Kulzat Kanievna Sadirova; Guldana Nauryzbaikyzy
Abstract
A distinctive feature of modern linguistics is considering language as an anthropological phenomenon. The article’s primary goal was to study national peculiarities and similarities of Kazakh, English, and Russian languages in linguistic and cultural vectors by analyzing and studying the family ...
Read More
A distinctive feature of modern linguistics is considering language as an anthropological phenomenon. The article’s primary goal was to study national peculiarities and similarities of Kazakh, English, and Russian languages in linguistic and cultural vectors by analyzing and studying the family discourse, taking a person as the object of research within the framework of the anthropocentric paradigm. To achieve the aim, scientific and theoretical reviews were done. In the introductory part of the article, the general definition of a discourse and its types were analyzed. As the research theme is based on the family discourse, its definition was explained, and each person’s role in the family discourse was determined. In the practical part of the article, a comparative-contrastive study was done using the method of associative experiment. The research results were obtained, and the article’s purpose was fulfilled.
Amani Lusekelo
Volume 3, Issue 1 , March 2015, , Pages 62-75
Abstract
In rural Tanzania, recent major influences happen between Kiswahili and English to ethnic languages rather than ethnic languages, which had been in contact for so long, influencing each other. In this work, I report the results of investigation of lexical changes in indigenous languages that aimed at ...
Read More
In rural Tanzania, recent major influences happen between Kiswahili and English to ethnic languages rather than ethnic languages, which had been in contact for so long, influencing each other. In this work, I report the results of investigation of lexical changes in indigenous languages that aimed at examining how ethnic communities and their languages, namely Cushitic Iraqw, Nilotic Datooga, Nyilamba Bantu, Isanzu Bantu, Sukuma Bantu, and (Isolate) Hadzabe, have influenced one another due to contact in Yaeda Chini, Mang’ola, and Endamaghang wards (i.e., Lake Eyasi area). Though they have been in contact for many decades, this study found that ethnic languages in the area have been affected mainly by Kiswahili. It was revealed that loanwords of this official language tend to outnumber loanwords in each language which come from other ethnic languages. It is supported that, in terms of cultural superiority to date, Iraqw and Datooga are far ahead because Iraqw and Datooga languages tend to influence Nyisanzu, Nyilamba, and Hadzabe languages in Lake Eyasi area.
Reza Pishghadam; Fahimeh Saboori
Volume 2, Issue 1 , March 2014, , Pages 63-72
Abstract
The present study pursued two goals: First, to discover the subscales underlying the teacher Status Scale (TSS); and second, to reveal the status of the teachers of Persian, Arabic, and English in Iranian junior high school students’ perceptions in order to determine the relative roles of national, ...
Read More
The present study pursued two goals: First, to discover the subscales underlying the teacher Status Scale (TSS); and second, to reveal the status of the teachers of Persian, Arabic, and English in Iranian junior high school students’ perceptions in order to determine the relative roles of national, religious, and western influences in the identity construction of the students. The data was collected from 650 junior high school students, who rated their 80 teachers. Regarding the first goal, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was employed revealing three subscales of the TSS: personal status, social status, and educational status. As for the second goal, a number of Chi-square tests were run on the data. Based on the results, English teachers were found to have the highest status in all the three factors and as a whole, denoting the more dominant role of western influence in the construction of the students’ identities.
Ronald M. Hernandez; Rafael Garay-Argandoña; Luis Alberto Núñez Lira; Doris Fuster-Guillén; Jessica Paola Palacios Garay; Yolvi Ocaña-Fernandez
Volume 9, Issue 3 , September 2021, , Pages 64-72
Abstract
Having positive attitudes towards the target culture can affect the teaching/learning process. Considering the importance of having the target cultural knowledge on learning English, the current study inspected the Peruvian instructors’ and students’ attitudes towards the effectiveness of ...
