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This study investigated the executive functions (EF) of preschool children and their associations with emotional, linguistic, and cognitive skills, using parent and teacher reports. A total of 130 children aged 34 to 71 months participated. The preschool version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-P) was completed by both parents and teachers to assess behavioral difficulties in the use of EFs, while children were administered the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC), the Test of Language Evaluation (TVL), and the Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM). Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between parents' and teachers' reports, with parents attributing to children more EF difficulties than parents. Children's EF difficulties were negatively associated with emotion comprehension, language ability, and non-verbal intelligence, although correlations were stronger when using teachers' reports. The value of using indirect measurement of preschoolers' EF problems and the importance of adopting a multi-informant approach are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses language comprehension and developing skills with emergent readers, in particular verbal reasoning and language structures, that are necessary for later reading comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In language classrooms, listening is considered a problematic skill for various reasons. The uncontrollable nature of speech's speed of delivery plays a major role in these issues. Tight teacher control over the audio input creates even more unfavorable conditions for listeners to sufficiently absorb input. This study explores the positive effects of self-regulating the audio on listening comprehension problems of foreign language (FL) listeners. Thirty Flemish secondary school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Belgium participated in a quasi-experimental design in which the control group (N = 16) worked in pairs and listened to the audio input twice, while the experiment group (N = 14), also working in pairs, had the option to regulate the audio input. Despite having a common listening proficiency level (A2), a qualitative analysis reveals that there are prominent differences in the significance and frequency of listening comprehension problems between pairs with and without the self-regulation option. By documenting the listening problems students experience and self-regulation's effect on them, the current study illustrates the possible benefits of more autonomy for listeners and suggests new insights into listening education from linguistic and pedagogical perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated demographic profiles, reading characteristics and processes of good and poor young adult readers. Data were collected from 149 undergraduate students studying at a state university in Türkiye through a questionnaire set and eye-tracking experiments. Groups of this study – good and poor readers – were defined according to their performance in a combination of three reading comprehension tests and an oral reading skills test. As a result, significant differences were found between good and poor young adult readers in terms of their ages, genders, the number of books they have in their libraries, and eye movements such as saccade and fixation counts, saccade length, dwell time, and regressions but no differences in their reading habits, strategies, and attitudes, parents' educational and economic levels, educational backgrounds, and saccade and fixation duration. Concentrating on several components of reading, this study thus provides a comprehensive perspective on the differences between good and poor readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric perovskites are pivotal in diverse technological applications; however, a gap persists in our comprehension of their mechanical properties, emphasizing the need for additional exploration. In the present study, we report on the nanomechanical behavior of BiFeO 3 ceramics in the force range between 200 μN and 2 mN, including the evolution of the hardness and the reduced Young's modulus from (9.9 ± 0.4) GPa and (113.7 ± 6.9) GPa, respectively, with increasing force. A sequence of plastic-deformation mechanisms under the cube-corner probe was revealed through a first pop-in analysis in combination with a variety of electron microscopy techniques, starting with a homogeneous dislocation nucleation, multiplication and rearrangement leading to sub-grain formation, a phenomenon observed in metals but not in ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study examined the complex relationships among reading performance (decoding, comprehension) and language, visuo-spatial, and attentional control abilities in 115 Italian-speaking children. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct clusters of participants showcasing quantitative differences in decoding skills, including word, pseudo-word, text reading speed and accuracy. Then, we used this classification to investigate group differences in a variety of linguistic, working memory, and visuo-spatial tasks, as well as in reading comprehension skills, by means of multivariate and univariate tests. Our results reveal significant links between reading proficiency and several key factors: language skills, visuo-spatial abilities, and attentional control. These findings illuminate the nuanced impact of domain-general processes that govern a series of linguistic and visuo-perceptive subcomponents during reading tasks. Additionally, using dominance analysis, predictors of written text comprehension were identified. Our findings suggest that effective reading comprehension relies on a synergistic interplay of adequate reading speed, attentional control, working memory, and verbal fluency, accounting for 23% of the explained variance. This study highlights the multifaceted nature of reading proficiency and suggests that a broader perspective is necessary to fully understand reading development and support its improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical, radiological, and functional results for subtotal petrosectomy and cochlear implant surgery with closure of the external auditory canal and fat obliteration. Methods: We retrospectively included all consecutive cases of simultaneous subtotal petrosectomy and cochlear implant surgery performed at a tertiary referral center between 2009 and 2016 using the same surgical technique. All patients underwent postoperative high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and annual audiological assessments. A 5-year minimum clinical, radiological, and audiological follow-up was performed. The early and late postoperative results were compared. The main outcome measures were complications, postauricular retraction, fat graft reabsorption, and audiological outcomes. Results: Twenty-nine procedures performed in 23 patients (six bilateral) met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the patients was 67 ± 13.4 years and mean follow-up duration was 7.5 ± 2 years. At follow-up, postauricular retraction was detected in 24 cases (82.8%), including five cases (17.1%) with subcutaneous protrusion of implant and array. Fat graft volume was significantly reduced at late-HRCT in terms of maximum diameter (2.24 ± 1.0 cm vs 3.69 ± 0.7 cm; p < 0.0005) and surface area (1.88 ± 1.2 vs 4.24 ± 1.6 cm2, p < 0.0005). Six patients had extracochlear electrodes at late-HRCT (3/6 had an increased number of extracochlear electrodes), with a lowering of this group's performance of – 15% (p < 0.005) in the follow-up speech comprehension test. Conclusions: Subtotal petrosectomy with cochlear implantation is an effective long-term technique in selected cases. Fat grafts showed significant reabsorption at long-term follow-up with reaeration of the middle ear spaces. Prolonged clinical and radiological follow-up is recommended for monitoring implant performances and late complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the hypothesis that non-isomorphic syntax–semantics mappings pose