Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka hur elever och svensklärare på en gymnasieskola i Värmland reflekterar över skriftbruk av dialektalt betingade former och drag. I detta arbete undersöks vidare vilken attityd som eleverna har gentemot sin egen dialekt och i vilken utsträckning som dialekten realiseras i elevernas skriftbruk. Undersökningen utgår från frågeställningarna om vilka attityder som eleverna har till den egna dialekten, hur gymnasielärare i svenska reflekterar över dialektalt skriftbruk samt i vilken utsträckning som dialektala former och drag förekommer i elevernas skriftbruk. Denna undersökning är konstruerad som en kvalitativt inriktad fallstudie med semistrukturerade intervjuer och ett förestavningstest, även kallat diktamen, som metoder för datainsamlingen. Antalet deltagare har avgränsats till fyra elever och en gymnasielärare, där detta urval gjorts genom ett målinriktat bekvämlighetsurval med intersubjektivitet.  Undersökningen visar att de fyra eleverna har en positiv attityd till den egna dialekten samtidigt som förekomst av dialekt menas ge upphov till språkliga svårigheter i mötet med skolspråket i olika skolämnen. Vidare visar undersökningen att gymnasielärare menar att det är viktigt att rätta språket i elevtexter, men att det samtidigt är viktigt att eleverna får en bred språklig repertoar. I likhet med flera tidigare studier visar denna undersökning att det i elevernas skriftbruk förekommer flertalet dialektalt betingade former och drag som pekas ut som vanligt förekommande i det geografiska område som eleverna härrör från. Undersökningen visar även att gymnasieelever tenderar att vara dialektalt flerspråkiga, men att detta inte alltid stöttar eleverna i skolarbetet, utan där förekomst av dialekt stundvis även uppträder som en språklig barriär, i termer av ett dialektalt hinder. / The aim of this study is to investigate how students and Swedish teachers at an upper secondary school in Värmland reflects on the use of dialectally conditioned forms and traits in writing. Furthermore, this study examines what attitudes the students have to their own dialect and to what extent the dialect is realized in the students writing. The study is based on the questions what attitudes the students have to their own dialect, how upper secondary school teachers in Swedish reflects on dialectal writing and to what extent dialectal forms and traits occur in the students writing. The study employs a qualitative approach and is constructed as a case study with semi-structured interviews and a pre-spelling test, also called dictation, as methods for the collection of data. The number of participants are limited to four students and one upper secondary school teacher, whom has been selected through a targeted and convince method for selection with intersubjectivity.  The study shows that the four students tend to have a positive attitude towards their own dialect, while the presence of dialect is said to give rise to linguistic difficulties in the meeting with the language in the different subjects in school. Furthermore, the study shows that Swedish teachers believes that it is important to correct the language in the students texts, and that it is important that the students also receives knowledge in order to establish a wide linguistic repertoire. The results of this study are consistent with the conclusions drawn in several previous studies, that there is to be found several dialectal contingent forms and traits that are identified as common in the geographical area in which the students originate. The study also shows that students in upper secondary school tend to be dialectally multilingual, but that this does not always supports the students in their school work, and that the occurrence of dialect sometimes also acts as language barrier, in terms of an dialectal obstacle.

Orientador: Bento Carlos Dias da Silva / Banca: Antônio Suárez Abreu / Banca: Roberta Pires de Oliveira / Resumo: Este trabalho tem como proposta (i) o estudo da metáfora per se (em oposição, por exemplo, a um estudo aplicado da metáfora) da perspectiva lingüística, isto é, o estudo da metáfora enquanto uma expressão da linguagem natural e (ii) a investigação de uma representação formal da metáfora para fins de implementação em sistemas de processamento automático de línguas naturais. A metodologia que norteia o desenvolvimento da proposta, que se insere em um contexto interdisciplinar, focaliza dois domínios: o Domínio Lingüístico-Cognitivo, em que se investiga a expressão lingüística e o suporte cognitivo da metáfora, ou seja, a metáfora enquanto um produto resultante de recursos lingüísticos e não- lingüísticos; e o Domínio Lingüístico-Computacional, em que se investiga a representação formal da produção e da interpretação da metáfora para fins computacionais. Como delimitadores dessas investigações, adotam-se os seguintes enfoques: Retórico-Filosófico, Interacionista, Semântico, Pragmático, Cognitivista e Computacional. / Abstract: This MS thesis concerns the study of metaphor per se, (as opposed to applied metaphor) from the linguistic point of view, and the investigation of a formal metaphor representation for Natural Language Processing systems. The overall methodology focuses on two domains: a Cognitive- Linguistic Domain, in which we investigate the metaphor linguistic expression and its cognitive import, i.e., metaphor as a linguistic product and as a nonlinguistic mechanism; and a Computational- Linguistic Domain, in which we investigate a formal representation for the metaphor production and interpretation. The theoretical approaches that constrain the scope of this work are: philosophical- rhetoric, interactionist, semantic, pragmatic, cognitive and computational assessment to metaphor. / Mestre

