Activity 1: 1. Read the first articles quickly and find out what an abstract is 2.

Skim the texts to find information about Key words 3. Have a look at the articles to see how many words are required to write an abstract 4. Design a graphic organizer to outline the main parts of an abstract.

Activity 2: 1. Read the abstracts below and decide which one/s are relevant for :
a. Law

b. Linguistics

c. Natural sciences

d. History

e. Engineering

f. social sciences

Activity 3. 1. Select one of the abstracts below and find its main parts. 2. State clearly what the purpose of the abstract is. 3. Which key words will you select and why.

4. Second Language Acquisition and Its Relationship to Universal Grammar JACQUELYN SCHACHTER Author Affiliations University of Southern California
Abstract For almost twenty years (following Corder 1967) much study of second language acquisition has been carried out with the assumption or outright claim that the basic processes underlying both first and second language acquisition are the same. Recent formulations of this notion make use of the currently evolving theory of Universal Grammar, arguing from the module-specific assumption of linguistic knowledge and arguing that adults are faced with the logical problem of language acquisition, just as children are. Such formulations need to be examined seriously in light of the fundamental differences in the two language acquisition cases, including those just mentioned. Four major areas of difference between the first and second language acquisition cases will be presented and explored: completeness, equipotentiality, previous knowledge, and fossilization. It will be argued that these differences are sufficient to remove the possibility that the underlying processes can possibly be the same in the two cases. The role of Universal Grammar in explaining how second language acquisition occurs will turn out to be much more modest than present claims indicate, with parameter setting, or resetting, as currently envisioned, an impossibility.

Oxford University Press

5. How native is near-native? The issue of ultimate attainment in adult second language acquisition Lydia White McGill University Fred Genesee McGill University
Abstract A number of studies have reported that there is a negative correlation between age of L2 acquisition and performance on a variety of measures of L2 ability, and that individuals who begin learning an L2 after approximately 15 years of age fail to attain native-like levels of competence. These results have been interpreted as support both for the hypothesis that there is a critical period for L2 acquisition and for the hypothesis that there is a maturational decline in access to Universal Grammar (UG). We argue that extant results are not an adequate test of the critical periods hypothesis because they are based on the performance of learners who have not necessarily achieved native-like proficiency in the L2. In this study, we develop criteria to establish whether an L2 speaker has achieved native-like proficiency. We compare the performance of three groups (near-native speakers of English, non-native speakers and controls) on two tasks designed to tap aspects of UG which have been claimed to be subject to critical period effects. We found no significant differences between our near-native group and native speakers on either of the tasks. We conclude that native-like competence in an L2 is achievable, even by older L2 learners.

6. "Their War": The Perspective of the South Vietnamese Military in Their Own Words Author: Julie Pham (UCB participant in UC Day 2001)
Despite the vast research by Americans on the Vietnam War, little is known about the perspective of South Vietnamese military, officially called the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (RVNAF). The overall image that emerges from the literature is negative: lazy, corrupt, unpatriotic, apathetic soldiers with poor fighting spirits. This study recovers some of the South Vietnamese military perspective for an American audience through qualititative interviews with 40 RVNAF veterans now living in San Jos, Sacramento, and Seattle, home to three of the top five largest Vietnamese American communities in the nation. An analysis of these interviews yields the veterans' own explanations that complicate and sometimes even challenge three widely held assumptions about the South Vietnamese military: 1) the RVNAF was rife with corruption at the top ranks, hurting the morale of the lower ranks; 2) racial relations between the South Vietnamese military and the Americans were tense and hostile; and 3) the RVNAF was apathetic in

defending South Vietnam from communism. The stories add nuance to our understanding of who the South Vietnamese were in the Vietnam War. This study is part of a growing body of research on non-American perspectives of the war. In using a largely untapped source of Vietnamese history &endash; oral histories with Vietnamese immigrants &endash; this project will contribute to future research on similar topics.

7. Violence, Subalternity, and El Corrido Along the US/Mexican Border Author: Roberto Hernandez (UCB participant in UC Day 2001)
The Geopolitical divide that separates the United States and Mexico has long plagued the region with violence and conflict. However, its extent and political nature is often overshadowed and undermined by mainstream information outlets. The boundary inspires polarized reactions: tough on crime/immigration rhetoric from politicians and enforcement officials &endash; exemplified in current border militarization &endash; and appeasement through feel-good news reporting. Such contradictions desensitize and deny the essence and root cause of the conflict &endash; an ongoing sociopolitical, cultural, and economic struggle between the two nations. While information transmission in the north has a U.S. focus, south of the divide knowledge distribution is very Mexico-centered. However, the border region acts as a third space t hat gives birth to a distinct border gnosis, a unique form of knowledge construction among subaltern communities on both its sides. One form of subalternity, corridos, (border folk ballads), has functioned to create an alternative discourse to the borderlands imaginary. This study is an examination of the analysis and critique found in corridos that seek a critical approach to the violence at the nations' shared edges and its ensuing political implications. To illustrate their subaltern function, I will examine two incidents: the 1984 McDonalds shooting in San Ysidro, California, and the 1997 death of Ezequiel Hernndez in Redford, Texas. these cases are indicative of the politically charged environment of a border region that in becoming an increasingly militarized zone has also set the stage for a cultural battle amongst different forms of knowledge construction and legitimation.

