advance our knowledge and improve patient care. A taskforce of American Society of Functional Neuroradiology members from multiple institutions used a broad literature review, member polls, and expert opinion to converge on 2 sets of standard language paradigms that strike a balance between ease of application and clinical usefulness. The taskforce generated an adult language paradigm algorithm for presurgical language assessment including the following tasks: Sentence Completion, Silent Word Generation, Rhyming, Object Naming, and/or Passive Story Listening. The pediatric algorithm includes the following tasks: Sentence Completion, Rhyming, Antonym Generation, or Passive Story Listening. Convergence of fMRI language paradigms across institutions offers the first step in providing a "Rosetta Stone" that provides a common reference point with which to compare and contrast the usefulness and reliability of fMRI data. From this common language task battery, future refinements and improvements are anticipated, particularly as objective measures of reliability become available. Some commonality of practice is a necessary first step to develop a foundation on which to improve the clinical utility of this field. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Constraint processing in our extensible language for cooperative imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Minoru; Murao, Yo; Enomoto, Hajime

1996-02-01

The extensible WELL (Window-based elaboration language) has been developed using the concept of common platform, where both client and server can communicate with each other with support from a communication manager. This extensible language is based on an object oriented design by introducing constraint processing. Any kind of services including imaging in the extensible language is controlled by the constraints. Interactive functions between client and server are extended by introducing agent functions including a request-respond relation. Necessary service integrations are satisfied with some cooperative processes using constraints. Constraints are treated similarly to data, because the system should have flexibilities in the execution of many kinds of services. The similar control process is defined by using intentional logic. There are two kinds of constraints, temporal and modal constraints. Rendering the constraints, the predicate format as the relation between attribute values can be a warrant for entities' validity as data. As an imaging example, a processing procedure of interaction between multiple objects is shown as an image application for the extensible system. This paper describes how the procedure proceeds in the system, and that how the constraints work for generating moving pictures.

The role of digital imaging and communications in medicine in an evolving healthcare computing environment: the model is the message.

PubMed

Bidgood, W D; alSafadi, Y; Tucker, M; Prior, F; Hagan, G; Mattison, J E

1998-02-01

The decision to use Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM), Health Level 7 (HL7), a common object broker such as the Common Object Request Brokering Architecture (CORBA) or ActiveX (Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA) or any other protocol for the transfer of DICOM data depends on the requirements of a particular implementation. The selection of protocol is independent of the information model. Our goal as message standards developers is to design a data interchange infrastructure that will faithfully convey the computer-based patient record and make it available to authorized health care providers when and where it is needed for patient care. DICOM accurately and expressively represents the clinically significant properties of images and the semantics of image-related information. The DICOM data model is small and well-defined. The model can be expressed in Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) or Object Management Group Interface Definition Language or other common syntax-and can be implemented using any reliable communications protocol. Therefore our opinion is that the DICOM semantic data model should serve as the basis for a logically equivalent set of specifications in HL7, CORBA, ActiveX, and SGML for the interchange of biomedical images and image-related information.

Colorado Model Content Standards: Foreign Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colorado State Dept. of Education, Denver.

The model course content standards for foreign language instruction in Colorado's public schools, K-12, provide guidelines, not curriculum, for school districts to design language programs. An introductory section presents some basic considerations in program design. The two general standards for foreign language performance are that: (1) students…

EAP and LLNP Students: Common Problems and Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Thi Minh Phuong

2010-01-01

As English learners originate from many cultural and language backgrounds, they come to class with different circumstances. This paper examines the backgrounds, common problems and solutions for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students and Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Programme (LLNP) students. EAP students are from Meridian International…

Six stirrup handled Moche ceramic vessels from pre-Colombian Peru: a technical study applying PIXE spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swann, C. P.; Caspi, Sara; Carlson, Janice

1999-04-01

Much has been said recently concerning the Moche culture of Peru (100 B.C. to 700 A.D. ) which preceded the more widely known Inca society. Since there was no written language, what is known about the Moche people has been through the artifacts produced, their design and craftsmanship. This study concerns the PIXE analysis of the matrix and the red and white surface patterns of six stirrup handled earthenware vessels. The results suggest different techniques were applied for producing the coloring and surface designs and that a common source of clays was not used in the construction.

Minority Language Socialisation within the Family: Investigating the Early Welsh Language Socialisation of Babies and Young Children in Mixed Language Families in Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Delyth; Jones, Kathryn

2007-01-01

The role of the home and family/caregivers is commonly acknowledged as being central to securing the intergenerational socialisation of minority languages. Research evidence demonstrates that the survival or demise of minority languages crucially depends upon the extent to which the language is passed on from one generation to the next within the…

Krio Language Manual. Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace Corps, Freetown (Sierra Leone).

Instructional materials for Krio, the creole spoken in Sierra Leone, are designed for Peace Corps volunteer language instruction and intended for the use of both students and instructors. Fifty-six units provide practice in language skills, particularly oral, geared to the daily language needs of volunteers. Lessons are designed for audio-lingual…

The Place of Foreign Languages in a Curriculum for Liberal Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moravcsik, Julius; Juilland, Alphonse

1977-01-01

The study of foreign languages in the liberal arts curriculum is defended. Foreign languages reveal the rules characterizing cognitive human activities; they help us to understand both common bonds of humanity and varieties of human behavior. Language study should be central to humanities study. (CHK)

The Dyslexia Spectrum: Continuities between Reading, Speech, and Language Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snowling, Margaret J.; Hayiou-Thomas, Marianna E.

2006-01-01

D. V. M. Bishop and M. J. Snowling (2004) proposed that 2 dimensions of language are required to conceptualize the relationship between dyslexia and specific language impairment: phonological skills and wider language skills beyond phonology (grammatical, semantic, and pragmatic skills). In this article, we discuss the commonalities between…

Using Electronic Portfolios for Second Language Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cummins, Patricia W.; Davesne, Celine

2009-01-01

Portfolio assessment as developed in Europe presents a learner-empowering alternative to computer-based testing. The authors present the European Language Portfolio (ELP) and its American adaptations, LinguaFolio and the Global Language Portfolio, as tools to be used with the Common European Framework of Reference for languages and the American…

Validity of the American Sign Language Discrimination Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bochner, Joseph H.; Samar, Vincent J.; Hauser, Peter C.; Garrison, Wayne M.; Searls, J. Matt; Sanders, Cynthia A.

2016-01-01

American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the most commonly taught languages in North America. Yet, few assessment instruments for ASL proficiency have been developed, none of which have adequately demonstrated validity. We propose that the American Sign Language Discrimination Test (ASL-DT), a recently developed measure of learners' ability to…

29 CFR 500.78 - Information in foreign language.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Information in foreign language. 500.78 Section 500.78... § 500.78 Information in foreign language. Each farm labor contractor, agricultural employer and... English or, as necessary and reasonable, in Spanish or another language common to migrant or seasonal...

Recent Trends in the Language Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ediger, Marlow

Teachers need to stay abreast of the latest trends in the language arts to offer an updated curriculum. The language arts areas are vital in each academic discipline and integrate well with diverse subject matter areas. Some common trends when reading the literature on teaching the language arts are: portfolios; journaling; computerized reading…

Language, Literacy, Literature: Using Storytelling in the Languages Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Anne-Marie

2011-01-01

Stories and storytelling have been used for millennia to entertain, challenge and educate. As a shared form of language interaction, storytelling has engaged communities in developing and perpetuating common understandings of both language and culture, as critical foundations to harmonious societies. Stories and storytelling provide a rich source…

Cultural Pluralism in Japan: A Sociolinguistic Outline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honna, Nobuyuki

1980-01-01

Addressing the common misconception that Japan is a mono-ethnic, mono-cultural, and monolingual society, this article focuses on several areas of sociolinguistic concern. It discusses: (1) the bimodalism of the Japanese deaf population between Japanese Sign Language as native language and Japanese Spoken Language as acquired second language; (2)…

Automatic Requirements Specification Extraction from Natural Language (ARSENAL)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

designers, implementers) involved in the design of software systems. However, natural language descriptions can be informal, incomplete, imprecise...communication of technical descriptions between the various stakeholders (e.g., customers, designers, imple- menters) involved in the design of software systems...the accuracy of the natural language processing stage, the degree of automation, and robustness to noise. 1 2 Introduction Software systems operate in

Software design and documentation language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleine, H.

1977-01-01

A communications medium to support the design and documentation of complex software applications is studied. The medium also provides the following: (1) a processor which can convert design specifications into an intelligible, informative machine reproducible document; (2) a design and documentation language with forms and syntax that are simple, unrestrictive, and communicative; and (3) methodology for effective use of the language and processor.

Modifiers: Increasing Richness and Nuance of Design Pattern Languages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolfschoten, Gwendolyn L.; Briggs, Robert O.; Lukosch, Stephan

One of the challenges when establishing and maintaining a pattern language is to balance richness with simplicity. On the one hand, designers need a variety of useful design patterns to increase the speed of their design efforts and to reduce design risk. On the other hand, the greater the variety of design patterns in a language, the higher the cognitive load to remember and select among them. One solution to this problem is the concept of a modifier design pattern, a design pattern for pattern languages. A modifier pattern is a named, documented variation that can be applied to some set of other design patterns. They create similar, useful changes and refinements to the solutions derived from any pattern to which they are applied. The modifier concept, described in this paper emerged in a relatively new design pattern language for collaborative work practices in which the design patterns are called thinkLets. When analyzing the thinkLet pattern language, we found that many of the patterns we knew were variations and refinements of other patterns. However, we also found patterns in these variations; we found variations that could be applied to different patterns, with similar effects. We document these variations as modifiers. In this paper, we introduce the concept of modifier design patterns and illustrate the use of modifiers with two case studies.

Assessment and management of the communication difficulties of children with cerebral palsy: a UK survey of SLT practice.

PubMed

Watson, Rose Mary; Pennington, Lindsay

2015-01-01

Communication difficulties are common in cerebral palsy (CP) and are frequently associated with motor, intellectual and sensory impairments. Speech and language therapy research comprises single-case experimental design and small group studies, limiting evidence-based intervention and possibly exacerbating variation in practice. To describe the assessment and intervention practices of speech-language therapist (SLTs) in the UK in their management of communication difficulties associated with CP in childhood. An online survey of the assessments and interventions employed by UK SLTs working with children and young people with CP was conducted. The survey was publicized via NHS trusts, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and private practice associations using a variety of social media. The survey was open from 5 December 2011 to 30 January 2012. Two hundred and sixty-five UK SLTs who worked with children and young people with CP in England (n = 199), Wales (n = 13), Scotland (n = 36) and Northern Ireland (n = 17) completed the survey. SLTs reported using a wide variety of published, standardized tests, but most commonly reported assessing oromotor function, speech, receptive and expressive language, and communication skills by observation or using assessment schedules they had developed themselves. The most highly prioritized areas for intervention were: dysphagia, alternative and augmentative (AAC)/interaction and receptive language. SLTs reported using a wide variety of techniques to address difficulties in speech, language and communication. Some interventions used have no supporting evidence. Many SLTs felt unable to estimate the hours of therapy per year children and young people with CP and communication disorders received from their service. The assessment and management of communication difficulties associated with CP in childhood varies widely in the UK. Lack of standard assessment practices prevents comparisons across time or services. The adoption of a standard set of agreed clinical measures would enable benchmarking of service provision, permit the development of large-scale research studies using routine clinical data and facilitate the identification of potential participants for research studies in the UK. Some interventions provided lack evidence. Recent systematic reviews could guide intervention, but robust evidence is needed in most areas addressed in clinical practice. © 2015 The Authors International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Secondary Teacher Perceptions of the Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakenhus, Judith Ann

2017-01-01

This study applied sociocultural theory to examine the theoretical beliefs teachers have concerning language and language acquisition and how these beliefs influenced their perceptions of the Common Core State Standards as a means of closing the achievement gap for English learners. This quantitative study analyzed teachers with differing…

Forum on Common Language for States and Assessment Vendors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren S.; Thurlow, M.; Christensen, L.; Shyyan, V.; Lazarus, S.; Chartrand, A.

2016-01-01

More than 80 individuals representing staff from state departments of education, school districts, other countries, testing and testing-related companies, and other educational organizations participated in a forum on June 20, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to discuss the need for common accessibility language across assessment platforms. The…

Heterogeneity and Plasticity in the Development of Language: A 17-Year Follow-Up of Children Referred Early for Possible Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pickles, Andrew; Anderson, Deborah K.; Lord, Catherine

2014-01-01

Background: Delayed, abnormal language is a common feature of autism and language therapy often a significant component of recommended treatment. However, as with other disorders with a language component, we know surprisingly little about the language trajectories and how varied these might be across different children. Thus, we know little about…

Intrinsic Difficulties in Learning Common Greek-Originated English Words: The Case of Pluralization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavakli, Nurdan

2016-01-01

Knowing the origin of a language helps us to determine the historical background of that language. As language itself is such a system of a society that is continuously evolving as that aforementioned society learns and technologically develops along with its roots or origins. Like many other languages, English is also a language that has roots or…

Using Films in Vocabulary Teaching of Turkish as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iscan, Adem

2017-01-01

The use and utility of auditory and visual tools in language teaching is a common practice. Films constitute one of the tools. It has been found that using films in language teaching is also effective in the development of vocabulary of foreign language learners. The literature review reveals that while films are used in foreign language teaching…

The Symposium on the Evaluation of Foreign Language Proficiency: Challenges to the Profession.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valdman, Albert

This paper presents a report of a 1987 symposium on the Evaluation of Foreign Language Proficiency held in Bloomington, Indiana. Although much has been accomplished in language testing, much remains to be done before the language teaching profession has at its disposal a common means of measuring proficiency in the functional use of language in…

Meaning and Function of Dummy Auxiliaries in Adult Acquisition of Dutch as an Additional Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Julien, Manuela; van Hout, Roeland; van de Craats, Ineke

2016-01-01

This article presents the results of experimental data on language production and comprehension. These show that adult learners of Dutch as an additional language, with different language backgrounds, and a L2 proficiency below level A2 (Waystage) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR; Council of Europe, 2001), use…

Using Academic Language to Level the Playing Field for English Language Learners in Physical Education: Part 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Constantinou, Phoebe; Wuest, Deborah A.

2015-01-01

The common core, with its emphasis on the development of English language art and mathematics skills and literacy, presents challenges for teachers of all subjects. Academic language is expected to be developed within each disciplinary area. In other words, educators are expected to identify the language demands of their discipline and prepare…

Perceptions of Turkish EFL Students on Online Language Learning Platforms and Blended Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Istifci, Ilknur

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of EFL students studying English at the School of Foreign Languages, Anadolu University (AUSFL) on blended language learning and online learning platforms. The participants of the study consisted of 167 students whose English language proficiency level was B2 according to the Common European…

Written language impairments in primary progressive aphasia: a reflection of damage to central semantic and phonological processes.

