This study investigated reading comprehension, reading fluency and attitudes of students after exposure to extensive reading (ER), an approach to teaching and learning foreign languages without using a dictionary or focusing on grammar, but aiming to get learners to read extensively by choosing books on their own, for general comprehension, good reading habits and enjoyment (Day and Bamford 1998; Prowse 1999). It was conducted in the Thai context with English as foreign language (EFL) students at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT) in Thailand during a period of four months, one academic semester. The teaching procedure conformed to the principles of ER with a wide-ranging selection of graded reader books. Multiple measurements used to assess comprehension with three narrative texts were written recall protocol, and translation tests; multiple choice questions with twelve texts in timed reading to assess reading fluency; and a survey questionnaire as well as an in-depth interview to gather data on attitudes towards extensive reading. The study employed a double-control pre- and post-test (Solomon) design: two experimental groups (N = 52 and 50) and four control groups (N = 46, 48, 42, and 46) of which two are excluded from the pretest to separate out the effects caused by using the same instruments. The findings suggest positive effects of ER on the learners’ reading comprehension and provide conclusive evidence of reading fluency improvement together with a positive attitude towards ER. The study also revealed that credit or score is a key factor to encourage students to read and they preferred reading in a controlled situation in class including taking the tests of timed reading. The thesis discusses the possibility of using testing as a pedagogical tool for the improvement of reading skills. Implications drawn from the findings suggest that in order to maximize the benefits of ER, an adjustment of procedures is essential prior to the integration with language courses in the Thai and other similar contexts.

Translation quality assessment is a fast growing sub-field of Translation Studies. It focuses on the inter-relationships between the text translated from (ST) and the text translated into (TT). These inter-relationships involve the lexis, grammar, syntax, and semantics of both texts. Unlike sentences in isolation, texts are context-bound. Distinctions between text and sentence are made. Text-bound translation can only be conducted and assessed within the domain of text-linguistics. Assessment of translation quality should be based on a definable, applicable, and testable model which, in turn, should be based on a sound, comprehensive theory of translation. Current models for translation emphasite one aspect against other aspects. For instance, the grammatical model focuses on the linguistic aspect of translation. The cultural model, on the other hand, highlights the communicative aspect whereas the interpretive model concentrates on the pragmatic aspect of translation. Such artificial compartmentalization is alien to the nature of translation. As a process translation, in fact, involves the integrated synthesis of the above aspects. This theris presents a model for translation quality assessment based on a sound theory of translation which comprehends the philosophical (pragmatic), communicative (cross-cultural), and semiotic (linguistic) aspects of langauge. Since translation is a semantic entity, our model - which we label 'rhetorical' - focuses on the concept of 'meaning shifts' according to which the meaning of a text is classifiable into obligatory, extended, and accessory meanings. This does not suggest that the semantic structures of a text exist in a state of utter un-relatedness. On the contrary, they survive in the form of inter-related layers within the macro-structure of the text. The relative dominance of any of the three meaning categories determines the type of text. According to this model, texts are broadly classified into literary, non-literary, and hybrid texts. In a literary text, extended and accessory meanings abound leaving a tiny room for obligatory meaning. In non-literary texts, on the other hand, extended and accessory meanings recede to the background leaving the obligatory meaning in the foreground. In hybrid or fuzzy texts, semantic structures are disproportionately distributed with no dominance of any specific category. The topic and scope of a hybrid text determine the volume of extended and accessory meaning in relation to obligatory meaning. The model is not intended for translation quality assessment only. It has pedagogical implications as well. Translation students and trainees can implement this model in textual analysis before they embark on the process of translation. Phonological, grammatical, syntactic, semantic, and lexical correspondences between SL and TL texts are identified before assessment of translation quality is established.

