This is a critical and comparative study that examines the blossoming and maturation of the Sesotho sa Leboa (Northern Sotho) Young Adult (YA) novella from the canon of novels in that language. The periods under examination are divided into three decades, namely, 1940–1949, 1950-1959 and 1960-1969. Taking into account the significant research done by scholars in Sesotho sa Leboa, very little is known about YA literature and in particular, the Young Adult novella (novelette or novel). This somewhat confusing sub-genre is clarified and dissected by literary theorists from different orientations and traditions (schools of thought). It is envisaged that this research work will help language practitioners in Sesotho sa Leboa, and other languages to make informed decisions about the classification of the sub-genre in terms of its literary elements. Defining the age cohort of the young adult has also been, and still is, a hotly debated terrain. Arguably, the problem stems from diverse societies trying to provide a uniform definition of a global community. In many instances, the age definition of ‘who is the young adult’ seems to be more complex and political in nature. In the final analysis, the study provides guidelines for the literary evaluation of texts for use in secondary schools, tertiary institutions and for the selection of books for libraries. Novice writers, in comparison with their predecessors, will also become more conversant with the requirements of the sub-genre. For this reason, Sesotho sa Leboa literature will continue to grow and develop in all facets in relation to quality, insight and world view. / Afrikaans: Hierdie is 'n kritiese en vergelykende studie wat die bloei en volwassenheid van die Sesotho sa Leboa (Noord-Sotho) jong volwassene (YA) novelle vanuit die kanon van romans in daardie taal ondersoek. Die periodes wat ondersoek word, word in drie dekades verdeel, naamlik 1940–1949, 1950-1959 en 1960-1969. Met inagneming van die beduidende navorsing wat wetenskaplikes in Sesotho sa Leboa gedoen het, is daar baie min bekend oor jong volwassene-literatuur en veral die novelle van jong volwassene romans. Hierdie ietwat verwarrende subgenre word deur literêre teoretici uit verskillende oriëntasies en tradisies (denkrigtings) verhelder en gedissekteer. Daar word voorsien dat hierdie navorsingswerk taalpraktisyns in Sesotho sa Leboa en ander tale sal help om ingeligte besluite te neem oor die klassifikasie van die subgenre in terme van die literêre elemente daarvan. Die definisie van die ouderdomsgroep van die jong volwassene was, en is nog steeds, 'n baie gedebatteerde terrein. Die probleem spruit waarskynlik uit uiteenlopende samelewings wat probeer om 'n eenvormige definisie van 'n wêreldgemeenskap te gee. In baie gevalle,lyk die definisie van 'wie die jong volwassene' is, meer kompleks en polities van aard. Uiteindelik bied die studie riglyne vir die literêre evaluering van tekste wat gebruik kan word in sekondêre skole, tersiêre instellings en vir die keuse van boeke vir biblioteke. Beginnersskrywers, in vergelyking met hul voorgangers, sal ook meer vertroud raak met die vereistes van die subgenre. Om hierdie rede sal die literatuur van Sesotho sa Leboa aanhou groei en ontwikkel in alle fasette in verhouding tot kwaliteit, insig en wêreldbeskouing. / Thesis (DLitt)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / African Languages / DLitt / Unrestricted

Coraline by Neil Gaiman has several characters who in many ways break gender norms. The main protagonist of the novel, Coraline, acts more in accordance with masculine gender norms, and the mother figures are mothers who do not fully conform to the traditional mother role. The purpose of this study is to look at how Coraline and the mother figures perform their gender, and in which ways this breaks with or aligns with traditional gender norms. The analytical approach is based on Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, and on masculine and feminine gender schemas defined by John Stephens. For the analysis of motherhood, gender performativity has also been used, and works by Adrienne Rich and Einat Natalie Palkovich. This study shows that the protagonists challenge traditional gender role norms of masculinity and femininity, whereof motherhood is part. The study also shows that there is a lack of female role models for the young protagonist, and that acting according to masculine gender norms is desirable and necessary in the novel. But for the mothers, breaking gender norms is undesirable, dangerous, and even punished. A conclusion of the study is that even though Coraline appears to be a feminist novel, the underlying message is not entirely so.

The purpose of this study is to find out how the six participating primary teachers teach vocabulary in the EFL-classroom, in particular through children’s literature and digital tools. Furthermore, this study aims to discuss how the participating teachers motivate their pupils to acquire vocabulary through various strategies and methods. Two research questions, first, how primary teachers teach vocabulary in the EFL classroom, second, what functions children’s literature and digital tools play when it is used by the teachers to enhance pupils’ vocabulary, are applied. This is a qualitative study where semi structured interviews have been conducted. The findings are coded through a thematic analysis to find patterns in the result. The results show that participating teachers differ in their reasoning when children’s literature can be used, where some of the teachers thinkthat it is possible to start using them in first grade, while others think that the pupils first need a basic vocabulary. Moreover, large screens are mostly used to display other teaching materials, while individual screens, such as iPads and computers, are used to differentiate the teaching. Additionally, the participating teachers mainly use children’s literature and digital tools to motivate the pupils in their vocabulary proficiency development.

The English language surrounds young children from an early age, and as they growolder, it will continue to be an important part of their lives, both inside and outside ofschool. The ability to read English is therefore essential to participate in a democraticsociety. Previous research suggests that reading stories from an early age can supportyoung learners in acquiring new language. Therefore, this study aims to investigate howteachers select and use children’s literature in their EFL teaching for years 1-3. SixSwedish primary school EFL teachers have participated in this qualitative study. Theempirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The results show thatteachers express a positive attitude towards using children’s literature in their teachingand suggest several important factors when choosing and using it. However, the resultsalso indicate that teachers face challenges when implementing the materials, due tofactors such as time constraints. Despite the time constraints, several teachers usechildren’s literature because of the benefits, such as offering authentic language thatpupils can use in their daily life, both inside and outside of school.