PubMed

Henry, Maya L; Beeson, Pélagie M; Alexander, Gene E; Rapcsak, Steven Z

2012-02-01

Connectionist theories of language propose that written language deficits arise as a result of damage to semantic and phonological systems that also support spoken language production and comprehension, a view referred to as the "primary systems" hypothesis. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the primary systems account in a mixed group of individuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) by investigating the relation between measures of nonorthographic semantic and phonological processing and written language performance and by examining whether common patterns of cortical atrophy underlie impairments in spoken versus written language domains. Individuals with PPA and healthy controls were administered a language battery, including assessments of semantics, phonology, reading, and spelling. Voxel-based morphometry was used to examine the relation between gray matter volumes and language measures within brain regions previously implicated in semantic and phonological processing. In accordance with the primary systems account, our findings indicate that spoken language performance is strongly predictive of reading/spelling profile in individuals with PPA and suggest that common networks of critical left hemisphere regions support central semantic and phonological processes recruited for spoken and written language.

Practical Techniques for Language Design and Prototyping

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Practical Techniques for Language Design and Prototyping Mark-Oliver Stehr1 and Carolyn L. Talcott2 1 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign...cs.stanford.edu Abstract. Global computing involves the interplay of a vast variety of languages , but practially useful foundations for language ...framework, namely rewriting logic, that allows us to express (1) and (2) and, in addition, language aspects such as concurrency and non-determinism. We

Precursors to language: Social cognition and pragmatic inference in primates.

PubMed

Seyfarth, Robert M; Cheney, Dorothy L

2017-02-01

Despite their differences, human language and the vocal communication of nonhuman primates share many features. Both constitute forms of coordinated activity, rely on many shared neural mechanisms, and involve discrete, combinatorial cognition that includes rich pragmatic inference. These common features suggest that during evolution the ancestors of all modern primates faced similar social problems and responded with similar systems of communication and cognition. When language later evolved from this common foundation, many of its distinctive features were already present.

Interlingua: An Interlanguage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinsley, Royal L., Jr.

This paper presents the historical background and practical applications of "Interlingua," a language system of common words derived from four control languages. Interlingua and "Esperanto," another artificial language, are compared, emphasizing that international, cross-cultural communication is best served, not by the…

Software engineering and Ada in design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oneill, Don

1986-01-01

Modern software engineering promises significant reductions in software costs and improvements in software quality. The Ada language is the focus for these software methodology and tool improvements. The IBM FSD approach, including the software engineering practices that guide the systematic design and development of software products and the management of the software process are examined. The revised Ada design language adaptation is revealed. This four level design methodology is detailed including the purpose of each level, the management strategy that integrates the software design activity with the program milestones, and the technical strategy that maps the Ada constructs to each level of design. A complete description of each design level is provided along with specific design language recording guidelines for each level. Finally, some testimony is offered on education, tools, architecture, and metrics resulting from project use of the four level Ada design language adaptation.

Tradeoffs in the design of a system for high level language interpretation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Osorio, F.C.C.; Patt, Y.N.

The problem of designing a system for high-level language interpretation (HLLI) is considered. First, a model of the design process is presented where several styles of design, e.g. turing machine interpretation, CISC architecture interpretation and RISC architecture interpretation are treated uniformly. Second, the most significant characteristics of HLLI are analysed in the context of different design styles, and some guidelines are presented on how to identify the most suitable design style for a given high-level language problem. 12 references.

The feasibility of using natural language processing to extract clinical information from breast pathology reports.

PubMed

Buckley, Julliette M; Coopey, Suzanne B; Sharko, John; Polubriaginof, Fernanda; Drohan, Brian; Belli, Ahmet K; Kim, Elizabeth M H; Garber, Judy E; Smith, Barbara L; Gadd, Michele A; Specht, Michelle C; Roche, Constance A; Gudewicz, Thomas M; Hughes, Kevin S

2012-01-01

The opportunity to integrate clinical decision support systems into clinical practice is limited due to the lack of structured, machine readable data in the current format of the electronic health record. Natural language processing has been designed to convert free text into machine readable data. The aim of the current study was to ascertain the feasibility of using natural language processing to extract clinical information from >76,000 breast pathology reports. APPROACH AND PROCEDURE: Breast pathology reports from three institutions were analyzed using natural language processing software (Clearforest, Waltham, MA) to extract information on a variety of pathologic diagnoses of interest. Data tables were created from the extracted information according to date of surgery, side of surgery, and medical record number. The variety of ways in which each diagnosis could be represented was recorded, as a means of demonstrating the complexity of machine interpretation of free text. There was widespread variation in how pathologists reported common pathologic diagnoses. We report, for example, 124 ways of saying invasive ductal carcinoma and 95 ways of saying invasive lobular carcinoma. There were >4000 ways of saying invasive ductal carcinoma was not present. Natural language processor sensitivity and specificity were 99.1% and 96.5% when compared to expert human coders. We have demonstrated how a large body of free text medical information such as seen in breast pathology reports, can be converted to a machine readable format using natural language processing, and described the inherent complexities of the task.

Cross-Cultural Language Learning and Web Design Complexity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Ji Yong

2015-01-01

Accepting the fact that culture and language are interrelated in second language learning (SLL), the web sites should be designed to integrate with the cultural aspects. Yet many SLL web sites fail to integrate with the cultural aspects and/or focus on language acquisition only. This study identified three issues: (1) anthropologists'…

Language and Mathematics Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zepp, Raymond

This book is designed for those interested in the teaching of mathematics, in both first language and second language contexts, and is based on 15 years' teaching experience in Africa and Asia. The book is designed to present the main issues of language in mathematics teaching, and is therefore not a highly technical work. Chapters included are:…

A high level language for a high performance computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perrott, R. H.

1978-01-01

The proposed computational aerodynamic facility will join the ranks of the supercomputers due to its architecture and increased execution speed. At present, the languages used to program these supercomputers have been modifications of programming languages which were designed many years ago for sequential machines. A new programming language should be developed based on the techniques which have proved valuable for sequential programming languages and incorporating the algorithmic techniques required for these supercomputers. The design objectives for such a language are outlined.

Designing between Pedagogies and Cultures: Audio-Visual Chinese Language Resources for Australian Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Yifeng; Shen, Huizhong

2016-01-01

This design-based study examines the creation and development of audio-visual Chinese language teaching and learning materials for Australian schools by incorporating users' feedback and content writers' input that emerged in the designing process. Data were collected from workshop feedback of two groups of Chinese-language teachers from primary…

Developing Pedagogical Practices for English-Language Learners: A Design-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iddings, Ana Christina DaSilva; Rose, Brian Christopher

2012-01-01

This study draws on the application of sociocultural theory to second-language learning and teaching to examine the impact of a design-based research approach on teacher development and literacy instruction to English-language learners (ELLs). Design-based research methodology was employed to derive theoretical suppositions relating to the process…

The programming language HAL: A specification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

HAL accomplishes three significant objectives: (1) increased readability, through the use of a natural two-dimensional mathematical format; (2) increased reliability, by providing for selective recognition of common data and subroutines, and by incorporating specific data-protect features; (3) real-time control facility, by including a comprehensive set of real-time control commands and signal conditions. Although HAL is designed primarily for programming on-board computers, it is general enough to meet nearly all the needs in the production, verification and support of aerospace, and other real-time applications.

HOPE: Just-in-time Python compiler for astrophysical computations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akeret, Joel; Gamper, Lukas; Amara, Adam; Refregier, Alexandre

2014-11-01

HOPE is a specialized Python just-in-time (JIT) compiler designed for numerical astrophysical applications. HOPE focuses on a subset of the language and is able to translate Python code into C++ while performing numerical optimization on mathematical expressions at runtime. To enable the JIT compilation, the user only needs to add a decorator to the function definition. By using HOPE, the user benefits from being able to write common numerical code in Python while getting the performance of compiled implementation.

The Design and Evaluation of African Language Learning Materials. Proceedings of the Spring 1984 Conference on Developing Guidelines for the Evaluation of African Language Learning Materials (East Lansing, Michigan, April 13-14, 1984).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dwyer, David J., Ed.

Representatives from major institutions teaching African languages convened to discuss the design of African language textbooks and to propose guidelines for the writing of new textbooks and evaluation of existing ones. Conference papers include: "Language Acquisition Theory and Materials Construction" (Stephen Krashen); "The Structures of Verbal…

Role-Play in Foreign Language Acquisition: A Causal-Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Elena A.

2013-01-01

Foreign language educators have been striving to improve practices that support language teaching for adults for many years. Common knowledge insists that children are better language learners than adults. Creation of the new field of neurolinguistics at the end of the 20th century brought about new opportunities for both teachers of foreign…

Skype Videoconferencing for Less Commonly Taught Languages: Examining the Effects on Students' Foreign Language Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terantino, Joe

2014-01-01

This study compared students' foreign language anxiety levels while completing oral assessments administered face-to-face (F2F) and via Skype videoconferencing for university courses delivered under the self-instructional language program (SILP) model (Dunkel, Brill, & Kohl, 2002). Data were gathered by administering a modified Foreign…

Certifying the Linguistic and Communicative Competencies of Teachers in English-Medium Instruction Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubow, Gregg; Gundermann, Susanne

2017-01-01

Language teaching centres have been tasked predominantly with ensuring that prospective and enrolled students are able to fulfil established language criteria required for both domestic and international study programmes. It is less common, however, that language centres are responsible for ensuring the language and communicative skills of…

The Linguistic Landscape as a Learning Space for Contextual Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aladjem, Ruthi; Jou, Bibiana

2016-01-01

One of the challenges of teaching and learning a foreign language is that students are not being sufficiently exposed to the target language. However, it is quite common to find linguistic and cultural exponents of different foreign languages in authentic contexts (termed the "Linguistic landscape"). Using the Linguistic landscape as a…

Language Management Theory as One Approach in Language Policy and Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nekvapil, Jirí

2016-01-01

Language Policy and Planning is currently a significantly diversified research area and thus it is not easy to find common denominators that help to define basic approaches within it. Richard B. Baldauf attempted to do so by differentiating between four basic approaches: (1) the classical approach, (2) the language management approach (Language…

Prospective Foreign Language Teachers' Preference of Teaching Methods for the Language Acquisition Course in Turkish Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GüvendIr, Emre

2013-01-01

Considering the significance of taking student preferences into account while organizing teaching practices, the current study explores which teaching method prospective foreign language teachers mostly prefer their teacher to use in the language acquisition course. A teaching methods evaluation form that includes six commonly used teaching…

The Role of Teaching Grammar in First Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir, Sezgin; Erdogan, Ayse

2018-01-01

Grammar; while originating from the natural structure of the language also is the system which makes it possible for different language functions meet within the body of common rules especially communication. Having command of the language used, speaking and writing it correctly require strong grammar knowledge actually. However only knowing the…

F-LARSP 1.0: An Adaptation of the LARSP Language Profile for French

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maillart, Christelle; Parisse, Christophe; Tommerdahl, Jodi

2012-01-01

The Language Assessment, Remediation and Screening Procedure (Crystal, Fletcher and Garman, 1976; "The grammatical analysis of language disability". London: Edward Arnold) is a linguistic profile commonly used by researchers and clinicians to carry out detailed analyses of the grammar and morphology of children's spontaneous language samples. This…

Visual Sonority Modulates Infants' Attraction to Sign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Adam; Petitto, Laura-Ann; Bosworth, Rain

2018-01-01

The infant brain may be predisposed to identify perceptually salient cues that are common to both signed and spoken languages. Recent theory based on spoken languages has advanced sonority as one of these potential language acquisition cues. Using a preferential looking paradigm with an infrared eye tracker, we explored visual attention of hearing…

La ensenanza de idiomas en Puerto Rico (Language Teaching in Puerto Rico)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llorens, Washington

1976-01-01

The poor command of Spanish common to many Puerto Ricans is due, not to the teaching of English as a second language, but to the poor instruction of the native language and the lack of emphasis on reading good Spanish literature. The two languages can coexist. (Text is in Spanish.) (CHK)

Computer Languages: A Practical Guide to the Chief Programming Languages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanderson, Peter C.

All the most commonly-used high-level computer languages are discussed in this book. An introductory discussion provides an overview of the basic components of a digital computer, the general planning of a computer programing problem, and the various types of computer languages. Each chapter is self-contained, emphasizes those features of a…

Putative Sex Differences in Verbal Abilities and Language Cortex: A Critical Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallentin, Mikkel

2009-01-01

This review brings together evidence from a diverse field of methods for investigating sex differences in language processing. Differences are found in certain language-related deficits, such as stuttering, dyslexia, autism and schizophrenia. Common to these is that language problems may follow from, rather than cause the deficit. Large studies…

BASIC, Logo, and Pilot: A Comparison of Three Computer Languages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddux, Cleborne D.; Cummings, Rhoda E.

1985-01-01

Following a brief history of Logo, BASIC, and Pilot programing languages, common educational programing tasks (input from keyboard, evaluation of keyboard input, and computation) are presented in each language to illustrate how each can be used to perform the same tasks and to demonstrate each language's strengths and weaknesses. (MBR)

Using genre pedagogy to promote student proficiency in the language required for interpreting line graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smit, Jantien; Bakker, Arthur; van Eerde, Dolly; Kuijpers, Maggie

2016-09-01

The importance of language in mathematics learning has been widely acknowledged. However, little is known about how to make this insight productive in the design and enactment of language-oriented mathematics education. In a design-based research project, we explored how language-oriented mathematics education can be designed and enacted. We drew on genre pedagogy to promote student proficiency in the language required for interpreting line graphs. In the intervention, the teacher used scaffolding strategies to focus students' attention on the structure and linguistic features of the language involved in this particular domain. The research question addressed in this paper is how student proficiency in this language may be promoted. The study comprised nine lessons involving 22 students in grades 5 and 6 (aged 10-12); of these students, 19 had a migrant background. In light of the research aim, we first describe the rationale behind our design. Next, we illustrate how the design was enacted by means of a case study focusing on one student in the classroom practice of developing proficiency in the language required for interpreting line graphs. On the basis of pre- and posttest scores, we conclude that overall their proficiency has increased. Together, the results indicate that and how genre pedagogy may be used to help students become more proficient in the language required in a mathematical domain.

