A Comparative Study of the L2 Pragmatic Competence of University Students in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland:The Contributions of Sociocultural Context and Linguistic Proficiency

This study investigates the differences in pragmatic competence between Hong Kong and Chinese mainland university students.Participants included 19 native speakers of English,115 Chinese mainland students,divided into those who had spent time abroad in an English-speaking country(CM A)and those who had not(CM NA),and 97 Hong Kong students,divided into those from an English-medium secondary school(Hong Kong EMI)and those from a Chinese-medium school(Hong Kong CMI).Linguistic proficiency was measured by a C-test,and pragmatic competence by a Metapragmatic Knowledge Test,an Irony Test and a Monologic Role Play.Group scores were compared using ANCOVAs to control for differences in proficiency.The results point to a continuum of pragmatic competence—EMI>CMI>CM A>CM NA—reflecting the groups’access to English in real-life contexts.The differences between the Hong Kong groups and the Chinese mainland groups were clearest in those tests measuring processing capacity(i.e.,Irony Response Time and the Monologic Role Play).CM A,but not CM NA,performed as well as the Hong Kong groups on measures of metapragmatic awareness.The results are discussed in terms of Bialystok’s(1993)distinction between analyzed representation and control of processing.

From Theoretical Grammar to Grammatical Competence:An Empirical Study

In China,English teachers usually take a three-step approach to grammar teaching,namely,the presentation—practice—production principle(3P Principle).This method consists of both“morphology”and“syntax.”It adopts the traditional mode of grammar teaching,including knowledge presentation,grammar exercises,and grammatical competence production,which will inevitably lead to time consumption and low efficiency in grammar learning.This study is about cultivating English majors'grammatical competence through the theoretical mode of grammar teaching.The research results show that the theoretical mode of grammar teaching helps cultivate learners'grammatical competence.

A Study of Innovative College English Teaching Model for Global Competence

Against the backdrop of globalization and deepening international cooperation,countries are putting forward higher demands on the global competence of talents.In this context,college English teaching,as an important part of the higher education system,faces the challenge of cultivating globally competent talents.This study analyzes the core components of global competence through literature review,analyzes the deficiencies in existing college English teaching,and aims to explore and construct a college English teaching model that is compatible with the global competence framework.This study explores how to integrate global competency development into college English teaching from three aspects:curriculum content,teaching methodology,and assessment system.We expect that the proposed teaching model can effectively improve students’English application skills,intercultural communication skills,and critical thinking skills,so as to better meet the demand for global competence in the context of globalization.

Research on Enhancing Students’Intercultural Awareness and Competence in English Teaching

With the deepening of globalization,intercultural communication has become an important part of people’s daily lives and work.English,as an international language,plays a vital role in intercultural communication.However,simple language knowledge can no longer meet the needs of modern society.Students need to have intercultural awareness and competence to better adapt to the development of globalization.Therefore,it is particularly important to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in English teaching.This paper will discuss how to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in English teaching,which includes three parts.The first part introduces the definition of intercultural awareness and competence.The second part explores the importance of intercultural awareness and competence to students,which can help students better understand and respect different cultures,stimulate students’innovative thinking and creativity,and cultivate critical thinking skills,and is also of great significance to students’professional development,personal growth,and social responsibility.The third part discusses the effective methods and strategies to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in teaching,including carrying out cultural discussion and debate,introducing diverse materials,creating intercultural experience teaching activities,and using virtual learning tools.To a certain extent,this study can enrich the theoretical research in the field of intercultural awareness and competence,help to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence,and provide certain practical guidance for educators to teach intercultural courses.

Research on the Status Quo and Improvement Needs of Foreign Language Teachers’ Teaching Competence in Curriculum-Based Ideological Education in Xinjiang Colleges and Universities

This study investigated the status quo and further improvement needs of foreign language teachers’teaching competence in curriculum-based ideological education(CIE)in Xinjiang colleges and universities.The results show that the teachers’teaching competence in CIE is generally good,with the“cultivating quality”being the highest and the“scientific research quality”the lowest;there still exist several problems,such as teachers’lack of theoretical knowledge in CIE,lack of teaching resources,and insufficient abilities in teaching design and research.It is hoped that with the support and efforts from university administrations,teachers can improve their teaching competence in CIE through various approaches adopted and multiple measures taken,thus optimizing their teaching effectiveness,promoting the construction of CIE in Xinjiang colleges and universities in the new era,and contributing to Xinjiang’s high-quality development.

