The essay critically discusses the confusing state of the various Swahili language policies and studies brought forth in the colonial and post-colonial periods and examines the historical factors of the diversity within the Swahili language, which was once confined to the coastal area and later spread to the present area of distribution. The discussion focusses on the construction of Standard Swahili and the status of Swahili in regard to other East African languages. Special criticism is raised against recent East African and other authors, who wrote on the apparent unity of the Swahili language which they see as a result of the modern Tanzanian language policy.

This thesis analyses linguistic policies in Bulgaria, during the Ottoman, monarchical, communist and post-communist periods and its effects on the Turkish minority in Bulgaria. The linguistic policies in Bulgaria did not follow consistent policies / on the contrary, it followed different policies in different periods. The aim of this thesis is to analyse how the Turkish minority experiences and perceives linguistic rights in the post-communist period, such as study of and in Turkish language, Turkish minority media, use of minority personal names, naming of topographical places and the status of Turkish language in official and administrative institutions. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were carried out in ISiklar (Samuil) municipality in Bulgaria, where Turks constitute the absolute majority of the population. As a result of the analyses of the experiences of the Turkish minority, it was observed that (Turkish) linguistic rights and language were experienced by the Turkish minority in terms of ethnolinguistic identity. It is concluded that symbolic power and diglossia relationships between Turkish and Bulgarian languages affected the ways of perception of (Turkish) linguistic rights by the Turkish minority in Bulgaria.

