The thesis speaks about the multilingual region Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy. The aim of the research was to define regional and linguistic identity, specifically in the context of this region. In order to do so, I relied on theoretical and empirical data collected through interviews. After having analyzing and interpreting them, I compared them to give my final conclusion.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores the attitudes of South African expatriates in the Middle East towards the Afrikaans language. It also examines the reported language behaviour of South Africans when meeting and interacting with fellow South Africans irrespective of what their first language (L1) is. The participants who form part of the study all work in the educational, medical and business sectors in the Middle East. This study is particularly interested in what the language repertoires of South African expatriates are and whether these repertoires form part of how they define themselves as a group and contribute to their identity construction. Whilst Afrikaans has had a contested history within the South African context, and is often viewed as the language of the oppressor, it has undoubtedly also been a first language to some of the “oppressed” and has served a function as lingua franca (McCormick 2006). This thesis therefore focuses specifically on attitudes towards Afrikaans and the use of Afrikaans in linguistic identity construction. This research is informed by literature which views identity not only as complex, contradictory, multivoiced and multifaceted, but also as dynamic and subject to constant negotiation across space and time. The number of South African expatriates around the globe has increased to such an extent that the term “diaspora” (Kotze 2003: 63) has been used on occasion. While there have been some studies done on language repertoires of South African abroad, little is known about the attitudes and ideologies attached to these languages in diasporic contexts. This study uses a multimodal approach in data collection and analysis in an attempt to investigate the multi-semiotic nature of the linguistic identities of the participants. There are 33 participants in this study who are all South African citizens working or living in the Middle East. All participants are bi- and/or multilingual in mainly English and Afrikaans, with some speaking a third or fourth language such as another African indigenous language (for example, Zulu or Xhosa) or an Asian language (such as Urdu). In summary, this study finds that whilst English is clearly regarded as the global language of wider communication, people continue to identify strongly with their languages from “home” or their mother tongues, where these amplify their personal and group identities or are markers of their ethnolinguistic distinctiveness. Data collected in this research points to South African expatriate groupings that prefer communicating in Afrikaans and other indigenous languages outside the borders of South Africa as the languages give them a sense of comfort and belonging. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die houding van Suid-Afrikaners wat in die Midde-Ooste werk of woon, teenoor die Afrikaanse taal. Dit ondersoek verder die raporteerde gedrag van Suid- Afrikaners wanneer hulle mede Suid-Afrikaners teekom of ontmoet, ongeag wat hul moedertaal is. Die deelnemers aan die studie werk almal in die onderrig, mediese- of besigheidsektore in die Midde-Ooste. Die tesis is spesifiek gemik op die taal repertoire van die groep Suid-Afrikaners in die buiteland, met die fokus op die moontlike bydrae tot hoe die groep hulself defineer en selfs ook bydra tot die konstruering van hul identiteite. Alhoewel die geskiedenis van Afrikaans dikwels gekoppel is aan die van ‘die onderdukker’, dien dit sonder twyfel ook as eerste taal vir baie van die ‘onderdruktes’ sowel as die van ‘n lingua franca (McCormick 2006). Die tesis het dus ‘n spesifieke fokus op houding teenoor Afrikaans en die gebruik van Afrikaans in die skepping van taalidentiteite. Die studie gebruik as uitgangspunt literatuur wat ‘identiteit’ as kompleks, teenstellend, veelstemmig en dinamies beskou. Verder word ‘identiteit’ ook beskou as onderworpe aan konstante heronderhandeling in elke spesifieke situasie en konteks. Die getalle Suid-Afrikaners wat dwarsoor die wereld werk of woon het so vermeerder, dat die term ‘diaspora’ nou as beskrywing gebruik word (Kotze 2003: 63). Alhoewel daar al studies gedoen oor die ‘taal repertoire’ van Suid-Afrikaners in die buiteland, is daar min bekend oor die houding en ideologiee wat met die tale in ‘diasporiese’ kontekste gepaard gaan. Die studie probeer vasstel wat die volle taalrepertoire van elke deelnemer is en of die deelnemers hulself deur middel van taal identifiseer. Die studie maak gebruik van ʼn multimodale metode van data insameling en analise in ʼn poging om die multisemiotiese aspekte van die ‘taalidentiteite’ van die deelnemers te ondersoek. Die 33 deelnemers in die studie is almal Suid-Afrikaanse burgers wat in Midde- Ooste werk of woon. Die deelnemers is almal twee of meertalig, meestal in Engels en Afrikaans en sommige praat ‘n derde of vierde taal soos ‘n inheemse Afrika (byvoorbeeld, Zulu of Xhosa) of Asiese taal (soos Urdu). Opsommend vind die navorsing, dat al word Engels as die wereldstaal van wye kommunikasie beskou, mense nog steeds sterk identifiseer met hul ‘huis’ of moedertale wanneer dit hul individuele en groep identiteite beklemtoon, of n merker is van hul etnolinguisitiese andersheid. Data in hierdie navorsingstudie dui ook daarop dat hierdie Suid Afrikaanse groepe verkies om in Afrikaans of ander Suid Afrikaanse inheemse tale te kommunikeer terwyl hulle buite the grense van Suid Afrika woon en werk, want nie net troos dit hulle nie, maar besorg ook ‘n gevoel van erens behoort.

