Language Attitudes And Ideologies English Language Essay

Language Attitudes And Ideologies English Language Essay In a contemporary society especially in a diverse country such as South Africa, language plays an important role in defining identity. As a result of the many diverse cultures, South Africans are exposed to a vast amount of different languages. These languages form part of identity and thus are accompanied by certain language ideologies and attitudes. Language ideology may be defined as shared beliefs about language forms and practices embedded in social conflicts over power (Volk and Angelova, 2007:177). Attitudes on the other hand are closely related to ideologies, and are described as learned reactions toward a person or situation (Steinberg, 2007). This essay aims to research the effects of a multilingual university (UWC) community on language use and ideology. It will also provide reasons for these effects and how attitudes relate to language ideology. To begin the study my research population consisted of a UWC male student, age twenty five and his first language is Setswana. In order to conduct the research I first posed a question to this student. The question was as follows; Given that you have been at UWC for at least two years, what effect is your membership of a multilingual university community having on your language use and ideology? The student answered that being at UWC has changed his ideology of different languages, because of the diverse language speakers and the formation of strong friendships he has been forced to become familiar with other languages. I then used this response as a framework to begin the research. As this is a qualitative research study I have made use of the survey-questionnaire method to gather my data. I have particularly applied the Linkert Scale style questionnaire that consists of statements and of which the participants answers are among the following; strongly agree/ agree/ unsure/disagree/ strongly disagree. The participant would then provide the reasons for their answers. The statements on the Linkert Scale questionnaire were as follows: I am happy with English as the main medium of instruction at UWC I would be more successful in my academic studies if my home/first language could be used in lectures and tutorials The other languages are sufficiently developed for use at tertiary level, and should not only be used for informal communication Its a good thing that we have a common language here at UWC to help us communicate across linguistic boundaries Im pleased that Ive picked up some words and expressions in other languages here at UWC The other part of the questionnaire asked for reasons for answers and provided writing space for the students response. In this case the student then provided reasons for his response to the above statements which made up the full data which I have made use of in this essay. The findings consisted of the responses to the above statements and the reasons for the response. The participants response to statement one was that he strongly agrees with English being a medium of instruction at UWC. His reason for his response was as follows Since different students come from different backgrounds/cultures and languages its only fair to have English as a lingua Franca common to all. Thus in this case I have found that the participant feels that English is a language spoken by all students at UWC. He also suggests that it is fair to have English as a medium of instruction, because all students at UWC share the common understanding of English whether it be a first, second or third language acquisition. This explains English as a lingua franca, the term lingua franca describes a language serving as a regular means of communication between different linguistic groups in a multilingual speech community Holmes (1997:86). The participant in this case is happy with the f act that English is used as a medium of instruction. The students response to statement two was that he disagrees that he would be more successful academically if his first language was a medium of instruction. The students reason for this is as follows No, I am more competent in English than my mother tongue when it comes to reading and writing as I last stopped using my first language for reading and writing in standard 3. It is clear, judging by the participants response, that he has lost proficiency in his first language in reading and writing due to being educated in English for so long. As a result of being educated in English for such a long time the student seems to feel more competent with English. This evidence gives rise to the notion that English may be the predominant language for educating a multilingual society due to its global recognition. The participants response to statement three was that he strongly disagrees with the assumption that, other languages are sufficiently developed for use at tertiary level and should not only be used for informal communication. The students reason for this is When it comes to Afrikaans and Xhosa I understand because these are the languages predominantly spoken in the Western Cape, but if its other languages it would not be fair to the other 11 official languages which are not used in tertiary education. The student in this instance feels as that English, Afrikaans and Xhosa are the only three languages developed at tertiary level as there is predominance in the amount of speakers of these languages. However, the participant disagrees that other languages should be used as a medium of instruction at tertiary level because it would be unfair to those who cannot understand the language. The student also feels that should one language, other than English/Afrikaans or Xhosa, be used as a m edium of instruction at tertiary level it would be unfair to the other eleven official languages that are not used in this way. The students answer to statement four was that he strongly agrees that its a good thing that we have a common language at UWC to communicate across linguistic boundaries. The students reason for this is as follows; If it wasnt for English as a lingua franca we would all be lost unless we share a 1st language, So it very good that we have a lingua franca as we connect/communicate well. In this case it is evident that the participant feels generally pleased that there is a language that can break through linguistic boundaries. The student in this case feels that English has the power to do so as a result of its wide range of speakers. It is also clear that the student agrees that English as a lingua franca helps us to communicate with other students from different linguistic backgrounds. The last statement the partaker responded that he agrees that he is pleased he has picked up some words and expressions in other languages. His reason for this is Yes I am this helps to communicate better with student who I do not share the same 1st language with, helps to build friendships and more, it brings people together. With regard to this response it seems that the student is pleased that he is able to pick up words form other languages that help to form relationships. To conclude the findings it is apparent that language attitudes form part of ideologies. Judging by the data I have gathered the participant provided insight of his attitude toward different languages especially English. It is obvious that English is a medium of instruction that the participant is pleased with as he would not have chosen UWC as an institution for higher education if this was not the case. The participant thus has a positive attitude towards English and the ideology (shared beliefs of language forms and practices) that English is a lingua franca common to all, increases this positive attitude. In this instance it brings to mind the assumption that we attain our attitudes from our ideologies. In essence it is apparent that our ideologies influence our attitudes toward various languages and it is these components that constitute as part of our identity. Language thus forms part of identity and in a modernised multilingual society the choice of identity is open to all. To elaborate one can side with the post-modern researchers who suggest that Post-modern accounts of identity have reacted against traditional and essentialist views by proposing an almost unlimited range of identity choices (Wallace, 2008:61). We as South Africans may be faced with the challenge of the battle between predominant and minor languages in a diverse country that consists of many different languages. Yet it is still astonishing to see that an institution such as UWC is able to bring people together even if it is through the use of English as a medium of instruction.

