An Analysis of Innovative Teaching of English Phonetics for Non-English Major Students

Phonetics is the cornerstone of language.The improvement of the proficiency of pronunciation has a great effect on the level of English listening and speaking skills.Learners with high proficiency in pronunciation can communicate effectively in terms of thoughts,culture,and emotions[1].However,due to the limitations of the language environment,subject characteristics,and traditional teaching methods,non-English majors often face problems such as difficulty in pronunciation and lack of motivation for learning,which raise concerns regarding the English phonetic learning situation among these students.Therefore,innovative phonetic teaching is of great significance to non-English majors.This paper aims to provide some innovative and effective strategies for the innovative teaching of English phonetics for non-English majors to meet the learning needs of students,and to provide useful guidelines for future teaching reform and practice.According to the literature review and personal teaching experience,the article summarizes some innovative strategies that can improve the teaching of non-English majors’pronunciation,such as using real situations and technical assistance,encouraging cooperative learning,gamifying phonetic learning,and so on.By implementing these strategies,students can improve phonetic sensitivity and pronunciation accuracy,thereby enhancing their listening skills and oral fluency.

On English Vocabulary Teaching of Non-English Major Students

Non-English major students often feel frustrated in learning English vocabulary by rote memorization. Meanwhile, as thebasis of understanding and expressing language, vocabulary is vital to the smooth development of college English teaching reformsand the comprehensive improvement of students' English level. Therefore, it's necessary for college English teachers to researchthe rules of vocabulary teaching and give indispensable guidance to students.

The Effects of Integrating Language Learning Strategy into EFL Instruction for Non-English Major Students in Vocational Technical Colleges

Language learning strategies play an important role in language learning. Students in vocational technical colleges have been regarded as low English proficiency learners due to their weak foundation in learning English. To explore the solution, the present study employed a specific survey of language learning strategy use and tried to conduct a one-semester language learning strategy training, aiming to investigate the effects of integrating language learning strategy into EFL instruction for non-English major students in vocational technical colleges. We found after the instruction, the difference in the frequency of overall strategy use between the experimental group and the control group was significant indicating that the students could be trained with language learning strategies to enhance the frequency of their strategy use. After language learning strategy instruction, the experimental group didn＇t perform significantly better than the control group in terms of their English language proficiency. However, the results of this present study still supported this viewpoint that the strategy instruction had positive impacts to some extent if properly conducted, for it had positive effects on enhancing students＇ language learning strategy use.

The Evaluation of the Cultural Contents in the English Textbook for Non-English Major Students:A Case Study at Independent College in China

This study investigates the existing General English textbook focusing on the cultural contents to enhance the intercultural awareness cultivation of Non-English major students in China.The findings of this study can provide the valuable information of cultural contents adaptation in the textbook.It also can reveal teachers’expectation and their awareness of teaching General English together with integrating cultural contents.Apart from the textbook analysis,10 English teachers participated in the study.Data were collected using New Century College English Zooming In:An Integrated English Course,checklist,and in-depth interview.The findings from the checklist verified that the cultural contents of the existing textbook are insufficient.Moreover,the in-depth interview uncovered that though the cultural contents appear in the textbooks,however,they are somewhat minimal expressions that deficient to support the effective intercultural cultivating.Based on the results of the analysis and exploration,this study provides a guidance on the types of intercultural content to be adapted in this course.The findings of this study can be beneficial to the intercultural textbook adaptation for academic institutes and individuals interested in the field of English language teaching and learning.

The Exploration of the Helpful Roles Teacher Can Play to Help non-English Major Students Improve Their English Writing

It is commonly known that writing is an advanced skill which is essential in language learning but at the same time the most difficult task for learners. This paper is with the aim to explore helpful roles that teacher can play to help non-English major students improve their English writing, so as to help improve their writing ability in the author's context.

Error Analysis of Non-English Major Students＇ Compositions and Lexical Teaching

The paper presented here investigates the kinds of lexical and grammatical errors made by Chinese EFL college students in their English compositions. Errors are then identified and .categorized to trace their causes. The analysis of the errors along with the interviews of students and teachers show that vocabulary acquisition is one of the most important factors that affect the writing proficiency of the Chinese students especially the college students. Reasons for these errors are analyzed and suggestions are Out forward for reference.

