The research project takes a hard look into the attitudes or perceptions of speakers of African languages towards the new language policy of South Africa. The question answered in this regard is, `What do people say?' The research project explores the extent of radical shift in African consciousness giving impetus to the resurgence of African languages so that they carry philosophical and scientific discourse to unprecedented heights. Maintaining the primordial language policy that is dominated by English and Afrikaans is like putting new wine into old skins. Thus, the research also seeks to establish strategies that could be implemented in order to ensure the revitalisation and rejuvenation of African languages so that all the languages take their rightful place. In other words, the research explores ways of injecting a new kind of consciousness that integrates language and content in schools so as to replace the primordial "telescopic philanthropy" type of approach existing currently in education and other major domains. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

Ancrée dans les méthodes de la sociolinguistique critique, cette thèse fait état des questions de légitimité, d’inclusion et d’exclusion, d’ancrage et de mobilité au sein de la collectivité francophone de la province du Manitoba, une minorité linguistique de langue officielle au Canada. Par l’entremise d’un travail de terrain ethnographique et d’entretiens semi-dirigées, cette étude cherche à sonder les questions de la redéfinition de la francité manitobaine, la reproduction des frontières de différenciation du groupe depuis les années 1960. Cette thèse se penche également sur la formation d’une élite en émergence au Manitoba français durant les années 1960 et le phénomène de migration et de mobilité d’une partie de ce groupe. En posant d’emblée une question importante, ‘Qui décide pour qui’, cette thèse se propose de naviguer à travers les questions légitimité sociale, linguistique et identitaire au Manitoba depuis les années 1960. / This research discusses the legitimizing forces that comprise what it means to be francophone in French speaking parts of Manitoba, an official language minority group in Canada. The researcher has through the lens of critical sociolinguistic analysis and ethnographic fieldwork, used participant observation, open ended interviews and discourse analysis to uncover themes of legitimacy, belonging and elite-building in 1960s Franco-Manitoba and how these themes resonate today. The research attempts to answer the conundrum, “who decides for whom” in matters of the right to francophone recognition. The current issues of migration and the dynamic tension between anchoring of the perceived centre and an ever-shifting periphery of linguistic and “ethnic” boundaries underscore the research.

蘇聯解體後，有大量的俄羅斯人生活在前蘇聯加盟共和國內。像是愛沙尼亞與拉脫維亞在獨立過後，有三分之一的人口是俄裔人口。而大多數的俄裔人口都仍偏好使用俄語作為生活用語。此時，便延伸出一個問題，是否應針對這些少數民族俄裔人口之語言權利而增加官方語言。因此，在語言政策方面，便是一個極為關鍵的議題。 本論文將會先從歷史背景，亦即蘇聯時期開始討論。將各階段的語言政策一一分析，接著依序討論愛沙尼亞及拉脫維亞的語言政策之背景以及語言法之分析，最後從中找出結論。 / Many Russians lived former Soviet republics after the dissolution of the Soviet Un- ion. Therefore, one third of the population was still Russian after Estonia and Latvia independence. Most of the Russians still prefer to use Russian for daily basis. The lan- guage policy was becoming a crucial topic to discuss whether those countries should add Russian for official language. This policy would strongly relate to the language rights of minority Russians. This paper will discuss the Soviet Union historical background which analyze the lan- guage policies of different period, and then discuss the background of linguistic poli- cies and language law in order in Estonia and Latvia.

