French Linguistics Commons^™

Through The Gendered Language Glass: How Gendered Language Shapes Mental Representations Of Gender And Why It Matters, Emily Roberts

World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between gendered-languages and mental perceptions of gender. Compiling various studies that evidence a strong link between gendered language and gender bias, the research creates a framework for discussing the potential gender-equalizing effects of gender-fair language. The paper focuses on the conversation concerning gendered language in France, especially discussing the role of the French Academy in establishing and legitimizing language practices.

The Challenges Of Making French Gender-Inclusive: How To Stop Leaving The Non-Binary And Genderfluid Community Out Of The Conversation, Nicole W. Grafon

Women's and Gender Studies: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Gender-inclusivity in the French language is being made mainstream at an extraordinarily slow pace because there is a lack of education for francophone citizens regarding the clear definition of inclusive language due to little to no support from politicians in France. The solution to making the French language more gender-inclusive at a quicker pace is to incorporate non-binary grammar early on in French education worldwide.

Translating Nonsense: An Analysis Of The Poem “Jabberwocky” And Two French Translations, Kylie R. Deer

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Is it possible to translate nonsense? If yes, then how?

Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” is a nonsense poem in which many of the words are invented out of the author’s imagination. As a result, readers depend on Carroll to explain the meanings of such words. The first stanza of “Jabberwocky,” chosen since it contains the largest number of nonsense words in the poem, was analyzed and compared to the first stanza of two French translations (“Le Jaseroque” by Frank L. Warrin and “Bredoulocheux” by Henri Parisot). A word-by-word, and to an extent, syllable-by-syllable close reading of the three texts was performed …

Looking At Shadows: Four French Texts In English Translation, Kalena M. Hermes

World Languages and Cultures

This project present four French texts in English translation that share the theme of loss. This theme is perhaps one of the most poignant and relevant; loss is an experience that every human will encounter, and as people we continue across time to grapple with what it means for us and how to deal with it. These four texts will bring the perspectives of four authors to light in English. When we study how other countries and cultures deal with common human issues, we are able to gain new views on these issues. This project will make these texts accessible …

Why Study Language? Discussing Language And Its Influence On Gender Discrimination, Katelyn Eisenmann

Honors Projects

An applied research project, with the culminating piece being a panel discussion that focused on the ways in which language use and structure contribute to attitudes and perceptions of gender within our society, and the politics that surround concepts of gender.

Six Of One, Une Demi-Douzaine De L’Autre: Detecting Cross-Language Code-Switching In A Continuous Narrative, Melissa Kadish

Senior Independent Study Theses

This Independent Study examined how cross-language code-switching is processed and perceived. The following experiment compared how long English-French bilinguals, English monolinguals, and English-speaking French-language-learners took to detect instances of French/English code-switching in a semantically-rich narrative. Bilinguals displayed shorter change-detection response latencies than language learners and monolinguals, but the latter two groups did not significantly differ. These results provide insight into how the observed cognitive differences between bilinguals and monolinguals may develop, and offer support for the multi-language lexical processing theory of language interference. This study also addresses potential sociocultural origins of the observed language-level differences in code-switching perception by examining …

Prevalence Of The French Language In Algerian Online News : A Remnant Of The Colonial Past., Zofia A. Hetman

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

A French colony for over a century, Algeria gained independence in 1962, yet its identity remains chained to its traumatic history. During the colonial period, French officials enacted laws to subvert the native population and its culture by discouraging the teaching of Arabic and, in its place, emphasizing French language and culture. Seeking to reclaim their national identity, leaders in post-independent Algeria created Arabization policies, which favored the use of Arabic and discouraged the use of French. Algerian society has therefore long been the target of linguistic control. As a result, language preferences of Algerians can be linked to the …

Effects Of Language Immersion Versus Classroom Exposure On Advanced French Learners: An Erp Study, Alexandra Claire Brito

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

University students often report making significant advances in their second language (L2) ability after immersion in a nonnative language through study abroad. The degree to which late L2 learners can become nativelike in terms of L2 performance and brain processing is unclear in second language acquisition research. The link between L2 proficiency and learning context has been characterized in previous research, yet the role of learning experience in attaining nativelike brain processing of L2 remains to be elucidated. This study contrasts learners with advanced French proficiency who have attained this level with no, little, or more immersion experience through study …

"Le Créole Est Chez Moi": Le Créole Haïtien Et Dany Laferrière, Jessica Gerdisch

French: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

La Langue De Banlieue : De L’Oral À L’Écrit, Christelle Lottereie

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

Behind the existence of a social malaise in the suburbs and of numerous stereotypes, a linguistic innovation characteristic of young people has developed. Most of these young people, who consider themselves excluded from society, have created their own social and linguistic space. They have appropriated the French language and transformed it after introducing their own identity marks. The resulting language turns out to be a linguistic refuge for identity, which leads to the finding of a subjective stability.

Les Minorités Postcoloniales Face À La Francophonie, Alec C. Hargreaves

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

The migratory flows from the former colonial territories have encountered in France a settling process of non-native populations, a growing proportion of whom, born of immigrant parents, have obtained French nationality. Literature, film and music reveal that, with respect to Francophonie, the current situation of these frequently stigmatized minorities overturns the traditional categories and demarcation lines between French and Francophones.