a greater challenge for non-native (L2) than for native (L1) speakers, focusing on a previously understudied phenomenon. We carried out an antecedent judgment task with L1 German and L1 Russian-speaking, proficient L2 learners of German to examine Condition C connectivity effects in German pseudoclefts. Binding Condition C constrains the interpretation of cataphoric pronouns such that they cannot be interpreted as coreferential with a referential expression within their scope. In specificational pseudoclefts such as What she liked was Jane's office, Condition C effects can be observed in the absence of the required structural configuration, indicating that these effects result from the computation of a non-isomorphic semantic representation. For superficially similar – but semantically different – predicational pseudoclefts, no connectivity effects are expected. While the L1 speakers' judgements showed the expected selective Condition C effect, the L2 speakers showed an across-the-board effect, with their antecedent judgements based on surface-level cues to cataphoric pronoun resolution and not affected by the semantic differences between the two types of pseudocleft. These findings support the claim that establishing syntax–semantics mappings is more difficult in a non-native than in a native language if there is no one-to-one correspondence between form and interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing social-emotional learning skills into Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), the current study intended to extend the efficacy of CSR for teaching reading strategies when applying it to students in rural areas from a working-class community. To this purpose, forty-four students who made the comparison and the experimental groups were taught reading strategies through CSR and ECSR (Extended Collaborative Strategic Reading), respectively. A reading comprehension test with different question types was given to the students as pretest and posttest, and an interview was given at the end of the study to investigate the perception of the students toward reading strategy instruction through CSR and ECSR. Analysis of data indicated that only the ECSR group improved significantly in overall reading comprehension, but the componential analysis of the reading test showed that despite the fact that the CSR group showed no significant improvement in the reading tests in four formats (true–false, multiple-choice, matching, and cloze), the ECSR group improved significantly in reading tests with multiple-choice and cloze test formats. Moreover, although the students in both groups showed a positive view toward the interventions, the students in the ECSR group improved in social-emotional and communication skills. It seems that CSR can be improved to be effective by implementing the emotional component to it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the teaching of listening strategies to second language (L2) learners, this study sought to revisit Renandya and Farrell's (2011) claims that explicit listening strategy instruction for lower-proficiency learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) is a fruitless endeavor. As such, we implemented a quasi-experimental study to measure the effectiveness of a metacognitive intervention for a convenience sample of lower-proficiency (CEFR A2) Japanese university EFL learners (n = 129). The training program focused on an explicit process-based approach, involving integrated experiential learning tasks and guided reflections, to develop learners' L2 listening skills. Data collection consisted of TOEIC® test scores, listening comprehension tests, cloze tests, a listening self-efficacy questionnaire, and a post-treatment survey. While the training program was received favorably by students, and students displayed a slightly more confident stance towards listening in their L2, we were unable to find any strong empirical evidence that our lower-proficiency EFL learners' listening performance improved. As such, these results provide evidence of a potential proficiency threshold for EFL learners to start to benefit from a strategy-focused metacognitive intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal case study examines reading difficulties identified in Grade 2 and Grade 6 national assessment test (NAT) scores in relation to Grade 9 NAT in Swedish (L1) and English (L2). A norm-referenced screening was used in Grade 2 to assess word reading and reading comprehension. In line with the simple view of reading, four subgroups were identified: (1) Typical reading development, (2) Word reading difficulties, (3) Reading comprehension difficulties, and (4) Mixed difficulties. Results indicate that reading difficulties in primary school have long-standing implications for educational attainment in Swedish and English. In logistic regression models students with reading difficulties in Grade 2 and low Grade 6 NAT-scores had a higher probability to achieve low attainment levels in Grade 9. This implies that a norm-referenced screening in Grade 2 can be useful for identifying students at risk of low attainment in language subjects at the end of compulsory school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-compression is a technique that allows users to adjust the playback speed of audio recordings, but comprehension declines at higher speeds. Previous research has shown that under challenging auditory conditions people have a greater tendency to fixate regions closer to a speaker's mouth. In the current study, we investigated whether there is a similar tendency to fixate the mouth region for time-compressed stimuli. Participants were presented with a brief audiovisual lecture at different speeds, while eye fixations were recorded, and comprehension was tested. Results showed that the 50% compressed lecture group looked more at the nose compared to eye fixations for the normal lecture, and those in the 75% compressed group looked more towards the mouth. Greater compression decreased comprehension, but audiovisual information did not reduce this deficit. These results indicate that people seek out audiovisual information to overcome time-compression, demonstrating the flexibility of the multimodal attentional system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiplication of fractions was generally considered easy, but it became challenging when presented as a nonroutine problem. One solution to these challenges was integrating technology into learning. Therefore, the study is aimed at proposing a hybrid module as a solution. The design in this research was a didactical design research. The study involved 56 participants, aged 13–18 years, mainly female students from the Sasak tribe in an Indonesian junior high school. Researchers employed fraction comprehension tests, in-depth interviews, and a hybrid hypothesis module as primary instruments. For learning outcomes, NVivo-12-assisted thematic analysis was used, and for learning obstacles, retrospective-based qualitative analysis was used. The study findings revealed several factors that caused learning obstacles, including conceptual ontogenic, epistemological factors, and students' restricted Internet access. The hybrid hypothesis module proved effective in assisting students by providing additional problem contexts and scaffolding, addressing previous learning obstacles. After implementation, there was a redesign of the hybrid module in the form of additional scaffolding to help students construct the concepts studied. This research concluded that the application of technology in the form of hybrid modules was able to minimize barriers to student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effect of age on effectiveness of mnemonic instruction in enhancing reading abilities among grade three learners with dyslexia (LWD) in two public primary schools in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The Skinner's reinforcement and the Information Processing theories were employed. A quasi-experimental design was used. Two schools were used as research sites, for intervention and another for control. A sample size of 43 learners