In recent years, some of the research within the field of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) seems to have gone through a re-orientation, shifting focus from form to practice. This has highlighted the dynamic nature of languages and identities performed in interaction, leading to the conceptualization of ‘English as a multi-lingua franca’, which refers to placing emphasis on multilingualism in ELF interactions. While much of ELF research has favored in-person spoken interaction, the increasing presence of electronically mediated intercultural communication (EMIC) in society encourages a consideration of online communication as a setting for ELF usage. Online interactions veer between written and spoken communication, thus providing many ways for speakers to express their linguistic identities and show ownership of the language produced. As such, in this paper a temporary multilingual social configuration was observed with regards to participants’ linguistic behavior. Six participants were asked to engage in discussion throughout one week in an online group chat, with the aim of acquiring further insight into how linguistic identity is performed in relation to language ownership and linguistic innovation by ELF speakers within the context of an online environment. The EMIC data was supported by individual interviews that took place prior to the group discussion, and follow-up interviews after the chat had ended. Through a qualitative thematic analysis, the research questions were discussed in relation to the three main focal issues of the study, i.e., linguistic identity, language ownership and linguistic innovation. The findings are in line with recent research that indicate that ELF is a multilingual practice that is shaped by its speakers, as well as the specific context of the interaction.

Syftet med detta arbete är att kartlägga och uppmärksamma utmärkande språkliga drag i det lokala målet i Skillingmark, en bygd belägen ett par kilometer öster om riksgränsen till Norge i västra Värmland. Vidare undersöks i detta arbete huruvida olika dialektalt betingade språkliga drag kan knytas till språkbrukarens ålder som en faktor som påverkar den språkliga variationen. Undersökningen utgår från frågeställningarna om vilka språkliga drag och former som är utmärkande för den språkliga varietet som talas i Skillingmark, hur dessa former och drag avviker från motsvarande former i det neutrala standardspråket, vilka likheter dessa drag och former har med motsvarande drag och former i norskan på andra sidan riksgränsen och huruvida olika språkliga drag förekommer i olika stor utsträckning hos språkbrukare inom olika åldersgrupper. Undersökningen tar avstamp i en kvalitativ ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer där antalet deltagare, vilka har valts ut genom ett målinriktat bekvämlighetsurval med intersubjektivitet, har avgränsats till tre. Undersökningens resultat visar att det finns flera språkliga drag som utmärker Skillingmarksmålet i relation till det neutrala standardspråket, och där dessa skillnader kan ses på samtliga språkliga nivåer som har undersökts inom ramen för detta arbete. Samtidigt visar undersökningen, i likhet med tidigare studier inom ämnet, att språkliga drag och former i Skillingmark i flera avseenden har likheter med motsvarande former och drag i norskan. Utifrån intervjuer med tre språkbrukare framgår att det även förekommer språkliga drag i Skillingmarksmålet som kan ses vara uttryck för generationsbundna kronolekter, där vissa språkliga drag enkom används av äldre dialektala språkbrukare. Vidare visar undersökningen att dialekter har en viktig funktion i en social språklig dimension, där dialekten kan fungera som ett sammanhållande kitt i ett område med dialektalt kontinuum. / This study aims to map, mark and present distinctive linguistic features in the local linguistic variety that is spoken in the area of Skillingmark, located a few kilometers east of the national border between Sweden and Norway in the western parts in the province of Värmland. Furthermore, this study aims to examine whether different dialectally conditioned linguistic features can be associated with the age of the language user, as a factor affecting the linguistic variation. The study is based on the questions which linguistic traits and forms that are characteristic of the linguistic variety spoken in the area of Skillingmark, how these forms and traits deviate from corresponding forms in the neutral standard language, what similarities these traits and forms have to corresponding traits and forms in the Norwegian language and whether different linguistic features occur to varying degrees based on the age of the language user. The study employs a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews where the number of participants, whom has been selected through a targeted and convenience method for selection with intersubjectivity, is limited to three. The survey shows that there are several linguistic features that can be seen characterize the local linguistic variety in Skillingmark in relation to a neutral standard language, and where the differences can be seen at all three linguistic levels that have been examined. Furthermore, the results of this study are consistent with the conclusions that previously have been drawn in the previous research, and shows that linguistic features and forms in Skillingmark in several respects have similarities with corresponding forms and features in the Norwegian language. Based on interviews with three linguistic users, it is evident that there are also linguistic features in the local linguistic variety in Skillingmark which can be seen as an expression of generational boundary chronolects, where some linguistic features are used exclusively by older linguistic users. In addition, this study shows that dialects have an important function in a social linguistic dimension, and where the dialect can function as a cohesive putty in an area with dialectal continuum.

