The topic of this thesis is the process of'normalisation' by which a translator accommodatesa sourcet ext to the norms of the target languagea nd culture. The researchi nvestigatest his phenomenonin two ways: first, through text analysis identifying features in the target text which potentially contribute to easy readability, and, subsequentlyt,h rough readersr espondingt o the translation and the sourcet ext. Computer tools were used to compare the source text and the target text, resulting in a list of eleven identifiable main features which were found to contribute to a normalising effect. One of the features, 'patterns of repetition', was examined in detail. The translation had less repetition in part because of systemic differences but also due to the translator's choice, whether conscious or unconscious, to use variant terms. A section of the thesis investigates negativity which is of considerable literary relevance in the case of A Hora da Estrela, and evidence is supplied that negativity is reduced in the translation. Other featuresi n the sourcet ext which are mostly associatedw ith spoken aspects of language were found to have shifted to a written style, contributing to a normalising shift from spoken to written register. Such features suggest that the translation hasb een 'domesticatedt' o suit the English-speakingr eader. The second way in which normalisation was investigated was via readers' responses. A number of studies were carried out, using non-specialists and'semi-specialised readers' (students of literature). Critical reactions to the various translations of the novel suggested that normalisation was perceived when the source and the target were compared, but not by readers of the target version alone. iii

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AbstractThe purpose of this study is to examine textual features in Native American children's literature and Native children's responses to these textual features. Culturally authentic children's literature was used to gain insights into children's perspectives as they engaged in responses within literature circles.This study utilized qualitative research methods and ethnographic techniques. This study draws on two complementary frames: the theorization of culturally authentic Native American children's literature and reader response theory. The study focused on two goals: first, to make explicit decisions about how to depict reoccurring themes, languages, and discourses of culture; second, to acknowledge a reader's ability to draw from a knowledge base of experiences available to members of a particular cultural community while interpreting literature. The students participated in fourteen literature discussions of culturally authentic literature. Data collection included transcripts from literature discussions, interviews, observational field notes, and written artifacts. Categories were constructed through inductive analysis of data.My three research questions were derived from Rosenblatt and reader response theory, including Native American perspectives:1. What Native American textual features are identifiable in fourteen Native American children's books?2. What types of talk about that these textual features do children engage in through literature circles of Native American children's literature?3. What are children's perspectives about reading and discussing Native American children's literature?The findings of this study contribute to teacher education programs, Indigenous education, and the field of Native children's literature. Furthermore, these cultural literatures provide and maintain Native American stories while promoting literacy for all children.

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Abstract Framed within a wholly Indigenous paradigm - Gayanehsragowah - my dissertation is a counterstory constructed to engage colonialism in a decolonizing research and writing project. I chose story, an autoethnographic novel, as form to represent Indigenous reflexive method; a metaphoric text performed to unlock metaphor’s meaning, once known, I see through to and refract truth upon my own life story implicit within that text. To illustrate human potential for healing and self-change, I construct pedagogical relationship between lived experience and theoretical meaning in interlocking and entangled threads inseparable from form, not possible in conventional thesis organization. Tadoda:ho, the Great Law icon for transformation centers my inquiry into effects of cultural, social and political disconnection from Hodinohso:ni: systems; in particular, I examine historical unresolved grief carried both over the life span and across generations. I use Denzin’s approach to critical personal narrative, Ellis’s autoethnographic method and Richardson’s creative analytical practice to create an interpretive text comprised of short stories, poetry, conversations, dialogue, visual representation and layered accounts. My inquiry reveals Battiste’s transforming energy flux, which I call spirit, manifests in Indigenous language structures, and similar to Ellis’s evocative and analytical texts, once voiced through writing, creates change in the universe and in self. Critical reflection and representation of an Indigenous world in constant motion to renew livingness lends key knowledge that reconnection to ancestral histories, lands, and cultures restores Indigenous identity to resolve the trauma of historical grief. As Gayanehsragowah is performative healing narrative, my inquiry intends to add new knowledge of Indigenous story as form with power to inform self-change. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-06 14:34:46.945

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This study investigated reading comprehension, reading fluency and attitudes of students after exposure to extensive reading (ER), an approach to teaching and learning foreign languages without using a dictionary or focusing on grammar, but aiming to get learners to read extensively by choosing books on their own, for general comprehension, good reading habits and enjoyment (Day and Bamford 1998; Prowse 1999). It was conducted in the Thai context with English as foreign language (EFL) students at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT) in Thailand during a period of four months, one academic semester. The teaching procedure conformed to the principles of ER with a wide-ranging selection of graded reader books. Multiple measurements used to assess comprehension with three narrative texts were written recall protocol, and translation tests; multiple choice questions with twelve texts in timed reading to assess reading fluency; and a survey questionnaire as well as an in-depth interview to gather data on attitudes towards extensive reading. The study employed a double-control pre- and post-test (Solomon) design: two experimental groups (N = 52 and 50) and four control groups (N = 46, 48, 42, and 46) of which two are excluded from the pretest to separate out the effects caused by using the same instruments. The findings suggest positive effects of ER on the learners’ reading comprehension and provide conclusive evidence of reading fluency improvement together with a positive attitude towards ER. The study also revealed that credit or score is a key factor to encourage students to read and they preferred reading in a controlled situation in class including taking the tests of timed reading. The thesis discusses the possibility of using testing as a pedagogical tool for the improvement of reading skills. Implications drawn from the findings suggest that in order to maximize the benefits of ER, an adjustment of procedures is essential prior to the integration with language courses in the Thai and other similar contexts.