On the Content-based Instruction of EFL for Chinese Undergraduates

Content-based instruction has been gaining widespread popularity in the teaching of both ESL and EFL. Despite its reported and recognized advantages, however, many English teachers fail to make full use of its content and benefits of language learning. In addition, there are comparatively few studies which offer theoretical foundation for content-based teaching and constructive suggestions for its integration in the settings of EFL. This article aims to connect theory with practice and help teachers of EFL in China to maximize the potential of content-based instruction. To achieve this goal, it first presents a short literature review on project-based instruction, followed by a summary of its advantages and beneficial outcomes of using the intemet in order to implement it. It then proposes an eight-step process for the sequencing of project work and finally demonstrate a real-world project specially designed for Chinese EFL students. Both the design and the teaching activities proposed can be easily transferred to other settings..

国内Content-based Instruction研究述评

自从20世纪90年代Content-based Instruction进入中国,得到各个学科领域的关注,最近几年相关研究更是呈井喷之势,尤其是实证研究。但是,对中国知网检索文献的分析显示,CBI研究设计科学性不够,忽略了研究的伦理问题,部分研究由于自变量描述不够,影响了研究的效度。分析同样发现,实验中的干预与CBI不符,研究者将CBI与其它教学方式混淆不清。

An Empirical Study on Classroom Learning Anxiety of Secondary Vocational English Learners in Content-based Instruction

This research aims to study the relationship between content-based instruction and secondary vocational English learners.Two classes in one secondary vocational school were chosen as participants.The result shows that CBI teaching has a negative correlation with English learning anxiety and has an impact on alleviating students' anxiety.

A Study of the Effects of the Content-Based Instruction for English Majors in the Chinese Context

This study focused on the effects of the Content-Based Instruction （CBI） for English majors in the Chinese context. A quasi-experiment was conducted in an English teaching institution with tests as data collection instruments. The quantitative study indicates that CBI brings better outcome than Skill-Oriented Instruction （SOI） in developing language knowledge, language skills and disciplinary knowledge, achieving the general objectives of the national curriculum more effectively than the conventional SOL The findings throw a positive light on the reform of the national curriculum for English as a specialty and the education of English majors in China.

Point Cloud Classification Using Content-Based Transformer via Clustering in Feature Space

Recently, there have been some attempts of Transformer in 3D point cloud classification. In order to reduce computations, most existing methods focus on local spatial attention,but ignore their content and fail to establish relationships between distant but relevant points. To overcome the limitation of local spatial attention, we propose a point content-based Transformer architecture, called PointConT for short. It exploits the locality of points in the feature space(content-based), which clusters the sampled points with similar features into the same class and computes the self-attention within each class, thus enabling an effective trade-off between capturing long-range dependencies and computational complexity. We further introduce an inception feature aggregator for point cloud classification, which uses parallel structures to aggregate high-frequency and low-frequency information in each branch separately. Extensive experiments show that our PointConT model achieves a remarkable performance on point cloud shape classification. Especially, our method exhibits 90.3% Top-1 accuracy on the hardest setting of ScanObjectN N. Source code of this paper is available at https://github.com/yahuiliu99/PointC onT.

Lecturers’Efforts in Building Rapport in the English-Medium Instruction(EMI)Context:Focus on the Use of Communication Strategies

Past studies reveal the prevalence of anxiety,coupled with low motivation and disengagement among students in English-medium instruction(EMI)programs.Given the detrimental impact these negative emotions can have on learning outcomes,it is imperative that teachers establish positive emotional rapport with their students.This study explores how experienced and highly rated EMI lecturers at a Chinese university’s overseas campus use communication strategies to build rapport with their students during interactive academic activities.It identifies the strategies used by these lecturers and examines how the strategies facilitate the teaching-learning process.The data,consisting of 10 hours of tutorials and 10 hours of supervisor-student supervision meetings,is analyzed using an adapted Conversation Analysis(CA)approach.The analysis reveals three types of communication strategies(CSs)frequently used by lecturers:back-channeling,codeswitching,and co-creation of messages.By employing these strategies,the lecturers established a strong rapport with the students,which created an encouraging and supportive learning environment.Consequently,this positive atmosphere facilitated students’learning of content knowledge through English.The findings of this study have implications for the training of lecturers who encounter difficulties in establishing rapport with multilingual students in the EMI setting.