Magister Artium - MA / This project explores the negotiation of shifting racial identities within a transforming post-Apartheid context, in particular, the negotiation of what it means to be ‘coloured’. Twenty-seven years into South Africa’s democracy, the power and influence that race and language hold over many South Africans’ are still prominent within this country. Because race is historically intersected with language and social class, language is used as an instrument of racialization. Therefore, this project seeks to understand how coloured racial and linguistic identities, which are steeped in complexity and ambiguity, are navigated by participants. It will focus, in particular, on how participants engage with Afrikaans and Kaaps to navigate these complexities and signal alignments and ambivalences. Additionally, this research aims to explore the potential of multilingualism to be a dynamic factor in the inclusive transformation of historical positions. Its central aim is to contribute to the notion of Linguistic Citizenship (Stroud, 2001, 2015, 2018, 2021) by capturing how linguistic encounters and interactions can go beyond the defined subjectivities of race and ethnicity, and how people use language to challenge and subvert historical and more contemporary identities. The data draws on focus group discussions with UWC students and the narratives produced within these spaces. It will draw on contemporary scholarship in Sociolinguistics, Discourse and Narrative Analysis and Linguistic Citizenship to explore how participants perform acts of Linguistic Citizenship to showcase their agency and voice as language and narratives become a site where identity juxtapositions are laid bare, and participants and their (racial and linguistic) identities are reimagined.

REST (REpresentational State Transfer) is commonly used for designing APIs. Two main categories of REST API quality have been identified in previous research: linguistic and design quality. Linguistic quality revolves around the design of the URIs. Design quality revolves around the metadata and body in HTTP requests and responses. For enabling and simplifying communications with REST, both linguistic and design quality are important, however, previous research has shown that even major APIs using REST are not always following best practices for linguistic and design quality. This study investigates if there is a statistical relation between linguistic and design quality. We selected 326 API endpoints from ten public APIs for this study. This study has reused and improved a Java-based tool in previous research for detecting aspects of linguistic quality in the APIs endpoints. For this study, we also developed a tool based on Node.js for detecting aspects of design quality in the API endpoints. These two tools are applied on the same API endpoints to be able to study the statistical relation. A Chi-Square test, implemented with R, showed that there is a significant statistical relation in our findings between linguistic and design quality. Pairwise phi-coefficient comparisons, implemented with Python, between each combination of the linguistic and design aspects used in this study identified eight weak and two moderate relations among the linguistic and design quality aspects. However, sample tests showed that the Java-based tool for detecting linguistic quality were not accurate, which made us fail to answer our problem formulation.

No description available.

В магистерской диссертации национальные ценности рассматриваются как объект лингвокультурологического анализа. Для анализа используются русские и китайские паремии и результаты опросов в русской и китайской аудитории. Проводится сопоставление перечней национальных ценностей русской и китайской лингвокультур. / In the master's thesis national values are treated as an object of linguistic-cultural analysis. For analysis we used Russian and Chinese paremias and the results of surveys among the Russian and the Chinese students. We have compared series of national values in the Russian and Chinese liguistic cultures.

No description available.

Socially salient information (such as stereotypes and expectancies) can be transmitted amongst individuals in a variety of subtle ways. One of these is the Linguistic Expectancy Bias (LEB), in which patterns of linguistic abstraction indirectly indicate a speaker's attitudes toward a target. The LEB is a common feature of human communication, but research on it has largely been limited to the laboratory; its presence in news media reports is not well-studied. In three studies, I investigate the operation of the LEB in the print media domain. In the first, published reports of NFL games between intercity rivals were analyzed to determine whether or not hometown teams receive more favorable linguistic treatment than hated rivals; results indicate no evidence of a systematic LEB effect. In the second, news reports about the 2004 Presidential election were examined for differential coverage based on the party membership of the candidates, with no evidence of linguistic bias discovered. In the third, participants were exposed to a description of a politician that varies in the levels of abstraction used to describe his actions and asked to form impressions of him. Linguistic bias was found to have a subtly paradoxical effect, such that bias against a candidate resulted in greater explicit and implicit liking for him. Implications for both the social psychology and political science literatures are discussed. / Psychology