The Impact of Street Interviews on Chinese EFL Undergraduates’Intercultural Communicative Competence

The study adopts Byram’s Intercultural Communicative Competence(ICC)model as the theoretical framework,and structured interviews were conducted to explore the impact of street interviews on the participants’ICC.Analysis results revealed street interviews help students acquire knowledge in intercultural attitudes,intercultural knowledge,skills of discovery and interaction,and critical cultural awareness,aligning with the four components of Byram’s ICC model.Meanwhile,they have positive perceptions of street interviews.Therefore,street interviews have a positive effect on the development of participants’ICC.

Construction of clinical research nurse training program based on position competence

BACKGROUND As one of the most important members in clinical trials,the number of clinical research nurses(CRN)can't keep up with the growth of experimental projects,so it is urgent to build clinical research training and strengthen the background knowledge of nurses.AIM To construct CRN training program based on position competence,accelerate the construction of CRN talent pool,and provide scientific guidance significance for CRN training.METHODS Based on the position competence model,combined with literature research and qualitative interview results,the first draft was prepared of the CRN training program.Two rounds of correspondence with 16 experts were conducted using the Delphi method to determine the training program.RESULTS The effective recovery rate of the expert correspondence questionnaire was 100%and the authority coefficients of the 2 rounds of experts were 0.826 and 0.895.Finally,4 first-level indicators and determine 15 s-level indicators of training objectives.The training program included 4 first-level indicators,training requirements,content,methods,assessment and evaluation,15 s-level indicators,and 74 third-level indicators.CONCLUSION The CRN training program based on position competence is scientific and extendable,providing a basis for participation in CRN training.

Chinese High School Students' Global Competence: Development and Assessment

With the advancement of globalization and digital technology,students'ability to live in an interconnected world has become increasingly important.Global competence has gradually become an important indicator for assessing students'progress.In the study of global competence,Western countries took the lead,followed by China.China has gradually transitioned from learning from the ideas of other countries to the construction of global competence education with Chinese characteristics,demonstrating a catch-up trend.So,based on the PISA Global Competence Framework,this paper aims to interpret what global competence is,how to develop students'global competence in the context of Chinese school practices,and how to assess students'global competence using the PISA 2018 Global Competence Framework.As a result,it can substantially improve global competency research and development.

Children’s Health, Parent-Child Activities, Using Digital Devices, and Social Competence: Serial Mediation

Background: Studies have pointed out the influence of different children’s activities and prolonged use of digital products on their social development. However, whether the parent-child activities and using digital devices were serial mediators of the relationship between children’s health and social development needs further verification. Purpose: This study explored how parent-child activities and children’s use of digital devices influence the relationship between children’s health and their social competence. Method: This study used data from Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development and Care. A total sample of 2164 participants was used in this study. Serial mediation analyses were performed using model six of Hayes’ PROCESS (2012). Results: This study found that parent-child activities and the use of digital devices can serially mediate the relationship between children’s health and social competence. Children’s health could directly improve their social competence, but it could also serially mediate social competence by increasing parent-child activities and reducing the use of digital devices. Conclusion: Childcare policy planners and parenting educators should not only call on parents to reduce the use of electronic products for their children, but also encourage parents to spend more time interacting with their children, so that children can learn social skills by interacting with others in their daily lives.