was obtained in the two selected schools using purposive sampling technique. The tools used were the Bangor Dyslexia Test, pre- and post-tests, and a reading comprehension test. The results of reading ability indicate that the score of older learners (M=24.9; SD=10.3) was significantly higher than that of younger learners (M=15.8; SD=8.3), t (21) = 2.303, p = .032. The study recommended that the Department of Basic Education should revise the policy that reading is tested from grade one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While outlining activities have been extensively utilized and proven effective in writing classes, there is a significant lack of research on various types of outlining activities in university-level reading classes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the effects of student-generated or instructor-provided outlining activities using Nearpod on college students’ reading comprehension and affective aspects in reading classes. Two existing classes totaling 86 college students were selected and allocated into an instructor-provided outlining group (N = 43) and student-generated outlining group (N = 43). The former group received reading instructions using instructor-provided outlining, whilst students in the student-generated outlining group created outlining by themselves. Outlining activity sheets were provided on Nearpod during the reading stage. Midterm and final reading comprehension tests were then administered to compare the effects of different types of outlining activities on Nearpod, and a questionnaire was used to gather students’ opinions on the use of different outlining activities and on their experiences of utilizing Nearpod. As a result, this study found no statistically significant mean difference between the two groups regardless of proficiency levels. In addition, the majority of students expressed that outlining activities had helped them to understand their texts’ structures and main ideas. Most students were satisfied with using Nearpod to complete outlining sheets, especially for peer review and receiving instant feedback from the instructor. The study further suggests the potential for improving reading abilities by engaging learners with suitable outlining activities during English reading classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glossing is a widely used and examined vocabulary learning tool, and one of the major branches of glossing research has compared the relative effects of first language (L1) and second language (L2) glosses on reading comprehension and vocabulary learning. However, the findings in this literature have not been consistent, calling for a comprehensive and systematic review. To this end, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the relative effects of L1 and L2 glossing on L2 reading comprehension and L2 vocabulary learning. Based on 78 effect sizes gathered from 26 studies representing 30 independent samples (N = 2,189), we found that L1 glossing was more effective than L2 glossing in general (Hedge's g =.33, SE =.09, p <.001), but the effect size may vary depending on the target outcome measure. The relative effectiveness of L1 glossing was particularly supported by the results of immediate posttests of vocabulary, rather than delayed posttests of vocabulary and reading comprehension tests. Further, among a few selected moderator variables, the results of meta-regression revealed that learners' L2 proficiency level significantly influenced the average effectiveness, such that L1 glossing is particularly effective for beginner learners compared to those with intermediate or higher L2 proficiency levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the development and initial validation of the "ASL Fingerspelling and Number Comprehension Test" (ASL FaN-CT), a test of recognition proficiency for fingerspelled words in American Sign Language (ASL). Despite the relative frequency of fingerspelling in ASL discourse, learners commonly struggle to produce and perceive fingerspelling more than they do other facets of ASL. However, assessments of fingerspelling knowledge are highly underrepresented in the testing literature for signed languages. After first describing the construct, we describe test development, piloting, revisions, and evaluate the strength of the test's validity argument vis-à-vis its intended interpretation and use as a screening instrument for current and future employees. The results of a pilot on 79 ASL learners provide strong evidence that the revised test is performing as intended and can be used to make accurate decisions about ASL learners' proficiency in fingerspelling recognition. We conclude by describing the item properties observed in our current test, and our plans for continued validation and analysis with respect to a battery of tests of ASL proficiency currently in development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few years, technology has offered new ways of teaching and learning. Accordingly, educational systems are adopting what technology has purveyed to education. The abrupt upsurge of the COVID-19 pandemic also expedited this employment and impelled educational systems to shift to online teaching and learning. Consequently, the offline and paper-based mode of testing has been being replaced with the online and remote mode. Whether the testing mode itself, in its nature, affects the use of reading comprehension strategies and whether learners follow the same patterns of strategies during offline and online reading comprehension tests have not been paid enough attention by scholars, and the findings of few studies in this regard in the literature are also disparate. Thus, the present paper investigated and compared the use of strategies and their patterns of use in offline and online reading comprehension testing. The quantitative analysis of the data revealed that learners apply reading comprehension strategies more in the offline testing mode although they employ the same patterns of strategies in offline and online reading comprehension testing. The qualitative phase of the study uncovered the reasons. That is learners' perception, shaped by their experience and familiarization with the mode of testing; individual differences; washback and reverse washback effects; and affective and emotional factors, yields this difference. Implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often suggested that we are equipped with a set of cognitive tools that help us to filter out unreliable testimony. But are these tools effective? I answer this question in two steps. Firstly, I argue that they are not real-time effective. The process of filtering, which takes place simultaneously with or right after language comprehension, does not prevent a particular hearer on a particular occasion from forming beliefs based on false testimony. Secondly, I argue that they are long-term effective. Some hearers sometimes detect false testimony, which increases speakers' incentives for honesty and stabilizes the practice of human communication in which deception is risky and costly. In short, filtering prevents us from forming a large number of beliefs based on false testimony, not by turning each of us into a high-functioning polygraph but by turning the social environment of human communication into one in which such polygraphs are not required. Finally, I argue that these considerations support strong anti-reductionism about testimonial entitlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many animals, contest winners are more likely to win subsequent matches while contest losers tend to lose their later fights. Such winner and loser effects can have long-lasting impacts on individual behaviour and fitness. Recent observations suggest that winner and loser effects may occur in humans, and we thus critically tested this proposition in two experiments involving video games and reading comprehension. We randomly assigned human participants to either win or lose in phase 1 by manipulating their task difficulty. Then we tested their performance in phase 2, which was moderately difficult for all participants. In both