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The Role of Taboos in Solving Contemporary Environmental Degradation in Ghana: The Case of Cape Coast Metro
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
89-97
Received:
6 May 2020
Accepted:
30 June 2020
Published:
13 July 2020
Abstract: One phenomenon which has gained prominence in recent discussions in Ghana has been the role taboos play in addressing environmental degradation. While one group of researchers believes in the conservationist stance, others are of the view that traditional beliefs and practices could play a significant role in preserving the environment for future generations. In the Cape Coast Metropolis, taboos are part of the daily activities of its indigenes, however, the impact environmental taboos exercise, appears to have lessened in comparison with the traditional beliefs. This is probably due to the influence of science and modernity. This paper seeks to find out why the decline in observing environmental taboos amongst the people of Cape Coast is affecting the environment and leading to degradation. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used in the analysis. The targeted population were the people of Cape Coast in Ghana and some selected Non-Governmental Organizations which are involved in environmental protection. The study revealed that the people in the area still hold on to their traditions and culture and would not do anything which will have dire consequences on their lives should they break any taboos concerning their environment. In view of this, it is recommended that the local government laws be looked at again to have a fusion of both traditional norms and cultural laws as part of efforts to preserve the environment.
Abstract: One phenomenon which has gained prominence in recent discussions in Ghana has been the role taboos play in addressing environmental degradation. While one group of researchers believes in the conservationist stance, others are of the view that traditional beliefs and practices could play a significant role in preserving the environment for future g...
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Rain Classroom-Based Smart Class Construction: Taking Advanced Business English Courses as an Example
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
98-101
Received:
10 June 2020
Accepted:
2 July 2020
Published:
22 July 2020
Abstract: The internet is transforming form the traditional wired network to the wireless one and moving forwards to the post-internet era which is a break through beyond the limitation of time and space. The technology will bring forth new ways and new tools of teaching. The APP “Rain Classroom” developed by Qinghua University is a typical case. This research, based on the application of Rain Classroom (RC) in Advanced Business English, is trying to build a practical model of smart class. This model consists of four co-related parts. Part one is preparation part with extensive learning resources from the Internet, and then prevision part, the independent and cooperative learning part with task list from teachers. After that, learners enters the Rain Classroom-based classroom learning part, and finally is the after-class knowledge internalization part with revision task list. Author applied the four part model in her course ---advanced business English for half a year. This empirical study compared the learning outcome of two classes, one of them is Rain classroom-based and the other one is traditional teaching method-based. The research discovered that RC helps to promote the equality between teachers and students, broaden students knowledge, facilitate the knowledge application, easily organize learning data, form learning report and finally effectively build smart class. But at the same time, the research found that Rain Classroom is not a panacea to all the teaching problems. It still need a lot of upgrade in question design, learner interaction, and reasonable forming the classroom report.
Abstract: The internet is transforming form the traditional wired network to the wireless one and moving forwards to the post-internet era which is a break through beyond the limitation of time and space. The technology will bring forth new ways and new tools of teaching. The APP “Rain Classroom” developed by Qinghua University is a typical case. This resear...
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The Application of Vlog in Task-Based Language Learning
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
102-106
Received:
11 June 2020
Accepted:
2 July 2020
Published:
22 July 2020
Abstract: Computer and internet technology brought about innovative changes of students life especially their leisure time after class. In light of this, the purpose of this study is to explore learners’ participation of blog-based language learning in their independent learning in order to suggest a motivated and collaborative environment to communicate. The data for this study were collected through questionnaires and interviews and most importantly, the learners’ participation record of tutor blog from 30 second year students in Beijing Wuzi University in China. The questionnaire is designed to analysis learners’ computer literacy and their attitude towards vlog as an independent language learning too while they are doing the assigned tasks by teachers. The tutor blog experimental survey is to collect data which reflect learners’ participation status when they are told to do so after class. The overall findings of the survey show that the majority of respondents have a positive understanding about vlog-based language learning. Students are willing to finish their tasks and enjoys the sense of achievements. But some of them are less motivated in participating and publishing their ideas in the tutor vlog community, regardless of computer literacy levels. The followed interview shows that this is partly because they are lack of language awareness and communicative skills since they emerged so long in the traditional education system which takes teachers as the only source of knowledge.
