Apples - Journal of Applied Language Studies

„Das hat die Angehörigen schwer enttäuscht“ - Stimmen und Positionierung der Terroropfer in der deutschen Tagespresse

Anna-Maija Ylä-Mattila — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Die Auswahl und Hierarchisierung unterschiedlicher Stimmen in der Tagespresse ist als ein den sozialen Machtverhältnissen unterliegender subtiler Konstruktionsprozess zu verstehen. Diese diskursanalytische Studie setzt sich zum Ziel, die Präsenz der Opfer des NSU-Terrors und des IS-Anschlags am Berliner Breitscheidplatz in der Presse anhand zweier überregionaler deutscher Tageszeitungen, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung und Süddeutsche Zeitung, sowie deren publizistischen Ablegern zu untersuchen. Nach der Analyse der repräsentierten Stimmen sollen mit Hilfe der Analyse der diskursiven Positionierung nicht nur die im Diskurs erzeugten Subjektpositionen der Opfer aufgezeigt, sondern vor allem die Verbindung zwischen der Hierarchisierung der Stimmen und den Äußerungsmöglichkeiten der Opfer erklärt werden. Aus der Analyse der Stimmen ergibt sich, dass in opferbezogenen Textstellen der Pressebeiträge eher die Stimmen von Politiker:innen als die der Opfer zu erkennen sind. Die Analyse zeigt deutliche Unterschiede hinsichtlich der Hierarchisierung der Stimmen und den Äußerungsmöglichkeiten zwischen den Terrorfällen auf. Diese Studie trägt zur kritischen Medien- und Terrorismusforschung aus linguistischer Perspektive besonders in Deutschland bei, indem sie die medial erzeugten Konstruktionen von Terroropfern in Deutschland betrachtet.

Enhancing Language Education through Social Robots

Liisa Peura, Maarit Mutta, Telma Peura — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This article explores the long-term child-robot interaction (CRI) in the context of robot-assisted language learning (RALL). More specifically, we examined how robot literacy, the ability to have appropriate relations and interactions with a robot, manifested itself in the use of L2 communication strategies in French as a second language (L2). Our primary research question centres on the role of familiarity with the robot and the development of robot literacy through engagement in L2 interaction. We compared the experiences of fourth graders who had interacted with a social robot over a prolonged period with fifth graders without such experience. A usage-based approach to examine L2 oral communication strategies, including conversation management, was employed. The findings revealed that robot literacy positively impacted learners’ willingness to communicate with the robot and their L2 interactional skills. This improved their communication strategies, and understanding of language structures. Unlike previous studies emphasizing the positive impact of novelty in RALL, this study suggests that long-term familiarity might, in fact, benefit the learners more in a one-on-one setting. The research underscores the importance of robot literacy and familiarity in shaping effective engagement and language development outcomes. It contributes to the CRI discourse and highlights the intertwined relationship between technology, education, and societal progress. Overall, the study posits that enhancing robot literacy equips learners with skills to navigate the evolving technological landscape, fostering social and linguistic sustainability.

Modes of positioning agency in academic writing

Kati Rantala-Lehtola, Mirja Tarnanen — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This study aims to enhance our understanding of agency in academic writing by examining its multidimensional nature. It takes a holistic socio-cultural and narrative approach to agency, viewing it as a dynamic process that is socially situated and includes awareness of one’s actions, goals, and autonomy. The study is based on interviews and drawings from eight bachelor’s thesis writers at a Finnish university. The data is analyzed through positioning analysis, identifying four orientations to writer agency: instrumental, questioning, self-willed, and solitary. The findings highlight the tensions between individuals and the academic community in academic writing and underscore the importance of institutional support. Trust and positioning are identified as crucial elements in the practice of agency. The research suggests that creating self-portraits as an academic writer during the writing process and sharing them with others can be a practical way to position oneself in the academic community and enhance one’s understanding of agency.

Administrators’ views on supporting newly arrived students in Finland

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This study examines Finnish municipal-level administrators’ (N = 4) insights on organizing and administering education for newly arrived students. The data were gathered through interviews and analyzed using thematic content analysis. All the municipalities where the participants worked had good practices for preparatory education for newly arrived students. However, variations in these practices indicate that more coherent national guidelines are needed. Post-preparatory education practices were less developed. Overall, there are some effective practices related to organizing and administering education for newly arrived students in Finland, which could be implemented internationally; however, further practices need to be developed to promote educational and social justice for all students.

Negotiating Translanguaging Space

Åsa Wedin, Lovisa Berg — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0300

In this article, translanguaging as a concept is used to study the negotiation of meaning in Mother Tongue Instruction (MTI) in Arabic in a classroom. The case of Arabic makes translanguaging relevant to the diglossic situation between MSA and varieties of Arabic. The aim of this article is to study classroom interaction in MTI Arabic in relation to students’ space for their varied linguistic repertoires. The material used includes fieldnotes, audio recordings from classroom observations in MTI Arabic and one teacher interview. A seamless shuttling between Swedish and Arabic varieties appears. The diglossic situation in Arabic means that while all students need to learn Modern Standard Arabic, the challenges are greater for those students whose language variety differs most from the teacher’s. In this case, the teacher’s Levantine variety was closer to the variety of some students than of others. The critical and creative aspects inherent in translanguaging put issues of student engagement and participation in focus. In this case, the teacher took a central position and students were rather passive, answering questions and completing set tasks. We conclude that the syllabus and teacher education for MTI need to include issues of linguistic variation and, in the case of Arabic, implications of the diglossic situation.

Bilingual aspirations

Dragana Cvetanovic, Heini Lehtonen, Åsa Mickwitz, Auli Toom — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This paper examines students’ practices in becoming bilingual experts. Students study in bilingual bachelor’s degrees (Finnish-Swedish) at the University of Helsinki. The research questions are: 1) What practices do the students engage in to promote language and content learning? 2) How are language ideologies and perceptions of language learning reflected in student practices? 3) How do learning environments, including teachers’ practices, guide and regulate students’ practices towards bilingual expertise? The data consist of observations during the lessons as well as interviews immediately after the lessons. The data were analysed qualitatively. The main theoretical concepts are content-based language learning, bilingual expertise, language ideologies and the learning environment. The analysis shows that many students pro-actively seek opportunities to enhance and practise their “weaker” language. However, students’ language ideologies, attitudes, and perceptions of what it is to ‘know’ and ‘learn’ a language affect the practices they engage in. In this context, the different status of Finnish and Swedish in the society plays a role as well. The students call for student-centred, engaging teaching methods that offer a safe environment in which to practise one’s expert voice in different languages. The students are mostly content with the language support offered by the Language Centre, but the timing of the support is not always ideal. Integrated language and content courses with co-teaching were mentioned as a desirable practice.