Revisiting Krashen’s Hypothesis:Teaching EFL to Mixed-Level Non-English Major Student of Cenderawasih University

Teaching English as a compulsory subject in Cenderawasih University has always been a challenging one.The situation and condition faced by the lecturers who are from English education program are complex.They have to teach English in the first year,sometimes until second year for non-English major students from different programs.At the same time,they deal with big classes from all programs.Issues in the teaching and learning process in the classroom may include total number of students,students’background knowledge of learning English,learning conditions,and teaching and learning style.Since these issues have happened throughout the years,several elements from Krashen hypothesis can be considered to help to create a better language learning environment.This study focuses on those elements of comprehensible input,reduced anxiety level,and active participation.These elements can be urgently suggested to English teaching and learning process at university level,particularly to teach EFL(English as a foreign language)to mixed-level non-English major university students to produce an effective language learning environment.

Fossilization of Non-English Major Students' Spoken English

It's common that non-English major students meet fossilization in their English study. The author focused on the fossilization of non-English major students' spoken English and wrote this article in four parts. Firstly,give the recent research on fossilization; secondly,state the main problems in non-English major students' oral English presentation; thirdly,analyze the reasons of this phenomenon; lastly,give a conclusion.

Assessment of Oral English: Testing the Non-English Major Students at Guangxi TCM University in P.R. China

This paper intends to give a brief overview of oral English testing for non-English major students in Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) University, which is located in a minority autonomous province in the southern part of P.R. China. It arises from the concrete problems facing Chinese teachers of English who feel troubled when offering an oral English test to an ever increasing number of non-English major students at the end of each semester. The frustration comes not only from the labor intensive and time consuming activity but also from the surrounding ethical issues of subjectivity by the teachers and of injustice to the students to give and receive fair marks. Moreover, there is a conflicting gap between the criteria used by the foreign native English speaking teachers and Chinese teachers of English because of their different cultural background and concept of testing. Nevertheless, an oral English test was designed and the procedures were devised, adopted, and administered to assess the student’s performance. The test and procedures, based on the national course syllabus for testing non-English majors, the level of attainment in oral English of the students, and the limited number of teaching personnel in the TCM University, utilized two different approaches. The native English speakers follow their own concept of devising formats of group testing procedures and assessment criteria forms highlighting communicative interaction. Meanwhile, the Chinese teachers of English emphasize individual rehearsed presentations and ask the student to follow up questions, to make further comment, and inquire about learning experience from the passage in order to make assessment and evaluation. Final student scores were calculated by combining daily participation of the student, the assessment foreign teacher, and the evaluation of Chinese teachers.

Analysis of Non-English Major College Students’Test Anxiety in CET-4

Test anxiety, which means individuals show excessive worry, nervousness and anxiety in examination contexts, is becoming a more and more common phenomenon. A moderate level of test anxiety will motivate students while a too high or too low level of test anxiety will influence students’ academic performance and their cognitive abilities. Most present researches are focused on secondary school students or on the final exam of a specific school. Few researches on college students and standard tests can be found. Therefore, the researcher took 255 college students as samples to investigate the test anxiety level of non-English majors, their attitudes towards different test tasks (ATDTT) and the correlation between them. The results of the research are as follows: Firstly, the students from non-English majors are at the lower of a moderate test anxiety level in CET-4 and there is no significant gender difference. Secondly, among the four sections in CET-4, students are most positive in writing, less positive in translation and reading, and the least positive in listening. Thirdly, students’ ATDTT in CET-4 are negatively correlated with total test anxiety, cognitive anxiety and emotional anxiety. The researcher hopes this research can offer some help to teachers and students in need.