An Assessment of English Instruction for Elementary-Level Students in Jeddah Governorate, as Perceived by English Supervisors and Educators

This study investigated the perceptions of English educators and supervisors in Jeddah Governorate regarding the process of teaching English to elementary students.A survey was conducted using a sample size of 94 educators and 10 supervisors.The data indicate that respondents considered English instruction at the elementary level essential for expanding kids’perspectives,improving academic performance,and promoting international involvement.The main advantages cited are the development of English language skills and the promotion of early education.Although not as easily noticeable,the disadvantages include potential negative impacts on an individual’s proficiency in Arabic and their sense of national identification.The highlighted challenges encompass insufficient teacher training,student reluctance towards English,limited resources,and school disparities.The proposed techniques focused on prioritizing English instructors’training,ensuring the use of appropriate content,utilizing technology,and promoting awareness of students and educators.The current research found different obstacles in teaching English at elementary stages.To overcome these obstacles,it will be essential to enhance teacher competencies,develop efficient teaching methods,get the backing of stakeholders,assign adequate resources,and carry out continuous evaluations.Further research can also contribute to a better understanding of how early English learning impacts on Arabic identity and proficiency.

Exploring Pedagogical Ideologies and Strategies for College English Writing Instruction from a Generative Artificial Intelligence Perspective

This study,drawing on the commonalities between generative artificial intelligence and foreign language writing instruction,outlines the core ideology of digital humanities-based college English writing instruction,including auxiliary use of generative artificial intelligence tools,primary focus on humanistic education,and the re-production of knowledge,aiming to foster students’critical thinking,collaborative skills,and creativity.Building on this foundation,the study delves into generative artificial intelligence tools applicable to different stages of process-genre writing and their strategic applications.The use of generative artificial intelligence tools is beneficial for students to present,discuss,and share writing content,encouraging them to enhance their writing,collaboration,critical thinking,and creative abilities through deep interaction with model essays and creative discourses.

“Instruction-Category” Approach of Test Suite Construction for Oven Embedded System

Being different from testing for popular GUI software, the “instruction-category” approach is proposed for testing embedded system. This approach is constructed by three steps including refining items, drawing instruction-brief and instruction-category, and constructing test suite. Consequently, this approach is adopted to test oven embedded system, and detail process is deeply discussed. As a result, the factual result indicates that the “instruction-category” approach can be effectively applied in embedded system testing as a black-box method for conformity testing.

Effect of a low-cost instruction card for automated external defibrillator operation in lay rescuers: a randomized simulation study

BACKGROUND:To evaluate whether a simplified self-instruction card can help potential rescue providers use automated external defibrillators(AEDs)more accurately and quickly.METHODS:From June 1,2018,to November 30,2019,a prospective longitudinal randomized controlled simulation study was conducted among 165 laypeople(18–65 years old)without prior AED training.A self-instruction card was designed to illuminate key AED operation procedures.Subjects were randomly divided into the card(n=83)and control(n=82)groups with age stratification.They were then individually evaluated in the same simulated scenario to use AED with(card group)or without the self-instruction card(control group)at baseline,posttraining,and at the 3-month follow-up.RESULTS:At baseline,the card group reached a significantly higher proportion of successful defibrillation(31.1%vs.15.9%,P=0.03),fully baring the chest(88.9%vs.63.4%,P<0.001),correct electrode placement(32.5%vs.17.1%,P=0.03),and resuming cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR)(72.3%vs.9.8%,P<0.001).At post-training and follow-up,there were no significant differences in key behaviors,except for resuming CPR.Time to shock and time to resume CPR were shorter in the card group,while time to power-on AED was not different in each phase of tests.In the 55–65 years group,the card group achieved more skill improvements over the control group compared to the other age groups.CONCLUSION:The self-instruction card could serve as a direction for first-time AED users and as a reminder for trained subjects.This could be a practical,cost-effective way to improve the AED skills of potential rescue providers among different age groups,including seniors.

