Anthropological Linguistics and Sociolinguistics Commons^™

Ich Rede, Wie Ich Mich Wohl Fühle: Language And Ethnic/Cultural Identity Among German-Born Young Adults Of Turkish Descent In Berlin, Emily R. Jenkins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My study consisted of ethnographic interviews with young adults ages 19-28, who were born and raised in Germany to parents emigrated from Turkey. My main research question was, “What role does language play in the subjects’ conception of ethnic/cultural identity?” Specifically, I focused on the role of language in how subjects identify with or distinguish themselves from: (1) the ethnic/cultural majority in their country of residence, i.e. Germans; (2) the ethnic/cultural majority in their parents’ country of origin, i.e. Turks in Turkey; and (3) others of similar immigration background, i.e. other German-born people of Turkish descent. Originally I only intended …

Review Of Bilingual Aesthetics: A Sentimental Education, By Doris Sommer (2004), Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

No abstract provided.

Institutionalizing Gender And Sexuality In A Call-In Radio Advice Program: A Characterization Of Loveline, Meagan P. Storey

English Theses & Dissertations

Previous studies of advice characterized it as a discourse in which authority is afforded to the giver by virtue of being asked for advice. As an authoritative discourse, advice sets the standards by which interlocutors base their judgments of normalcy. The consequences of these judgments are multiplied when advice is given as part of public, institutional talk, such as with radio call-in programs. This thesis examines how the authoritative discourse of global advice (public, commercial advice) is used to construct and normalize human experiences, specifically gender and sexuality. This study is based on an analysis of ten audio-taped episodes, each …

Is Feminist Humor An Oxymoron?, Janet M. Bing

English Faculty Publications

Is the subject of feminist humor male oppression or a celebration of the female experience? This paper argues for the latter and suggests that inclusive jokes can be more effectively subversive than divisive ones. As long as women's jokes focus on men, male definitions, and male behavior, women are marginalizing females, even if their jokes target males. In addition, divisive jokes can strengthen prevailing beliefs about essential female-male differences. However, when straight feminists make jokes and laugh about the shared experiences of females rather than on oppressive male behavior, then feminist humor, like lesbian humor, becomes an agent for change.

Lesbian Jokes: A Reply To Christie Davies, Janet Bing

English Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Electronic Polis: Media Democracy And The Invasion Of Iraq, Jeff Lewis, Kirsty Best

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

The American-led victory in Baghdad was announced to the world with scenes of Iraqi citizens dragging down the statues of the deposed tyrant. Like the spectacle of World Cup Soccer or the Olympic Games, the image was transmitted live through the global media network to the billions of people who had been closely watching the three week invasion. President Bush shared in the celebration, announcing the dawn of a new age for freedom and democracy in the Middle East. This new democracy, the president proclaimed, would bring stability and prosperity to the region through the obliteration of terrorism …

Development Of Oral Communication Skills Abroad., Christina Isabelli

Scholarship

This study examines the impact of a semester study abroad experience in Argentina on the second language acquisition of three American university Spanish learners. The goal is to measure development of two aspects of oral communication skills: fluency and performance in the oral functions of narration, and description and supporting an opinion.

Introduction: Selected Proceedings Of The First Workshop On Spanish Sociolinguistics, Lotfi Sayahi

Languages, Literatures and Cultures Faculty Scholarship

This introduction to the Selected Proceedings of the First Workshop on Spanish Sociolinguistics includes the background for the conference, descriptions of the papers chosen for the volume, acknowledgments, and references.

Protestant Language Use In 17th Century Slovakia In A Diglossia Framework, Mark Richard Lauersdorf

Linguistics Faculty Publications

This article presents a discussion of several issues that are central to the ongoing, larger sociolinguistic investigation of the history of standard language development in pre-codification (15th-18th century) Slovakia. It is, in a sense, a position paper, laying out a basic theoretical framework and methodology for historical sociolinguistic research on Slovak standard language development and outlining an investigation of the 17th century linguistic situation among the Slovak Protestants within this framework and methodology.

Fergie's Prescience: The Changing Nature Of Diglossia In Tunisia, Keith Walters

Applied Linguistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite criticisms it has received, Ferguson's (1959b) account of diglossia should be recognized for its prescience. It offered not only an admittedly idealized characterization of diglossia in Arabic, but also pointed out how and why it might change. Focusing on Tunisia, this article demonstrates the many ways in which Fergie was right. It examines the changing demographics of Tunisians' access to the high variety of Arabic; the complex ways in which Tunisians, and Arabs more generally, deal with the "communicative tensions" diglossia creates; and considers the changing nature of Arabic in what is, in many ways, a postdiglossic Tunisia.

