Research into second language strategies has started as a result of the shift of focus, from teachers and teaching to learners and learning which has taken place in the field of education over the last few decades. Strategies used by good language learners have been revealed, strategies used by successful and less successful language learners have been compared, and factors influencing the use of learning strategies have also been investigated. As an attempt to contribute to gaining more insights into language learning strategy, this research aims to investigate the writing strategies used by successful and less successful English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners and the relationship between strategy use and the learners’ success. A multi-method approach combining both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used to answer the research questions. This approach was achieved by means of method triangulation which consisted of structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and learning diaries. Nine female adult native Vietnamese students, who were in their second year of a four-year Bachelor program at Hanoi University in Vietnam, participated in the study. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning of the data collection phase. Guidelines for diary writing were then provided to the participants. Semi-structured interviews which served as the primary method of data collection were finally conducted with each of the participants. Findings from the study showed that the successful writers not only used strategies more frequently but also used more metacognitive, memory, compensation, and cognitive strategies than the less successful writers. The study also found some strategies which were most and least frequently used by both the successful and less successful writers.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Geography, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-60).

The purpose of the present study was to explore the coping strategies and learning techniques students with reading difficulties/disabilities (e.g., dyslexia) view as effective and commonly use to cope with the demands of postsecondary education. The present study employed a basic qualitative interpretive research design to discover and understand the perspectives and experiences of the students interviewed for this study (Merriam, 1998). Semi-structured interviews were utilized to provide insight into the experiences of these individuals. Analysis of the data generated from these interviews maintained a focus within the theory of resilience. There were three major themes that emerged from the interviews: (1) struggling to learn: recognizing the impact of learning difficulties and/or disabilities; (2) embracing the positives and negatives of a diagnosis; (3) surviving the learning experience: using coping strategies and learning techniques. Despite the adversities the participants within the current study faced, they all reported instances in which they were able to positively adapt and adjust in order to experience success and resilience in their lives. This study concluded with a discussion of the practical implications of the findings, the limitations and strengths of the study, and areas for future research.

abstract: This study articulates a framework of writing strategies and validates the framework by using it to examine the writing process of researchers as they write journal articles for publication. The framework advances a definition of writing strategies and a classification system for categorizing strategies that is based on strategic goals. In order to develop the framework, I first synthesize existing literature on writing strategies found in second language writing studies, composition studies, and second language acquisition. I then observe the writing process of four researchers as they write journal articles for publication and use the framework to analyze participants’ goals, their strategies for accomplishing goals, the resources they use to carry out strategies, and the variables that influence their goals and strategies. Data for the study was collected using qualitative methods, including video recordings of writing activities, stimulated-recall interviews, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The study shows that the framework introduced in the study is useful for analyzing writers’ strategies in a comprehensive way. An operationalizable definition of ‘writing strategies’ is the conscious and internalized agentive ideas of a writer about the best way to act, often with the use of resources, in order to reach specific writing goals embedded in a context. Writing strategies can be categorized into seven types of strategic goals: composing, coping, learning, communicating, self-representation, meta-strategies, and publishing. The framework provides a way to understand writing strategies holistically—as a unit of goal, action, and resource—and highlights variability in writers’ actions and use of resources. Some of this variability in writers’ strategies can be explained by the influence of various contextual factors, which are identified in the analysis. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of how the framework can be used to inform future research and classroom teaching on writing strategies. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Applied Linguistics 2016

