The Experts below are selected from a list of 246 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Seyed Foad Ebrahimi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Disciplinary practices in realising discourse functions of Grammatical Subjects in the result and discussion sections of research articles
2020Co-Authors: Seyed Foad Ebrahimi, Swee Heng Chan, Ain Nadzimah AbdullahAbstract:This study intended to scrutinize the discourse functions of the Grammatical Subjects used in the result and discussion section of research articles. The data for the study consist of sixteen result and discussion sections extracted from sixteen research articles published in academic journal in 2010 and 2011 from four disciplines, namely, that of English Language Teaching, Economics, Biology, and Civil Engineering (4 from each discipline). The gathered data were analyzed based on Davies’ (1988) and Gosden’s (1993) categorization of discourse functions of the Grammatical Subject. Findings reflected statistically significant disciplinary variations in the Grammatical Subjects in terms of two domains which are, participant and hypothesized and objectivized. These disciplinary variations support the claim that writers in each discipline may constraine and conditione their scientific writtings based on the discipline’s expectations, beliefs, and practices shared between the members (Lovejoy, 1991; Hyland, 1998; North, 2005). The analysis revealed how writers resort to a multiplicity of skills in realising the grammtical Subject to show writing intentions in the negotiation of text development.
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“THE OVERALL AIM OF THIS WORK IS ….” FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF Grammatical Subject IN RESEARCH ARTICLE INTRODUCTIONS ACROSS FOUR DISCIPLINES
Discourse and Interaction, 2020Co-Authors: Seyed Foad EbrahimiAbstract:This study investigates the types and discourse functions of Grammatical Subjects in research article introductions across four disciplines, namely: Applied Linguistics and Psychology, representing soft sciences, and Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, representing hard sciences. This study was carried out on a corpus of 40 research article introductions (10 from each discipline). The research article introductions were sourced from twelve ISI journals published from 2008 to 2012. The corpus was analysed based on the modified model in relation to Grammatical Subject types and discourse functions suggested by Ebrahimi (2014). The results revealed that the Grammatical Subject type selections were guided by the nature of the research article introduction. However, the frequency of use of the Grammatical Subject types was constrained by the nature of the discipline. Discourse functions of Grammatical Subject types were predominantly determined by the divisions of the hard and soft sciences, and the specific disciplines within and the internal structure of the research article introductions. In addition, the results of this study manifest a new framework for the analysis of discourse functions of Grammatical Subject types in research article introductions.
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Grammatical Subjects in Method Section of Psychology and Chemistry Research Articles
2018Co-Authors: Seyed Foad Ebrahimi, Chan Swee HengAbstract:This study intends to investigate the realizations and functions of Grammatical Subject in the method section of research articles across disciplines from hard and soft sciences. To this end, 20 method sections of research articles from two disciplines, namely Psychology and Chemistry, were selected and analyzed. The data were selected from high impact journals indexed in Thompson and Reuters and published by Elsevier. The data were analyzed based on Ebrahimi’s recent analytical framework for the analysis of Grammatical Subject. The results highlighted noticeable disciplinary differences concerning realizations of the research-related and self-mention Grammatical Subjects. The results of this study could act as a guide to aid novice writers, especially non-native novice writers from these two disciplines with regard to the use of Grammatical Subject which serves as an important point in the navigation of subsequent ideas in a message. The findings also stressed that writers need to consider the writing style of their disciplines in realizing linguistic features, such as Grammatical Subject functionally.
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Grammatical Subject in results and discussion section of research articles disciplinary variations
Journal of Teaching Language Skills, 2018Co-Authors: Seyed Foad Ebrahimi, Chan Swee HengAbstract:Frequencies and discourse functions of Grammatical Subject types were investigated in a corpus of forty results and discussion sections selected from four disciplines (Applied Linguistics, Psychology, Chemistry, and Environmental Engineering). The results and discussion sections were selected from research articles that were published in 2008-2012 issues of prestigious high journals of the four disciplines. The results and discussion sections were analyzed for realizations and discourse functions of Grammatical Subject types adopting the taxonomy suggested by Ebrahimi (2014). The results suggested that the selections, frequencies and discourse functions of Grammatical Subject types were highly imposed by the macro functions of the results and discussion sections and the conventional rules of writing in the disciplines. One immediate implication for the outcome of this study is that writers and instructors need to keep in mind that they must be fully aware (and follow suit) of how the implementation of Grammatical Subjects are imposed and restricted by disciplinary conventions.
