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- Volume 13, Issue, 2003
Journal of Asian Pacific Communication - Volume 13, Issue 2, 2003
Volume 13, Issue 2, 2003
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Serious play: Chinese artistry in verbal communication
Author(s): Hui-Ching Changpp.: 165–195 (31)More LessThis ethnographic study explores how people in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, engage words as cultural performance, whether they are spoken, written, or manifest themselves as cultural artifacts. Informed by their depth philosophical contemplation about the boundary between the universe and language, and made possible through their unique linguistic constructions, many Chinese treat various forms of expression as art and signs of wisdom, whether for expressions of solemnity, playfulness, or humor. Through poems, common sayings, matched couplets, chengyu, and so on, words entertain and enrich social life, help relieve human suffering, connect one life to another, and instill modern everyday encounters with a dash of traditional cultural ethos. This artistic endeavor also offers explanations for Chinese indirectness, as shades of meanings are seen as displays of varying degrees of engagement to cultural performances. Interview accounts and data collected through participant observation during several field trips conducted in Taiwan were analyzed to show how words participate in and give meaning to the construction of Taiwanese interpersonal life.
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Hemisphere lateralization differences: A cross-cultural study of Japanese and American students in Japan
Author(s): Elizabeth Hiser and Junko Kobayashipp.: 197–229 (33)More LessThis paper reports on a cross-cultural study comparing the lateralization preferences between Japanese and American university students in Japan. The cross-cultural literature points to stereotypical descriptors which are similar to lateralization descriptors which provide significant differences in content when investigated by survey among the two ethnic groups. Cultural descriptors for the two groups are defined and the issue of preference for statistical- vs. feeling-oriented support for controversial local issues is linked theoretically to the left vs. right hemisphere preferences, but proves of limited validity for the study. Final results for the Japanese sub-sample for lateralization preference (64%) show a tendency for right-hemisphere processing preference over an American left-hemisphere preference (65%) in the same area.
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Workplace perceptions and attitudes toward standard English use: The case of Malaysia
Author(s): Karen Yeok-Hwa Ngeow, Keng-Soon Soo and Avon Crismorepp.: 231–267 (37)More LessThis study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Malaysian civil sector and private sector workers toward the use and acceptance of Malaysian English, a variety of nonstandard English. A survey using a 20-item Likert Scale questionnaire highlighted some language issues: current perceptions and attitudes about and use of standard English, international intelligibility, public models of language use, and behavioral intentions of civil sector and private sector Malaysians toward standard English. The major findings for the combined sectors were 1) a recognition of the importance of attaining international intelligibility of English in their interactions with foreigners and 2) mixed reactions toward the use of standard English language within their Malaysian society. Differences were found for some items between the civil sector and private sector workers as well as for the factors of age, gender and ethnicity. Studies like this one can be used as a model for replication to find out more about language perceptions and attitudes in other countries and are significant for raising the language awareness needed by educators to better help their students succeed in finding employment, by employers to gain insight into employees’ perceptions and attitudes toward and use of English in order to enhance communication. In addition, the study raises important questions and issues such as about the growth and acceptance of non-native varieties of English in Malaysia and other countries.
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From a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach: A study of peer feedback in Hong Kong writing classes
Author(s): George Brainepp.: 269–288 (20)More LessThere is a common belief that, owing to the highly teacher-centered form of education, Chinese students are passive learners. As a result, a student-centered approach such as process writing is believed to be difficult to implement in classes that consist mainly of Chinese students. This study tested these beliefs by introducing peer feedback, the backbone of process writing, to Chinese students enrolled in university writing classes and by measuring the effectiveness of the feedback both quantitatively and qualitatively. The study showed that, with proper training, Chinese students could quickly adapt to a student-centered approach, and also provide rich and useful feedback on the writing of their peers. This study has promising implications for educational contexts where students are considered passive learners, teacher-centered learning is the norm, or the process approach to writing faces daunting challenges to its implementation.
Volumes & issues
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Volume 34 (2024)
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Volume 33 (2023)
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Volume 32 (2022)
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Volume 31 (2021)
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Volume 30 (2020)
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Volume 29 (2019)
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Volume 28 (2018)
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Volume 27 (2017)
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Volume 26 (2016)
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Volume 25 (2015)
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Volume 24 (2014)
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Volume 23 (2013)
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Volume 22 (2012)
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Volume 21 (2011)
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Volume 20 (2010)
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Volume 19 (2009)
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Volume 18 (2008)
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Volume 17 (2007)
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Volume 16 (2006)
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Volume 15 (2005)
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Volume 14 (2004)
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Volume 13 (2003)
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Volume 12 (2002)
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Volume 11 (2001)
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Volume 10 (2000)
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Language learner self-management
Author(s): J. Rubin
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