experiments, randomly assigned phase 1 winners performed significantly better in phase 2 than did randomly assigned phase 1 losers. The effect size was higher in the video game experiment than in the reading comprehension test, perhaps because the former involved an overt contest with one winner and one loser. Finally, men and women exhibited similar magnitudes of winner and loser effects. Our experimental approach as well as further critical experiments with humans can help us better understand winner and loser effects in general as well as their possible important influence on human performance. • In many animals, contest winners win subsequent matches more often than do losers. • We critically tested winner and loser effects in humans in two experiments. • Randomly assigned phase 1 winners outperformed phase 1 losers in phase 2. • Men and women exhibited similar magnitudes of winner and loser effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and its concomitant restriction measures drastically altered the routines and learning formats of students from all levels. In addition, it has been shown that pandemic-related stress negatively impacted their mental health and cognitive functioning. Undergraduates have been signaled out as one of the populations most vulnerable to pandemic-related stressors. The following work examined the link between executive functions, perceived stress and reading comprehension among Argentinean university students during lockdown measures. In addition, potential effects of reading habits and screen exposure were considered. An executive function behavioral rating scale (ADEXI), a reading comprehension test and the PSS-10 stress questionnaire were administered to two-hundred social science students through an online survey. Executive difficulties increased with perceived stress, while lower inhibition was associated with longer TV times and being male. Stress and executive function associations can be interpreted as a detrimental effect, reverse or bidirectional causation. In turn, working memory issues led to worse comprehension (mediating the impact of perceived stress) while distal factors such as print exposure and mother education were positive predictors of reading outcomes (as expected). This finding suggests that undergraduates' difficulties to manipulate online information interfered with expository text processing, resulting in poorer comprehension performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper is concerned with improving reading comprehension by intervention or intervention program for reading comprehension for English language. This program facilitates the individual into thinking and learning, as well as their progress at the level of cognitive and metacognitive processes, emotional and social factors. Cognitive and metacognitive processes stimulate comprehension of written texts. Emotional and social factors support self-efficiency in the process of developing comprehension. With this, we have the opportunity to improve reading comprehension in a greater manner. The research goal of our paper is to find out the effect of intervention for improving reading comprehension skills of Slovak high school students, specifically in regards to reading English texts, as well as to find out the strength of improvement in reading comprehension and the duration of this improvement. Our selected research sample consists of Slovak ESL students with the proficiency level of B1 according to CEFR. Chosen research methods were a didactic test (test of reading comprehension for English language) and experiment (the intervention itself). Findings in particular research groups support the intervention's efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 19-year-old student developed hypoventilation and cyanosis at the end of a cosmetic liposuction procedure. She was awake, but severely abulic, disoriented, and unable to stand and walk due to severe locomotor ataxia. Neuropsychological evaluation showed psychomotor slowness, and deficits in memory encoding and retrieval, and on executive, and visuospatial and visuoperceptual tests; oral comprehension and constructional praxis were spared. ¹H-MRS showed a reduction of NAA. A year later, her cognitive and neurological exam, and NAA returned to normal, and she resumed her normal life. The severity of the acute manifestations of hypoxic encephalopathy not always entail a poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many English language teaching contexts, listening activities resemble listening comprehension tests. Scholars have argued that this product-oriented approach is not particularly effective in helping learners improve their listening skills and have advocated for the inclusion of instruction that targets specific features of spoken language. The current study tested these claims in the context of an English-for-academic-purposes (EAP) listening and speaking course. Sixty-four post-secondary learners of English were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In addition to their regularly scheduled listening activities, one group received 100 minutes of instruction for two prosodic features (paratone and prosodic phrasing), while the other group received an equal amount of product-oriented listening instruction. After the instructional treatment, learners in the prosody group outperformed those in the product-oriented group on comprehension of the target prosodic features, and on general listening proficiency tests. It is argued that short periods of instruction targeting prosodic features can improve the effectiveness of traditional product-oriented EAP listening instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this quasi-experimental study, the effects of lexical coverage through pseudo word manipulation in dialogue comprehension are investigated. Forty-four first-year students in a Japanese university listened to five dialogues at different lexical coverage levels: 98%, 95%, 90%, 85%, and 83%. The results of the comprehension tests confirm the results seen in narrative, monologic lexical coverage studies that it is possible for intermediate EFL learners to attain adequate listening comprehension on texts with as little as 90% lexical coverage. However, variation in participants' scores on higher lexical coverage dialogues suggest pseudo word distribution and topic familiarity might be acting as confounding variables in lexical coverage studies which use pseudo word manipulation. Suggestions for methodological reform for future projects on this subject are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study explores the impact of varying multiple-choice question preview and presentation formats in a test of second language listening proficiency targeting different levels of text comprehension. In a between-participant design, participants completed a 30-item test of listening comprehension featuring implicit and explicit information comprehension questions under one of four multiple-choice question preview and presentation conditions. Interactions between preview, presentation and comprehension in the participants' test scores were analysed using many facet Rasch analysis. The results suggest that the measurement of participants' listening ability was directly influenced by the presentation of multiple-choice questions. Test scores were highest when participants were able to preview the multiple-choice question stems before the sound file and listened to the options after the text had completed. However, interactions between preview and presentation conditions and comprehension level were only statistically significant in an analysis of the low scoring students' item responses, which were more frequently correct when preview of item stems was available for questions targeting comprehension of implicit information. The research underscores the importance of accounting for test design when making inferences about language learners' listening ability and will be of interest to teachers, practitioners and researchers developing listening assessment tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored how different formats of instructional