Read More
Having positive attitudes towards the target culture can affect the teaching/learning process. Considering the importance of having the target cultural knowledge on learning English, the current study inspected the Peruvian instructors’ and students’ attitudes towards the effectiveness of having target cultural knowledge on English language learning. To achieve this end, 90 Peruvian teachers and 90 learners were chosen, and then they were given two researcher-made questionnaires to check their attitudes towards having target cultural knowledge. The researchers administered two questionnaires to measure the attitudes of the Peruvian teachers and students towards the effects of having the target cultural knowledge on learning English. The results of one- sample t-test indicated that both Peruvian teachers and students held favorable attitudes towards having target cultural knowledge for learning English language. The findings of the research can persuade teachers to use culturally-based materials in their teaching process.
Yen-Liang Lin
Volume 1, Issue 2 , September 2013, , Pages 69-81
Abstract
This paper is concerned with the analysis of the spoken language of teenagers, taken from a newly developed specialised corpus the British and Taiwanese Teenage Intercultural Communication Corpus (BATTICC). More specifically, the study employs a discourse analytical approach to examine vague language ...
Read More
This paper is concerned with the analysis of the spoken language of teenagers, taken from a newly developed specialised corpus the British and Taiwanese Teenage Intercultural Communication Corpus (BATTICC). More specifically, the study employs a discourse analytical approach to examine vague language in an intercultural context among a group of British and Taiwanese adolescents, paying particular attention to the three categories of vague expressions: (a) vague categories, (b) approximations and (c) hedging. Initial quantitative analysis is employed to inform further qualitative analysis to identify the pragmatic functions of each type of vague langue. The different use of vague expressions between Taiwanese and British participants will also be presented in detail. The research findings demonstrate the pedagogical merit of the analyses of naturally-occurring discourse and thus help in the design of English courses for adolescent intercultural interaction.
Ria Kasanova; Andayani Andayani; Nugraheni Eko Wardani
Abstract
Protection Mantras in Madurese culture are symbols of spiritual power that are proven to provide protection and overcome various problems in Madurese society. This research aims to provide an in-depth insight into the local wisdom, spiritual values, and outlook on life in these Mantras. In collecting ...
Read More
Protection Mantras in Madurese culture are symbols of spiritual power that are proven to provide protection and overcome various problems in Madurese society. This research aims to provide an in-depth insight into the local wisdom, spiritual values, and outlook on life in these Mantras. In collecting the data, we interacted with the Mantra practitioners through the ritual of Mantra recitation, which was performed with great sincerity. The data obtained were then analyzed using descriptive quali-tative methods and ethnolinguistic approaches. The results demonstrated that Mantra reflects local wisdom based on the principle of avoiding disturbances to others while remaining prepared to act when confronted with threats. It embodies essential spiritual values, including the courage to confront challenges, acceptance of fate, and sincerity, all underpinning a worldview that emphasizes harmony and balance. This research showed the great potential of protection Mantras to strengthen and maintain Madurese cultural wisdom. It is important to preserve them as part of a valuable cultural identity for future generations.
Su-Hie Ting; Su-Lin Ting
Volume 8, Issue 2 , September 2020, , Pages 75-89
Abstract
The study examined the ethnic identity and other-group orientation of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia. The data were collected from 504 Chinese respondents (252 students, 252 parents) using Phinney’s (1992) Multiethnic Identity Measure. The results showed that the parents had a stronger ethnic identity ...
Read More
The study examined the ethnic identity and other-group orientation of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia. The data were collected from 504 Chinese respondents (252 students, 252 parents) using Phinney’s (1992) Multiethnic Identity Measure. The results showed that the parents had a stronger ethnic identity than their children. For both groups, the mean scores for affirmation and belonging were the highest among the four ethnic identity components, and the ethnic identity achievement mean scores were the lowest. The results indicate that the Foochow Chinese respondents had a foreclosed identity, whereby they have made a commitment to their ethnicity without extensive exploration of the meaning of belonging to their ethnic group. Gender and socio-economic background have significant effects on strength of ethnic identity, but Chinese-medium education is not linked to ethnic identity. The findings suggest that the Chinese are moderating their ethnic identity, but their positive other-group orientation is far from the level of cultural adaptation that is required for assimilation.
