The aim of this study was to find out if there were any detectable differences in the language and language use between children who had been at home with an adult, versus children who had been at day care regularly before they started school. Eight six-year-olds, four from each group, were interviewed and their answers compared to each other. The results pointed to a slight difference in word choices and sentence structure and also a greater difference in the past tense verb forms. Children with a day care background tended to discuss and interact more with their peers, though with simpler sentences and several incorrect verb forms, while the stay-at-home children used more complex sentences and had a higher rate of correct past tense verb forms. The conclusion from this study suggests that children need both adult and peer input to develop correct language and the necessary skills for interaction.

Syftet med föreliggande studie är att undersöka huruvida det finns några förändringar i elevers språkbruk och hur några lärare ser på detta. De frågeställningar studien baseras på är: Hur ser gymnasielärare i svenska på elevers språkbruk i och utanför skolan? Finns det någon förändring i elevers språkbruk idag jämfört med tidigare? och Vad kan denna förändring i så fall bero på? Teoretiskt utgår studien från forskning kring språkets förändring i det moderna svenska samhället och hur vi med språkets hjälp kommunicerar på olika sätt. Vidare utgår studien från forskning kring ungdomars språkbruk och språkutveckling främst utanför men även i skolan. Den undersökningsmetod som används i denna uppsats är av kvalitativ art och består av separata semi-strukturella intervjuer med svensklärare på gymnasiet. Resultatet och analysen visar bland annat att ungdomars språkbruk hänger samman med deras identitet och är beroende av de olika situationer man befinner sig i, samt att tal- och skriftspråk närmar sig varandra allt mer. I diskussionen förekommer reflektion över det som framkommit i resultat och analys. / The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether there are any changes in the use of language among pupils and how some teachers look at this. The questions the study is based on is: How does Swedish teachers in high school look at the use of language among pupils in and outside of school? Is there any change in the language use of pupils today compared to before? and What can this change, if so, depend on? Theoretically the study is based on research on the development of language in the modern Swedish society and how we use language to communicate in different ways. Furthermore, the study is based on research on young people's use of language and language development mainly outside of but also in school. The survey method used in this essay is of qualitative character and consists of separate semi-structural interviews with Swedish teachers in high school. The results and the analysis show that young people's use of language is linked to their identity and are dependent on the various situations you are in, and that spoken and written languages are converging more and more. In the discussion there will be reflection upon what has emerged in the results and analysis.

This research aimed to find out whether or not linguistic theories on how men and women use language can be applied to boys and girls, and their language use, in two selected schools in Southern Sweden. The data was accumulated throughout field investigation. Five questions were created and six teachers from two selected schools were asked to read the questions and keep them in mind while observing them in their class for one week. They were asked to write the answers and hand them in within one week. When the data was accumulated I started to draw connections to already existing theories on how men and women use language and, I started to compare it with how boys and girls use language from these two schools. The answers from the six teachers that participated in this research were not diverse, and they corresponded with the theories cited in this essay’s literature review on how men and women use language. For instance, boys tend to use humor as a tool when they communicate in order to occupy the centre of attention just like men, while girls tend to be emotionally involved while communicating just like women. This is one example of many similarities that this research has found.

Denna uppsats undersöker hur Instagramprofiler använder språket för att skapa en relation till sina följare och analyserar språkhandlingar utifrån den interpersonella textstrukturen. Syftet är således att analysera användningen av språkhandlingar hos profiler inom tre temaområden på Instagram, samt undersöka om det finns skillnader mellan dessa temaområden. Materialet består av totalt 180 Instagraminlägg och samlades in genom Instagramappen. Instagram­inläggen undersöktes genom att analysera textpartierna för att fastställa vilka språkhandlingar som används. Resultatet visar att påstående och indirekta språkhandlingar är de vanligaste språkhandlingarna hos alla tre temaområden, samt att två temaområden använder språkhandlingar på ett likartat sätt. / This essay examines how Instagram profiles use language to create a relationship with their followers and analyzes language actions based on the interpersonal text structure. The purpose is thus to analyze the use of language actions in profiles within three theme areas on Instagram, and to investigate whether there are differences between these theme areas. The material consists of a total of 180 Instagram posts and was collected through the Instagram app. The Instagram posts were examined by analyzing the text sections to determine which language actions are used. The results show that assertion and indirect language actions are the most common language actions in all three theme areas, and that two theme areas use language actions in a similar way.

