The linguistic landscape of Canadian workplaces is becoming more diverse as organizations employ individuals who come from various countries and speak different native languages. As language is an important marker of identity and group membership, language-based identities are powerful in shaping workplace experiences. Guided by both the ethnolinguistic identity theory (ELIT: Giles et al., 1977; Giles & Johnson, 1987) and communication accommodation theory (CAT: e.g., Dragojevic et al., 2016; Gallois et al., 2005; Giles & Ogay, 2006), this study explores the experiences of Spanish-speaking Latin Americans working in the Canadian National Capital Region in relation to their linguistic identities, coping strategies, and intergroup interactions. A thematic analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews shows that participants experience a dynamic shift in their identity in which they move between feelings of self-doubt and a sense of confidence and comfort in their workplaces. This shift occurs as they navigate the cognitive and emotional experiences of working in a nonnative language. Factors that influence this identity shift include social comparisons, positive implications associated with their native linguistic identity, negative evaluations, and empathy in the workplace. This study also provides a detailed description of the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and interactional coping strategies that participants enact to navigate their workplaces. In terms of intergroup interactions, the participant’s experiences, their evaluations, and reactions to accommodative or nonaccommodative behaviours from native speaking peers in their workplaces are explored. The final pages of this study include some recommendations for human resource practitioners.

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<p>The present thesis addresses the relationship between the structure and social functions of language through the study of an Afro-Brazilian Portuguese speech community. The adopted methodological, analytical, and theoretical standpoints have their origin in linguistic anthropology, social psychology of language and discourse analysis. A set of data was collected during extensive fieldwork in Salvador (Brazil), and consists of recordings of informal conversations with and between followers of Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion.</p><p>Focusing on the communicative process in a specific communicative setting, the linguistic analyses illustrate the relationship between language and identity by examining theway in which expressions of African origin function as identity markers. In order to connect such Africanisms used by Candomblé followers in their everyday speech with the linguistic attitudes and ideologies found in Brazilian society throughout history, an interdisciplinary approach was called for and factors that affect the speech community’s ethnolinguistic vitality were explored. Linguistic attitudes and ideologies that have influenced group vitality were analyzed in the socio-political context (or macro-context). At the same time, the purpose was to understand communication within the sacred space of Candomblé by examining issues such as changes in linguistic forms and functions in the communicative situation (or microcontext).</p><p>Apart from revealing patterns of communication in Candomblé communities, the results of the analyses show how linguistic changes such as re-Africanization are triggered by changes of attitudes in society. These changes affect speakers’ identities and language use within speech communities.</p>

The present thesis addresses the relationship between the structure and social functions of language through the study of an Afro-Brazilian Portuguese speech community. The adopted methodological, analytical, and theoretical standpoints have their origin in linguistic anthropology, social psychology of language and discourse analysis. A set of data was collected during extensive fieldwork in Salvador (Brazil), and consists of recordings of informal conversations with and between followers of Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion. Focusing on the communicative process in a specific communicative setting, the linguistic analyses illustrate the relationship between language and identity by examining theway in which expressions of African origin function as identity markers. In order to connect such Africanisms used by Candomblé followers in their everyday speech with the linguistic attitudes and ideologies found in Brazilian society throughout history, an interdisciplinary approach was called for and factors that affect the speech community’s ethnolinguistic vitality were explored. Linguistic attitudes and ideologies that have influenced group vitality were analyzed in the socio-political context (or macro-context). At the same time, the purpose was to understand communication within the sacred space of Candomblé by examining issues such as changes in linguistic forms and functions in the communicative situation (or microcontext). Apart from revealing patterns of communication in Candomblé communities, the results of the analyses show how linguistic changes such as re-Africanization are triggered by changes of attitudes in society. These changes affect speakers’ identities and language use within speech communities.

