• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.310-319
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• 2021

Background: Humidifier disinfectant exposure is an ongoing issue, and there is still considerable related controversy. Various approaches are needed to secure scientific evidence on the extent of the victims' damages and for the determination of appropriate compensation. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between humidifier disinfectant (HD) use and academic achievement in Korean children. Methods: This study used data from the 8th Panel Study on Korean Children in 2015. For the final study, 1,598 cases were used. T-tests and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to determine whether the use of humidifier disinfectant is a factor that affects academic ability. Results: Children in groups using humidifier disinfectant showed statistically significantly lower scores in all areas of language, including reading, speaking and writing, and statistically lower scores in all areas of mathematics, including counting, addition and subtraction. In the multiple regression analysis results, which control for the effects of various demographic/social variables, the use of humidifier disinfectants showed statistically significant beta coefficients (β: -0.357, p<0.001), negatively affecting children's language ability. As for the 'math' variable, which was created by combining counting, addition, and subtraction scores, the use of humidifier disinfectants as independent variables also showed statistically significant beta coefficients (β: -0.200, p<0.001), negatively affecting children's math ability. Conclusions: The results of the study showed that depending on whether or not humidifier disinfectants were used, there are differences in children's language abilities, such as reading, speaking, and writing, as well as in their mathematical abilities, such as counting, adding, and subtracting numbers. These findings are thought to serve as a scientific basis for extending the perspective from health effects to more diverse areas of demographic and social impact related to humidifier disinfectant damage and compensation.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.259-274
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• 2000

The subjects of this study on the effects of teacher intervention in sociodramatic plays were 54 five-year-old children from 2 public kindergartens in C city. Socioeconomic stasus and, aside from teacher interventions, educational procedures were the same for both the experimental group(28 subjects) and the control (26 subjects) groups in both schools. Instruments were the Social Play Rating Scale(Smilansky & Shefatya, 1990), Social Situations Measure(McGinnis & Goldstein, 1990), and Language Ability Test(Chang, 1981). Procedures included pretest, 14 weeks treatments and post-test. Data were analyzed by t-test. Results indicated significant differences in social play levels between the experimental and control groups, (b) including differences in such general social skills as emotional control and relationships with others. There were also differences in language ability, including such subordinates as language understanding and expressive abilities.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.51-63
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• 2020

Phonological awareness is a metalinguistic awareness ability of phonology and is known to predict language skills, such as reading and vocabulary skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between phonological awareness, phonological processing, and language skills in 4- to 6-years-old typically developing (TD) children and children with language delay (LD). A total of 32 children (TD=18, LD=15) participated in this study. They performed a phonological awareness task consisting of counting, deletion, and discrimination at syllable level. Nonword Repetition, Digit Backward, Receptive & Expressive Vocabulary Test, and Grammaticality Judgment Task were performed to analyze the correlation between phonological awareness, phonological processing, and language ability. A multiple stepwise regression analysis was performed to examine the phonological awareness subtasks that predict language ability. In the TD group, the syllable categorization task significantly predicted the receptive vocabulary and the performance of the Grammaticality Judgment Task. The LD group showed that the syllable counting task significantly predicted the receptive vocabulary, the expressive vocabulary, and the performance of the Grammaticality Judgment Task. The results showed that the phonological awareness performance was significantly different between the two groups. Further, correlation analysis and regression analysis showed different results for each group. The result of the phonological awareness performance predicted the language ability of each group significantly, suggesting the importance of the meta-linguistic awareness ability of phonology.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.13-28
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• 2006

Autistic children have difficulties in communication. They tend to have more difficulties in general expression than in understanding sentences. This thesis tested the effect of music activities on children who have difficulties in language expression. As a research method, a group of autistic middle school students was selected who were attending normal schools. Three male students were selected for the test of K-ABC and CARS. Music treatments on the selected students were applied fifteen times, twice a week, for thirty minutes every time. The total treatment process could be divided into two stages. The stage one included the first twelve treatments and the stage two included following three treatments. In the stage one, the selected autistic students learned twenty four musics under real-world-like social circumstances. In the stage two, the students repeatedly learned the twenty four musics. A week before beginning the music treatment, the students were tested by PRES and a test developed by the author of this thesis. And a week after all treatments were completed, the students were tested again with the same test method to check if the students' expressive language ability got improved. The results of the research were as the following: First, the music treatment helped improve the autistic student's ability of expressing themselves such as 'requesting', 'rejecting', 'applying social customs' and 'providing information'. Second, the author of this thesis first had a hypothesis that the tested students might show different levels of achievements according to their intellectual ability or expressive language ability in K-ABC test, PRES and CARS. But it was not true. The student's level of achievement by music activities was proved not to have a significant correlation with their intellectual or expressive language abilities in the tests. Third, it was found that, through pre- and post-test of PRES, the music treatments could improve the receptive language ability as well as the expressive language ability. It saw great effect that musical data that utilize in specially this research investigator according to children's ability, autistic children write lyrics setting in social circumstance that is revealed much routinely and composes. To front, expect that suitable a lot of musics are developed in function and ability of subject person for elevation of expressive language ability.

