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Performance in isiZulu radio drama is imaginative and abstract to the listeners and radio drama writers make use of semiotic signs to convey intended action or information to the listeners. This research is meant to uncover the role of semiotics in the isiZulu radio drama and the impact it has on the culture of the isiZulu-speaking community. This study was dedicated to answer the following research questions: • How does semiotics play its role in isiZulu radio drama? • To what extent does semiotics play its role in isiZulu radio drama? • What impact it has on the culture of isiZulu-speaking community? To answer these research questions the researcher formulated the following objectives: • To identify different semiotic signs that plays a significant role in isiZulu radio drama. • To explore the role of semiotic signs in isiZulu radio drama. • To analyse the role of semiotic signs in isiZulu radio drama. • To examine the extent to which semiotic signs can influence the revival of cultural knowledge in isiZulu-speaking community. • To suggest for further research on the role of semiotics in isiZulu radio drama and the impact it has on the culture of isiZulu-speaking community. The researcher used a mixed method consisting of quantitative and qualitative approaches which examined the research problem by surveying isiZulu radio drama listeners, observing selected isiZulu radio drama scripts and conducting a telephone interview with the participant. The researcher found that semiotics play significant and different roles in isiZulu radio dramas and has the potential to revive cultural knowledge of the isiZulu-speaking community. The researcher recommended further research on the grounds that this study did not focus on the infringement that exists in isiZulu language, which is used in isiZulu radio dramas to fit the socio-economic, political, technological and demographic changes whether such infringement still restore and revive cultural knowledge of the isiZulu-speaking community. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

論文提要內容： 本研究旨在分析及探討遠東及龍騰出版社2006年9月所出版之高中英文教科書(第一冊至第三冊)的文化內涵，所使用的評量依據有二個。一為Moran的cultural knowings framework，其中評量的項目包含了文化內容、文化活動及文化學習結果。除此之外，普通高級中學必修科目「英文」課程綱要(2004年8月31日頒布)中的文化涵養與世界觀之基本能力和進階能力亦為另一評量依據。 本研究的結果總結如下: (1)這兩套教科書所提到的文化以英美文化居多，此種偏向某特定地區文化(culture-specific)的教學，並不符合當今外語教學界所盛行的culture-general教學或 transcultural教學。(2)這兩套教科書中，大部份的文化教學只是「事實呈現」(facts-only) ，幾乎沒有觸及文化觀點及自我文化覺醒。(3)在這兩套教科書中，只有不到12%的活動與文化學習有關。此外，大部份的文化活動目的為收集資料及發展某些文化技能，幾乎沒有論及到發現原因和自我文化覺醒。(4)根據前三項結果，推論出只研讀這兩套教科書的學生可能並沒有成功的文化學習經驗。(5) 這二套英文教科書達到普通高級中學必修科目「英文」課程綱要之大部份文化指標。 根據研究結果，研究者對英文教師、師資培育機構、教科書編輯及出版社提出數點建議。 / Abstract This study first analyzes the cultural load of New Far East and Lungteng sets of English textbooks (from volume 1 to volume 3) based on Moran’s (2001) cultural knowings framework—content, activities, and learning outcomes. In addition, each lesson in both sets is examined with the cultural objectives in English Curriculum Guidelines for Senior High Schools issued in 2004 to see if each lesson in both sets achieves all of the cultural objectives. The results of the study are summarized as follows. (1) The foreign cultures mentioned in both New Far East and Lungteng sets of textbooks focus on American and British cultures. This kind of culture-specific information does not follow the current trend of culture-general understanding or the transcultural approach in the world. (2) Most of the cultural content in both sets is just “facts-only” information, hardly touching the concepts of cultural practices, cultural perspectives, and self-awareness. (3) Less than 12% of the activities in both sets are related to cultural instruction. Additionally, the cultural activities center on gathering information and developing skills, rarely on discovering explanations and self-reflection. (4) According to the previous results, it seems that students solely using the two sets of English textbooks are not likely to have a successful cultural learning experience. (5) New Far East and Lungteng sets of English textbooks (from volume 1 to volume 3) achieve most of the cultural objectives in English Curriculum Guidelines for Senior High Schools. Finally, some suggestions are provided on the basis of the findings in this study.

