Web users' language utilization behaviors in China

The paper focuses on the habits of China Web users' language utilization behaviors in accessing the Web. It also seeks to make a general study on the basic nature of language phenomenon with regard to digital accessing. A questionnaire survey was formulated and distributed online for these research purposes. There were 1,267 responses collected. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Chi-square testing and contingency table analyses. Results revealed the following findings. Tagging has already played an important role in Web2.0 communication for China's Web users. China users rely greatly on all kinds of taxonomies in browsing and have also an awareness of them in effective searching. These imply that the classified languages in digital environment may aid Chinese Web users in a more satisfying manner. Highly subject-specific words, especially those from authorized tools, yielded better results in searching. Chinese users have high recognition for related terms. As to the demographic aspect, there is little difference between different genders in the utilization of information retrieval languages. Age may constitute a variable element to a certain degree. Educational background has a complex effect on language utilizations in searching. These research findings characterize China Web users' behaviors in digital information accessing. They also can be potentially valuable for the modeling and further refinement of digital accessing services.

Kindergarten Teachers’Language Modeling Behaviors in Daily Activities and Free Play

Teachers’language modeling behaviors,including frequent conversation,open-ended questions,repetition and extension,self-and parallel talks,and advanced language,have significantly impacted young children’s language learning and development.This study examined 60 classrooms from 20 kindergartens in Guangzhou,China,and analyzed 62 films of daily activities and 57 videos of free play.It aims to address the research gap in existing research that pays little attention to teachers’language modeling behaviors in daily activities and free play.The results indicate that the more frequent teachers’language modeling behaviors,the larger the vocabulary young children use and the better their performance in lexical richness.However,such behaviors in daily activities and free play are infrequent and superficial,failing to guide young children’s language development effectively.To optimize teachers’language modeling behaviors in daily activities and free play,they are expected to establish positive emotional bonds with young children in a kind and respectful manner and receive training.Teachers are also encouraged to frequently communicate and engage in dialogues with young children,create contexts that facilitate the use of language,increase the frequency of stimuli for vocabulary learning,and guide and encourage young children’s advanced language.