The Role of Language and Literacy in College- and Career-Ready Standards: Rethinking Policy and Practice in Support of English Language Learners. Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynes, Mariana

2012-01-01

The Common Core State Standards spell out the sophisticated language competencies that students will need to perform in academic and technical subject areas. English language learners (ELLs) face a double challenge--they must learn grade-level content while simultaneously building their language proficiency. This policy brief discusses these…

Multilingual Effects on EFL Learning: A Comparison of Foreign Language Anxiety Experienced by Monolingual and Bilingual Tertiary Students in the Lao PDR

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phongsa, Manivone; Mohamed Ismail, Shaik Abdul Malik; Low, Hui Min

2018-01-01

Foreign language anxiety is common among adult learners, especially those who lack exposure to the language that they are learning. In this study, we compared the foreign language anxiety experienced by monolingual and bilingual tertiary students in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) who were learning English as a Foreign Language. The…

Language Identity and Multicultural Diversity in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boikhutso, Keene; Jotia, Agreement Lathi

2013-01-01

This study explored the common wisdom that sees Botswana as inherently ethnically homogenous. It used the existing Afrobarometer survey data drawn from Round 1 (1999), Round 2 (2003), Round 3 (2005) and Round 4 (2008). The findings of this study revealed that when using language spoken mostly at home, common wisdom is confirmed. However, it is…

Measuring and Sustaining the Impact of Less Commonly Taught Language Collections in a Research Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenkart, Joe; Teper, Thomas H.; Thacker, Mara; Witt, Steven W.

2015-01-01

To evaluate the current state of resource sharing and cooperative collection development, this paper examines the relationship between less commonly taught language collections (LCTL) and ILL services. The study examined multiple years of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's resource-sharing data. This paper provides a historical…

English Language Learner Teacher Effectiveness and the Common Core

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Tammy; Wells, Lorra

2017-01-01

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and teacher effectiveness are among the most contentious issues in education today. With an increase in English language learners (ELLs) and the rigorous requirements imposed by the CCSS, teachers are left unprepared and ELLs struggle to stay afloat. Using California as a case study, this research synthesis…

Emerging Technologies: The Technological Imperative in Teaching and Learning Less Commonly Taught Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godwin-Jones, Robert

2013-01-01

Anyone in the United States who wants to learn Spanish can easily find local instructional options. Opportunities abound as well for maintaining one's Spanish: all-Spanish television stations, widely distributed print media, and an abundance of native speakers. Learning opportunities and resources for other commonly taught languages (CTL) such as…

The Most Common Mistakes of Teacher Trainees' Former Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özer, Bayram; Gelen, Ismail; Alkan, Sinem Hizli; Çinar, Gonca; Duran, Volkan

2016-01-01

The fundamental parts of the educational processes are teachers and students. The study aims to determine the common mistakes done by teachers in the classrooms. The research was conducted to 278 third year students in the departments of English Language Teaching, Turkish Language Teaching, and Fine Arts Teaching in 2012-2013 academic year. The…

The Language of Fifty Commonly Used Forms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbass, Mazin

The study analyzes, for readability and difficulty, the language of 50 commonly used application forms. The forms were compared with respect to length, readability, t-unit density, and word-length variables. Forms were also compared against two word-frequency lists. Results show that many of the words appearing often on forms do not appear on the…

Lexical Bundles: Facilitating University "Talk" in Group Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heng, Chan Swee; Kashiha, Hadi; Tan, Helen

2014-01-01

Group discussion forms an integral language experience for most language learners, providing them with an opportunity to express themselves in a naturalistic setting. Multi-word expressions are commonly used and one of them is lexical bundles. Lexical bundles are types of extended collocations that occur more commonly than we expect; they are…

Identification of a common language describing paediatric physiotherapy practice for children with additional support needs, to support communication with those outside the physiotherapy profession.

PubMed

Hunter, Cathleen; Maciver, Donald; Howden, Stella; Forsyth, Kirsty; Adamson, Amanda; Bremner, Lynne

2013-03-01

Children with additional support needs (ASNs) often require physiotherapy intervention to help maximise their participation within the primary school setting. The aim of this research was to investigate paediatric physiotherapy practice in supporting primary school aged children with ASNs, in order to identify a language to describe this, which could be used to support communication with teachers, parents and others outside the profession. Using a qualitative research multiple methods design, 2 focus groups and 5 structured interviews were held to investigate physiotherapy practice for this group. Senior paediatric physiotherapists (n=13) from a range of specialities, with experience of supporting primary school aged children with ASNs. Focus groups and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed to establish links and patterns: followed by a cyclical process of respondent validation, and expert review. Eight targets for physiotherapy intervention and twelve technique headings were synthesised from the data. The language used for labelling and description of these was aimed to be easily understood by colleagues outside the profession. The findings clearly identified the role of the paediatric physiotherapist as being to support primary school aged children with ASNs to acquire aspects of postural control, mobility and cardio-respiratory function. By grouping the data into eight areas of challenge as the focus of intervention, and twelve commonly used techniques, the researchers generated a language which can be used by paediatric physiotherapists to support communication with teachers, parents and others outside the profession, when describing their intent and interactions regarding these children. Copyright © 2012 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of veterinary services by Latino dog and cat owners with various degrees of English-language proficiency.

PubMed

Landau, Ruth E; Beck, Alan; Glickman, Larry T; Litster, Annette; Widmar, Nicole J Olynk; Moore, George E

2016-03-15

To characterize patterns of dog and cat ownership and veterinary service use among Latino dog and cat owners with various degrees of English-language proficiency. DESIGN :Cross-sectional telephone survey. Data from 393 Latino pet owners. Telephone surveys were conducted with Latino dog and cat owners from a random sample of US households to determine the number of dogs and cats owned, factors associated with veterinary service use, and satisfaction with veterinary care. 393 of 1,026 (38.3%) respondents were pet owners. Two hundred fifty-nine of 330 (78.5%) dog owners and 70 of 115 (60.9%) cat owners reported taking their pet to the veterinarian in the past 12 months, most commonly for vaccination or examination or because of illness. Respondents were most satisfied with veterinary care provided, least satisfied with cost, and moderately satisfied with quality of communication. English-language proficiency was not significantly associated with whether owners sought veterinary care. A large proportion of respondents who wanted to receive pet health information in Spanish described themselves as speaking English well or very well. Although having limited proficiency in English was not associated with Latino pet owners seeking veterinary care, opportunities exist for veterinary personnel to improve communications with these clients. Personnel can assess their clients' language needs by asking each about the language in which they would prefer to receive their pet's health information.

Categorisation of visualisation methods to support the design of Human-Computer Interaction Systems.

PubMed

Li, Katie; Tiwari, Ashutosh; Alcock, Jeffrey; Bermell-Garcia, Pablo

2016-07-01

During the design of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) systems, the creation of visual artefacts forms an important part of design. On one hand producing a visual artefact has a number of advantages: it helps designers to externalise their thought and acts as a common language between different stakeholders. On the other hand, if an inappropriate visualisation method is employed it could hinder the design process. To support the design of HCI systems, this paper reviews the categorisation of visualisation methods used in HCI. A keyword search is conducted to identify a) current HCI design methods, b) approaches of selecting these methods. The resulting design methods are filtered to create a list of just visualisation methods. These are then categorised using the approaches identified in (b). As a result 23 HCI visualisation methods are identified and categorised in 5 selection approaches (The Recipient, Primary Purpose, Visual Archetype, Interaction Type, and The Design Process). Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The language parallel Pascal and other aspects of the massively parallel processor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reeves, A. P.; Bruner, J. D.

1982-01-01

A high level language for the Massively Parallel Processor (MPP) was designed. This language, called Parallel Pascal, is described in detail. A description of the language design, a description of the intermediate language, Parallel P-Code, and details for the MPP implementation are included. Formal descriptions of Parallel Pascal and Parallel P-Code are given. A compiler was developed which converts programs in Parallel Pascal into the intermediate Parallel P-Code language. The code generator to complete the compiler for the MPP is being developed independently. A Parallel Pascal to Pascal translator was also developed. The architecture design for a VLSI version of the MPP was completed with a description of fault tolerant interconnection networks. The memory arrangement aspects of the MPP are discussed and a survey of other high level languages is given.

The non-independence discussion about cycle structure in the computer language: the final simplification of computer language in the structural design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Peilu

2013-03-01

In the first place, the article discusses the theory, content, development, and questions about structured programming design. The further extension on this basement provides the cycle structure in computer language is the sequence structure, branch structure, and the cycle structure with independence. Through the deeply research by the writer, we find the non-independence and reach the final simplification about the computer language design. In the first, the writer provides the language structure of linear structure (I structure) and curvilinear structure (Y structure). This makes the computer language has high proficiency with simplification during the program exploration. The research in this article is corresponding with the widely used dualistic structure in the computer field. Moreover, it is greatly promote the evolution of computer language.

Flight program language requirements. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The activities and results of a study for the definition of flight program language requirements are described. A set of detailed requirements are presented for a language capable of supporting onboard application programming for the Marshall Space Flight Center's anticipated future activities in the decade of 1975-85. These requirements are based, in part, on the evaluation of existing flight programming language designs to determine the applicability of these designs to flight programming activities which are anticipated. The coding of benchmark problems in the selected programming languages is discussed. These benchmarks are in the form of program kernels selected from existing flight programs. This approach was taken to insure that the results of the study would reflect state of the art language capabilities, as well as to determine whether an existing language design should be selected for adaptation.

Teachers Fostering the Co-Development of Science Literacy and Language Literacy with English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrejo, David J.; Reinhartz, Judy

2014-01-01

Thirty-five elementary teachers participated in a yearlong professional development (PD) program that was designed to foster a culture of on-going teacher learning to promote the co-development of science and language literacy for English language learners (ELL). An explanatory design methodology was used to determine the degree to which science…

Caring in the Dynamics of Design and Languaging: Exploring Second Language Learning in 3D Virtual Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Dongping

2012-01-01

This study provides concrete evidence of ecological, dialogical views of languaging within the dynamics of coordination and cooperation in a virtual world. Beginning level second language learners of Chinese engaged in cooperative activities designed to provide them opportunities to refine linguistic actions by way of caring for others, for the…

Identification of Specific Language Impairment in Bilingual Children: I. Assessment in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillam, Ronald B.; Peña, Elizabeth D.; Bedore, Lisa M.; Bohman, Thomas M.; Mendez-Perez, Anita

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study was designed to derive cut scores for English testing for use in identifying specific language impairment (SLI) in bilingual children who were learning English as a second language. Method: In a 1-gate design, 167 children received comprehensive language assessments in English and Spanish during their first-grade year. The…

Communication in science.

PubMed

Deda, H; Yakupoglu, H

2002-01-01

Science must have a common language. For centuries, Latin language carried out this job, but the progress in computer technology and internet world through the last 20 years, began to produce a new language with the new century; the computer language. The information masses, which need data language standardization, are the followings; Digital libraries and medical education systems, Consumer health informatics, Medical education systems, World Wide Web Applications, Database systems, Medical language processing, Automatic indexing systems, Image processing units, Telemedicine, New Generation Internet (NGI).

From Fulcher to PLEVALEX: Issues in Interface Design, Validity and Reliability in Internet Based Language Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia Laborda, Jesus

2007-01-01

Interface design and ergonomics, while already studied in much of educational theory, have not until recently been considered in language testing (Fulcher, 2003). In this paper, we revise the design principles of PLEVALEX, a fully operational prototype Internet based language testing platform. Our focus here is to show PLEVALEX's interfaces and…

Optimizing DNA assembly based on statistical language modelling.

PubMed

Fang, Gang; Zhang, Shemin; Dong, Yafei

2017-12-15

By successively assembling genetic parts such as BioBrick according to grammatical models, complex genetic constructs composed of dozens of functional blocks can be built. However, usually every category of genetic parts includes a few or many parts. With increasing quantity of genetic parts, the process of assembling more than a few sets of these parts can be expensive, time consuming and error prone. At the last step of assembling it is somewhat difficult to decide which part should be selected. Based on statistical language model, which is a probability distribution P(s) over strings S that attempts to reflect how frequently a string S occurs as a sentence, the most commonly used parts will be selected. Then, a dynamic programming algorithm was designed to figure out the solution of maximum probability. The algorithm optimizes the results of a genetic design based on a grammatical model and finds an optimal solution. In this way, redundant operations can be reduced and the time and cost required for conducting biological experiments can be minimized. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Bellman's GAP--a language and compiler for dynamic programming in sequence analysis.

PubMed

Sauthoff, Georg; Möhl, Mathias; Janssen, Stefan; Giegerich, Robert

2013-03-01

Dynamic programming is ubiquitous in bioinformatics. Developing and implementing non-trivial dynamic programming algorithms is often error prone and tedious. Bellman's GAP is a new programming system, designed to ease the development of bioinformatics tools based on the dynamic programming technique. In Bellman's GAP, dynamic programming algorithms are described in a declarative style by tree grammars, evaluation algebras and products formed thereof. This bypasses the design of explicit dynamic programming recurrences and yields programs that are free of subscript errors, modular and easy to modify. The declarative modules are compiled into C++ code that is competitive to carefully hand-crafted implementations. This article introduces the Bellman's GAP system and its language, GAP-L. It then demonstrates the ease of development and the degree of re-use by creating variants of two common bioinformatics algorithms. Finally, it evaluates Bellman's GAP as an implementation platform of 'real-world' bioinformatics tools. Bellman's GAP is available under GPL license from http://bibiserv.cebitec.uni-bielefeld.de/bellmansgap. This Web site includes a repository of re-usable modules for RNA folding based on thermodynamics.