Tapatumo paieškos šiandieniniame pasaulyje tampa neatsiejamos nuo žmogaus kasdienybės. Pastaruoju metu vis dažniau diskutuojame apie pilietinės visuomenės problemas, toleranciją, seksualines ir tautines mažumas. Šios diskusijos tampa glaudžiai susijusios su visuomenių tyrimais. Šio magistrinio darbo pagrindinis tikslas yra ištirti kokios nacionalinio tapatumo charakteristikos dominuoja Lietuvoje, Latvijoje ir Estijoje 2004 – 2011 m. ir jas palyginti. Šiam tikslui įgyvendinti pasirinktas pagrindinis darbo objektas yra Lietuvos, Latvijos ir Estijos nacionalinės tapatybės. Per pagrindinius darbo su šaltiniais metodus – analizę, taikomą analizuoti apklausų statistiką, bei lyginamąjį metodą, kuriuo buvo lyginami trijų Baltijos valstybių nacionalinių bei regioninių tapatybių bruožai, buvo siekta atsakyti į pagrindines iškeltas darbo problemas - kuo paremti nacionaliniai tapatumai? kiek valstybių tapatumai yra monolitiški ir kiek jie yra pajėgūs priimti kitas tapatumo rūšis? Uždaviniai skambėjo taip: išskirti ir išanalizuoti etnolingvistinės, pilietinės ir regioninės tapatybės modelių pagrindinius kriterijus, ištirti ar etnolingvistinis ir pilietinis nacionaliniai tapatumai išskiria vienas kitą ar papildo Baltijos šalyse, išanalizuoti kiek trijų Baltijos valstybių nacionaliniai tapatumai pajėgūs priimti viršnacionalinę tapatybę ir kiek jie skaidosi į regioninę tapatybę, ištirti, kokią valstybių visuomenę – atvirą ar uždarą atskleidžia tapatybių modelių tyrimas Lietuvoje, Latvijoje... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Nowadays the search of identity become concurrent with casual people‘s life. Recently an increasing number of discussion about problems of civil society, tolerance, sexual and ethnic minorites. These discussions are related with national identity analysis. The main aim of this master thesis is to find out what characteristics of national identitiės are dominant in Lithaunia, Latvia and Estonia in 2004 – 2011 years and to compare them. The primary and key surveying object is national identities. The methods used in this work were: analysis which was applied to analize the statistics of surveys and another method was comparison of national and regional features of identities of Baltic States. By using these methods main problems such as: how are based national identities? Are they monolithic enough? Are they able to accept other types of identities? were carried out. One of the tasks was to distinct and analize the main criterias of ethnolinguistic, civil and regional identity models. Another task was to find out whether ethnolinguistic and civil national identities distincts or adds to each other in the Baltic States. Third task was to analize if national identities of three Baltic States are able to accept supranational identity and to reveal if it is possible to disintegrate into regional identity. The last task was to find out whether societies in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are inclusive or exclusive. All these problems were explained by carrying out these tasks. ... [to full text]