Studies show that young adults do not see public sector as an attractive employer. There is an incorrect view that needs to be treated with correct information. Ovanåkers municipality has therefore requested an information material that highlights them as employers. Public sector need to comply with laws and directives in their external communication. But how can these rules coincide with visual and verbal rhetoric, in order to maintain both the tune of the authority and yet influence the target audience? Previous research shows that visual and verbal rhetorical figures and tropes can affect the receiver so they look at the sender and the message more positively. However, there is no previous research on which rhetorical figures or tropes that works best in text and image, or how rhetorical figures and tropes can interact with language in public sector. This study has through comparative analysis and testing on the target audience come to the assumption that there are 11 rhetorical figures and tropes that work better than others with language in public sector with an informative purpose, and that there are six figures and tropes that should be able to interact to some extent with language in public sector, for example in images. Of these figures and tropes, this study indicates that public sector could use rhyme in heading, epanaleps in the introduction, antithesis in body text and hyperbola in image if they want their target audience to positively be affected by the information. The visual rhetoric should subsequently complement or say the same as the verbal rhetoric in order for them to work together. / Studier visar att unga vuxna inte ser på offentlig sektor som en attraktiv arbetsgivare. Det finns en felaktig syn som behöver bemötas med korrekt information. Ovanåkers kommun har därför bett om ett informationsmaterial som framhäver dem som arbetsgivare. Offentlig sektor behöver förhålla sig till lagar och direktiv i deras externa kommunikation. Men hur kan dessa regler samverka med visuell och verbal retorik i syfte att behålla både myndighetstonen men ändå påverka målgruppen? Tidigare forskning visar att visuella och verbala retoriska stilfigurer kan påverka mottagaren så att de ser på avsändaren och meddelandet mer positivt. Det finns dock ingen tidigare forskning på vilka retoriska stilfigurer som fungerar bäst i text och bild, eller hur retoriska stilfigurer kan interagera med myndighetsspråk. Denna studie har genom komparativ analys och utprovning på målgruppen kommit fram till antagandet att det finns 11 retoriska stilfigurer som fördelaktigt borde kunna samverka med myndighetsspråk i informativ text, samt att det finns sex stilfigurer som till viss del borde kunna samverka med myndighetsspråk, exempelvis i bilder. Av dessa stilfigurer indikerar studien att offentlig sektor kan använda rim i rubrik, epanaleps i ingress, antites i brödtext och hyperbol i bild – om de vill att målgruppen positivt ska påverkas av meddelandet. Den visuella retoriken borde sedan komplettera eller säga samma sak som den verbala retoriken för att de ska kunna fungera tillsammans.

The study investigated language policy and planning in relation to minority languages and specifically Tshwao, a Khoisan language, in Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to establish its impact on the current sociolinguistic status of Tshwao. The ultimate goal was to suggest guidelines for the implementation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment No. 20) Act, 2013 which officially recognised sixteen languages including ‘Koisan’ and to make recommendations for future language planning for endangered languages in general. The study is qualitative in nature. It used interviews, document analysis, observation and focus groups to gather data. Critical Discourse Analysis and Ethnolinguistic Vitality were the main theories which guided the study. The study showed that even though Tshwao is the Khoisan language that is popular, there are several other varieties such as Jitshwa, Xaise, Cirecire and Ganade and they are all endangered with very low demographic, status and institutional support. The Khoisan people have shifted to Ndebele and Kalanga, languages which are spoken by their neighbours. Both linguistic and extra-linguistic factors were shown in the study to have affected the maintenance of Khoisan languages. Numerical domination of the Khoisan by the Bantu people, subjugation by Mzilikazi during his conquests as well as selective development of languages by missionaries led to assimilation and language marginalisation. The implementation of discriminatory land, wildlife and language polices by the colonial government also resulted in relocations, language contact situations and dispersed settlements, all of which affected language maintenance. In the post-independence era, political instability, official and unofficial language policies were shown as having perpetuated the plight of Khoisan languages, including Tshwao. The constitution emerged as a milestone towards upholding minority languages. Its effectiveness is however compromised by inaccuracies and ambiguities in the manner in which provisions are crafted. The study concludes that Khoisan language endangerment spans from history. Formal and informal language policies contributed to the current state of endangerment. It further concludes that if effective revitalisation is to be done in line with implementing the constitution, all the factors which contributed to endangerment have to be taken into account. The study also suggests a separate guideline for the promotion of minority languages in general and displaced and endangered languages like Tshwao in particular. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Phil. (Linguistics)