visuals affect the accuracy of students' metacognitive judgments. Undergraduates (n = 133) studied a series of five biology texts and made judgments of learning. Students were assigned randomly to study the texts only (text only), study the texts with provided visuals (provided visuals group), study the texts and generate their own visuals (learner‐generated visuals group), or study the texts and observe animations of instructor‐generated visuals (instructor‐generated visuals group). After studying the texts and making judgments of learning, all students completed multiple‐choice comprehension tests on each text. The learner‐generated and instructor‐generated visuals groups exhibited significantly higher relative judgment accuracy than the text only and provided visuals groups, though this effect was relatively small. The learner‐generated visuals group also required more study time and was more likely to report the use of visual cues when making their judgments of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High test anxiety has been associated with poorer academic performance. Test anxiety may affect academic performance by disrupting cognitive processes required for complex academic tasks, such as reading comprehension. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to clarify the cognitive pathways through which test anxiety may affect reading comprehension performance using archival clinical data of adults (n = 94; Mage = 23.35, SD = 4.32) referred for a comprehensive psychological assessment for academic difficulties. Serial multiple indirect effects analysis was used to assess for the direct and indirect effects of test anxiety on reading comprehension through cognitive processing speed, working memory, fluid reasoning, and crystallized knowledge. A second serial multiple indirect effects analysis was conducted with trait anxiety as the antecedent. Test anxiety had a significant indirect effect on reading comprehension through fluid reasoning (B= -.08, SE =.04; 95% CI [-.15 to -.01]), while trait anxiety exerted no significant effect. Results suggest that test anxiety and fluid reasoning play unique roles in disrupting academic functioning among individuals referred for academic difficulties. It may be that test anxious adults struggle to reason effectively in testing situations, leading to downstream difficulty comprehending text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric musculoskeletal disorders account for 10% of first-line consultations in Tunisia. Referral delay and deficiencies in musculoskeletal screening raise a challenge to the early diagnosis and management of rheumatic conditions in children. The pGALS (Pediatric Gait Arms Legs Spine) was developed and translated into many languages to overcome these deficiencies. Our study aimed to adapt and validate pGALS to the Tunisian dialect for school-age children. Methods: Using the Delphi method, we carried out a cross-cultural adaptation of the pGALS to the Tunisian dialect. This consensual version was validated in a cross-sectional study, in two pediatric centers. Results: Ninety-two patients were enrolled, 43 females (46.7%) and 49 males (53.3%), mean age was 9.4 ± 2.6 years. The mean test duration was 3.4 ± 2.3 min, and the acceptability and comprehension of the test were good. Six patients had a musculoskeletal complaint, 19 had positive pGALS, and 14 were diagnosed with musculoskeletal disease. The internal consistency score (Cronbach's α) was 0.852. The sensitivity of the test was 92.8%, the specificity was 92.3%, the positive likelihood ratio was 2.16, and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.01. Conclusion: The pGALS test adapted to the Tunisian dialect is a relevant, quick, and valid tool for screening musculoskeletal abnormalities in school-age children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the reading comprehension scores of students with reading and language difficulties after reading a passage with and without text-to-speech (TTS). Students, ages 8 to 12 years, read five passages under the following conditions: (a) silent read, (b) read aloud, (c) listen only, (d) TTS with no highlighting, and (e) TTS with highlighting. Students answered multiple-choice comprehension questions following each condition. Mixed ANOVAs were performed to determine whether TTS improved reading comprehension. TTS significantly improved comprehension in comparison to no TTS, and specifically, TTS with no highlighting and TTS with highlighting resulted in significantly higher comprehension scores compared to silent read. No other significant differences were found across conditions including between the presentational features of TTS, specifically TTS with no highlighting and TTS with highlighting conditions. Students were grouped as dyslexia only or reading and language impairment based on their test results. Findings suggested that students with dyslexia only scored significantly higher on reading comprehension questions in all reading conditions and derived significantly more benefit in reading comprehension from TTS and the listen only condition compared to students with Reading and Language Impairment. Overall, TTS may be a helpful tool for supporting the reading comprehension of students with reading and language difficulties, particularly for students with dyslexia only; however, further studies are needed to explore the benefits of TTS' presentational features such as highlighting with students with reading and language difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objects: The Adaptive Control Hypothesis (ACH) proposed that different interactional contexts place different demands on cognitive processes for bilinguals. However, how cognitive control processes dynamically adapt to comprehending and producing languages in different interactional contexts is still poorly understood. This study investigated how different language interactional contexts (i.e., single-language, dual-language, and dense code-switching) modulate cognitive control in bilingual language comprehension. Methodology: Inhibitory control in 36 Chinese -English bilinguals was examined through flanker tasks. Participants' language and cognitive control statuses in the three interactional contexts were manipulated through three different types of dialogue-listening. After they listened to each type of dialogue, they were instructed to complete the flanker task and answer 10 comprehension questions related to the dialogue. Data and analysis: Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) compared participants' reaction times and response accuracy in flanker tasks across the three interactional contexts. Similarly, their language comprehension performances across different interactional contexts were also compared. Findings/conclusions: Both the dual-language and Chinese single-language contexts showed significant facilitatory effects on participants' inhibitory control efficiency. Furthermore, participants performed more accurately on answering comprehension questions in the Chinese single-language context, indicating the dominant language effects on modulating bilinguals' language comprehension performance. Such effects were not found in the dense code-switching and dual-language contexts. Originality: This study provided empirical evidence for the facilitatory effects of dual-language contexts on cognitive control in bilingual language comprehension process, which further extends the ACH to bilingual's cognitive process associated with language comprehension. Significance/implications: In general, it is an attempt to explore the associations between interactional contexts and cognitive control through bilingual language and cognitive processing manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a comparative analysis of various machine learning (ML) methods for predicting item difficulty in English reading comprehension tests using text features extracted from item wordings. A wide range of ML algorithms are employed within both the supervised regression and the classification tasks, including regularization methods, support vector machines, trees, random forests, back-propagation