Transversal Competences and Clinic Tutorship: Appreciation by Graduated Nursing Specialists

Background: Transversal competences are included in the United Nations Organization 2030 Agenda for the formation of staff professional in higher education, having disciplinary and transversal skills to develop individual, professional, social, and entrepreneurship at present time, creative individuals being able to solve social problems via collaboration. The aim was to evaluate the transversal competences developed by graduates, specialists in nursing with the accompaniment of clinic tutorship. Methods: Qualitative, phenomenological, and interpretative research. The informants were seven graduates from the Unique Program of Nursing Specialties (UPNS), from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), one participant from each knowledge field: Nursing in the Elderly, Public Health, Neurology, Physical and Sports Culture, Oncology, and two participants from Adult in Critical Condition. Information collection was through a focal group, and data analysis according to the principles of Souza Minayo. Signed informed consent was obtained previously. Results: Five categories with 24 sub-categories emerged. Category 1, Student’s perception on clinic tutorship specialty. Category 2, Competences promoted by clinic tutorship according to student’s experience. Category 3, Experiences about clinic tutorship planning. Category 4, Challenges faced by the student in the evaluation of clinic tutorship. Category 5, Opportunity fields in clinic tutorship from students’ experiences. Conclusion: Graduate students from the specialties describe transversal competences related with decision taking, collaborative work, and increase of population welfare, as well as generic disciplinary competences. The analogy of a social hinge between the clinic tutor and the student is highlighted, which allows to identify mobile and fixed components while the bolt that binds mentor with mentee is learning, by means of the accompaniment by an expert. .

Validation of the index for the core competence of nurses leading discharge planning for older patients in China

Objective:With the continuous advancement of aging in China,the number of older inpatients has increased sharply.Older patients have a high demand for planning their discharge services.Nurses serve as the leader of discharge planning for patients;there is a lack of reliable evaluation tool to evaluate the core competitiveness of nurses who implement discharge planning for older patients in China.The purpose of this study was to validate the index for the core competence of nurses who lead discharge planning for older patients developed by a project team through the Delphi method in the early stage.Methods:A cross-sectional questionnaire survey with 3-stage stratified sampling was used to select 1075 nurses from 17 public general hospitals in Ningxia,China.Results:The index consists of 4 first-level indicators,13 second-level indicators,and 57 third-level indicators.The results show that 57 third-level indicators had good discrimination.With exploratory factor analysis(EFA),4 common factors that explained 72.79%of the total variance were extracted.The Cronbach's a was 0.98,and the retest reliability within a 14-d interval was 0.86.The confirmatory factor analysis(CFA)results show that the fit of the index structure was good.The criterion validity was 0.73.Conclusions:The index presented excellent psychometric proper ties and can be used to measure the core competence of nurses in implementing discharge planning for older patients in China.

Specialised Language Content and Professional Communicative Competence in the Teaching of DaF

The teaching of German as a Foreign Language(DaF)aims to prepare students who study German and take the DaF exam for their professional studies in German universities.Therefore,it is important to integrate the elements of specialised language knowledge and develop the students’professional communicative competence in the Test DaF curriculum.This paper identifies the specialized language knowledge and professional communicative competence that should be incorporated in German language teaching,based on the objectives of the DaF examination.

Effect of “Four Passes” Training and Assessment of Nurse Specialty Knowledge on the Cultivation of Core Competence of Clinical Nurses

Background: With the development of high quality nursing service, hospitals put forward higher requirements for nurses’ service level. In recent years, the number and quality of specialized nurses remain to be improved despite the remarkable achievements in the construction of specialized nurses. Objective: This study intended to explore a standardized training mode for nurses oriented by training and assessment of nursespecialty knowledge and to summarize the practical experience of this mode. Methods: The training and assessment program was formulated by starting from the objectives of training clinical front-line nursing staff in our hospital, and the standard training and assessment were carried out from four aspects: the specialized disease knowledge, the condition observation and reporting ability, emergency and severe disease nursing, and perioperative accelerated rehabilitation guidance. These four items are hereinafter referred to as “Four Passes” training and assessment, and it was practiced in the assessment and training of nurses in our hospital from 2020 to 2022. Results: A total of 915 front-line caregivers were surveyed in our study, including 772 nurses and 143 doctors. After two years of implementation, the self-evaluation of nurses increased from (2.96 ± 0.79) points to (3.64 ± 0.78) points, and the evaluation score by doctors increased from (3.94 ± 0.74) points to (4.26 ± 0.72) points. The core competence of specialty increased from (69.22 ± 16.53) points to (85.42 ± 14.44) points. The scores of all dimensions after training were higher than those before training, with statistical significances. Conclusion: The “Four Passes” training and assessment of nurse specialty knowledge can fully mobilize the enthusiasm of managers and nurses in all departments, ensure solid specialty knowledge, improve nurses’ core competence, improve nursing quality, and create a harmonious relationship between nurses and patients as well as between doctors and patients.

