Register clashes are a linguistic phenomenon that occurs in both real and fictional interaction. This study, based on the theory of register as developed by Halliday, examines the functions of register clashes in the television drama series Gilmore Girls. It was hypothesized that the function of register clashes is to create humor, to characterize some characters on the show as sophisticated and witty and some others as lacking in communicative competence, or what is popularly referred to as geeky or nerdy, as well as to characterize the show. A total of 1,306 cases of register clashes were identified, of which 761 cases (58.3 percent) were clear cases and 545 cases (41.7 percent) were somewhat more doubtful. Nearly all cases of register clashes found were considered to have been used to create humor. Eight out of the ten most productive characters with respect to the utterance of register clashes were found to be characterized as witty; the other two characters produced register clashes in a way that characterized them as geeky. Each of the six episodes examined in this study was found to contain many instances of register clashes, regardless of the fact that each was written by a different author. The results thus suggest that the function of register clashes in Gilmore Girls is indeed to create humor, to characterize the characters, and to characterize the show.

This essay analysed how gender is established in students’ texts. The aim of the study was to find out if the students in a class in an upper secondary school were able to produce texts where female and male subjects were not influenced by prevailing gender roles. The analysis was based on Halliday’s Functional Grammar Theory. Furthermore, the results are interpreted in the light of the guidelines of the Curriculum and the Education Act. To fulfil the aim of this essay 32 texts were analysed from the extra linguistic factor of gender.                       The linguistic factors examined were verbs (dynamic/stative, transitive/intransitive), if the subjects function as actors or not were the factors used to establish if there is a difference between how females and males are represented in the texts. Furthermore the use of adjectives, nouns and predicatives modifying the grammatical subjects were also taken in consideration in the analysis. The hypothesis was based on a previous study made on the teaching book Blueprint A and the results from this current study were compared to the results from that study. The study finds that in the texts examined females are established as more stative than males and because of that it is possible to draw conclusions that the teaching book can influence the student in their writing but also that school not always uphold the goals of the Curriculum and the Education Act in the issue regarding gender equality.