Motivation in Second Language Learning: A Historical Overview and Its Relevance in a Public High School in Pasto, Colombia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerrero, Mario

2015-01-01

Motivation has a significant role in the process of language learning. It is important to understand its theoretical evolution in this field to be able to consider its relevance in the learning and teaching of a foreign language. Motivation is a term that is commonly used among language teachers and language learners but perhaps many are not aware…

Students' Attitudes toward Extensive Reading in the Japanese EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikami, Akihiro

2017-01-01

Although many studies state the benefits of extensive reading (ER) for language learning, this practice is not common in language classrooms. Because few studies have investigated the status of ER in second language classrooms, this study looks at past and current ER practice among Japanese students of English as a foreign language (EFL) and their…

Rhetorical Meta-Language to Promote the Development of Students' Writing Skills and Subject Matter Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelger, Susanne; Sigrell, Anders

2016-01-01

Background: Feedback is one of the most significant factors for students' development of writing skills. For feedback to be successful, however, students and teachers need a common language--a meta-language--for discussing texts. Not least because in science education such a meta-language might contribute to improve writing training and…

A Concept For a Primary Author's Language (PAL-X)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ripota, Peter

A Primary Author's Language (PAL-X) has been developed to serve as a documentation language for computer-assisted instructional (CAI) programs. Its development was necessary to permit the dissemination of CAI given the facts that: 1)existing CAI programs were written in over 60 languages; 2)the system for COURSEWRITER II, the most commonly used…

Asian/Pacific Islander Languages Spoken by English Learners (ELs). Fast Facts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of English Language Acquisition, US Department of Education, 2015

2015-01-01

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) has synthesized key data on English learners (ELs) into two-page PDF sheets, by topic, with graphics, plus key contacts. The topics for this report on Asian/Pacific Islander languages spoken by English Learners (ELs) include: (1) Top 10 Most Common Asian/Pacific Islander Languages Spoken Among ELs:…

Investigating Heritage Language and Culture Links: An Indo-Canadian Hindu Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Nootan; Trofimovich, Pavel; Gatbonton, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

Although it is commonly believed that language and culture are inexorably linked, the precise nature of this relationship remains elusive. This study investigated the hypothesis that a loss in language signals a loss in culture if language is considered a central value. This hypothesis was investigated by rating the Hindi and English proficiency…

The Path to Bilingualism: The Common European Framework for Languages in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermans-Nymark, Laura

2013-01-01

An objective of the federal government's action plan for official languages is to double the number of high school graduates who have functional knowledge of the second official language. Yet without a clear definition of what constitutes bilingualism, or a consistent approach to assessing language proficiency, how will we know if that goal has…

Clinical Impact of Wordless Picture Storybooks on Bilingual Narrative Language Production: A Comparison of the "Frog" Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heilmann, John J.; Rojas, Raúl; Iglesias, Aquiles; Miller, Jon F.

2016-01-01

Background: Language sampling, recognized as a gold standard for expressive language assessment, is often elicited using wordless picture storybooks. A series of wordless storybooks, commonly referred to as "Frog" stories, have been frequently used in language-based research with children from around the globe. Aims: To examine the…

Development of a Tablet Application for the Screening of Receptive Vocabulary Skills in Multilingual Children: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaefer, Blanca; Bowyer-Crane, Claudine; Herrmann, Frank; Fricke, Silke

2016-01-01

For professionals working with multilingual children, detecting language deficits in a child's home language can present a challenge. This is largely due to the scarcity of standardized assessments in many children's home languages and missing normative data on multilingual language acquisition. A common approach is to translate existing English…

The Practical Side of Working with Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Preschool Children with Language Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klatte, Inge S.; Roulstone, Sue

2016-01-01

A common early intervention approach for preschool children with language problems is parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT). PCIT has positive effects for children with expressive language problems. It appears that speech and language therapists (SLTs) conduct this therapy in many different ways. This might be because of the variety of…

The Prevalence of Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Adolescents with a History of Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conti-Ramsden, Gina; Simkin, Zoe; Botting, Nicola

2006-01-01

Background: Traditionally, autism and specific language impairment (SLI) have been regarded as distinct disorders but, more recently, evidence has been put forward for a closer link between them: a common set of language problems, in particular receptive language difficulties and the existence of intermediate cases including pragmatic language…

Beliefs about Language Learning in Study Abroad: Advocating for a Language Ideology Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Surtees, Victoria

2016-01-01

Study Abroad (SA) has long enjoyed the unquestioning support of the general public, governments, and its benefits for language learning in many ways have been naturalized as "common sense" (Twombly et al., 2012). Language ideology scholars would say that this naturalization itself is indication that there are strong ideological forces at…

Examining the Effects of Language Brokering on Student Identities and Learning Opportunities in Dual Immersion Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jin Sook; Hill-Bonnet, Laura; Raley, Jason

2011-01-01

In settings where speakers of two or more different languages coexist, language brokering, the act of interpreting and translating between culturally and linguistically different speakers, is commonly practiced. Yet the examination of language brokering and its implications in classroom settings have not received much attention in the literature.…

Informal Language Learning in Authentic Setting, Using Mobile Devices and SNS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aladjem, Ruthi; Jou, Bibiana

2016-01-01

One of the challenges of teaching a foreign language in non-immersive contexts, is extending the exposure of learners to the target language, beyond school hours. Since it is quite common to find linguistic and cultural exponents of foreign languages, in authentic contexts (i.e., the "Linguistic Landscape"), those exponents may serve as…

A geographical analysis of speech-language pathology services to support multilingual children.

PubMed

Verdon, Sarah; McLeod, Sharynne; McDonald, Simon

2014-06-01

The speech-language pathology workforce strives to provide equitable, quality services to multilingual people. However, the extent to which this is being achieved is unknown. Participants in this study were 2849 members of Speech Pathology Australia and 4386 children in the Birth cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Statistical and geospatial analyses were undertaken to identify the linguistic diversity and geographical distribution of Australian speech-language pathology services and Australian children. One fifth of services offered by Speech Pathology Australia members (20.2%) were available in a language other than English. Services were most commonly offered in Australian Sign Language (Auslan) (4.3%), French (3.1%), Italian (2.2%), Greek (1.6%), and Cantonese (1.5%). Among 4-5-year-old children in the nationally representative LSAC, 15.3% regularly spoke and/or understood a language other than English. The most common languages spoken by the children were Arabic (1.5%), Italian (1.2%), Greek (0.9%), Spanish (0.9%), and Vietnamese (0.9%). There was a mismatch between the location of and languages in which multilingual services were offered, and the location of and languages spoken by children. These findings highlight the need for SLPs to be culturally competent in providing equitable services to all clients, regardless of the languages they speak.

Speech-language pathologists' assessment and intervention practices with multilingual children.

PubMed

Williams, Corinne J; McLeod, Sharynne

2012-06-01

Within predominantly English-speaking countries such as the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, there are a significant number of people who speak languages other than English. This study aimed to examine Australian speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perspectives and experiences of multilingualism, including their assessment and intervention practices, and service delivery methods when working with children who speak languages other than English. A questionnaire was completed by 128 SLPs who attended an SLP seminar about cultural and linguistic diversity. Approximately one half of the SLPs (48.4%) reported that they had at least minimal competence in a language(s) other than English; but only 12 (9.4%) reported that they were proficient in another language. The SLPs spoke a total of 28 languages other than English, the most common being French, Italian, German, Spanish, Mandarin, and Auslan (Australian sign language). Participants reported that they had, in the past 12 months, worked with a mean of 59.2 (range 1-100) children from multilingual backgrounds. These children were reported to speak between two and five languages each; the most common being: Vietnamese, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Australian Indigenous languages, Tagalog, Greek, and other Chinese languages. There was limited overlap between the languages spoken by the SLPs and the children on the SLPs' caseloads. Many of the SLPs assessed children's speech (50.5%) and/or language (34.2%) without assistance from others (including interpreters). English was the primary language used during assessments and intervention. The majority of SLPs always used informal speech (76.7%) and language (78.2%) assessments and, if standardized tests were used, typically they were in English. The SLPs sought additional information about the children's languages and cultural backgrounds, but indicated that they had limited resources to discriminate between speech and language difference vs disorder.

Hardware synthesis from DDL. [Digital Design Language for computer aided design and test of LSI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, A. M.; Shiva, S. G.

1981-01-01

The details of the digital systems can be conveniently input into the design automation system by means of Hardware Description Languages (HDL). The Computer Aided Design and Test (CADAT) system at NASA MSFC is used for the LSI design. The Digital Design Language (DDL) has been selected as HDL for the CADAT System. DDL translator output can be used for the hardware implementation of the digital design. This paper addresses problems of selecting the standard cells from the CADAT standard cell library to realize the logic implied by the DDL description of the system.

On the design of script languages for neural simulation.

PubMed

Brette, Romain

2012-01-01

In neural network simulators, models are specified according to a language, either specific or based on a general programming language (e.g. Python). There are also ongoing efforts to develop standardized languages, for example NeuroML. When designing these languages, efforts are often focused on expressivity, that is, on maximizing the number of model types than can be described and simulated. I argue that a complementary goal should be to minimize the cognitive effort required on the part of the user to use the language. I try to formalize this notion with the concept of "language entropy", and I propose a few practical guidelines to minimize the entropy of languages for neural simulation.

Language Learning in Virtual Worlds: Designing for Languaging, the Role of Affordances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nocchi, Susanna

2014-01-01

This article will utilise data collected during SLItaliano, an Italian language course run in the Virtual World (VW) of Second Life® (SL®) in 2012. The course was offered to third level students of Italian as a Foreign Language (FL) in an Irish college, the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). It was designed and coordinated by the researcher and…

Relationship of Otitis Media and Language Impairment in Adolescents with Down's Syndrome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whiteman, Barbara C.; And Others

1986-01-01

Results of the study of receptive and expressive language abilities of 30 Down's Syndrome adolescents suggested that early recurrent otitis media may play an important role in the language deficits commonly found among Down Syndrome persons. (Author/DB)

Are Languages Digital Codes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Nigel

2007-01-01

Language use is commonly understood to involve digital signalling, which imposes certain constraints and restrictions on linguistic communication. Two papers by Ross [Ross, D., 2004. "Metalinguistic signalling for coordination amongst social agents." "Language Sciences" 26, 621-642; Ross, D., this issue. "'H. sapiens' as ecologically special: what…

Linguistics and Information Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, Christine A.

1972-01-01

This paper defines the relationship between linguistics and information science in terms of a common interest in natural language. The concept of a natural language information system is introduced as a framework for reviewing automated language processing efforts by computational linguists and information scientists. (96 references) (Author)

A methodology for the design and evaluation of user interfaces for interactive information systems. Ph.D. Thesis Final Report, 1 Jul. 1985 - 31 Dec. 1987

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dominick, Wayne D. (Editor); Farooq, Mohammad U.

1986-01-01

The definition of proposed research addressing the development and validation of a methodology for the design and evaluation of user interfaces for interactive information systems is given. The major objectives of this research are: the development of a comprehensive, objective, and generalizable methodology for the design and evaluation of user interfaces for information systems; the development of equations and/or analytical models to characterize user behavior and the performance of a designed interface; the design of a prototype system for the development and administration of user interfaces; and the design and use of controlled experiments to support the research and test/validate the proposed methodology. The proposed design methodology views the user interface as a virtual machine composed of three layers: an interactive layer, a dialogue manager layer, and an application interface layer. A command language model of user system interactions is presented because of its inherent simplicity and structured approach based on interaction events. All interaction events have a common structure based on common generic elements necessary for a successful dialogue. It is shown that, using this model, various types of interfaces could be designed and implemented to accommodate various categories of users. The implementation methodology is discussed in terms of how to store and organize the information.

Steps toward Unifying Dual Language Programs, Common Core State Standards, and Critical Pedagogy: Oportunidades, Estrategias Y Retos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfaro, Cristina; Durán, Richard; Hunt, Alexandra; Aragón, María José

2014-01-01

Recent education reforms have begun to reframe academic discussion and teacher practice surrounding bilingual educational approaches for preparing "21st century, college and career ready" citizens. Given this broader context, in this article we examine ways that we might join implementation of dual language programs, Common Core State…

Revealing the Naturalization of Language and Literacy: The Common Sense of Text Complexity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newhouse, Erica H.

2017-01-01

This article illustrates the process and obstacles encountered when applying the Common Core's three-part model of determining text complexity to an urban literature text. This analysis revealed how the model privileges language and literacy practices that limit the range of texts used in classrooms through a process of naturalization and by…

Teachers' Perceptions on Preparedness and Supports to Implement the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Maria Clara

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to: (1) describe elementary teachers' perceptions on their preparedness to implement the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (ELA-CCSS); (2) determine how perceptions influenced changes in instructional practices; and (3) to explore ELA-CCSS implementation challenges and/or barriers in supporting teacher…

A conceptual model for megaprogramming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tracz, Will

1990-01-01

Megaprogramming is component-based software engineering and life-cycle management. Magaprogramming and its relationship to other research initiatives (common prototyping system/common prototyping language, domain specific software architectures, and software understanding) are analyzed. The desirable attributes of megaprogramming software components are identified and a software development model and resulting prototype megaprogramming system (library interconnection language extended by annotated Ada) are described.

Integrating the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards into Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Alisa R.; Bullock, Kerri

2015-01-01

Physical education teachers are expected to implement the English language arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in their instruction. This has proved to be challenging for many physical educators. The purpose of this article is to provide developmentally appropriate examples of how to incorporate the ELA CCSS into physical education,…

SGML and Related Standards: New Directions as the Second Decade Begins.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, James David

1997-01-01

ISO--International Organization for Standards highlights the activities of WG8 (Working Group 8 of ISO) in the alignment of standards for a common tree model and common query languages. Examines the how Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (DSSSL) and HyTime make documents easier to work with and more powerful in their ability to…

Twenty Common Testing Mistakes for EFL Teachers to Avoid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henning, Grant

2012-01-01

To some extent, good testing procedure, like good language use, can be achieved through avoidance of errors. Almost any language-instruction program requires the preparation and administration of tests, and it is only to the extent that certain common testing mistakes have been avoided that such tests can be said to be worthwhile selection,…

High School Teachers' Perspectives on the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajayi, Lasisi

2016-01-01

This was an exploratory study that examined high school teachers' perspectives about their early experiences with the English language arts Common Core State Standards. The sources of data for the study included a survey and structured interviews. Twenty-three high school ELA teachers from one unified school district in Southern California…

Examining English Language Arts Common Core State Standards Instruction through Cultural Historical Activity Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett-Tatum, Jennifer

2015-01-01

The English Language Arts Common Core State Standards and corresponding assessments brought about many changes for educators, their literacy instruction, and the literacy learning of their students. This study examined the day-to-day literacy instruction of two primary grade teachers during their first year of full CCSS implementation. Engestr?m's…

Strengthen Your Music Program by Incorporating Aspects of the ELA Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Nancy Thompson

2014-01-01

Implementation of the English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) reduces the traditional separation between the study of different subjects. Increased focus on nonfiction reading and writing means more incorporation of other content, such as music, into language arts classes. CCSS's emphasis on speaking and writing across…

Examining Elementary Literacy Teachers' Perceptions of Their Preparedness to Implement the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams-Budde, Melissa; Miller, Samuel

2015-01-01

The purpose of our study was to examine elementary literacy teachers' perceptions of their preparedness to implement the ELA CCSS [English Language Arts Common Core State Standards]. We defined preparedness across three dimensions: teachers' perceived levels of knowledge of the standards and its components; efficacy to implement changes; and…

Neural Correlates of Arithmetic and Language Comprehension: A Common Substrate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldo, Juliana V.; Dronkers, Nina F.

2007-01-01

There is debate as to the relationship between mathematical ability and language. Some research has suggested that common processes underlie arithmetic and grammar while other research has suggested that these are distinct processes. The current study aimed to address this issue in a large group of 68 left hemisphere stroke patients who were all…

From the Classroom: Implementing the Common Core in English Language Arts and in Mathematics: Practitioners' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanTassel-Baska, Joyce; Johnsen, Susan K.

