Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Education and Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2004. / "A dissertation in education and public affairs and administration." Advisor: Malcolm Linville. Typescript. Vita. Description based on contents viewed Nov. 13, 2007; title from "catalog record" of the print edition. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-166). Online version of the print edition.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Victoria University of Wellington, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references.

This doctoral dissertation investigates the challenges “foreign teachers” experience in the encounter with the Swedish school and the possibilities they have to manage challenges and to establish their legitimacy. The participants of this study were newly employed in the pre-school, the primary school and the secondary school. The material includes interviews with 21 teachers and complementing observations at the workplaces of five of these teachers. Principals and colleagues have also been interviewed as well as administrators and teacher educators of supplementary teacher training programs. The shift of language of instruction was reported as causing challenges and demanded time and energy from the teachers in preparing the lessons. Here the teachers mentioned knowledge and correct use of the subject specific vocabulary and the ability to use everyday language in the process of building a bridge to the language of the subjects. Difficulties in the interaction with colleagues and parents were reported; when being positioned as less competent due to their second language speaker status. Some examples also reveal that everyday interaction demands knowledge of social practices that are not always familiar to these teachers. The value of individual assets (e.g. professional experience, profound subject knowledge and multilingualism) is enhanced when school principals recognize the resources of these teachers and make use of them in the communities of practice at school. In using activity theory, difficulties in the interaction with students or problems with questioning parents could be analyzed with regard to communities of practice, rule systems or division of labor in the activities of the school. This thesis emphasizes the importance of a critical discussion of existing norms, values and hierarchies in local school contexts if schools in Sweden in general are to be seen as learning and working contexts for teachers as well as students of all backgrounds. / Flerspråkighet Litteractitet Utbildning (FLU)

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine if accent related discrimination exists in the work place for persons who speak with an Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi accent. An additional purpose was to explore the participants’ knowledge and willingness to enroll in accent modification therapy and their general feelings regarding this type of therapy. Method: A 57 item survey that was developed to address our research questions was distributed through Survey Monkey to various listservs, organizations and personal contacts. These methods yielded a total of 279 participants, with 110 participants included in the present study. Results: Majority of participants reported that they do not think their accent is difficult to understand and also felt that their accent was accepted. No significant trends were found between length of time living and working in the United States and accent discrimination. However, per participant report, discrimination appears to be more prevalent in the initial part of the employment process (applying for a position and during the beginning portion of their employment). Most participants had never heard of and/or previously enrolled in accent modification therapy. In addition, approximately half said that they would not voluntarily enroll in accent modification therapy, but the remaining participants either responded that they would consider enrolling or they would definitely enroll. Further, half the participants reported that they would not have negative feelings if it was recommended by their employer that they enroll in therapy. Conclusions: This preliminary data suggests that accent discrimination towards individuals who speak with an Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi accent does exist in the workplace. Results also indicate a disconnect between existence of discrimination and awareness of discrimination, either due to the survey limitations or an emerging awareness on the part of the participants. Additionally, few participants reported knowledge of accent modification therapy. Negative feelings towards enrolling in accent modification therapy were within in minority. This data, in addition to reasons to enroll in therapy provided by participants, will aid speech-language pathologists in creating appropriate therapy programs for this unique population. / text

This thesis examines how men and women as co-interactants in management meetings use various interactional mechanisms to play out their roles and identities, as they position their ideas in a particular way for intended meaning and effect. The study aims to demonstrate how a particular approach to the examination of naturalistic data, gathered through the use of a case study design, based on recordings and supported by a number of ethnographic strategies can, when examined and informed by conversation analysis, pragmatics and more indirectly critical discourse analysis, generate further insights into the semantic and pragmatic meanings of utterances. The study focuses on four companies in postcolonial Zimbabwe, where the entry of women into senior management positions has changed the complexion of most organisations, but men continue to be the fundamental power brokers in the corporate workplace, which remains a site of social struggle where language, power and gender are important variables. This study finds that while perceptions of power may not vary significantly between men and women, how they use language to play out this power in meetings is of significance. The study suggests that gender-linked communication styles are reflected in management of talk in areas of influence, such as the corporate boardroom. It also shows that men and women, irrespective of their levels of position power or perceived power, present themselves in meetings in different ways, possibly due to gender-role socialisation processes. Apart from generating some new insights regarding theory and research methodology, and describing and interpreting male-female interaction in an under-researched domain (management meetings in a Zimbabwean corporate setting at a time of major socio-economic transformation), it is hoped that this study will also be of value at an applicational level: serving for instance to support applied linguistic goals such as the development of Language for Specific Purposes courses; and conscientising corporate citizens, in particular, to be more accommodating about, and appreciative of differences in communication styles that may be gender-based. / Linguistics / D.Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)

This thesis examines how men and women as co-interactants in management meetings use various interactional mechanisms to play out their roles and identities, as they position their ideas in a particular way for intended meaning and effect. The study aims to demonstrate how a particular approach to the examination of naturalistic data, gathered through the use of a case study design, based on recordings and supported by a number of ethnographic strategies can, when examined and informed by conversation analysis, pragmatics and more indirectly critical discourse analysis, generate further insights into the semantic and pragmatic meanings of utterances. The study focuses on four companies in postcolonial Zimbabwe, where the entry of women into senior management positions has changed the complexion of most organisations, but men continue to be the fundamental power brokers in the corporate workplace, which remains a site of social struggle where language, power and gender are important variables. This study finds that while perceptions of power may not vary significantly between men and women, how they use language to play out this power in meetings is of significance. The study suggests that gender-linked communication styles are reflected in management of talk in areas of influence, such as the corporate boardroom. It also shows that men and women, irrespective of their levels of position power or perceived power, present themselves in meetings in different ways, possibly due to gender-role socialisation processes. Apart from generating some new insights regarding theory and research methodology, and describing and interpreting male-female interaction in an under-researched domain (management meetings in a Zimbabwean corporate setting at a time of major socio-economic transformation), it is hoped that this study will also be of value at an applicational level: serving for instance to support applied linguistic goals such as the development of Language for Specific Purposes courses; and conscientising corporate citizens, in particular, to be more accommodating about, and appreciative of differences in communication styles that may be gender-based. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)