This Master's thesis is focused on selected factors in fluencing the learning of Czech language as a foreign language for speakers whose mother tongue is Spanish. It focuses on adult respondents aged between 25 and 40 years with a minimum level of B1. The theoretical partrepresents a brief overview of a second language learning approaches (SLA) and the relevant basic terminology.An overview of factors influencing the SLA follows and endsby own suggestion of categorizing factors for research purposes which this thesis deals with. Finally, communicative competences and selected levels of language levels A2, B1, B2 and C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages are introduced. The research part is realized by 5 semi- structured interviews through which the factors that play a significant role in the study of Czech as a foreign language are scrutinised from the point of view of the participants in the research. It is mainly about the evaluation of their own language/communication competencies, experience with teaching and about motivation to learn Czech. The uploaded and transcribed interviews are characterized by language analysis at the level of language levels. Keywords Czech as a foreign language, factors influencing SLA, interview, communicative competence,...

Swedish students’ morpheme acquisition order in English, including the acquisition of -s morphemes, is a relatively unstudied topic. Given the morphological differences between the English and Swedish languages, students learning English in Sweden may encounter difficulties in the use of the third person singular present tense -s morpheme. Research also shows that Swedish students use the plural -s morpheme rather accurately at 9-10 years old. Mapping out the usage of the -s morphemes may pave the way for understanding the difficulties learners encounter in the use of such morphemes. Furthermore, looking into the usage of morphemes that have the same form but different grammatical functions (e.g.,-s morphemes) may help us understand the relationship between different proficiency levels and the accuracy rate of morpheme usage in L2 English. To this end, this study investigates a corpus of texts produced by students learning English in Sweden in grades 6, 9 and 12. The focus is particularly on the frequency and accuracy of the use of -s morphemes, aiming at revealing which type of -s morphemes has a higher accuracy rate. The results show that the accuracy rate with the plural -s morpheme is relatively higher, whereas the possessive -‘s morpheme is the most problematic one across all levels. Additionally, the largest issue with the contracted verb form of be -‘s was that the students did not add an apostrophe between the word and the -s, rather than not using the form at all. Lastly, the third person singular present tense-s accuracy was very low in grade 6 but increased a lot through grade 9 and 12 where more complex subjects were the largest issue. However, the results indicate that further research with a larger corpus size is required to be able to generalize the findings.

La technologie de reprogrammation de cellules somatiques en cellules souches pluripotentes induites (iPS) offre aujourd’hui l’opportunité de modéliser des maladies neurodégénératives et d’étudier des neurones de patients. Nous avons utilisé cette technologie pour générer deux modèles de maladies neurodégénératives : la mucopolysaccharidose de type IIIB (MPSIIIB) et la forme ALS2 de la sclérose latérale amyotrophique (SLA). Dans le modèle MPSIIIB, nous avons montré que les iPS et les neurones de patients présentaient des défauts caractéristiques de la pathologie telle que l’accumulation de vésicules de surcharge. Des altérations de l’appareil de Golgi dans ces cellules ont également été mises en évidence. Une analyse du transcriptome de précurseurs neuraux MPSIIIB a montré des modifications transcriptionnelles touchant notamment des gènes impliqués dans les interactions de la cellule avec la matrice extracellulaire. Ainsi, dans une seconde étude, des altérations de la migration et de l’orientation de cellules de souris mutantes MPSIIIB ou de patients ont été démontrées. Ces altérations pourraient être responsables des perturbations de la neurogénèse et de la neuritogénèse chez les enfants malades. Dans le modèle SLA/ALS2, nous avons montré que les neurones de patients présentaient des défauts incluant une diminution de la surface des endosomes et des anomalies de la croissance neuritique. Alors qu’il n’existait jusqu’alors aucun modèle cellulaire pertinent reproduisant cette maladie, ce modèle permettra à présent d’étudier les processus physiopathologiques impliqués dans la maladie. En conclusion, la génération de cellules iPS permet de modéliser des maladies neurodégénératives et d’étudier les processus physiopathologiques qui sont associés sur des neurones humains en culture. Ces modèles cellulaires pourraient permettre dans un avenir proche de réaliser des criblages de molécules à visée thérapeutique / Reprogramming technology of somatic cells in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) now offers the opportunity to model neurodegenerative diseases and to study patient’s neurons. We used this technology for generating two models of neurodegenerative diseases: the muccopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPSIIIB) and the ALS2 form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the MPSIIIB model, we have shown that iPS and neurons of patients had characteristic defects of the disease such as the accumulation of storage vesicles. Alterations of the Golgi apparatus in these cells were also highlighted. Transcriptome analysis of MPSIIIB neural precursors showed transcriptional changes involving particularly genes implicated in cell-extracellular matrix interactions. Thus, in a subsequent study, alterations of migration and orientation of MPSIIIB mutant mouse cells and MPSIIIB patients’ cells have been demonstrated. These alterations may be responsible for the disruption of neurogenesis and neuritogenesis in sick children. In the ALS2 model, we have shown that patients’ neurons had defects including decreased endosomes’ surface and abnormal neurite outgrowth. As there was previously no relevant cellular model reproducing the disease, this model will now allow the study of physiopathological processes involved in the disease. In conclusion, the generation of iPS cells allows to model neurodegenerative diseases and to study associated physiopathological processes on cultured human neurons. These cell models could allow in the near future the screening of molecules of potential therapeutical interest