Ce travail est le résultat d'une recherche menées auprès de trois générations de douze familles gabonaises. Il s'appuie sur des entretiens compréhensifs et l'analyse privilégie le tissu discursif des représentations. L'analyse thématique et la triangulation sont les deux outils qui nous ont permis de constituer nos données. Le premier favorise une approche individuelle et transversale des données. Le second accroit la compréhension en exploitant la multiplicité des points de vue sur les thèmes abordés. Si les résultats confortent l'idée d'une érosion des pratiques linguistiques en langue ethnique d'une génération à l'autre (de G1 à G2, puis de G2 à G3), il n'en demeure pas moins que ces langues exercent une influence prégnante sur les positionnements identitaires, lorsque celles-ci sont en rapport avec le groupe ethnique. Les résultats permettent de conclure à un désir visible pour les informateurs d'être reconnus par leur groupe, reconnaissance que n'assure pas (toujours) la filiation biologique. Cependant, la proposition d'un apprentissage formel des langues ethniques ne fait pas l'unanimité dans la mesure où le cercle familial représente encore le cadre légitime de transmission linguistique pour ces langues. Les pratiques linguistiques familiales et le mouvement pendulaire, ville-village, apparaissent, pour le moment, comme des facteurs appropriés et suffisants pour assurer la transmission et la sauvegarde des langues ethniques. / This research is focused on three generations of twelve Gabonese families. It is based on comprehensive interviews and the analysis privileges the discursive aspect of representations. Our datas are based on a thematic analysis and on triangulation. The former allows an individual and transversal approach of the data. The latter exploit the multiplicity of different points of view on tackled issues. If the results confirm the idea of an erosion of the linguistic practices in ethnic language from a generation to the other one (from G1 to G2, then from G2 to G3), the fact remains that these languages have a strong influence on identity positions, when they are linked with the ethnic group. The results allow to conclude that there is a high desire for the informators to be recognized by their ethnic group, recognition from others which is not assured only by the biological filiation. However, the formal learning of the ethnic languages does not make the unanimity as far as the family circle still represents the right frame for ethnic linguistic transmission. The family linguistic practices and the pendulum movement between the cities and the villages appear for now as appropriate and sufficient factors to insure the transmission and the protection of the ethnic languages.

The aim of this study is to examine how a group of bilingual 9th grade students perceive their language development and their linguistic identity through Swedish as a second language. This study focuses on an interview with students in the 9th grade. The content of the interview is analyzed by two theoretical perspectives, Säljö perspective of socio-cultural learning and Lorentz & Bergstedt perspective of intercultural learning. The results from the study show that the students who participated in the interview experience that their language development is influenced by their surroundings, it has also led to the students having multiple linguistic identities.