Gulyusa Kurbangalievna Ismagilova; Dilyara Shamilevna Shakirova; Olesya Viktorovna Zabavnova
Volume 8, 3 (Special Issue on Russian Culture and Language) , December 2020, , Pages 45-53
Abstract
The article reveals that the speech act of apology is carried out with the help of typical models of remorse transmission, indicating the emotional tone of guilt recognition. The object of the current study is the motivational aspect of sincere apology and the variability of its verbalization in the ...
Read More
The article reveals that the speech act of apology is carried out with the help of typical models of remorse transmission, indicating the emotional tone of guilt recognition. The object of the current study is the motivational aspect of sincere apology and the variability of its verbalization in the English and Tatar communicative culture. The analysis of the use of the speech act of apology reveals the fact that the functioning of apologies in different linguistic and cultural communities is influenced by cultural characteristics, as well as the rules and norms of communicative interaction.The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that the study of a specific type of speech act is done for the first time with the simultaneous involvement of several extra-linguistic parameters.The materials of the article can be useful for teachers in the University practice of teaching English, Tatar, and linguists learning speech genres.
Danday Iskakuly; Maxat Kopbossynov; Ulan Yerkinbayev; Saulet Alpysbayeva; Kuanyshbek Kenzhalin
Volume 9, 2 (Themed Issue on Modern Realities of National Languages of CIS Countries) , August 2021, , Pages 54-63
Abstract
The definition of a person as a unit of the social environment in literature is reflected directly through the development of a model of a person and in lyrics, where a person is presented as an image. All the imagery of literature is based on the aspirations of a person, on their achievement of a stable ...
Read More
The definition of a person as a unit of the social environment in literature is reflected directly through the development of a model of a person and in lyrics, where a person is presented as an image. All the imagery of literature is based on the aspirations of a person, on their achievement of a stable state. In literature, it is the happiness of a person, and their tranquillity is defined as the ideal to which any creature aspires. Al-Farabi proceeds from the fact that happiness can be fulfilled not only through a miracle but also through the work of the person themselves. The study defines that a person and their happiness in the lyrics of Al-Farabi take the place of a concept that is secondary to the current reality. The practical significance of the study is determined by the possibility of applying the methods of linguistic analysis to determine the linguistic content of the works of Al-Farabi's contemporaries.
Abdelaadim Bidaoui
Volume 5, Issue 2 , September 2017, , Pages 60-72
Abstract
In the field of Arabic sociolinguistics, diglossia has been an interesting linguistic inquiry since it was first discussed by Ferguson in 1959. Since then, diglossia has been discussed, expanded, and revisited by Badawi (1973), Hudson (2002), and Albirini (2016) among others. While the discussion of ...
Read More
In the field of Arabic sociolinguistics, diglossia has been an interesting linguistic inquiry since it was first discussed by Ferguson in 1959. Since then, diglossia has been discussed, expanded, and revisited by Badawi (1973), Hudson (2002), and Albirini (2016) among others. While the discussion of the Arabic diglossic situation highlights the existence of two separate codes (High and Low), Auer’s (2005) model acknowledged the significance of intermediate and exoglossic forms. The comparison of the two models shows that Ferguson’s defining features of diglossia were essential to the understanding of the Arabic sociolinguistics situation; nevertheless, they may not reflect the overlap between the two codes and the insertion of exoglossic forms as it is happening in daily communication among speakers of Arabic. Based on the data from Al-Jazeera network along with two complementary studies and in light of discourse markers in Arabic, this paper shows how Auer’s (2005) model fits the current Arabic linguistic situation and highlights the importance of socio-cultural factors.
Irina Valeryevna Erofeeva; Albert Ilgizovitch Gilyazov; Maria Alexandrovna Pilgun
Abstract
A poem, story, or play, while expressing the inner states of the author, in many cases, reflect the state of culture and society where the poet or writer has lived in and been influenced by. The study of the lexical-semantic groups of vocabulary concerning the diachronic aspect is a promising direction ...