Dissertation based on a comparative qualitative study of Franco-Ontarian and Quebec English-speaking postsecondary students. / Kymlicka (2007) identifies three diversity silos in Canada: Indigenous peoples, official bilingualism, and multiculturalism encompassing immigrants and ethnic groups. This dissertation falls within the official bilingualism silo and explores linguistic identity, boundary work and social status amongst Franco-Ontarian and Quebec English-Speaking postsecondary students. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto between January and June 2014 with 36 participants in English and French. First, this dissertation investigates how Franco-Ontarian and Quebec English-Speaking postsecondary students choose to self- identify, define, and enact their linguistic identity. Second, many questions aim to gauge potential symbolic linguistic boundaries, their porosity, and the role of bilingualism. Third, this dissertation delves into participants’ experiences of discrimination based on language or linguicism. Fourth, this inquiry examines if: a) the participants believe that bilingualism is highly esteemed and respected as a social status, b) if they believe that language is a commodity, c) and independently of their belief, if bilingualism results in a cosmopolitan lifestyle. Certain themes permeate all the chapters. Franco-Ontarian postsecondary students experience linguistic insecurity and express concerns for the future of French in their communities. While Quebec English-speaking postsecondary students do not voice fear for the future of the English language, they reveal a deep desire to be recognized as belonging in Quebec society. Some policy implications are discussed in the conclusion. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Francophones outside of Quebec and Quebec Anglophones are official language minorities with rights enshrined in the 1985 revised Official Languages Act. Their postsecondary experiences are less studied than their elementary and high school pathways. This dissertation summarizes the results of a study about the beliefs, attitudes and thoughts of Franco-Ontarian and Quebec English-Speaking postsecondary students about their linguistic identity, culture, their education, and the role of bilingualism in their lives. In order to do so, interviews were completed in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto with CEGEP, college and university students or recent graduates between January and June 2014 with a total of 36 participants. The results indicate that historical linguistic conflicts and the contemporary political context influence the responses of each group. The interviews also reveal that Quebec English-speaking participants want to be fully accepted as Quebecers while Franco-Ontarian participants worry for the future of their communities.

The aim is to study how the Police build rela­tions by publishing Facebook posts and how relation building is expressed in the form and content of the texts. More specifi­cally, the study examines the picture that the writing police and the police authorities paint of their activities, and the effect that the posts can be envisaged to have on the receivers.   The material consists of four posts from two police authorities, Växjö/Alvesta and Kalmar. This is ana­ly­sed with a method borrowed from systemic-functional linguistics (SFL) and close reading. The results are then interpreted on the basis of SFL and tradi­tional stylistic theory.   The result shows that the Facebook posts bring both opportunities and risks in building relations. The studied posts consist mostly of declarative sentences, with only a small proportion of exhortations and offers. No questions occur at all. The posts display a large stylistic breadth and varied content from the spheres of police activity, such as combating violence and drunkenness or dealing with missing persons and property.   There seems to be a will among the Police to establish contact with the general public, toning down the image of a strict authority with a monopoly on violence, and the offi­cers working for the authority appear as empathetic human beings. The conclusion is that the communication of the Police with the general public via Facebook is a balan­cing act between, on the one hand, seeming good-humoured and human, and on the other hand the risk of seeming less serious and authoritative. In texts with a serious content presented in a light-hearted form with ironic undertones, the Police risk under­mining their own authority. Despite this, the Facebook posts from the Police can be said to be in line with the catchwords of their activity: engaged, efficient and accessible. The Police also try to adjust the style of the posts to what is generally found on Facebook.