A indústria de frangos brasileira, representa um importante gerador de divisas e empregos, e tem-se destacado no cenário internacional altamente competitivo, e com fortes barreiras de entrada, sejam elas de natureza econômica, sanitárias, ou econômicas disfarçadas por uma justificativa sanitária. O excelente desempenho do setor, justifica-se pelos diversos fatores, sejam eles de natureza econômica, geográfica, e pela competência das principais empresas do setor. Neste sentido, é que o presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar as principais estratégias adotadas pelas duas maiores empresas brasileiras exportadoras de carne de frango, líderes no setor. Após análise de diversos relatórios setoriais, materiais institucionais das próprias empresas, e consultas à diversos artigos sobre o setor, realizou-se um breve questionário com o objetivo de identificar as principais estratégias destas empresas, além de possíveis ferramentas de análise estratégica utilizadas. Verificou-se que as estratégias gerais das empresas baseiam-se na diversificação de produtos para atender a novos mercados. Para isso torna-se necessário o investimento em inovação, como objetivo de desenvolvimento de produtos de maior valor agregado. Além disso somente uma das empresas analisadas utiliza-se de ferramentas formais de análise estratégica, mais conhecidas pela literatura acadêmica. / The Brazilian poultry meat industry represents an important exchange value and employments maker, and has been detached it in the international market, high competitive, and with strong entry barriers, being them from economics nature, sanitary, or economics disguised by one sanitary justification. The sector excellent performance, justifies it for the different factors being from economic nature, geographic nature, and for the competence of mayor industry companies. In this sense, the present study has the objective to analysis the main strategies adopted by the big two poultry meat Brazilian exporters companies, leaders in industry. After to analysis various industry reports, institutional material of the companies, and consulting different articles about the industry, a brief questioner was prepared, with the intend to identify the main strategies of this companies, besides possible strategies analysis tools used. Find out that the companies general strategies, relies in the products diversification to attend new markets. For that, it makes necessary investment in innovation, with the objective to develop products with high aggregate value. Besides, only one of the companies analyzed, uses strategic analysis formal tools, most known in the academic literature.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo avaliar a proporção que assumem as atividades de serviços nas montadoras, as estratégias e trajetórias recentes em torno destas atividades, bem como analisar as implicações do desenvolvimento destas atividades no interior da indústria. Para este propósito, foram analisados os dados de desempenho financeiro de doze montadoras, as mais expressivas da indústria automobilística, bem como acompanhadas suas estratégias de serviços, ao longo do período 1998-2004. A partir dos dados financeiros das montadoras pesquisadas, extraídos dos relatórios anuais destas companhias, a pesquisa procurou avaliar a real dimensão das atividades de serviços entre as montadoras. Através da proporção que assumem os serviços nas contas do Balanço Patrimonial e nas contas de resultado, foi possível estabelecer, simultaneamente, o peso que assumem nos negócios totais das companhias e sua importância enquanto fonte geradora de lucros. Observa-se em geral um forte peso dos serviços nas companhias pesquisadas, motivado pelo movimento das montadoras em direção a estas atividades nos últimos anos, determinando conseqüências para a competitividade e para a estrutura industrial do setor. Por outro lado, a partir do acompanhamento das estratégias das companhias no período, principalmente através de notícias da imprensa especializada mundial, foi possível estabelecer suas trajetórias recentes em serviços e apontar algumas perspectivas. Foram acompanhadas não só as estratégias em serviços financeiros tradicionalmente fornecidos pelas montadoras, mas também o movimento recente de engajamento nos serviços baseados na telemática e internet. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho permitem identificar os diferentes posicionamentos quanto às atividades de serviços pelas montadoras e algumas tendências recentes. / This work aims to assess the ratio taken by the car assembly companies service activities, their strategies and the recent trajectories surrounding these activities, as well as to evaluate the implications of the development of these activities within the industry. For this, twelve assembling companies the most significant in the automotive industry - had their financial performance data analyzed and their service strategies were followed up within the period 1998-2004. As from the financial data of the assembling companies researched, taken from these companies annual reports, the research sought to evaluate the real magnitude of the service activities among the assembling companies. As from the ratio taken by services in the Balance Sheet accounts and in the result accounts, it was possible to simultaneously establish the weight they assume in the companies total business and their importance while a profit-generating source. The significant weight of services can generally be observed in the companies researched, motivated by the movement of the assembling companies towards these activities in the last years, determining consequences for the competitiveness and for the sector industrial structure. On the other hand, from following the companies strategies in the period, mainly by means of news in the specialized world press, it was possible to establish their recent trajectories in services and to point out some perspectives. Not only the strategies in financial services traditionally provided by the assembling companies, but also the recent movement of engagement in services based on telematics and the internet were followed. The results obtained from this work allow identifying the different positioning as to the service activities by the assembling companies and some recent tendencies.

Reading is a vital skill both in and outside of school. We are constantly in a world of letters through different types of media, newspapers, smartphones, work etc. You can’t escape it, because we see it everyday in our lives. Many studies point out that Swedish pupils’ reading ability has dropped severely and that the number of people with poor reading skills has increased. The studies show that the most common curriculum for reading classes is for the students to answer questions or write about what they have read in their books. The teacher’s reading skill is instrumental for developing the students’ reading ability. The purpose of this study is to investigate what learning strategies teachers use to develop students’ reading ability in their second-grade pupils of primary school. Three teachers will be interviewed and given the chance to describe their teaching style and approach to improving their ability to teach. Moreover, Langers (2005) three envisionment-worldswill be utilised: To be outside and step into a envisionment-world, to be in and move through a envisionment-world, To step out and think about what you know. So will Shulmans (1986) theory which is important for the teachers’ class structure. He divides the theory into three categories: subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and curricular knowledge. These are central competencies for teachers to adapt class structures based on the students’ different needs.To answer the questions asked in the research, I have used both observations and interviews to get a deeper understanding for the teachers’ different approaches. The observations have made it clear that the teachers mostly use to be outside and step into a envisionment-world in their classes. What is also clear is that the teachers did not work based on one reading strategy, instead they had combined the best of each reading strategy, creating their own strategy. The teachers were well-aware of their own competency and how they work to improve students’ reading ability. Lastly, both the observations and interviews also showed a lot of similarities in their class structures.

