Motivation is considered an important factor in initiating and sustaining the second language (L2) process. Since learning an L2 can be seen as a lengthy process, one that needs sustained motivation over a long period of time, learners need to be able to successfully deal with their and others’ emotions in order to generate and sustain their motivation for learning. The role of learners’ emotions and trait emotional self-efficacy, or trait emotional intelligence (EI), in L2 motivation and language learning has been a relatively unexplored area. To fill this gap, the current study posed three research questions that addressed the relationship between L2 motivation and trait EI, which is based on the trait EI theory (Petrides, 2001) and deals with emotion-related self-perceptions, such as emotion control, emotion expression, empathy, and emotion perception (Petrides, 2001). As Dörnyei (2009) proposed the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) in response to the need to further develop the socio-educational model, the current study further tests the validation of a modified version of the L2MSS by investigating intermediate and advanced international English language learners from diverse backgrounds. Using a quantitative approach, this study examined (a) the relationship between the possible selves (the ideal/ought-to/anti-ought-to) and trait emotional intelligence, including the four broader factors: sociability, emotionality, well-being, self-control; and (b) to what extent can the four factors predict the three different selves, and (c) the relationship between L2 learning experience, possible selves, and trait EI. A total of 143 international ESL students enrolled in an English Language Program in the United States participated in the study. A possible selves questionnaire, L2 learning experience questionnaire, and trait emotional intelligence questionnaire (TEIQue SF) were administered. The underlying factors from the exploratory factor analysis performed on the possible selves questionnaire responses were ‘the ideal L2 self’, ‘the ought-to L2 self’, and ‘the anti-ought-to L2 self.’ The correlation analysis showed significant correlations between (a) trait EI and ideal/ought-to L2 self; (b) ideal L2 self and emotionality/sociability/well-being; (c) ought-to L2 self and emotionality/sociability/well-being; (d) anti-ought-to L2 self and emotionality; (e) L2 learning experience and trait EI; (f) the L2 learning experience and the ideal/anti-ought-to L2 self; (g) L2 learning experience and emotionality/sociability/well-being. A four predictor standard multiple regression model revealed that the trait EI sociability factor was the only significant predictor of the ideal L2 self. On the other hand, the trait EI emotionality factor was the only significant predictor of both the ought-to and anti-ought-to L2 selves. This study illustrates that there are important associations between L2 motivation and constructs of positive psychology, especially emotional intelligence, and that positive psychology might stimulate future L2 motivation research. Lastly, this study offers a number of implications for use of positive psychology in the SLA classroom.

The present study examined the language and literacy practices of one ethnolinguistically diverse family literacy English classroom for women who recently migrated to the United States as refugees, and whose access to formal, school-based learning was interrupted prior to migration. More specifically, this study investigated how institutionally-valued practices socially positioned the women in class, and how the women discursively negotiated and claimed new or different positionings for themselves. Overall, this study draws on social positioning theories (Davies & Harré, 1990; Harré & van Langenhove, 1999), to attempt to address the relationship between English language education for women and notions of social inclusion (Allman, 2013). Designed as a linguistic ethnography (Copland & Creese, 2015), data were collected over the course of two years and included eight months of thrice-weekly classroom-based participant observation; classroom audio (105) and video recordings (39); photographs (1038); audio and video-recorded semi-structured interviews with the focal teacher (4), three focal students (2 each), and the main administrator (1); and document collection. Data were transcribed and analyzed utilizing thematic (Saldaña, 2012) and micro-ethnographic discourse analysis (Bloome et al., 2006). Findings show a range of institutionally-valued language and literacy practices and diverse accompanying positionings. Some practices served to socialize learners into specific “storylines” (Harré & Moghaddam, 2003) related to socially-preferred ways of “doing” language and literacy both inside and outside the classroom, particularly in relationship to the learners’ positions as mothers. Other practices served to position learners as legitimate co-authors and community members, affording them ways to use English to “write (and speak) themselves into” the times and places of their surrounding communities (Trend, 1994, p. 226). The findings further illustrate that learners used language and other multimodal means (i.e., photographs, video, social media) to make inter(con)textual, intercultural, and transnational connections for both academic and personal purposes—and to draw others into those connections with them. These connections positioned learners as academically, technologically, and relationally resourceful transnational women. Implications for pedagogy, programming, policy, theory, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

This paper studies the triggers and the agglomeration of M&A activity within clusters constituted by time, market and industry. Based on almost 500,000 individual transactions, we find that industry factors play a significant role in triggering activity and that M&A agglomerates strongly across related industries. While clustering in time turns out to be insignificant, stock-market effects can be either an attracting or a repelling force, depending on the type of deal examined. This supports the view that merger waves are largely driven by industry shocks.