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the realizations of point of departure of message in general english texts
International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 2017Co-Authors: Seyed Foad EbrahimiAbstract:This study aimed to investigate the realization of marked and unmarked theme types as point of departure of message in general English texts. The corpus of this study was 15 general English texts extracted from English general textbooks for university students published in Iran and taught at universities in Iran. The corpus was analyzed based on Halliday’s (1985) framework of thematic organization. Findings suggested the unmarked theme was predominant compared to marked theme. This is due to that writers prefer to use simple structure that help readers to get a better comprehension. Findings also showed that different types of marked theme were used to help in text organization and contribute to better comprehension. In such cases, the writers felt the need to mention some elements in the thematic position other than Grammatical Subject. The findings highlighted that general English instructors and developers need to take on board the notion of theme and its importance in teaching and developing general English texts.
Mary Carroll - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Subjektwahl und Topikkontinuität im Deutschen und Englischen
Zeitschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Linguistik, 2020Co-Authors: Christiane Von Stutterheim, Mary CarrollAbstract:Cross-linguistic studies of event time structures which include Semitic (Algerian Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic), Germanic (English, German, Dutch, Norwegian), and Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish) reveal language-specific effects in the way events are construed, showing that the underlying principles are both perspective driven and linked to patterns of grammaticisation. In this paper a further syntactic domain will be investigated with respect to its functional implications for information organisation: the Grammatical Subject.
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Subjektwahl und Topikkontinuität im Deutschen und Englischen
Zeitschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Linguistik, 2005Co-Authors: Christiane Von Stutterheim, Mary CarrollAbstract:Cross-linguistic studies of event time structures which include Semitic (Algerian Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic), Germanic (English, German, Dutch, Norwegian), and Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish) reveal language-specific effects in the way events are construed, showing that the underlying principles are both perspective driven and linked to patterns of grammaticisation. In this paper a further syntactic domain will be investigated with respect to its functional implications for information organisation: the Grammatical Subject. We take a closer look at English and German, which differ with respect to the syntactic properties of the Subject category. Using film-renarrations as the data base it can be shown that cross linguistic differences in the realisation of the Subject category are systematic at the formal as well as at the functional level. These findings are explained on the basis of differences in information organisation which are driven by Grammatical properties of the respective Subject category and word order constraints such as V2. Against this background, very advanced learner languages English-German/German-English are analysed, using parallel elicitation methods. It can be shown that although the full range of expressive means are available for the L2 speakers, they have not identified the implications which a syntactic category such as the Subject has for information organisation.
Christiane Von Stutterheim - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Subjektwahl und Topikkontinuität im Deutschen und Englischen
Zeitschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Linguistik, 2020Co-Authors: Christiane Von Stutterheim, Mary CarrollAbstract:Cross-linguistic studies of event time structures which include Semitic (Algerian Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic), Germanic (English, German, Dutch, Norwegian), and Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish) reveal language-specific effects in the way events are construed, showing that the underlying principles are both perspective driven and linked to patterns of grammaticisation. In this paper a further syntactic domain will be investigated with respect to its functional implications for information organisation: the Grammatical Subject.
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Subjektwahl und Topikkontinuität im Deutschen und Englischen
Zeitschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Linguistik, 2005Co-Authors: Christiane Von Stutterheim, Mary CarrollAbstract:Cross-linguistic studies of event time structures which include Semitic (Algerian Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic), Germanic (English, German, Dutch, Norwegian), and Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish) reveal language-specific effects in the way events are construed, showing that the underlying principles are both perspective driven and linked to patterns of grammaticisation. In this paper a further syntactic domain will be investigated with respect to its functional implications for information organisation: the Grammatical Subject. We take a closer look at English and German, which differ with respect to the syntactic properties of the Subject category. Using film-renarrations as the data base it can be shown that cross linguistic differences in the realisation of the Subject category are systematic at the formal as well as at the functional level. These findings are explained on the basis of differences in information organisation which are driven by Grammatical properties of the respective Subject category and word order constraints such as V2. Against this background, very advanced learner languages English-German/German-English are analysed, using parallel elicitation methods. It can be shown that although the full range of expressive means are available for the L2 speakers, they have not identified the implications which a syntactic category such as the Subject has for information organisation.
Chan Swee Heng - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Grammatical Subjects in Method Section of Psychology and Chemistry Research Articles
2018Co-Authors: Seyed Foad Ebrahimi, Chan Swee HengAbstract:This study intends to investigate the realizations and functions of Grammatical Subject in the method section of research articles across disciplines from hard and soft sciences. To this end, 20 method sections of research articles from two disciplines, namely Psychology and Chemistry, were selected and analyzed. The data were selected from high impact journals indexed in Thompson and Reuters and published by Elsevier. The data were analyzed based on Ebrahimi’s recent analytical framework for the analysis of Grammatical Subject. The results highlighted noticeable disciplinary differences concerning realizations of the research-related and self-mention Grammatical Subjects. The results of this study could act as a guide to aid novice writers, especially non-native novice writers from these two disciplines with regard to the use of Grammatical Subject which serves as an important point in the navigation of subsequent ideas in a message. The findings also stressed that writers need to consider the writing style of their disciplines in realizing linguistic features, such as Grammatical Subject functionally.