Māori education has grown out of a long and varied history of Māori engagement with Western forms of schooling. Full immersion Māori learning environments such as kura kaupapa Māori emerged from a background of colonial Mission schools, Native Schools, and evolving assimilation and integration educational policies. It is the subsequent loss of language, continual Māori school underachievement and Māori struggles for indigenous self-determination that have provided the conditions in which the development of Kaupapa Māori otherwise known as Māori medium education has taken place. Māori medium education has emerged in varying forms and differing levels of Māori language immersion, although the principles and philosophies of these environments remain particularly Māori orientated. Kaupapa Māori education is largely built upon whānau aspirations and is set within a Māori framework of learning and Māori language teaching. In addition to full immersion Māori schools there are other classroom settings that offer varied levels of Māori language instruction. Some of these classrooms have been established in English medium schools, creating a bilingual context. While full immersion schools focus on the breadth of all things Māori, bilingual schools may have a slightly different focus. May, Hill and Tiakiwai (2006 p.1) in their review of Bilingual Education in Aotearoa explain it as an area of instruction where school subjects are taught in two languages (Māori and English) and students become fluent orators and writers in both. Little is understood about the dynamics of partial immersion programmes and the contribution these settings make to Māori language and cultural knowledge acquisition and to wider self-determination aspirations of Māori. Drawing from the contributed insights of teaching staff, whānau and other stakeholders linked to partial immersion education, this research considers these settings to better understand the relationship between language acquisition and cultural knowledge attainment. A synergy of Kaupapa Māori theory with a qualitative interpretivist approach has guided the research process. The rationale for the research was to strengthen cultural knowledge and cultural aspirations which made it appropriate to use Kaupapa Māori principles as a foundation of which to develop the research. As research is currently limited in this respect a more extensive understanding of the teaching and learning programmes within a partial immersion classroom may be paramount to their continuation and success. Key findings emerged from the participant interviews and clear characteristics of these environments developed: Whānau (family), te reo Māori me ōna tikanga (Māori language and cultural customs) Māori values, and Māori pedagogies. The participants talked about many features particular to partial immersion education that linked to these four themes. The themes were further analysed to find key positive outcomes of these settings. A strong sense of pride in identity, particularly Māori identity and Māori succeeding as Māori were the two key positive outcomes that emerged from the participant data.

Performance in isiZulu radio drama is imaginative and abstract to the listeners and radio drama writers make use of semiotic signs to convey intended action or information to the listeners. This research is meant to uncover the role of semiotics in the isiZulu radio drama and the impact it has on the culture of the isiZulu-speaking community. This study was dedicated to answer the following research questions: • How does semiotics play its role in isiZulu radio drama? • To what extent does semiotics play its role in isiZulu radio drama? • What impact it has on the culture of isiZulu-speaking community? To answer these research questions the researcher formulated the following objectives: • To identify different semiotic signs that plays a significant role in isiZulu radio drama. • To explore the role of semiotic signs in isiZulu radio drama. • To analyse the role of semiotic signs in isiZulu radio drama. • To examine the extent to which semiotic signs can influence the revival of cultural knowledge in isiZulu-speaking community. • To suggest for further research on the role of semiotics in isiZulu radio drama and the impact it has on the culture of isiZulu-speaking community. The researcher used a mixed method consisting of quantitative and qualitative approaches which examined the research problem by surveying isiZulu radio drama listeners, observing selected isiZulu radio drama scripts and conducting a telephone interview with the participant. The researcher found that semiotics play significant and different roles in isiZulu radio dramas and has the potential to revive cultural knowledge of the isiZulu-speaking community. The researcher recommended further research on the grounds that this study did not focus on the infringement that exists in isiZulu language, which is used in isiZulu radio dramas to fit the socio-economic, political, technological and demographic changes whether such infringement still restore and revive cultural knowledge of the isiZulu-speaking community. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

