On the assumption that the translation strategies used to translate American fast-food advertisements into Arabic cause the Arabic translations to be culturally bound to their originals, the aim of the present study is to identify such translation strategies. The study was conducted with the aid of questionnaires as a primary research method to obtain data which are then complemented by means of textual analyses of the corpus. The findings reveal that the main translation strategies used to translate phrases in fast-food advertisements from English into Arabic are borrowing and transliteration. The overall finding is that inadequate translations of culture-specific concepts, phrases, logos and terms produce target texts which are bound to the source texts. This causes the translations to be rejected by the target culture. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

Though a popular and somewhat controversial topic in discussions on language in IB, the notion of English as a (business) lingua franca/(B)ELF still lacks clear conceptualisation. This paper argues that research in IB and linguistics can be mutually complementary and supportive in conceptualising BELF, and that it is important to separate the concept of BELF from that of a common corporate language. The paper synthesises key works from both disciplines to conceptualise BELF as an emergent, multilingual use of English that adapts to the demands and resources of the specific context. It further argues that Wenger's concept of Communities of Practice offers a useful bridge between the disciplines, and that there is a need for more empirical research.

Magister Artium - MA / The research took place while the author worked as a volunteer theatre practitioner with the Arts and Culture Group in Wesbank township near Kuils River, Cape Town, South Africa. This organisation was founded in 2002 and was the result of one woman's efforts to keep the children of Wesbank off the streets, by keeping them busy through dance, song and drama. This study investigated the impact of basic theatre training, working towards performance and the performative act itself on the psyche of the drama group participants. More specifically, the study investigated in what ways being involved in a performance can help children and young people in an underprivileged community of Wesbank to develop confidence, a sense of competence, self-reliance, creative thinking, responsibility and the ability to work as an ensemble. The research was to a great extent focused on cross-cultural communication. How could the "Cape Coloured" and Xhosa members of the group overcome cultural barriers and express their cultural uniqueness equally through taking part in multicultural theatre performance. / South Africa

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THE ABSTRACT The intercultural communication is an extraordinarily important topic especially within the multicultural environment of the European Union. Ph.D. work "The Intercultural Communication in the Context of the European Union Cultural Policy" is focused on a possible relation between intercultural communication and policymaking and realization of the EU cultural policy. Based on studied scholarly literature, other materials and considering previous author's expert experience a basic hypothesis was drawn up - despite all proclamation of the EU the intercultural communication is significantly underestimated. This basic premise was especially because of further surveying divided into a few fractional hypotheses. The aim of the thesis was to empirically verify the assumption formulated above. This dissertation work therefore analyzes the intercultural communication's theory, the history and the present of the EU cultural policy and the EU key institutions responsible for cultural policymaking. The work provides an overview of basic communication characteristics of the EU member states and their cultural categorization. This summary was inter alia prepared thanks to cooperation with The Hofstede Centre and Richard Lewis Communications international institute and its helpful internal online tools...

This article seeks to explore the present language scenario in courts of law. The article makes use of section 6 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996), as a point of departure. At face value this section seems to entrench the language rights of individuals. This would mean that individuals could request trials to be held in their mother tongues, with fluent and competent speakers of that mother tongue sitting on the bench. However, this has not materialised. Contrary to popular opinion, the article argues that individual language rights are to some extent entrenched in the Constitution, but there are no mechanisms to secure such rights in the public domain. The article argues that it is often only language privileges that are preserved in institutions such as the justice system. Legally speaking, there is an obligation on the State to provide interpreters to facilitate access to all eleven official languages in courts of law. This in itself presents numerous challenges. The article argues further that the corollary to this is that there is very little space for intercultural communication in courts of law (as defined by Ting-Toomey, 1999, and Gibson, 2002). There has been little or no capacity building in this regard. It is English, to some extent Afrikaans, and the western cultural paradigm, which prevails. The result is further communication breakdown and language intolerance. In this article, the notion of language rights in courts of law is explored against the backdrop of existing theories of intercultural communication.

This dissertation is an exploratory study aimed at empirically identifying and examining manifestations of communication barriers in the South African National Defence Force. A convergence model of communication is presented, describing the stages involved when individuals share the same information. The convergence model of communication delineates the relationship among the physical, psychological, and social aspects of communication. Two complementary theorems deduced by Kincaid (1988) from the convergence principle and the basic cybernetic process involved in information processing are applied in the analyses. The theorems specify the conditions under which intercultural communication will lead to convergence between members of different cultures involved. An empirically testable model was developed to collect information about possible communication barriers. The barriers are an indication of the restrictions on communication in the system and therefore indicate the possibility of restricting cultural convergence. / Communication / M.A. (Communication)