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Grammatical Subject in results and discussion section of research articles disciplinary variations
Journal of Teaching Language Skills, 2018Co-Authors: Seyed Foad Ebrahimi, Chan Swee HengAbstract:Frequencies and discourse functions of Grammatical Subject types were investigated in a corpus of forty results and discussion sections selected from four disciplines (Applied Linguistics, Psychology, Chemistry, and Environmental Engineering). The results and discussion sections were selected from research articles that were published in 2008-2012 issues of prestigious high journals of the four disciplines. The results and discussion sections were analyzed for realizations and discourse functions of Grammatical Subject types adopting the taxonomy suggested by Ebrahimi (2014). The results suggested that the selections, frequencies and discourse functions of Grammatical Subject types were highly imposed by the macro functions of the results and discussion sections and the conventional rules of writing in the disciplines. One immediate implication for the outcome of this study is that writers and instructors need to keep in mind that they must be fully aware (and follow suit) of how the implementation of Grammatical Subjects are imposed and restricted by disciplinary conventions.
Kenji Ogawa - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Incongruence of Grammatical Subjects activates brain regions involved in perspective taking in a sentence-sentence verification task
Journal of Neurolinguistics, 2020Co-Authors: Toshiki Iwabuchi, Masato Ohba, Kenji Ogawa, Toshio InuiAbstract:Abstract Various sentences can describe the same event from different perspectives (e.g., “John kicked Mike.” and “Mike was kicked by John.”). Humans can easily verify propositional equivalence of these sentences, but the underlying brain mechanisms are unclear. The present study examined whether the perspective taking system is involved in the verification of propositional equivalence between two sentences having different Grammatical Subjects, using a functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants were required to observe a picture and to verbalize it silently by encoding a visually cued person as the Grammatical Subject. Then, we presented a sentence whose Grammatical Subject was either congruent or incongruent with the previous one. Participants judged whether the meanings of these sentences were matched. Comparing the incongruent condition to the congruent condition, we found increased activation in the regions involved in perspective taking of another person. This suggests that perspective switching takes place in the incongruent condition.
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a functional mri study of a picture sentence verification task evidence of attention shift to the Grammatical Subject
Neuroreport, 2013Co-Authors: Toshiki Iwabuchi, Toshio Inui, Masato Ohba, Kenji OgawaAbstract:: Mapping the meaning of a sentence onto visual entities is a fundamental process of daily language use, but it is unclear how attention in the visual context influences sentence comprehension. Aiming to examine this problem, we conducted a picture-sentence matching experiment with scanning using functional MRI. In the experiment, a moving picture describing an event with two colored objects was presented on a screen. A visual cue was flashed at the position of an object's appearance just before the event presentation, and participants were instructed to pay attention to the visually cued object in the picture. They were then required to read a simple Japanese sentence and to verify whether it correctly described the previous event. To examine the effects of visual cueing, we defined two conditions on the basis of the relationship between the visually cued object in an event and the Grammatical Subject of the subsequent sentence. When comparing the conditions in which the visually cued object was incongruent with the Grammatical Subject to the congruent conditions, participants showed a lower hit rate, and the right frontal eye field, which is known to be the region related to attention shift, was more activated. These findings suggest that the attention was initially allocated to an object encoded as the Grammatical Subject in the process of linking the content of a sentence with a visual event. Therefore, the attention was shifted from the cued object to the other object under the conditions discussed above.
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Neural basis of the shift in Grammatical Subject: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study
The 2011 IEEE ICME International Conference on Complex Medical Engineering, 2011Co-Authors: Toshiki Iwabuchi, Toshio Inui, Masato Ohba, Kenji OgawaAbstract:Many researchers now consider language comprehension to be the generation of mental imagery of event structures. In addition, Grammatical Subjects are believed to correspond to the referents that initially capture attention in these visual events. Therefore, we hypothesized that mental imagery would be activated in sentence comprehension, with a central focus on the referent encoded as the Grammatical Subject. We performed two experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in which participants observed an event while focusing attention on a particular referent and then subsequently read a sentence describing it. In these experiments, visual attention was guided to a particular referent in a visual scene by a spatial cue. Based on our hypothesis, when the Grammatical Subject of a presented sentence was incongruent with the pre-attended referent, participants had to shift their attention to reactivate imagery of the event structure. On the other hand, this shift would not occur if the Subject was congruent with the referent. In both the incongruent condition and in the opposite (congruent) condition , the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was activated. This indicates that the right DLPFC was involved in this type of shifting process.