Pat Barkers Regeneration Essay -- Pat Barker Regeneration Essays

Pat Barker's Regeneration As Pat Barker’s ‘Regeneration’ is set in a mental hospital during World War I many aspects of the novel evaluate and discuss the psychological effects that the War has had on the patients. The novel explores the internal struggles of WWI soldiers and their attempts to overcome the trauma of war experiences. In ‘Strange Meeting’ a different approach to the war is addressed with much of the novel being set in the trenches and at the front line. The novel closely examines the relationship between two soldiers Barton and Hilliard and the extent of change caused by the war is a prominent theme throughout, showing clearly the emotional and physical changes the war has caused. Prior is an initially difficult patient who suffers from mutism, writing that he has ‘NO MORE WORDS’ when asked what he could remember from his time served in France. Barker’s use of block capital letters and short, blunt statements here leads us to at first believe that Prior is not only an uncooperative patient hindering a possible speedy recovery but also inwardly angry and agitated. Although Prior gives the staff at Craiglockhart a hard time, describing the night staff as ‘spies’, and with this sarcastic dismissive attitude is perhaps at first perceived as though he doesn’t want to get better we soon realise that he is simply a difficult character who actually really wants to recover and as fast as possible, ‘it isn’t fair to say I don’t want treatment’. He is one of the many soldiers from WWI who is torn between two desires. On the one hand, he wants to recover, enabling him to return to France as soon as possible, proving himself as a soldier as well as a man. However, he still has a selfish side th... ...Prior share a lot in common both having experiencing trench life and struggling with the brutal truths of war. They both create relationships with people throughout the novels and through Barton and Hilliard’s relationship and the relationships Prior shares with Sarah and Rivers we learn a lot about their characters and the difficulties soldiers experienced in talking about their experiences as there were so many people that ‘didn’t understand’. We see that although the physical scars can be healed quickly it is the emotional scars that do the most injury and ironically are the hardest to heal. Barker and Hill both portray this message about the war using a fragmented discontinuous style, which reflects the disjointed thought process of many of the soldiers. From both novels we are shown just how innocent those back at home are and how they really don’t.

