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This study examines strategies (inferencing and ignoring) and knowledge sources (semantics, morphology, paralinguistics, etc.) that second language learners of English use to process unfamiliar words in listening comprehension and whether the use of strategies or knowledge sources relates to successful text comprehension or word comprehension. Data were collected using the procedures of immediate retrospection without recall support and of stimulated recall. Twenty participants with Chinese as their first language participated in the procedures. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were made. The results indicate that inferencing is the primary strategy that learners use to process unfamiliar words in listening and that it relates to successful text comprehension. Among the different knowledge sources that learners use, the most frequently used knowledge sources are semantic knowledge of words in the local co-text combined with background knowledge and semantic knowledge of the overall co-text. The finding that the use of most knowledge sources does not relate to the comprehension of the word suggests that no particular knowledge source is universally effective or ineffective and that what is crucial is to use the various knowledge sources flexibly. (Contains 9 tables, 3 footnotes, and 2 figures.)

The National Institute of Education in Singapore (which is part of the Nanyang Technological University) is the leading national pre-service and in-service teacher training tertiary institution. It offers diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The academic departments are called Academic Groups (AGs). The English Language and Literature (ELL) AG has over 70 academic staff with very diverse research interests. The sheer size of the AG results in several clusters of research interests in language teaching methodology and curriculum, language teacher training, language learning, literacy issues, classroom discourse, and sociolinguistic issues of relevance to Singapore and other parts of Asia. In this report, I highlight some of the recent research, completed in the years 2008-2009.

This study examines the effect of contextual clues on the use of strategies (inferencing and ignoring) and knowledge sources (semantics, morphology, world knowledge, and others) for processing unfamiliar words in listening comprehension. Three types of words were investigated: words with local co-text clues, global co-text clues and extra-textual clues. Data were collected from 20 participants using the procedures of immediate retrospection without recall support and of stimulated recall. The results indicate that contextual clues are an important factor in learners' treatment of unfamiliar words in listening comprehension. Contrary to what some theories of inference generation predict, this study reveals that learners use the inferencing strategy more frequently for words with global co-text clues and words with extratextual clues than for words with local co-text clues. In terms of the use of knowledge sources for inferring word meaning, the learners in this study use the knowledge sources in accordance with the different types of contextual clues. (Contains 1 figure, 5 tables, and 4 endnotes.)

Although it is generally regarded appropriate to start chemotherapy promptly after a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the optimal time from diagnosis to treatment (TDT) is unknown. A total of 689 patients diagnosed with DLBCL and treated with ≥ 1 cycle of CHOP-R with curative intent during 2003–2008 in British Columbia were identified: 347 (50%) TDT ≤ 4 weeks, 277 (40%) TDT 5–8 weeks, 65 (10%) TDT > 8 weeks. For the respective TDT groups, 5-year OS estimates were 61%, 74%, 63% (p =0.006); 5-year PFS 57%, 70%, 61% (p =0.006); and 5-year DSS 64%, 80%, 77% (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, TDT >8 weeks was associated with worse OS (HR 1.20 (95% CI 1.03, 1.41),p =0.020), PFS (HR 1.33 (95% CI 1.15, 1.54),p< 0.001), and DSS (HR 1.40 (95% CI 1.10, 1.78),p =0.006). Clinicians should endeavor to initiate curative chemotherapy as soon as possible after a diagnosis of DLBCL is established. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examines the effect of contextual clues on the use of strategies (inferencing and ignoring) and knowledge sources (semantics, morphology, world knowledge, and others) for processing unfamiliar words in listening comprehension. Three types of words were investigated: words with local co-text clues, global co-text clues and extra-textual clues. Data were collected from 20 participants using the procedures of immediate retrospection without recall support and of stimulated recall. The results indicate that contextual clues are an important factor in learners' treatment of unfamiliar words in listening comprehension. Contrary to what some theories of inference generation predict, this study reveals that learners use the inferencing strategy more frequently for words with global co-text clues and words with extratextual clues than for words with local co-text clues. In terms of the use of knowledge sources for inferring word meaning, the learners in this study use the knowledge sources in accordance with the different types of contextual clues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the applicability of hedging rule. Proposition on random variables as price changes; Use of price difference regression model in the study; Usefulness of optimal hedging model in evaluating the implications of alternative market specifications.