neural networks, and Naïve Bayes; moreover, the ML algorithms are compared to the performance of domain experts. Using f-fold cross-validation and considering the root mean square error (RMSE) as the performance metric, elastic net outperformed other approaches in a continuous item difficulty prediction. Within classifiers, random forests returned the highest extended predictive accuracy. We demonstrate that the ML algorithms implementing item text features can compete with predictions made by domain experts, and we suggest that they should be used to inform and improve these predictions, especially when item pre-testing is limited or unavailable. Future research is needed to study the performance of the ML algorithms using item text features on different item types and respondent populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language disorders are among the primary obstacles in care and rehabilitation process following acquired brain injuries (ABI). While early cognitive screening is considered critical for sketching a reliable picture of patients' residual abilities and devising efficient therapeutic plans, it has been shown that commonly-used screening tools—which strongly rely on verbal materials—might be inappropriate when used with ABI patients. This study aimed at testing the robustness and validity of the Cognitive Assessment for Stroke Patients (CASP) battery—devised to minimize the use of verbal materials—and two gold-standards in clinical practice—i.e. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)—in presence of language comprehension difficulties. Forty-two ABI patients took part in the study. Half of the cohort was classified as aphasic. Participants underwent neuropsychological assessment including MMSE, MoCA and CASP, and completed the Token test to estimate language comprehension proficiency. The influence of linguistic ability on the outcomes of the screening tools was investigated. Regression analyses highlighted that, in aphasic patients, MMSE and MoCA scores proved to be significantly and remarkably determined by patients' proficiency in linguistic comprehension, while the outcome of the CASP battery was not significantly affected by language comprehension impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to develop a reading comprehension test for English 7 not perfectly Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) but similar to PISA and to determine the contributing factors of students' reading performance. This research type is formative evaluation development by Tessmer. The participants of this research were 150 high school students of two public schools in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, Philippines. The results of this study show that the approximate distribution of tasks per targeted process and text availability can be applied in designing the Table of Specifications (TOS) and there are eight indicators to consider in selecting texts and contexts and in constructing the test items in order to develop PISA-like reading comprehension test namely: (1) cognitive process, (2) format of the text, (3) type of the text, (4) situation or context, (5) type of test (6) level of question, (7) type of question and (8) text medium and text environment. The developed reading comprehension test is not perfectly PISA but only PISA-like because the indicators do not include reading proficiency levels in PISA and do not deal much with questions and item difficulty for each reading proficiency level. Results also yield PISAlike reading comprehension test items that are: (1) valid as these adhere to the PISA reading literacy criteria and the sets of questions are highly reliable; (2) practical because teachers agree that the questions can assess students' reading literacy and thinking skills; and (3) effective because the mean score of students, although very low, reflects the 2018 PISA reading result. Contributing factors of the low performance are poor vocabulary, poor reading strategies, getting bored and tired of reading, multiple texts, expectations of reading the same texts previously discussed and writing the same answers already given, type of text and reading tasks. The use of PISA-like reading comprehension test may be a great help, so teachers can modify reading comprehension test and students will be familiar with PISA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine the year, type, university, institute, major discipline, subject, method, design, study group, data collection tools and keyword trends of 102 postgraduate theses on reading strategies in Turkey between 1995 and 2022. The model of the study was designed by systematic review method. In the analysis of the data, descriptive analysis was performed using document analysis method. It was revealed that most of the postgraduate theses on reading strategies were master's theses, mostly in 2018 and 2019, at Gazi University, in educational sciences institutes and in the main branch of Turkish education. It was determined that mostly metacognitive reading strategies, reading strategies and reading comprehension strategies were the subject, quantitative methods, especially experimental design, relational screening design, survey design, single-subject designs were preferred. Most of the studies were conducted with pre-service teachers and fourth graders and with secondary school students as a group. Reading comprehension test, interview form and personal information form were used as data collection tools. It was found that the keywords reading comprehension, reading strategies, reading, metacognition and fluent reading were frequently used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined 4‐ and 5‐year‐olds' incremental interpretation of size adjectives, focusing on whether contrastive inferences are modulated by speaker behavior. Children (N = 120, 59 females, mostly White, tested between July, 2018 and August, 2019) encountered either a conventional or unconventional speaker who labeled objects in a correspondingly typical or atypical way. Critical utterances contained size adjectives (e.g., "Look at the big duck"). With conventional speakers, gaze measures indicated that children rapidly used the adjective to differentiate members of a contrasting pair, indicating that even 4‐year‐olds derive contrastive inferences. With unconventional speakers, contrastive inferences were delayed in processing. The findings demonstrate that preschoolers adjust their use of pragmatic cues when presented with evidence disconfirming their default assumptions about a speaker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive–achievement relations research has been instrumental in understanding the development of academic skills and learning difficulties. Most cognitive–achievement relations research has been conducted with large samples and represent average relations across the ability spectrum. A notable gap in the literature is whether these relations vary by cognitive ability levels (IQ). This study examined cognitive–achievement relations across different general ability levels (Low, Average, and High) to fill this gap. Based on Spearman's Law of Diminishing Returns, it would be expected that general intelligence would be a stronger predictor of academic skills at lower levels of IQ, and more specific abilities would be stronger predictors of academic skills at higher levels of IQ. To test this, multi-group path analysis and structural equation modeling were used to examine whether integrated models of cognitive–reading relations are differentiated by IQ levels in the Woodcock–Johnson III and Woodcock–Johnson IV standardization samples. Global and broad cognitive abilities were used as predictors of basic reading skills and reading comprehension for elementary and secondary school students. The magnitude of prediction differed across ability groups in some cases, but not all. Importantly, the variance explained in basic reading skills and reading comprehension tended to be larger for the Low group compared to the Average and High groups. When variance accounted for by general intelligence was removed from the broad abilities, the effects of the broad abilities were similar across ability groups, but the indirect effects of g were higher for the Low group. Additionally, g had stronger relative effects on reading in the Low group, and broad abilities had stronger relative effects on reading in the Average and High groups. