Low Down

  EXTERNAL EXAMINATION   In contrast to the 'clinical autopsy' performed to evaluate natural disease, the importance of the external examination is far greater in the forensic case, especially in deaths from trauma. In the latter, the medico-legal value of the external.   description may be paramount, as it is often from the outer evidence that inferences may be made about the nature of the weapon, the direction of attack and other vital aspects. Thus the forensic pathologist must spend all the time that is necessary in a careful evaluation of the body surface and not be too impatient to wield the knife mainly to seek material for histology, which is more justified in the purely clinical autopsy. The routine for external examination will naturally vary according to the nature of the case but certain general principles apply. The following procedure is a useful baseline and may be adjusted according to personal preference. Variations in criminal cases to accommodate th...

  The cognitive–situated approach drew attention to another, rather neglected, aspect of motivation: its dynamic character and temporal variation. motivation is examined in its relationship to specific learner behaviors and classroom processes, there is a need to adopt a process-oriented approach/ paradigm that can account for the daily ups and downs of motivation to learn, that is, the ongoing changes of motivation over time. Even during a single L2 class one can notice that language-learning motivation shows a certain amount of changeability, and in the context of learning a language for several months or years, or over a lifetime, motivation is expected to go through rather diverse phases. Looking at it from this perspective, motivation is not seen as a static attribute but rather as a dynamic factor that displays continuous fluctuation. As the following quote demonstrates, this characteristic of motivation is becoming a basic assumption in contemporary motivational psychology:...

  It is easy to see why motivation is of great importance in SLA: It provides the primary impetus to initiate L2 learning and later the driving force to sustain the long and often tedious learning process; indeed, all the other factors involved in SLA presuppose motivation to some extent. Without sufficient motivation, even individuals with the most remarkable abilities cannot accomplish long-term goals, and neither are appropriate curricula and good teaching enough on their own to ensure student achievement. On the other hand, high motivation can make up for considerable deficiencies both in one’s language aptitude and learning conditions.   Much of what appears to be foreign-language learning aptitude may reflect a valuing process. In Belgium, those who learn Flemish as a first language are much more likely to learn a second and even a third language than are those who learn French as a first language. Why? Can anyone seriously believe that the difference is one of langu...