2016-01-01

At the 61st National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, two practitioner panels responded to questions about implementing the Common Core in English language arts (ELA) and in mathematics. After listening to their responses, the authors felt that the "Gifted Child Today" readers would enjoy…

Literacy and FLES. Connecting to the Common Core Learning Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martino, Al; Barnett, Harriet

2013-01-01

At present, Whole Language (WL) teachers DO teach reading as a part of their curriculum. However, the new common core learning standards set the stage for Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES) teachers to take a more active role, if not lead the way in developing important reading skills in children. Although this new challenge may at…

International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology (ICRA) recommendations for the construction of multilingual speech tests. ICRA Working Group on Multilingual Speech Tests.

PubMed

Akeroyd, Michael A; Arlinger, Stig; Bentler, Ruth A; Boothroyd, Arthur; Dillier, Norbert; Dreschler, Wouter A; Gagné, Jean-Pierre; Lutman, Mark; Wouters, Jan; Wong, Lena; Kollmeier, Birger

2015-01-01

To provide guidelines for the development of two types of closed-set speech-perception tests that can be applied and interpreted in the same way across languages. The guidelines cover the digit triplet and the matrix sentence tests that are most commonly used to test speech recognition in noise. They were developed by a working group on Multilingual Speech Tests of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology (ICRA). The recommendations are based on reviews of existing evaluations of the digit triplet and matrix tests as well as on the research experience of members of the ICRA Working Group. They represent the results of a consensus process. The resulting recommendations deal with: Test design and word selection; Talker characteristics; Audio recording and stimulus preparation; Masking noise; Test administration; and Test validation. By following these guidelines for the development of any new test of this kind, clinicians and researchers working in any language will be able to perform tests whose results can be compared and combined in cross-language studies.

A brief description and comparison of programming languages FORTRAN, ALGOL, COBOL, PL/1, and LISP 1.5 from a critical standpoint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mathur, F. P.

1972-01-01

Several common higher level program languages are described. FORTRAN, ALGOL, COBOL, PL/1, and LISP 1.5 are summarized and compared. FORTRAN is the most widely used scientific programming language. ALGOL is a more powerful language for scientific programming. COBOL is used for most commercial programming applications. LISP 1.5 is primarily a list-processing language. PL/1 attempts to combine the desirable features of FORTRAN, ALGOL, and COBOL into a single language.

Language Is Everywhere! Universally Designed Strategies to Nurture Oral and Written Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, Susan D.

2008-01-01

In this article, the author describes how early childhood professionals can create positive environments that foster the growth of both oral and written language and how the concept of universal design can inform these practices. These activities are designed with a focus on children 3 to 5 years old. The author first looks at oral language…

A Converter from the Systems Biology Markup Language to the Synthetic Biology Open Language.

PubMed

Nguyen, Tramy; Roehner, Nicholas; Zundel, Zach; Myers, Chris J

2016-06-17

Standards are important to synthetic biology because they enable exchange and reproducibility of genetic designs. This paper describes a procedure for converting between two standards: the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) and the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL). SBML is a standard for behavioral models of biological systems at the molecular level. SBOL describes structural and basic qualitative behavioral aspects of a biological design. Converting SBML to SBOL enables a consistent connection between behavioral and structural information for a biological design. The conversion process described in this paper leverages Systems Biology Ontology (SBO) annotations to enable inference of a designs qualitative function.

The modern era of research on language evolution: Moving forward. Comment on "Towards a computational comparative neuroprimatology: Framing the language-ready brain" by Michael A. Arbib

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stout, Dietrich

2016-03-01

Twenty-five years ago, Pinker and Bloom [1] helped reinvigorate research on language evolution by arguing that language ;shows signs of complex design for the communication of propositional structures, and the only explanation for the origin of organs with complex design is the process of natural selection.; Since then, empirical research has tested the assertions of (cross-cultural) universality, (cross-species) uniqueness, and (cross-domain) specificity underpinning this argument from design. Appearances aside, points of consensus have emerged. The existence of a core computational and neural substrate unique to language and/or humans is still debated, but it is widely agreed that: 1) human language performance overlaps with behaviors in other domains and species, and 2) such general, pre-existing capacities provided the context for language-specific evolution (e.g. [2]).

Medical Systems Engineering to Support Mars Mission Crew Autonomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antonsen, Erik; Mindock, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Human spaceflight missions to Mars face exceptionally challenging resource limitations that far exceed those faced before. Increasing transit times, decreasing opportunity for resupply, communications challenges, and extended time to evacuate a crew to definitive medical care dictate a level of crew autonomy in medical care that is beyond the current medical model. To approach this challenge, a medical systems engineering approach is proposed that relies on a clearly articulated Concept of Operations and risk analysis tools that are in development at NASA. This paper proposes an operational clinical model with key terminology and concepts translated to a controls theory paradigm to frame a common language between clinical and engineering teams. This common language will be used for design and validation of an exploration medical system that is fully integrated into a Mars transit vehicle. This approach merges medical simulation, human factors evaluation techniques, and human-in-the-loop testing in ground based analogs to tie medical hardware and software subsystem performance and overall medical system functionality to metrics of operational medical autonomy. Merging increases in operational clinical autonomy with a more restricted vehicle system resource scenario in interplanetary spaceflight will require an unprecedented level of medical and engineering integration. Full integration of medical capabilities into a Mars vehicle system may require a new approach to integrating medical system design and operations into the vehicle Program structure. Prior to the standing-up of a Mars Mission Program, proof of concept is proposed through the Human Research Program.

Genotype Specification Language.

PubMed

Wilson, Erin H; Sagawa, Shiori; Weis, James W; Schubert, Max G; Bissell, Michael; Hawthorne, Brian; Reeves, Christopher D; Dean, Jed; Platt, Darren

2016-06-17

We describe here the Genotype Specification Language (GSL), a language that facilitates the rapid design of large and complex DNA constructs used to engineer genomes. The GSL compiler implements a high-level language based on traditional genetic notation, as well as a set of low-level DNA manipulation primitives. The language allows facile incorporation of parts from a library of cloned DNA constructs and from the "natural" library of parts in fully sequenced and annotated genomes. GSL was designed to engage genetic engineers in their native language while providing a framework for higher level abstract tooling. To this end we define four language levels, Level 0 (literal DNA sequence) through Level 3, with increasing abstraction of part selection and construction paths. GSL targets an intermediate language based on DNA slices that translates efficiently into a wide range of final output formats, such as FASTA and GenBank, and includes formats that specify instructions and materials such as oligonucleotide primers to allow the physical construction of the GSL designs by individual strain engineers or an automated DNA assembly core facility.

Our On-Its-Head-and-In-Your-Dreams Approach Leads to Clean Energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazmerski, Lawrence; Gwinner, Don; Hicks, Al

Representing the Center for Inverse Design (CID), this document is one of the entries in the Ten Hundred and One Word Challenge. As part of the challenge, the 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers were invited to represent their science in images, cartoons, photos, words and original paintings, but any descriptions or words could only use the 1000 most commonly used words in the English language, with the addition of one word important to each of the EFRCs and the mission of DOE: energy. The mission of the CID is to revolutionize the discovery of new materials by design with tailoredmore » properties through the development and application of a novel inverse design approach powered by theory guiding experiment with an initial focus on solar energy conversion.« less

DDL:Digital systems design language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shival, S. G.

1980-01-01

Hardware description languages are valuable tools in such applications as hardware design, system documentation, and logic design training. DDL is convenient medium for inputting design details into hardware-design automation system. It is suitable for describing digital systems at gate, register transfer, and major combinational block level.

Automatic Synthesis of UML Designs from Requirements in an Iterative Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schumann, Johann; Whittle, Jon; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is gaining wide popularity for the design of object-oriented systems. UML combines various object-oriented graphical design notations under one common framework. A major factor for the broad acceptance of UML is that it can be conveniently used in a highly iterative, Use Case (or scenario-based) process (although the process is not a part of UML). Here, the (pre-) requirements for the software are specified rather informally as Use Cases and a set of scenarios. A scenario can be seen as an individual trace of a software artifact. Besides first sketches of a class diagram to illustrate the static system breakdown, scenarios are a favorite way of communication with the customer, because scenarios describe concrete interactions between entities and are thus easy to understand. Scenarios with a high level of detail are often expressed as sequence diagrams. Later in the design and implementation stage (elaboration and implementation phases), a design of the system's behavior is often developed as a set of statecharts. From there (and the full-fledged class diagram), actual code development is started. Current commercial UML tools support this phase by providing code generators for class diagrams and statecharts. In practice, it can be observed that the transition from requirements to design to code is a highly iterative process. In this talk, a set of algorithms is presented which perform reasonable synthesis and transformations between different UML notations (sequence diagrams, Object Constraint Language (OCL) constraints, statecharts). More specifically, we will discuss the following transformations: Statechart synthesis, introduction of hierarchy, consistency of modifications, and "design-debugging".

Evidence-Based and Value-Based Decision Making About Healthcare Design: An Economic Evaluation of the Safety and Quality Outcomes.

PubMed

Zadeh, Rana; Sadatsafavi, Hessam; Xue, Ryan

2015-01-01

This study describes a vision and framework that can facilitate the implementation of evidence-based design (EBD), scientific knowledge base into the process of the design, construction, and operation of healthcare facilities and clarify the related safety and quality outcomes for the stakeholders. The proposed framework pairs EBD with value-driven decision making and aims to improve communication among stakeholders by providing a common analytical language. Recent EBD research indicates that the design and operation of healthcare facilities contribute to an organization's operational success by improving safety, quality, and efficiency. However, because little information is available about the financial returns of evidence-based investments, such investments are readily eliminated during the capital-investment decision-making process. To model the proposed framework, we used engineering economy tools to evaluate the return on investments in six successful cases, identified by a literature review, in which facility design and operation interventions resulted in reductions in hospital-acquired infections, patient falls, staff injuries, and patient anxiety. In the evidence-based cases, calculated net present values, internal rates of return, and payback periods indicated that the long-term benefits of interventions substantially outweighed the intervention costs. This article explained a framework to develop a research-based and value-based communication language on specific interventions along the planning, design and construction, operation, and evaluation stages. Evidence-based and value-based design frameworks can be applied to communicate the life-cycle costs and savings of EBD interventions to stakeholders, thereby contributing to more informed decision makings and the optimization of healthcare infrastructures. © The Author(s) 2015.

Designing Specification Languages for Process Control Systems: Lessons Learned and Steps to the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leveson, Nancy G.; Heimdahl, Mats P. E.; Reese, Jon Damon

1999-01-01

Previously, we defined a blackbox formal system modeling language called RSML (Requirements State Machine Language). The language was developed over several years while specifying the system requirements for a collision avoidance system for commercial passenger aircraft. During the language development, we received continual feedback and evaluation by FAA employees and industry representatives, which helped us to produce a specification language that is easily learned and used by application experts. Since the completion of the PSML project, we have continued our research on specification languages. This research is part of a larger effort to investigate the more general problem of providing tools to assist in developing embedded systems. Our latest experimental toolset is called SpecTRM (Specification Tools and Requirements Methodology), and the formal specification language is SpecTRM-RL (SpecTRM Requirements Language). This paper describes what we have learned from our use of RSML and how those lessons were applied to the design of SpecTRM-RL. We discuss our goals for SpecTRM-RL and the design features that support each of these goals.

The Language of Engagement: "Aha!" Moments from Engaging Patients and Community Partners in Two Pilot Projects of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

PubMed

Tai-Seale, Ming; Sullivan, Greer; Cheney, Ann; Thomas, Kathleen; Frosch, Dominick

2016-01-01

Compared with people living in the community, researchers often have different frameworks or paradigms for thinking about health and wellness. These differing frameworks are often accompanied by differences in terminology or language. The purpose of this commentary is to describe some of our "Aha!" moments from conducting two pilot studies funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Over time, we came to understand how our language and word choices may have been acting as a wedge between ourselves and our community research partners. We learned that fruitful collaborative work must attend to the creation of a common language, which we refer to as the language of engagement. Such patient-centered language can effectively build a bridge between researchers and community partners. We encourage other researchers to think critically about their cultural competency, to be mindful of the social power dynamics between patient and physician, to reflect on how their understanding might differ from those of their patient partners, and to find ways to use a common language that engages patients and other community partners.

Language Choice among Peers in Project-Based Learning: A Hong Kong Case Study of English Language Learners' Plurilingual Practices in Out-of-Class Computer-Mediated Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hafner, Christoph A.; Li, David C. S.; Miller, Lindsay

2015-01-01

Recently there has been considerable interest in the role of first language use in second/foreign language learning, especially where students share a common first language. However, most research has focused on in-class interaction between teachers and learners. Much less attention has been given to students' out-of-class practices, for example,…

Eskimo Word Order Variation and Its Contact-Induced Perturbation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fortescue, Michael

1993-01-01

Although Eskimo languages are commonly characterized as displaying rather "free" word order compared to major western European languages, West Greenlandic (WG) has a clearly dominant, pragmatically neutral ordering pattern. It is argued that WG behaves more like Slavic languages. (Contains 36 references.) (LB)

Neural organization of linguistic short-term memory is sensory modality-dependent: evidence from signed and spoken language.

PubMed

Pa, Judy; Wilson, Stephen M; Pickell, Herbert; Bellugi, Ursula; Hickok, Gregory

2008-12-01

Despite decades of research, there is still disagreement regarding the nature of the information that is maintained in linguistic short-term memory (STM). Some authors argue for abstract phonological codes, whereas others argue for more general sensory traces. We assess these possibilities by investigating linguistic STM in two distinct sensory-motor modalities, spoken and signed language. Hearing bilingual participants (native in English and American Sign Language) performed equivalent STM tasks in both languages during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Distinct, sensory-specific activations were seen during the maintenance phase of the task for spoken versus signed language. These regions have been previously shown to respond to nonlinguistic sensory stimulation, suggesting that linguistic STM tasks recruit sensory-specific networks. However, maintenance-phase activations common to the two languages were also observed, implying some form of common process. We conclude that linguistic STM involves sensory-dependent neural networks, but suggest that sensory-independent neural networks may also exist.

Computer Language For Optimization Of Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scotti, Stephen J.; Lucas, Stephen H.

1991-01-01

SOL is computer language geared to solution of design problems. Includes mathematical modeling and logical capabilities of computer language like FORTRAN; also includes additional power of nonlinear mathematical programming methods at language level. SOL compiler takes SOL-language statements and generates equivalent FORTRAN code and system calls. Provides syntactic and semantic checking for recovery from errors and provides detailed reports containing cross-references to show where each variable used. Implemented on VAX/VMS computer systems. Requires VAX FORTRAN compiler to produce executable program.