Read More
A poem, story, or play, while expressing the inner states of the author, in many cases, reflect the state of culture and society where the poet or writer has lived in and been influenced by. The study of the lexical-semantic groups of vocabulary concerning the diachronic aspect is a promising direction in exploring the evolution of ideas about different areas of reality. The most important concepts with which human life has an inextricable link are representations of light and darkness. The paper will present the analysis of light in philosophical, worldview, lingual, and linguistic relations. The end of an era, the development of scientific thinking, and changes in the perception of the world image with respect to religious and secular aspects determine the formation of the system of meanings of the word “light”. It should be noted that the study has foremost used the method of conceptual analysis of one of the critical concepts of culture.
Saeed Rezaei; Ava Bahrami
Volume 7, Issue 1 , March 2019, , Pages 67-82
Abstract
This survey investigated the cultural identity of Iranian English language teachers. Accordingly, a cultural identity model was proposed a priori, based on which a questionnaire was developed and piloted on 50 Iranian English language teachers (α = 0.87). The developed questionnaire was then administered ...
Read More
This survey investigated the cultural identity of Iranian English language teachers. Accordingly, a cultural identity model was proposed a priori, based on which a questionnaire was developed and piloted on 50 Iranian English language teachers (α = 0.87). The developed questionnaire was then administered to 636 male and female Iranian English language teachers. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model was fit and eight components namely 1) religious beliefs, 2) history, 3) customs, 4) manners and behaviors, 5) Persian language, 6) literature and art, 7) parents’ influence and 8) family relations were confirmed to form the core of Iranian cultural identity. The findings also revealed that the older and more experienced teachers had the highest level of Iranian cultural identity. Besides, the results showed that female teachers had stronger Iranian cultural identity than their male counterparts, and teachers from different fields of study and with different university degrees and mother tongues did not significantly differ in their cultural identity.
Christopher Larkosh
Volume 2, Issue 2 (Special Issue on Translation, Society and Culture) , September 2014, , Pages 68-76
Abstract
This essay approaches the challenges of global translation in the 21st century from what might still be considered a somewhat uncommon example: a direct translation of Ismail Kadaré's 1978 novel Prill e thyër (Broken April) from the original Albanian into Brazilian Portuguese in 2001. Not ...
Read More
This essay approaches the challenges of global translation in the 21st century from what might still be considered a somewhat uncommon example: a direct translation of Ismail Kadaré's 1978 novel Prill e thyër (Broken April) from the original Albanian into Brazilian Portuguese in 2001. Not only does it examine and compare lexical elements in the source and target texts and the usage of translator’s notes, but also, and perhaps more importantly, inquiries into how translation scholars actually arrive at projects for research, which methodological, theoretical and ideological tools remain at our disposal, and which conventional frames of reference might be subjected to greater critical scrutiny. It then goes on to examine one case of cinematic adaptation of the work in question as an additional point of comparison, the 2001 film by the Brazilian director Walter Salles, with a focus on the ways the story line is changed. The implications of this narrative shift serves to initiate an open discussion on whether academic work in translation can truly encourage greater intercultural communication, both now and in the future.
Lee Fergusson; David Kettle; Geoffrey Wells
Volume 5, Issue 1 , March 2017, , Pages 68-81
Abstract
The principles and practice of sustainability have gained momentum in the last 15 years and now form a central part of conversations around social praxis and the future. It has been proposed that the theories driving sustainability science are embedded in Indigenous history, and it has been shown that ...
Read More
The principles and practice of sustainability have gained momentum in the last 15 years and now form a central part of conversations around social praxis and the future. It has been proposed that the theories driving sustainability science are embedded in Indigenous history, and it has been shown that many ancient traditions always concerned themselves with sustainable and ethical living. Among the traditions identified with environmental stewardship are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia and Māori of New Zealand. Of interest in this context is the Vedic tradition, a tradition of sustainability and ecological awareness which identifies the source of sustainability in Natural Law, the universal source of tradition, language, and knowledge. In this paper we survey two Indigenous traditions as they relate to environmental stewardship, and explore their relation to the Vedic tradition.
Theresah Ennin; Nancy Nkansah
Volume 4, 1 (Special Issue on African Cultures and Languages) , March 2016, , Pages 69-79
Abstract
Names as markers of identity are a source of a wide variety of information. This paper explores the names of characters to show the sociocultural factors which influence the choice of names and the effects that the names of these characters have on the roles they play. Using a variety of personal names ...