Abstract: Computer and internet technology brought about innovative changes of students life especially their leisure time after class. In light of this, the purpose of this study is to explore learners’ participation of blog-based language learning in their independent learning in order to suggest a motivated and collaborative environment to communicate. Th...
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The Influence and Value of Network Public Opinion on Public Policy
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
107-112
Received:
30 June 2020
Accepted:
10 July 2020
Published:
22 July 2020
Abstract: Internet public opinion is a new way to express public interest in the internet age. At the same time, the birth of the internet has promoted the emergence of "public domain" what Habermas calls, which directly links the public opinion of the internet with public policy. As we all known, scientific, democratic and effective public policy is an indispensable and specific system design and arrangement for modern national public governance, which expresses the public policy perceptionands and attitudes in the public interest to the greatest extent possible. So it is an important component of constructing modern national governance system and an important way to enhance national governance ability. Network public opinion is a new form of expression of social opinion, which coupled with the public tendency towards the network and gradually expresses inganuciatic policy attitude through the network, so its application has become an important way to make China's public policy democratization and scientific.. This kind of network tendency marginalizes the pre-set mainstream expression path in the political system, and causes the thinking about whether the network is "alternative" or "complementary". Therefore, it is necessary to examine the degree of influence of network public opinion on public policy and its value orientation, and then we should give full play to the positive effect of network public opinion, so as to make it a complementary way to the mainstream way of public expression of policy attitude.
Abstract: Internet public opinion is a new way to express public interest in the internet age. At the same time, the birth of the internet has promoted the emergence of "public domain" what Habermas calls, which directly links the public opinion of the internet with public policy. As we all known, scientific, democratic and effective public policy is an indi...
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Cohesion and Coherence Studies: Development, Chaos and Application
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
113-120
Received:
5 July 2020
Accepted:
14 July 2020
Published:
23 July 2020
Abstract: Cohesion and coherence are the basic concepts and important subjects in discourse analysis. After the publication of Cohesion in English by Halliday and Hasan (1976), linguists paid close attention to cohesion, coherence and the relationship between the two concepts. They adapted and developed this theory from diversified perspectives. Since cohesion and coherence are also two critical elements of high-quality articles, a multiplicity of linguists and educators were committed to exploring the effect of cohesion and coherence on writing quality. In addition, some researchers tried to apply cohesion and coherence theory to English teaching so as to improve students’ writing quality. The past decades have witnessed the theoretical and empirical development of cohesion and coherence. This paper first makes a review of the theoretical development of cohesion and coherence, and the relationship between the two concepts. And the present paper also deals with chaos in previous cohesion and coherence studies combining the author’s beliefs. Then empirical studies of cohesion and coherence theory are introduced which are divided into two categories. The first group of empirical studies explores the relationship of cohesion, coherence and writing quality; The second group applies this theory to writing teaching. The article concludes with limitations and future directions of researches about the application of cohesion and coherence theory to writing teaching.
Abstract: Cohesion and coherence are the basic concepts and important subjects in discourse analysis. After the publication of Cohesion in English by Halliday and Hasan (1976), linguists paid close attention to cohesion, coherence and the relationship between the two concepts. They adapted and developed this theory from diversified perspectives. Since cohesi...
