This 16-week long, observational study examined the effects of Spanish peer-tutoring on first language attitudes, maintenance, and motivation among native and heritage Spanish-speaking adolescents. In this study, 31 high school students from two ‘Spanish for Native and Heritage Speakers" classes peer-tutored second-year Spanish learners for an average of fifty minutes per week. The native/heritage Spanish-speaking students took a pre and post language attitudes, maintenance, and motivation survey and they completed two reflections during the course of the study. The native/heritage Spanish-speaking participants demonstrated a significant positive increase in language attitudes towards their native language, they also reported increased motivation to speak Spanish with friends and family after participating as peer tutors for their native language. There was no significant change in time spent in first language maintenance activities, namely: listening, reading, writing, and viewing in Spanish.

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L’étude des attitudes linguistiques, entreprise par la sociolinguistique et la psychologie sociale, a permis de confirmer que toutes les variétés linguistiques ne reçoivent pas le même traitement. La langue standard, étant en règle générale la langue du groupe de prestige, bénéficie d’une reconnaissance sociale en comparaison avec les variétés non-standards ou minoritaires, qui, au contraire, suscitent généralement des attitudes plus négatives. Dans ce mémoire, nous analysons les attitudes linguistiques des mexicains à l’égard du slang mexicain. La méthodologie du projet comporte deux parties principales. Dans un premier temps, des conversations spontanées et naturelles entre locuteurs de slang sont enregistrées. Des fragments de ces enregistrements sont ensuite écoutés par un groupe de sujets qui, simultanément, remplit un questionnaire évaluant leurs attitudes linguistiques dirigées envers l’usage du slang ainsi qu’envers les individus qui le parle. L’analyse statistique des résultats permet de faire quelques constats : Il y a une différence très significative entre la façon dont les dimensions de solidarité et de prestige sont jugées, les pointages donnés aux aspects tels que l’intelligence et le succès des locuteurs de slang s’avérant beaucoup plus bas que ceux accordés aux aspects reliés à leur personnalité, comme la bonté et la générosité. Aussi, les variables de l’âge et du sexe ont une influence sur les attitudes linguistiques : les femmes ainsi que la génération plus âgée s’avèrent plus sévères dans leur évaluation du slang. Ce mémoire se divise en cinq chapitres. Les deux premiers explorent les concepts théoriques sur lesquels se basent le projet, soit les attitudes linguistiques et le slang comme phénomène linguistique et social. Les trois chapitres suivants se consacrent au projet en soit : la méthodologie, l’analyse des résultats et l’interprétation de ceux-ci. / The study of language attitudes via sociolinguistics and social psychology has confirmed the notion that all varieties of language are treated differently. As a general rule, the standard language is the language of the prestigious group and is held at a high social esteem whereas non-standard or minority language varieties are, in general, judged negatively. This thesis analyzes the language attitudes of Mexicans towards Mexican slang. The project methodology consists in two main phases. Firstly, spontaneous and natural conversations are recorded. Following this, a group of individuals listen to fragments of these conversations while simultaneously filling out a questionnaire that evaluate their language attitudes towards the use of slang as well as towards the slang speakers. The statistical analysis of the results lead to the observation of several patterns: There is a very significant difference in the way solidarity aspects and prestige aspects are judged. The points given to aspects such as intelligence and success for speakers of slang are significantly lower than the points given to personality aspects such as generosity and kindness. Age and gender also have influence on language attitudes: women and the elderly are more severe in their judgment and evaluation of slang. This thesis is divided into five chapters. The first two explore the theoretical concepts upon which the work is based, including language attitudes and slang as a linguistic and social phenomenon. The following three chapters are dedicated to the project itself: the methodology, the analysis of the results and their interpretation.

This study is part of the IN.MIGRA-2 CM project, which studies the sociolinguistic integration of the immigrant population of Madrid. The present study focuses on the language attitudes of 16 residents of Alcalá de Henares, a community of Madrid. The participants were asked to rate their level of agreement with the following affirmations: (1) The Spanish of Madrid is more correct than the forms of speech of Latin American immigrants; (2) Mastery of the Spanish language is the principal demonstration of the integration of immigrants; (3) Immigrants of Latin American origin are integrated because they speak the same language. The study finds a connection between higher levels of contact with immigrants and lower ratings of agreement with the affirmations. This investigation supports others that show connections between social networks and language attitudes, and it adds to the sparse research on language attitudes in Madrid. Adverbial adjectives modify both a verb and the subject of that verb. Their purpose is to describe a quality that pertains to both the subject and the way the subject is performing the verb. Because they modify both the verb and the noun, adverbial adjectives agree with the noun in number and gender. The generativist approaches to this linguistic phenomenon do not provide a sufficient explanation of verb + adverbial adjective constructions nor do they predict which subjects and predicates that can be used in these constructions. This paper takes a usage-based approach to adverbial adjectives. It explores the token frequencies of use of different verb + adverbial adjective phrases and attempts to categorize the components of these phrases based on these frequencies.