L’immigration francophone récente au Manitoba présente des enjeux complexes pour la société manitobaine, et plus particulièrement la société franco-manitobaine. Environ 5 % de la population francophone au Manitoba ne sont pas nés au Canada et la proportion d’étudiants immigrants à l’Université de Saint-Boniface (USB) est presque le double de ceci. Cette recherche explore comment les étudiants immigrants d’origines africaines vivent leur acculturation et l’effet de cette dernière sur leur identité dans le contexte postsecondaire de l’USB. Orientée par une lentille de l’intersectionnalité (Crenshaw (1989, 1991), l’approche méthodologique était qualitative et ethnographique. Les résultats de cette étude offrent un aperçu des perspectives des participantes et participants immigrants africains afin de comprendre leurs expériences de racisme, de sexisme, de défis sociaux et d’évolution identitaire hybride. À la lumière de ces résultats, des recommandations d’accueil et d’intégration des immigrants africains au niveau universitaire sont offertes. / May 2016

Nesta pesquisa, busquei responder duas perguntas: a) Quais operações discursivas são utilizadas pelos sujeitos ao realizarem afirmações sobre a identidade étnica e lingüística de um grupo específico? b) Quais são as implicações dessas operações discursivas sobre a produção dos enunciados? Escolhi como objeto de estudo enunciados que foram produzidos em diferentes condições de produção, mas que buscam delinear a identidade étnica e lingüística associadas aos imigrantes japoneses e seus descendentes. A partir das análises realizadas, podem-se depreender algumas implicações entre as representações associadas às identidades e a produção dos próprios enunciados na tentativa de neutralizar as representações consideradas disfóricas em relação à identidade étnica japonesa . Ao se adotar essa postura, os enunciadores apropriam-se de recursos lingüísticos que possam funcionar como marcadores de suas próprias identidades. É esse processo que dá origem às condicionantes discursivas. O funcionamento dessas condicionantes discursivas atua tanto na produção lingüística quanto no processo de uniformização da língua, pois cria identidades consideradas ideais, as quais podem ser assumidas pela adesão às representações e à (re)produção dos recursos lingüísticos que supostamente estariam associados a essa identidade. / In this research, Ive tried to answer two questions: a) Which discursive operations were used by subjects when they declare their ethnic and linguistic identity? B) Which were the implications of theses discursive operations in the production of the declaration? Ive chosen as a study object declarations which were produced in different production conditions but they have a similar trace: try to define the identity of Japanese people and their descendent. Considering the analyses, its possible to infer some implications between the representations associated to the Japanese identity and the declarations product in order to neutralize dysphoric representations. When they adopt this attitude, the enunciators appropriate linguistics features that work as their own identity mark. These discursive conditions operate on either the linguistic production and the language uniformity process, because it creates ideal identities that can be adopted by the acceptance of the representations and the reproduction of linguistic features associated to this identity.

<p>This essay deals with the use of linguistic stereotypes in Hollywood movies. It investigates whether attitudes towards English dialects found in studies on perceptual dialectology are reflected in the selected movies and discusses the notion of linguistic identity and how standard and nonstandard speech, respectively, are used symbolically to emphasize features of characters in eleven movies from three different movie series, namely <em>The Lord of the Rings</em>, <em>Star Wars</em> and <em>Transformers</em>, with a main focus on syntactic and phonological dimensions. The essay finds a correlation between standard speech and features of competence and wisdom, and nonstandard speech and features of solidarity, sociability and traits of stupidity and humor. Moreover, very specific perceptions of certain varieties of English are probably utilized as amplifiers of equally specific characteristics of some characters. The use of dialects and accents in these movies is probably intentional and not coincidental.</p>

This paper discusses the problems caused by the linguistic features used by speakers as the basis of determining their social identity. The concept of identity is broad and closely related with socio-cultural and eco-spheres environment of the speakers. The speaker’s identity is determined by employing both social and linguistic features in the overall analysis. The linguistic features include the whole range of language use, from phonetic features to lexical units, syntactic structures and family names. This paper therefore argues that the speaker’s linguistic features pose some problems in determining the speaker’s identity. The first problem concerns the concepts of language and dialect which are defined differently by different scholars. The second problem refers to multilingual speakers with diversified linguistic competence, and lastly, it has been noted with concern that some speakers use artificial family names which are not from their ethnic origin, hence complicating the process of determining the identity of the speakers.

