This thesis investigates text memorization, a widely used yet under-explored language practice in foreign language teaching and learning in mainland China. The inquiry was conducted along two lines: to conceptually examine a number of issues central to the understanding of the practice of text memorization in the Chinese context, and empirically inquire into Chinese learners/teachers’ practices and perceptions of the inclusion of text memorization in foreign language learning and teaching. The review of literature shows that (text) memorisation had been widely practiced in other parts of the world until recently, including the Anglophone west. By challenging the belief that emphasis on memorisation stifles and creative thinking, which is believed to be one of the key aims of Western education, I argue that memorisation or memorised knowledge is not only legitimate in but constitutes an important part of learning. I also demonstrate that Confucius’ theory of learning, which allows the coexistence of emphasis on memorisation and critical thinking arguably can be of relevance to education in the 21st century. Also advanced in the conceptual study is the argument that the methodological considerations underlying ALM (Audio Lingual Method), despite its western origin, match up to some fundamental Chinese conceptions of learning and teaching. The empirical study reported in this thesis addresses the need for a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the practices and beliefs of Chinese learners and teachers regarding the use of text memorization in foreign language learning and teaching. This study bases its methodology on semi-structured interviews complemented by small-scale surveys. The data was collected from a group of Chinese learners (N=42) and teachers (N=20) affiliated with 10 schools and 6 universities at three different educational levels, i.e. junior high, senior high and college, which constitute the major part of foreign language education in China. Data collection was mainly based in a single Chinese inland capital city and lasted for one year and two months involving two fieldwork trips to China. Analyses of the data lead to two major findings. First, both learners and teachers hold overwhelmingly positive perceptions of the use of text memorization in foreign language learning and teaching. The practice was perceived to be beneficial not only because it assists learning in a number of ways but because it builds the learners’ sense of achievement and confidence. Second, the informants’ positive beliefs about text memorisation, though context-constrained, might be more attributable to their perception of benefits to their language learning and teaching than to the view that the practice is consistent with traditional Chinese culture and values. In sum, this inquiry promotes a ‘different-rather than-deficit’ perspective in understanding Chinese learners and their learning practice as well as problematizing the uncritical assumptions about the negative impact of a Confucian philosophy of education.

The study, as explained in the Prologue, was begun with the aim of compiling and analysing the problems of translating Malay verse into English. However, because the tradition is little known outside its birthplace. Chapters I and II trace the birth and perpetuation of the Malayo-English tradition of verse translation, giving examples of the translations carried out. and drawing attention to the problems encountered. These chapters also seek to identify the reasons for translating. The anomalous practice of translating into a language which is not the translator's native language-- which is rampant in the tradition studied-as well as the variety of modes encountered, necessitate a search for a theoretical framework which would accomodate such facts of the tradition. Chapter III elaborates on the theoretical considerations made out and the methodology adopted. The theoretical considerations show that such a framework could be provided by a working definition, if it is rigorous enough to differentiate translation from its kindred activities, such as parody, yet flexible enough to accomodate the various acceptable modes of translation. A pro-tern working definition of the translation process is proposed in Chapter IV. The practical implications of this definition are discussed in Chapters V and VI. Chapter V discusses the effects of the independent variables on the actual translating process; i.e., how each of the independent variables identified in the definition of the process could give rise to a spectrum of translation pathways, and thereby to a variety of translation products. It is realised at this juncture that to enable a descriptive analysis of the translation process/products, these modes have not only to be identified but also to be systematically named. Chapter VI describes the translation spectrum and proposes a system of labelling the components of the translation spectrum. Chapter VII attempts an objective reviewal of the study, assessing its contribution to knowledge, whilst making clear its limitations and its dependence on earlier works. The study closes with an Epilogue.

Today many Middle Eastern states are experiencing political violence, either in the form of foreign occupation, civil war, revolution or coup d’état. This regional violence is not dissociated from international politics. In fact many foreign states are directly involved through influencing, financing or manipulating the situation, and have subsequently been the target of violent attacks themselves. Responding to this situation, a plethora of academic and artistic output concerning Middle Eastern terrorism has emerged from the West. These efforts, especially in English-language fiction, have been mainly reductive and simplistic and have contributed to furthering an atmosphere of mistrust and Islamophobia that emerged after 9/11. Yet in the decade following 9/11 little attention has been given to Middle Eastern writers who have been treating the subject of political violence in their own fiction and whose works are available in a variety of languages. This thesis analyzes five Middle Eastern novels that depict major regional conflict zones. Alaa Al-Aswany, Orhan Pamuk, Assaf Gavron, Yasmina Khadra, and Mohsin Hamid’s novels describe the nuances of their respective contexts: Egypt, Turkey, Israel/Palestine, Iraq and Pakistan. The following analyses highlight the complexity of Middle Eastern political violence and shed light on how these authors perceive or respond to Terrorism discourse in their fictions.