Despite the prevalence of bilingual identity among linguistic minority youth in Canada, few studies have empirically investigated its acculturative consequences. This study explores the nature of bilingual identity, as determined by language confidence, in various ethnolinguistic contexts. More specifically, it investigates the relation between language confidence and identity as moderated by ethnolinguistic vitality. It also verifies whether bilinguals can be distinguished from predominantly unilingual participants on factors related to the maintenance of identity, namely subjective ethnolinguistic vitality and language usage and evaluates the impact of ethnolinguistic vitality on these differences. Data from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities collected by Statistics Canada among francophones outside of Quebec and anglophones in Quebec (N = 7377) was used for analysis. The results of univariate and multivariate analyses of variance show that language confidence is significantly related to levels of identity for all regions. Bilinguals are significantly distinct from predominantly monolingual participants on most factors for maintenance of identity. However, among all francophone samples, bilinguals most resemble the franco-dominant participants. The implications of these findings on the understanding of the nature of bilingual identity are discussed. Malgré la prévalence de l’identité bilingue parmi les jeunes de groupes minoritaires linguistiques au Canada, peu d’études ont vérifié ses conséquences acculturatives de façon empirique. Cette étude explore la nature de l’identité bilingue telle que déterminée par la confiance langagière, dans divers contextes ethnolinguistiques. De façon plus spécifique, la relation entre la confiance langagière et l’identité, modérée par la vitalité ethnolinguistique est examinée. Par ailleurs, l’étude explore si les gens bilingues se distinguent de ceux qui ont une prédominance langagière sur des facteurs liés au maintien de l’identité, soit la vitalité ethnolinguistique subjective et l’utilisation langagière, et évalue l’impact de la vitalité ethnolinguistique sur ces différences. Les analyses ont été menées à partir des données de l’Enquête sur la vitalité des minorités de langue officielle de Statistique Canada recueillies auprès des francophones de l’extérieur du Québec et des anglophones du Québec (N = 7377). Les résultats d’analyses univariées et multivariées dévoilent que pour chacune des régions ethnolinguistiques, la confiance langagière est significativement liée à l’identité. Les bilingues se distinguent significativement de ceux à prédominance langagière sur la plupart des facteurs importants au maintien de l’identité. Toutefois, parmi les groupes francophones, les bilingues ressemblent le plus aux participants franco-dominants. Les conséquences de ces résultats sur la compréhension de la nature de l’identité bilingue sont discutées.

Cette thèse porte sur le sì.cǎk-nɛ [sìcànἐ] (chants de hochet), un genre oral tagba à l’ouest du Bur ina Faso. Considérés comme des chants typiquement féminin, ce genre est exécuté lors des différentes manifestations du calendrier rituel tagba. Il est caractérisé par un instrument du même nom et constitue une forme de thérapie pour soigner des maladies récurrentes et des comportements déviants. Sa performance est ainsi prescrite à des femmes souffrant de maux multiples. Les chanteuses du genre constituent une consoeurie dont la hiérarchie se manifeste tant dans les rites spécifiques que dans la vie de la communauté des chanteuses ou dans leurs performances L’analyse du corpus de chants recueillis lors de différents séjours sur le terrain est conçue sous plusieurs axes. D'une part, celui des perceptions et la conception du monde chez les Tagba, d'autre part, celui de la performance. Enfin, le corpus est envisagé comme un ensemble de discours littéraires donnant lieu à une étude thématique et stylistique. Nécessitant une connaissance fine du parler de la communauté étudiée, ce dernier aspect prend appui sur une description linguistique qui constitue la première partie de ce travail. Au travers de toutes ces dimensions, l'ensemble de cette thèse s’attèle à dégager les significations sociales et culturelles qui entourent le genre oral sìcànἐ d’une part, les émettrices et l’instrument d’autre part Elle démontre que le sìcànἐ est un genre oral majeur qui véhicule les idéaux de la société tagba et peut être considéré comme une marque d’identité culturelle qui renferme la mémoire collective, le patrimoine culturel de cette société / This dissertation deals with the sì.cǎk-nɛ [sìcànἐ] (rattle songs), a Tagba oral genre in the west of Burkina Faso. These songs, typically feminine, are sung during ritual celebrations in the traditional Tagba calendar. The oral genre s cànɛ also means “rattle”, accompanied by an instrument of the same name and constitutes a therapy-li e form curing women’s recurrent diseases It is prescribed for women who suffer from troubles and suspicious behaviors. The women singers are organized in a hierarchy with order and rules like in a sisterhood.The corpus songs collected during different stays in the field will be analyzed from several points of view: that of the perception and conception of the world among the Tagba people on the one hand, that of the song performance on the other. Finally, the corpus is considered to be a set of literary discourses, objects of thematic and stylistic studies. Therefore, the first part of the dissertation is devoted to the linguistic description of the Tagba language, before pursuing the study of songs. Trough all these dimensions, this dissertation analyzes the social and cultural meanings of sìcànἐ as an oral genre on the one hand and the women singers and the instrument on the other hand. It demonstrates that the sìcànἐ is a main oral genre that conveys the ideals of the Tagba society and can be considered as a mark of cultural identity

