The aim of the current study is twofold: to examine the effects of input on bilingual adolescents’ long-term second language (L2) outcomes in a minority/foreign language context; and to understand ...the interaction between input and other potential predictors of L2 outcomes, specifically environmental variables, learners’ motivation and language learning aptitude. Participants included 97 Mandarin–English bilingual adolescents in Taiwan who learned English as an L2 between the ages of two to eleven. All participants completed a listening comprehension and a story-telling task in English and two standardized language learning aptitude tests. Participants and their parents filled out a detailed questionnaire providing information about family demographics and in-class and out-of-class L2 input. Correlation and multivariate regression analyses revealed that input played an important role in long-term L2 listening comprehension outcome, but not in speech production outcomes. The results also showed that environmental variables and language learning aptitude significantly predicted long-term L2 listening comprehension and speech production outcomes. Finally, out-of-class L2 input outweighed instructional input and current input outweighed early input. Since most previous research on the role of input in long-term L2 outcomes was conducted in a majority/societal language context, the present study contributes to the topic by specifying the effect of input in L2 acquisition in a minority/foreign language context.
Effects of divided input on bilingual children with language impairment Peña, Elizabeth D; Bedore, Lisa M; Shivabasappa, Prarthana ...
The international journal of bilingualism : cross-disciplinary, cross-linguistic studies of language behavior,
02/2020, Letnik:
24, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Aims and objectives:
We compare the performance of 600 bilingual children with and without language impairment relative to their level of current English input and output (EIO). Children were tested ...in both Spanish and English on measures of morphosyntax and semantics. Our aim was to examine whether children’s language performance was differentially affected by the level of EIO and/or language ability.
Methodology:
Participants were drawn from three different studies of bilingual language impairment where children between the ages of 5 and 10 years were tested using a standardized test of morphosyntax and semantics in both languages. Standard scores were compared for each language in each domain.
Data and analysis:
Multivariate regression was used to compare main effects of ability (children with typical language development versus children with language impairment) and interactions with EIO. This analysis was followed by a comparison of EIO across the four language measures.
Findings/conclusions:
There were main effects of language impairment status and EIO. There were ability differences in slope for two measures (English semantics and Spanish morphosyntax), where children with language impairment had a flatter slope as related to EIO compared to children with typical development. For Spanish semantics and English morphosyntax, slopes relative to EIO were similar, although children with language impairment scored lower than those with typical development.
Originality:
We observed how children with and without language impairment performed on semantics and morphosyntax tasks relative to their EIO.
Implications:
The similar slopes across language measures of children with and without language impairment suggest that there is no disadvantage to divided input by ability. Where there were differences by ability, children with language impairment showed a flatter slope relative to their typically developing peers, suggesting that bilingual children with primary language impairment (PLI) may be somewhat advantaged relative to more monolingual children with PLI.
Social desirability bias is a methodological challenge with participant self-reports. Social desirability measures are often used to control the potential effects of social desirability bias on ...participant self-reports, but whether these measures are interpreted similarly across different demographic groups remains unclear. This study examines the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Children's Social Desirability Scale-Short version (CSD-S) across gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity with a large sample of children and adolescents in the United States. Results indicate a close fit to a one-factor model. Tests of measurement invariance show partial strong invariance across gender (male vs. female) and grade level (elementary vs. middle vs. high schoolers) as well as strong invariance across race/ethnicity (Asian vs. Black/African American vs. Hispanic/Latine vs. White vs. Bi/Multiracial). Latent mean differences were found across grade level and race/ethnicity but not gender, with lower grades reporting higher social desirability than upper grades and Bi/Multiracials reporting lower social desirability than Asians and Hispanics/Latines. Findings provide preliminary evidence for the use of CSD-S in detecting social desirability bias and assessing meaningful social desirability differences in diverse children and adolescents.
A Two-Level Adaptive Test Battery van der Linden, Wim J.; Niu, Luping; Choi, Seung W.
Journal of educational and behavioral statistics,
11/2023
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
A test battery with two different levels of adaptation is presented: a within-subtest level for the selection of the items in the subtests and a between-subtest level to move from one subtest to the ...next. The battery runs on a two-level model consisting of a regular response model for each of the subtests extended with a second level for the joint distribution of their abilities. The presentation of the model is followed by an optimized MCMC algorithm to update the posterior distribution of each of its ability parameters, select the items to Bayesian optimality, and adaptively move from one subtest to the next. Thanks to extremely rapid convergence of the Markov chain and simple posterior calculations, the algorithm can be used in real-world applications without any noticeable latency. Finally, an empirical study with a battery of short diagnostic subtests is shown to yield score accuracies close to traditional one-level adaptive testing with subtests of double lengths.