Robert Kennedy once said, “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” This statement inspired the author to question how prosocial behavior and the acceptance of diversity can be encouraged and is the driving force behind the following undergraduate thesis. Research tells us that Theory of Mind (ToM) and Affective Perspective Taking (APT) are essential components in a stepwise progression to learning empathy and can be taught to children ages five to seven. These elements are essential to developing an empathetic foundation that leads to healthier relationships, reduces bullying, and encourages the acceptance of diversity. Teaching children about emotions helps expand their vocabulary and put a name on what they or someone else is feeling. This facilitation of language and literacy is another building block in the development of compassionate understanding and empathy. Research shows that works of fiction can help children increase their ability to recognize emotions and encourages empathetic development through examination of a story character’s feelings. The culmination of this undergraduate thesis project is a children’s book called The Day Dot Ran Away. The research-informed book is designed to teach perspective taking by encouraging the reader to pay special attention to the emotions on the faces of the characters. The author’s hope is that this book will sow the seeds of empathy in all who read it, and as a result, they will become empathetic adults who are more accepting of diversity.

This study investigates the effectiveness of children’s literature on English reading comprehension in an L2 classroom context. Children’s literature has a major part in teaching L1 in Swedish primary schools, and although it is a trustworthy method in developing reading comprehension skills, it is not used to any great extent in the English education. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine to what extent reading comprehension is fostered by using children’s literature from a second language perspective. Previous experimental research has, however, shown positive results on children’s literature as a means for teaching L2 reading comprehension. In this research synthesis, we will critically analyse, compare and discuss published research based on empirical data to provide and present the reign believes in children’s literature on L2 reading comprehension enhancement. Based on the findings presented in this paper there is a correspondence between the usage of children's literature and positive results in L2 reading comprehension development. However, solely reading children’s literature might not be the most efficient method in enhancing L2 reading comprehension. Based on the findings presented in this study listening to the text whilst reading can to a greater extent improve on listening comprehension results, which can be connected to the theory of Dual Coding (Paivio, 1986). Furthermore, no research on this area has been done in a Swedish context, which indicates that further research needs to be done in order for the results to be more applicable to our future profession.

Japanese children’s literature translated directly into Finnish is a very novel phenomenon, which is why there is currently a vacuum of research in that area. This study aims to begin to fill that vacuum. The present study examines the Japanese children’s literature series Oshiri Tantei and its Finnish translation through one of the most central theories in the field offunctional translation, the skopos theory. Functionalism in translation studies is a broad term for theories which, true to its name, place emphasison the function of the translation in the target culture as a stand alone text rather than equivalence or linguistic equivalence with the original. Focus was placed on analyzing what kind of translation problems there are in the original text, and how the translator has solved these problems. It was then determined, based on these results, if it can be said that the translation conforms to the directives laid down by the skopos theory. The results seem to indicate that strict equivalence with the original text has not been apriority, as several changes both in the meaning and form were observed in the translation. While it cannot be said with complete certainty that this stems solely from conscious thoughts of functionalism by the translator, the translation seems to conform to the principles of the functional skopos theory.

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Syftet med studien är att utveckla kunskap om hur förskollärare beskriver val av barnlitteratur till förskolans praktik. Frågeställningen i anslutning till detta är: Hur beskriver förskollärare att de arbetar för att synliggöra en variation av mångkultur i barnlitteraturen på förskolan? För att besvara syftet och frågeställningarna har semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med fem förskollärare. Intervjuerna har sedan analyserats utifrån en tematisk analys. Studiens teoretiska begrepp är makt och normer utifrån Foucault. I studiens resultat skildras förskollärarnas beskrivningar i deras val av barnlitteratur. Genom förskollärarnas berättelser blir det tydligt att många aspekter påverkar hur de väljer barnlitteratur. Då förskollärare är ansvariga för val av barnlitteratur blir det viktigt att reflektera över vilka effekter och förutsättningar ens val skapar. Resultatet visar således att förskollärarna vill erbjuda barnen en variation av barnlitteratur för att kunna fånga barnens intresse och locka till läsning.

Divorce is a common event in the United States; an estimated 50% of marriages end in divorce. With so many divorces each year, a substantial number of children are impacted. Divorce can have negative effects socially, behaviorally, emotionally, and academically, in both the short term and the long term. Bibliotherapy is a therapeutic tool centered on the use of books and stories to assist in the understanding and expression of an event. Bibliotherapy has been shown to be effective for children who have experienced similar traumatic events such as loss. Research suggests that bibliotherapy could be a flexible, cost efficient, time efficient, and therapeutically effective intervention for children experiencing divorce. This research project attempted to further understand and identify the perspectives of school psychologists on the selection and use of bibliotherapy for children experiencing divorce in their families. Participants (n=11) discussed their perceptions of 16 preselected children’s divorce books. They also discussed their perceptions on important selection criteria to consider when selecting a book to use with children of divorce. Overarching themes indicated that participants proposed that an effective book individualizes treatment; portrays realistic experiences; includes topics that are practical, comprehensive and multi-dimensional; provides an engaging and interactive story; and addresses and identifies emotions. Future research is recommended to explore the effectiveness of using carefully selected stories in supporting elementary-aged children experiencing parental divorce.