• 한국노년학
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.981-1001
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• 2016

At old age, as people depend on superficial clues when they interpret the overall context of communication, their ability to understand connotative and figurative words and articles could deteriorate. In this study, 50 normal young(junior) people and normal old(senior) people were made to perform a task to understand similes, metaphors, idioms, and proverbs, the sub-areas of figurative language. For the task, participants were made to understand a paragraph consisting of several sentences and select a correct answer representing appropriate figurative language. As a result of the analysis, first, old people showed a lower level of performance than young people in all the sub-areas of figurative language. Second, in understanding idiomatic words and proverbs, old people showed a lower level of performance due to unfamiliarity. Third, for the types of wrong answers, old people mostly understood only the literal meanings in all the sub-areas of figurative language. Due to aging, old people come to have a lowered level of the pragmatic language ability, reasoning ability, and inhibiting ability to efficiently communicate with others considering certain situations and contexts. Thus, old people could have difficulties in understanding inner meanings from others in daily communication.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.20
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• pp.29-66
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• 2010

This paper is a qualitative study of the experiences of Korean heritage language learners (KHLLs) with literacy (reading and writing), particularly before they enter the college-level heritage language classroom. Previous research, both qualitative and quantitative, has addressed the overall language background of KHLLs, including oral and aural proficiency and writing and reading ability, as well as demographic information (such as when the student immigrated to the United States) in relation to language test scores. This study addresses KHLL experiences in the following six areas as they relate to student perceptions and attitudes toward their own heritage language literacy: language proficiency, motivation for learning, academic preparedness, cultural connectedness, emotional factors, and social factors. Fourteen undergraduate students at a university in the western United States participated in a convenience sample by responding to a 10-question survey. Trends in responses indicated that KHLLs entered the classroom with high integrational motivation and experienced great satisfaction with perceived progress in literacy, but students also expressed regret for having missed childhood learning experiences that would likely have resulted in higher proficiency. These experiences include informal and formal instruction in the home and formal instruction outside of the home.

• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.187-209
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• 2001

This study attempts to supplement what is known about the influence of prior knowledge on second language listening comprehension. To do so, the study examines the effect of prior knowledge and language proficiency on the ability of L2 listeners to understand texts. The purpose of an experiment was to determine the effect of topic familiarity on the L2 listening comprehension ability of subjects who varied in L2 listening proficiency level. The subjects (N=117) were selected from a population of college students enrolled in the Departments of English and Business in Korea. English listening proficiency levels were designated on the basis of TOEFL listening scores. Subjects listened twice each to texts (more familiar and less familiar). After listening to each text, a ten-item objective test was administered to test the subjects' comprehension of the information presented in the text. Objective tests were analyzed. using repeated measures analysis. A post hoc test was conducted to identify the means that were significantly different. This study yielded the following results: (1) subjects with high prior knowledge comprehended texts significantly better than did subjects with low prior knowledge; (2) the level of L2 listening proficiency had a significant effect on the L2 listening comprehension of texts, but there was no interaction between prior knowledge and the level of L2 listening proficiency.

• Journal of Korean language education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.197-225
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to compare the difference in the interactions between beginning language learners and heritage learners on their forms based on the interaction hypothesis. In this study, three types of information gap activities were used to analyze Language Related Episodes (LREs) while investigating the interaction patterns in language use between four pairs (eight learners) of foreign learners and four pairs (eight learners) of English-speaking heritage learners. The result indicated that foreign learners had a high focus on form during interaction. In particular, they had a tendency to focus on vocabulary rather than grammar, and they conducted self-repair by examining and mostly adjusting their speech to postposition and tense. However, in the problem-solving process, they showed a limited ability in interaction, and thus directly asked others to settle the problem or resorted to using English due to their lack of ability to employ various communication strategies. However, heritage learners had a relatively low focus on form compared to foreign learners. Yet, they also focused more on vocabulary rather than grammar and conducted self-repair in interaction, especially for vocabulary. In addition, they were skillful at using various communication strategies such as indirect expressions, use of alternative words, evasion, and delaying, to expand speech and prevent communication breakdown. They focused less on grammar and mostly did not provide negative feedback in interaction.

• CELLMED
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.9.1-9.6
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• 2023

This study aims to explore the potential of Korean language learning as a means of psychological healing and improving the quality of life for Japanese middle-aged and older learners. Results showed that Korean language learning could help alleviate various psychological issues experienced by middle-aged learners and contribute to enhancing their quality of life. Learning a foreign language is not just about acquiring information but also about meeting people who use the language and understanding and experiencing their culture. In particular, for Japanese middle-aged learners, Korean language learning can be advantageous as it can lead to the discovery or development of new hobbies or interests. Results also showed that Korean language learning increased learners' opportunities for interaction with others and enjoyment of learning new cultural customs. These positive outcomes suggest the need for discussion of teaching strategies that focus on psychological healing in foreign language education. Further clinical trials with participants who learn foreign languages for healing purposes may provide more conclusive evidence on the diverse effects of language learning on stress, anxiety, depression, self-development, social connections, and cognitive ability.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.371-383
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• 2004

In this study, 197 4- to 6- year-old Korean children wereindividually tested with Concepts about Print(CAP Clay, 2000), the Picture Vocabulary Test(Kim, Jang, Lim & Bak, 1996), Korean-Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence : Verbal Test (K-WPPSI), and the Basic Academy Skills Assessment : Reading(Kim, 2000). Data were analyzed by Pearson-correlation, analysis of variance, and factor analysis. There were significant differences of CAP mean scores by age. Within the subcategories of CAP, Book Orientation Concepts and Print-convention were acquired earlier than other subcategories, followed by Print-direction, Print-order and Advanced Print Concepts in that order. The scores of CAP were positively correlated with the Picture Vocabulary Test, the K-WPPSI verbal test and the reading test.