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Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Paul White

Research has demonstrated that employees desire to be shown appreciation in various ways. The five languages of appreciation provide a model for exploring these differences. This…

Abstract

Purpose

Research has demonstrated that employees desire to be shown appreciation in various ways. The five languages of appreciation provide a model for exploring these differences. This study aims to explore whether individuals who speak different languages (and are from various cultures) differ in how they prefer to be shown appreciation.

Design/methodology/approach

The Motivating By Appreciation Inventory (MBAI) is an online tool that assesses each person’s preferences in how they desire to be shown appreciation at work. Initially developed in English, the MBAI has been translated into seven additional languages. Over 2,200 employees took the MBAI in their preferred spoken language: Mandarin (Chinese), Danish, French (Canadian), Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Latin American), Thai and Turkish. The frequency of each group’s preferred appreciation languages was analyzed to determine similarities and differences across the languages spoken.

Findings

Given the non-normal distribution of the data, the Kruskal–Wallis test found that there was a significant difference in preferences for participants’ primary appreciation language across the seven groups of various spoken languages. One key theme was that words of affirmation were most frequently chosen by five of the seven language groups, whereas employees from Thailand and Turkey chose acts of service most frequently. Additionally, tangible gifts were the least frequently chosen appreciation language by all groups, and at rates below their US counterparts. In three of the languages, quality time was preferred significantly less compared with the other languages.

Research limitations/implications

Some of the groups’ findings (Portuguese, Thai) may be impacted by a confounding variable of the type of work setting (manufacturing) in which the employees worked – in comparison to office-based work settings.

Practical implications

One theme was, in comparison to other ways of receiving appreciation, tangible gifts are not highly valued by most employees across all language groups. Therefore, organizations using gifts as the primary way to communicate appreciation to employees may be wasting a lot of money. Similar to English-speaking employees, five of the seven language groups chose words as their preferred appreciation language. A wide range exists, however, across language groups with regards to the proportion who desire words, quality time or acts of service. Multicultural organizations should pay attention to employee preferences, lest they waste time and energy on undesired actions.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study that has examined the preferences of how employees like to be shown appreciation across seven different language groups.

Details

Strategic HR Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1475-4398

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Technology-enhanced Learning and Linguistic Diversity: Strategies and Approaches to Teaching Students in a 2nd or 3rd Language
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83982-128-8

Book part
Publication date: 2 January 2013

Beatriz A. Duarte, Barbara Greybeck and Cynthia G. Simpson

The evaluation of minority children for special education by law should be nondiscriminatory. To be in compliance with federal mandates such as the Individuals with Disability…

Abstract

The evaluation of minority children for special education by law should be nondiscriminatory. To be in compliance with federal mandates such as the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA), No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and Public Law 94-142, minority children who are also English language learners (ELLs) should be assessed in their native language or other appropriate mode of communication. During assessment, the child's language skills in terms of both Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) and Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) should be considered. Assessments like the Woodcock-Munoz and Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM) can be used to determine the child's dominant language and proficiency in both their first (L1) and second (L2) languages. Models such as that proposed by Olvera and Gomez-Cerrillo (2011) which includes procedures for formal and informal assessments, as well as data collection and observation, can help guide a school psychologist or diagnostician when assessing a bilingual child. One main goal of this type of evaluation is to distinguish academic delays caused by a learning disability from those caused by a lack of proficiency in English. Cautions with respect to the testing of ELLs are highlighted.

Details

Learning Disabilities: Identification, Assessment, and Instruction of Students with LD
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-426-8

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2024

Shu Fan, Shengyi Yao and Dan Wu

Culture is considered a critical aspect of social media usage. The purpose of this paper is to explore how cultures and languages influence multilingual users' cross-cultural…

Abstract

Purpose

Culture is considered a critical aspect of social media usage. The purpose of this paper is to explore how cultures and languages influence multilingual users' cross-cultural information sharing patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a crowdsourcing survey with Amazon Mechanical Turk to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 355 multilingual users who utilize two or more languages daily. A mixed-method approach combined statistical, and cluster analysis with thematic analysis was employed to analyze information sharing patterns among multilingual users in the Chinese cultural context.

