This thesis first analyses the context and linguistic mechanisms of Spanglish within Chicano literature. Then the issue of multilingual translation is examined through the case study of A. Morales Reto en el paraiso. After looking into the many difficulties stemming from the translation of a Spanglish text into a third language, namely French, I will propose my own translation of the first chapter of the novel. In general, a foreignizing approach was preferred, although some complexities of Spanglish occasionally forced the translator to adopt a more domesticating approach. In sum, this dissertation endeavours to provide practical as well as theoretical answers to the challenges of translating multilingual texts. / Translation Studies

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

Text communication is often perceived as lacking some components of communication that are essential in sustaining interaction or conversation. This interaction incoherency tends to make text communication plastic. It is traditionally devoid of intonation, pitch, gesture, facial expression and visual or auditory cues. Nevertheless, Instant Messaging (IM), a form of text communication is on the upward uptake both on PCs and on mobile handhelds. There is a need to rubberise this plastic text messaging to improve co-presence for text communications thereby improving synchronous textual discussion, especially on handheld devices. <br /> <br /> One element of interaction is gesture, seen as a natural way of conversing. Attaining some level of interaction naturalism requires improving synchronous communication spontaneity, partly achieved by enhancing input mechanisms. To enhance input mechanisms for interactive text-based chat on mobile devices, there is a need to facilitate gesture input. Enhancement is achievable in a number of ways, such as input mechanism redesigning and input offering adaptation. This thesis explores affective gesture mode on interface redesign as an input offering adaptation. This is done without a major physical reconstruction of handheld devices.<br /> <br /> This thesis presents a text only IM system built on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE). It was developed with a novel user-defined hotkey implemented as a one-click context menu to &ldquo / fast-track&rdquo / text-gestures and emoticons.<br /> <br /> A hybrid quantitative and qualitative approach was taken to enable data triangulation. Results from experimental trials show that an Affective Gesture (AG) approach improved IM chat spontaneity/response. Feedback from the user trials affirms that AG hotkey improves chat responsiveness, thus enhancing chat spontaneity.

The thesis Mapping the Self-Portrait: Navigating Identity and Autobiography in Visual Art is a practical project. It explores the relationship between autobiography and self- portraiture, and how these notions of the self can be represented in visual art. The exhibition 360 Potential Truisms forms the major component in this thesis, and is accompanied by a written exegesis. This exegesis explores notions of the self-portrait and autobiography in relation to identity, with focus on a post-structural approach to fragmentation and movement. Artworks have been developed to reflect a shift towards an idea of the fragmented self, involving drawing, photography, and text to allow a constantly changing interpretation of self-portraiture.

Mobile banking is an application of mobile computing which provides customers with the support needed to be able to bank anywhere, anytime using a mobile handheld device and a mobile service such as text messaging (SMS). Mobile banking removes space and time limitations from banking activities such as checking account balances, or transferring money from one account to another. In recent research and studies it was found that while mobile banking and more specifically SMS-based mobile banking applications have become popular in some countries and regions, they were still not widely used. This study identifies and investigates the factors which influence customers’ decision to use a specific form of mobile banking, and specifically focuses on the evaluation of SMS-based mobile banking in the context of New Zealand. The research model includes the basic concepts of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), as well as some constructs derived through a focus group discussion. The model is tested to determine its predictive power with respect to individual’s behaviour when considering the use of SMS-based mobile banking. A survey questionnaire was developed and employed to collect data from 250 AUT university students in New Zealand. The results of the data analysis contributes to the body of knowledge in the area by demonstrating that context specific factors such as service quality and service awareness are influencing user perceptions about the usefulness of SMS mobile banking which in turn affect intention to use and adoption. Secondly, the study demonstrates, on the example of SMS-based mobile banking, how a hybrid approach involving qualitative data collection and a subsequent quantitative survey can help investigate how user perceptions about usefulness and ease of use are formed. Although the study has its limitations, the implications of the results allow providing practical recommendations to the banking industry, and directions for further work.

Doctor of Philosophy / This thesis proposes a model for the description of social practice which analyses social practices into the following elements: (1) the participants of the practice; (2) the activities which constitute the practice; (3) the performance indicators which stipulate how the activities are to be performed; (4) the dress and body grooming for the participants; (5) the times when, and (6)the locations where the activities take place; (7) the objects, tools and materials, required for performing the activities; and (8) the eligibility conditions for the participants and their dress, the objects, and the locations, that is, the characteristics these elements must have to be eligible to participate in, or be used in, the social practice.

Zugl.: Leipzig, Univ., Diplomarbeit, 2005

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University (Canada), 1991. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-11, Section: B, page: 5618. Supervisor: Henry P. Schwarcz.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University (Canada), 1996. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-10, Section: B, page: 6038. Adviser: C. D. Rollo.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of New South Wales, 2003. / Also available online.