Ultrasound Scanning Competencies in Midwifery Education in Zambia: Findings from a Desk Review and Needs Assessment

Introduction: Ultrasound is an essential component of antenatal care. Midwives provide most of the antenatal care but they do not perform ultrasound as it has been beyond their scope of practice. This leaves many women in Low and Middle-Income Countries without access to ultrasound scanning. The aim of this study was to identify competencies in ultrasound scanning in midwifery education. Methods: A desk review and needs assessment were conducted between July and October 2023. Articles and curricula on the internet, Google scholar and PubMed were searched for content on ultrasound scanning competencies. A Google form consisting of 20 questions was administered via email and WhatsApp to 135 participants. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. Results: The desk review showed that it is feasible to train midwives in ultrasound scanning. The training programs for midwives in obstetric ultrasound were conducted for 1 week to 3 months with most of them running for 4 weeks. Content included introduction to general principles of ultrasound, physics, basic knowledge in embryology, obstetrics, anatomy, measuring foetal biometry, estimating amniotic fluid and gestational age. Experts like sonographers trained midwives. Theory and hands on were the teaching methods used. Written and practical assessments were conducted. Needs assessment revealed that majority of participants 71 (53%) knew about basic ultrasound training for midwives. All participants (100%) said it is necessary to train midwives in basic ultrasound scan in Zambia. Some content should include, anatomy, measuring foetal biometry, assessing amniotic fluid level, and gestational age determination. Most participants 91 (67%) suggested that the appropriate duration of training is 4 - 6 weeks. Conclusion: Empowering every midwife with ultrasound scanning skills will enable early detection of any abnormality among pregnant women and prompt intervention to save lives.

Improving Language Competence of Grade Seven Learners through the I-READ Project

The Integrative Reading Enhancement and Assessment for Student’s Development(I-READ)Project aims to achieve this by providing students with diverse learning experiences that promote critical thinking,creativity,and communication skills.The project’s primary objective is to equip students with essential language skills that will enable them to comprehend,analyze,and communicate effectively.This study utilized a quasi-experimental research design.The researcher prepared reading material and a questionnaire to determine the performance of grade seven learners,who attended Cumba-Quezon Integrated School,in their language competence.The I-READ Project had a significant impact on the reading skills of the learners in the experimental group,as the learners had significant improvement in their reading capabilities.However,the research was conducted solely on grade seven learners,which limits the generalization of the findings to learners of other grades.

Implementation of an international medical student pen-pal club:survey outcomes of perceptions in cultural competency and global health

Background:Pen-pal clubs(PPC)are used worldwide for students to learn about different cultures and other skillsets without the need for travel.Many medical students are interested in global health opportunities abroad but costs,scheduling,and other barriers allow few to participate in such experiences.It is important that medical students have nuanced global medical perspectives and can contribute to the global medical community.Objective:The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that an international medical student PPC improves medical students'perspectives of cultural competency and global health engagement.Methods:In 2021,a novel medical student PPC was established that began between an American and Japanese medical school.Following a shareholders meeting,it was decided that the number of medical schools involved globally be expanded through previous institutional affiliations and online presences.In total,the club connected 50 American medical students and 52 medical students from 17 high-and middle-income countries.The primary form of communication was online;pen-pals were encouraged to communicate monthly using provided topics,although frequency and way of communication was their discretion.In February 2022,American PPC members were emailed a qualitative survey to assess the PPC's impact.Results:The survey was completed by 42%of American PPC members,95%of which were 22-26 years.Participants were preclinical medical students,60%whom were female and the majority either white(47%)or Asian(43%).Overall,the PPC positively influenced American medical students'perception of global medicine,medical education,and their cultural competency after joining the PPC compared to prior(P=0.004).Conclusion:PPCs encourage medical students to think from a global perspective and foster open-mindedness within varying social and cultural contexts.Having a global communication platform for students during medical school education may be an additional way to train aspiring global leaders.