This thesis is about people with mental health problems who happen to be older, rather than older people with mental health problems. Health policy that has focused on older people as a category has maintained a narrow focus on recognising depression and dementia, with older people being excluded from mental health policy aimed at adults of working age. This has resulted in age discriminatory practices, but in addition, the unique needs of people who have lived long term with mental ill health into later life have been ignored. Older people have been often conceptualised as consumers of care rather than citizens with aspirations and research about long term experience of mental ill health and recovery commonly excludes older people. This study aimed to redress this marginalisation and lack of knowledge by exploring the experience of long term mental ill health to older age from a strengths perspective congruent with recovery principles. The study is based on a social constructionist epistemology and narrative inquiry methodology. The research questions were: 1) How does living with long term mental ill health affect achievement and 2) How does long term mental ill health affect life in the present? People who were aged over 50 and who had at least 20 years duration of mental ill health that started before the age of 45 were included. Seven people were recruited though posters placed in GP surgeries, leisure centres and libraries and contacts through mental health services. Four women and three men between the ages of 52 and 76 participated. The study develops the curriculum vitae as a research tool, a method unique in mental health research, in order to root the enquiry within participant relevancies and perspectives to ensure that this previously unheard voice is captured. This tool is congruent with a biographical method that informs the development of two personalised interviews and enables the implementation of this method within a recovery (strengths) frame of reference. The resulting individual narratives were interpreted with reference to the principles of over reading and life course theory. A collective text was also developed which discusses the key findings. The novel approach taken in this research study resulted in an original contribution to current knowledge which provides evidence that can be used to challenge beliefs about people who have lived a lifetime with mental ill health. The study revealed a lifelong process where participants returned to their early life in making sense of their experiences. Long term mental ill health appeared to create an environment whereby participants maximised their chances of success by avoiding stress which has a myriad of personally relevant causes. This appeared to be achieved by keeping silent, which, whilst self-protective, nevertheless potentially exacerbated their stress further and resulted in further stressful consequences. In later life the changed sociocultural and personal environment became part of an autobiographical reasoning that sustained self-theory. This created a situation whereby the participants felt better but also worse at the same time, where personal growth co-existed alongside stress burnout but was coupled with a renewed sense of hope in later life. The implications for health and social care are discussed in relation to policy, practice, research and education in the context of age equality, recovery and long term conditions. Recommendations include: to focus on extensive durations of mental ill health as a special characteristic, to review the of use stress assessments and trauma histories in practice and research, for practitioners to establish the hopes and aspirations of older people who come into contact with services and for researchers to examine the presence of hope in older people with long term mental health problems.

Entitlement to drive is now viewed by many people as an essential component in the maintenance of independence (Box et al, 2010). Private motor vehicles are considered a key component in many aspects of contemporary life and are particularly important for people with a limitation in personal mobility. The driving task involves the smooth integration and coordination of a number of cognitive, perceptual and physical elements (Hoffman and Snyder, 2005). Testing tools designed to evaluate the effect of cognitive impairment upon driving are available but many perform poorly when evaluating both older individuals and people with a diagnosis of dementia (Molnar et al, 2006). This research project aimed to give voice to the experience of people with dementia, carers and health professionals in the construction of an effective and clinically useful prototype screening tool, specifically for use in predicting the safety of drivers with a diagnosis of dementia. A participatory action research approach was taken with two separate groups formed from a dementia volunteer support group and a health professional dementia special interest group. The key findings of the research identified characteristic driving behaviours associated with a decline in driving safety and these were used to develop a dementia and driving screening tool. Additionally, a comprehensive information guide for the monitoring and management of driving with dementia was constructed through the action of group meetings. The experiences of both research groups strongly suggested that early consideration and planning is essential in the successful management of driving and eventual driving cessation for people with dementia.

No description available.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between Elizabeth Gaskell and Romanticism, as shown in her shorter works. This investigation will be conducted in three principal ways: a consideration of Romanticism as a cultural phenomenon; a discussion of the cultural environment in which Gaskell was nurtured; and a critical appraisal of a selection of her shorter works. The first chapter is a consideration and discussion of Romanticism as a cultural shift which manifested itself through the closing decades of the eighteenth century and the early decades of the nineteenth century. Aspects of this cultural shift considered include literature, music and the visual arts. The second chapter focuses on biographical considerations with particular reference to Elizabeth Gaskell's family circumstances and the kind of education to which she had access. The remaining chapters offer a detailed discussion of a representative selection of her shorter works. These texts have been chosen to reveal her early collaboration with her husband William Gaskell; her knowledge of Romantic poets; and ways in which she developed as a writer. This development shows an engagement with an increasingly wide range of Romantic poets and a willingness on her part to engage with the darker side of Romanticism, especially through the use of Gothic techniques. The focus is on Gaskell's shorter works because these texts have received far less critical attention than her full-length novels and because of her contribution to the rise of the modem short story, as a genre distinct from the novel.

Following the loss of heavy, manufacturing industry in many industrial areas in the 1970s and 1980s, tourism has featured extensively in urban and wateriront regeneration policy because of its ability to generate substantial economic benefits to destination communities. There is now an extensive literature covering urban tourism and dockland regeneration, but visitors' perceptions of urban waterfront destinations and their on-site behaviour and d experience remain largely unexplored. Additionally, whilst there is now a substantial body of literature relating to tourism's economic impact at the macro level, less is known about tourism expenditure at destination and sub-destination levels.