Cultural anthropology as a scientific field studying diverse cultures has been incorporated into the field of nursery and it helps medical professionals to acquire specific cultural information enabling them to provide appropriate, efficient, individually-based care, support in health as well as in illness to the individuals and communities from a different cultural environment. The Czech Republic carried out investigation of diverse ethnic groups but did not implement investigation of the specific needs of the Polish minority group. The objective was focusing on mapping the approach of the Polish nationals to their health, on identification of their lifestyle, their approach to prevention, their attitude to home care and the specifics in the approach to dying. Hypotheses: H1 Statistically, the Polish minority group population with higher education shows better results in their approach to their health than the Polish minority group population with elementary education. H2 Younger women of the Polish minority group population with elementary education are more prone to agree with the statement on importance of attending preventive examinations by gynecologist than older women. H3 Based on the statistical assessment the Polish minority group population with higher education gives higher preferences for preparation of meals and catering based on both cuisines (Czech and Polish) than with elementary education. H4 Men of the Polish minority group population occasionally consuming alcohol are statistically significantly prevailing over women of the Polish minority group population occasionally consuming alcohol. H5 The older Polish minority group population has higher frequency of activities with the family than the younger Polish minority group population. H6 The confession of faith of the Polish minority group population significantly affects their approach to abortion compared to the nonbelieving population. H7 Older women of the Polish minority group population give more frequent preference to home care services than men of the Polish minority group population. H8 Women of the Polish minority group population more frequently require attendance of family members when dying than men. Methodology: The research part of the work was carried out by the method of quantitative research investigation. The selected set consisted of 277 persons. The results: 94,90 % of the respondents agree that they take care of their health. However, H1 regarding approach to health was not confirmed. By comparing the results of the investigation we found out that more than 75 % of the respondents take proper prevention in all cases. H2 focusing on prevention was confirmed. The level of consummation of vegetable and fruit in case of the Polish national minority group is higher than the level of the Czech population. H3 was confirmed by testing. H4 connected with consummation of alcohol was not confirmed. This was confirmed in the research investigation; however, H5 was not confirmed. The result of 88.40 % respondents who confessed their faith has not impacted the result of H6 which was not confirmed. The objective of the work included also identification of the attitude and experience with home care agency which was indicated by 46.60 % respondents. H7 was not confirmed. We were surprised by the identified attitude of the respondents to their faith in live after death, to attendance of family members or a priest in case of dying when in all cases more than 20% respondents responded that they did not know. H8 was not confirmed by testing. Conclusion: The thesis gives a summary of information on the Polish national minority group living in the Těšín region of Silesia. The final thesis outlines a proposal for a Standard of nursery care of the Polish national minority group. The results of the research investigation will be also presented at conferences. This thesis may be used by students of the nursery field as a teaching material.

Malgré l’hétérogénéité qu’une classe de FLE peut représenter, il existe un élément communément partagé par les apprenants coréens et japonais et ce, quels que soient le niveau, leur spécialité d’études ou encore la durée de leur séjour en France, à savoir le sentiment de ne pas bien ou suffisamment bien parler le français. Ce constat et l’insécurité qu’il occasionne sont souvent basés sur des critères subjectifs, découlant de l’idée associée à un type de français idéalisé ainsi que de l’objectif d’apprentissage qu’ils sont censés atteindre. Mais cette dépréciation et l’auto-dépréciation qu’elle entraîne quant à leur niveau de français peuvent également être engendrées par les attitudes des locuteurs autochtones qui leur font ressentir leur lacune, ceci pouvant finir au demeurant, par un sentiment de malaise à des degrés plus ou moins variés, notamment selon leur vécu communicatif avec ces derniers. A partir du moment où leurs expériences communicatives sont marquées par un jugement dépréciatif répétitif à l’égard de leur français, l’auto-dépréciation renforcée par une hétéro-dépréciation finit par générer un malaise certain qui se transforme peu à peu en une sorte d’agent défavorisant qui tirerait sa force d’un apprentissage du français aux résultats contestés. Même si les deux publics partagent une attitude linguistique dépréciative, des normes communicationnelles ou encore un dispositif linguistique semblables, les enquêtes dévoilent que les caractéristiques du malaise ressenti par les apprenants coréens ne sont pas toujours similaires à celles des apprenants japonais, puisque leurs français n’est pas appréhendé de la même manière par les interlocuteurs autochtones français. / Despite the existing heterogeneity in the class of “French as a foreign language”, there is an element shared by both Korean and Japanese learners, regardless of their study level, field of study, or the duration of their stay in France : a common feeling of not being able to speak French well enough. That observation and the resulting insecurity it causes are often based on subjective criteria, resulting from the idea of an idealized French as well as the learning goals they are supposed to reach. But this depreciation and self-depreciation can also be caused by the attitudes of native speakers which make the learners feel their weakness. From the moment their communicative experiences are marked by a repetitive disparaging judgment towards their French, self-depreciation reinforced by hetero-depreciation eventually generates some discomfort which gradually transforms itself into a kind of a penalizing agent that would take its strength from learning French with questionable results. Even if both public shares a similar depreciative linguistic attitude, communicative standards or similar linguistic dispositions, investigations show that the characteristic unease felt by Korean learners is not always similar to that felt by Japanese learners, as their French is not apprehended in the same way by French native speakers.

The recent emphasis on Affirmative Action policies in South African corporations has illuminated the issue of cultural diversity in organizations and the difficulties arising from this transition and change. One such difficulty is the problem of intercultural communication where miscommunication can have life-threatening consequences. This problem is particularly critical in the operational environment of the passenger aircraft flight deck where small group factors, as well as intercultural issues must be taken into account. In this thesis the problem of intercultural communication in such contexts as a consequence of Affirmative Action is examined. The data for this thesis comprises the communication of five culturally diverse flight crews. A multi-method was used for the gathering and analysis of this data. This involved the use of video-taped flight simulator sessions, and personal interviews with each crew member. The subjects themselves were involved in identifying key communication problems from the video and interpretation of the data. Three levels of analysis were used in the interpretation of the findings - the individual, the group and the organization. The factors which affected communication at each level in the small, culturally diverse group are highlighted. Furthermore, factors which influence the climate in which communication takes place are also considered. The implications for Affirmative Action are discussed.