Children today encounter the English language on a wide scale, even outside the school walls. As they are exposed to various forms of English language input, they inevitably pick up a certain level of proficiency, which they can later use on their own. This study aims to more precisely research through which mediums English learners in primary school worldwide tend to encounter English the most, as well as how engaging in English activities outside the classroom might affect their English proficiency. By studying prior research on the subject through content analysis, it was found that, while there are some regional differences in terms of prevalence, children mainly encounter English through television, music, and computer games. It was also found that many children who had never before received any English training still possessed a level of English proficiency. These findings shed light on the importance of input for language acquisition as well as how children’s extramural interests can be of importance in the classroom setting.

The main aim of the present study was to identify examples of practical grammar instruction methods in an EFL/ESL classroom in Swedish upper secondary school. Data was collected through classroom observations and interviews. Four interview sessions were carried out with five teachers, and twelve observations were conducted in four different English classes. There are conflicting views and attitudes towards the role and place of grammar in EFL/ESL classrooms, but the participants agreed that the main goal of grammar instruction is to help students develop communicative skills. The interview results showed that four of the participants prefer inductive approaches, while the fifth regards deductive approaches as more effective. Characteristics such as student motivation, learning style, and experiences are considered equally vital for the choice of grammar instruction and application. The grammar instruction methods chosen and discussed are based on traditional structuralism, behaviourism, and the progressive natural approaches. Consistent with previous research, an eclectic grammar instruction approach was observed that blends both implicit and explicit methods to meet different learners’ needs. The methodologies which are often practically applied include grammartranslation, audiolingualism, and content- and/or task-based instruction. Nevertheless, a communicative framework using the communicative language teaching methodologies is often in the foreground, resulting in a Systemic Functional Grammar, SFG, approach. / Huvudsyftet med den aktuella studien var att identifieraexempel på praktiska grammatikundervisningsmetoder som används i ämnet engelska som andra- och/eller främmandespråk på gymnasienivå i Sverige. Data samlades in genom klassobservationer och intervjuer. Fyra intervjusessioner genomfördes med fem lärare och det gjordes även tolv klassrumobservationer i fyra olika klasser. Deltagarna hade motstridiga åsikter och attityder angående grammatikens roll och plats i klassrummet, men de var överens om att huvudsyftet med grammatikundervisning är att hjälpa eleverna att utveckla kommunikativa färdigheter. Intervjuresultaten visar att fyra av lärarna föredrar induktiva metoder, medan den femte betraktar deduktiva ansatser som effektivare. Egenskaper såsom lärstil, elevernas motivation och erfarenheter betraktas som lika avgörande för olika metodval och tillämpning. De valda grammatikundervisningsmetoderna som diskuteras i denna uppsats baseras på traditionell strukturalism, behaviorism samt de progressiva, naturliga tillvägsgångsätten. Ett eklektiskt tillvägagångssätt som blandar både implicita och explicita metoder för att möta elevernas behov observeras, vilket är i linje med tidigare forskning. De metoder som ofta praktiskt tillämpas innefattar bland annat grammatik-översättning, audiolingualism samt innehålls- och/eller uppgiftsbaserade instruktioner. Ett kommunikativt ramverk med kommunikativa språkundervisningsmetoder är ofta i förgrunden, vilket resulterar i ett tillvägsgångsätt med fokus på systematisk funktionell grammatik, SFG.

