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1 – 10 of 204
Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 June 2024

Noura Aljadaan, Muhammad Alzaidi and Suliman Mohammed Alnasser

The aim of this study was to examine whether, when a person reads, there is a boost to all material related to the context in Najdi Arabic (NA) as was found in English in was…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine whether, when a person reads, there is a boost to all material related to the context in Najdi Arabic (NA) as was found in English in was found in Rodd et al. (2013). The study employs Arabic language features of orthographic style and diglossia to answer the research question.

Design/methodology/approach

Forty-two participants were asked to come on two sessions to complete a reading task, a filler task and a word recognition task. The word recognition task included 14 homographs that could mean one thing in Modern Standard Arabic and another in NA.

Findings

The findings show that the assumption that all related materials are ready to be used when readers are exposed to the context is not valid for the two Arabic variants.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of this study was that the participants were all female.

Originality/value

The findings could help writers write better texts to help individuals who struggle with reading comprehension whether it is because of dyslexia, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as when researchers understand how priming works, they might be able to help readers in their reading fluency and comprehension (Rodd et al., 2016). This could be by producing better texts to comprehend or using semantic priming in classroom setups.

Details

Saudi Journal of Language Studies, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2634-243X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 July 2024

Nouhaila Bensalah, Habib Ayad, Abdellah Adib and Abdelhamid Ibn El Farouk

The paper aims to enhance Arabic machine translation (MT) by proposing novel approaches: (1) a dimensionality reduction technique for word embeddings tailored for Arabic text…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to enhance Arabic machine translation (MT) by proposing novel approaches: (1) a dimensionality reduction technique for word embeddings tailored for Arabic text, optimizing efficiency while retaining semantic information; (2) a comprehensive comparison of meta-embedding techniques to improve translation quality; and (3) a method leveraging self-attention and Gated CNNs to capture token dependencies, including temporal and hierarchical features within sentences, and interactions between different embedding types. These approaches collectively aim to enhance translation quality by combining different embedding schemes and leveraging advanced modeling techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

Recent works on MT in general and Arabic MT in particular often pick one type of word embedding model. In this paper, we present a novel approach to enhance Arabic MT by addressing three key aspects. Firstly, we propose a new dimensionality reduction technique for word embeddings, specifically tailored for Arabic text. This technique optimizes the efficiency of embeddings while retaining their semantic information. Secondly, we conduct an extensive comparison of different meta-embedding techniques, exploring the combination of static and contextual embeddings. Through this analysis, we identify the most effective approach to improve translation quality. Lastly, we introduce a novel method that leverages self-attention and Gated convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to capture token dependencies, including temporal and hierarchical features within sentences, as well as interactions between different types of embeddings. Our experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach in significantly enhancing Arabic MT performance. It outperforms baseline models with a BLEU score increase of 2 points and achieves superior results compared to state-of-the-art approaches, with an average improvement of 4.6 points across all evaluation metrics.

Findings

The proposed approaches significantly enhance Arabic MT performance. The dimensionality reduction technique improves the efficiency of word embeddings while preserving semantic information. Comprehensive comparison identifies effective meta-embedding techniques, with the contextualized dynamic meta-embeddings (CDME) model showcasing competitive results. Integration of Gated CNNs with the transformer model surpasses baseline performance, leveraging both architectures' strengths. Overall, these findings demonstrate substantial improvements in translation quality, with a BLEU score increase of 2 points and an average improvement of 4.6 points across all evaluation metrics, outperforming state-of-the-art approaches.

Originality/value

The paper’s originality lies in its departure from simply fine-tuning the transformer model for a specific task. Instead, it introduces modifications to the internal architecture of the transformer, integrating Gated CNNs to enhance translation performance. This departure from traditional fine-tuning approaches demonstrates a novel perspective on model enhancement, offering unique insights into improving translation quality without solely relying on pre-existing architectures. The originality in dimensionality reduction lies in the tailored approach for Arabic text. While dimensionality reduction techniques are not new, the paper introduces a specific method optimized for Arabic word embeddings. By employing independent component analysis (ICA) and a post-processing method, the paper effectively reduces the dimensionality of word embeddings while preserving semantic information which has not been investigated before especially for MT task.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-378X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 June 2023

Syihabuddin Syihabuddin, Nurul Murtadho, Yusring Sanusi Baso, Hikmah Maulani and Shofa Musthofa Khalid

Assessing whether a book is relevant or suitable for use in teaching materials is not an easy and haphazard matter, various methods and theories have been offered by researchers…

Abstract

Purpose

Assessing whether a book is relevant or suitable for use in teaching materials is not an easy and haphazard matter, various methods and theories have been offered by researchers in studying this matter. Taking a study of the context of textbooks, researchers found the urgency that textbooks are a foundation for education, socialization and transmission of knowledge and its construction. Researchers offer another approach, namely by using praxeology as a study tool so that the goals of the textbooks previously intended are fulfilled.