The concepts of ‘place’ and ‘identity’ are increasingly being used to understand the relations between people and physical environments. This research utilised ‘place’ and ‘identity’ to examine how people negotiate environmental conditions such as vibration and noise within their talk around ‘place’ and ‘identity’. For the study context, living alongside railways was chosen as an ‘ordinary’ and ‘everyday’ physical feature within residential settings and also due to potential upcoming changes to the UK rail network such as new lines and increases in rail freight traffic. Ten qualitative interviews were generated with twelve residents living alongside the West Coast Main Line (WCML) railway in the North of England. Participants were recruited from the Defra-funded study ‘NANR209: Human Response to Vibration in Residential Environments’ (Defra, 2011). Using a discursive psychological approach, railways were portrayed as an insignificant aspect of ‘place’ in relation to the wider contexts of finding somewhere to live. Through the ‘lived ideologies’ of ‘the rural idyll’ and ‘a peaceful and quiet place’ that emerged within participants’ talk, railways could be considered as ‘disruptive’. Participants drew upon interpretative repertoires of adaptation to convey railways as initially ‘disruptive’ and as something ‘you get used to’ over time. Participants positioned themselves as being immune to the ‘disruption’ in that they no longer noticed the railways presence. Living alongside railways was presented as ‘commonplace’, which enabled participants to manage their identities of place and justify their continued residence within the context of ‘disruption’. ‘Place’ and ‘identity’ offer a way to examine how people make sense of living in places of ‘disruption’. Future research on how people make sense of continued residence alongside railways, particularly the role of adaptational repertoires, could assist in policy development.

Knowledge, and its appropriate management, has been increasingly recognised as a critical source of sustainable competitive advantage for companies. Within this context, many companies are developing their strategies and capabilities to effectively create, share and exploit knowledge. This issue has been seen to be particularly important in project-based industries, such as the construction industry. However, in spite of the espoused value of knowledge management approaches they often deliver benefits far below expectations. Research and practice has identified a number of problems and barriers which have depleted the actual benefits of knowledge management in projects and companies. A generic finding is that the major problem is the lack of effective integration of key knowledge management components. Knowledge maps have been promoted as a key solution to bring about this required integrated approach. The knowledge mapping approach has taken root in other sectors (particularly education and manufacturing), but is still at an embryonic state in construction. The starting point for this research is to investigate the potential utility of knowledge mapping as an approach to improving corporate and project performance. First, a concept model for appropriate knowledge mapping within construction project organisations was articulated through a relevant literature review. The model is made up of four key variables: interaction environment, construction actors, construction processes and knowledge transfer technologies. The concept model was tested through a single-holistic case study within a large construction and property consulting practice in South Korea. Data collection was through semistructured interviews and company document review. The primary data was analysed using content analysis and cognitive mapping. The research findings broadly confirmed that knowledge mapping is an effective approach in integrating project resources and technologies for successful knowledge management within the case study firm. The key characteristics of the concept model in practice are identified and illustrated. A contingency approach to knowledge mapping is proposed with appropriate approaches dependent upon the scope of the construction processes and the scope of the construction actors.

My research explores the interrelationship between Norwegian folk music and Norwegian jazz from 1945 to 1995 (with updates to 2002) and assesses the extent to which the results can now be considered as constituting an indigenous art form. A short historical overview of Norwegian geography and history contextualises the development of Norwegian folk music and, in particular, its musical characteristics. It is argued that the geographical remoteness of many Norwegian communities isolated the local culture from the rest of the land's population, a situation which continued until collectors such as Lindeman and Sandvik began their tours of the landlying districts from about 1830 and 1900 respectively, collecting material and comparing it with what was discovered elsewhere. The end of World War II heralded the start of an important phase of development in Swedish jazz, which began to cultivate a Scandinavian style of performance and a Scandinavian repertoire. In Norway, some years later, jazz musicians were influenced by indigenous folk music and the principal folk music types that provided inspiration are scrutinised. I then concentrate on defining a Scandinavian jazz style and a recognisable Norwegian variant. The importance of the Lydian mode in Norwegian music is discussed, and the theories of Geirr Tveitt and George Russell receive critical evaluation in relation to Norwegian jazz. Jan Garbarek's composition Molde Canticle is analysed, as is one of its successors, the album Uncharted Land. The contributions of ECM and Manfred Eicher are evaluated, and I conclude with a survey of the contributions of other central figures in the combined field of Norwegian folk music and jazz.