Read More
Names as markers of identity are a source of a wide variety of information. This paper explores the names of characters to show the sociocultural factors which influence the choice of names and the effects that the names of these characters have on the roles they play. Using a variety of personal names from Ayi Kwei Armah’s Fragments, Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood, and Nawal El Sadaawi’s Woman at Point Zero, the study revealed that, the choice of names in Akan, Igbo, and Arab societies are influenced by the day of birth, the family one belongs to, circumstances surrounding one’s birth, titles, and religion. Furthermore, writers chose these specific names to reinforce the roles characters play in the literary work. These findings have implications for onomastics, characterization, and further research.
Rajabali Askarzadeh Torghabeh
Volume 7, 2 (Special Issue on Iranians Views of Cultural Issues) , September 2019, , Pages 69-79
Abstract
This study has analyzed the culture and language of the American Dream in Blue Surge. It shows the effects of the formula of success and the competition presented by this dream; and, how it produces neurotic individuals trying to cope with the competitive society by means of neurotic strategies. This ...
Read More
This study has analyzed the culture and language of the American Dream in Blue Surge. It shows the effects of the formula of success and the competition presented by this dream; and, how it produces neurotic individuals trying to cope with the competitive society by means of neurotic strategies. This study has used Karen Horney’s theories and strategies. Horney says neurosis is engendered from the conflicting values of the competitive culture such as the absence of means to fulfill goals which are set for the individuals and harsh childhood experiences. The paper has analyzed the main characters’ languages, their psyches, and their defensive strategies according to Horney’s theories of Neurotic needs, which consider cultural elements as an important factor in producing neurotic individuals. The results show that the members of this society, the rich and the poor, all become neurotic individuals who are searching for defensive strategies, since individuals are living a social life and cannot escape its consequences.
Leili Kassaie; Hamid Reza Shairi; Mahmoud Reza Gashmardi
Volume 9, Issue 1 , March 2021, , Pages 69-85
Abstract
One way to develop language skills in FFL (French as a foreign language) learners is to surround them with authentic materials. This study aimed at enhancing the listening and speaking skills of Iranian FFL learners through the integration of MALL (Mobile-assisted language learning) in the form of podcasts ...
Read More
One way to develop language skills in FFL (French as a foreign language) learners is to surround them with authentic materials. This study aimed at enhancing the listening and speaking skills of Iranian FFL learners through the integration of MALL (Mobile-assisted language learning) in the form of podcasts into FFL courses. The main advantage of integrating authentic podcasts as an educational instrument lies in the variety, accessibility, and the rich content it provides. Repeated measure analysis of variances was administered to find out any significant change in the level of listening and speaking skills of the participants throughout five sessions. At the end of each session, a self-evaluation survey was implemented to evaluate the participants’ perception of such integration and that of their own speaking performances. The findings indicated that the listening and speaking skills of the participants developed significantly through the integration of podcasts. The findings of the self-evaluation survey also showed that the participants’ attitudes and evaluation of their speaking performances were positive.
Shannon McCrocklin
Volume 8, Issue 1 , March 2020, , Pages 70-81
Abstract
Research has shown that language teachers’ beliefs are often difficult to change through education. Experiential learning may help, but more research is needed to understand how experiential approaches shape perceptions. This study compares two approaches, conversation partners (CONV) and ...
Read More
Research has shown that language teachers’ beliefs are often difficult to change through education. Experiential learning may help, but more research is needed to understand how experiential approaches shape perceptions. This study compares two approaches, conversation partners (CONV) and structured language learning experiences (SLLE), integrated into a course in language acquisition. Participants (n = 32) completed a pre- and post-questionnaire that included: demographic questions, Likert scales on beliefs, ranking of second language acquisition (SLA) factors, and open-ended questions. Results showed differences from pre- to post-questionnaire for both groups for four Likert scale items (e.g., the importance of exact pronunciation) and six language learning factors (e.g., motivation). Further, both groups grew to recognize more factors. Slight differences emerged between groups on two items, the importance of intelligence and dominance in SLA. Qualitative analysis showed that, while CONV reported no changes in beliefs, SLLE reported finding language learning to be more difficult than believed. Further, SLLE wished to have more of the project, while CONV did not.