Background: The society is rapidly changing in a demographic matter. As a result of this nurses are required to be equipped with the right skills and knowledge to approach a more diverse patient group. Hence, the health care is dependent on cultural competent nurses, without them the health care is vulnerable. Previous studies show that nurses are faced with great challenges when it comes to encounters with patients from different cultural backgrounds and that they lack the essential cultural knowledge which effects the quality and standard of care. This means high demands on the nursing curricula to integrate guidelines for cultural competence and educate future nurses in order to make them more prepared for their future profession. Aim: To explore nursing students experiences of practicing cultural competence in care of patients from diverse cultural backgrounds, a qualitative study in Gauteng province, South Africa.  Method: The chosen method was qualitative. Eight individual semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed with inspiration from Burnard’s (1996) four-step content analysis. Findings: The findings showed the main-category: beneficial components in cultural competent care, with three sub-categories: positive attitudes and adapting of care, gaining knowledge from cultural encounters with patients and existing contextual insights of own culture and other cultures. The beneficial components included the positive attitudes of the participants and their ability to adapt the care around cultural challenges. Gaining knowledge from cultural encounters with patients and having existing contextual insights of own culture facilitated the encounters with patients. Findings also showed the main-category: barriers in providing a cultural competent care with three sub-categories: disrupted communication, limited levels of cultural knowledge and lack of trust. Disrupted communication was mostly due to the language barrier, a huge problem as important information was left out and the system of getting interpreters faulted. The limited levels of cultural knowledge were based on limited knowledge about different cultures. Lack of trust originated from patients’ strong cultural belief while disbelieving in the westernized health care which resulted in a non-trusting relationship between health care personnel and patients.  Conclusion: There were several barriers as well as facilitators, though the barriers were more dominating in character. Therefore, more education is needed so nursing students feel empowered and more secure when encountering patients from different cultures. Continuing education is also needed for registered nurses as well as prospective and further research is required in order to obtain the best resources for implementation of cultural competence.

Performance in isiZulu radio drama is imaginative and abstract to the listeners and radio drama writers make use of semiotic signs to convey intended action or information to the listeners. This research is meant to uncover the role of semiotics in the isiZulu radio drama and the impact it has on the culture of the isiZulu-speaking community. This study was dedicated to answer the following research questions: • How does semiotics play its role in isiZulu radio drama? • To what extent does semiotics play its role in isiZulu radio drama? • What impact it has on the culture of isiZulu-speaking community? To answer these research questions the researcher formulated the following objectives: • To identify different semiotic signs that plays a significant role in isiZulu radio drama. • To explore the role of semiotic signs in isiZulu radio drama. • To analyse the role of semiotic signs in isiZulu radio drama. • To examine the extent to which semiotic signs can influence the revival of cultural knowledge in isiZulu-speaking community. • To suggest for further research on the role of semiotics in isiZulu radio drama and the impact it has on the culture of isiZulu-speaking community. The researcher used a mixed method consisting of quantitative and qualitative approaches which examined the research problem by surveying isiZulu radio drama listeners, observing selected isiZulu radio drama scripts and conducting a telephone interview with the participant. The researcher found that semiotics play significant and different roles in isiZulu radio dramas and has the potential to revive cultural knowledge of the isiZulu-speaking community. The researcher recommended further research on the grounds that this study did not focus on the infringement that exists in isiZulu language, which is used in isiZulu radio dramas to fit the socio-economic, political, technological and demographic changes whether such infringement still restore and revive cultural knowledge of the isiZulu-speaking community / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

