Learner participation in language learning opportunities has been configured differently by different learning theories. In the domain of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), the cognitive view of learning has been dominant in explaining learner participation. It has been widely accepted that it should be in the form of participation in oral activities which leads to gains in linguistic competence. The aim of this thesis is to understand the issue of learner participation from the social perspective, where a broader understanding of learning will be employed informed by the work of Lave and Wenger (1991) and others. To do so, this study investigates the forms of participation of six ESL learners in suburban Malaysia in two contexts: in-class and out-of-class. In order to understand the issue of learner participation from a social view point, data were collected using classroom observations, learners’ interviews, learner diaries, and photographs taken by them. All the data were transcribed and analysed qualitatively. In order to handle the large amount of data, the Nvivo software package was used for organisation and retrieval purposes. The findings reveal several insights about learner participation. First, learners are active agents where they constantly make decisions on what to engage with and how, and act on the norms and expectations that are imposed on them in a particular sociocultural context. Second, the six learners are members of or aspired to become members of several communities: academically successful learners; successful ESL learners; proficient speakers of the target language; the classroom; and youth. Thus, they aligned their forms of participation with these various communities. Third, learners in this study tended to distinguish between learning and other kinds of engagement. They tended to equate certain forms of participation as actions that one needed to take to learn the language; thus other forms of participation accorded less value. In this study, some insights from Communities of Practice (CoP) theory- learning as a process of gaining membership in a particular community and that learners move from peripheral to core membership- were used to understand the issue of learner participation. However, upon understanding and interpreting the data, it was found that CoP theory is limited in several ways. First, CoP focuses only on one type of community (e.g. the classroom) in one temporal dimension. Yet, findings indicate that there are several other communities that exist in the classroom at one time. Due to this shortcoming, this study has turned to the concept of ‘figured worlds’ (Holland et al, 2001). Secondly, CoP theory argues for a group dynamic. Less recognition is given to the fact that individual learners are also dynamic and agentive. Akkerman and Meijer (2011) suggest dialogical views on identity; in which a framework is provided that acknowledges the multiple, discontinuous and social nature of identity (a postmodern view), while at the same time assumes identity as being unitary, continuous and individual (a modern view). Thirdly, CoP tends to focus on a singular “identity-in-practice (Tan and Barton (2008)). Tan and Barton (ibid: 50) argue for the plurality of identities-in-practice (IdPs); rather than a singular “identity-in-practice (IdP) as suggested by Lave and Wenger (1991). The view of learning as boundary crossing seems to better describe the kinds of participation and learning that have been suggested by the findings generated in the study. Instead of looking at learning as participation in a particular community, learning as boundary crossing better captures the dynamic of learner participation in language learning opportunities, of learners as whole persons (rather than fragmented identities), and of learners as agentive beings.

Dėl ypatingos savo padėties laivės atėmimo bausmę atliekantys asmenys yra išskirtinė socialinė grupė. Nors jie, kaip ir kiti žmonės, turi prigimtines teises, kurių niekas negali nei atimti, nei apriboti, tačiau jas realizuoti dėl savo riboto veiksnumo gali tik iš dalies. Nors kalinių teises bei pareigas ir jų įkalinimo sąlygas privalo užtikrinti net kelios institucijos, kyla klausimas, ar šios institucijos tinkamai vykdo savo funkcijas. Net ir praėjus kiek daugiau nei devyniolikai metų po Lietuvos Respublikos nepriklausomybės atkūrimo, įkalinimo sąlygos Lietuvoje, tarptautinių nepriklausomų institucijų vertinimu, yra itin prastos. Kaliniai – tai žmonės, sąmoningai ar nesąmoningai, pažeidę taisykles arba jų nepaisantys. Ši grupė asmenų iš anksto nustatytą laikotarpį privalo išbūti įkalinimo įstaigoje atlikdami bausmę ir siekdami sėkmingai grįžti į laisvę. Dažnai už grotų patenka ne tik sąmoningai nusikaltimą padarę asmenys, bet ir atsitiktinai, ne iš blogos valios nusikaltę ar suklydę žmonės. Būtent jiems ir yra sunkiausia išgyventi laisvės atėmimo vietose, kur galioja savos taisyklės, savos vertybės ir normos, savi įstatymai. Teigiamas laisvę atliekančių asmenų požiūris į įkalinimo įstaigą, sėkminga jo socialinė integracija ir adaptacija visuomenėje, grįžus į laisvę, yra vienas pagrindinių tikslų, užtikrinant tinkamą įkalinimo įstaigų sistemos funkcionavimą Lietuvoje. Šio mokslo tiriamojo darbo eigoje bandoma nustatyti, kokie esminiai veiksniai formuoja asmens (kalinčiojo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Lithuanian prisoners, as group of people, are a very special social group that requires intensive care and protection. On the one hand prisoners is a social group that should be under special care, but on the other hand, situation of the protection of children rights got worse and is under close observation. Although rights of the prisoners, should be secured by several governmental institutions, the question is, if these institutions are capable to ensure them functions and duties. Even though more then nineteen years have passed since the restitution of Lithuanian independence, conditions of imprisonment are still very poor on the basis of evaluation of independent international institutions. Prisoners are people, which deliberately or undeliberately committed a crime or violated the social rules. This group of people which is forced to stay a fixed term in a prison while serving sentence, and which have to complete successful social integration and adaptation into society. It often happens that people which are not guilty of committing a crime are forced to serve one’s sentence. It is extremely difficult for this type of people to survive in prison, which has it’s own informal rules, values and customs. Positive view to the prison, successful social integration and adaptation into society after coming back to freedom, is one of the most important targets of proper working of the system of prisons and other detention institutions of Lithuania. The essential points this... [to full text]

Diploma thesis "Functional literacy among adolescents" discusses the components of functional literacy. The theoretical part of the thesis briefly introduces the development of functional literacy. It shows the functional literacy, and how its properties affect the individual. It describes each specialization components of functional literacy and represents social views in defined areas of the company (community). It also states components of functional literacy, describes their active participation in the field of functional literacy and the effect on the overall formation. It focuses on the potential negative impacts of these components. In the research, part of the thesis presents the conclusions of the survey.