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Using a 1‐year longitudinal design, we evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention programme to improve reading attainments among Chinese‐as‐a‐second‐language (CSL) learners. Using the simple view of reading as a theoretical framework, the intervention focused on students' orthographic knowledge, word reading and listening comprehension to facilitate reading comprehension. Method: A total of 186 Grade 4 CSL students (mean age = 9.22, SD = 0.56) participated in the study and were grouped into the treatment (N = 96) and control (N = 90) groups. A range of Chinese language and literacy skills were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: The path analysis showed that the intervention significantly affected orthographic knowledge, word reading and listening comprehension directly and reading comprehension indirectly through the three componential skills after controlling for nonverbal reasoning, vocabulary and autoregressors. Conclusions: The findings suggest that orthographic knowledge, word reading and listening comprehension may be promising targets for instructing young CSL learners. Highlights: What is already known about this topic: The simple view of reading (SVR) has been successfully adapted as the theoretical underpinning of literacy research and intervention design.SVR has also been widely used in studying literacy development in native‐speaking and Chinese‐as‐a‐second‐language (CSL) learners.Evidence supporting the contribution of orthographic and morphological skills, decoding and linguistic comprehension to Chinese reading development is established. What this paper adds: The results supported the effectiveness of the SVR model‐based intervention in promoting orthographic knowledge, word reading and listening comprehension for CSL reading comprehension.Direct treatment effects on Chinese orthographic knowledge and word reading were established, suggesting the usefulness of instruction on orthographic and morphological knowledge for Chinese literacy learning.The significant treatment effect on Chinese oral comprehension skills indicated a close association with metalinguistic skills and considerably affected Chinese literacy. Implications for theory, policy or practice: The findings support the usefulness of the SVR model as both a descriptive theoretical model and a prescriptive intervention model for CSL literacy development.CSL curriculum for young learners would have a more balanced curriculum built on a listening comprehension foundation and with due emphasis on Chinese orthography.CSL teachers may consider adopting an explicit and systematic progressive approach to Chinese literacy instruction to promote orthographic and morphological skills for literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims at investigating to what extent different models are suitable for teaching L2 Russian to absolute beginners in an inclusive and accessible environment. Our research involved an Experimental Group, which received Task-based Learning (TBL) instruction, and a Control Group, which experienced a more traditional presentation-practice-production (PPP) approach; both groups included learners with special educational needs (SEN), among whom some were visually impaired. As most literature advocates for TBLT over traditional teaching, we hypothesised that the Experimental Group would have acquired a better command of the taught structures. We tested our hypothesis by conducting a post-test on speaking and writing abilities, as well as listening comprehension, and reading comprehension skills. Quantitative analysis on the results of the post-test reveals how both approaches were effective. Furthermore, the group that received TBLT had statistically significant better scores than the PPP-group with regard to writing skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored (a) whether differences between students with and without ADHD in reading comprehension are explained by their executive functions, and (b) the unique and shared contribution of the various executive functions to reading comprehension ability. To address these questions, ninety-six adolescents with and without ADHD completed open-ended question tests following the reading of two expository texts, and a series of tasks to assess five EF—planning, cognitive flexibility, updating, inhibition, and monitoring. Findings demonstrated significantly lower performance on reading comprehension tests and executive function tasks, including planning, cognitive flexibility, updating, and monitoring for the ADHD group relative to the control. Critically, these four executive functions, separately, were also found as significant mediators of the difference observed in the reading comprehension ability between groups. When analyzed jointly, only monitoring remained a significant mediator over and above all others. Contrary to expectations, inhibition skill did not differ between groups, nor was it found to be a significant mediator, separately or jointly with other executive functions. These findings support the importance of executive functions in general and monitoring skill in particular for reading comprehension ability. Moreover, they suggest implications for the development of effective reading comprehension training and strategies suited to students with ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading is unquestionably a crucial component of any educational system because it not only underlies it but also permeates its aspects. Therefore, reading should be appropriately assessed. This mixed-methods developmental study developed a test package for assessing the reading competency of Grade 7 learners. The researcher used a variety of scales for validation, attribute assessment, assessment adherence principles, and indicators of a good reading diagnostic test. Analysis methods included mean, weighted mean, difficulty-discrimination indices, and Cronbach's Alpha. It was revealed that the comprehension test has a strong reliability score for a classroom test (a=.700). In contrast, the vocabulary test has a somewhat lowreliability score (a=.600). The validity results indicated that the fluency test was extremely valid (4.535), while both vocabulary and comprehension tests were very valid (4.322, 4.486). It was described as very good (4.33), and the experts concurred that it adheres to the indicators of a good reading diagnostic test (fluency: 1.00; vocabulary: 0.97; and comprehension: 0.97). Generally, the reading diagnostic test is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing students' reading competence levels, particularly in terms of fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, but further validation is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the central Indian context, there are some pictograms used in almost all pesticide packaging. These pictograms depict the nature of pesticides, their correct dosage and handling. