This diploma thesis explores the possibility of mapping the reception of a literary text in terms of language management processes and in succession unveils the main differences in the perception of a literary text by a native opposed to a non-native speaker. The first three chapters treat the research methodology, which is based on Language Management Theory, Neustupný's approach to literary criticism through this concrete theory and single elements from formalism and structuralism. The research, which is described in chapters four to seven, focuses on the different moments of noting, evaluation and problem solving strategies realised by two readers of a modern Czech short story (one native and one non-native speaker). These processes are identified and analysed by the means of follow-up interviews. The aim of the thesis is to establish a complex methodology of identifying, describing and interpreting management processes which occur during the reception of a literary text and further to investigate the main characteristics that distinguish this process in the case of a native and a non-native recipient of the text.

My thesis deals with the status of German language standard and is based on research in the internet discussion sites (internet forums), that deal with the topic of language. The internet forums that I've chosen offer help in learning a foreign language, in our case German. The help is provided either by proofreading or by answering the specific questions. This thesis is based on Ulrich Ammon's model of four social forces and the theory of language management. Next to the instances, which according to Ammon determine the standard, I included the participants of discussion, who decide what is standard too and thereby affect those for whom isn't German the native language. The analysis will be carried out on the basis of the proofreading of model texts. With the help of the language management theory I will discuss with the proofreader in the comments their selected (or not selected) option. The aim of my work is to observe the behavior of normative authority in relation to the codified norm, whether they know and follow it. Furthermore, I am interested in the social background and language abilities of the participants, which I'll find out by using the questionnaires.

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).

Though a popular and somewhat controversial topic in discussions on language in IB, the notion of English as a (business) lingua franca/(B)ELF still lacks clear conceptualisation. This paper argues that research in IB and linguistics can be mutually complementary and supportive in conceptualising BELF, and that it is important to separate the concept of BELF from that of a common corporate language. The paper synthesises key works from both disciplines to conceptualise BELF as an emergent, multilingual use of English that adapts to the demands and resources of the specific context. It further argues that Wenger's concept of Communities of Practice offers a useful bridge between the disciplines, and that there is a need for more empirical research.

The thesis presents the development and changes of the Norwegian written standard in the United States during the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The research is based on the material from the newspapers published by the Norwegian immigrant community in the United States. For the purpose of the analyses, three leading Norwegian written newspapers (Decorah-Posten, Skandinaven, Minneapolis Tidende; commonly known as The Big Three) were selected. The development of Norwegian is documented from the perspective of language management and its theory. The first part of the analyses deals with the influence of English as the dominant language of the area on the written Norwegian. Morphological and orthographic integration of English loanwords as well as the most affected fields of the immigrants' lexicon are discussed in this part. The second view monitors the impact of the spelling reform codified in 1907 in Norway on the written standard of the immigrants in the United States and its extent. Features such as voiced/voiceless occlusives, plural and preterite forms, use of double consonants and font are studied in the newspaper material. The individual research points give a general view on the topic of the written Norwegian as used by the immigrants in their press....

This Master thesis describes the configuration of operating systems and their capabilities. It introduces differences between configuration of different operating systems according to their specialization, and it introduces advanced configuration of operating systems with third-party applications. The practical part of the thesis is a design of a new computer language aimed at describing a configuration of an operating system and its services. Such a description is used to automatically configure system services by translating it to a sequence of configuration commands. An advantage of the language is its readability by a human, but its similarity with natural languages introduces a certain level of ambiguity. The proposed method of automatic generation of commands deals with the ambiguity by searching and selecting as least as possible destructive commands.

Indigenous language rights in Canada have been historically marginalized, with the residential school system being integral to their attempted erasure. These schools stripped indigenous children away from their homes to undergo forced assimilation grounded by colonial language policy which saw the indigenous peoples as impediments to their progress. The schools have since closed and the Canadian government has apologized for their role, deeming them as part of the nation's grim history. This paper explores how this shift in discourse occurred and what it says of Canadian language policy. Using critical discourse analysis, nexus analysis, and language management theories to analyze historical government data, the results find that initial shifts in discourse were superficial, while more contemporary discourse marked a unanimous shift away from past ideology. Colonial language policy was discontinued with this stark discursive change, yet despite vocal support for indigenous languages rights, the long lack of actual policy suggests that lingering colonial legacies of language values may be firmly rooted in Canadian society.