<p>The present thesis deals with Åland, i.e. the Åland Islands, as a language environment. Its main focus is on the language attitudes of adolescents. The status, role and use of Swedish, Finnish and English are topical. Its main part consists of an empirical study, which is based on an extensive questionnaire answered by students in grade 9 of primary school and in the second grade of the (theoretical) secondary school in Åland.</p><p>The thesis includes a description of Åland as a language environment. The legal framework making Åland an autonomous region in Finland with Swedish as the only official language is presented. Language policies in Åland are compared with those of Sweden and Finland (outside of Åland). Special treatment is given to the school as a linguistic environment and recent language related debate in Åland.</p><p>The central questions in the questionnaire relate to language choice, media habits, subjective estimations of the respondents’ own language competence and language attitudes in a broad sense.</p><p>Six hypotheses based on a model of secure and insecure majorities and minorities as well as the Interactive Acculturation Model are postulated and treated.</p><p>The results of the empirical study reveal very strong feelings of affinity towards Åland. Attitudes towards English and English-speakers are in general positive. The results reveal somewhat ambivalent attitudes towards Finnish and Finland. Many variables show a tendency among the respondents to favour Sweden ahead of Finland and negative attitudes towards Finnish but there are also other conflicting results. The respondents who have parents who speak Finnish to them display more positive attitudes towards Finnish and Finland. These differences between the groups are statistically significant. However, the group with a Finnish language background also displays its strongest feelings of affinity towards Åland.</p>

The Ukrainian society has gone through vast changes since independence in 1991 and in this thesis some of these social changes are discussed through the prism of language policy. The main topic of the study is language policy (conceptualised as language practices, language beliefs, and language management) in the eastern Ukrainian city Kharkiv. This topic is examined within a framework focusing on motivation, allowing for a study of how people in Kharkiv describe, explain and rationalise language policy in the context of change in society. Ukrainian is the only state language in Ukraine, but Russian is widely used in Ukrainian society, and in Kharkiv Russian is the predominantly used language. One specific topic of the study is how young Ukrainians perceive the role granted the Ukrainian language in on-going processes of nation-building, related to the formation of a national identity. This is contrasted with discussions on individual linguistic rights and what is considered reasonable to demand from the Ukrainian population in terms of language practices. Further, the study examines the concept of language conflict, notably what kinds of conflict can be identified in and extracted from discussions on the role of language in society. This examination shows that it is not necessarily a case of potential conflict between groups or individuals, but also that individuals may struggle with internal conflict. This study demonstrates how language conflict is not about language, but rather about social positions, interests and value systems. This also illustrates the fact that the three components of language policy are not necessarily interrelated and consistent. Especially language practices and language beliefs are often at odds. Fieldwork was carried out in Kharkiv 2003-2005 and the study relies on a combination of methods (in-depth individual interviews, group interviews and a large-scale questionnaire).

<p>The study has several implications / for general theoretical traditions it highlights the point that ambivalent attitudes and incomplete language use are responsible for gradual language decline. Previous studies while acknowledging the role of community based, intuitive conditions on language maintenance and shift, did not show how the process occurred. For policy the study aims toward sensitizing policy makers and raise their awareness about the dire situation in which minority languages currently are in. This would ensure that politicians, bureaucrats, and other state authorities could implement policy decisions that guarantee protection of minority languages and enhance their vitality. One policy strategy that could ensure revitalization of minority languages would be to include them in the school curriculum as supplementary approach to the effort of the home and the community, as McCarty (2002, quoted in Recento, 2006) observes that schools / [&hellip / ] can be constructed as a place where children can be free to be indigenous in the indigenous language &ndash / in all of its multiple and everchanging meanings and forms.</p>