8. Summary of Federal District Courts Ruling on FDAs Jurisdiction Over, and Regulation of, Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco
May 2, 1997 http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/bg97-9.html On April 25, 1997, Judge William Osteen of the Federal District Court in Greensboro, North Carolina, ruled that FDA has jurisdiction under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to regulate nicotine-containing cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The Court held that "tobacco products fit within the FDCAs definitions of drug and device," and that FDA can regulate cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products as drug delivery devices under the combination product and restricted device provisions of the Act. With respect to the tobacco rule, the Court upheld all restrictions involving youth access and labeling, including two access provisions that went into effect Feb. 28: (1) the prohibition on sales of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to children and adolescents under 18, and (2) the requirement that retailers check photo identification of customers who are under 27 years of age. The Court also upheld additional access and labeling restrictions originally scheduled to go into effect Aug. 28, 1997, including a prohibition on self-service displays and the placement of vending machines where children have access to them. The Court also upheld the ban on distribution of free samples, the sale of so-called kiddie packs of less than 20 cigarettes, and the sale of individual cigarettes. However, the Court delayed implementation of the provisions that have not yet gone into effect pending further action by the Court. The Court invalidated on statutory grounds FDAs restrictions on the advertising and promotion of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Judge Osteen found that the statutory provision relied on by FDA, section 520(e) of the Act (21 U.S.C. 360j(e)), does not provide FDA with authority to regulate the advertising and promotion of tobacco products. Specifically, the Court found that the authority in that section to set "such other conditions" on the sale, distribution, or use of a restricted device does not encompass advertising restrictions. Because Judge Osteen based his ruling on the advertising provisions on purely statutory grounds, he declined to consider the First Amendment challenge to those parts of the rule. The government is appealing the advertising portion of the ruling. (accessed January 26, 1998)

The Role of Personality in Second Language Acquisition

Yan Zhang Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266000, China

Abstract _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Keywords: Extrovert, Introvert, Second language acquisition Introduction Second language acquisition is defined as the learning and adopting of a language that is not your native language. Once you have acquired a foreign language, you have mastered that language. For second language learners to make maximum progress with their own learning styles, their individual differences must be recognized and attended to. A number of theories hold that personality factors significantly influence the degree of success that individuals achieve in learning a second language (Gass & Selinker, 1994) based on the assumption that some features of the learner's personality might encourage or inhibit second language learning (Cook, 1996) by enhancing certain facets of language learning while impeding others (Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991). We are going to illustrate it in detail: 1. Definitions of extroversion & introversion Extrovert and introvert are two characterizations of how one relates to the outside world. Extrovert means a person more interested in what is happening

around him than in his own thoughts and emotions. That is to say, the extrovert experiences the world more through contact with others and shared experience than through self examination or study. If the problem were to come about for an extrovert, they would more than just likely find someone to help. On the contrary, introvert is a person who is more interested in his own thoughts and feelings than in things outside himself, and is often shy and unwilling to speak or join in activities with others. In other words, an introvert tends to remain "in"oneself. If the same problem were to arise, that person might open a book or pace back and forth to come to a solution. 2. The relationship between extroversion & introversion and second language acquisition Second language acquisition may be more difficult for some people due to certain social factors. One highly studied social factor impeding language development is the issue of extroverts versus introverts. Studies have shown that extraverts (or unreserved and outgoing people) acquire a second language better than introverts (or shy people).One particular study done by Naiman reflected this point. The subjects were 72 Canadian high school students from grades 8, 10 and 12 who were studying French as a second language. Naiman gave them all questionnaires to establish their psychological profiles, which also included a French listening test and imitation test. He found that approximately 70% of the students with the higher grades (B or higher) would consider themselves extraverts. Extraverts will be willing to try to communicate even if they are not sure they will succeed. Introversion has the greatest chance of negatively affecting SLA. Students that are afraid of embarrassing themselves by speaking incorrectly or by not being able to speak at all may try to avoid opportunities that would otherwise aid their learning. Related to the extroversion/ distinction are the types of social skills involved in second language acquisition. Wesche (1977), studying thirty-seven Canadian civil servants in an intensive French course, found a correlation between "role playing" and proficiency in listening comprehension and speaking skills (r = 0.60). "Role-playing" referred to the willingness of the student to take the part of a character in a dialogue or role-playing situation, "with speech characterized by prosodic expressions of feeling appropriate to the context and by accompanying gestures and facial expressions" (p. 359). This could reflect extroversion, selfconfidence, and/or satisfaction with the learning situation, as well as general anxiety level. Two scientists, Kinginger and Farrell, conducted interviews with U.S. students after their study abroad program in France in 2003. They found that many of the students would avoid interaction with the native speakers at all costs, while others jumped at the opportunity to speak the language. Those who avoided interaction were typically quiet, reserved people, (or introverts). Therefore, if teachers correct mistakes and further embarrass shy students, it may isolate students even more. Instead, repeating back the corrected statement allows feedback without a damaging student's ego. For example, if Marcia says "Yesterday I go to the store with my madre," the teacher would respond, "You went to the store with your mother yesterday?" She has effectively provided corrected input while also continuing the conversation. If a student shuts down after an outright correction then opportunity for more input and practice has been lost.