Internationalization of Higher Education and Language Policy: The Case of a Bilingual University in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Ken; Lin, Chia-Yen

2017-01-01

Universities worldwide, in placing a greater emphasis on global mobility, have recently seen a growing number of in- and outbound students. Parallel to this development has been the need to internationalize individual campuses, an important aspect of which is to have a common language (or languages) used for communication. The language policies in…

The Morphosyntactic Structure of the Noun and Verb Phrases in Dholuo/Kiswahili Code Switching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojanga, Jael Anyango; Chai, Furaha; Mutiti, James

2015-01-01

Code switching, the use of any two or more languages or dialects interchangeably in a single communication context, is a common linguistic practice owing to the trend of multilingualism in the world today. In many situations of language in contact, constituents of one language can be found within the constituents of another language in a number of…

Language Use in Six Study Abroad Programs: An Exploratory Analysis of Possible Predictors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dewey, Dan P.; Bown, Jennifer; Baker, Wendy; Martinsen, Rob A.; Gold, Carrie; Eggett, Dennis

2014-01-01

A common predictor of language gains during study abroad (SA) is amount of language use. Yet little attention has been given to determining what factors influence the extent of language use while abroad. Studies in this area have mainly been case studies of learners in single locations. In this larger study, we seek to determine variables…

Movie Got Your Tongue? Effects of Language Switching on Film Reception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aparicio, Xavier; Bairstow, Dominique

2016-01-01

Cinema is in part a reflection of our society and, in these times of cultural mix, it is more and more common to find different language communities appearing on-screen together. Thus, it is not unusual to have to process (voluntarily or not) more than one language throughout the day. From a cognitive point of view, language switching is widely…

Using the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" to Teach Sign Language to Parents of Deaf Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snoddon, Kristin

2015-01-01

No formal Canadian curriculum presently exists for teaching American Sign Language (ASL) as a second language to parents of deaf and hard of hearing children. However, this group of ASL learners is in need of more comprehensive, research-based support, given the rapid expansion in Canada of universal neonatal hearing screening and the…

A Developmental Shift from Similar to Language-Specific Strategies in Verb Acquisition: A Comparison of English, Spanish, and Japanese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maguire, Mandy J.; Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy; Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick; Imai, Mutsumi; Haryu, Etsuko; Vanegas, Sandra; Okada, Hiroyuki; Pulverman, Rachel; Sanchez-Davis, Brenda

2010-01-01

The world's languages draw on a common set of event components for their verb systems. Yet, these components are differentially distributed across languages. At what age do children begin to use language-specific patterns to narrow possible verb meanings? English-, Japanese-, and Spanish-speaking adults, toddlers, and preschoolers were shown…

Quels outils pour l'analyse linguistique ou les prealables d'un enseignement de la grammaire? (What Tools for Linguistic Analysis or Preliminaries for Grammar Instruction?)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darot, Mireille

1983-01-01

The usefulness of classifications within and comparisons among languages as a means of discovering the commonalities of human language is discussed. Metalinguistics offers not only the potential for analyzing the specifics of each language, but also the tools for teaching across languages. (MSE)

Balancing Effort and Information Transmission during Language Acquisition: Evidence from Word Order and Case Marking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fedzechkina, Maryia; Newport, Elissa L.; Jaeger, T. Florian

2017-01-01

Across languages of the world, some grammatical patterns have been argued to be more common than expected by chance. These are sometimes referred to as (statistical) "language universals." One such universal is the correlation between constituent order freedom and the presence of a case system in a language. Here, we explore whether this…

A comparison of common programming languages used in bioinformatics.

PubMed

Fourment, Mathieu; Gillings, Michael R

2008-02-05

The performance of different programming languages has previously been benchmarked using abstract mathematical algorithms, but not using standard bioinformatics algorithms. We compared the memory usage and speed of execution for three standard bioinformatics methods, implemented in programs using one of six different programming languages. Programs for the Sellers algorithm, the Neighbor-Joining tree construction algorithm and an algorithm for parsing BLAST file outputs were implemented in C, C++, C#, Java, Perl and Python. Implementations in C and C++ were fastest and used the least memory. Programs in these languages generally contained more lines of code. Java and C# appeared to be a compromise between the flexibility of Perl and Python and the fast performance of C and C++. The relative performance of the tested languages did not change from Windows to Linux and no clear evidence of a faster operating system was found. Source code and additional information are available from http://www.bioinformatics.org/benchmark/. This benchmark provides a comparison of six commonly used programming languages under two different operating systems. The overall comparison shows that a developer should choose an appropriate language carefully, taking into account the performance expected and the library availability for each language.

A comparison of common programming languages used in bioinformatics

PubMed Central

Fourment, Mathieu; Gillings, Michael R

2008-01-01

Background The performance of different programming languages has previously been benchmarked using abstract mathematical algorithms, but not using standard bioinformatics algorithms. We compared the memory usage and speed of execution for three standard bioinformatics methods, implemented in programs using one of six different programming languages. Programs for the Sellers algorithm, the Neighbor-Joining tree construction algorithm and an algorithm for parsing BLAST file outputs were implemented in C, C++, C#, Java, Perl and Python. Results Implementations in C and C++ were fastest and used the least memory. Programs in these languages generally contained more lines of code. Java and C# appeared to be a compromise between the flexibility of Perl and Python and the fast performance of C and C++. The relative performance of the tested languages did not change from Windows to Linux and no clear evidence of a faster operating system was found. Source code and additional information are available from Conclusion This benchmark provides a comparison of six commonly used programming languages under two different operating systems. The overall comparison shows that a developer should choose an appropriate language carefully, taking into account the performance expected and the library availability for each language. PMID:18251993

Some cross-linguistic evidence for modulation of implicational universals by language-specific frequency effects in phonological development

PubMed Central

Edwards, Jan; Beckman, Mary E.

2009-01-01

While broad-focus comparisons of consonant inventories across children acquiring different language can suggest that phonological development follows a universal sequence, finer-grained statistical comparisons can reveal systematic differences. This cross-linguistic study of word-initial lingual obstruents examined some effects of language-specific frequencies on consonant mastery. Repetitions of real words were elicited from 2- and 3-year-old children who were monolingual speakers of English, Cantonese, Greek, or Japanese. The repetitions were recorded and transcribed by an adult native speaker for each language. Results found support for both language-universal effects in phonological acquisition and for language-specific influences related to phoneme and phoneme sequence frequency. These results suggest that acquisition patterns that are common across languages arise in two ways. One influence is direct, via the universal constraints imposed by the physiology and physics of speech production and perception, and how these predict which contrasts will be easy and which will be difficult for the child to learn to control. The other influence is indirect, via the way universal principles of ease of perception and production tend to influence the lexicons of many languages through commonly attested sound changes. PMID:19890438

Modeling and Analysis of Mixed Synchronous/Asynchronous Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driscoll, Kevin R.; Madl. Gabor; Hall, Brendan

2012-01-01

Practical safety-critical distributed systems must integrate safety critical and non-critical data in a common platform. Safety critical systems almost always consist of isochronous components that have synchronous or asynchronous interface with other components. Many of these systems also support a mix of synchronous and asynchronous interfaces. This report presents a study on the modeling and analysis of asynchronous, synchronous, and mixed synchronous/asynchronous systems. We build on the SAE Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL) to capture architectures for analysis. We present preliminary work targeted to capture mixed low- and high-criticality data, as well as real-time properties in a common Model of Computation (MoC). An abstract, but representative, test specimen system was created as the system to be modeled.

FuGEFlow: data model and markup language for flow cytometry

PubMed Central

Qian, Yu; Tchuvatkina, Olga; Spidlen, Josef; Wilkinson, Peter; Gasparetto, Maura; Jones, Andrew R; Manion, Frank J; Scheuermann, Richard H; Sekaly, Rafick-Pierre; Brinkman, Ryan R

2009-01-01

Background Flow cytometry technology is widely used in both health care and research. The rapid expansion of flow cytometry applications has outpaced the development of data storage and analysis tools. Collaborative efforts being taken to eliminate this gap include building common vocabularies and ontologies, designing generic data models, and defining data exchange formats. The Minimum Information about a Flow Cytometry Experiment (MIFlowCyt) standard was recently adopted by the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry. This standard guides researchers on the information that should be included in peer reviewed publications, but it is insufficient for data exchange and integration between computational systems. The Functional Genomics Experiment (FuGE) formalizes common aspects of comprehensive and high throughput experiments across different biological technologies. We have extended FuGE object model to accommodate flow cytometry data and metadata. Methods We used the MagicDraw modelling tool to design a UML model (Flow-OM) according to the FuGE extension guidelines and the AndroMDA toolkit to transform the model to a markup language (Flow-ML). We mapped each MIFlowCyt term to either an existing FuGE class or to a new FuGEFlow class. The development environment was validated by comparing the official FuGE XSD to the schema we generated from the FuGE object model using our configuration. After the Flow-OM model was completed, the final version of the Flow-ML was generated and validated against an example MIFlowCyt compliant experiment description. Results The extension of FuGE for flow cytometry has resulted in a generic FuGE-compliant data model (FuGEFlow), which accommodates and links together all information required by MIFlowCyt. The FuGEFlow model can be used to build software and databases using FuGE software toolkits to facilitate automated exchange and manipulation of potentially large flow cytometry experimental data sets. Additional project documentation, including reusable design patterns and a guide for setting up a development environment, was contributed back to the FuGE project. Conclusion We have shown that an extension of FuGE can be used to transform minimum information requirements in natural language to markup language in XML. Extending FuGE required significant effort, but in our experiences the benefits outweighed the costs. The FuGEFlow is expected to play a central role in describing flow cytometry experiments and ultimately facilitating data exchange including public flow cytometry repositories currently under development. PMID:19531228

Test Review: Wiig, E H., Semel, E., Secord, W. A. (2013) Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fifth Edition (CELF-5). Bloomington, MN: NCS Pearson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coret, Marian C.; McCrimmon, Adam W.

2015-01-01

The "Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fifth Edition" (CELF-5; Wiig, Semel, & Secord, 2013) is a recently updated battery of tests designed to assess, diagnose, and measure changes in language and communication in individuals 5 to 21 years of age. Designed to identify language strengths and weaknesses, determine service…

The Pedagogical, Linguistic, and Content Features of Popular English Language Learning Websites in China: A Framework for Analysis and Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kettle, Margaret; Yuan, Yifeng; Luke, Allan; Ewing, Robyn; Shen, Huizhong

2012-01-01

As increasing numbers of Chinese language learners choose to learn English online, there is a need to investigate popular websites and their language learning designs. This paper reports on the first stage of a study that analyzed the pedagogical, linguistic, and content features of 25 Chinese English Language Learning (ELL) websites ranked…

Usability Issues in the Design of Novice Programming Systems,

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-08-01

lists this as a design principle for novice programming environments. In traditional compiled languages, beginners are also confused by the need to...programming task external knowledge that might interfere with correct under- standing of the language. Most beginner programming errors can be...language for text editing, but [Curtis 1988] found that a textual pseudocode and graphical flowcharts were both bet- ter than natural language in program

The Sizing and Optimization Language, (SOL): Computer language for design problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucas, Stephen H.; Scotti, Stephen J.

1988-01-01

The Sizing and Optimization Language, (SOL), a new high level, special purpose computer language was developed to expedite application of numerical optimization to design problems and to make the process less error prone. SOL utilizes the ADS optimization software and provides a clear, concise syntax for describing an optimization problem, the OPTIMIZE description, which closely parallels the mathematical description of the problem. SOL offers language statements which can be used to model a design mathematically, with subroutines or code logic, and with existing FORTRAN routines. In addition, SOL provides error checking and clear output of the optimization results. Because of these language features, SOL is best suited to model and optimize a design concept when the model consits of mathematical expressions written in SOL. For such cases, SOL's unique syntax and error checking can be fully utilized. SOL is presently available for DEC VAX/VMS systems. A SOL package is available which includes the SOL compiler, runtime library routines, and a SOL reference manual.

An evaluation of Ada for Al applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, David R.

1986-01-01

Expert system technology seems to be the most promising type of Artificial Intelligence (AI) application for Ada. An expert system implemented with an expert system shell provides a highly structured approach that fits well with the structured approach found in Ada systems. The current commercial expert system shells use Lisp. In this highly structured situation a shell could be built that used Ada just as well. On the other hand, if it is necessary to deal with some AI problems that are not suited to expert systems, the use of Ada becomes more problematical. Ada was not designed as an AI development language, and is not suited to that. It is possible that an application developed in say, Common Lisp could be translated to Ada for actual use in a particular application, but this could be difficult. Some standard Ada packages could be developed to make such a translation easier. If the most general AI programs need to be dealt with, a Common Lisp system integrated with the Ada Environment is probably necessary. Aside from problems with language features, Ada, by itself, is not well suited to the prototyping and incremental development that is well supported by Lisp.

Parenting and Later Substance Use Among Mexican-Origin Youth: Moderation by Preference for a Common Language

PubMed Central

Schofield, Thomas J.; Toro, Rosa I.; Parke, Ross D.; Cookston, Jeffrey T.; Fabricius, William V.; Coltrane, Scott

2016-01-01

The primary goal of the current study was to test whether parent and adolescent preference for a common language moderates the association between parenting and rank-order change over time in offspring substance use. A sample of Mexican-origin seventh-grade adolescents (mean age = 12.5, N = 194, 52% female) was measured longitudinally on use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. Mother, father, and adolescent all reported on consistent discipline and monitoring of the adolescent. Consistent discipline and monitoring both predicted relative decreases in substance use into early adulthood, but only among parent-offspring dyads who expressed preference for the same language (either English or Spanish). This moderation held after controlling for parent substance use, family structure, having completed schooling in Mexico, years lived in the U.S., family income, and cultural values. An unintended consequence of the immigration process may be the loss of parenting effectiveness that is normally present when parents and adolescents prefer to communicate in a common language. PMID:28080082

Automated Engineering Design (AED); An approach to automated documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcclure, C. W.

1970-01-01

The automated engineering design (AED) is reviewed, consisting of a high level systems programming language, a series of modular precoded subroutines, and a set of powerful software machine tools that effectively automate the production and design of new languages. AED is used primarily for development of problem and user-oriented languages. Software production phases are diagramed, and factors which inhibit effective documentation are evaluated.