Findings

It was found that most multilingual users surveyed preferred to share in their first and second language mainly because that is what others around them speak or use. Multilingual users have more diverse sharing characteristics and are more actively engaged in social media. The results also provide insights into what incentives make multilingual users engage in social media to share information related to Chinese culture with the MOA model. Finally, the ten motivation factors include learning, entertainment, empathy, personal gain, social engagement, altruism, self-expression, information, trust and sharing culture. One opportunity factor is identified, which is convenience. Three ability factors are recognized consist of self-efficacy, habit and personality.

Originality/value

The findings are conducive to promoting the active participation of multilingual users in online communities, increasing global resource sharing and information flow and promoting the consumption of digital cultural content.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2024

Nick C.T. Steel and Joanna Karmowska

Language plays a complex role in coaching, facilitating communication, comprehension and meaning construction. Yet, the implications of coaching in a non-native language are…

Abstract

Purpose

Language plays a complex role in coaching, facilitating communication, comprehension and meaning construction. Yet, the implications of coaching in a non-native language are uncertain and under-researched. This study explores the role of non-native language (NNL) in dyadic workplace coaching practice. Specifically, it explores how working in a NNL influences the coaching experience from the coach’s perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was chosen to explore the way coaches view coaching in a NNL. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with coaches experienced in coaching in NNL. Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) was applied for data analysis.

Findings

NNL coaching presents a paradoxical mix of negative and positive tensions for the coach and coachee in communication, relationship and insight. NNL coaching is nuanced and may be accommodated using coaching competencies to mitigate the potential for misunderstanding and relationship rupture. It offers alternative perspectives to existing worldviews, eliciting deeper insights. Coaches’ confidence in coaching in a NNL varies from a challenging struggle that perceptually hinders performance, through ambivalence, to a sense of greater resourcefulness.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the stream of literature on language in international business, sociolinguistic research and how meaning is constructed in a coaching process. First, the work develops a distinction between coaching in a native language (NL) and a NNL. Second, study results indicate that the context of NNL creates challenges as well as opportunities in a dyadic coaching process, particularly regarding aspects of the coach–coachee relationship and insight elicitation via alternative perspectives. Moreover, several practical implications of the study for the coaching practice are discussed.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 April 2024

Daniel Sidney Fussy and Hassan Iddy

This study aims to explore motives behind teachers' and students' use of translanguaging and how they use it in Tanzanian public secondary school classrooms.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore motives behind teachers' and students' use of translanguaging and how they use it in Tanzanian public secondary school classrooms.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using interviews and non-participant observations.

Findings

The findings indicate that translanguaging was used to facilitate content comprehension, promote classroom interaction and increase students' motivation to learn. Translanguaging was implemented using three strategies: paraphrasing an English text into Kiswahili, translating an English text into its Kiswahili equivalent and word-level translanguaging.

Practical implications

By highlighting the motivations for translanguaging and corresponding strategies associated with translanguaging pedagogy in the Tanzanian context, this study has significant practical implications for teachers and students to showcase their linguistic and multimodal knowledge, while fostering a safe learning space that relates to students' daily experiences.

Originality/value

The study offers new insights into previous research on the role of language-supportive pedagogy appropriate for teachers and students working within bi-/multilingual education settings.

Details

Qualitative Research Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1443-9883

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2024

Dara Tafazoli

This research paper aimed to investigate the affordances of using virtual reality (VR) in teaching culture among in-service teachers of teaching Persian to speakers of other…

Abstract

Purpose

This research paper aimed to investigate the affordances of using virtual reality (VR) in teaching culture among in-service teachers of teaching Persian to speakers of other languages (TPSOL) in Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative case study, conducted at two Iranian universities, used purposeful sampling to select 34 eligible in-service Persian teachers from a pool of 73. Data collection used an open-ended questionnaire and interviews.