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The Role of Think Tanks in Nigeria Agricultural Policy Processes from 1999 to 2020
Ughulu Eghoikhunu Stella,
Nwokike Eunice Ijeaku
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
121-127
Received:
25 June 2020
Accepted:
14 July 2020
Published:
28 July 2020
Abstract: Nigeria government have enacted and implemented several policies in the agricultural sector since the inception of the present democratic dispensation that stated in 1999. Some of these policies’ objectives were never achieved, due to the non-inclusion of all stakeholders in the policies processes. It is on the above background that this study examined the roles of Think Tanks in the agricultural policy processes in Nigeria from 1999–2000. In examining these roles, the study relied on secondary method of data collection. It conceptualized its major terms which are policy process and Think Tanks. It also analysed the roles played by Think Tanks in the various stages of the agricultural policy processes. The study discovered that Think Tanks have been involved in the agricultural policy processes in Nigeria, but on a small-scale and at times their advices are not properly implemented by government officials; they are also poorly funded and supported by government, thus failures of some of the policies. Think Tanks’ little involvement in the agricultural policy processes have resulted in new innovations in agriculture and contributed to the success stories of some of the policies in Nigeria. The study thus, recommended that government should as a matter of priority fund and support Think Tanks to come out with viable researches to proffer solid solutions to agricultural related problems.
Abstract: Nigeria government have enacted and implemented several policies in the agricultural sector since the inception of the present democratic dispensation that stated in 1999. Some of these policies’ objectives were never achieved, due to the non-inclusion of all stakeholders in the policies processes. It is on the above background that this study exam...
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Teacher Belief of Corrective Feedback in Grammar Teaching: Current Status and Future Prospects
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
128-134
Received:
6 July 2020
Accepted:
17 July 2020
Published:
28 July 2020
Abstract: Having been generally believed to impact on teachers’ practice, teachers’ belief has been studied for several decades, most of which concentrates on grammar teaching and learning. Moreover, the role of corrective feedback (CF) in second language acquisition has received considerable attention over the past decades. The studies concentrated on the overall effect of feedback on second and foreign language development, including the occurrence and effects of different types of feedback, leaners’ perception of CF, etc. In general, having been divided into three major categories (grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation), CF has been proved to have a positive effect on overall language learning. However, despite numerous studies on CF from various perspectives, the researches on teachers’ CF beliefs are fewer and that on CF beliefs in relation to practices are even scantier. As both teachers’ belief and CF are drawing greater attention, some researchers suggested making a combination between them. But up to now, few studies have focused on senior high school teachers’ CF belief on practices in EFL contexts, making it hard to figure out the significance of the relationship between CF belief and practice, and the factors that impact the relationship. Hence, this paper aims at exploring the history of the development of teachers’ belief and instructional practices of CF in grammar teaching at home and abroad, aiming at deepening the understanding of teachers’ underlying thoughts and providing suggestions for teacher education and future study orientation.
Abstract: Having been generally believed to impact on teachers’ practice, teachers’ belief has been studied for several decades, most of which concentrates on grammar teaching and learning. Moreover, the role of corrective feedback (CF) in second language acquisition has received considerable attention over the past decades. The studies concentrated on the o...
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The Core Technical Personnel Education View of the Communist Party of China Under the New Situation
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
135-139
Received:
12 July 2020
Accepted:
23 July 2020
Published:
30 July 2020
Abstract: Since the reform and opening up, my country's science and technology has made great progress, and it has set new requirements on the structure and specifications of technical personnel. In terms of educational practice guidance for cultivating core technical talents, the Communist Party of China has formed a technical education ideological system, which is derived from the inheritance of the technical education ideas of Marx, Engels, and Lenin and the technical education ideas of Chinese traditional culture. After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the core technical talent education concept of the Communist Party of China has a new development connotation. Under the new normal of economic development, the development of China's economy has entered a period of slowing growth, adjustment and optimization of industrial structure, and innovation-driven strategic transformation. The all-round successful transformation of these contents will inevitably be inseparable from the support of the creation of a new type of high-quality technical and skilled labor. On the basis of Xi Jinping's socialist technical personnel education thoughts with Chinese characteristics, the new era elements of "innovative spirit" and "craftsman spirit" have been injected to form the core technical personnel education concept of the Communist Party of China under the new situation.
Abstract: Since the reform and opening up, my country's science and technology has made great progress, and it has set new requirements on the structure and specifications of technical personnel. In terms of educational practice guidance for cultivating core technical talents, the Communist Party of China has formed a technical education ideological system, ...
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