Children’s narrative story stem responses: Contributions of executive functioning and language proficiency to relationship representations

Story stem narrative tasks provide insight into young children's inner experiences. Little research has investigated how developmental capacities impact narrative content and process. This study evaluates the influence of executive functioning (EF) and language ability on children's narratives. Data were gathered from 210 low‐income children. EF and language ability were assessed at age 4 and EF was assessed at age 6 via direct examination, cognitive‐motor tasks, and examiner ratings. Children's responses to eight story stems were gathered at age 6; three latent narrative variables were constructed (Prosocial, Aggressive/Conflict, and Avoidance/Danger), and Narrative Coherence was rated. Results of longitudinal path analyses in structural equation modeling demonstrated age 4 EF significantly predicted all narrative outcomes. Language ability independently predicted Prosocial and Narrative Coherence, and had an influence on Aggression/Conflict when modeled with EF. Age 6 EF mediated the relationship between age 4 EF and narrative outcomes. Findings provide insight into developmental abilities that influence on children's narrative responses to challenging interpersonal scenarios. Future research should study parent–child relations, EF, and language abilities simultaneously.     

语块视角下的大学英语精读教学与英语写作能力培养

从语块理论入手，探讨了该理论在大学英语精读课堂上的应用以及提高英语写作水平的对策，以期为大学英语写作教学提供新的思路和方向。     

重庆市濒危语言活力研究——重庆市酉阳土家族苗族自治县个案分析

重庆市是我国拥有少数民族的直辖市，辖区内有五个土家族、苗族少数民族自治区域。由于历史、经济等原因，土家语、苗语等少数民族语言在逐渐消失。其中，土家语已处于濒危状态。目前，在酉阳土家族苗族自治县、秀山土家族苗族自治县还有部分人会说土家语。2015年，课题组对酉阳土家族苗族自治县酉酬镇、酉水河镇、可大乡三个土家语者聚居区进行田野调查。根据调查结果，按照联合国教科文组织 《语言活力与语言濒危》 文件中制定的指标对土家语的语言活力进行分析，对这一重庆市濒危语言的语言活力等级进行共时性评估。     

模糊理论对英语专业学生翻译能力培养的启示

模糊理论使人们认识到语言模糊性的客观存在。模糊性是语言的自然属性。在翻译中，对于语言模糊性的认识，是正确理解原文并用译文准确表达的基础。在翻译教学中，教师应该指引学生识别和运用模糊语言，从而有效地从整体上提升学生的翻译能力。     

汉语网络语言影响内地藏生汉语习得的原因与对策

汉语网络语言影响藏生汉语习得的情感，影响藏生汉语习得中“可理解的语言输入”的数量和质量，影响藏生对汉语社会文化的适应和趋同程度。这些影响主要与汉语网络语言使用失范、内地藏生汉语习得与汉语网络环境脱节、汉藏文化障碍影响汉语网络语言的推介等因素相关。据此，文章从二语习得的角度提出解决对策：培养藏生对汉语网络语言的价值观和情感；引导和规范汉语网络语言，优化网络环境；寻求藏生汉语习得与网络社会生活的契合点，提高“可理解的语言输入”的数量和质量。     

Multimodal representational gestures in the transition to multi-word productions

The aim of this study was to analyze the use of representational gestures from a multimodal point of view in the transition from one-word to multi-word constructions. Twenty-one Spanish-speaking children were observed longitudinally at 18, 21, 24, and 30 months of age. We analyzed the production of deictic, symbolic, and conventional gestures and their coordination with different verbal elements. Moreover, we explored the relationship between gestural multimodal and unimodal productions and independent measures of language development. Results showed that gesture production remains stable in the period studied. Whereas deictic gestures are frequent and mostly multimodal from the beginning, conventional gestures are rare and mainly unimodal. Symbolic gestures are initially unimodal, but between 24 and 30 months of age, this pattern reverses, with more multimodal symbolic gestures than unimodal. In addition, the frequency of multimodal representational gestures at specific ages seems to be positively related to independent measures of vocabulary and morphosyntax development. By contrast, the production of unimodal representational gestures appears negatively related to these measures. Our results suggest that multimodal representational gestures could have a facilitating role in the process of learning to combine meanings for communicative goals.     

民汉双语诉讼规则之探索

我国宪法赋予了公民用自己的民族语言文字参加诉讼的权利，目的在于实现民族平等、促进民族团结、禁止民族分裂、保护中华民族语言文化的多样性，进而提高我国的文化软实力。通过调查民族语言文字诉讼司法实务，发现当前存在着少数民族语言文字诉讼程序混乱、不符合诉讼原理等问题，不利于民族语言文字诉讼权利的实现。究其原因，在于该诉讼制度缺乏程序保障。为了确保民族语言文字诉讼权利的有效实现，应设立“民汉双语诉讼规则”，以为司法机关提供统一的操作规范。民汉双语诉讼规则应该明确民汉双语诉讼的概念、类型以及民族语言文字诉讼权利的内容，并且根据不同诉讼类型有针对性地设置审判语言与诉讼语言的适用规则。     

National Language Capacity in Global Competition

The term national language capacity refers to the sum total of a nation’s ability to grasp linguistic resources, provide language services, deal with linguistic issues, develop the language, and related tasks. Key capacities include the possession of linguistic resources, utilization of language and language services, development and use of linguistic resources, the language of the members of the nation, reserves of linguistic talent, language management, development of language enterprises and linguistic influence. The development of informatization has made national language capacity an important part of national strength. It is hard power as well as soft power, playing a very important role in social progress and cultural inheritance, in promoting economic development and technological innovation, and in protecting a country’s national security and international development.     

Was Cicourel’s critique in Methods and Measurement in Sociology too radical?

This article is a contribution to a mini symposium on the 50th anniversary of the publication of A V Cicourel’s Method and Measurement in Sociology (1964). The central theme of the book is reviewed – the problem of the relationship between everyday language and cultural meanings, and the language of measurement in social research – and the lack of an adequate ontology of social actors is identified as being the cause of the problem. The solution offered by Alfred Schütz – that social scientific language should be derived from everyday language – is discussed and it is argued that this was probably too radical at the time the book was published, and is still generally neglected in the social sciences.     

美国《双语教育法》颁布的社会背景研究——基于霍姆斯的四模式分析框架

在美国的中小学校除英语之外讲各种语言的学生,或者说那些不会讲英语的学生,他们的教育需求长期得不到妥善的解决。1968年颁布的《双语教育法》表明,美国联邦政府承认了美国学校体制中长期存在的只能使用英语教学的单语教学问题,如何使教学语言多样性是一个亟待解决的核心问题。以霍姆斯的四模式为分析框架,把颁布《双语教育法》时纷繁复杂的社会背景置于规范模式、组织制度模式、精神状态模式和自然环境模式中进行分析,结果显示:(1)移民人口剧增并逐步扩展到新的区域,给美国公立学校造成了巨大压力;(2)司法判例对所实施的隔离但平等原则的彻底否定催生了新的希望;(3)少数族裔群体谴责主流社会的不公平,他们要求身份认同和获得更多权利的呼声愈来愈大;(4)联邦政府对保障国防安全、消除贫困现象等多重利益的考量,促成了《双语教育法》的颁布。