Bakgrund: Det står klart och tydligt i Skollagen (2010:800), SkolL, 1 kap. 4 §: att utbildningen inom skolväsendet ska främja alla elevers lust att lära. Därmed har lärare ett uppdrag att stimulera och motivera lärandet hos elever. Utifrån vårt arbete på SFI är det utmanande att uppfylla detta krav främst på grund av elevernas olika förutsättningar, precis som Eriksson-Sjöö (2002) beskriver i sin licentiatavhandling. Syfte: Undersökningens övergripande syfte har varit att få kunskap om hur SFI-lärare arbetar för att motivera sina elever till lärande av svenska som andraspråk. Vidare är syftet att se vilka strategier som används kopplat till vad tidigare forskningsresultat visar på inom detta valda område. Metod: Den metod som tillämpades till studien är den kvalitativa med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Anledningen är att låta SFI-lärare berätta fritt om sina upplevelser och erfarenheter med utgång från vår intervjuguide. Samtalen spelades in med mobiltelefon alternativt i Google Meet. Till analysen transkriberades alla intervjuerna. Resultat: Resultatet av denna studie visar att SFI-lärare är eniga om några framgångsrika lärarstrategier och arbetsmetoder som lärarna upplever stimulerar och höjer elevers motivation till lärandet av svenska. I undersökningen framgår även olika strategier som används i SFIundervisningen. Det omfattar engagemang, vardagslivsanknytning, personliga intressen, bemötande och positiv klassrumsmiljö.

[ES] En los últimos años, la creciente necesidad de la capacidad de cómputo ha supuesto un reto que ha llevado a la industria a buscar arquitecturas alternativas a los procesadores superescalares con ejecución fuera de orden convencionales, con el objetivo de incrementar la potencia de cómputo con una mayor eficiencia energética. Las GPU, que hasta hace apenas una década se dedicaban exclusivamente a la aceleración de los gráficos en los computadores, han sido una de las arquitecturas alternativas más utilizadas durante varios años para alcanzar el mencionado objetivo. Una de las características particulares de las GPU es su gran ancho de banda para acceder a memoria principal, lo que les permite ejecutar un gran número de hilos de forma muy eficiente. Esta característica, así como su elevada potencia computacional ejecutando operaciones de coma flotante, ha originado la aparición del paradigma de computación denominado GPGPU computing, paradigma en el que las GPU realizan cómputo de propósito general. Las citadas características convierten a las GPU en dispositivos especialmente apropiados para la ejecución de aplicaciones masivamente paralelas que tradicionalmente se habían ejecutado en procesadores convencionales de altas prestaciones. El trabajo desarrollado en esta tesis persigue ayudar a mejorar las prestaciones de las GPU en la ejecución de aplicaciones GPGPU. Con este fin, como primer paso, se realiza un estudio de caracterización donde se identifican las características más importantes de estas aplicaciones desde el punto de vista de la jerarquía de memoria y su impacto en las prestaciones. Para ello, se utiliza un simulador detallado ciclo a ciclo donde se modela la arquitectura de una GPU reciente. El estudio revela que es necesario modelar de forma más detallada algunos componentes críticos de la jerarquía de memoria de las GPU para obtener resultados precisos. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que las prestaciones alcanzadas pueden variar hasta en un factor de 3× dependiendo de cómo se modelen estos componentes críticos. Por este motivo, como segundo paso antes de elaborar la propuesta de mejora, el trabajo se centra en determinar qué componentes de la jerarquía de memoria de la GPU necesitan modelarse con mayor detalle para mejorar la precisión de los resultados del simulador, y en mejorar los modelos existentes de estos componentes. Además, se realiza un estudio de validación que compara los resultados obtenidos con los modelos mejorados contra los de una GPU comercial real. Las mejoras implementadas reducen la desviación de los resultados del simulador sobre los resultados reales alrededor de un 96%. Finalmente, una vez mejorada la precisión del simulador, en esta tesis se presenta una propuesta innovadora, denominada FRC (siglas en inglés de Fetch and Replacement Cache), que mejora en gran medida la potencia computacional de la GPU, gracias a que aumenta el paralelismo en el acceso a