3. The development of personality Since Studies have shown that extroverts (or unreserved and outgoing people) acquire a second language better than introverts (or shy people), it seems also important for second language learners to develop personality. That is to say, try to be extrovert while study a second language. As everybody knows, individuality is one thing and personality is another. A soul is born an individual, but without a personality. Personality is built after one is born. What the soul has brought along is hands and legs and face, but not personality; this is made here on earth. Some hereditary factors that contribute to personality development do so but some potential environmental influences that help to shape personality. It is entirely commendable to devote some thought and effort to the improvement of your personality that can help you to learn second language better. 4. Implications for teaching second language According to what I mentioned above, teachers teaching methodology should be adapted to the individual differences in personality, in order to enhance the progress for the second language learners. However, complete individualization is not always possible in the classroom, for different learners respond differently to the same input as a function of the ways in which their personality affects their perception and interpretation of the world, but may be more easily realized in multimedia CALL. One advantage of multimedia CALL is its potential adaptability; when users control their learning environment, they can intuitively select the options best suited for their learning style preferences. Conclusion In a word, a number of theories and case studies tell that personality factors significantly influence the degree of success that individuals achieve in learning a second language. Especially, lots of studies have shown that extroverts (or unreserved and outgoing people) acquire a second language better than introverts (or shy people). That indicates a new light on the second language teaching methodology. References Chapelle, C. A., & Robert, C. (1986). Ambiguity tolerance and field independence as predictors of proficiency in English as a Second Language. Language Learning, 36, 27-45. Cook, V. (1996). Second language learning andhttp://g6a55.mail.163.com/a/f/js3/0801290924/htmltool_js3_v1.htm second language teaching (2nd ed.). New York: Arnold. Gass, S., & Selinker, L. (1994). Second language acquisition: An introductory course. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Larsen-Freeman, D., & Long, M. (1991). An introduction to second language acquisition research. London: Longman. Naiman, N., Frohlich, M., & Todesco, A. (1975). The good second language learner. TESL Talk, 5, 58-75.

Naiman, N., Frohlich, M., Stern, H., & Todesco, A. (1978). The good second language learner (Research in Education Series No.7). Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Ellis. R. (1985) Understanding Second Language Acquisition . Oxford University Press. Wesche, M. (1977) "Learning behaviors of successful adult students on intensive language training." Paper presented at Los Angeles Second Language Acquisition Forum, UCLA, 1977.

ABSTRACT In this experiment, chromatography was used to analyse amino acids in solution. Standards were used to identify unknown amino acids in a mixture. Ascending layer chromatography with an isopropanol-based solvent was used to separate the amino acids, which were then detected with ninhydrin. The unknown mixture analysed was found to contain aspartate and histidine. It was observed that hydrophobic amino acids were most mobile. This technique was shown to be an effective way of analysing unknown mixtures of amino acids. A mechanism for ninhydrin binding to amino acids is proposed, based on observations from this experiment.

A detailed comparison of the properties and microstructures of conventionally sintered and microwave sintered samples of 3 mol% and 8 mol% yttria zirconia was performed. Identical thermal profiles were used for both types of heating. For both materials, microwave heating was found to enhance the densification processes which occur during constant rate heating. The 3 mol% yttria zirconia material exhibited a shift in the grain size/density relationship which favours densification, resulting in higher density samples with smaller grain sizes at densities below 96% of theoretical density. At higher densities, significant grain growth occurs. For the 8 mol% yttria zirconia material, the grain size / density relationship remained unchanged. Differences in the response of the two materials are attributed to the differences in the activation energy for grain growth, and in grain boundary mobility. Modulus of rupture and toughness of both microwave and conventionally sintered samples were similar. Following isothermal heating at 13000C, microwave heated samples were found to be significantly more dense than conventionally heated samples. This temperature also restricted grain growth once densification was approaching completion. These findings have significant implications for the

commercial application of microwave sintering. It appears that this method of sintering produces a superior product to conventional sintering.

Many plants in Australia have their seeds buried in order for the species to survive fires. The seeds start to germinate under the soil at certain temperatures. Seeds of Acacia terminalis and Dillwynia floribunda were examined in this experiment. It was hypothesised that the seeds need heat for the germination to start.Seeds of the two species were treated in hot and cold water and left to start germinating. Acacia terminalis showed a significant response in germination after the hot water treatment while Dillwynia floribunda did not. Neither seed showed a response in germination after cold water treatment. The results for Dillwynia floribunda were unexpected but may be explained by factors such as water temperature and the length of time the seeds remained in the heated water.