Niloofar Keshtiari; Michael Kuhlmann
Volume 4, Issue 2 , September 2016, , Pages 71-86
Abstract
This paper reports on a behavioral study that explores the role of culture and gender in the recognition of emotional speech in an under investigated cultural context (a collectivist society: i.e., Iran). Participants were asked to recognize the emotional prosody of a set of validated emotional vocal ...
Read More
This paper reports on a behavioral study that explores the role of culture and gender in the recognition of emotional speech in an under investigated cultural context (a collectivist society: i.e., Iran). Participants were asked to recognize the emotional prosody of a set of validated emotional vocal portrayals (including the five basic emotions). Findings of the experiment were then compared with the results of a similar study performed on members of an individualist culture. Taken together, our results established that both, gender as a biologically rooted social mechanism and cultural factors modulate the recognition of emotional speech. More specifically, our findings supported the view that with regard to vocal emotions, females are more sensitive compared to males. Additionally, it was revealed that members of a collectivist culture show higher sensitivity to vocal emotional cues compared to their individualist counterparts. These findings imply that cultures that center on group harmony (i.e., collectivist cultures), may thus promote higher default levels of emotional sensitivity.
Mona Tabatabaee-Yazdi; Purya Baghaei
Abstract
Culture is rooted in every aspect of human life, and more specifically in the simplest and easiest act of language to the degree that every single speech act accounts for performing a cultural act. Thus, this study aimed to validate the Persian translation of the Intercultural Intelligence Scale developed ...
Read More
Culture is rooted in every aspect of human life, and more specifically in the simplest and easiest act of language to the degree that every single speech act accounts for performing a cultural act. Thus, this study aimed to validate the Persian translation of the Intercultural Intelligence Scale developed by Ang et al. (2007), using the Rasch rating scale model, to discover whether the same constructs of the scale would be extracted in order to make it available to use within the Persian language contexts. The scale was administered to 203 EFL teachers who have taught English in several language institutes and universities. Findings showed the test had an acceptable person and item separation reliability which proved the external validity of the scale. The order of the category thresholds showed the respondents could discriminate well among the scale’s categories. Therefore, the scale is potentially valid and can be used as a measure of Intercultural Intelligence in the Persian language contexts.
Chin-Hui Chen
Volume 3, Issue 2 , September 2015, , Pages 72-84
Abstract
This paper uses critical discourse analysis to examine discursive representations of older people in Taiwanese newspapers. A total of 926 references to older people were sampled from 62 articles published in four Taiwanese newspapers from January to August 2013. The findings suggest that, older people ...
Read More
This paper uses critical discourse analysis to examine discursive representations of older people in Taiwanese newspapers. A total of 926 references to older people were sampled from 62 articles published in four Taiwanese newspapers from January to August 2013. The findings suggest that, older people were frequently allocated roles suggestive of dependency. Those portrayed in line with the positive golden ager stereotype were more likely to be treated as identifiable individuals, via referential strategies including nomination, titulation, functionalization, and honorifics. People of very advanced ages, meanwhile, were often discussed in the contexts of problems or tragedies. On the whole, negative stereotypes of older people were dominant within the sample, and appeared to be treated as more newsworthy. The articles occasionally reported positive experiences of aging, but implied that, these were exceptional. The nature of older age and aging as discursively constructed in Taiwanese newspapers appears to be problematic for those seeking to build a less ageist society in Taiwan.
Onok Yayang Pamungkas; Hastangka Hastangka; Suprapto Suprapto; Iyoh Mastiyah; Dwi Purwoko; Fatimah Zuhra; Nunu Ahmad An-Nahidl
Abstract
So far, the study of magical realism in literature has been limited to the relationship of literature to the chronology of text creation. There have been no studies linking the imagination of magical realism and the reader effect, especially the content of educational values. Therefore, the purpose of ...