Design/methodology/approach

The researcher uses a qualitative approach through grounded theory. Grounded theory procedures are designed to develop a well-integrated set of concepts that provide a thorough theoretical explanation of the social phenomena under study. A grounded theory must explain as well as describe. It may also implicitly provide some degree of predictability, but only with respect to certain conditions (Corbin and Strauss, 1990). Document analysis in conducting this research study. Document analysis itself examines systematic procedures for reviewing or evaluating documents, both printed and electronic materials.

Findings

Two issues regarding gender acquisition have been investigated in L2 Arabic acquisition studies; the order in which L2 Arabic learners acquire certain grammatical features of the gender system and the effect of L1 on the acquisition of some grammatical features from L2 grammatical gender. Arabic has a two-gender system that classifies all nouns, animate and inanimate, as masculine or feminine. Verbs, nouns, adjectives, personal, demonstrative and relative pronouns related to nouns in the syntactic structure of sentences show gender agreement.

Research limitations/implications

In practice, as a book intended for non-speakers, the book is presented using a general view of linguistic theory. In relation to the gender agreement, the presentation of the book begins and is inserted with the concepts of nouns and verbs. Returning to the praxeology context, First, The Know How (Praxis) explains practice (i.e. the tasks performed and the techniques used). Second, To Know Why or Knowledge (logos) which explains and justifies practice from a technological and theoretical point of view. Answering the first concept, the exercise presented in the book is a concept with three clusters explained at the beginning of the discussion. And the second concept, explained with a task design approach which includes word categorization by separating masculine and feminine word forms.

Practical implications

Practically, this research obtains perspectives studied from a textbook, namely the Arabic gender agreement is presented with various examples of noun contexts; textbook authors present book concepts in a particular way with regard to curriculum features and this task design affects student performance, and which approach is more effective for developing student understanding. Empirically, the material is in line with the formulation of competency standards for non-Arabic speakers in Indonesia.

Originality/value

With this computational search, the researcher found a novelty that was considered accurate by taking the praxeology context as a review in the analysis of non-speaking Arabic textbooks, especially in the year 2022 (last data collection in September) there has been no study on this context. So then, the researcher finds other interests in that praxeology can examine more broadly parts of the task of the contents of the book with the approach of relevant linguistic theories.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 16 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 August 2020

Mohamed Boudchiche and Azzeddine Mazroui

We have developed in this paper a morphological disambiguation hybrid system for the Arabic language that identifies the stem, lemma and root of a given sentence words. Following…

Abstract

We have developed in this paper a morphological disambiguation hybrid system for the Arabic language that identifies the stem, lemma and root of a given sentence words. Following an out-of-context analysis performed by the morphological analyser Alkhalil Morpho Sys, the system first identifies all the potential tags of each word of the sentence. Then, a disambiguation phase is carried out to choose for each word the right solution among those obtained during the first phase. This problem has been solved by equating the disambiguation issue with a surface optimization problem of spline functions. Tests have shown the interest of this approach and the superiority of its performances compared to those of the state of the art.

Details

Applied Computing and Informatics, vol. 20 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2634-1964

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 June 2024

Hassan Saleh Mahdi and Yousef Sahari

Audio-visual translation (AVT) is recognized as the most vibrant type of translation. While AVT plays a vital function in the field of translation, its significance within…

Abstract

Purpose

Audio-visual translation (AVT) is recognized as the most vibrant type of translation. While AVT plays a vital function in the field of translation, its significance within cultural studies hasn’t been thoroughly investigated. This research aims to uncover the predominant techniques employed in translating idiomatic expressions found in subtitled movies from English to Arabic.

Design/methodology/approach

The corpus utilized in the current study consisted of five movies. The dialog in the chosen English films was examined to identify idiomatic expressions. The occurrence and proportion of each approach employed in translating English idioms into Arabic were calculated.

Findings

The findings of this investigation unveiled that the most common technique employed by translators to render idioms was retaining both similar meaning and similar form. The second approach involved maintaining a similar meaning while altering the form. The third method involved paraphrasing for translation. The fourth strategy was compensation-based translation. When dealing with verb and object idioms as well as similes, the predominant techniques were retaining both similar meaning and similar form, followed by a similar meaning but different form approach. Compound idioms were translated using paraphrasing, similar meaning but different form and similar meaning but different form strategies.