memoria principal. La propuesta incrementa el número de accesos en paralelo a memoria principal mediante la aceleración de la gestión de las acciones de búsqueda y reemplazo relacionadas con los accesos que fallan en la cache. La propuesta FRC se basa en una pequeña estructura cache auxiliar que descongestiona el subsistema de memoria eficientemente, aumentando las prestaciones de la GPU hasta un 118% de media respecto al sistema base. Además, también reduce en 57% el consumo energético de la jerarquía de memoria. / [CAT] En els últims anys, la creixent necessitat de capacitat de còmput ha suposat un repte que ha portat a la indústria a buscar arquitectures alternatives als processadors superescalars amb execució fora d'ordre convencionals, amb l'objectiu d'incrementar la potència de còmput alhora que s'aconsegueix una major eficiència energètica. Les arquitectures GPU, les quals fins fa només una dècada es dedicaven exclusivament a l'acceleració dels gràfics en els computadors, han sigut una de les alternatives més utilitzades durant alguns anys per a aconseguir l'esmentat objectiu. Una de les característiques particulars de les GPU és el seu elevat ample de banda per a accedir a memòria principal, la qual cosa permet executar un gran nombre de fils de forma molt eficient. Aquesta característica, així com la seua elevada potència computacional executant operacions de coma flotant, ha originat l'aparició del paradigma de computació anomenat GPGPU computing, paradigma on les GPU realitzen còmput de propòsit general. Les citades característiques converteixen a les GPU en dispositius especialment apropiats per a l'execució d'aplicacions massivament paral·leles que tradicionalment s'havien executat en processadors convencionals d'altes prestacions. El treball desenvolupat en aquesta tesi persegueix ajudar a millorar les prestacions de les GPU en l'execució de les aplicacions GPGPU. A aquest efecte, com a primer pas, es realitza un estudi de caracterització on s'identifiquen les característiques més importants d'aquestes aplicacions des del punt de vista de la jerarquia de memòria i el seu impacte en les prestacions. Per a això s'utilitza un simulador detallat cicle a cicle on es modela l'arquitectura d'una GPU recent. L'estudi revela que és necessari modelar de forma més detallada alguns components crítics de la jerarquia de memòria de les GPU per a obtindre resultats precisos. Els resultats obtinguts mostren que les prestacions aconseguides poden variar fins i tot en un factor de 3× depenent de com es modelen aquests components crítics. Per aquest motiu, com a segon pas abans d'elaborar la proposta de millora, el treball se centra en determinar quins components de la jerarquia de memòria de la GPU necessiten modelar-se amb major detall per a millorar la precisió dels resultats del simulador i en millorar els models existents d'aquests components. A més, es realitza un estudi de validació que compara els resultats obtinguts amb els models millorats contra els d'una GPU comercial real. Les millores implementades redueixen la desviació dels resultats del simulador sobre els resultats reals al voltant d'un 96%. Finalment, una vegada millorada la precisió del simulador, en aquesta tesi es presenta una proposta innovadora, denominada FRC (sigles en anglés de Fetch and Replacement Cache), que millora en gran manera la potència computacional de la GPU, gràcies a que augmenta el paral·lelisme en l'accés a memòria principal. La proposta incrementa el nombre d'accessos en paral·lel a memòria principal mitjançant l'acceleració de la gestió de les accions de recerca i reemplaçament relacionades amb els accessos que fallen en la cache. La proposta FRC es basa en una xicoteta estructura cache auxiliar que descongestiona el subsistema de memòria eficientment, augmentant les prestacions de la GPU fins a un 118% de mitjana respecte al sistema base. A més, també redueix, al voltant d'un 57%, el consum energètic de la jerarquia de memòria. / [EN] In recent years, the growing need for computing capacity has become a challenge that has led the industry to look for alternative architectures to conventional out-of-order superscalar processors, with the goal of enabling an increase of computing power while achieving higher energy efficiency. GPU architectures, which just a decade ago were applied to accelerate computer graphics exclusively, have been one of the most employed alternatives for