Findings

Before the TPSOL in-service training workshop, teachers expressed their reservations regarding the use of VR to teach culture in TPSOL courses. The emerged themes were “skepticism toward effectiveness,” “practicality concerns,” “limited awareness of VR applications,” “technological apprehension” and “prevalence of traditional teaching paradigms.” During the post-workshop interview, it was discovered that the teachers’ perceptions of VR in teaching culture had undergone a positive shift. The workshop generated emergent themes that reflected positive perceptions and affordances for using VR to teach culture in TPSOL, including “enhanced cultural immersion,” “increased student engagement,” “simulation of authentic cultural experiences,” and “facilitation of interactive learning environments.”

Research limitations/implications

One primary limitation is the lack of prior experience with VR for teaching practices in real-world classrooms among the participants. While the study aimed to explore the potential of VR in enhancing pedagogical approaches, the absence of participants with prior exposure to VR in educational contexts may impact the generalizability of the findings to a broader population. Additionally, the study faced practical constraints, such as the unavailability of sufficient facilities in the workshop. As a result, the instructor had to project the VR cont7ent on a monitor, potentially diverging from the immersive nature of true VR experiences. These limitations offer opportunities for future research to refine methodologies and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the implications of integrating VR into teaching practices.

Originality/value

Extensive research has been conducted on the effectiveness of VR in language education. However, there is a significant gap in research on TPSOL, which is considered a less commonly taught language. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the use of VR in the TPSOL through the lenses of in-service teachers. As part of a larger investigation, this qualitative inquiry focuses on the perceptions of in-service teachers about VR, with a particular emphasis on the cultural understanding of the Persian language.

Details

Journal for Multicultural Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-535X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 March 2024

Shu Zhang, Lixun Su, Weiling Zhuang and Barry J. Babin

Given resource constraints such as time and staffing, hotels cannot respond to all negative online reviews (NORs). Therefore, this study investigates (1) what types of NORs hotels…

Abstract

Purpose

Given resource constraints such as time and staffing, hotels cannot respond to all negative online reviews (NORs). Therefore, this study investigates (1) what types of NORs hotels should prioritize responding; and (2) what response strategies are more effective in handling different types of NORs to minimize the negative ramifications.

Design/methodology/approach

Four experiments in the context of hospitability were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Our findings show that NORs with implicit conclusions (e.g. “I do not believe that is a good choice, you know what I mean.”) are more dissuasive than NORs with explicit ones (e.g. “Do not buy it.”) because the former NORs are perceived as more objective than the latter NORs. More importantly, our results show that firms do not need to respond to explicit NORs. When responding to implicit NORs, firms should prioritize those related to service failures caused by external (e.g. weather, technological misfunction) rather than internal (e.g. poor management, employee skills) factors.

Research limitations/implications

Our studies focus on the language styles of Chinese NORs, and future research should investigate how language styles influence dissuasion in other languages.

Practical implications

Our results show that NORs with implicit conclusions negatively impact consumer attitude and thus hurt performance more significantly than those with explicit conclusions. Therefore, firms should allocate limited staffing and resources to NORs with implicit conclusions. When responding to implicit NORs, firms should select NORs that can be attributed to external factors.

Originality/value

Our findings shed light on the importance of the language styles of NORs and provide marketers with insights into how to handle NORs. Our results reveal that consumers perceive higher objectivity of NORs when these reviews are implicit than when they are explicit. Furthermore, this study contributes to the online review literature by suggesting that firms should tailor their response strategies for NORs based on the reviewers’ language styles.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2024

Mohamad Zaka Al Farisi, Hikmah Maulani, Adityo Baskoro Hardoyo, Shofa Musthofa Khalid and Nalahuddin Saleh

This research explores the potential incorporation of Indonesian folklore, particularly the folklore of the origin of Bandung, into Arabic language teaching materials. Integrating…

Abstract

Purpose

This research explores the potential incorporation of Indonesian folklore, particularly the folklore of the origin of Bandung, into Arabic language teaching materials. Integrating local cultural elements into language instruction can enhance students' language learning experience and promote a deeper understanding of Indonesian culture.