A Pragmatic Analysis of Olunyole Idiom examines the functionality of Olunyole idioms in socio-cultural interactional contexts. The study investigates the relationship between the construction and interpretation of Olunyole idioms and the representation of the social reality as reflected in the native speakers’ (Abanyole) world view. The study employs the descriptive qualitative research design and builds on the functional approach to the study of language. The Olunyole idioms are collected from the initial sample of over 240 native speakers through language elicitation tests. The idioms collected are subjected to confirmation through ethnographic observation and questionnaires involving a further 30 native speakers. Interviews and focused discussions with a purposively selected sample of sixteen elderly native speaker informants provide further confirmation and linguistic insight into the functionality of the Olunyole idioms.framework in interrogating the role of language in social structure and organization within contextualised interactional conversations involving Olunyole idioms. The data of idiomatic expressions is analyzed into pragmatic domains that characterize the Abanyole perceptions of their world view as a speech community. It is concluded that the idioms project the people’s cultural beliefs and perpetuate the norms and values of the speakers in their mutual interactive use of language. The Olunyole idiomatic utterances regulate the people’s behaviour for harmonious co-existence. The composition and comprehension of the idioms is therefore context-dependent in realizing deliberate acts that control social interaction. The study contributes to the attempts to preserve and promote the African Languages. It is recommended that studies need to be carried out on the other systems of Olunyole idioms such as the syntactic structure. Furthermore, the investigation between idioms and other levels of indirect language could provide enriching insights in Language and Linguistics. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil.(African Languages)

Despite the prevalence of bilingual identity among linguistic minority youth in Canada, few studies have empirically investigated its acculturative consequences. This study explores the nature of bilingual identity, as determined by language confidence, in various ethnolinguistic contexts. More specifically, it investigates the relation between language confidence and identity as moderated by ethnolinguistic vitality. It also verifies whether bilinguals can be distinguished from predominantly unilingual participants on factors related to the maintenance of identity, namely subjective ethnolinguistic vitality and language usage and evaluates the impact of ethnolinguistic vitality on these differences. Data from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities collected by Statistics Canada among francophones outside of Quebec and anglophones in Quebec (N = 7377) was used for analysis. The results of univariate and multivariate analyses of variance show that language confidence is significantly related to levels of identity for all regions. Bilinguals are significantly distinct from predominantly monolingual participants on most factors for maintenance of identity. However, among all francophone samples, bilinguals most resemble the franco-dominant participants. The implications of these findings on the understanding of the nature of bilingual identity are discussed. Malgré la prévalence de l’identité bilingue parmi les jeunes de groupes minoritaires linguistiques au Canada, peu d’études ont vérifié ses conséquences acculturatives de façon empirique. Cette étude explore la nature de l’identité bilingue telle que déterminée par la confiance langagière, dans divers contextes ethnolinguistiques. De façon plus spécifique, la relation entre la confiance langagière et l’identité, modérée par la vitalité ethnolinguistique est examinée. Par ailleurs, l’étude explore si les gens bilingues se distinguent de ceux qui ont une prédominance langagière sur des facteurs liés au maintien de l’identité, soit la vitalité ethnolinguistique subjective et l’utilisation langagière, et évalue l’impact de la vitalité ethnolinguistique sur ces différences. Les analyses ont été menées à partir des données de l’Enquête sur la vitalité des minorités de langue officielle de Statistique Canada recueillies auprès des francophones de l’extérieur du Québec et des anglophones du Québec (N = 7377). Les résultats d’analyses univariées et multivariées dévoilent que pour chacune des régions ethnolinguistiques, la confiance langagière est significativement liée à l’identité. Les bilingues se distinguent significativement de ceux à prédominance langagière sur la plupart des facteurs importants au maintien de l’identité. Toutefois, parmi les groupes francophones, les bilingues ressemblent le plus aux participants franco-dominants. Les conséquences de ces résultats sur la compréhension de la nature de l’identité bilingue sont discutées.

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