Objective: Disruptive behavior problems make up the largest proportion of diagnosed disorders in children. Rates of these problems are higher in primary care clinics serving children from urban, ...low-income, and racial/ethnic minority communities. Primary care clinics provide an optimal setting for screening and assessment of disruptive behavior issues; however, many instruments may be challenging to implement in the context of primary care. Method: The current study examines the psychometric properties of the Weekly Assessment of Child Behavior (WACB) forms (positive and negative) with a nonclinical sample in Federally Qualified Health Centers collected from caregivers of children ages 2–12 ( N = 156) who presented to their routine well-child visits. Results: The WACB-P and the WACB-N both demonstrated high internal reliability and moderate test–retest reliability, as well as strong convergent validity with an established measure of child behavior problems. The item response theory (IRT) paradigm revealed that the WACB-Positive Intensity scale had a better item fit overall compared to the WACB-Negative Intensity scale. In general, both scales were found to more accurately measure the children who exhibit more problematic behaviors. Conclusions: Results suggest that both WACB scales may be helpful in identifying children in the primary care setting who are at risk for or are experiencing behavioral problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)
Relatively little research has been devoted to examining the predictors of early foreign language learning outcomes despite the global trend of early foreign language instruction. The current study ...focused on two contextual predictors, learners' socio-economic status (SES) and input, both of which have been demonstrated to play a prominent role in first language development and second language (L2) development in an immersion context. The current study also investigated the relationship between SES, input and L2 learning outcomes and the mechanism through which SES influences L2 outcomes. Participants included 97 tenth and eleventh grade students from Taipei, Taiwan. All participants completed a story-telling task and a survey providing information about their language input in middle and high school. Their parents also filled out a survey providing information about their family profile and learner participants' input in preschool/kindergarten and elementary school. Results from the study showed that both SES and input played a role in adolescent learners’ speech production outcomes, but the effects differed by speech dimensions (i.e., accuracy, fluency, and complexity). Although both SES and input predicted L2 speech production outcomes, the two variables were closely related to each other, and the effect of SES was indirect and mediated by input.
Multiple Administrations Adaptive Testing (MAAT) is an extension of the shadow-test approach to CAT for the assessment framework involving multiple tests administered periodically throughout the ...year. The maat package utilizes multiple item pools vertically scaled across grades and multiple phases (stages) within each test administration, allowing for transitioning from an item pool to another as deemed necessary to further enhance the quality of assessment.
Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions:
The current study examined the language-reading relationship for bilingual students in two grade levels (grades 1 and 3) and for two reading outcomes ...(decoding and comprehension) to understand the contribution of oral language in English reading. The study also explored the potential mediating role of oral language between language use, reading frequency, and reading outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach:
The study included 60 bilingual students from bilingual households that speak a language other than, or in addition to, English. All participants completed a battery of language and reading assessments and a background survey.
Data and analysis:
Three separate confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to derive an Oral Language factor (from oral language assessments), a Language Use factor, and a Reading Frequency factor (from survey items). A multivariate regression was conducted to investigate whether the language-reading relationship differed by grade and reading outcome. A multivariate mediation analysis was also conducted to examine whether the Oral Language factor mediates the effect of Language Use and Reading Frequency on reading outcomes.
Findings/conclusions:
Oral language proficiency significantly predicted both decoding and comprehension for both grades. Oral language also mediated the relationship between reading frequency and reading outcomes.
Originality:
This study investigates the contributions of oral language in young bilingual students’ English reading outcomes, which is an under-explored topic.
Significance/implications:
The results demonstrated the importance of oral language proficiency in bilingual students’ reading outcomes. Oral language plays a robust role in not only reading comprehension but also decoding. The study also clarified that the effects of reading frequency on reading outcomes are indirect and mediated via oral language. Improving bilingual students’ oral language proficiency coupled with promoting their reading frequency can help promote their reading outcomes.
The stability, rheological and morphology properties of oil-in-water emulsions coated by ovalbumin (OVA)/gum arabic (GA) complexes were evaluated. At a ratio of 1:2, the emulsions showed better ...creaming and oxidative stability. Above or below 1:2, the emulsions were unstable due to depletion or bridging flocculation and the rates of lipid oxidation for 30-day storage were significantly higher. All emulsions exhibited elastic gel-like rheological properties. But the apparent viscosity (η) and storage modulus (G′) of emulsions at a ratio of 1:2 were higher than that of 1:1 and 1:3, which attributed to the electrostatic repulsion and ordered spatial structure of emulsions. Meanwhile, the Raman spectral results showed the OVA/GA complexes stabilizing system induced lipid chain disorder or lipid–protein interactions modifications, which may reflect the formation of a gel-like structure in the emulsion.
In the presence of GA, acid-unstable protein OVA was used to improve the stability of emulsions stabilized by OVA-GA complexes. Display omitted
•Ovalbumin/Gum Arabic ratio strongly affected properties and stability of emulsion.•Emulsion stability was mainly dominated by the steric and electrostatic repulsion.•Emulsions showed better oxidative stability at lower (4.0) than at higher (7.0) pH.•All emulsions exhibited a predominantly elastic gel-like behavior.•A positive correlation between emulsion stability and oil chain disorder was found.
•Functional section division method, multi-model and superstructure are proposed.•Integrated model of industrial circulating cooling water system is established.•Simulation experiment based on ...integrated model is carried out.•Running cost can be reduced by operation optimization based on integrated model.
An integrated modeling method based on system mechanism analysis and superstructure is presented in this work to completely describe the performance of an industrial circulating cooling water system. A functional section division method is proposed based on the analysis of the operation principle of the circulating cooling water system. Then, multiple models are established for running equipment considering the diversity of actual pipe network equipment. The superstructure method is used to design the model structure framework. An integrated model, which has a good application range and can describe the complete structure information and operating status of the system, is established based on the above modeling method. In addition, the performance of the integrated model is verified by the simulation experiment with actual network data. Finally, the operation optimization of the circulating cooling water system is carried out. The simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively reduce the running cost of the system.