Social services and violence in close relationship in a sami context A qualitative study of the social services opportunities to provide support to women exposed to violence in a sami culture in Sweden  Background: There is a lack of studies in Sweden that includes and describes violence against Sami women and how important the social worker's ambition is to create and maintain basic knowledge and efforts to support Sami women who’s exposed to domestic violence.  Aim: The aim of this study is to clarify how the social services in Sweden work for the Sami women to be able to get the help they need.  Methods: The study is based on four individual qualitative interviews with social workers from Norrbottens och Västerbottens län. For analysis intersectionality and postcolonial theory has been used.  Results: The results have shown us that there are both similarities and differences for social workers who’s involved with Sami women as clients. What all social services had in common was that they all had to seek cultural knowledge by themselves. What differd was the view of cultural relevance. Some of the social workers thought there should be more of importance to have cultural knowledge when working with Sami women who’s exposed to domestic violence, others had the opinion that the aim is to treat every client based on the guidelines that have been determined at the social service office and is directed to all abused women. / Socialtjänsten och våld i nära relation i en samisk kontext En kvalitativ studie om socialtjänstens möjligheter att ge stöd till våldsutsatta kvinnor inom samisk kultur i Sverige  Bakgrund: Det saknas studier i Sverige som inkluderar och beskriver våld mot samiska kvinnor och hur viktig socialsekreterarens ambition är för att skapa och upprätthålla grundläggande kunskaper och insatser för att stödja samiska kvinnor som är utsatta för våld i hemmet.  Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att skapa en förståelse hur socialarbetare i Sverige arbetar för att de samiska kvinnorna ska kunna få den hjälp de behöver.  Metod: Studien bygger på fyra individuella kvalitativa intervjuer med socialsekreterare från Norrbottens och Västerbottens län. För analys så har intersektionalitet och postkolonial teori använts.  Resultat: Resultaten har visat oss att det finns både likheter och skillnader för socialarbetare som är engagerade i samiska kvinnor som klienter. Gemensamt för alla socialtjänster var att de alla var tvungna att söka efter kulturell kunskap själva. Det som skilde sig var synen på relevans av kulturell kunskap i arbetet. En del av socialsekreterarna tyckte att det borde vara viktigare att ha kulturell kunskap när de arbetar med samiska kvinnor som är utsatta för våld i hemmet, andra menade att syftet är att behandla varje klient utifrån de riktlinjer som har fastställts på socialtjänsten och som riktas till alla våldsutsatta kvinnor.

The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first was to determine the degree of culturally responsive teaching practices and level of cultural competence of participants who teach upper elementary (grades three through six) STEM educators of predominantly Native Hawaiian students. The second purpose was to identify differences in cultural competence and culturally responsive teaching practices of those same participants identified above. These two participant groups were from the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s Keonepoko and Pāhoa Elementary Schools. Both schools are from the Keaʻau-Kaʻu-Pāhoa Complex Area. The educators from Keonepoko were afforded knowledge and experiences from a culture-based professional development program known as the Moenahā School Program, while the educators from Pāhoa were not afforded these same knowledge and experiences. Using a quantitative, quasi-experimental design, data were collected via an online survey using three instruments: the Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy Inventory (CRTSE), the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Questionnaire (CCSAQ), and the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Scale Demographic Information (CCSASDI). The data were analyzed using mean scores and those mean scores were compared for differences using a Mann-Whitney U test. The findings indicated the Moenahā participants had a statistically significantly higher level of cultural competence and higher degree of culturally responsive teaching practices than the non-Moenahā participants suggesting the importance of cultural competence professional development iii opportunities. These findings are applicable for teachers in schools with an higher Native Hawaiian student population. / Ph. D.

Recent surveys of international business professionals indicate that foreign language abilities and cultural sensitivity are important competitive advantages in today's globalized economy. The current study interviewed 71 practicing global professionals currently working in cross border transactions in diverse fields. Biographic, demographic and second language data were collected, including information on experiences and opinions on the use and importance of foreign language and cultural awareness abilities in the professional world. Research questions include: (1) Who are the global professionals applying L2 abilities at work? (2) How do they apply these abilities? (3) What are the profiles of advanced and non-advanced proficiency users? (4) How important are linguistic abilities and how much of a competitive advantage do they represent? (5) What language strategies and communication strategies are used? (6) What are the most common beliefs on the role of foreign languages and culture awareness in business? (7) How well do intercultural communication models explain the culture views and experiences reported by working professionals? Results indicate that learners with self-reported advanced proficiency regularly apply the four language abilities (listening, reading, speaking and writing) at work, albeit in varying degrees, depending on the level of complexity of the task (phone, email, face-to-face meeting, etc.). For the majority of informants, foreign language and culture abilities are considered important for professional effectiveness. For those who reported advanced foreign language abilities, they also exhibited a greater appreciation for increased exposure to foreign language learning, had received more foreign language instruction, and had more experience working and living abroad. Those advanced in foreign language abilities were also more likely to be non-native speakers of English, have earned a university degree while using an L2, had family or community connections to the target language, have emigrated, or have a spouse with a different L1. The study also ranks and identifies the informants' strategies used to deal with language and culture issues. Participants' anecdotes were analyzed in light of current cultural analysis models applied in International Business Communications. Suggestions are presented for curricula changes to improve foreign language proficiency in professional settings. / text