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Our current knowledge about the relationship between linguistic skills and psychological disorders is somewhat diffuse. One reason is because it is difficult to investigate this relationship without including conditions that clearly influence the results in one way or another (e.g. culture, environment, socioeconomic class etc). This study aims to investigate the relationship in an attempt to highlight a potential link. By using the lens of several fields altogether; cognitive science, linguistics, neuroscience, neurocognition, this study shed light on the relationship and encourage further studies in this field to determine the role of linguistic skills in mental health in general. In the experiment, linguistic skills were measured opposed to depression as a specific disorder to quantify specific data. Linguistic skills were measured by density and diversity and PHQ-9 survey question were used to determine depression scale. Statistical analysis showed significant correlations between some measures of linguistic skills and PHQ-9. The significant statistical correlation found points towards the hypothesis that, better linguistic skills promote well-being, and psychological disorders take minor effect relative to poorer linguistic skills. This topic is large-scaled which means that background variables must be acknowledged thoroughly, which due to the extent of this thesis, were not. The results are discussed further as well as limitations of the study. Improvements for further research are proposed.

Afin d’analyser l’écart entre prescriptions institutionnelles (approche par compétences) et pratiques réelles dans des classes de français en Algérie, nous avons procédé à une approche ethnographique de la classe sur la base d’un corpus filmé (en deux périodes). L’analyse de ce corpus et des textes institutionnels de référence (programme, manuels) montrent que les cultures d’enseignement-apprentissages scolaires en Algérie insistent plus sur le savoir (règles linguistiques) et sur les quatre compétences classiques (écouter, parler, lire, écrire) en des interactions centrées autour du maître, que sur le savoir-faire et le savoir-être (règles sociolinguistiques, socioculturelles et pragmatiques). Dans de telles situations, certainement pas propres à l’Algérie seule, sans doute serait-il recommandable d’aller vers des méthodologies d’enseignement et apprentissage basées sur une pédagogie des interactions didactiques centrée autour des apprenants, de la médiation par l’adulte, du besoin langagier et éducatif et de la découverte selon les termes du modèle socio-constructiviste de l’apprentissage. Notre recherche-action vise la réflexion sur une possible didactique intégrée, plurilingue et contextualisée qui souligne le rôle et l’importance des langues maternelles des apprenants algériens dans les apprentissages langagiers et même disciplinaires / In order to analyse the difference between institutional guidelines (an approach according to skill), and actual practices in the French classes in Algeria, we used an ethnographic approach to the class, based on a body of film made in two sessions. The analysis of this body and of institutional texts for reference (curriculum, guidelines) show that the cultures of teaching and apprenticeship in Algerian schools insist more on knowledge (rules of language) and on the four traditional skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) during interactions with the teacher than on their own ability and self-confidence (sociolinguistic, socio cultural and pragmatic rules). In such situations, certainly not unique to Algeria, it would undoubtedly be advisable, to move towards methods of teaching and apprenticeship, based on a teaching structured around didactic interactions focused on those learning, around mediation by the adult of the linguistic and educational needs, and around education according to the terms of the socio constructivist model of apprenticeship. Our research is concentrated on the consideration of a potential integrated didactic model, multilingual and contextualised, which underlines the role and the importance of native languages of Algerian pupils in the learning of languages and of other disciplines

South Africa is a multilingual country and this has certain implications on the development of cognitive-linguistic skills such as phonological processing (amongst others), which are essential for reading development. Research has, in the past, not adequately addressed the development of, and relationship between, a broad range of phonological processing and reading skills in South Africa. The study investigates the relationship between phonological processing skills and reading development in Northern Sotho-English bilingual children. Ninety-eight participants, divided into group 1 (n=48) and group 2 (n=50) based on their Language of Learning Language of Teaching were sampled. Group 1 received literacy instruction in Northern Sotho, whilst group 2 in English. Participants were assessed using a battery of phonological processing tests and on reading abilities in English and Northern Sotho. Correlations, multiple regressions and multivariate analyses of variance were conducted. Findings revealed that phonological processing skills are essential in reading development in both the first and second language of the participants. / African Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

The aim behind this study was to observe and understand barriers to access the eHealth system equally. The study was conducted in Stockholm based on qualitative data in which semi- structured interviews were conducted among 15 interviewees from different localities of Stockholm. The findings from the collected data revealed that language barriers, lack of knowledge about digital literacy, unawareness of Swedish healthcare services, psychological and social barriers, safety and privacy concerns, and the lack of an e-identification are all major barriers to accessing the eHealth system. From the data, it has also been observed that the main causes of the aforementioned hurdles are based on varied socioeconomic levels, literacy conditions of an individual, cultural background, and age. Another important observation shows that highly qualified people with limited language abilities have a difficult time using eHealth services.