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The main aim of the work is to assess physical parameters of forest woodchips and their impact on the prices achieved by the supplier in transactions with a power plant. During fragmentation of logging residue, high content of green matter and contaminants negatively impacts the quality parameters that serve as basis for settlements. The analysis concerns data on the main parameters -water content, fuel value, sulphur and ash content -from 252 days of deliveries of forest chips to a power plant. The deliveries were realised from forested areas on an average about 340 km from the plant. Average water content and the resultant fuel value of forest chips was within 27-47% and 8.7-12.9 GJ×Mg −1 (appropriately), respectively. They depend on the month in which they are delivered to the power plant. The threshold values for the above-mentioned parameters are set by the plant at a real level and the suppliers have no problems with meeting them. The parameter that is most frequently exceeded is ash content (11.5% of cases). The settlement system does not differentiate on the basis of the transport distance but gives possibility to lower the settlement price when the quality parameters are not met but provides no reward for deliveries with parameters better than the average ones. On the basis of results obtained, it was calculated that average annual settlement price is lower than the contract price by about 0.20 PLN×GJ −1 , which in case of the analysed company may translate into an average daily loss of about 700 PLN.

This study tests the theoretical predictions regarding effects of increasing task complexity (Robinson, 2001a, 2001b, 2007, 2010; Robinson & Gilabert, 2007) for second language (L2) pronunciation. Specifically, we examine whether more complex tasks (a) lead to greater incidence of pronunciation-focused language-related episodes (LREs) and (b) positively impact accuracy of phonetic form during task completion. Seventeen dyads of intermediate L2 Spanish learners completed simple (+few elements) and complex (-few elements) information-gap map tasks in which the pronunciation of Spanish vowels was made task essential through the inclusion of minimal pair street names (e.g., Calle Copa “Copa Street” and Calle Capa “Capa Street”). Results revealed no statistical difference in learner-produced pronunciation-related LREs in the simple and complex tasks. Vowel production, however, moved in a targetlike direction for one of five segments (/e/) during the complex task. Results therefore point to some benefits of task complexity manipulations for L2 pronunciation.

Despite myriad changes to language teaching methods over time, university-level classroom spaces have largely remained the same-until now. Recent innovations in classroom space design center on technological advances, include movable furniture and coffee-shop style rooms, and are believed to facilitate language learning in several ways. Specifically, compared to traditional classrooms, innovative spaces are designed in hopes of decreasing pre-task set-up, increasing student-centered interaction, and facilitating collaborative work with multiple partners-features believed to be important for classroom learning. However, whether or not these features are present in these innovative spaces, or more so than in traditional classrooms, has yet to be tested empirically. This study set out to compare student interaction and the use of space in traditional and innovative classrooms, examining the presence of the aforementioned features. Data collected from university Spanish language and linguistic courses demonstrate that while some differences in use of space and interaction were observed when lessons in traditional and innovative classrooms were compared, notable differences were only present when the instructor was teaching all sections of a course in an innovative classroom and had adapted his/her lesson plans accordingly. Implications for language teaching, instructed language acquisition, and classroom space design are discussed.Keywords: instructed SLA/ enseñanza de segundas lenguas en contextos formales; language learning context/ contexto de aprendizaje de lenguas; classroom language learning/ aprendizaje de lenguas en el salón de clase; classroom space design/ diseño del espacio de instrucción; teaching with technology/ enseñar con tecnología Introduction While language teaching methods and approaches have changed over time, often in relation to research findings in second language acquisition (SLA), the physical university-level classroom spaces in which language teaching and learning occur have largely remained the same. Recently, classroom space design has entered into the conversation of how to maximize language-learning opportunities, and universities are adding classrooms designed around technology and with nontraditional organization.Much like other technology-focused initiatives in language learning (e.g., computerbased interactive tasks and hybrid courses), these newer classrooms are believed to promote student-centered learning and to capitalize on student preferences and modern lifestyles (360steelcase 2010a). However, unlike research on other technology-focused initiatives like computer-assisted language learning, which has compared student interaction in computermediated and face-to-face environments extensively (e.g., Blake 2013), when it comes to classroom design, little research exists that compares the use of these newly implemented, innovative classrooms with traditional classrooms.Although it is assumed that these innovative spaces will enhance learning opportunities in a variety of ways...