A Comparison Between Male and Female in Their Willingness to Communicate and Use of Socio-cognitive Strategies

Willingness to communicate illustrates anyone’s tendency and wish to commence a communication.Besides,socio-cognitive strategies are used when people want to interact with others and face some difficulties.The aim of this study was twofold.The first aim was to investigate the difference in willingness to communicate between Iranian male and female.The second aim was to distinguish the frequency of socio-cognitive strategies used by Iranian advance students based on their gender.To these ends,32 advance learners(16 males and 16 females)were given the willingness to communicate questionnaire developed by MacIntyre,Baker,Clément,and Conrod(2001)and the socio-cognitive strategy use questionnaire.The range of the participants’age was 17-23 in both males and females.To analyze the result of the socio-cognitive strategies use,frequencies were counted.The result showed that although there were some similarities and differences between males and females while using socio-cognitive strategies,the differences were more in social strategies than cognitive ones.After collecting the data from the questionnaires and calculating the means of the two groups,an independent sample T-test was run to compute the significant differences between the two groups.The result of the willingness to communicate questionnaire revealed that males had more tendency in communication than females.Also,the result of the socio-cognitive strategy questionnaire showed that both groups are similar in cognitive strategy use,but they are different in social strategy use.

A New Association Evaluation Stage in Cartoon Apprehension: Evidence from an ERP Study

The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal cortical activation patterns underlying different stages of humor comprehension (e.g., detection of incongruity stage, resolution of incongruity stage, and affective stage). Event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured when 16 subjects were apprehending cartoon pictures including humorous, non-humorous and unrelated items. Results showed that both humorous and unrelated items elicited a more negative ERP deflection (N500-800) than non-humorous ones between 500 - 800 ms, which might reflect detection to incongruent element during humor apprehension. Then, both humorous and non-humorous items elicited a more positive ERP deflection (P800-1000) than unrelated ones between 800 - 1000 ms, which might reflect a classification process preliminarily evaluating whether there were attainable cues in the pictures used to form possible association between context and picture (we named it “association evaluation” stage). Furthermore, humorous items elicited a more positive slow wave than non-humorous items which also elicited a more positive wave than unrelated items between 1000 - 1600 ms, during which this component might be involved in the forming of novel associations (resolution of incongruity). Lastly, between 1600 - 2000 ms, humorous items elicited a more positive ERP deflection (P1600-2000) than both non-humorous and unrelated items, which might be related to emotion processing during humor apprehension. Based on these results, we deeply subdivided the second stage (resolution of incongruity) into two stages: association evaluation and incongruity resolution.

Dissolving Temporal Sequence： Spatial Form in James Joyce＇s Ulysses （＂Nausicaa＂ Episode）

In his 1945 study of Djuna Barne＇s Nightwood, Joseph Frank analyzes a crucial technique of modernist literature, the substitution of spatial relationships for temporal progression as a formal metaphor of thematic development. Starting with Gustave Flaubert and recognizing his efforts to duplicate the simultaneity of action possible in drama and later in film, Frank comments that since language proceeds in time, it is possible to approach this simultaneity of perception only by breaking up temporal sequence. While Flaubert introduces this method, it does not become a dominant form until James Joyce＇s Ulysses. According to Frank, spatialization of form in this novel provides an alternative to the chronological development normal to verbal structures, which can be read only in a linear fashion through time, unlike painting and the plastic arts, which can be visually apprehended instantaneously. Applied to Ulysses as a whole by Joseph Frank, the conception of spatial form might as well serve as a convenient point of departure for the analysis on much smaller, let＇s say, ＂episodic＂ scale. In ＂Nausicaa＂ episode, Joyce dissolves temporal sequence by cutting back and forth between the various levels of action in a slowly-rising crescendo to achieve the unified impact, the sense of simultaneous activity occurring in different places. For the duration of the episode the time-flow of the narrative is halted： various levels of action are juxtaposed independently of the progress of the narrative. Joyce, in this fragmentation of narrative structure, proceeded on the assumption that a unified spatial apprehension of not only separate episodes but his entire work would ultimately be possible.

MOSCOW VS.NATO:COMPROMISE WILL NOT DISPEL APPREHENSIONS

After six rounds of tough bargaining,Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Or-ganization reached on May 14 an agreement,officially known as a“FoundingAct on Mutual Relations.Co-operation and Scurity between NATO and the RUS-sian Federation".The document was formally signed by Russian President BorisYeltsin on May 27 in Paris together with the leaders of the 16 NATO memberstates.The event signifies a temporary compromise between the two sides over theNATO’s eastward expansion.Soon after the accord was reached.

Speaking Anxiety in a Kazakhstani Foreign Language Classroom

The present study aimed to contribute to our understanding of foreign language anxiety, in general, and in particular speaking anxiety in Kazakhstani environment. It was the first attempt to fill this gap and reveal more about the speaking anxiety in the Elementary level of Kazakh students group, having considered how anxiety might have affected speaking and overall classroom performance. This study addressed the issue of identifying foreign language speaking anxiety and the major consequences of language speaking anxiety reported by students learning English in the evaluation of the foreign language classroom. Anxiety levels in Kazakh students of English were studied through self-evaluation using a scale adapted from the FLCAS （Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale） developed by E. K. Horwitz, M. B. Horwitz, and Cope （1986）. As revealed by the results of this study, English language speaking anxiety does exist among the Kazakh second-year university students who participated in this study. And too, the study revealed that these students have had a number of negative experiences with speaking activities in a foreign language class.

The Effect of Apprehension on EFL Writing：Based on the Research of Non-English Major College Students

Apprehension and self-expectancy are two major factors which influence the wiring quality of the students who learn English as the foreign language. This paper will report an empirical study on the effect of the apprehension and self-expectancy on English Writing by means of the questionnaire and research of 50 non-English major students. Apprehension is about the worry in the English writing process, while the self-expectancy is the learner's expectancy on whether learning activity can lead to the specific result or not. Detailed analysis will be made based on the results of the questionnaire with the application of SPSS.In the end, this paper will give the specific relations among apprehension, self-expectancy and English writing.

THE EFFECT OF COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE ON CHINESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION FROM A CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

交际能力的重要性已得到普遍的认可,并在西方得以广泛的研究,尤其是在美国。由于跨国经济和跨文化的不断交流,多文化、多民族交流,甚至"冲突"或交流误会是不可避免的。为了便于取得人们之间的有效交流,我们必须掌握一些必要的交际知识和技能。这样,我们才能更好地相互理解、沟通、合作和交流。本文的主要目的是从跨文化角度来研究交际能力对中国大学生的交际忧虑之影响。因此,作者对中国大学生和英国大学生进行了抽样调查与对比。在对中国大学生数据所作的多元线性同归分析结果显示,"编码或表达技巧"是"双方交互"和"课堂讨论"(响应变量)的最好预测变量。而在对英国大学生数据所作的多元线性回归分析结果显示,"解码或听的技巧"是"双方交互"(响应变量)的最好预测变量。统计结果表明,学生交际能力与交际忧虑有着显著的正向的相互关系。