The aim of this sociolinguistically-oriented study is to determine the elements of a suitable English Language syllabus for university students in Libya. The syllabuses currently being used to teach English Language in the Libyan Higher Education sector were originally designed back in the 1980s. In view of the sweeping changes which have taken place both in the role of English in the world and also in Libya itself since that decade, and in view of concurrent developments in language teaching practice, this thesis starts from the presumption that these syllabuses and the materials used to implement them are unlikely to be adequate. It attempts to achieve its aim by three means. Firstly, using observational accounts and fieldwork, it seeks to provide a sociolinguistic profile of this major world language in Libya in order to ascertain the domains in which it is used and the role which it currently plays in Libyan society (and therefore what it is that Libyan university students might need to be able to do with it). Secondly, using an attitudinal questionnaire, it investigates the attitude of Libyan students in higher education towards learning English, the English language, and towards those who speak it as their mother tongue since research suggests that attitude can be of crucial importance in the language learning process. Thirdly, it conducts a critical evaluation of the English language syllabus and teaching materials presently in use at one university in order to identify the extent to which they follow current recommended practice in EFL course design and match the needs of learners. Findings suggest that although English does not enjoy any official status in Libya and its use in some domains remains restricted, it is currently expanding at an unprecedented rate and has already acquired the status of a second language in some domains. Questionnaire results indicate that Libyan university students hold favourable attitudes towards English, native speakers of this language and learning EFL. Crucially, many view a good level of English as a prerequisite for success in their chosen career. The evaluation of current EFL teaching materials and course syllabus reveals that these materials no longer reflect the current role of English in Libya or the needs of university learners. In addition, in methodological terms, they are out-dated, following the traditional grammar-based syllabus rather than the contemporary emphasis on the communicative approach. The thesis concludes by recommending that an integrated syllabus approach could be used to address the problems with the existing syllabus and proposes a multi- or integrated syllabus which aims to integrate grammatical components and linguistic skills to meet the needs of the learners and to address the language needs of Libyan society.

中、俄兩國之間橫亙著一條世界上最長的邊界線，在歷史上為了這條界線以及領土歸 屬的問題，已經動過幾次干戈，有過多次爭議，仍然沒有得到解決。 中共自從靠蘇聯的扶持當上了神州大陸的主人之後，對於邊界問題一直隱忍不發。等 到中、蘇共關係漸趨惡化，意議形態的爭執已不敷所需，邊界問題遂被提出，雙方爭 論的焦點從理念上的不同一變而成實際國家利益的衝突。１９６９年３月發生在珍寶 島上的流血事件是雙方衝突的具體表現，也是一連串衝突事件的最高峰。過此之後， 危機與緊張的情勢逐漸鬆弛，邊界的現狀朼就被當作既成的事實而被雙方所接受。 中、蘇共這兩個實施共產主義的國家，其同質性大於其異質性，任何的衝突都不至於 導致雙方用極端的手段來相互對抗。但是共產主義不像一個亙古不變，能實施久遠的 制度，中國和俄國也不會一成不變地永遠在共產制度下延續下去，一旦改變這個基本 的制度結構，而中、俄兩民族仍存在於世上，邊界的糾紛就會再度興起。因此，邊境 領土誰屬永遠是一個潛伏的而且會伺機待發的問題。

本論文「中共政治體制改革之研究」，共分為六章十六節。 第一章﹕導論。主要分為研究目的與研究範圍，提出共產主義政治體制的基本架構。 第二章﹕本章主要探討中共政治體制改革之背景，共分為兩節，就中共現行政治體制 的積弊以及經濟體制改革對政治體制之衝擊分別加以論述。 第三章﹕本章主要探討政治體制改革之實施，共分為五節。 第一節 中共黨中央之改革 第二節 政府機構體制之改革 第三節 幹部制度之改革 第四節 精簡機構 第五節 「全國人大」之改革 第四章﹕中共關於政治體制改革之討論與反應，共分為兩節。 第一節 中共官方的言論 第二節 中共理界和知識界的反應 第五章﹕中共「十三大」提出的政治體制改革的設想，共分為七節。 第一節 實行黨政分開 第二節 進一步下放權力 第三節 改革政府工作機構 第四節 改革幹部人事制度 第五節 建立社會協商對話制度 第六節 完善社會主義民主政治的若干制度 第七節 加強社會主義法制建設 第六章﹕對中共政治體制改革之評估一代結論。