several years to reach the mentioned goal. A particular characteristic of GPUs is their high main memory bandwidth, which allows executing a large number of threads in a very efficient way. This feature, as well as their high computational power regarding floating-point operations, have caused the emergence of the GPGPU computing paradigm, where GPU architectures perform general purpose computations. The aforementioned characteristics make GPU devices very appropriate for the execution of massively parallel applications that have been traditionally executed in conventional high-performance processors. The work performed in this thesis aims to help improve the performance of GPUs in the execution of GPGPU applications. To this end, as a first step, a characterization study is carried out. In this study, the most important features of GPGPU applications, with respect to the memory hierarchy and its impact on performance, are identified. For this purpose, a detailed cycle-accurate simulator is used to model the architecture of a recent GPU. The study reveals that it is necessary to model with more detail some critical components of the GPU memory hierarchy in order to obtain accurate results. In addition, it shows that the achieved benefits can vary up to a factor of 3× depending on how these critical components are modeled. Due to this reason, as a second step before realizing a novel proposal, the work in this thesis focuses on determining which components of the GPU memory hierarchy must be modeled with more detail to increase the accuracy of simulator results and improving the existing simulator models of these components. Moreover, a validation study is performed comparing the results obtained with the improved GPU models against those from a real commercial GPU. The implemented simulator improvements reduce the deviation of the results obtained with the simulator from results obtained with the real GPU by about 96%. Finally, once simulation accuracy is increased, this thesis proposes a novel approach, called FRC (Fetch and Replacement Cache), which highly improves the GPU computational power by enhancing main memory-level parallelism. The proposal increases the number of parallel accesses to main memory by accelerating the management of fetch and replacement actions corresponding to those cache accesses that miss in the cache. The FRC approach is based on a small auxiliary cache structure that efficiently unclogs the memory subsystem, enhancing the GPU performance up to 118% on average compared to the studied baseline. In addition, the FRC approach reduces the energy consumption of the memory hierarchy by a 57%. / Candel Margaix, F. (2019). Efficient L2 Cache Management to Boost GPGPU Performance [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/125477 / TESIS

<p>The current thesis investigated to which extent Korean heritage speakers (N = 20) maintain their L1 phonology by comparing their perceptual abilities with those of native speakers and English-speaking second language learners of Korean (N = 20) in an AX discrimination task. An AX discrimination task was implemented to measure perceptual accuracy of participants in discriminating the Korean lenis–aspirated stop contrast (aspirated stops: ‘ㅍ’ [p^h], ‘ㅌ’ [t^h], ‘ㅋ’ [k^h]; lenis stops: ‘ㅂ’ [p], ‘ㄷ’ [t], ‘ㄱ’ [k]) which is believed to be the most challenging among the Korean laryngeal categories to acquire not only for second language learners but also native speakers. To investigate whether linguistic factors known to be correlated with overall proficiency of heritage speakers can extend to Korean heritage speakers’ perceptual abilities, the current thesis examined the effects of language use and exposure, age of acquisition, and articulation rate on the perceptual accuracy in the AX discrimination task. Results of a mixed-effects logistic regression model showed that heritage speakers were as accurate as native speakers in discriminating the contrast while outperforming second language speakers. Another finding of the current study is that verbal fluency of heritage speakers measured by articulation rate was found to be a predictor for their perceptual accuracy. The results align with previous work suggesting that heritage speakers have the advantage of early language exposure and use that is sufficient to develop and maintain native-like phonological perceptual abilities later in life.</p>