A transdisciplinary notion of learning considers what is between, above, and beyond the disciplines. Adherence to such a perspective warrants examination of any research endeavor from multiple entry points and from openness to the changing nature and infinity of knowledge. In this dissertation, "Crossing Cultural Boundaries: Explorations in Multilingual Teaching and Learning," I approached the study of language and literacy teaching and learning across multilingual and multicultural contexts via an optional dissertation process that required completion of multiple studies. This dissertation option allowed me three entry points: (a) an understanding of literacy and language policy in relation to language learners at the K-12 levels in selected countries of the multilingual English-Speaking Caribbean; (b) linguistic and cultural diversity of multilingual teachers and teacher educators; and (c) the verbal report methodology as employed in original studies focused on the literacy practices of language learners at the K-20 levels across international contexts. My first foray into this dissertation was in September 2010. All entry points undertaken concluded in December 2012. These entry points, as described above, consisted of exploratory research reviews, analyses, syntheses, research on practice, and a narrative case study. In my first entry point to this dissertation, I focused on two areas. I conducted a comprehensive literature review of literacy and language policies for K-12 multilingual learners across selected English-speaking Caribbean countries. Findings indicated that teachers were predisposed to English as the language of literacy instruction and that literacy initiatives, programs, and assessment reflected traditional conceptions of literacy. In addition, based on my examination of language policy in St. Lucia, the linguistic status quo appeared to function as the de facto policy for literacy education, St. Lucian Standard English was privileged as the language of instruction, and underperformance in literacy characterized students at all levels of the education system. My second entry point to this dissertation was three-pronged. I first examined a multilingual English-Speaking Caribbean teacher's literacy practice beyond the context of the classroom, noting three recursive pathways, namely (trans) formation in attitude inclusive of shunning, accepting, and reflecting behaviors; the use of certain accommodative strategies such as the adjustment of language and speech; and distinct identity formation processes, including the construction of varied identities for school, home, profession, and friends. I secondly investigated my own practice. This investigation revealed components of multilingual awareness in my practice such as reflection, monitoring, attending to clues, following discourse patterns, and applying conversational strategies based on feedback. Further, I identified components of multicultural awareness, namely awareness of individual predispositions, awareness of other cultures, and attention to stereotypes, as well s noted the association between my multilingual and multicultural awareness via "facilitation" and "symbiosis." Through the course of the inquiry, I noted heightened awareness of practice as evidenced by "transformation" in my teaching. My final step in the second entry point to this dissertation was the identification of a framework, transdisciplinarity, to guide literacy teachers and teacher educators as they respond to linguistic and cultural diversity. Transdisciplinarity was used to demonstrate how teachers and educators might learn to know, do, live together with, and be. In my third entry point to this dissertation, examination of the verbal report methodology as applied in literacy research revealed that researchers tended to adhere to recommendations related to the use of concurrent protocols, the elicitation of responses concerning current processing, and stipulations requiring participants to provide verbal explanations of thought, as guided by cognitivist perspectives. However, in many instances, based on the recommendations emanating from cognitivist approaches to verbal reports, researchers failed to slow down processing, to consider variations in participants' verbal abilities in interpretations of data, and to predict the probable contents of participants' self-reports. Moreover, in further exploration of the work done in this area, researchers concentrated heavily on comprehension, strategy use, vocabulary, and technology. Mixed-methods approaches proved to be most popular, with very few studies being solely qualitative or quantitative. Verbal reports appeared to be largely concurrent and quantitatively oriented, with little reliance on qualitative analyses. In a number of studies, cognitively based theoretical frameworks were employed, but in others, theoretical frameworks were absent. In the cases where the latter were used, researchers tended to rely on frameworks grounded in monolingual as opposed to multilingual reading processes. Based on findings emerging from the three entry points to this dissertation, major implications for multilingual students, teachers, teacher educators, and researchers were identified. At the micro-level, the Caribbean region stands to benefit from a consideration of international approaches to literacy research as a means of developing a research base applicable to the social, cultural, and linguistic contexts in which language learners function in the multilingual English-speaking Caribbean. In addition, multilingual teachers and teacher educators in the Caribbean can learn from researchers' examination of the literacy processes of language learners in the particular contexts of the multilingual English-Speaking Caribbean identified in this dissertation. Understanding how such teachers and educators respond to linguistic and cultural diversity within and beyond these contexts, and as a result of their experiences, holds potential for informing literacy practice. With regards to researchers, the use of verbal reports must be tapped to further facilitate understanding of students' literacy processes. Through consideration of how a socio-cultural approach might be merged with cognitivist notions of protocol construction within the multilingual contexts of the Caribbean, researchers can obtain insights into the more holistic processes of students' literacy development. At the macro-level, literacy research in the multilingual context of the English-speaking Caribbean might be enhanced by research endeavors that allow multiple entry points, as has been illustrated via the unique approach to this dissertation, which merged literature syntheses, theoretical and methodological analyses, and empirical research to explore multilingual teaching and learning. However, as teachers utilize literacy practices and researchers investigate literacy processes, the literacy needs of language learners, as determined by historical, geographical, social, linguistic, and cultural contexts, must remain central to literacy research in the Caribbean region, and beyond. Efforts underway to strengthen and extend literacy research in the Caribbean would benefit from a holistic approach as undertaken in this dissertation whereby an understanding of language learners' literacy practices are understood within their broader contexts.

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

M. Tech. Education Tshwane University of Technology 2009. / Determines the effect of language of instruction (LOI) on the performance of learners in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province. The findings revealed that language of instruction has an effect on the performance of learners. There is difference in the performance of learners who use mother tongue as medium of instruction compared to those using second language as medium of instruction. The government practices and peoples perception on the issue of language of instruction in African schools are the main factors hindering the introduction of African languages as medium of instruction in African schools. Recommendations were made that the Department of Education must support the constitutional right to equality of all languages by encouraging local language use in all the activities in local state institutions. The retraining of educators and translation of English books into African languages is to be done as matter of urgency.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / English Studies / Master / Master of Arts

