https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/1047 2026-04-09T03:14:02Z 2026-04-09T03:14:02Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/143468 2026-02-05T09:43:08Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Transmedia storytelling in the detective genre : analysing reader and viewer experience Abstract: The history of storytelling is a history of change and transformation across time and space. Henry Jenkins’ theory of digital platform storytelling, and Manuel Castells’ theory of Real Virtuality show how readers and viewers experience detective genre stories through transmedia. Case studies from the storyworld of Sherlock Holmes including canonical works, as well as fan-made material, help to contextualise the argument. This is important because fan contributions shed more light on how transmedia platforms influence their experiences through fanfiction writing. Stories cross from the imaginative and virtual storyworlds to the reality of readers and viewers through transmedia platforms. A look into Marie-Laure Ryan’s discussion of how modification, expansion, and transposition transform a story allows for a better understanding of reader and viewer experience. The role of these methods is also discussed, through the way Christy Dena links secondary authors to the original storyworld. This dissertation also looks at the possibility of having a unified theory of narrative. As opposed to one model, a discussion of the way different theories of narrative work together towards reader and viewer experience features in this work. The way Wolf Schmid looks at the text as the only thing that can be observed leading to the semiotic model is crucial. Comparing Schmid’s theory to that of other scholars contextualises the argument that different narrative theories come together to enrich the storytelling experience. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138509 2025-08-29T10:54:01Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Indirectness in a Maltese school setting Abstract: This dissertation investigates the role of indirectness in a Maltese educational setting, focusing on its use among female and male educators to determine who is more indirect. The study also explores how indirectness is perceived by both educators and learners: as a sign of power or weakness? Additionally, it categorises the types of indirect speech acts used in the classroom, identifying the most common uses according to gender. The research was conducted in an independent school in Malta where students follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP). A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving a self-administered questionnaire completed by participants, followed by lesson observations. In the final stage, a focus group with educators was conducted. Both the lesson observations and the focus group were recorded and transcribed to identify the direct and indirect linguistic strategies used by both genders. Contrary to many previous studies positing that women’s language is more characterised by indirect forms, this study found that female educators were generally more direct than their male counterparts. However, the findings also indicated that gender is just one of many factors that contribute to the choice of indirect strategies in the classroom. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138491 2025-08-28T11:17:02Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on linguistic development in children as seen in educational settings, with a specific focus on the mask mandate and nation-wide lockdowns Abstract: Child language acquisition is a multimodal process aided by several factors. These include interlocutor variability, exposure to new environments, and the opportunity for children to be exposed to as much speech as possible. School offers a linguistically stimulating environment where children are provided with the necessary tools for linguistic development. However, this changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, resulting in the implementation of various restrictions and remote education. This research seeks to explore if restrictions like social distancing, distant learning, and the mask mandate resulted in any regressions when it comes to child language acquisition. The following research questions will be examined within this study: (i) How was children’s linguistic development affected by COVID-19 restrictions? (ii) Do teachers believe that mask-wearing created a more difficult environment for children to learn and progress linguistically in the classroom? A qualitative approach was employed by means of semi-structured interviews to seek to address the set research questions. Through the chosen research instrument, it was established that COVID-19 restrictions had critical effects on students’ language development within classroom settings. Vocabulary development, bilingualism, pronunciation, and written language regressed during the pandemic, with some difficulties still being prevalent after restrictions were lifted. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138490 2025-08-28T11:11:33Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Investigating motivation in two groups of English language learners : migrant workers and foreign students in Malta Abstract: This dissertation investigates motivation in two groups of English language learners, that is, migrant workers and foreign students in Malta, in relation to the research question: ‘What are the Similarities and Variances Between the Motivation of Migrant Workers and Foreign Students in Malta?’. This study adopts a qualitative approach, collecting data through the research instrument of semi-structured interviews from five foreign students and four migrant workers. As it is a qualitative approach, the interviews elicited rich data and were semi-structured to encourage more in-depth responses. The data collected suggests that despite the different categorisations, migrant workers and foreign students share a lot of similarities when learning a foreign language. Data also found that there are a few differences between migrants and foreign students, usually directly related to the different contexts the participants found themselves in. In conclusion, motivation clearly plays a major role in learning a language. Although some variances were mentioned among the two sets of language learners, there were mainly similarities. This seems to suggest that learning a language is not so much based on the category of the learner, as there will always be individual differences, but more so on the language chosen to be learnt. English is a globalised language and so is recognised universally for its importance. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z