A Study on Cross-Cultural Communication and the Cultivation of Cross-Cultural Competence in German Language Teaching in Universities

In the concept of German,cross-cultural competence is regarded as an important skill,which can help learners to better understand the differences between two cultures and establish mutual cognition.This competence can effectively reduce unnecessary misunderstandings and improve communication efficiency.In college German classes,teachers should realize that cross-cultural communication skills are crucial to the development of students’communicative competence.Therefore,they should strive to improve their teaching methods and make the courses more interesting to help students to communicate better.

How Emotion Nurtures Mentality:The Influencing Mechanism of Social-Emotional Competency on the Mental Health of University Students

Social-Emotional Competency(SEC),regarded as a critical psychological resource for individuals to adapt to social environments,is an effective protective factor for students’mental health,impacting their future success and well-being.Analyzing the impact of SEC on university students’mental health can offer valuable insights for nurturing talents with healthy psychological and physical development.Based on data from two large-scale surveys of Chinese university students,this study designed two comprehensive Multiple Mediation Models involving SEC,stress,coping strategies,and stress reaction to explore the pathway of emotion nurturing mentality.Study 1 utilized a parallel mediation model to examine the relationships between SEC,academic stress,interpersonal stress,and stress reactions.The results indicated that SEC negatively predicted academic stress,interpersonal stress,and stress reactions.Additionally,academic and interpersonal stress mediated the relationships between SEC and stress reactions in parallel.Extending these findings,Study 2 further investigated the role of coping strategies.By constructing a multiple-chain mediation model,it examined the predictive relationships among SEC,academic stress,interpersonal stress,three types of coping strategies,and stress reactions.The findings indicated that SEC negatively predicted stress,problemavoiding strategy,and stress reactions,while positively predicting problem-solving and assistant-seeking strategies.Furthermore,the two stress types and three coping strategies significantly mediated the relationship between SEC and stress reactions.This indicated that higher SEC was associated with reduced stress and more adaptive coping strategies and subsequently contributed to more favorable stress reactions.This research explored the impact of university students’SEC on mental health and its relational mechanisms,aiming to provide theoretical reference and practical insights for future efforts in cultivating SEC among university students to adjust academic and interpersonal stress,to enhance problem-solving and stress resistance capabilities,and to maintain their mental health.

College English Teaching Based on the Theory of Core Competencies

The core competencies of college students can influence their further learning,employment,and personal development.This paper explores college English teaching from the three aspects of core competencies:cultural foundation,self-development,and social participation.Adapting to the challenges posed by the new era for the cultivation of foreign language talents,the paper aims to improve students’cultural literacy,independent learning,the ability of problem discovery and problem solving,and critical cultural thinking,so as to make them more competitive in employment and entrepreneurship.

Current Status of Key Competencies among Medical Students: A Latent Profile Analysis

The purpose of this study was to understand the overall level of key competencies of medical students and explore the potential profile of key competencies, promoting quality education, and improving the quality talent cultivation in medical colleges. A stratified random sampling method selected 734 medical students from four medical colleges in Chongqing Province of China. A general information questionnaire and a key competencies survey questionnaire were used to conduct the survey. The overall score and scores of each dimension of key competencies were analyzed. Latent profile analysis was conducted to classify the key competencies of medical students and compare the distribution differences of demographic variables among different categories. The results showed that 26% of medical students have never heard of the concept of key competencies, and 59% of them are not familiar with the content related to key competencies. The score of key competencies is 3.66 ± 0.60, with the highest score in the dimension of responsibility and the lowest score in the dimension of humanistic accomplishment. The latent profile analysis classified them into three categories: “low key competencies group (14.71%)”, “medium key competencies group (36.79%)”, and “high key competencies group (48.50%)”. The R3STEP regression analysis results showed statistically significant differences in educational level and whether they served as student cadres among different key competencies categories of medical students. This paper discusses three different potential key competencies categories among medical students, and the overall level of key competencies is relatively good. However, medical students lack a comprehensive and systematic understanding of key competencies. Humanistic accomplishment, healthy living, and practical innovation are the three dimensions with lower scores and should be given more attention. Medical colleges should integrate the concept of key competencies into teaching and implement it in medical practice to cultivate more high-quality medical talents for society.