<p><a>A translingual approach to writing as a new paradigm has been proposed to challenge English monolingualism, question traditional ideas on language difference, advocate for writer agency in shaping their own language, and legitimize additional languages/varieties as resources rather than deficits in the target language teaching, learning, and using. Though these central tenets are broadly valorized, the notion of “translingual” has elicited a number of concerns, such as the partial representation of language mixture ideas in sociolinguistics and second language studies, the pedagogical implications for language learners, the discouragement of discussion about similarities and differences among languages, and the missing discussion of language development. Given these concerns, a translingual approach has not been well-represented in the field of L2 writing. </a></p> <p>In this dissertation, I introduced the development of the notion of a translingual approach to writing, summarized its conceptual debates, outlined its practical enactment, conducted a case study to examine a L2 writing process from a translingual approach, and discussed the possibilities and challenges of a translingual approach to L2 writing. To be specific, the notion of a translingual approach to writing has been continually extended by incorporating various concepts, such as a temporal-spatial approach, translation, spatial repertoires, and an ecological approach. This extension has elicited some debates on its conceptualization, e.g., code-switching vs. code-meshing vs. rhetorical sensibility, language competence vs. language performance, a multilingual approach vs. a translingual approach, and a translingual approach to writing and L2 writing. Despite these debates, a translingual approach to writing has been implemented in different contexts (such as EFL, ESL, ENL, and cross-cultural contexts) with different writer groups (e.g., K-12 students, college students, and professional writers) and for different purposes (such as, improving teaching, motivating learning, and being more creative in writing).</p> <p>The results from the conceptual debate synthesis, enactment summary, and the case study indicated that a translingual approach is possible to benefit L2 writing theoretically, ideologically, and pedagogically. However, the findings also showed the challenges of a translingual approach to L2 writing, such as the confusing definition of “translingual writing” with L2 writing, the resistance of language norms by a translingual approach, and the blurring differences between languages and language users. Hopefully, this dissertation could be a bridge between a translingual approach to writing and L2 writing. </p>

Studies have shown that composition and L2 writing teachers give different scores (Golombek, Weigle, Boldt, & Valsecchi, 2003) and focus on different features (Brown, 1991) when assessing student writing, which is assumed to be due to the differences in their background and training (Santos, 1992; Atkinson & Ramanathan, 1995). Error gravity is thought to be one reason why composition and L2 writing teachers give different scores (Rifkin & Roberts, 1995). Common methods for examining error gravity were to analyze scores and responses given by the raters and to have raters reflect on the rating process and analyze their responses. Only one study had used eye-tracking methodology to explore the raters’ reading behaviors (Eckstein, Briney, Chan & Blackwell, 2018). The current study built on Eckstein et al.’s study to examine how composition and L2 writing teachers rate grammar errors differently. The researchers identified three native-like errors and three nonnative-like errors and introduced them into eight paragraphs written by students in a first-year composition class. The researchers asked composition and L2 writing teachers to read and assess the eight paragraphs while an eye-tracker measured their eye-movements. We assume that what raters look at while assessing the paragraphs reflects what they are cognitively processing (Rayner, 1998). The results indicate that composition and L2 writing teachers assign significantly different scores to grammar (L2 writing teachers assign higher scores), yet their reading behaviors are similar. This indicates that teachers with different backgrounds do not process grammar errors differently, but rather reach different scores based on other differences.

