In this thesis I discuss workplace learning during international assignments in a variety of work sectors. In addition to normal adjustments to a new workplace, foreign language acquisition and cultural adaptation are necessary. By collecting and analyzing narratives of a group of Swedish professionals with international work assignments, I have found some regularities and variations of workplace learning as well as some significant effects that these assignments had on their identity. Recommendations are given to providers of preparatory courses for international work assignments as well as sending organizations and employers. The main finding is that workplace learning for international workers follows a trajectory starting already long before departure and continues throughout different phases of the assignment. It also has effects on work life after the return to one’s home culture. The learning resulting from the work assignment affected all areas of life (not only work life) and contributed towards an intercultural identity. This kind of assignment often included networking with several organizations and groups of people of varying nationalities. Instead of working towards becoming full members of one work community, the participants in this study often found themselves in the peripheries of multiple ones. This peripheral albeit influential situation provided many opportunities for learning, both for the individual and the groups they work with. In this way, these international workers have the potential to be agents of change and development in all work communities they relate to.

Souvent considéré comme une pure littérature ludique et enfantine, le conte ne relève pas seulement d'une pratique culturelle ancrée dans les arts et modes de vie, mais d'une modalité pédagogique émanant de la dialectique de l'oralité. Bien plus, il semble occuper une place primordiale dans le contexte socio-culturel africain/camerounais et ce, malgré le développement et l'expansion de la « société de l'écriture ». Mais au vu des difficultés auxquelles seraient confrontés certains acteurs de l’éducation (enseignants, conteurs, élèves) à transmettre cet art de la parole, ne serait-il pas temps de découvrir la manière et la pédagogie avec lesquelles le conte peut permettre aux élèves de déployer des compétences orales? Comment initier les apprenants à une pratique artistique du conte qui différencie l'action de lire à celle de conter oralement? Partant de différents niveaux de médiation, les pistes de ce travail explorent l'approche pédagogique de l'oralité et proposent des activités langagières dans trois collèges au Cameroun. Nos résultats (dé)montrent qu’à défaut de perpétuer et de renforcer la culture de l'oralité, le conte oral développe et contribue à la valorisation des compétences narratives chez les apprenants. La visée de la présente étude est, d’une part d’intégrer le conte comme un moyen propice au langage et un vecteur d'identité interculturelle, et d’autre part de renouveler les approches et perspectives, tant dans l'enseignement de l’oral que dans l’ingénierie pédagogique. / Often considered as a linguistic and narrative process reserved to children, tale's approach can not be overlooked in Cameroonian socio-cutural and anthropological context. Even though, nowadays, there is an evident development and the expasion of a rampant writing culture. In fact, in oral tradition, tale occupies an essential place in the learning process. But, then, how, and with what specific pedagogy, the tale can be hepful for pupils in their curriculum as far as learning is concerned ? Since, each tale is mainly given orally, how can it be proposed to learners who are of a different cultural background, namely, a writing culture ? In this work, taking into consideration didactic approach of educational actors, our main purpose is to establish that the pedagogic dimension of tale does not rely only on its artistic relevance but has a primordial role in oral tradition. Consequently our results first of all show that trough this cultural chanel, that is, tale, is an efficient instrument for a reliable communication in oral tradition; tale is a bridge in cultural transmission. Secondly, by using tale's approach, learners are better equiped in their narrative skills. Therefore, the present work puts accross the importance of tales in oral tradition speciffically and in a writing culture as well. Indeed tale is a valuable pedadogic agent. As our research work try to show, tale can no longer be considered as a pure playful and childish literature, but an indispensable vector of intercultural identity in Cameroonian context. Taking into account various levels of mediation, the present work proposes concrete linguistic activities, not from the tales gathered in various textbooks of the official schools' curricula, but from a new directory which may enable eventual users to explore the didactic approach yet to be discovered in tale's wisdom.

Study abroad programmes have become popular among students around the world nowadays. Thanks to the participation in the exchange, students are able to improve their intercultural skills, which may be beneficial for them in their future careers. This study investigates students’ development of intercultural competence and identity after spending one semester at the university in Hong Kong. Its main focus is to analyse how study abroad programmes impact students’ abilities in intercultural communication by analysing their self-reflections towards their re-invented identities as well as the overall experience of living and studying in a different country. The whole study is also based on the concept of linguistic repertoire, which is here being updated in the context of globalisation. In order to collect the data, four participants from the Netherlands, Germany and Canada were asked to fill in initial contact forms by providing information about one specific intercultural encounter that they have experienced during the study abroad period. This information then acted as the background knowledge used in the following interviews with each participant, where their opinions have been further developed in more detail. The results show that the participants further developed their skills in intercultural competence as well as enhanced their already interculturally-oriented identities. As for the impact on their linguistic repertoires, the interesting finding shows that the linguistic repertoires of the participants with English as a second language might have been affected slightly more than those of the native speakers. In the end, these results agree with the previous research on the development of intercultural skills after the study abroad period and highlight the importance of participating in study abroad programmes as students become prepared for their future careers in the highly globalised world.

Text in English / This dissertation reports on a study, which used story telling through installation art in analysing how migration has affected the identity of Shona people of Zimbabwe resulting in a new hybrid identity. This identity morphing has happened through the increased rate of trans-border mobility for economic survival and development. The research explores reflections associated with the life of individuals through the unfolding of socio-political and economic situations in Zimbabwe focusing on the historical and contemporary social relations of the Shonas (from Zimbabwe). The research in addition speculates as to how this migration creates difficulties with regards to immigrants’ experiences in their new habitats as they enter a state of limbo. It further investigates how the difference in status and the perception of identity affects Zimbabweans in their social inheritance of nomadic characteristics. The main objective of this study is to cast light on how constant migration has affected the constructs of the Shona identity as the people get in contact with various cultures leading to the formation of an intercultural identity. The study used the concept of storytelling through installation art to represent how migration has affected Shona people’s identity resulting in a new hybrid. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (Visual Arts)