Design/methodology/approach

The origin city of Bandung is one of the famous folklore stories in Indonesia that originates from West Java. Through ethnographic studies, various aspects of the folklore of the origin of the city of Bandung will be examined, which can be utilized in Arabic language teaching. This includes analyzing the linguistic structure, vocabulary and cultural references embedded in the story. Additionally, we will explore how teachers can effectively incorporate this folklore into their teaching materials to create engaging and culturally relevant Arabic language lessons.

Findings

This research aims to contribute to developing innovative and culturally responsive language learning by investigating the use of Indonesian folklore in Arabic language instruction. It aims to empower teachers and students by fostering a deeper appreciation of Indonesian culture while improving Arabic language proficiency. This approach enhances language learning outcomes, promotes cultural awareness and cultivates a deeper connection between students and the local culture. By embracing folklore, teachers can create dynamic and meaningful language learning experiences that empower students to become proficient Arabic speakers with a strong appreciation for Indonesian wisdom and culture.

Research limitations/implications

Overall, using folklore as a foreign language teaching material provides significant advantages for students in developing a deeper understanding of language, cultural skills and interest in the language and culture being studied. This approach improves language learning outcomes, promotes cultural awareness and fosters deeper relationships between students and local culture so that foreign language (Arabic) learning is effective. By embracing folklore, teachers can create dynamic and meaningful language learning experiences that empower students to become proficient Arabic speakers with a strong appreciation for local Indonesian wisdom and culture.

Practical implications

Practically, this involves understanding the social, political, economic or cultural context in which the folklore arose, as well as new interpretations that provide a broader understanding of the stories' values, messages or conflicts. In contributing to knowledge, this research has implications for insight into linguistic knowledge and learning a second language in the norms of the first language without shifting the culture of the first language.

Social implications

Empirically, this study combines an interdisciplinary approach to folklore research that can bring a new understanding of the relationship between folklore and other fields such as linguistics, literature, anthropology or psychology. This approach can produce a more comprehensive insight into folklore and its influence on various aspects of life. Contributing to social impact, introducing culture in learning materials is an educational tourism attraction for students. This also has an impact on public policy that tourism education about folklore is introduced as teaching and used as further field study for students.

Originality/value

This research conceptualizes the diversity of Indonesian culture integrated into the instructional materials of Arabic language learning in Indonesia through folklore. To integrate folktales into the learning process, families, traditions and rituals need to play a role in preserving and educating. Researchers can develop new insights, broaden our understanding of culture and traditions and enrich our knowledge and cultural heritage. These new approaches have the potential to yield discoveries and a deeper understanding of folklore as an important cultural heritage. This research explores the potential incorporation of Indonesian folklore, particularly the folklore of the origin of Bandung, into Arabic language teaching materials. Integrating local cultural elements into Arabic language teaching for Indonesian speakers can enhance students' language learning experience and promote a deeper understanding of Indonesian culture through Arabic language teaching as a foreign language.

Details

Asian Education and Development Studies, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-3162

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 March 2024

Ning Chen and Chinaza Solomon Ironsi

This paper examines the relationship between linguistic profiling and English language teachers’ career development.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper examines the relationship between linguistic profiling and English language teachers’ career development.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper collected data from 20 participants using a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interview guides were used to collect qualitative data on this topic.

Findings

After collecting and analyzing the data, the results showed that linguistic profiling results in demotivation and low self-esteem and can spur career development among non-native English teachers.

Originality/value

This paper advances scientific knowledge by providing empirical evidence showing that while linguistic profiling has some negative influences, it can spur career development among non-native English teachers.

Details

Career Development International, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1362-0436

Keywords

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