<div>Having historically received less attention than other linguistic structures(Derwing & Munro,2005),second language (L2) pronunciation instruction represents an emergent area of research in the field(Thomson & Derwing, 2015). While several methods have been shown to be effective for improving L2 segmental production, including explicit instruction(Aliaga-García & Mora, 2009; Lord, 2010; Saito & Lyster, 2012)and inductive visual feedback instruction (Offerman & Olson, 2016; Olson, 2014b; Olson, 2019), there is a notable lack of empirically-based research comparing approaches(Derwing & Munro, 2015; Leeet al., 2015). Moreover, research has largely ignored the effects of instruction on L2 perception, due in part to the tacit assumption thatL2 perception precedes L2 production (Levy & Law, 2010). Responding to these gaps, this study provides a large-scale comparative analysis of three types of pronunciation instruction (explicit instruction[EI], visual feedback[VF], and a combination instruction [CI] approach) on L2 segmental production and perceptionin Spanish. Production-oriented analyses focus on the change in voice onset time (VOT), and perceptual analyses focus on anL2 discrimination task (AXB task) and a nativeness judgment task (Liker-scale ratingtask).Differences in VOT for the stops /p,t,k/ in word-initial position exist for English (long-lag VOT) and Spanish (short-lag VOT) (Lisker & Abramson, 1964), causing notable accentedness for English-speaking L2 learners of Spanish (Lord, 2005), thus serving as the basis for L2 learner performance. Considering results for the production portion of the study, all three experimental groups were found to outperform the control (CO) group, along with each experimental group significantly improving individually from pretest to posttest. For the perception portion, participants did not display difficultly in discriminating between long-lag and short-lag productions at the pretest, and as such, showed no improvement following instruction. In contrast,results from the nativeness judgment task showed thatparticipants were not able to categorize sounds as native-like (Spanish) or non-native-like (English), and significant improvement following training was found only for the CI group. Additionally, previous L2 perception theories largely focus on category formation and discrimination of sounds, such as the SLM (Flege, 1987), the PAM (Best, 1994), and the PAM-L2 (Best & Tyler, 2007), while this study considers perception as it applies to both discrimination and the social categorization of sounds in the L1 and L2. For the production and perception portions, the CI group largely outperformed all groups. It is proposed that the combination of two different modalities, auditory and visual (Baran-Łucarz, 2012), provides learners more resources for noticing (Schmidt, 1990) differences between their L1 and L2 forproduction and perception purposes.Moreover, the CI treatment is proposed to be most beneficial for teaching L2 pronunciation, although more research is to be done with comparative analyses for different segments in the L2, as it has been previously noted that not all pronunciation treatments are equally beneficial to L2 learners for different segmental features (Ruellot, 2011). This study adds to theoretical understanding of L2 phonetic acquisition, in both production and perception,while empirically testing pedagogical approaches in a classroom setting.<br></div>

The current research built on Yan, Miller, Li, and Shu’s (2008) eye-tracking study, which examined how second grade native Chinese speakers focused on Pinyin and Chinese characters while reading sentences. This research also used eye-tracking to examine how Chinese foreign Language learners (CFL) fixated on Pinyin and Chinese characters to determine if Pinyin facilitated or distracted from character learning. Two groups participated in this research: first semester university students enrolled in a beginning level Chinese class, and third, fourth, and fifth grade students enrolled in Chinese dual language immersion (DLI). All participants were asked to read eight sentences in Chinese with Pinyin placed above the characters. These sentences included familiar, unfamiliar, and new characters based on the students’ curricula. Results indicated that the DLI students spent significantly more time and fixations on Pinyin than characters, whereas the first semester university students spent more time and fixations on unfamiliar and new characters than Pinyin. The students also completed a questionnaire about Pinyin, which showed that the majority of elementary students liked having Pinyin above the characters and did not think that Pinyin was distracting. A much smaller percentage of first semester university students liked having Pinyin above the characters, but the majority realized that it was distracting. It seems that the first semester university students used Pinyin as a tool, but the DLI students used it as a crutch. Pedagogical suggestions are provided.