The study sought to explore possibilities of harmonising Shona-Nyai cross-border varieties in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Emerging from the responses were problems of attitudes, ignorance of what the harmonisation project entails and the different levels of development among the varieties to be harmonised. Participants believed that the challenges they faced could be resolved and they proposed some intervention strategies. Results from the questionnaire, the interview and documents analysed affirmed the generally held view that, the future of Shona-Nyai as a language and culture is securely in the hands of the speakers’ initiatives. The argument of the study has been that, the success of such a harmonisation project depends on the presence of favourable and conducive political and economic conditions through enabling language engineering activities. Information collected from the questionnaires was mainly presented in tables and information from interviews and document analysis was presented qualitatively in words. The language as a right and the language as resource orientations of language planning guided this study. The intention was to show that the preservation of linguistic diversity is important in the maintenance of group and individual identity and harmonisation should further this cause. Findings from this thesis indicate that for a successful harmonisation project to take place there is need for research in the documentation of underdeveloped Shona-Nyai varieties so that they have some presence in the education domain. The study recommends that people’s mindsets must be changed by packaging the harmonisation project in a way which they understand and appreciate. A holistic approach in solving the language problem can be achieved through a mixed approach of language policy formulation. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African languages)

This study examines the historical and contemporary sociolinguistic status of three minority languages, namely Shangani, Kalanga and Tonga in Chiredzi, Plumtree and Binga respectively within the civil courts of Zimbabwe. This research problematizes the issue of language choice and usage in civil courtroom discourse by native speakers of the languages under study. The background to this research endeavor is the historical dominance of English, Shona and Ndebele in public institutions as media of communication even in areas where minority languages are dominant, a situation that has resulted in minority languages having a restricted functional space in public life. Respondents in this research included native speakers of the languages under study who have attended civil courtroom sessions either as accused persons or complainants, members of rural communities including community leaders, court interpreters stationed at Binga, Chiredzi and Plumtree magistrates‟ courts and members of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). Data was also collected from minority language advocacy groups including Tonga Language and Cultural Committee (TOLACCO), Shangani Promotion Trust (SPAT) and Kalanga Language and Culture Development (KLCDA) using semi-structured interviews. In addition, participant observation of civil courtroom proceedings involving native speakers of Kalanga, Tonga and Shangani was done. Documentary analysis of colonial and postcolonial language policies in Zimbabwe was also done. Data was analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Ecology of Language theories. The findings for this research revealed that historically, language policy making in Zimbabwe has impacted negatively on the functional roles of Shangani, Tonga and Kalanga in civil courtroom communication because of the lack of implementation clauses in national constitutions. Furthermore, language attitudes that were analyzed in conjunction with a number of factors including age, demographics, naming of provinces, awareness of constitutional provisions on language and language-in-education policies were found to be key determinant factors influencing the sociolinguistic status of Kalanga, Tonga and Shangani in civil courtroom discourse. Court interpreting and initiatives by language advocacy groups also impacted on the sociolinguistic status of the languages under study in civil courtroom interaction. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Phil. (Language, Linguistics and Literature)

The study sought to explore possibilities of harmonising Shona-Nyai cross-border varieties in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Emerging from the responses were problems of attitudes, ignorance of what the harmonisation project entails and the different levels of development among the varieties to be harmonised. Participants believed that the challenges they faced could be resolved and they proposed some intervention strategies. Results from the questionnaire, the interview and documents analysed affirmed the generally held view that, the future of Shona-Nyai as a language and culture is securely in the hands of the speakers’ initiatives. The argument of the study has been that, the success of such a harmonisation project depends on the presence of favourable and conducive political and economic conditions through enabling language engineering activities. Information collected from the questionnaires was mainly presented in tables and information from interviews and document analysis was presented qualitatively in words. The language as a right and the language as resource orientations of language planning guided this study. The intention was to show that the preservation of linguistic diversity is important in the maintenance of group and individual identity and harmonisation should further this cause. Findings from this thesis indicate that for a successful harmonisation project to take place there is need for research in the documentation of underdeveloped Shona-Nyai varieties so that they have some presence in the education domain. The study recommends that people’s mindsets must be changed by packaging the harmonisation project in a way which they understand and appreciate. A holistic approach in solving the language problem can be achieved through a mixed approach of language policy formulation. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African languages)