"How Many Lesbians Does It Take To Screw In A Light Bulb?", Janet M. Bing, Dana Heller

English Faculty Publications

This paper explores how humor reveals shared aspects of a culture of lesbian communities in the US. For lesbians, jokes and other forms of humor are an active, narrative means of self-construction and community imagining that help lesbians negotiate their positions both inside and outside mainstream culture. Whether consciously or unconsciously, much of lesbian humor challenges the dominant culture by rejecting its definitions of and presuppositions about lesbians, and by making lesbian experience central to its understanding of normalcy. Whereas the term "lesbian joke" usually activates a sex frame for the dominant culture, much humor created by and for lesbians …

News From Cart, Michael A. Krol, Julia Stakhnevich

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

The African Contribution To Brazilian Portuguese: To What Extent Did The Speech Of Slaves Influence The Mother Tongue?, Fernanda Ferriera

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

The Speech Act Of Request: A Comparative Study Between Korean Esl Speakers And Americans, Soong-Hee Koh

Theses Digitization Project

This is a comparative study of Korean students' request forms and aspects of their culture that has not been recognized in the field of speech. This offers an explanation for miscommunication between Korean speakers of English and native speakers of English. Lastly, this study provides empirical information about how Korean students use request forms and how Koreans' politeness strategies differ from Americans'.

Slovak Standard Language Development In The 15th–18th Centuries: A Diglossia Approach, Mark Richard Lauersdorf

Linguistics Faculty Publications

This study provides a sketch of Slovak standard language development during the pre-codification period (15th-18th centuries) within a diglossia framework.  The focus is on the earlier periods of the 15th and 16th centuries – the earliest time from which there is significant direct documentation of patterns of indigenous language use in Slovakia in the form of a larger corpus of texts written in a Slavic language (be it Czech or mixed Czech-Slovak).  The investigation indicates a 15th-16th century situation of Czech-Slovak diglossia that is gradually resolved in the course of the 17th-18th centuries through increasing development and use of a …

I Don't Know Why It's Funny, But I'Ll Laugh Anyway: Analysis Of Feigned Laughter In The Context Of Face-Threatening-Utterances, Dirkson Christopher Lee

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this thesis is to reveal some of the behavioral characteristics of a specific type of laughter that I term "feigned laughter," and how it is used in the context of face-threatening-utterances (FTUs), or utterances that threaten the face needs of an individual.

A Comparative Study Of Standard American English And Non-Standard American English Accents, Casey S. Gleason

Masters Theses

Through the birth and maturation of the American society, dominant cultures have developed and become the accepted norm of America. However, with the constant flow of immigrants entering America, a variety of cultures and languages entered, also. The English language has remained the dominant language, while Standard American English has remained the dominant accent. Those who do not display Standard American English (SAE) often fall victim to a lower level of speaker credibility than those who speak SAE. One's sex may also affect speaker credibility due to different communication styles. The affect one's combination of accent and sex has on …

The Role And Status Of English Among The Urban Punjabis In Malaysia, Kamila Devi Jai Dev Kundra

Student Works (2000-2009)

This is a study of the role and status of the English language among the minority ethnic group of Punjabis, with special reference to the urban Punjabis in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to show how and why English has become so important among this minority group. The Punjabis in Malaysia speak a language, which is a mixture of Punjabi and Hindi or as Khubchandini (1963) points out 'Kari Boli'. According to Khubchandini, the reason this happens is because the spoken versions of Hindi and Punjabi are quite similar and as such, they are mutually intelligible to speakers …

The Influence Of Tamil Lexical Items In The English Spoken By Malaysian Tamils In The Domain Of Frienship, Kahlah Vathee Periasamy

Student Works (2000-2009)

Malaysian Tamils who speak English in the domain of friendship. The researcher divided the participants into three age groups so as to get a comprehensive data for the study. The three age groups are as shown:

i. 10-20 Year Age Group.

ii. 21-49 Year Age Group.

iii. 50 > Year Age Group.

The researcher selected helpers from each of the group to aid in the recording of the English conversations of the participants. This was done in order to determine the influence of Tamil as well as Bahasa Melayu. and other lexical items in the English that the participants speak. The …

Perbandingan Antara Bahasa Melayu Baku Dengan Subdialek Perak, Rafiza Abd. Rashid

Student Works (2000-2009)

The purpose of this dissertation is to make a comparison between the standard Bahasa Melayu and Perak subdialect that is the Parit dialect. This dissertation will focus on the phonological aspects such as the vowels, consonants and diphtongs. The methodology used were library research and field work that includes interview. During the interview, the researcher found that the Bahasa Melayu spoke by the respondents is influenced by the Parit dialect. Besides, the students observed also use their dialect in the classroom This affects the activities In the teaching of pronunciation in a Bahasa Melayu class. The different vowels and consonants …

Strategi Penukaran Kod Di Kalangan Guru-Guru Cina Berpendidikan Cina Dan Bukan Berpendidikan Cina : Satu Kajian Kes, Kheng Leng Gan

Student Works (2000-2009)

Kajian ini merupakan satu tinjauan terhadap gejala penukaran kod yang ber1aku di kalangan guru-guru keturunan Cina yang berpendidikan Cina dan bukan berpendidikan Cina di sebuah sekolah menengah di Seremban.  Objektif Kajian ini adalah untuk meneliti fenomena penukaran kod dalam masyarakat Cina Malaysia yang boleh bertutur pelbagai bahasa dialek khususnya Bahasa Kantonis, Bahasa Mandarin dan bahasa lain iaitu Bahasa Melayu dan Bahasa lnggeris.  Di samping itu, kajian ini turut mengesan kekerapan penukaran kod yang ber1aku di kalangan dua kumpulan informan ini dan mengkaji faktor-faktor yang menyebabkan berlaku penukaran kod berdasarkan fungsi-fungsi penukaran kod wacana dan faktor-faktor soslo-budaya.