This paper reports a study that examined the pedagogical knowledge (knowledge and beliefs related to the act of teaching) of two more successful and two less successful adult ESL instructors during planning teaching and post teaching reflection. The verbal reports of their teaching were compared to previous studies (Gatbonton, 2000, 2008; Mullock, 2006) that used stimulated recall to categorize adult ESL instructors' pedagogical thoughts during their instruction. The comparison showed that the previous categories were inadequate to cover the data. Additional codes were added in order to codify all the data after which patterns and themes emerged that overarched the previous categories. The five pattern themes among the four participants included academic focus, comprehension, engagement, language management, and student centered. The two more successful teachers each had one specific pattern theme whose fundamental focus was on student learning. These themes dominated the more successful teachers' pedagogical foci while the other four themes were subservient to that dominant theme. Like the more successful teachers all five pattern themes were present in the planning and reflection of the less successful teachers. However, the protocols of the less successful Adult ESL teachers did not exhibit a central theme or pedagogical focus that orchestrated and directed the movement of their pedagogical thoughts among the remaining pattern themes. This lack of a dominant theme meant that the pedagogical foci of these teachers moved from one theme to another without a consistent orientation toward a central goal. The conflicted or divided nature of the pedagogical thinking of these less successful teachers may contribute to the reduction in the learning of students in their classes.

This study was an exploration of how language is managed in the subordinate courts of Machakos County in Kenya. It was an investigation into the language policy used in the courts, and whether the languages serve the needs, uses and preferences of the people. Language use in Kenya is constitutional (The Constitution of Kenya, 2010).The national language of the Republic of Kenya is Kiswahili and its official languages are English and Kiswahili. The constitution shall protect and promote indigenous languages of the people of Kenya. The constitution further indicates that there shall be general provisions to the Bill of Rights, fundamental freedoms, and that the authority of courts shall uphold and enforce the Bill of Rights. (The Kenya Constitution, 2010, (Cap 4, entitled “The Bill of Rights” has subcategories ranging from Part 1 to Part 5. Part 1 elaborates on general provisions relating to the Bill of Rights, Part 2 on Rights and fundamental freedoms, Part 3 on specific application of Rights, Part 4 on state of emergency and Part 5 on Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission). The study attempts to establish whether or not the subordinate courts adhere to these provisions, which policy makers need to adhere to. This research further explores solutions to the problem of communication during court proceedings. Its aim was to advance scientific information that would inform the formulation of a more accommodating language policy in Subordinate Courts. The background information and the history of the courts language gave an overview of how language in subordinate courts is used according to various scholars. The evaluation of how language is used during court proceedings shed light on the people‟s language needs, uses and preferences. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt et Phil. (Linguistics)

Since at least 1986, from the International German Teachers conference in Bern, the German language has been recognized among linguists as a pluricentric language. Therefore, it is possible to speak about more language centres, and also about national and equal varieties of one language. In connection with the decentralization of power and regionalization in the world, as well as the accession of Austria to the European Union, which brought above all the "Protocol Nr. 10" with 23 specific Austrian words, the nineties experienced a boom in the production of pluricentric oriented literature. Many papers were also being focused on the research of the Austrian German. However, despite the declared equality of national varieties, their speakers are often not sure about the existence of more standard varieties, their characteristics or equality. These views, attitudes and evaluations as well as potential problems associated with the national varieties, will be described and analyzed by using the tools of the Language Management Theory. The starting points are authentic interviews of Austrian and German native speakers. An important focus of the research is also the way in which the pluricentric concept works at the micro level and how and what national varieties the speakers themselves are constructing....