1,720,957 research outputs found
Syntactic Analysis of Donald Trump’s Inaugural Speech
Full text linkThis study aimed at examining the syntactic devices in the inaugural speech of Donald Trump. The study adopted a quantitative and qualitative method. The study used frequencies and statistics to examine the frequency of occurrence of the syntactic devices used in the speech. The study also focused on how the devices helped in the interpretation of the speech. The speech was critically read. The syntactic devices (sentence types, modality, conjunctions, adverbials and pronouns) used in the speech were identified, categorised, interpreted and discussed according to the ideas presented in the speech. The findings revealed that the types of sentences employed were simple, complex, and compound sentences. He used more of simple sentences to achieve succinctness in his speech. He also used syntactic devices such as modal verbs, conjunctions, personal pronouns and adverbial phrases to accomplish conciseness, logicality, accuracy and effectiveness in his speech. The study concluded that the use of syntactic devices helped the speaker to achieve cohesion in the speech, thereby enabling him to express his motives, plans, feelings, and expectations from the Americans
Breaking Language Barriers with Chatbots: A New Era in Second Language Acquisition
Full text linkChatbot applications have emerged as promising tools for enhancing second language acquisition by providing personalized and interactive learning experiences. This paper examines the potential of chatbot technology in language education, highlighting its advantages, challenges, and future directions. Through personalized learning pathways, interactivity, accessibility, and instant feedback, chatbots offer learners opportunities for immersive language practice and skill development. However, chatbots also face challenges such as technical limitations, lack of human interaction, and difficulties in catering to diverse learning styles. Addressing these challenges will require further research and development to advance chatbot technology and pedagogy. Integration with other learning modalities, such as virtual reality and gamification, represents an exciting direction for future development. Recommendations for educators, developers, and policymakers include collaboration, professional development, and efforts to ensure accessibility and inclusivity. By embracing and leveraging chatbot technology, stakeholders can enhance the efficacy and engagement of language education, empowering learners to communicate confidently and effectively in diverse linguistic and cultural contexts
Politeness Strategies and Power Dynamics in Interactions Between Characters in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Anowa
Full text linkThis study examines the portrayal of politeness strategies, specifically positive, negative, and off-record politeness, in Ama Ata Aidoo’s play, Anowa. The study aims to bridge the gap in existing literature by exploring how linguistic strategies are utilized to explore power dynamics, gender roles, and societal expectations within African communities depicted in the play. Through a qualitative analysis of selected excerpts, the study employs a thematic approach to identify instances of positive, negative, and off-record politeness employed by characters and the narrator. Findings reveal a complex relationship of politeness strategies, with characters employing various linguistic techniques to assert authority, reinforce traditional gender norms, and negotiate interpersonal relationships. Positive politeness strategies, such as expressions of camaraderie and solidarity, are often used to establish rapport and build connections between characters. Conversely, negative politeness strategies, characterized by deference and indirectness, are employed to mitigate threats to face and autonomy. Off-record politeness allows characters to convey their intentions indirectly, providing a means to explore sensitive topics or assert power subtly. The study emphasises the importance of linguistic strategies in shaping interpersonal interactions and social hierarchies within the cultural context depicted in Anowa, shedding light on power dynamics and gender relations in postcolonial African society
Pragmatic Reference in Elvis Gbanabom Hallowell's The Dining Table
Full text linkThis study examined the pragmatic references used in Elvis Gbanabom Hallowell's poem, The Dining Table. The study adopted content analysis as its method. This involved the description and interpretation of referents (words used to refer to people, things and events in a special and indirect way) used in the poem. The poem was critically perused and the referents were identified and analysed. The referents were then interpreted and related to the ideologies expressed in the poem. The findings revealed that the poet used referents to point accusing finger to the events of war and the troubles that come with it. This was evident with the deployment of referents such as dinner, tonight, gun wounds, desert tongues, vegetable blood, pepper, scorpions, guests, oceans of bowls, vegetables, tongues, the table, an island, guerrillas, crocodiles, surf, Alphabeta, empty palms, switchblades, silence, voices, playground, children`s toys, roadblocks, cup of life, ticks, cracked lips, milk, moon, revolutionary, Nile, tributaries, night, lovers of fire, gun wounds, boots, walk. The study concluded that the use of referents in the poem helped to express the brutality and horror of war, suffering, agony, revolution, the dark side of child soldiers, violence and blood bath. Above all, pragmatic reference helped to set the gloomy mood and sad tone of the poem. Keywords: Pragmatic Reference, Referent, Pragmatics, Meaning
Leveraging WhatsApp to Improve English Language Skills in Nigerian Secondary Education
Full text linkThis study investigated the effectiveness of WhatsApp as a digital platform for improving English language skills among secondary school students in Nigeria. It was undertaken to address the research gap on how mobile messaging applications influence language learning in resource-constrained contexts. The specific objectives of the study were to assess the impact of WhatsApp on students’ reading comprehension, writing, and speaking skills; to evaluate the level of engagement fostered by the platform; and to determine its influence on academic performance. Guided by the constructivist learning theory, a quasi-experimental design was employed involving 600 students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Participants were divided into an experimental group using WhatsApp for English learning and a control group without access to the platform. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests, surveys, and academic records, and analysed using t-tests and ANOVA. The study found that students who engaged with WhatsApp recorded significant improvement in language proficiency, demonstrated higher levels of participation and motivation, and achieved better grades compared to those in the control group. The study concluded that WhatsApp is not only a communication tool but also a valuable educational resource capable of enhancing English language learning. The study contributed to existing knowledge by providing empirical evidence of the pedagogical value of mobile messaging platforms in secondary education and recommended their structured integration into classroom instruction
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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