This study was based on our common interest in teachers’ use of language in algebra teaching. The purpose of the study is to investigate the teachers’ use of concepts in algebra teaching and to gain in-depth knowledge of how the teachers use formal mathematical language and informal everyday language. To produce results for the study, five teachers were studied in two separate math lessons, which was followed up with an interview to answer the following research questions: (1) How do the teachers use formal and informal concepts in the teaching of algebra? (2) What impact do the teachers think their language use has on the student's learning and own language use? (3) What conscious language choices do teachers make to support students' conceptual learning and to connect informal and formal language use?  The first research question, which was answered with the help of the study's observations and interviews, showed that the participating teachers use both informal and formal concepts in algebra teaching, in a varied and coexisting way. Both the language of mathematics and everyday language were considered necessary to combine in order to make mathematics teaching understandable for the students.  The second and third research questions, which were answered using the study's interviews, showed that most of the participating teachers believed that their language use has a high impact on students. One participating teacher mentioned that many students speak as the teacher does and therefore, the teacher's language becomes crucial for the student's language development. To support the students, most of the participating teachers used to confirm and repeat the informal concept that emerged and linked to the formal concept. / Denna studie grundades i vårt gemensamma intresse för lärares språkbruk i algebraundervisningen. Studiens syfte är att undersöka lärares användning av begrepp i algebraundervisningen för att få fördjupad kunskap om hur lärare använder det formella matematikspråket respektive det informella vardagsspråket. För att framställa resultat till studiens syfte studerades fem lärare vilka observerades vid två separata lektionstillfällen, som följdes upp med en intervju för att besvara följande forskningsfrågor: (1) Hur använder lärare formella respektive informella begrepp i undervisningen om algebra? (2) Vilken påverkan anser lärare att deras språkbruk har på elevers inlärning och eget språkanvändande? (3) Vilka medvetna språkval gör lärare för att stötta elevers begreppsinlärning och för att koppla samman informellt och formellt språkbruk?  Första forskningsfrågan, som besvarades med hjälp av studiens observationer samt intervjuer, visade att de deltagande lärarna använder både informella och formella begrepp i algebraundervisningen, på ett varierande och samexisterande sätt. Både matematikspråket och vardagsspråket ansågs nödvändiga att kombinera för att göra matematikundervisningen begriplig för eleverna.  Den andra och tredje forskningsfrågan, som besvarades med hjälp av studiens intervjuer, visade att majoriteten av de deltagande lärarna ansåg att deras språkbruk har stor påverkan på eleverna. En av de deltagande lärarna nämnde att många elever pratar som lärare gör och därför blir lärares språk avgörande för elevers språkutveckling. För att stötta elever bekräftade och upprepade majoriteten av de deltagande lärarna de informella begrepp som uppkom och kopplade till de formella begreppen.

Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka hur pojkar och flickor på mellanstadiet upplever sitt bruk av kraftuttryck och slangord i och utanför klassrummet. Två undersökningsmetoder har valts för att på bästa sätt få fram ett tillförlitligt resultat; enkät samt strukturerade intervjuer. Enkäten besvarades av 76 elever i årskurs 5 och 6, och intervjuerna genomfördes med sju elever i årskurs 6. Resultatet visar på att elever anpassar sitt språkbruk beroende på situation och omgivning. Det visar också att elevernas attityd till kraftuttryck och slangord är negativ, men att de ändå använder det frekvent. Enkätresultatet tyder på att pojkarna använder mer kraftuttryck än flickorna, medan de intervjuade eleverna betonar individuella skillnader framför könsskillnaderna.

There is a paucity of research regarding language use among bilingual clients, particularly with Latino children. In order to provide culturally sensitive counseling for bilingual, Spanish-speaking, Latino children it is important to understand their experience of language use. The purpose of this study was to investigate how second generation, bilingual, Mexican American, 5th grade students experience language use in the two languages with which they communicate. I employed a phenomenological method to data collection and analysis and conducted semi-structured individual and group interviews with three boys and five girls (N = 8). Analysis of the individual and group interviews yielded four main structures: (a) dominant language determined perception of developing dual selves, (b) speaking two languages useful in language brokering and upward mobility, (c) dominant language determined experience of language use, and (d) language use and aspects of the complementarity principle. Findings from this study suggest that bilingual Latino children experience language brokering for their parents as difficult, speaking two languages as useful regarding upward mobility, and that their dominant language influences various aspects of their daily experiences such as with whom and where they use each language. Limitations to this research include insufficient time building rapport with participants and challenges related to unexplored dimensions of bilingualism in the counseling research literature. An overarching implication for future research, clinical practice, and counselor education is that bilingualism, language use, and the depth of experience of Latino children are largely understudied topics.