扩展目标跟踪Student’s t逆Wishart平滑算法

脉冲干扰和离群量测信息等因素通常会导致异常的厚尾噪声,这使得以高斯假设为前提的扩展目标跟踪(ETT)估计器的性能急剧降低,针对该问题该文提出一种基于扩展目标随机矩阵模型(RMM)的Student’s t逆Wishart平滑(StIWS)算法。首先,将目标的运动状态以及过程噪声和量测噪声建模为Student’s t分布以表征异常噪声对扩展目标概率分布的影响,将目标扩展状态建模为服从逆Wishart分布的随机矩阵。然后,在Student’s t贝叶斯平滑框架下,详细推导了能在扩展目标的多重特征动态演变的过程中有效估计目标状态的StIWS算法。最后,通过扩展目标跟踪的仿真实验结果和真实场景实验结果验证了所提算法的有效性。

Frequency and associated factors of accommodation and non-strabismic binocular vision dysfunction among medical university students

AIM:To investigate the frequency and associated factors of accommodation and non-strabismic binocular vision dysfunction among medical university students.METHODS:Totally 158 student volunteers underwent routine vision examination in the optometry clinic of Guangxi Medical University.Their data were used to identify the different types of accommodation and nonstrabismic binocular vision dysfunction and to determine their frequency.Correlation analysis and logistic regression were used to examine the factors associated with these abnormalities.RESULTS:The results showed that 36.71%of the subjects had accommodation and non-strabismic binocular vision issues,with 8.86%being attributed to accommodation dysfunction and 27.85%to binocular abnormalities.Convergence insufficiency(CI)was the most common abnormality,accounting for 13.29%.Those with these abnormalities experienced higher levels of eyestrain(χ2=69.518,P<0.001).The linear correlations were observed between the difference of binocular spherical equivalent(SE)and the index of horizontal esotropia at a distance(r=0.231,P=0.004)and the asthenopia survey scale(ASS)score(r=0.346,P<0.001).Furthermore,the right eye's SE was inversely correlated with the convergence of positive and negative fusion images at close range(r=-0.321,P<0.001),the convergence of negative fusion images at close range(r=-0.294,P<0.001),the vergence facility(VF;r=-0.234,P=0.003),and the set of negative fusion images at far range(r=-0.237,P=0.003).Logistic regression analysis indicated that gender,age,and the difference in right and binocular SE did not influence the emergence of these abnormalities.CONCLUSION:Binocular vision abnormalities are more prevalent than accommodation dysfunction,with CI being the most frequent type.Greater binocular refractive disparity leads to more severe eyestrain symptoms.

Investigation of the Acceptability of Cultured Meat in University Students

Background: Over the past 20 years, cultured meat has drawn a lot of public attention as a potential solution to issues with animal husbandry, including inadequate use of natural sources, improper animal welfare practices, and possible risks to public health and safety. The novel method of producing meat through culture reduces the need for animals to produce muscle fiber, thereby obviating the necessity for animal slaughter. Apart from its ethical advantages, cultured meat presents a possible way to fulfill the expanding need for food among growing populations. The purpose of this research was to find out whether Turkish students would be willing to pay for and accept cultured meat. Technique: Method: 371 university students who willingly consented to fill out a questionnaire and provide demographic data make up the research sample. Questions from previous studies on the acceptability of cultured meat were compiled to create the survey. The research’s data collection took place in March and April of 2022. The research was completed in June 2022 after the data had been processed and analyzed. Results: The results showed that the majority of participants were female and had omnivorous eating habits. Based on the results of the Bonferroni correction test, students with a higher intention to purchase and consume cultured meat were those who received economics and business education. Students with two years of university education had a higher overall survey score than those with four years of education (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it is discovered that there is a negative correlation between the participants’ ages and their Factor 2 (using cultured meat as an alternative to industrial meat) and Factor 3 (consuming and purchasing it) section points (r = -109, p = 0.036) (r = -0.121, p = 0.019). In conclusion, university students generally have a negative outlook on health-related issues, such as eating cultured meat as an alternative.

