Volume 20

The use of characters in various types of prior works in modern society has raised questions about whether characters can be regarded as subjects of copyright. Based on copyright legislation and jurisprudence, regardless of the type or scale, the determination of whether any intellectual creation is eligible for copyright protection rests solely on the criteria of originality and replicability, unrelated to factors such as the commercial value of the characters. Various standards applicable to the issue of copyrightability of characters, as practiced in both Chinese and American judicial contexts, emphasize the consideration of specific descriptive elements inherent in characters. Guided by the "idea-expression dichotomy" principle, deconstructing characters reveals that only when characters are concretely and adequately described, and when they have transcended the realm of conceptual ideas to constitute an expression of originality, can they independently become subjects of copyright separate from the work they originate in. The protection and use of characters in works should respect the objective laws of cultural creation, inheritance, and development, in order to ultimately achieve the fundamental principles and goals of copyright legislation.

Show more

This paper explores the application of visual narratives in addressing "wicked problems" such as ecosystem imbalances and biodiversity loss. Firstly, it reviews the evolution of the design field's focus on "wicked problems" and how design has shifted from "post-intervention" processes to seeking more profound solutions. Subsequently, the paper presents a case study of the Tianjin Qilihai Wetland, demonstrating how design intervenes in local ecological and social issues as a tool and medium to tackle wicked problems. Based on this, four methods of action-oriented visual narrative are proposed: shifting from stakeholders' relevant maps to collaborator maps, self-organized visual materials, participatory experiences, and visual narratives of products in social contexts. These methods, through the lens of visual narratives, aid in understanding and addressing complex ecological and social issues. Finally, the paper concludes by emphasizing the advantages and significance of visual narratives in addressing wicked problems, underlining their key role in promoting the integration of design and social action to achieve more comprehensive and profound problem-solving.

Show more

In the age of “Big Data”, the accelerated iteration of AI models characterized by ChatGPT has fueled both excitement and fear. With the diversified application of generative AI models, last year witnessed a surge in AI cover songs. Compared with the discussions around the content generated by AI, the prior training process receives less attention. This article aims at analyzing the copyright law issues related to AI cover songs. By examining current legislation in different countries, the author believes that the training of AI cover models risks violating both property rights and moral rights stipulated in copyrights laws. Moreover, it fails to fit in the fair-use defense in most states. Considering the emotional values preserved by AI cover songs as well as the spirit of copyright laws, this article argues that basically, the training of AI cover models should be solely for non-commercial use. An unregulated approach toward AI cover songs can otherwise hinder innovations and disproportionately harm the interest of minority groups.

Show more

The phenomenon of communicative alienation is given a positive meaning by the complex cultural interplay in which it is embedded in the process of intercultural communication. Using comments on AFP's 'Dawn of the Empire' photo series as an example, this study uses case study and text analysis methods to crawl and collate 216 relevant data points on three international platforms - Twitter, Facebook and YouTube - using the search term 'Dawn of the Empire'. The study also analyses the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication of this news coverage, with 216 comments on Weibo and Bilibili. The study argues that communication alienation also has its positive side, and that by communicating positive alienation and considering communication alienation as an online cultural movement, it can to some extent contribute to reconstructing the communication system of international exchange, expanding and updating the ways of communication, improving international exchange and reducing conflicts, thus achieving a virtuous circle.

Show more

Film and television (including digital media art) will be explicitly included in the Chinese Compulsory Education Curriculum Plan and Curriculum Standards in 2022, according to the China’s Ministry of Education. With the advancement of science and technology, significant changes in film and television production and communication have occurred.5G, AR, and VR technologies are reshaping film and television language expression techniques, presentation forms, and viewing methods. As a result, it is necessary to combine the current development trend of film and television technology, comprehend the science and technology of film and television, master the new expression of film and television language, cultivate children's media literacy as the goal, and build the curriculum system of contemporary children's film and television education, in order to promote the implementation of the curriculum plan and curriculum standards of film and television education.