<p>Afrikaans in practice replaced Dutch and became one of South Africa's official languages (along with English) from 1925. It reached the apex of its development and influence during the years of Nationalist party rule and the apartheid regime as a language of officialdom, of the judiciary and education. However, in 1994 nine African languages were afforded official status along with English and Afrikaans in South Africa. Presently, Afrikaans is still taught in the majority of schools in the Western Cape as either a first or second language. This thesis compares and contrasts the language attitudes and motivation towards Afrikaans in two groups of secondary school learners - grade eight and grade eleven learners - at the same school, viz. the Settlers&rsquo / High School in Parow, a northern suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. At this English medium school, Afrikaans as a second language is a compulsory subject. The thesis also examines the dominant ideologies held towards Afrikaans by the learners and by the school in question which contributes towards shaping their attitudes and motivations for learning the language as well as their actual use of the language. The study finds a correlation between the learners&rsquo / attitudes towards Afrikaans and their actual patterns of use of the language, which indicates that the use of Afrikaans may be in decline among especially the younger, grade eight, learners.</p>

The present thesis deals with Åland, i.e. the Åland Islands, as a language environment. Its main focus is on the language attitudes of adolescents. The status, role and use of Swedish, Finnish and English are topical. Its main part consists of an empirical study, which is based on an extensive questionnaire answered by students in grade 9 of primary school and in the second grade of the (theoretical) secondary school in Åland. The thesis includes a description of Åland as a language environment. The legal framework making Åland an autonomous region in Finland with Swedish as the only official language is presented. Language policies in Åland are compared with those of Sweden and Finland (outside of Åland). Special treatment is given to the school as a linguistic environment and recent language related debate in Åland. The central questions in the questionnaire relate to language choice, media habits, subjective estimations of the respondents’ own language competence and language attitudes in a broad sense. Six hypotheses based on a model of secure and insecure majorities and minorities as well as the Interactive Acculturation Model are postulated and treated. The results of the empirical study reveal very strong feelings of affinity towards Åland. Attitudes towards English and English-speakers are in general positive. The results reveal somewhat ambivalent attitudes towards Finnish and Finland. Many variables show a tendency among the respondents to favour Sweden ahead of Finland and negative attitudes towards Finnish but there are also other conflicting results. The respondents who have parents who speak Finnish to them display more positive attitudes towards Finnish and Finland. These differences between the groups are statistically significant. However, the group with a Finnish language background also displays its strongest feelings of affinity towards Åland.

Στην παρούσα έρευνα, επιχειρείται η διερεύνηση των στάσεων μαθητών ΣΤ΄ τάξης Δημοτικού Σχολείου σε δύο νεοελληνικές διαλέκτους, τη διάλεκτο των Κυδωνιών (Αϊβαλί)-Μοσχονησίων και τη διάλεκτο του Πόντου. Ειδικότερα, μελετάται η ύπαρξη εγγραφών, η ανάδυση τάξεων ενδεικτικότητας και η παρουσία μεταπραγματολογικών στερεοτύπων. Παράγοντες όπως ο τόπος καταγωγής και το επάγγελμα των γονέων φαίνεται να επιδρούν στη διαμόρφωση συγκεκριμένων γλωσσικών στάσεων. Ουσιαστικά, τα αποτελέσματα της παρούσας μελέτης έδειξαν ότι οι μαθητές που κατοικούν στο χωριό, των οποίων οι γονείς ασκούν επαγγέλματα υψηλότερης αυτονομίας, έχουν θετική στάση απέναντι στις δύο διαλέκτους. Τέλος, μέσα από τη σύνδεση γλωσσικών τύπων με κοινωνικές σημασίες έγινε φανερή η ύπαρξη εγγραφών, δύο τάξεων ενδεικτικότητας και μεταπραγματολογικών στερεοτύπων. / This study attempts to investigate 6th grade primary education student attitudes towards two modern greek dialects, dialect of Kydonies (Aivali)-Moschonisi and Pontic dialect. Specifically, I study the existence of enregisterments, the emergence of orders of indexicality and the presence of metapragmatic stereotypes. Factors such as region and profession of students’ parents seem to formulate specific language attitudes. In fact, the results of the present study show that students who live in village, whose parents occupy with professions of higher autonomy, have positive attitude towards both Aivalic and Pontic dialect. Finally, connecting linguistic forms with social meanings indicate the presence of enregisterments, two orders of indexicality as well as metapragmatic stereotypes.