Evaluating the feasibility and preliminary effects of an online compassion training program for nursing students:A pilot randomized controlled trial

Objectives:This study aimed to assess the feasibility of an online compassion training program for nursing students and preliminarily investigate its effects on mindfulness,self-compassion,and stress reduction.Methods:This study employed a randomized controlled trial design.Second-year students from a nursing college in Guangzhou,China,were recruited as research participants in August 2023.The intervention group participated in an 8-week online compassion training program via the WeChat platform,comprising three stages:mindfulness(weeks 1e2),self-compassion(weeks 3e5),and compassion for others(weeks 6 e8).Each stage included four activities:psychoeducation,mindfulness practice,weekly diary,and emotional support.Program feasibility was assessed through recruitment and retention rates,program engagement,and participant acceptability.Program effectiveness was measured with the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale,Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form,and Perceived Stress Scale.Results:A total of 28 students completed the study(13 in the intervention group,15 in the control group).The recruitment rate was 36.46%,with a high retention rate of 93.3%.Participants demonstrated high engagement:69.2%accessed learning materials every 1e2 days,93.3%practiced mindfulness at least weekly,with an average of 4.69 diary entries submitted per person and 23.30 WeChat interactions with instructors.Regarding acceptability,all participants expressed satisfaction with the program,with 92.4%finding it“very helpful”or“extremely helpful.”In terms of intervention effects,the intervention group showed a significant increase in mindfulness levels from pre-intervention(51.54±10.93)to postintervention(62.46±13.58)(P<0.05),while no significant change was observed in the control group.Although there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in post-intervention self-compassion and perceived stress levels,the intervention group showed positive trends:selfcompassion levels increased(35.85±8.60 vs.40.85±5.54),and perceived stress levels slightly decreased(44.77±8.65 vs.42.00±5.77).Conclusions:This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of an online compassion training program for nursing students and suggested its potential effectiveness in enhancing mindfulness,self-compassion,and stress reduction.Despite limitations such as small sample size and lack of long-term follow-up,preliminary evidence indicates promising prospects for integrating such training into nursing education.Further research is warranted to confirm thesefindings and assess the sustained impact of this approach on nursing education and practice.

Comparison of vergence mechanisms between university students with good and poor sleep quality

AIM:To compare the vergence mechanisms between good and poor sleepers in university students.METHODS:A total of 64 university students were recruited in this study.The validated Malay version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire(PSQI-M)was used to measure the participants’sleep quality over the past month.Participants were categorized as good sleepers(n=32)and poor sleepers(n=32)based on the PSQI-M scores.Heterophoria and fusional vergences were measured at distance and near.Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare heterophoria,negative fusional vergence(NFV),and positive fusional vergence(PFV)at distance and near between good and poor sleepers.Spearman correlation analysis was used to study the relationship between PSQI-M score and PFV at distance.RESULTS:Both distance and near heterophorias were not significantly different between good and poor sleepers(P>0.05).There was a difference in distance PFV(P<0.05)between good and poor sleepers,but not in distance NFV,near NFV,and near PFV(P>0.05).Distance PFV was negatively correlated with PSQI-M score(rs=-0.33,P<0.05).CONCLUSION:University students with poor sleep quality demonstrates a reduced ability to maintain fusion with increasing convergence demand at distance.Sleep quality assessment during binocular vision examination in university students is recommended.

The Impact of Social Media on Dietary Behaviors and Body Image of College Students: A Qualitative Approach

Background: The use of social media platforms for health and nutrition information has become popular among college students. Although social media made information readily accessible in different formats, nutritional misinformation promoted by influencers and non-experts caused negative impact on diet behavior and perception of body image. Previous research indicated that extensive use of social media was positively linked to disordered eating behaviors. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram that allow users to follow celebrities intensified exposure to influencers’ messages and images and resulted in negative moods and body dissatisfaction. Objective: This paper aims to explore the impact of social media on college students’ dietary behaviors and body image. Participants: 18 undergraduate students from a public university in the Southern United States were recruited through a mass email. Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative study of three focus groups was conducted. The focus groups were based on guiding open-ended questions. Atlas.ti was used to code and analyze the data using inductive and deductive codes. Results: Three main themes were identified. The conditions theme included elements that explain why and how social media influences the participants’ actions. The actions theme included eating behavior, physical activity, and dietary supplement intake. The consequences theme describes anticipated or actual outcomes of actions such as body image and ideal weight. Conclusions: Social media has had a negative influence on diet behaviors and a positive influence on physical activity. Evidence-based nutrition and weight management information is needed to thwart potential misinformation.