Effect of Specific Verbal Instructions on the Identification of Pain Location during a Passive Straight Leg Raise Test

Musculoskeletal pain is common. Because pain is subjective, objectively describing it is crucial. However, pain assessment may cause distress in patients;therefore, physical therapists (PTs) should conduct these tests quickly and accurately. Simple and clear instructions are recommended for pain assessment. However, few studies have provided evidence to support this hypothesis. Correspondingly, this study aimed to confirm the effectiveness of specific verbal instructions for pain location during five consecutive Passive Straight Leg Raise (PSLR) tests. The 28 asymptomatic participants (age 27.4 ± 9.6 years) who provided informed consent received five consecutive PSLR tests: three without and two with specific verbal instructions to ascertain pain intensity, quality, and location. The participants drew pain locations on a body chart and described the pain intensity and quality after each test. All participants were interviewed regarding the differences they noted in the presence and absence of specific verbal instructions. Each pain location was classified into one of ten areas for statistical analysis. The proportion of participants who changed the pain location was compared between the tests using McNemar’s test, and the kappa coefficient was confirmed for consistency of pain location. There was a significant difference in the proportion of participants who changed their pain location between the second and third tests and from the third to the fourth test (McNemar’s test: p = 0.003). Kappa coefficients had low consistency (κ = 0.28) just after receiving the specific verbal instructions in the fourth test compared to the third test. Consistency improved in the fifth test (κ = 0.57);93% of the participants answered that the pain location had become clearer. This study revealed the effects of specific verbal instructions in identifying pain locations. This detailed information may help PTs provide appropriate treatment and contribute to reducing pain in clinical settings.

An Integrated Image Task Planning in Satellite Networks:From Instruction Release and Observation Perspective

The unreasonable observation arrangements in the satellite operation control center(SOCC)may result in the observation data cannot be downloaded as scheduled.Meanwhile,if the operation instructions released by the satellite telemetry tracking center(STTC)for the on-board payloads are not injected on the specific satellites in time,the corresponding satellites cannot perform the observation operations as planned.Therefore,there is an urgent need to design an integrated instruction release,and observation task planning(I-IRO-TP)scheme by efficiently collaborating the SOCC and STTC.Motivated by this fact,we design an interaction mechanism between the SOCC and the STTC,where we first formulate the I-IRO-TP problem as a constraint satisfaction problem aiming at maximizing the number of completed tasks.Furthermore,we propose an interactive imaging task planning algorithm based on the analysis of resource distribution in the STTC during the previous planning periods to preferentially select the observation arcs that not only satisfy the requirements in the observation resource allocation phase but also facilitate the arrangement of measurement and control instruction release.We conduct extensive simulations to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in terms of the number of completed tasks.

The Effectiveness of Explicit Vocabulary Instruction on Productive Vocabulary Learning in Writing Among Intermediate School Learners in Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of explicit vocabulary instruction on productive vocabulary learning in writing among intermediate school learners in Saudi Arabia,verify the existence of any statistically significant differences at the significance level of 0.01 between the mean scores of the post-test of the control group and the experimental group in the vocabulary test,and verify the existence of any statistically significant differences at the significance level of 0.01 between the mean scores of the pre-and post-test of the experimental group in the vocabulary test in favor of the post-test.The study community consisted of all intermediate school students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,while the study sample included 30 students.The experimental method was adopted to identify the effectiveness of explicit vocabulary instruction on productive vocabulary learning in writing and the achievement test was used as the study tool.The study reached many results including there were no statistically significant differences at the significance level of 0.01 between the mean scores of the post-test of the control group and the experimental group in the vocabulary test and there were no statistically significant differences at the significance level of 0.01 between the mean scores of the pre-and post-test of the experimental group in the vocabulary test in favor of the post-test.According to these results,some recommendations and proposals were made including training English teachers at the intermediate school level in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,on explicit vocabulary instruction and conducting future researches on the trends of English teachers at the intermediate school level,in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,regarding the adoption of explicit vocabulary instruction while teaching the English language.