I föreliggagande uppsats undersöks hur språksyn lyser igenom undervisningen i svenska som andraspråk i två nya upplägg i den kommunala skolan. Båda skolformerna är startgrupper för nyanlända invandrare och kallas vanligtvis för Sfi (svenska för invandrare) och IMSPR (Individuella programmet, språkintroduktion). Den förstnämnda är för vuxna och den sistnämnda för ungdomar. Utifrån en diskussion i teoriavsnittet om skillnader mellan grammatikbaserad undervisning och sociolingvistisk undervisning är uppsatsens teoretiska utgångspunkt att studera hur lärarna uppfattar sin egen undervisning. Båda inriktningarna har en sociolingvistisk prägel med funktionell språkundervisning men grammatiska och över huvud taget språksystematiska moment förekommer. I litteraturgenomgången redogörs för de uppsatser och rapporter som anses relevanta. Föregående skribenter har ett annat fokus men deras resultat är intressanta också för denna uppsats.Slutsaten i uppsatsen är att lärarna och övriga informanter på ett nytt och innovativt sätt ökar motivationen hos eleverna genom att varva praktiska och teoretiska lektioner. De exempel som undersökts visar att det går att förändra en utbildning som också den statliga utredningen om Sfi föreslog 2003 (SOU 2003:77). Ökar motivationen så ökar också studieviljan hos eleverna och om de grammatiska och språksystematiska undervisningsmomenten inte är alltför svåra kan de uppfattas både välvilligt och som viktiga av eleverna och mer hanterbara för lärarna.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / This study concerns the genre analysis of five texts (articles) in isiXhosa from Bona Magazine using genre theoretic approach. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study concerns the genre analysis of five texts (articles) in isiXhosa from Bona Magazine using genre theoretic approach. They all analyse genre of social community leaders using the theory of Grabe & Kaplan. (1996) All five articles re attached as appendices at the end of this assignment. The chapters 2 and 3 present an overview of different views expressed by different linguistics and researchers in relation to the genre theoretic approach and how these theories are applied in analyses. The views of Bhatia (1993) are also used in that he promotes the use of language in text when people communicate either in written or verbal format. Bhatia emphasizes the use of text linguistic properties and insights in the culture of participants to ensure that communication purpose is reached. Among other things, he invokes text structure, lexical choices, cohesion and coherence of text, content and theme are analyzed. This study investigates the social cognitive and linguistic choices and how they influence writing and reading. The purpose and meaning of the text is depicted as very important in the analysis of written text. (Bhatia; 1993) The first part of chapter 4 deals with the theory of Grabe & Kaplan (1996), which emphasizes the use of ethnography of writing. The ethnography of writing according to Grabe & Kaplan (1996) entails the answers to the following basic questions: Who is writing? To whom? For what purpose? Why? When? And how? The answers to these questions are to be formed in the analysis of the articles on Grabe & Kaplan's views on the relationship between ethnography of writing and lexicon of writing skills are also analyzed. The study also includes Halliday's (1984) views. Educating children in their home language environment makes them to learn better as they write in their own language and about the things they know. Lastly there is a short discussion about the relationship between the new genre approach and Outcomes-Based Education. (OBE) The similarities they share in connection with aims, goals and purposes as language teaching approached are touched upon. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie hou verband met die genre analise van vyf tekste (artikels) in Xhosa uit die Bona tydskrif. Die analises handel oor die genre van sosiale gemeenskapsleiers binne die raamwerk van Grabe en Kaplan (1996). AI vyf die artikels is in In Appendix aangeheg aan die einde van hierdie werkstuk. Hoofstukke 2 en 3 bied In oorsig aan van verskillende sieninge van linguiste t.o.v. die genre-teoretiese benadering en die aanwending van die teoretiese uitgangspunte in analises van tekste. Die sieninge van Bhatia (1993) word ook ingespan m.b.t. die kommunikasie tussen mense. Bhatia wend tekslinguistiese eienskappe aan asook sosiale en kulturele insigte in die ondersoek van hoe kommunikatiewe doelstelling bereik word. Hy gebruik o.a. tekslinguistiese kenmerke, leksikale keuses, kohesie en koherensie, en tematiese realiserings in die teks. Die doelstelling van die teks is uiters belangrik volgens die betekenis wat Bhatia in die teks ondersoek. Die eerste gedeelte van hoofstuk 4 handel oor Grabe en Kaplan (1996) se model van tekskonstruksie en die etnografie van skryf. Die onderrig van leerders is beter as hulle in hulle huistaal skryf en leer. Die studie beskou die onderliggende uitgangspunte van Kurrikulum 2005 m.b.t. die genre benadering tot die onderrig van Xhosa / ISICATSHULWA Olu fundo luphanda ngohlalutyo ngohlobo Iwejenri kumabali esiXhosa afumaneka kwimagazini iBona kusetyenziswa ulwimi IwesiXhosa. La ngamabali amahlanu angeenkokheli zoluntu, nazakuhlalutywa ngokweembono zikaGrabe noKaplan (1996). Kuqalwe ngokushwankathela iinkcazo zohlobo Iwejenri, neembono zabaphononongi neengcali ezahlukeneyo malunga nolu hlobo lutsha lokuhlalutya. Kucaciswa imbono kaBhatia (1993) mlunga nokuphononongwa kwendlela yokusetyenziswa kolwimi xa kunxityelelwana, kwiitekisi ezithethwayo nezibhaliweyo. Oku kucaciswa ngokupheleleyo xa kuhlalutywa la mabali mahlanu angenkokheli zolunu. Phakathi kwezinto ezijongwayo xa kuhlalutywa nobhalo Iwamabali; lulwakhiwo Iweetekisi, ngumxholo, lukhetho Iwamagama, lunamathelwano nonxulumano. Kwakhona indlela umbhali ayiphuhlisa ngayo intsingiselo yetekisi yakhe ukuze injongo yakhe izaliseke. Indlela ezisetyenziswa ngayo iimpawu eziziparametha eziyimbono ka Grabe noKaplan (1996) xa kuhlalutywa la mabali angenkokheli zoluntu. Xa kuthethwa ngezi mpawu, kuxelwa ukuphendulwa kwemibuzo yobhalo ethi; ngubani umbhali? Ubhala ntoni? Ubhalela bani? Yintoni injongo yakhe? Kutheni ebhala nje? Ezi mpawu azaneli knceda umbhali ukuba abhale kakuhle koko zinceda nomfundi ukuba ahlalutye kakhuhle okubhaliweyo. Kwakhona imbono kaHaliday ethi xa kusetyenziswa ulwimi makusetyenziswe izinto nemizekelo engentlalo nenkcubeko yabantu. Lilonke yena ugxininisa ukufakwa kwenkcubeko kwimfundo yabantwana. Uyixhasa lembono yakhe ngokuthi abafundi baqonda lula xa befunda ngolwimi Iwabo nange nkcubeko yabo nangezinto ezibangqongileyo. Le mbono iyahambelana nokufundisa ngohlobo Iwejenri yona imkhululayo umntwana ukuba azifundele ngokwengqondo angadityaniswa nomnye. Kwakhona kolu fundo kuthelekiswe uhlobo Iwejenri nohlobo olusetyenziswayo kwizikolo zethu olujonge iziphumo uhlobo Iwe O. B. E. Kujongwa nendlela ezinxulumene ngayo, ngenxa yokufana kweenjongo zazo kwaneziphumo kubantwana abafundiswayo kusetyenziswa zona.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis presents an analysis of ‘township typography’ as a complex visual dialect generated by various economic and historical factors within the South African social landscape. A combination of specific tools, skills-sets and applications has produced a body of typographic letterforms that can be visually distinguished from standardised letterforms found in mainstream typography. Due to the origin of these letterforms, as well as their distinct appearance, ‘township typography’ has the capacity to evoke specific social, cultural or demographic structures in systems of communication. This study reveals that typographic features from ‘township typography’ are drawn into mainstream cultural production, particularly in the field of local advertising, as the result of a complex process of incorporation and institutional consecration. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis bied ‘n analise van ‘township tipografie’ as ‘n komplekse visuele dialek wat gegenereer word deur verskeie ekonomiese en historiese faktore eie aan die Suid- Afrikaanse sosiale landskap. Die spesifieke kombinasie van gereedskap, vaardighede en aanwendings lei tot ‘n liggaam van lettertipes wat visueel onderskei kan word van die standaard wat in hoofstroom tipografie voorkom. Vanweë hierdie dialek se oorsprong, asook die kenmerkende voorkoms daarvan, het ‘township tipografie’ die vermoë om spesifieke sosiale, kulturele en demografiese strukture in kommunikasie op te roep. Hierdie studie toon hoe eienskappe eie aan ‘township tipografie’ weens ‘n komplekse proses van inkorporasie en institusionele inseëning in hoofstroom kulturele produksie opgeneem word, veral op die gebied van plaaslike advertensiewese.