Language Placement and Beyond: Guidelines for the Design and Implementation of a Computerized Spanish Heritage Language Exam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaudrie, Sara M.; Ducar, Cynthia

2012-01-01

This paper outlines the design, implementation, and analysis of a computerized Spanish heritage language (SHL) placement exam. The exam created by the authors exemplifies how to design a simple yet effective placement exam with limited resources. It is suggested that an SHL placement exam should be developed in-house due not only to the diversity…

What can the programming language Rust do for astrophysics?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco-Cuaresma, Sergi; Bolmont, Emeline

2017-06-01

The astrophysics community uses different tools for computational tasks such as complex systems simulations, radiative transfer calculations or big data. Programming languages like Fortran, C or C++ are commonly present in these tools and, generally, the language choice was made based on the need for performance. However, this comes at a cost: safety. For instance, a common source of error is the access to invalid memory regions, which produces random execution behaviors and affects the scientific interpretation of the results. In 2015, Mozilla Research released the first stable version of a new programming language named Rust. Many features make this new language attractive for the scientific community, it is open source and it guarantees memory safety while offering zero-cost abstraction. We explore the advantages and drawbacks of Rust for astrophysics by re-implementing the fundamental parts of Mercury-T, a Fortran code that simulates the dynamical and tidal evolution of multi-planet systems.

A Sociocognitive Perspective on Assessing EL Students in the Age of Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mislevy, Robert J.; Durán, Richard P.

2014-01-01

Subject-area standards such as Common Core State Standards for Language Arts and Mathematics and Next Generation Science Standards offer deeper, richer views of subject-area proficiency. In science, they underscore doing things with facts and concepts, such as explaining, planning, and investigating--activities that are intertwined with language,…

Professional Development for Promoting 21st Century Skills and Common Core State Standards in Foreign Language and Social Studies Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beriswill, Joanne Elizabeth; Bracey, Pamela Scott; Sherman-Morris, Kathleen; Huang, Kun; Lee, Sang Joon

2016-01-01

To help satisfy the pressing need for technology-related professional development for in-service teachers, the Global Academic Essentials Teacher Institute (GAETI) was implemented to provide in-service foreign language and social studies teachers with content, pedagogy, and technology explorations centered on the teaching of the Common Core State…

Teachers' Perceptions of the Implementation of the Literacy Common Core State Standards for English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Audrey Figueroa; Haller, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

This qualitative study explored the experiences of U.S. teachers of English language learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities (SWDs) as they sought to align the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with previously used standards and instructional approaches during the first year of CCSS implementation. Open-ended interviews were conducted…

Moving beyond Compliance: Promoting Research-Based Professional Discretion in the Implementation of the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodard, Rebecca; Kline, Sonia

2015-01-01

State- and local-level mandates are currently being implemented to ensure strict compliance to the new national Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS for ELA) and related assessments. These standards provide many potential opportunities to improve literacy education nationally and locally. However, the CCSS for ELA will…

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010

2010-01-01

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects ("the Standards") are the culmination of an extended, broad-based effort to fulfill the charge issued by the states to create the next generation of K-12 standards in order to help ensure that all students…

Common Core Standards for High School English Language Arts: A Quick-Start Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kendall, John; Frazee, Dana; Ryan, Susan

2012-01-01

High school teachers and leaders with responsibility for English language arts (ELA) need this handy guide to successfully implement the Common Core in their respective grade levels. Getting a copy for every staff member ensures they know: (1) How grades 11-12 ELA content differs from and builds upon 9-10 standards; (2) How the four strands…

"Who Soy Yo?": The Creative Use of "Spanglish" to Express a Hybrid Identity in Chicana/o Heritage Language Learners of Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez-Munoz, Ana

2013-01-01

This study explores various linguistic strategies that characterize what is commonly referred to as "Spanglish"; namely, code-switching, code-mixing, borrowings and other language contact phenomena commonly employed by Chicana/o bilinguals. The analysis of linguistic features is based on creative pieces of writing produced by Chicana/o…

Body Language in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Patrick W.

2005-01-01

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Mae West would seem to have little in common, but there is one thing they both understood--the importance of body language. Educators, psychologists, anthropologists and sociologists define body language or nonverbal communication as communication without words. It includes overt behaviors such as facial expressions, eye…

Syllabic Patterns in the Early Vocalizations of Quichua Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gildersleeve-Neumann, Christina E.; Davis, Barbara L.; Macneilage, Peter F.

2013-01-01

To understand the interactions between production patterns common to children regardless of language environment and the early appearance of production effects based on perceptual learning from the ambient language requires the study of languages with diverse phonological properties. Few studies have evaluated early phonological acquisition…

Evaluation of Verbal Behavior in Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Amy C.; Fuqua, Wayne; Merritt, Todd A.

2013-01-01

Approximately 5% of older adults have a dementia diagnosis, and language deterioration is commonly associated with this disorder (Kempler, 2005). Several instruments have been developed to diagnose dementia and assess language capabilities of elderly adults. However, none of these instruments take a functional approach to language assessment as…

New Dimensions in Second Language Acquisition Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersen, Roger W., Ed.

The following papers are included: (1) "Some Common Goals for Second and First Language Acquisition Research" by Kenji Hakuta; (2) "Research on the Measurement of Affective Variables: Some Remaining Questions" by John W. Oller, Jr.; (3) "The Effects of Neurological Age on Nonprimary Language Acquisition" by Thomas…

A "Language Lab" for Architectural Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackenzie, Arch; And Others

This paper discusses a "language lab" strategy in which traditional studio learning may be supplemented by language lessons using computer graphics techniques to teach architectural grammar, a body of elements and principles that govern the design of buildings belonging to a particular architectural theory or style. Two methods of…

Why Are There Different Languages? The Role of Adaptation in Linguistic Diversity.

PubMed

Lupyan, Gary; Dale, Rick

2016-09-01

Why are there different languages? A common explanation is that different languages arise from the gradual accumulation of random changes. Here, we argue that, beyond these random factors, linguistic differences, from sounds to grammars, may also reflect adaptations to different environments in which the languages are learned and used. The aspects of the environment that could shape language include the social, the physical, and the technological. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modular hardware synthesis using an HDL. [Hardware Description Language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Covington, J. A.; Shiva, S. G.

1981-01-01

Although hardware description languages (HDL) are becoming more and more necessary to automated design systems, their application is complicated due to the difficulty in translating the HDL description into an implementable format, nonfamiliarity of hardware designers with high-level language programming, nonuniform design methodologies and the time and costs involved in transfering HDL design software. Digital design language (DDL) suffers from all of the above problems and in addition can only by synthesized on a complete system and not on its subparts, making it unsuitable for synthesis using standard modules or prefabricated chips such as those required in LSI or VLSI circuits. The present paper presents a method by which the DDL translator can be made to generate modular equations that will allow the system to be synthesized as an interconnection of lower-level modules. The method involves the introduction of a new language construct called a Module which provides for the separate translation of all equations bounded by it.

Learning to Swim in New Waters: A Meta-Narrative about the Design and Implementation of a Virtual Learning Environment for Language Learning and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKinnon, Teresa

2015-01-01

In the past 5 years, the Language Centre at the University of Warwick has designed and implemented a blended learning environment in order to meet two important challenges to our Institution-Wide Language Programme (IWLP) language teaching mission. These were to connect teachers and learners together online in order to better support progress…

Surveys 2. Eight State-of-the-Art Articles on Key Areas in Language Teaching. Cambridge Language Teaching Surveys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinsella, Valerie, Ed.

The articles in this volume are an overview of work in a number of subjects and disciplines which contribute to the field of applied linguistics and language teaching. Specifically, they treat universal properties common to all languages, the historical developments and central issues in speech act theory, speech research on the various stages of…

The Potential of Transnational Language Policy to Promote Social Inclusion of Immigrants: An Analysis and Evaluation of the European Union's INCLUDE Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bian, Cui

2017-01-01

Language issues and social inclusion consistently remain two major concerns for member countries of the European Union (EU). Despite an increasing awareness of the importance of language learning in migrants' social inclusion, and the promotion of language policies at European and national levels, there is still a lack of common actions at the…

Pyomo v5.0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woodruff, David; Hackebeil, Gabe; Laird, Carl Damon

Pyomo supports the formulation and analysis of mathematical models for complex optimization applications. This capability is commonly associated with algebraic modeling languages (AMLs), which support the description and analysis of mathematical models with a high-level language. Although most AMLs are implemented in custom modeling languages, Pyomo's modeling objects are embedded within Python, a full- featured high-level programming language that contains a rich set of supporting libraries.

Exploring the Effect of Teaching Test-Taking Strategies on Intermediate Level Learners on Reading Section of IELTS; Learners' Attitude in Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoshsima, Hooshang; Saed, Amin; Mousaei, Fatemeh

2018-01-01

Language proficiency tests have become common instruments to judge people based on their performance. Thus, the scores on language proficiency tests, such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), play a crucial role in the test-takers' lives. Because of increasing demands on…

Coding Without Your Crystal Ball: Unanticipated Object-Oriented Reuse

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

Abstract In many ways, existing languages place unrealistic expectations on library and framework designers, allowing some varieties of client reuse only...if it is explicitly— sometimes manually—supported. Instead, we should aim for the ideal: a language design that reduces the amount of prognostication...that is required on the part of the original designers. In particular, I show that languages can and should support a combination of structural and

Praxis language reference manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walker, J.H.

1981-01-01

This document is a language reference manual for the programming language Praxis. The document contains the specifications that must be met by any compiler for the language. The Praxis language was designed for systems programming in real-time process applications. Goals for the language and its implementations are: (1) highly efficient code generated by the compiler; (2) program portability; (3) completeness, that is, all programming requirements can be met by the language without needing an assembler; and (4) separate compilation to aid in design and management of large systems. The language does not provide any facilities for input/output, stack and queuemore » handling, string operations, parallel processing, or coroutine processing. These features can be implemented as routines in the language, using machine-dependent code to take advantage of facilities in the control environment on different machines.« less

Foreign Language/Area Studies Enhancement Project. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felker, William; Fuller, Clark

The Foreign Language/Area Studies Enhancement Program at Central State University (Ohio) is an experience-centered work and study program in Africa designed to give students training in language, culture, and technology. It parallels and supports the university's northern Senegal water management project designed to promote self-sufficiency among…

Using Contests to Connect: A View from the Collegiate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belgum, Kirsten

2017-01-01

This article investigates how language contests can serve as an effective element of articulation in language education. Educators and researchers have reflected on how to facilitate the progress of language learners from high school to college through shared learning outcomes across institutional divides and by developing common guidelines for…

Managing Learning: Authority and Language Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamara, Tim

2011-01-01

A feature of language assessment internationally is its role in the enforcement of language policies established by governments and other educational and cultural agencies. This trend has led to the near-universal adoption of curriculum and assessment frameworks, the clearest example of which is the Common European Framework of Reference for…

Baby Talk Home Visits: Development and Initial Evaluations of a Primary Prevention Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Clare; Gibbard, Deborah

2011-01-01

Language delay is a common developmental difficulty. Research indicates that it is influenced by environmental factors, particularly social deprivation, but that a parent's interaction protects children's language development against these factors. It is hypothesized that by supporting parents' interaction, language development may be facilitated.…

Input or Intimacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navracsics, Judit

2014-01-01

According to the critical period hypothesis, the earlier the acquisition of a second language starts, the better. Owing to the plasticity of the brain, up until a certain age a second language can be acquired successfully according to this view. Early second language learners are commonly said to have an advantage over later ones especially in…

Language Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lempinen, Maire; And Others

A study of 21 patients with Alzheimer's Disease and 25 with vascular dementia, the two most common forms of dementia, investigated language impairments in the dementia syndrome to see if analysis of language disturbances is helpful in differential diagnosis. Diagnostic assessment included a neurological examination, detailed medical history,…

34 CFR 657.2 - Who is eligible to receive an allocation of fellowships?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS...; (2) Teaches modern foreign languages under a program described in paragraph (b) of this section; and... foreign languages are commonly used; or (ii) Conducts training and research in international studies, the...

34 CFR 657.2 - Who is eligible to receive an allocation of fellowships?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS...; (2) Teaches modern foreign languages under a program described in paragraph (b) of this section; and... foreign languages are commonly used; or (ii) Conducts training and research in international studies, the...

Tracking Immanent Language Learning Behavior Over Time in Task-Based Classroom Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunitz, Silvia; Marian, Klara Skogmyr

2017-01-01

In this study, the authors explore how classroom tasks that are commonly used in task-based language teaching (TBLT) are achieved as observable aspects of "local educational order" (Hester & Francis, 2000) through observable and immanently social classroom behaviors. They focus specifically on students' language learning behaviors,…

Narrative Abilities of Children with Epilepsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strekas, Amy; Ratner, Nan Bernstein; Berl, Madison; Gaillard, William D.

2013-01-01

Background: There is a noticeable publication gap in the speech-language pathology literature regarding the language abilities of children with common types of epilepsy. This paper reviews studies that suggest a high frequency of undetected language problems in this population, and it proposes the need for pragmatically based assessment of…

Structured Natural-Language Descriptions for Semantic Content Retrieval of Visual Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, A. M.; Leung, C. H. C.

2001-01-01

Proposes a structure for natural language descriptions of the semantic content of visual materials that requires descriptions to be (modified) keywords, phrases, or simple sentences, with components that are grammatical relations common to many languages. This structure makes it easy to implement a collection's descriptions as a relational…

Competency: The Language of the Behavioral Objectives Movement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Samuel B., Jr.

Several external and internal factors combine to hinder optimal communication in "Competency," the language of behavior modification. As a language, Competency a) is spoken with varying degrees of fluency and facility, b) is difficult to translate into English because the common vocabulary is used descriptively in English while it is…

Bots as Language Learning Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fryer, Luke; Carpenter, Rollo

2006-01-01

Foreign Language Learning (FLL) students commonly have few opportunities to use their target language. Teachers in FLL situations do their best to create opportunities during classes through pair or group work, but a variety of factors ranging from a lack of time to shyness or limited opportunity for quality feedback hamper this. This paper…

L2 Identity, Discourse, and Social Networking in Russian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klimanova, Liudmila; Dembovskaya, Svetlana

2013-01-01

As the integration of Internet-based social networking tools becomes increasingly popular in foreign language classrooms, the use of modern communication technologies is particularly critical in the context of less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), where student exposure to the target language and its speakers is usually minimal. This paper…

Teaching Culture in the EFL/ESL Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tran, Thu Hoang

2010-01-01

This article is intended to discuss prominent issues in teaching culture to second and foreign language students. The concepts of language and culture will be defined, respectively. Next, the characteristics and components of culture will be presented. In addition, commonly used terms in language and culture including enculturation, acculturation,…

The "PTA" of the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ervin, Gerard L.