Originality/value

The research was constrained to examining the utilization of subtitles for the translation of five films. The films and corresponding Arabic subtitles were obtained and saved in plain text formats. Solely idiomatic expressions were scrutinized to determine the translation approaches employed through the use of subtitles.

Details

The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 41 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 November 2023

Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady, Arif Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Al-Ahdal and Samia Khalifa Abdullah

English as a foreign langauge (EFL) students find it difficult to apply the theoretical knowledge they acquire on translation in the practical world. Therefore, this study…

Abstract

Purpose

English as a foreign langauge (EFL) students find it difficult to apply the theoretical knowledge they acquire on translation in the practical world. Therefore, this study explored if training in pretranslation techniques (PTTs) (syntactic parsing) as suggested by Almanna (2018) could improve the translation proficiency of Yemeni EFL students. Moreover, the study also assessed which of the PTTs the intervention helped to develop.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a primarily experimental pre- and posttests research design, and the sample comprised of an intake class with 16 students enrolled in the fourth year, Bachelor in Education (B.Ed), Hadhramout University. Six participants were also interviewed to gather the students' perceptions on using PTTs.

Findings

Results showed that students' performance in translation developed significantly (Sig. = 0.002). All the six PTTs showed development, though subject, tense and aspect developed more significantly (Sig. = 0.034, 0.002, 0.001 respectively). Finally, the study reported students' positive perceptions on the importance of using PTTs before doing any translation tasks.

Originality/value

One of the recurrent errors that can be noticed in Yemeni EFL students' production is their inability to transfer the grammatical elements of sentences from L1 (Arabic) into L2 (English) or the visa versa. The researchers thought though translation is more than the syntactic transmission of one language into another, analyzing the elements of sentences using syntactic and semantic parsing can help students to produce acceptable texts in the target language. These claims would be proved or refuted after analyzing the experiment result of the present study.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 16 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 July 2024

Giulio Marchena Sekli

The aim of this study is to offer valuable insights to businesses and facilitate better understanding on transformer-based models (TBMs), which are among the widely employed…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to offer valuable insights to businesses and facilitate better understanding on transformer-based models (TBMs), which are among the widely employed generative artificial intelligence (GAI) models, garnering substantial attention due to their ability to process and generate complex data.

Design/methodology/approach

Existing studies on TBMs tend to be limited in scope, either focusing on specific fields or being highly technical. To bridge this gap, this study conducts robust bibliometric analysis to explore the trends across journals, authors, affiliations, countries and research trajectories using science mapping techniques – co-citation, co-words and strategic diagram analysis.

Findings

Identified research gaps encompass the evolution of new closed and open-source TBMs; limited exploration across industries like education and disciplines like marketing; a lack of in-depth exploration on TBMs' adoption in the health sector; scarcity of research on TBMs' ethical considerations and potential TBMs' performance research in diverse applications, like image processing.

Originality/value

The study offers an updated TBMs landscape and proposes a theoretical framework for TBMs' adoption in organizations. Implications for managers and researchers along with suggested research questions to guide future investigations are provided.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 April 2024

Joseph Nockels, Paul Gooding and Melissa Terras

This paper focuses on image-to-text manuscript processing through Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR), a Machine Learning (ML) approach enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI)…

1332

Abstract

Purpose

This paper focuses on image-to-text manuscript processing through Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR), a Machine Learning (ML) approach enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI). With HTR now achieving high levels of accuracy, we consider its potential impact on our near-future information environment and knowledge of the past.

Design/methodology/approach

In undertaking a more constructivist analysis, we identified gaps in the current literature through a Grounded Theory Method (GTM). This guided an iterative process of concept mapping through writing sprints in workshop settings. We identified, explored and confirmed themes through group discussion and a further interrogation of relevant literature, until reaching saturation.

Findings

Catalogued as part of our GTM, 120 published texts underpin this paper. We found that HTR facilitates accurate transcription and dataset cleaning, while facilitating access to a variety of historical material. HTR contributes to a virtuous cycle of dataset production and can inform the development of online cataloguing. However, current limitations include dependency on digitisation pipelines, potential archival history omission and entrenchment of bias. We also cite near-future HTR considerations. These include encouraging open access, integrating advanced AI processes and metadata extraction; legal and moral issues surrounding copyright and data ethics; crediting individuals’ transcription contributions and HTR’s environmental costs.