The Reform Process of English Medium Instruction in Korean Higher Education

In the context of the internationalization of higher education,many non-English speaking countries,from Europe to Asia,are promoting English as a medium of instruction(EMI).The EMI in South Korea started earlier and developed rapidly under the promotion.From the initial“Study Abroad in Korea Plan”to the World Class University(WCU)and Brain Korea 21st century(BK21)PLUS programs,with the support and guidance of the government,South Korea’s higher education has made significant progress,with the global top 100 universities in QS increasing from 1 to 6 in South Korea.

A Study on the Instructional Design of Interdisciplinary Thematic Learning in Middle School Physical Education Based on the CASES-T Model

With the deepening of educational reform,interdisciplinary thematic learning,as an emerging educational model,has become a focus of attention in the field of educational research.Based on the STEM(science,technology,engineering,and mathematics)education concept and CASES-T(Content,Activity,Situation,Evaluation,Strategy-Target)model,this study provides a theoretical basis for the teaching design and implementation of interdisciplinary thematic learning in middle school physical education.Through the analysis of specific interdisciplinary thematic learning cases,it aims to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the reform of middle school physical education through the CASES-T model-based interdisciplinary thematic teaching design research in middle school physical education,in order to enhance students’learning effects,cultivate core literacy in physical education,and promote students’all-round development.

Peer-Instruction—哈佛大学物理课程教学新方法

Peer—Instruction教学方法是哈佛大学著名教授Eric Mazur创立，使用专门设计的用于揭示学生错误概念和引导学生深入探究的概念测试题（Concep Tests），借助计算机投票系统（Computerized Voting System），组织大班课堂教学，变传统单一的讲授为基于问题的自主学习和协作探究，有效地改变了传统课堂教学手段、教学模式。在大班课堂教学中实现学生自主学习、合作学习、师生互动、生生互动。本文旨在介绍这种教学方法，阐明其教育意义和促进学生学习方面的作用，综述了PI教学方法的广泛应用和相关研究结果。

Auto-expanded multi query examples technology in content-based image retrieval

In order to narrow the semantic gap existing in content-based image retrieval （CBIR）,a novel retrieval technology called auto-extended multi query examples （AMQE） is proposed.It expands the single one query image used in traditional image retrieval into multi query examples so as to include more image features related with semantics.Retrieving images for each of the multi query examples and integrating the retrieval results,more relevant images can be obtained.The property of the recall-precision curve of a general retrieval algorithm and the K-means clustering method are used to realize the expansion according to the distance of image features of the initially retrieved images.The experimental results demonstrate that the AMQE technology can greatly improve the recall and precision of the original algorithms.

基于Peer Instruction教学方法研究大学生物理错误概念——以动生电动势为例

我们使用同伴教学法(Peer Instruction)讲授大学物理课程,分析学生在讨论概念测试题的过程中出现的各种错误表述,研究学生在动生电动势概念方面存在的错误概念.再基于研究得到的学生的错误概念开发多项选择题,对130名学习大学物理课程的学生进行测试,定量研究这些错误概念在他们中存在的普遍程度.研究表明:在动生电动势概念方面,大学生普遍存在一些错误概念.

The Effects of Schema Instruction on Reading Comprehension of English Argumentation

Based on the perspective of the schema theory and modern education technology,In this paper,the method of ran dom experimnet is used to measure how two types of schema instruction‘video clip’and‘multimedia courseware’influence Chinese college students’reading comprehension of English argumentation.The results illustrate the schema instruction can not only develop the students’sensibility of English argumentation structure,but also activate the schema in students’memory.Mul timedia courseware instruction is superior to video clip instruction.The paper proposes its viewpoints concerned.

On Problems in College English Teaching Reform on the Basis of Cloud Computing Assisted Instruction

Cloud Computing Assisted Instruction shows incomparable advantages over the traditional language teaching, but meanwhile, it exists some major problems, for instance, the information technology is omnipotent, information input is too excessive and teachers' role is considerably weakened. This article attempts to analyze the problems and promote language teaching reform base on Cloud Computing Assisted Instruction.