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This study attempts to examine language policy and language training and development in industry, with specific reference to departmental practice at ESKOM. ESKOM is South Afiica's largest electricity supplier with wide national and international business dealings. The organisation has extensive training and development programmes and is committed to supporting equity and the development of employees' potential through training and development. It is for these reasons that I selected the organisation as the basis for my study. The study is conducted within the parameters of the Constitution 's multilingual language policy, the Skills Development Act of 1998 and the Employment Equity Act of 1998. According to the Constitution, the state must take practical measures 10 elevate the status and advance the use of indigenous languages (Section 6: C). The state may also not discriminate against anyone on the grounds of language and culture (Section 9:3). The study argues that in order to ensure equity, all South African languages must be used. One way of ensuring equitable language usage is through training and development. The broad issues that are examined include: '" language policy and practice '" languages used in industry * the dominance of English in industry *upliftment of black languages * the language of training and development programmes at ESKOM * language training and development programmes at ESKOM The study is based on qualitative and quantitative approaches. Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit information from management and middle-management about language policy and practice at ESKOM. Individuals involved with training were interviewed about language in training and development, and to narrow the focus, workers attending literacy training were issued with questionnaires in Zulu or English, according to preference and proficiency. to elicit information about their language usage, English proficiency and literacy training. Data was therefore gathered from all possible areas, including areas of policy, practice and implementation. The results were analysed and a discussion of subjects' responses was presented. In summary, English is the dominant language at ESKOM, despite the Constitution's eleven language policy and the call for equity. In addition, although the majority of the subjects attending literacy classes stated that they did not understand English well, they felt that training should be conducted in English medium. The majority of the subjects also felt that it is imperative for all South Africans to acquire black languages, at least at regional level. Finally, the limitations of the study and suggestions for further research are also outlined. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

Language landscape or linguistic landscape studies are a relatively new field of research within language sociology that has a specific interest in the public space (Shohamy, 2006:128). Linguistic landscape studies analyzes the use of language in the public and/or institutional sphere~ to determine the (instrumental or symbolical) value represented by the graphic representation of language, taking into account the relevant language policy (see also Gorter, 2007:5; Curtin, 2007:11). The goal of this research is to test and empirically apply the theory of the developing international and national linguistic landscape research paradigm on the multilingual South African higher education landscape. The design for this research consists of a theoretical and an empirical component. The aforementioned entails a thorough investigation of linguistic landscape studies and its development over the past couple of years. The empirical component is done in three phases. Phase 1 involves an in-depth investigation regarding nine of the 12 South African universities whose language policies are available in the public domain. During Phase 2, these universities are visited and structured interviews are held with the language committee/language manager to determine what the situation is regarding policy and practice in the language landscape domain. In Phase 3, the data from the previous two phases is assessed and interpreted to make recommendations to South African universities as to how to overcome the possible mismatch. This research found that the visibility of multilingualism in the South African higher education landscape is relatively low due to a mismatch between policy and practice. However, the mismatch is not caused by universities' lack of commitment to multilingualism. Deep-set causes, i.e. the processes involved with language planning, the lack of detailed language plans, and so forth, lead to this mismatch and the lack of visibility of multilingualism at South African universities. / Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Canada’s official languages policy makes English and French the country’s official languages in federal institutions. The policy has succeeded in fostering equitable representation of both official languages groups in the federal public service and has improved capacities for the public service to serve the citizenry in its official language of choice. It is a puzzle however, that despite these advances, the Canadian federal public service continues to operate predominantly in English when both official languages on paper are equal languages of work. To explore this puzzle this dissertation asks: why, despite the promise of the Official Languages Act (OLA) 1969 for choice in language of work and the OLA 1988 that made the choice a claimable right, is there inequitable access to French as a language of work in the federal public service? Framed through a historical institutionalist approach and layering, this project analyzes the implementation of the official languages program in the federal public service from 1967-2013. This thesis argues that the implementation of the official languages program could not challenge the federal public service’s path dependency to operate predominantly in English. By analyzing the roles of actors and institutions that influenced the process, this dissertation finds that lack of structural change, inadequate managerial engagement and a false sense that official languages are engrained in the public service, can explain the persistence of English as the dominant language of work.