Read More
So far, the study of magical realism in literature has been limited to the relationship of literature to the chronology of text creation. There have been no studies linking the imagination of magical realism and the reader effect, especially the content of educational values. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the values of education in the literature of magical realism. This research uses semiotic methods, content analysis, and hermeneutics. The primary data source is Danarto Asmaraloka’s novel. The results showed that Asmaraloka is a literature that creates a complex world. It represents reality and fantasy that rejects simple and exclusive binary and postmodernist views. The magical realism in Asmaraloka encompasses certain cultural traditions and universal aspects. At the same time, Asmaraloka provides educational values about freedom. An important im-plication of this research is that literature can be a medium of expression that simultaneously guides readers about freedom.
Alfred Lawrence Owusu-Ansah
Volume 2, Issue 1 , March 2014, , Pages 73-87
Abstract
Semantic strategies are a kind of discourse strategy that include the sum of language and cognitive moves which are used to reach an adequate goal of communication normally resulting in text comprehension by the reader or listener. Here, the language user takes a number of steps in order to perform a ...
Read More
Semantic strategies are a kind of discourse strategy that include the sum of language and cognitive moves which are used to reach an adequate goal of communication normally resulting in text comprehension by the reader or listener. Here, the language user takes a number of steps in order to perform a complex task. Semantic strategies in prejudiced talk have been examined extensively in western cultures (e.g., Augoustinos & Every, 2007; Bonnila-Silva, 2002). In order to close the gap on the vastness of western studies, the Ghanaian context is investigated in this study. Ten Ghanaian university students from differing ethnic backgrounds were sampled and interviewed to reveal their ethnic prejudices using the Discourse-Historical approach as advocated by Wodak and Reisigl (1999). The analysis of data reveals projection, semantic distancing, incoherence, and rationalization as the four semantic strategies used in the discourse of prejudice among Ghanaian university students. This study has implications for language socialization.
Marianna Kyriakou
Volume 6, Issue 1 , March 2018, , Pages 73-85
Abstract
This study examines how Greek-Cypriot students aged 12 to 18, an understudied group of students, construct their ethnic identity in a complex setting such as Cyprus and what motivates the students in the selection of ethnic identity labels. The choice to focus on students aged 12-18 was made on the hypothesis ...
Read More
This study examines how Greek-Cypriot students aged 12 to 18, an understudied group of students, construct their ethnic identity in a complex setting such as Cyprus and what motivates the students in the selection of ethnic identity labels. The choice to focus on students aged 12-18 was made on the hypothesis that young children, who did not experience the 1974 war in Cyprus, may have a different perception of ethnic identity in contrast to adults who are generationally closer to the war. Data are collected by means of interviews. A social constructionist approach is used for the analysis of ethnic identity construction. The results show that Greek-Cypriot students use the ethnic labels Greek, Greek-Cypriot, and Cypriot to construct their ethnic identities and they change and negotiate between these ethnic labels when talking about their identity. The students’ choice of a specific ethnic label seems to be widely motivated by ideologies connected to politics, language, religion, and education.
Lisa Hilte; Reinhild Vandekerckhove; Walter Daelemans
Volume 6, Issue 2 , September 2018, , Pages 73-89
Abstract
In a large social media corpus (2.9 million tokens), we analyze Flemish adolescents’ non-standard writing practices and look for correlations with the teenagers’ social class. Three different aspects of adolescents’ social background are included: educational track, parental profession, ...
Read More
In a large social media corpus (2.9 million tokens), we analyze Flemish adolescents’ non-standard writing practices and look for correlations with the teenagers’ social class. Three different aspects of adolescents’ social background are included: educational track, parental profession, and home language. Since the data reveal that these parameters are highly correlated, we combine them into one social class label. The different linguistic practices emerging from the analyses demonstrate the crucial impact of social class on adolescent online writing practices. Furthermore, our results nuance classical findings on working class adherence to ‘old vernacular’ by also highlighting working class youth’s strong connection to the online writing culture, or ‘new vernacular’. Finally, we point out the complexity of the social class variable by demonstrating interactions with gender and age, and by examining groups of teenagers whose social background is ambiguous and therefore hard to operationalize.