It is a central claim of modern linguistic theory that linguists do not prescribe, but describe language as it is, without pronouncing on correctness or judging one variety better than another. This attempt to exclude evaluation is motivated by a desire to be ' politically correct', which hinders objective analysis of language, and by an ill-advised imitation of the natural sciences, which obstructs the discipline's progress towards becoming a science in its own right. It involves linguists, as users of a valued variety, in self-deception and disingenuousness, distances them from the concerns of the ordinary language user, and betrays a failure to understand the involvement of social values in language, the nature of language itself, and the limits of linguistic science. On a wider scale, linguistics reflects society's devaluing and mechanisation of language. Despite growing concern expressed in the literature, and the incoherence that becomes apparent when linguists attempt to address social problems using a theory that regards language as an autonomous object, newcomers to the discipline continue to be taught that anti-prescriptivism is the natural corollary of a scientific approach to language. This thesis suggests that the way out of these difficulties is to rethink the meaning of ' theory' in linguistics. If we take the reflexivity of language seriously, building on M.A.K. Halliday's notion of 'linguistics as metaphor', we are reminded that a linguistic theory is made of language. Metalanguage must use the experiential and interpersonal meaning-making resources of everyday language. It follows that a linguistic theory cannot escape being evaluative, because evaluation is an inherent part of interpersonal meaning. If we fail to notice our own metalinguistic evaluation, this is because language disguises its evaluative meanings, or perhaps we are just not used to thinking of them as part of the grammar. To achieve clarity about the involvement of value in language, we need to turn our metalanguage back on itself - 'using the grammar to think with about the grammar' . Some ways of doing this are demonstrated here, turning the resources of systemic functional linguistics on linguists' own language. The circularity of this process should be seen not as a drawback but as a salutary reminder that linguistics is an interpretive rather than a discovery process. This knowledge should help us revalue language and make a place for evaluation in linguistic theory, paving the way for a socially responsible and productive linguistics.

There are a large number of character speeches in Acts. Scholars have used various means and methods to contribute to a feasible and plausible answer regarding the functions of speeches in Acts. Unfortunately, the studies have often been focused on the authenticity of the speeches: were they Luke's creation or simply his compilation? This dissertation presents another set of tools for scholars to revisit Luke's speeches in Acts in order to add insight into their questions, and also to broaden the realm of this narrow focus. In particular, I will implement and demonstrate how to use modern linguistics, namely discourse analysis based on Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics. The present study ventures to apply this linguistic insight by focusing on two speeches in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 2:14-36 and 17:22-31. If scholars wish to study the speeches of Acts further, or any New Testament speeches, hopefully this dissertation will provide a helpful approach to meet their needs. Thus, analyzing and comparing the author's functionally linguistic choices in these two speeches with regards to similarities and differences will describe his specific use of these speeches. The most notable contribution of the dissertation will be found in implementing a new approach to the study of speeches in Acts. I also hope such a due recognition of the language will motivate and inspire further linguistic explorations into various areas, which remain perplexed by other approaches.

This study of contemporary jazz discourse and gender applies the techniques of critical discourse analysis, inspired by M.A.K. Halliday's systemic functional linguistics and Norman Fairclough's qualitative critical discourse analysis, to explicate the unequal distribution of power in society as represented by the institutions of jazz and mass media, in discourse about jazz vocal artists. Specifically, the study focuses on the way the genres of jazz CD review, jazz performance review, and interviews with jazz artists – disseminated via the institutions JazzTimes and Live New Orleans – represent the artists' identities, roles, achievements and skills. Following Norman Fairclough and the feminist scholar Mary Talbot, the study assumes that institutions of mass media not only discursively construct the gender of jazz vocal artists, but also represent the performers' achievement and skills from a hegemonic standpoint, reflecting the commonsense assumptions about women and men and their roles in patriarchal society.