Christine Hansen (Editor)

Series: Languages and Linguistics
BISAC: LAN009000

In this compilation, the authors open with an analysis of the formation of philosophical terminology in the history of Early-Modern Ukrainian culture; specifically, two philosophical concepts—dobro and blaho (добро and благо)—are the focus here. Both are related to notions of good and wellbeing, but contextual nuances may affect their discrete meanings rather significantly. The authors consider the manner in which these two words functioned in the works by the prominent 18th century Ukrainian philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda by way of a study based on a close reading of thirteen of his colloquies. Following this, the authors aim to investigate the relationship between morphological awareness and reading in a language environment which is phonologically transparent and morphologically challenging, i.e., the Czech language environment.

The study showed that morphological awareness affected reading speed and accuracy more than phonological awareness. Paradoxically, morphological awareness affected reading comprehension less than phonological awareness – authors interpreted this to be due to superficial reading style which manifested itself regardless of student age, gender or IQ. Continuing, research has indicated that vocabulary depth and breadth are strongly correlated with reading comprehension and, consequently, with academic achievement. Recent research has demonstrated that vocabulary can even predict achievement up to 10 years later. Some theoretical models, such as the simple view of reading (Hoover & Gough, 1990) or the multicomponent view of reading (Cain, 2009) have received extensive empirical support and provided a clear insight into the relationship between reading comprehension and other linguistic variables, including vocabulary. Thus, the implications of findings for the design of interventions and for the planning of reading instruction are discussed. The concluding chapter aims to discuss relevant underlying theories and review previous empirical studies on language learning in both F2F and synchronous computer-mediated communication, as the nature of technology- or computer-mediated communication makes enhanced incidental learning feasible.