Syftet med denna systematiska litteraturstudie är att undersöka vilka didaktiska strategier som forskning påvisar främjar elevers läsförståelse vid användandet av läsförståelsestrategier. Studier som ligger till grund för denna undersökning är sex artiklar och en avhandling, vilka har analyserats utifrån den sociokulturella språksynen för inläsning av läsförståelse. Forskningsresultatet visar att de didaktiska strategier som var avgörande för elevernas användning av läsförståelsestrategier var att; modellera för användandet av läsförståelsestrategier, ge feedback till eleverna, uppmana och uppmärksamma för eleverna i användandet av läsförståelsestrategier samt att ställa frågor om elevernas läsning.

Magister Public Health - MPH / Background: In Namibia, studies showed that HIV/AIDS affects youth, especially the under 24 years age group. At the same time the pregnancy rate is also high by age 19. Interestingly, in Andara district several reports from staff working in the reproductive services have indicated that adolescent girls, who would seem to be taking responsibility in one sphere of their sexual lives by protecting themselves against unwanted pregnancy, were however not using condoms to protect themselves from HIV infection. Study Aim and Objectives: To describe the knowledge, attitude and behaviour related to HIV/AIDS amongst female adolescents who are accessing the primary health care (PHC) services for contraception. Specific objectives were to describe the knowledge of female adolescents who are accessing the PHC services for contraception about the modes of transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS, to assess their attitude with regards to condom use, abstinence and being faithful to one uninfected partner, also to determine the significance of association between age and knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, between their education level and knowledge, attitudes and behaviour and the significance of association between knowledge of HIV prevention strategies and behaviour of female adolescents accessing PHC services for contraception in the district. Setting: The study was conducted in Andara district, North East of Namibia. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional KAB study. Sample: All female adolescents who are accessing PHC services for contraception selected from multistage simple random sampling in 5 facilities and systematic sampling at facility level in Andara. All married women within this age range were excluded in the study. Data collection tool: An interviewer-administered standardised questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data analysis and Interpretations: Epi Info software 2002 was used for data analysis. The results were presented using descriptive statistics including means, 95% confidence intervals and percentages and this information was shown in tables, bar and pie charts. Cross-tabulations of knowledge, attitude and behaviour scores against demographic variables were performed. P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: 76.5% knew that unprotected sexual intercourse was the main way of getting HIV/AIDS, 77.3% knew that people could protect themselves by abstaining from sexual intercourse and 64.5% knew that people could protect themselves by having one uninfected faithful sexual partner. Out of 192 respondents who stated that unprotected sexual intercourse was the main way of HIV/AIDS transmission, 25.5% used condom every time they had sexual intercourse, 10.9% used condom almost every time they had sex, 41.1% used condom sometimes and 22.4% never used condom. Older girls and those who were in higher grades at school had more knowledge that could protect them from HIV infection. Later sexual debut is associated with increased condom usage at sexual debut. Conclusions: The general HIV knowledge of respondents and their knowledge of how to protect themselves from HIV infection were disappointing given that this study was conducted in health facilities. In this study we also see that knowledge does not always translate into the appropriate behaviour. The health services need to evaluate the targeting and effectiveness of their HIV educational messages and develop skills that will support behaviour change. / South Africa

Branding strategies in the context of startup companies has been vaguely investigated. This is surprising since companies in the early startup phase recognize a need to quickly create brand equity in order to differentiate themselves from competitors to rise above the clutter in the market space. The objective of this study is therefore to investigate what branding strategies Swedish technology startup companies employ to create brand equity. Founders of four Swedish startup companies within the technology industry has been interviewed in order to gain insight in the context of startup companies and what branding strategies they employ. The authors present some common denominators between the branding strategies that are used. It is concluded that it is crucial for startups to create brand awareness. It is also recognized that startups rarely communicate company values. Instead, functional benefits and product characteristics are often communicated. Lastly, it appears that the overarching branding strategy of the studied startup companies is their emphasis on the importance of being perceived as different compared to competitors.