ABSTRACT
The objective of teaching a foreign language is to teach learners to communicate effectively in the target language by developing their various language skills. One of these skills defined in the CEFR is listening comprehension. We believe that this skill extends to the basis of the process of learning a foreign language. Nevertheless, we often find that learners have difficulty in listening comprehension. Especially, in the period of distance education due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the problems of listening comprehension have multiplied. So, the objective of this study is to observe and analyze the problems encountered in listening comprehension in distance education. Thus, we used the qualitative method in order to obtain more detailed data. As a data collection tool, we conducted a semi-structured interview with ten volunteer A2.1 level learners in the preparatory class of Tekirdag Namik Kemal University in the second semester of the 2020-2021 academic year.The semi-structured interview consists of six open-ended questions. To carry out this interview, we used the Google meet platform because of the health crisis. The collected data was analyzed and evaluated with the coding method. According to the data obtained, most of the learners indicated that the main problem they encounter is the quality of the sound and the loss of Internet connection when listening. They also added that they suffer from concentration problems and feel stressed. Especially if we consider this anxiety-provoking situation, we can say that the lack of concentration due to the lack of interactivity decreases the effectiveness of the listening comprehension skill. At the end of our research, we found that all learners listen to music, podcasts, watch French films and series to develop their listening skills. We also noticed that some of them follow French social networks to be able to enrich their French. © 2021 GERFLINT. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Fatigue is common not only in cancer patients but also after viral and other infections. Effective treatment options are still very rare. Therefore, the present knowledge on the pathophysiology of fatigue and the potential positive impact of treatment with vitamin C is illustrated. Additionally, the effectiveness of high-dose IV vitamin C in fatigue resulting from various diseases was assessed by a systematic literature review in order to assess the feasibility of vitamin C in post-viral, especially in long COVID, fatigue. Nine clinical studies with 720 participants were identified. Three of the four controlled trials observed a significant decrease in fatigue scores in the vitamin C group compared to the control group. Four of the five observational or before-and-after studies observed a significant reduction in pre-post levels of fatigue. Attendant symptoms of fatigue such as sleep disturbances, lack of concentration, depression, and pain were also frequently alleviated. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and circulatory disorders, which are important contributors to fatigue, are also discussed in long COVID fatigue. Thus, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, endothelial-restoring, and immunomodulatory effects of high-dose IV vitamin C might be a suitable treatment option.