Originality/value

Our research produces a set of best practice recommendations for researchers, data providers and memory institutions, surrounding HTR use. This forms an initial, though not comprehensive, blueprint for directing future HTR research. In pursuing this, the narrative that HTR’s speed and efficiency will simply transform scholarship in archives is deconstructed.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 November 2023

Hamed Abdelreheem Ead

The purpose of the paper is to showcase the significant achievements of Egypt's scientists in the 20th century across various fields of study such as medicine, physics, chemistry…

1350

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to showcase the significant achievements of Egypt's scientists in the 20th century across various fields of study such as medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, math, geology, astronomy and engineering. The paper highlights the struggles and successes of these scientists, as well as the cultural, social and political factors that influenced their lives and work. The aim is to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and make their own contributions to society by presenting these scientists as role models for hard work and dedication. Ultimately, the paper seeks to promote the importance of science and its impact on society.

Design/methodology/approach

The purpose of this review is to present the scientific biographies of Egypt's most distinguished scientists, primarily in the field of Natural Sciences, in a balanced and comprehensive manner. The work is objective, honest and abstract, avoiding any bias or exaggeration. The author provides a clear and concise methodology, including a brief introduction to the scientist and their field of study, an explanation of their major contributions, the impact of their work on society, any challenges or obstacles faced during their career and their lasting legacy. The aim is to showcase the important achievements of these scientists, their impact on their respective fields and to inspire future generations to pursue scientific careers.

Findings

The group of outstanding scientists in 20th century Egypt were shaped by various factors, including familial upbringing, education, society, political and cultural atmosphere and state support for scientific research. These scientists made significant contributions to various academic disciplines, including medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering. Their impact on their communities and cultures has received international acclaim, making them role models for future generations of scientists and researchers. The history of these scientists highlights the importance of educational investments and supporting scientific research to foster innovation and social progress. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals, preserving Egypt's scientific heritage and honouring the scientists' outstanding accomplishments.

Research limitations/implications

The encyclopedia preserves Egypt's scientific heritage, which has been overlooked for political or other reasons. It is a useful tool for a variety of readers, including students, instructors and education professionals, and it offers insights into universally relevant scientific success factors as well as scientific research methodologies. The encyclopedia honours the outstanding scientific accomplishments of Egyptian researchers and their contributions to the world's scientific community.

Practical implications

The practical implications of this paper are several. First, it highlights the importance of education, family upbringing and societal support for scientific research in fostering innovation and social progress. Second, it underscores the need for continued funding and support for scientific research to maintain and build upon the accomplishments of past generations of scientists. Third, it encourages young people to pursue scientific careers and make their own contributions to society. Fourth, it preserves the scientific heritage of Egypt and honors the contributions of its outstanding scientists. Finally, it serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals seeking to understand the factors underlying scientific success and research methodologies.

Social implications

The social implications of the paper include promoting national pride and cultural identity, raising awareness of the importance of education and scientific research in driving social progress, inspiring future generations of scientists and researchers, reducing socioeconomic disparities and emphasizing the role of society, politics and culture in shaping scientific researchers' personalities and interests.

Originality/value

The paper's originality/value lies in its comprehensive documentation of the scientific biographies of Egypt's most prominent scientists in the 20th century, providing unique insights into the factors that contributed to their development and their impact across various academic disciplines. It preserves Egypt's scientific heritage and inspires future generations of scientists and researchers through the promotion of educational investments and scientific research. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for education professionals seeking to understand scientific success factors and research methodologies, emphasizing the importance of supportive and inclusive environments for scientific development.

Details

Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2632-279X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 24 June 2024

Fatma F. S. Said

For education systems to meet the demands of the knowledge economy and prepare their students to be adequately skilled for a more diversified economy in the Arabian Gulf, bold and…

Abstract

For education systems to meet the demands of the knowledge economy and prepare their students to be adequately skilled for a more diversified economy in the Arabian Gulf, bold and innovative initiatives must be taken in order to ensure that these skills contribute towards a sustainable knowledge economy. Gulf states have been preparing for a transition towards, what the World Bank calls ‘a knowledge economy’ (World Bank, 2013) where economies will be run by the skills and knowledge capital of their workforce with technology and its advancement playing a central role. Many governments have identified the education sector as a site in which such ambitions can be met and have therefore introduced models of education where English is the medium of instruction. The rationale behind such a decision is based on multiple reasons, mainly because English is considered by some as the language of science and discovery (see Crystal, 2003).

In all discussions surrounding the overhaul of education systems and the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) namely, goal number four (quality education), the notion of the language through which students learn is a neglected area of inquiry. English is increasingly becoming the language of instruction at the university and progressively at the school level too. This means that young students lose out on adequately learning their mother tongue. The chapter argues that only through forward, bold, and novel decisions to teach students in both Arabic and English can there be a guarantee of a more sustainable knowledge economy across the Gulf.

Details

Transformative Leadership and Sustainable Innovation in Education: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-536-1

Keywords

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