本論文約七萬七千字，共一冊分五章（不含導論）共十三節，導論中敦述研究動機與 目的，並介紹研究架構一施乃德的決策分析模型應用。第一章為印尼國內環境及社會 結構，主要敘述印尼的自然環境及文化，及其政治制度與政黨及團體。第二章討論印 尼外交政策的演變，及其演變對中共外交政策的影響進而使中共修正其對印尼外交政 策。第三章探討印尼與中共外交政策，互動的，外交關係，其中包括雙方「官方」關 係，也包括中共對印尼華僑及共產黨的非官方關係。第三章中並探討印尼與中共外交 關係延伸至國際政治合作方面，以雙方對印度、蘇聯關係作為探討對象。第四章為一 九六五年印尼「九、三Ｏ」政變後，印尼右派軍人崛起，導致印尼與中共關係的惡化 ，最後在印尼反共措施下，終於斷絕與中共外交關係。第五章則為結論。

十九世紀「廿世紀之交的中國知識份子，感受到歷來最鉅大的變遷衝擊，當時的中國 知識精英，在面臨這一空前變局時，莫不亟思改弦更張，以因應此一大勢之趨，陳獨 秀正是廿世紀初葉以降，一個堅持全盤變革的知識精英典型，他的求變心切及流於偏 頗，無可避免地陶染了濃厚的時代悲劇色彩。 陳獨秀的反傳統主義，基本上是受到當代保守主義萎縮、軟弱的消極鼓舞，加之，西 方思潮及馬列主義先後提供他建構其反傳統意識型態的素材，使他在客觀上完成了理 論的建構，這也就是陳獨秀等人領導民初思想革命的背景輪廓。 本論文嚐試抽取陳獨秀的政治思想，就其各個時期的發展，作一全面的觀察，並進而 由此一「微觀」的研究標的中，進一步總結至他「巨觀」層面的整體意義。 本論文共有八章廿九節，分別是﹕ 第一章、陳獨秀早期思想塑型 第二章、西方思想衝擊（上） 第三章、西方思想衝擊（下） 第四章、中共成立初期的陳獨秀 第五章、清黨前陳獨秀思想 第六章、被開除黨籍及建立反對派勢力 第七章、晚年政治思想 第八章、綜論陳獨秀各時期的思想變遷

My research bridges the gap between Anglophone postcolonial studies and Francophone literary studies by looking at Francophone literature from West and Equatorial Africa, which remains under-studied in France. This work answers key questions: how can this literature be interpreted beyond its current confines? How does it rethink local and global identities? What theoretical configurations can be applied to these writers to bring them into greater academic and public prominence? I propose a comprehensive analysis of this literature’s significance in the world through a comparative reading of five contemporary regional novels in their political, social and historical context. This multidirectional reading allows me to evoke what Dominic Thomas calls an ‘intercultural dynamics’ in which colonialism ‘finds itself relocated as a mechanism that proceeds from globalization’, and integrates various spatial zones in which thinking is produced. It brings forward key writers situated ‘outside of the parameters of Frenchness’ inscribed in cosmopolitan decolonizing and cultural reconstruction trends, such as Léonora Miano, a young Cameroonian author and winner of six French literary prizes; Fatou Diome, a Senegalese best-selling writer; Sénouvo Agbota Zinsou from Togo, 63 and in political exile; one contemporary writer, Kangni Alem (Togo), and one more established intellectual, Boubacar Boris Diop (Senegal).

This Modular PhD research project investigates the relationship between \(nihonjinron\) and EFL classroom practices in Japanese junior high schools. Its overarching concerns are Can traces of \(nihonjinron\) be found in the body of data gathered for this module? and How important are these traces to observed EFL practices? By adopting a social realist approach to critical social research, attention is brought to agentive processes – as revealed through ethnographic means of inquiry – in the study of ideological discourse. In the process, the gaps and contradictions between what people say and what they do emerge as important research concerns, and as points of interest in the analysis of the complex links between structural and agentive processes shaping Japanese EFL education in secondary schools. Analysis of the data collected for this module reveals that the presence of \(nihonjinron\) in, and its importance to, observed EFL practices is marginal.