Show more

This paper focuses on comparing the efficacy of the Total Physical Response (TPR) and Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) for teaching a second language to children aged 3-4. TPR is a language learning method that employs physical movements and commands to facilitate language acquisition, while ALM focuses on accurate pronunciation and grammar through repetitive practice and reinforcement. Research has shown that early language exposure has long-term benefits for children, including improved cognitive development, academic performance, and socio-emotional outcomes. However, previous studies have focused on older children or adults, and there is limited research on TPR’s effectiveness for 3-4-year-olds. The proposed study aims to address this gap by testing whether TPR is better than ALM in teaching a second language to young children. The study involved sixty 3-4-year-old children from a kindergarten in Hangzhou, China, and used the Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) as an assessment tool.

Show more

Linguistic code-switching is a common phenomenon among bilinguals that requires extensive executive control to manage two languages. However, limited research has specifically examined whether frequent code-switching enhances cognitive inhibition as measured by the Stroop test. Understanding this relationship has important implications for harnessing bilingual advantages in inhibition and executive functioning. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether bilingual adolescents who engage in code-switching demonstrate improved cognitive inhibition compared to monolingual peers. Participants were 81 Chinese-English bilinguals aged 14-18, who were assigned to English reading, Chinese reading, or mixed language reading groups. Participants then completed Stroop tests. Results revealed the mixed language group had significantly faster response times on incongruent Stroop trials compared to both monolingual groups, indicating enhanced cognitive inhibition from code-switching. No significant difference emerged between the English and Chinese groups, implying monolingual reading in either language does not differentially impact inhibition.

Show more

Improving students’ speaking ability is one of the fundamental requirements for English teaching. However, some English majors have few chances in oral English learning and lack the motivation to practice phonetics, moreover, teachers may face challenges to teach them phonetics. Therefore, in order to discuss the problems in English phonetics teaching and improve the efficiency of it. This paper analyzes the current situation and problems of college students' phonetic learning by utilizing questionnaire investigation. The students’ attitudes, difficulties, methods of English phonetics learning are analyzed based on the linguistic. Furthermore, the corresponding teaching and learning are put forward. The investigation shows that nowadays, college students pay more attention to their English phonetics. There are three influence factors contributing to their dissatisfaction with it, including the negative influence of language transfer, low attention to English phonetics teaching, and lack of expertise in phonetics. Based on the analysis of these contributors, this paper purposes corresponding methods: Teachers should know the similarities and differences between English and Chinese in pronunciation, add English tests as a part of students’ English final exam, and colleges should conduct systematic phonetic training for English teachers.

Show more

In contemporary society, cultural communication and dissemination among countries have broken through the limitations of nationalities and borders. Both school teaching and family education have paid more attention to the teaching strategies of bilingual learners. This paper utilizes literature analysis to explore three strategies in the process of English teaching in colleges. By analyzing the current status of three types of college English teaching problems, three feasible strategies are provided for this purpose, picture books, English original movies, and group activities to decline the anxiety of college English classes and to maximize students’ motivation and participation. The implementation of the above three measures can help bilingual learners to have better skills in their second language.

Show more

Bilateral relations between China and the European Union (EU) have suffered many twists and turns, showing new features of change in stability and retreat in progress.The main reason for the new changes in China-EU relations is not the sudden deepening of internal contradictions between China and the EU or the disappearance of common interests; in fact, the Biden administration, after coming to power and needing to cope with China-U.S. competition with the power of the EU, has changed the Trump administration’s emphasis on unilateralism and the U.S.-first foreign policy, returned to the position of multilateralism, and took the initiative to repair transatlantic relations, enhancing the strategic attraction to the EU; it is the important driving force for the emergence of a phased adjustment of the EU’s policy towards China. Therefore, it is necessary to respond to the new changes in China-EU relations on the basis of the triangular relationship between China, the US and the EU, manage the conflicts between China and the US, make good use of the US-EU analyses, and strengthen the consensus between China and the EU, enhancing the centripetal force of China-EU relations with mutually beneficial co-operation and common interests in development, so as to promote China-EU co-operation in a stable way and bring it to a far-reaching stage.

Show more