Language Maintenance And Shift Among The Portuguese Eurasians In The Portuguese Settlement, Sudesh Nicholas Ramachandran

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study examines language maintenance and shift among the Portuguese Eurasians living in the Portuguese Settlement in Malacca. Firstly, this study focuses on the use of Kristang in seven domains: work/school, transaction, family, neighbourhood, friendship, entertainment and prayer. Secondly, it investigates the attitude of the subjects towards Kristang, English end Malay. The instrument used in conducting this study is a forty-two item questionnaire administered on sixty-four respondents based on the variables of age, gender and socioeconomic status. The findings indicate that the use of Kristang among the community members is decreasing in almost all the domains studied. The findings also …

A View From The West: Perceptions Of U.S. Dialects From The Point Of View Of Oregon, Laura Hartley

Faculty Publications - Department of Sociology

No abstract provided.

Chinese And Australian Conversational Styles: A Comparative Sociolinguistic Study Of Overlap And Listener Response, Xudong Deng

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study compares the use of overlap and listener response by Chinese and Australian speakers in their respective intracultural conversations, that is, in conversations between Chinese interlocutors in Mandarin Chinese and between Australians in Australian English. The main purpose of this study is to locate similarities and differences between these two groups of speakers in their use of the two conversational strategies. Another major theme of the thesis is to examine the role of gender in the use of overlap and listener response in conversations of the two languages. The study is based upon the theoretical premise of interactional sociolinguistics …

Terrorist Explosions In East Africa: An Asynchrony Among Language, Thought, And Action?, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes an asynchrony among the language of foreign leaders responding to an event of terrorism, the inferred thought underlying the language, and the action necessary to effect successful antiterrorism and counterterrorism programs.

Ebonics, Local Color, And Official Language: Who Resists Whom?, Richard L. Murray

Trotter Review

At a time when the media has branded Ebonics "a second class language for a second-class life" and worse, a time when politicians have sought to legislate standard English as the only official language in an increasingly linguistically diverse United States, the link between the power of a single language and the power of those who determine its dominance should come as no surprise. Those who, like columnist Ellen Goodman, oppose recognizing Ebonics as a separate language hark back to the melting pot era in which the children of immigrants were "Americanized" in the public schools because "there was ... …

Kultúrna Slovenčina Administratívno-Právnych Textov Zo 16. Storočia „Čo S Fonológiou A Morfológiou?“, Mark Richard Lauersdorf

Linguistics Faculty Publications

It is generally accepted that the present-day Slovak standard language was codified in its basic form in the mid 19th century by the Slovak scholar Ľudovít Štúr. A similar, but unsuccessful, attempt to create a standard Slovak language was made by Anton Bernolák in the late 18th century. There is not general agreement, however, on the degree or type of standardization, or better, normalization, exhibited by Slovak texts in the pre-codification period (15th-18th centuries). The present study outlines a new methodological framework for the investigation of the issue of standard language development in early pre-codification Slovak texts, providing selected phonological …

Disabling Language And Aids: An Analysis Of Language In Mainstream Media, Victoria Lynn La Cues

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Kpelle-English Dictionary, With Accompanying English-Kpelle Glossary, Elizabeth Winkler

English Faculty Book Gallery

This is a basic dictionary of Kpelle with a small grammatical sketch at the beginning of the book.

Originally published by the Indiana University Linguistics Club Publications. (1997)

Available for download (top button) is an updated Glossary including an introduction as well as specifics regarding the Kpelle Language (2017)

additional image download (bottom button) is a sample page from the upcoming dictionary.

The Question Of 'Cultural Language' And Interdialectal Norm In 16th Century Slovakia: A Phonological Analysis Of 16th Century Slovak Administrative-Legal Texts, Mark Richard Lauersdorf

Linguistics Faculty Book Gallery

There is not general agreement among scholars on the degree or type of standardization, or better, normalization, exhibited by Slovak texts before the 18th-19th century codifying efforts of Anton Bernolák, Ľudovít Štúr and their followers. Indeed, disagreement on this issue is greater the earlier the time period under consideration. The present study focuses on the 16th century and the degree and type of standardization/normalization exhibited in a corpus of 152 administrative-legal texts (judicial and municipal records, official correspondence, account books, etc.) from all four major Slovak dialect regions – Moravian, West, Central and East Slovak. The author examines the textual …