Outsourcing of IT is likely to be a perspective model of IT service delivery. However, only a small number of companies have adopted it and according to surveys, their satisfaction is relatively low. On the contrary, customer relation management (CRM) is a marketing approach that still keeps its popularity. Is not therefore CRM a solution also for outsourcing of IT? How should it be applied in the field? This master's thesis is intended for providers of outsourcing of IT and it aims to find answers to the questions above. The first step towards the goal is to identify main characteristic features of outsourcing of IT, which consequently provide a guideline for a systematic approach to the solution. The thesis does not presume reader's familiarity with CRM, hence the second chapter offers a brief yet holistic view of the issue. A synthesis of the information from the first two parts leads to a conclusion that it is not possible to decide about suitability of CRM in outsourcing of IT on a general basis, but always in the particular situation. Therefore the work suggests a set of criteria for the choice. The consecutive chapters deal with the application of CRM. Firstly, an entire system of tools for evaluation of customers is proposed. It enables providers to determine the suitable level of individual approach to each customer with consideration of both business and technical factors. Consequently, a provider can start building a relationship with his customer taking advantage of number of recommendations and tools given by this paper. It includes measures not only for convincing customers but also for increasing their retention. The thesis discusses broad variety of aspects of marketing in outsourcing of IT. Its scope ranges from customer uncertainty mitigation and purchasing process of a corporate customer, over tips on how to manage customer satisfaction, to appropriate adjustments of a service level agreement (SLA). The paper also briefly analyses the specifics of CRM in outsourcing of IT in the public sector.

This diploma thesis deals with a comparison of available "as a service" solutions for enterprise asset records for small and medium businesses in the Czech market. The aim is to find solutions that would best suit the needs of companies to acquire a new system as a service module such as elimination of large initial investment into selected solution and extensive funding for its maintenance. The thesis introduces concepts such as ERP ASP, SaaS, Cloud computing, SLA and their characteristics in the theoretical part of the thesis, which is in the first two chapters. The practical part -- third and fourth chapter -- deals with the practical analysis of current business process property records, finding the gaps and the call for essential criteria for the selection of a new solution. It also search for available solutions in the Czech Republic and analyzes their characteristics at the base of pre-selected criteria and peer comparison. The fifth and last chapter deals with the calculation and evaluation of the suitability and subsequent recommendations for the selection of a particular solution. The thesis draws data from publicly available information provided by suppliers of "as a service" modules solutions for enterprise asset records management.

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Motivation spelar en betydande roll för hur inläraren lyckas tillägna sig ett andraspråk, då processen är tidskrävande och fordrar elevens fortsatta engagemang (Gass & Selinker, 2008, s. 426). I ämnet svenska som andraspråk ska, enligt Skolverket, läsning och analys av skönlitteratur ingå (Skolverket, 2011, s. 2). Då böcker med ofta obegriplig text kan upplevas som svåröverkomliga hinder i andraspråksundervisningen kan motivation bli den drivkraft som hjälper eleven att överkomma motgångar och distraktioner i läsandet. Denna närstudie av en åttaårig elev i andraklass avsåg att undersöka hur drama som pedagogiskt verktyg i läsandet av en av skolan tillhandahållen skönlitterär bok påverkade hens motivation och upplevelse av läsningen och hur hen gav uttryck för detta. Studien är sålunda en kvalitativ, fenomenologisk studie av ett barn med engelska som förstaspråk. Audioinspelningar nyttjades för att dokumentera de dramabaserade aktiviteter som användes vid läsandet av boken, samt elevens reaktioner. Till analysen transkriberades delar av inspelningarna. Resultatet visade på att informantens engagemang, inlevelse och motivation beträffande läsningen ökade vid användning av drama. Hen spelade som inför publik, skrek och skrattade, illustrerade fysiskt, gestaltade inlevelsefullt karaktärerna, improviserade, och läste med ökad målmedvetenhet och läsförståelse. Hen gav också verbalt uttryck för sin glädje genom att fråga: ”Can we dramatize it? Please!” / Motivation is an important component of success in second language acquisition, as the process is both time-consuming and involved (Gass & Selinker, 2008, p. 426). According to Skolverket, the reading and analysis of fiction is a subject requirement in Swedish as a second language (Skolverket, 2011, s. 2). Books with incomprehensible words can be perceived as insurmountable obstacles in SLA, and motivation can be the driving force prompting the learner to conquer these unavoidable hurdles and distractions. The aim of this close study of an eight-year-old child in second grade was to analyze how drama as a motivation tool affected the learner’s reading experience and how the child expressed their related feelings. Consequently, the study is a qualitative, phenomenological study of a student with English as their L1. Audio recordings were used to document the drama-related activities used in the reading of the book, as well as the student’s reactions. For the analysis, parts of the recordings were transcribed. The results showed that the student’s commitment, empathy, and motivation regarding the reading increased when drama was used. The learner acted as if they were in front of an audience, laughed and screamed, illustrated with their body, embodied the characters emphatically, improvised, and read with increased conviction and understanding. Additionally, the learner verbally expressed their joy by asking: “Can we dramatize it? Please!”

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