Annotations to Applied Linguistics books Essay

Annotations 1. Guy Cook (2003). Applied Linguistics.  This book explains applied linguistics in brief. It describes the popular and academic views of correctness. It also discusses the languages in the contemporary world. It presents English and its growth and the many Englishes used nowadays. It discusses some of the English language teaching techniques. It describes communication. It looks at the linguistic changes and second – language acquisition. 2. Guy Cook and Sarah North (2010). Applied Linguistics in Action. The book is divided into three parts. The first is about applied linguistics in theory. Itexplains the theory of practice. The second part is about English in the world, being a global language and TEFL. The third part is about applied linguistics in action in details. 3. Judit Sarosdy, Tamas Farczadi Bencze, Zoltan Poor and Marianna Vadnay (2006). Applied Linguistics 1. This book deals with applied linguistic more explicitly in a wider context. It discusses the traditional former methods in teaching English Vs. the communicative approach. It also discusses the learning process and classroom management. It stresses the culture’s effect on the language. 4. Michael McCarthy (2001). Issues in Applied Linguistics.   The book discusses languages and modeling language. It highlights the second language in speech and writing. It describes applied linguistics through a professional discourse. 5. Patricia A. Duff (2008). Case Study Research in Applied Linguistics. This book tackles case study research in applied linguistics. It defines, describes, and defends case study research, and gives examples to support. It then explains how to make a case study report. 6. Susan Hunston and David Oakey (2010). Introducing Applied Linguistics (Concepts and Skills). This book applies news stories to access the key concepts in applied linguistics and stresses the skills required for applied  linguistics. 7. Zoltan Dornyei (2007). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics (Quantative, Qualitative and Mixed Methodologies). This book is made up of five parts. Part one is mainly about the key issues in research methology. Part two presents data collection. Part three illustrates data analysis in details. Part four shows the structure of reporting research results in a quantitative report; a qualitative report; and a mixed method report. Part five sums up the book.

Descriptive Essay - Original Writing - 1638 Words

I fan my shirt out and in hoping to copycat some sort of breeze. I turn around to see a large black lake which according to history should have somehow cooled me off, but now you can just see heat rays streaming from the edge of the water. Drops of sweat run down the temple of my face and if I don’t get something in my system soon I’m sure to pass out again. I reach for my dark brown hair and pull it over my neck. I’m the weakest in our division, infamous for passing out in the middle of a brigade. I stare out into the deep purple like lake—the largest body of water I’ve ever seen. I remember my Grandfather telling me stories of swimming in crystal clear waters, so cold you were nervous to jump right in. I knew the lake here in Dinbua†¦show more content†¦I watch her toes slowly dip further into the water, another violation. She pulls back her long, course black hair and I see a tattoo of a star constellation I can’t quite make out o n the back of her neck. I straighten up. She’s an Argan. I’ve never seen one so close. I ignore the black spots beginning to form around my eyes and watch her intently. The Argans are the ones that started the war years ago, and it’s forbidden for them to be anywhere near a sector. My mother told me that she saw an Argan boy once. He was searching for food in our sector home, when my father nearly beat him off before my mother could give him any. I try to breathe slowly, knowing I’m on the brink of fainting. It’s been seventeen hours since I’ve had any food or water, but I try to hold on. I shut my eyes for a second hoping to erase the black vail across my eyes. When I open them again, the woman is standing tall looking straight at me. There is no one around and I know I can’t try to run for it. My breathing gets heavier and I can feel myself slowly falling backward. The woman seems to be walking towards me, and I can’t tell if I’m screaming or not. Then, nothing. I try opening my eyes, but a sharp pain from my leg springs up my body and I crunch my face in pain. â€Å"What the hell Sadie. You know of all people, you’re not allowed to go out alone.† I’m lying on a metal table with a small comforter and can feel the heat from a window behind me. I can feel something being tied to