Dans ses œuvres dramatiques, Shakespeare fait la part belle aux mots étrange(r)s, qu’il s’agisse de mots isolés, de phrases ou encore de scènes entières en langue étrangère. L’hétérolinguisme (Rainier Grutman) shakespearien se manifeste également par la présence dans ses pièces de variétés sociales ou régionales de l’anglais. Son importance est cependant moins quantitative que qualitative. En effet, les mots étrangers de Shakespeare font presque toujours l’objet d’une mise en scène, à une époque où la langue anglaise était elle-même en pleine quête identitaire. Leur rôle n’est jamais purement ornemental : ils déstabilisent et inquiètent la langue qui les accueille tout en entretenant avec elle une relation souvent ludique, comme en témoignent les nombreux jeux de mots interlinguistiques inventés par Shakespeare. Par ailleurs, la cohabitation des langues dans certaines de ses pièces entraîne parfois des opérations de traduction plus ou moins hasardeuses, qui font elles aussi l’objet d’une véritable mise en scène. En nous donnant à entendre les fréquents « dérapages » de la traduction, Shakespeare nous fait voir l’envers de la langue, qui court toujours le risque de devenir à son tour étrangère. La traduction des textes hétérolingues du dramaturge eux-mêmes n’est pas moins problématique. L’épreuve de l’« étranger au carré » lance en effet au traducteur un certain nombre de défis que cette thèse a pour vocation d’explorer. Néanmoins, si la pluralité des langues est d’ordinaire vécue comme une malédiction pour la traduction, elle représente également une chance pour la langue traduisante : contrainte de se « déprovincialiser », elle « se met à proliférer », selon les mots respectifs de Ricœur et de Berman. / If we understand “strange” in the former sense of “foreign, alien” as well as “unusual or surprising”, « strange words » play a significant role in Shakespeare’s drama, whether they take the form of single words, whole sentences or even entire scenes written in a foreign language. Shakespearian heterolingualism (Rainier Grutman) also encompasses social or regional varieties of English in the plays. Its importance, however, has less to do with quantity than quality. Indeed, Shakespeare’s “strange words” are highly theatrical and often take centre stage, in an age when the English language itself was beginning to define its identity. Their role is rarely ornamental—they destabilise and unsettle their host language even as they playfully interact with it, as is demonstrated by the many interlingual puns concocted by Shakespeare. Moreover, the cohabitation of languages in some of Shakespeare’s plays can sometimes lead to questionable acts of translation. As Shakespeare stages the frequent “slips” of translation, he unveils the other side of the English language, which always runs the risk of becoming foreign in its turn. The translation of Shakespeare’s heterolingual texts themselves is no less problematic. The trial of the doubly foreign presents the translator with a number of challenges that this thesis proposes to explore. Nevertheless, if the plurality of languages is usually perceived as a curse when it comes to translation, it also opens up opportunities for the translating language: forcefully “de-provincialised” (Ricoeur), the mother tongue begins to thrive.

Nesta pesquisa, busquei responder duas perguntas: a) Quais operações discursivas são utilizadas pelos sujeitos ao realizarem afirmações sobre a identidade étnica e lingüística de um grupo específico? b) Quais são as implicações dessas operações discursivas sobre a produção dos enunciados? Escolhi como objeto de estudo enunciados que foram produzidos em diferentes condições de produção, mas que buscam delinear a identidade étnica e lingüística associadas aos imigrantes japoneses e seus descendentes. A partir das análises realizadas, podem-se depreender algumas implicações entre as representações associadas às identidades e a produção dos próprios enunciados na tentativa de neutralizar as representações consideradas disfóricas em relação à identidade étnica japonesa . Ao se adotar essa postura, os enunciadores apropriam-se de recursos lingüísticos que possam funcionar como marcadores de suas próprias identidades. É esse processo que dá origem às condicionantes discursivas. O funcionamento dessas condicionantes discursivas atua tanto na produção lingüística quanto no processo de uniformização da língua, pois cria identidades consideradas ideais, as quais podem ser assumidas pela adesão às representações e à (re)produção dos recursos lingüísticos que supostamente estariam associados a essa identidade. / In this research, Ive tried to answer two questions: a) Which discursive operations were used by subjects when they declare their ethnic and linguistic identity? B) Which were the implications of theses discursive operations in the production of the declaration? Ive chosen as a study object declarations which were produced in different production conditions but they have a similar trace: try to define the identity of Japanese people and their descendent. Considering the analyses, its possible to infer some implications between the representations associated to the Japanese identity and the declarations product in order to neutralize dysphoric representations. When they adopt this attitude, the enunciators appropriate linguistics features that work as their own identity mark. These discursive conditions operate on either the linguistic production and the language uniformity process, because it creates ideal identities that can be adopted by the acceptance of the representations and the reproduction of linguistic features associated to this identity.