Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
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This article aims to investigate the possible correlation between the proficiency of the second language (L2, English) and the third language (L3, Spanish) in Chinese university students who speak Mandarin Chinese as their first language (L1). The analysis includes data provided by 61 students in the second year of university who study Spanish as major from zero but with nine to twelve years of experience in learning English as their first foreign language. The result reveals that there is a significant and positive relation between English and Spanish levels, giving evidence to prove the hypothesis that the second language constitutes an important factor for the third language learning, which corroborates the Factor Model proposed by Hufeisen that explains the process of third language acquisition.

Book review: Multicultural Origins of the Global Economy: Beyond the Western-Centric Frontier

Gustafsson, B. A., Hasmath, R., & Ding, S.(2021). Ethnicity and Inequality in China.Routledge, 356 pp.

Opinión invitada In memoriam a Ulises Granados, promotor de los estudios sobre Asia en general y China en particular. Investigador riguroso y docente comprometido, fue mi discípulo desde que estudiaba la licenciatura en la UNAM y en la maestría en El Colegio de México. Deja un legado importante, ejemplo para las generaciones que se especializan en estos estudios

Opinión invitada

Introduction: due to the worldwide pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), authorities have chosen to confine their citizens as an epidemiological containment measure, considerably reducing physical activity levels in the adolescent population. Objective: The evidence indicates the importance of physical activity in mental health, development of motor skills, improvements in cardiovascular risk profile, cognitive functions, increased self-esteem, and quality of life in adolescence. Considering the importance of physical activity and, specifically, the insufficient levels of physical activity in the adolescent population, the question of the levels of physical activity performed by high school students in subsidized private schools in the district of Talcahuano during the period of confinement was raised. Method: 152 males and 177 females between 14 and 17 years of age from three subsidized private schools in the municipality of Talcahuano were evaluated. A digital questionnaire was administered on the day of distance learning. Results: The mean questionnaire score was 2.37 ± 0.68. The obtained score classified the students as inactive since they had values lower than 2.75 on the PAQ-A questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U test was performed to determine the differences in median questionnaire scores for male and female groups. The median was statistically significant between the groups p= 0.001. A Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to compare the age groups. As a result, the median was not significantly different between age groups, P = 0.224. Conclusion: men are, on average, more physically active than women, and there is no difference in the median age between 14 and 17 years in the confinement periods.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the number of active students and sedentary behaviors, as well as their perceptions of motivation and barriers that prevent the practice of physical activity during recess in rural and urban schools in the province of Heredia, Costa Rica. Methodology: A mixed research study was conducted using the SOPLAY instrument to measure and classify the type of physical activity. In addition, focus groups were held with selected schoolchildren; they were asked about their perception of barriers and motivation to engage in physical activity. The population studied was schoolchildren between 7 and 12 years old enrolled in urban and rural public schools in the province of Heredia. Results: Among the results obtained, statistically significant differences were found. Regarding moderate physical activity (MPA), urban school students were more active than those from rural schools. Concerning vigorous physical activity (VPA), the statistically significant differences were only between the sexes, being greater in boys than in girls. Among the main reasons for the motivation to do physical activity were learning, playing, and socializing. The main barriers the children mentioned were space, the dangers of infrastructure, and violence or bullying. Discussion: It is recommended to invest in improving the infrastructure of schools, disposing of waste materials that put children’s safety at risk so that they can have more room to play, in addition to the acquisition of materials to provide more options and promote the realization of physical activity during recess.

Purpose: This study seeks to determine the effect of a sensorimotor training program on static equilibrium in swimmers with Down syndrome and intellectual disability. Method: Participants: a total of 13 swimmers. Instruments and materials: the Modified Clinical Test for Sensory Integration for Balance, a Wii device with a platform, and a computer with a program to analyze the center of gravity were used in the study. Procedures: a pretest was applied, then a neuromotor training was delivered for four weeks, in three sessions of 30 minutes each, and finally, a posttest was applied. Since they were active athletes, they continued their routine without altering the training load. Statistical analysis: descriptive statistics and a two-way ANOVA (2x2, measures and groups) were used. Results: there were no statistically significant differences between the variables measured (F = 0.14, p = 0.7162) or per groups (F = 0.2, p = 0.6659) for the variable open eyes on a stable surface. For the variable closed eyes on an unstable surface, there were significant differences between the variables measured (F = 0.952, p = 0.350) and between groups (F = 6.066, p = 0.320), while for open eyes on an unstable surface there were no differences between the variables measured (F = 0.852, p = 0.376) or between groups (F = 2, .484, p = 0.143). For the variable closed eyes on a stable surface there were no significant differences between the variables measured (F = 0.716, p = 0.415) or between groups (F = 0.801, p = 0.390). It was found that this training in this population produced an improvement (p <0.05) for the variable closed eyes on a stable surface 0.32.

Introducción: El derecho a la educación como derecho humano y la educación física como la disciplina que enseña a nivel corporal. Propósito: Exponer el derecho a una educación física de calidad. Desarrollo: El ser humano es un ente biológico inmerso en un ambiente físico. Por las condiciones de su biología, debería crear movimiento para garantizar su permanencia, satisfacer sus necesidades primordiales y llevar a cabo todas las características de un ser vivo. Fuera de la esfera biológica, necesita tener relación con su medio circundante y otros seres, con lo cual devienen otras necesidades que puede cubrir mediante el movimiento, como son las necesidades psico-sociales. De esta forma, mediante el movimiento, las personas se relacionan con su medio ambiente y con sus similares, solventando con esto necesidades que les permiten subsistir y existir, siendo el movimiento parte inherente de la raza humana. Conclusión: Promover una enseñanza a nivel físico como parte de un derecho humano, con el objeto de educar a lo largo del curso de vida y con esto contribuir al desarrollo integral del ser humano mediante una educación física de calidad.

Background: Training monitoring is essential to optimize performance. Therefore, methodologies that improve the preparation of national teams in events such as the Olympic Games should be documented. Purpose: To determine whether GPS data, in combination with subjective measures of well-being, fatigue, and recovery, are appropriate for load monitoring during a preparatory period for the Olympic Games. Methodology: Twenty-two under-23 professional players participated during 5 micro-cycles and 27 training sessions. External load data was collected via a global positioning system (GPS): Total distance (DT), performance zones Z0 (0-15 km/h), Z1 (15.1-18 km/h), Z2 (18.1 -24 km/h), Z3 (>24.1 km/h), maximum speed (km/h), accelerations (>2.5m/s2) and decelerations (<2.5m/s2). Also, the internal load was obtained through subjective measures of Rating Perceived Exertion (RPE), Total Quality Recovery (TQR), Readiness to Train (RTT%) obtained from the sleep quality, muscle pain, energy levels, mood, stress, food quality, and health. The subjective rate of fatigue-recovery (F-R) was then calculated. An ANOVA test, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and multiple linear regression were applied. Results: the variables DT (p=0.00 ES=0.22), Z0 (p= 0.00 TE=0.08), Z2 (p=0.00 ES= 0.05), maximum speed (p= 0.00 ES=0.42), sum of acceleration and deceleration (p=0.00 ES=0.08) and values relative to load/min (p=0.00 ES=0.17) were identified as variables more sensitive to load change between micro-cycles.  RTT% and subjective rate F-R showed a moderate effect size (p=0.04 ES=0.06 and p=0.06 ES=0.06), but were sensitive to change between micro-cycles. PCA extracted 15 GPS variables and 11 subjective variables that explained 78% of the training load variance. Conclusion: Using GPS data together with subjective measures involved in fatigue-recovery may be a good strategy to monitor the training load in soccer players.