How University Athletics Can Impact Mental Health among Student Athletes at the University of Evansville

In recent years, the NCAA student athlete population in the United States has surpassed 500,000, and is continuing to rise each year [1]. These student athletes work their entire lives academically and athletically to reach the ultimate goal: competing in university athletics. However, when these athletes reach university, they are met with non-stop training, homework, exams, and evolving social lives. We have conducted a study at the University of Evansville evaluating how participation in university athletics may impact mental health status among these student athletes, as well as measuring players’ awareness of accessible mental health resources. Over fifty percent of participants reported experiencing at least one mental health condition while competing in their sport;eighty percent reported having knowledge of the mental health resources available to them on campus, however, nearly thirty percent of those knowledgeable reported not knowing how to access these resources. This has indicated a gap in awareness and utilization of mental health resources among student athletes at the University of Evansville.

Knowledge of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) among Medical Students in a Tertiary Hospital in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Background: Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) remain a common cause of death, functional disability, emotional suffering and economic burden among hospitalized patients. Knowledge of HAIs is important in its prevention and control. This study seeks to assess the knowledge of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) among medical students in a Tertiary Hospital in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study done in October 2019 among clinical medical students using a Multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using the IBM SPSS 20 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Ethical approval was granted by Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Ethics Committee, Jos, Plateau State. Results: A total of 219 students in the clinical arm of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences were selected. A higher proportion (97.7%) of respondents knew about Hospital Acquired Infections and 85.4% knew that Hospital Acquired infections occur in the hospital, and (86.3%) considered patients contagious with half (58.9%) considered patients as the most important source of HAIs, followed by care givers (13.2%), then doctors including medical students and interns (10.0%) and lastly nurses (8.7%). The majority of respondents (70.8%) considered Surgical Wound Infections to be the most commonly occurring HAI, followed by UTIs (69.9%), RTIs (61.2%), BSIs (37.0%) and others (0.9%). The clinical thermometer was the instrument that most commonly transmits HAIs (82.6%), then followed by stethoscope (62.1%), white coats (53.9%), and blood pressure cuff (51.1%). Most respondents knew the infectious substances, like blood (96.3%), nasal discharge (82.6%), saliva (85.3%), and faeces (79.4%) transmitted HAIs, 72.6% of the respondents said that they were aware of the recommended hand washing techniques by WHO. Conclusion: The majority of students 91.3% had good knowledge while 8.7% had poor knowledge of HAIs. Lower classes had more respondents with poor knowledge. This finding was statistically significant (p = 0.002, Chi-square 12.819). Students are encouraged to keep up the level of knowledge they have about HAIs. These students can help improve the knowledge of those whose knowledge level is low. Government and NGOs should support sponsorship for capacity-building events targeted at HAIs for healthcare workers and medical students.

Knowledge of Risk Factors for Hypertension among University Students in Northwestern Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Obesity, excessive alcohol use, cigarette smoking, a lack of physical activity, stress, and an unhealthy diet are modifiable risk factors linked to hypertension. Non-modifiable risk factors for hypertension include older age and a family history of hypertension. The purpose of this study was to assess university students’ knowledge of hypertension risk factors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at St. Augustine University of Tanzania. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Out of a total score of eight, a score of four or more was considered good knowledge, and a score of less than four was considered poor. All sociodemographic characteristics were included in logistic regression to calculate the adjusted odds ratio. Results: A total of 390 undergraduate students participated in this study. Most of the participants 266 (68.2%) identified stress as a risk factor for hypertension. The median (IQR) knowledge score was 2 (2 - 3). Overall, only 43 (11.0%) of the participants had good knowledge of risk factors for hypertension. However, none of the sociodemographic factors were associated with a good level of knowledge of risk factors for hypertension. Conclusion: Our findings highlight poor knowledge of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for hypertension among university students in northwestern Tanzania. Only stress and older age were known by more than half of the students as risk factors for hypertension. To reduce the burden of hypertension, it is crucial for prevention and control programs to target improving university students’ knowledge of risk factors for hypertension.