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different colors (black, red, yellow, green, blue, and pink) on the comprehensibility of pesticide pictograms. Thirty farmers were selected as the participants of this study. Two tests were conducted in this study, a Comprehension test and a Ranking test. In the Comprehension test, comprehensibility for different colors of pesticide pictograms was evaluated. In the Ranking test, the participant's preference for colors was checked for the pesticide pictograms. Maximum comprehension level was observed for the pictogram of 'Wash after using pesticide' (100%) for all the colors. A minimum comprehension level was observed for the pictogram of 'How to handle liquid' (65%) for red color. Results indicated no significant variations (p > 0.05) in comprehension levels for changes in different colors of pesticide pictograms. Results of the ranking test indicated that the users preferred Red color (mean rank 1.37) for pesticide pictograms, while Yellow (mean rank 4.54) and Pink (mean rank 4.57) colors were the least preferred colors for pesticide pictograms. The results we mentioned are for comprehension level though no significant difference was noticed, but for the ranking test red color was preferred over other colors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is the most widely used measure to assess anomia. However, it has been criticized for failing to differentiate the underlying cognitive process of anomia. Objective: We validated the color-picture version of BNT (CP-BNT) in a sample with diverse neurodegenerative dementia diseases (NDDs). We also verified the differential ability of the composite indices of CP-BNT across NDDs groups. Methods: The present study included Alzheimer's disease (n = 132), semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA, n = 53), non-svPPA (n = 33), posterior cortical atrophy (PCA, n = 35), and normal controls (n = 110). We evaluated psychometric properties of CP-BNT for the spontaneous naming (SN), the percentage of correct responses on semantic cuing and word recognition cuing (% SC, % WR). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to examine the discriminatory power of SN alone and the composite indices (SN, % SC, and % WR). Results: The CP-BNT had sufficient internal consistency, good convergent, divergent validity, and criterion validity. Different indices of CP-BNT demonstrated distinct cognitive underpinnings. Category fluency was the strongest predictor of SN (β= 0.46, p < 0.001). Auditory comprehension tests highly associated with % WR (Sentence comprehension: β= 0.22, p = 0.001; Word comprehension: β= 0.20, p = 0.001), whereas a lower visuospatial score predicted % SC (β= –0.2, p = 0.001). Composite indices had better predictability than the SN alone when differentiating between NDDs, especially for PCA versus non-svPPA (area under the curve increased from 63.9% to 81.2%). Conclusion: The CP-BNT is a highly linguistically relevant test with sufficient reliability and validity. Composite indices could provide more differential information beyond SN and should be used in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are an emerging field with a positive and encouraging outlook. In education, it is postulated that attention and academic performance could explain reading outcomes. The main goal of this research was to study the predictive capacity of an ANN with a backpropagation algorithm by analysing the relationship between sentence and text reading comprehension efficiency, attentional variables and academic performance in third-grade primary school students (N = 183). A non-experimental approach was adopted, using a cross-sectional and ex post facto design. Ten schools (70% public) located in southeastern Spain participated. Test of Reading Efficacy (TECLE), d2 attention test and TALE-2000 were administered. The results revealed that it is possible to design a network capable of learning by itself to predict sentence comprehension. Students who were good readers obtained better grades, concentrated better, scanned the stimulus more attentively, obtained more correct answers and made fewer omissions. The conclusions concerned the ethical implications of AI and the need to introduce ANNs in initial teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of collaborative reading in enhancing the English reading comprehension of Japanese pharmacy students. Considering the well-established significance of English reading comprehension ability in the pharmacy field, the study aimed to examine the null hypothesis that there would be no significant difference in reading comprehension levels between the group engaged in paired reading and the group engaged in individual reading. The study was conducted in 2022 with 47 pharmacy students in Japan, who participated in a series of five reading comprehension tests over five consecutive weeks. Tests that matched the participants' English proficiency levels and academic interests were developed by the authors. The participants were divided into two groups: one group worked on the tests in pairs (n=24), while the other worked individually (n=23). The pairs were instructed to read a passage on the topic of health and medicine and then discuss and collectively answer 10 true or false questions, whereas individuals were instructed to independently answer the questions. A t-test was conducted on the results of every test to see if there was a significant difference between the means of the two groups. The findings demonstrated that reading texts collaboratively in pairs yielded significantly higher levels of comprehension compared to individual reading. This outcome led to the rejection of the null hypothesis. This study presents a new perspective by questioning the traditional notion that reading comprehension should be an independent activity and suggests that collaborative approaches can be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocabulary learning is vital for second language development, and the use of technology has greatly changed how second language vocabulary can be acquired. Some adventure video games were found to be beneficial for vocabulary learning. These games offer engaging plots, rich input, and immersive learning context. Despite these advantages, many games often include difficult vocabulary items and fleeting subtitles. Researchers have suggested that games can be modified to provide a more supportive environment. The purpose of the present study aimed to examine the effect of an adventure game and the game plus L1 keyword glosses on second vocabulary acquisition. Two classes were recruited and took a pre-test, post-test, and two-week delayed post-test and filled out a survey. The results indicated that the control group (i.e. game only) has significantly improved, suggesting that the gaming context alone can assist the incidental vocabulary learning. The experimental group (i.e. game with L1 glosses in the subtitles) significantly performed better in the post-test and delayed post-test. The findings indicated that L1 glosses helped to enhance noticing and to learn new words. It was clear that adventure games have great potentials for vocabulary learning, and additional lexical supports in gaming can further enhance vocabulary learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cette recherche étudie les trajectoires développementales relatives à la compréhension du langage non littéral par les enfants et adolescents avec un trouble du spectre de l'autisme. Cette étude longitudinale sur 12 mois porte sur trois formes principales de langage non littéral nécessitant un traitement inférentiel de plus en plus coûteux : les demandes indirectes, les expressions idiomatiques et l'ironie. Les performances de 12 enfants et adolescents avec un TSA sans trouble du développement intellectuel sont comparés à leurs témoins appariés en âge, sexe et niveau langagier. Plutôt qu'un déficit global stable, les résultats mettent en avant une altération partielle et évolutive des capacités inférentielles chez les participants avec un TSA. Cette étude ouvre des perspectives cliniques au niveau de l'évaluation de la compréhension du langage non littéral par les personnes avec un TSA. This research investigates the developmental trajectories of non-literal language comprehension by children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. This 12-month longitudinal study focuses on three main forms of non-literal language requiring increasingly expensive inferential processing: indirect requests, idioms and irony. The performance of 12 children and adolescents with ASD without intellectual developmental disorders is compared to their age-, gender- and language-matched controls. Rather than a stable global deficit, the results point to a partial and progressive alteration of inferential abilities in participants with ASD. This study opens up clinical perspectives on the assessment of non-literal language comprehension by individuals with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]