The study investigates the interface between the variables - language attitude and language use in a development context, and attempts to determine the contribution of language to Rwanda's post-conflict development, reconstruction and reconciliation. It examines the language attitudes and language use patterns of 53 students from Rwanda's public universities focusing on how students, who are all Rwandan citizens, view the role of Kinyarwanda, French, English and Kiswahili languages in twelve core areas of post-conflict development. Although post-conflict development is socio-economic, previous historical and political factors affecting Rwanda's violent past play a role as new forms of linguistic categorization - Anglophone and Francophone - emerge which may be used to camouflage previous ethnic categorizations that have had disastrous effects in Rwanda. Further, social categorizations laden with salient features of linguistic identity may influence the implementation of the post-conflict development programmes, and also affect the pace and pattern of reconciliation in Rwanda. Conclusions are based on eclectic sources: quantitative, qualitative, historical and participatory, with patterns of analysis established from secondary and historical data. The study is also grounded in the Communication Accommodation Theory that rests on issues of divergence and convergence during interaction where emerging language identities dovetail with language attitudes and language use, resulting in an interface that influences the implementation of Rwanda's post-conflict development programmes. Additionally, it is argued that the African languages such as Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili, should be considered as vehicles for Rwanda's post-conflict development, although Kinyarwanda, the home language, has in the past really not served an intranational unifying function. On the other hand, Kiswahili, unlike Kinyarwanda, has no divisive myths and identities that would inhibit post-conflict development; it is an important language in the East and Central African region where post-conflict Rwanda will play a positive and active role, and would be a language to be positively developed. / African Languages / D.Litt et Phil. (African Languages)

The purpose of this investigation was to explore how participants' language use during counseling (overall emotional expression, positive emotional expression, and communal coping, or "we-talk") was associated with superior adjustment, as measured by four psychosocial outcome variables (depression, positive affect, negative affect, and relationship satisfaction); as well as to identify the key concerns of dyads with cancer, how concerns differed by role and sex, and if they were associated with participants' well-being. The present study was a content analysis of the counseling sessions of 43 dyads (N = 86) with breast and prostate cancer. Using a multi-method approach, the audio recordings of 228 counseling sessions were transcribed and analyzed linguistically (quantitatively) and thematically (qualitatively).Results of the linguistic analyses revealed that participant's use of "we-talk" had the most consistent and beneficial effect on outcomes; specifically improved depression, negative affect, and relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that it might not be as important how much a person expresses themselves emotionally, but rather, whether they have a close relational partner that they see as an instrumental part of their coping process and significantly intertwined in their life, which is reflected in their language use of communal coping.Results of the thematic analyses revealed that survivors' concerns were more focused on cancer and treatment related issues, whereas partners' concerns centered on the well-being of their spouse/partner with cancer, and what they were doing to help their loved one cope with his/her illness. The overarching key concern that was intertwined in participants' discourse was frequent discussion of relationship maintenance, negotiation, and communication issues. In addition, discussion of these concerns showed greatest benefits for women with breast cancer.The findings of this study has implications for counselors and clinicians in that language use and topics discussed during counseling have the potential to increase psychosocial adjustment for dyads coping with cancer. The general discourse of survivors mirrored that of their partners, which indicates that helping to modify or change how one person speaks, has the potential to influence how their partner talks as well; which has implications for the well-being of both dyad members.

This sociolinguistic study deals with the impact of English on language policy and planning in Sweden. The analysis is based on the principles of the language management theory. The first part is devoted to the discourse of relations between Swedish and other languages in the country, mostly dealing with Swedish as an endangered language due to the extensive use of English causing domain loss. The recently adopted language law is presented as a reaction to this development, giving an official status to Swedish as the main language of the country. According to this, it should be possible to use Swedish within all domains of language use. The problems of domain loss and the risk of diglossia are demonstrated on the example of the domains of higher education and science in the second part. The principles of the Language law are confronted with the need of increased use of English and the strategy of parallel language use suggested as a possible solution. A very valuable source of information for the analysis also are two interviews with the members of the Swedish language council, the institution responsible for implementation of the Language law as well as for observation of the general language situation. Keywords: Swedish, language policy and planning, language management, domain loss, parallel...