Three developments in the field of foreign language education seem to have particularly great potential for foreign language teaching and learning in the 1990s: (1) proficiency; (2) technology; and (3) authenticity (PTA). The first of these developments involves the language proficiency movement's debate over the establishment of a common metric…

Collaborative Teaching from English Language Instructors' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tasdemir, Hanife; Yildirim, Tugba

2017-01-01

Collaborative teaching, a significant concept in the field of English language teaching, involves teachers in sharing expertise, decision-making, lesson delivery, and assessment. It is a common practice for instructors in many schools and universities where English is taught as a foreign/second language (EFL/ESL) in intensive programs or…

Non-Word Repetition in Adolescents with Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebbels, Susan H.; Dockrell, Julie E.; van der Lely, Heather K. J.

2012-01-01

Background: Non-word repetition (NWR) difficulties are common, but not universal, among children with specific language impairment (SLI). However, older children and adolescents with SLI have rarely been studied. Studies disagree on the relationship between NWR difficulties and difficulties with other areas of language and literacy. There is also…

Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education, 1996

1996-01-01

Papers on foreign language education include: "The Message Is the Medium: Using Video Materials To Facilitate Foreign Language Performance" (Thomas J. Garza), which explores the use of this medium to enhance commonly-used non-communicative or text-bound teaching materials; "Product and Process Aspects of NES/EFL Students' Persuasive…

Generating Systems Biology Markup Language Models from the Synthetic Biology Open Language.

PubMed

Roehner, Nicholas; Zhang, Zhen; Nguyen, Tramy; Myers, Chris J

2015-08-21

In the context of synthetic biology, model generation is the automated process of constructing biochemical models based on genetic designs. This paper discusses the use cases for model generation in genetic design automation (GDA) software tools and introduces the foundational concepts of standards and model annotation that make this process useful. Finally, this paper presents an implementation of model generation in the GDA software tool iBioSim and provides an example of generating a Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) model from a design of a 4-input AND sensor written in the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL).

Written Narrative Characteristics in Adults with Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suddarth, Rachael; Plante, Elena; Vance, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Purpose: Adults with language-based disabilities are known to have deficits in oral language; however, less is known about their written language skills. Two studies were designed to characterize the writing of adults with language-based disabilities. Method: In Study 1, 60 adults, 30 with language impairment and 30 with typical language,…

Declarative language design for interactive visualization.

PubMed

Heer, Jeffrey; Bostock, Michael

2010-01-01

We investigate the design of declarative, domain-specific languages for constructing interactive visualizations. By separating specification from execution, declarative languages can simplify development, enable unobtrusive optimization, and support retargeting across platforms. We describe the design of the Protovis specification language and its implementation within an object-oriented, statically-typed programming language (Java). We demonstrate how to support rich visualizations without requiring a toolkit-specific data model and extend Protovis to enable declarative specification of animated transitions. To support cross-platform deployment, we introduce rendering and event-handling infrastructures decoupled from the runtime platform, letting designers retarget visualization specifications (e.g., from desktop to mobile phone) with reduced effort. We also explore optimizations such as runtime compilation of visualization specifications, parallelized execution, and hardware-accelerated rendering. We present benchmark studies measuring the performance gains provided by these optimizations and compare performance to existing Java-based visualization tools, demonstrating scalability improvements exceeding an order of magnitude.

Coordinated Fault Tolerance for High-Performance Computing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dongarra, Jack; Bosilca, George; et al.

2013-04-08

Our work to meet our goal of end-to-end fault tolerance has focused on two areas: (1) improving fault tolerance in various software currently available and widely used throughout the HEC domain and (2) using fault information exchange and coordination to achieve holistic, systemwide fault tolerance and understanding how to design and implement interfaces for integrating fault tolerance features for multiple layers of the software stack—from the application, math libraries, and programming language runtime to other common system software such as jobs schedulers, resource managers, and monitoring tools.

Child-Robot Interactions for Second Language Tutoring to Preschool Children

PubMed Central

Vogt, Paul; de Haas, Mirjam; de Jong, Chiara; Baxter, Peta; Krahmer, Emiel

2017-01-01

In this digital age social robots will increasingly be used for educational purposes, such as second language tutoring. In this perspective article, we propose a number of design features to develop a child-friendly social robot that can effectively support children in second language learning, and we discuss some technical challenges for developing these. The features we propose include choices to develop the robot such that it can act as a peer to motivate the child during second language learning and build trust at the same time, while still being more knowledgeable than the child and scaffolding that knowledge in adult-like manner. We also believe that the first impressions children have about robots are crucial for them to build trust and common ground, which would support child-robot interactions in the long term. We therefore propose a strategy to introduce the robot in a safe way to toddlers. Other features relate to the ability to adapt to individual children’s language proficiency, respond contingently, both temporally and semantically, establish joint attention, use meaningful gestures, provide effective feedback and monitor children’s learning progress. Technical challenges we observe include automatic speech recognition (ASR) for children, reliable object recognition to facilitate semantic contingency and establishing joint attention, and developing human-like gestures with a robot that does not have the same morphology humans have. We briefly discuss an experiment in which we investigate how children respond to different forms of feedback the robot can give. PMID:28303094

Child-Robot Interactions for Second Language Tutoring to Preschool Children.

PubMed

Vogt, Paul; de Haas, Mirjam; de Jong, Chiara; Baxter, Peta; Krahmer, Emiel

2017-01-01

In this digital age social robots will increasingly be used for educational purposes, such as second language tutoring. In this perspective article, we propose a number of design features to develop a child-friendly social robot that can effectively support children in second language learning, and we discuss some technical challenges for developing these. The features we propose include choices to develop the robot such that it can act as a peer to motivate the child during second language learning and build trust at the same time, while still being more knowledgeable than the child and scaffolding that knowledge in adult-like manner. We also believe that the first impressions children have about robots are crucial for them to build trust and common ground, which would support child-robot interactions in the long term. We therefore propose a strategy to introduce the robot in a safe way to toddlers. Other features relate to the ability to adapt to individual children's language proficiency, respond contingently, both temporally and semantically, establish joint attention, use meaningful gestures, provide effective feedback and monitor children's learning progress. Technical challenges we observe include automatic speech recognition (ASR) for children, reliable object recognition to facilitate semantic contingency and establishing joint attention, and developing human-like gestures with a robot that does not have the same morphology humans have. We briefly discuss an experiment in which we investigate how children respond to different forms of feedback the robot can give.

Language evolution and human-computer interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grudin, Jonathan; Norman, Donald A.

1991-01-01

Many of the issues that confront designers of interactive computer systems also appear in natural language evolution. Natural languages and human-computer interfaces share as their primary mission the support of extended 'dialogues' between responsive entities. Because in each case one participant is a human being, some of the pressures operating on natural languages, causing them to evolve in order to better support such dialogue, also operate on human-computer 'languages' or interfaces. This does not necessarily push interfaces in the direction of natural language - since one entity in this dialogue is not a human, this is not to be expected. Nonetheless, by discerning where the pressures that guide natural language evolution also appear in human-computer interaction, we can contribute to the design of computer systems and obtain a new perspective on natural languages.

A common genetic variant in FOXP2 is associated with language-based learning (dis)abilities: Evidence from two Italian independent samples.

PubMed

Mozzi, Alessandra; Riva, Valentina; Forni, Diego; Sironi, Manuela; Marino, Cecilia; Molteni, Massimo; Riva, Stefania; Guerini, Franca R; Clerici, Mario; Cagliani, Rachele; Mascheretti, Sara

2017-04-24

Language-based Learning Disabilities (LLDs) encompass a group of complex, comorbid, and developmentally associated deficits in communication. Language impairment and developmental dyslexia (DD) represent the most recognized forms of LLDs. Substantial genetic correlations exist between language and reading (dis)abilities. Common variants in the FOXP2 gene were consistently associated with language- and reading-related neuropsychological and neuroanatomical phenotypes. We tested the effect of a FOXP2 common variant, that is, rs6980093 (A/G), on quantitative measures of language and reading in two independent Italian samples: a population-based cohort of 699 subjects (3-11 years old) and a sample of 572 children with DD (6-18 years old). rs6980093 modulates expressive language in the general population sample, with an effect on fluency scores. In the DD sample, the variant showed an association with the accuracy in the single word reading task. rs6980093 shows distinct genetic models of association in the two cohorts, with a dominant effect of the G allele in the general population sample and heterozygote advantage in the DD cohort. We provide preliminary evidence that rs6980093 associates with language and reading (dis)abilities in two independent Italian cohorts. rs6980093 is an intronic SNP, suggesting that it (or a linked variant) modulates phenotypic association via regulation of FOXP2 expression. Because FOXP2 brain expression is finely regulated, both temporally and spatially, it is possible that the two alleles at rs6980093 differentially modulate expression levels in a developmental stage- or brain area-specific manner. This might help explaining the heterozygote advantage effect and the different genetic models in the two cohorts. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Parenting and Later Substance Use among Mexican-Origin Youth: Moderation by Preference for a Common Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schofield, Thomas J.; Toro, Rosa I.; Parke, Ross D.; Cookston, Jeffrey T.; Fabricius, William V.; Coltrane, Scott

2017-01-01

The primary goal of the current study was to test whether parent and adolescent preference for a common language moderates the association between parenting and rank-order change over time in offspring substance use. A sample of Mexican-origin 7th-grade adolescents (M[subscript age] = 12.5 years, N = 194, 52% female) was measured longitudinally on…

Teaching Writing within the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): A Supplement Asynchronous Blended Learning Approach in an EFL Undergraduate Course in Egypt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaarawy, Hanaa Youssef; Lotfy, Nohayer Esmat

2013-01-01

Based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and following a blended learning approach (a supplement model), this article reports on a quasi-experiment where writing was taught evenly with other language skills in everyday language contexts and where asynchronous online activities were required from students to extend learning beyond…

Teaching to Exceed the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards: A Literacy Practices Approach for 6-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beach, Richard; Thein, Amanda Haertling; Webb, Allen

2012-01-01

As the new English Language Arts Common Core State Standards take hold across the United States, the need grows for pre-service and in-service teachers to be ready to develop curriculum and instruction that addresses their requirements. This timely, thoughtful, and comprehensive text directly meets this need. It delineates a literacy practices and…

Integrating Best Practices in Language Intervention and Curriculum Design to Facilitate First Words

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lederer, Susan Hendler

2014-01-01

For children developing language typically, exposure to language through the natural, general language stimulation provided by families, siblings, and others is sufficient enough to facilitate language learning (Bloom & Lahey, 1978; Nelson, 1973; Owens, 2008). However, children with language delays (even those who are receptively and…

A SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MICHEL, JOSEPH

DESIGNED FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS AND PERSONS PREPARING TO BECOME FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS, THIS BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1892 AND 1966 CONTAINS SECTIONS OF--(1) THE NATURE AND FUNCTION OF LANGUAGE, (2) LINGUISTICS, INCLUDING APPLIED LINGUISTICS FOR SPECIFIC LANGUAGES, (3) PSYCHOLOGY OF LANGUAGE, (4) PHYSIOLOGY OF SPEECH, (5)…

Designing a Dictionary for an Endangered Language Community: Lexicographical Deliberations, Language Ideological Clarifications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroskrity, Paul V.

2015-01-01

Dictionaries of endangered languages represent especially important products of language documentation, in part because they are usually the most familiar and useful genre of linguistic representation to endangered language community members. This familiarity, however, can become problematic when it is accompanied by language ideologies that…

Collaboratively Conceived, Designed and Implemented: Matching Visualization Tools with Geoscience Data Collections and Geoscience Data Collections with Visualization Tools via the ToolMatch Service.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoebelheinrich, N. J.; Lynnes, C.; West, P.; Ferritto, M.

2014-12-01

Two problems common to many geoscience domains are the difficulties in finding tools to work with a given dataset collection, and conversely, the difficulties in finding data for a known tool. A collaborative team from the Earth Science Information Partnership (ESIP) has gotten together to design and create a web service, called ToolMatch, to address these problems. The team began their efforts by defining an initial, relatively simple conceptual model that addressed the two uses cases briefly described above. The conceptual model is expressed as an ontology using OWL (Web Ontology Language) and DCterms (Dublin Core Terms), and utilizing standard ontologies such as DOAP (Description of a Project), FOAF (Friend of a Friend), SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organization System) and DCAT (Data Catalog Vocabulary). The ToolMatch service will be taking advantage of various Semantic Web and Web standards, such as OpenSearch, RESTful web services, SWRL (Semantic Web Rule Language) and SPARQL (Simple Protocol and RDF Query Language). The first version of the ToolMatch service was deployed in early fall 2014. While more complete testing is required, a number of communities besides ESIP member organizations have expressed interest in collaborating to create, test and use the service and incorporate it into their own web pages, tools and / or services including the USGS Data Catalog service, DataONE, the Deep Carbon Observatory, Virtual Solar Terrestrial Observatory (VSTO), and the U.S. Global Change Research Program. In this session, presenters will discuss the inception and development of the ToolMatch service, the collaborative process used to design, refine, and test the service, and future plans for the service.

Development of a domain-specific genetic language to design Chlamydomonas reinhardtii expression vectors.

PubMed

Wilson, Mandy L; Okumoto, Sakiko; Adam, Laura; Peccoud, Jean

2014-01-15

Expression vectors used in different biotechnology applications are designed with domain-specific rules. For instance, promoters, origins of replication or homologous recombination sites are host-specific. Similarly, chromosomal integration or viral delivery of an expression cassette imposes specific structural constraints. As de novo gene synthesis and synthetic biology methods permeate many biotechnology specialties, the design of application-specific expression vectors becomes the new norm. In this context, it is desirable to formalize vector design strategies applicable in different domains. Using the design of constructs to express genes in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as an example, we show that a vector design strategy can be formalized as a domain-specific language. We have developed a graphical editor of context-free grammars usable by biologists without prior exposure to language theory. This environment makes it possible for biologists to iteratively improve their design strategies throughout the course of a project. It is also possible to ensure that vectors designed with early iterations of the language are consistent with the latest iteration of the language. The context-free grammar editor is part of the GenoCAD application. A public instance of GenoCAD is available at http://www.genocad.org. GenoCAD source code is available from SourceForge and licensed under the Apache v2.0 open source license.

Language Schemes--A Useful Policy Tool for Language Planning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ó Flatharta, Peadar

2015-01-01

The Irish language is recognised in Bunreacht na hÉireann [The Constitution of Ireland] as the national and first official language, and provisions to support the language are to found in c.120 specific enactments in Irish legislation. In 2007, the Irish language was designated as an official working language of the European Union. In 2003, the…

Tashelheet: A Competency-Based Curriculum, Beginning & Intermediate Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamjaimer, Rashid

The Peace Corps volunteer language training materials for the Moroccan language Tashelheet are designed for group, individual, or self-instruction. An introductory section gives the learner an overview of language characteristics, the materials, and their design. The main section of the materials is divided into two parts. The first contains 16…