title: Language use in software

authors: Yeo, Alvin

subjects: computer science

abstract: Many of the popular software we use today are in English. Very few software applications are available in minority languages. Besides economic goals, we justify why software should be made available to smaller cultures. Furthermore, there is evidence that people learn and progress faster in software in their mother tongue (Griffiths et at, 1994) (Krock, 1996). We hypothesise that experienced users of English spreadsheet can easily migrate to a spreadsheet in their native tongue i.e. Bahasa Melayu (Malaysia’s national language). Observations made in the study suggest that the native speakers of Bahasa Melayu had difficulties with the Bahasa Melayu interface. The subjects’ main difficulty was their unfamiliarity with computing terminology in Bahasa Melayu. We present possible strategies to increase the use of Bahasa Melayu in IT. These strategies may also be used to promote the use of other minority languages in IT.

text: Language use in software Many of the popular software we use today are in English. Very few software applications are available in minority languages. Besides economic goals, we justify why software should be made available to smaller cultures. Furthermore, there is evidence that people learn and progress faster in software in their mother tongue (Griffiths et at, 1994) (Krock, 1996). We hypothesise that experienced users of English spreadsheet can easily migrate to a spreadsheet in their native tongue i.e. Bahasa Melayu (Malaysia’s national language). Observations made in the study suggest that the native speakers of Bahasa Melayu had difficulties with the Bahasa Melayu interface. The subjects’ main difficulty was their unfamiliarity with computing terminology in Bahasa Melayu. We present possible strategies to increase the use of Bahasa Melayu in IT. These strategies may also be used to promote the use of other minority languages in IT.

year: 1997-07

title: Personal Trainers: Motivating and Moderating Client Exercise Behaviour

authors: Sweet, Wendy Gaylene

subjects: Personal Trainer

abstract: First established in the 1990's, the personal training industry in New Zealand has experienced unprecedented growth. Over 80% of New Zealand health clubs market the services of Personal Trainers and there are now over 1500 registered Personal Trainers working in a range of settings. Their primary professional role is one whereby they promote and support individuals to attain desired 'results' in relation to their physical fitness and particularly, to adopt a more physically active lifestyle. But despite the growth of this industry, little is known about how Personal Trainers actually go about supporting
the clients who purchase their service to find a way into, as well as stay committed to a physically activity lifestyle. To date there has been no research in New Zealand exploring
how Personal Trainers operate as agents of behaviour change. Furthermore, there appears
only anecdotal evidence about how the intervention strategies used by Personal Trainers
reflect those recommended in the 'behaviour-change' literature.

This thesis focused on the daily, working experiences of ten Personal Trainers. Inspired
by the interpretive paradigm, in-depth interviews were conducted and analysis of the data, guided by the tenets of grounded theory, allowed the story about the way each participant went about her/his work to emerge. The study highlights a variety of issues that these Trainers recognise as significantly influencing their ability to succeed in an increasingly competitive and demanding business. Specific reference was also given to the behavioural intervention strategies that each participant believed were the most
beneficial in nurturing client lifestyle behaviour-change.

The study outcomes reveal that although the Trainers worked independently of each other
there was considerable commonality in the approaches they had developed. All agreed on
the importance of presenting themselves as confident, competent professionals who
modelled healthy life-styles to their clients. Some of the strategies they used were similar
in some regards to those described in the intervention literature, but others were not. A
salient point made by all was that, despite some of their practices lying outside the
professional boundaries defined by their professional registration organisation, the
provision of services to clients often went beyond the 'physical'. Nutritional counselling
especially had become an integral part of the service they provided for clients and was, in
fact, an area which clients 'expected' them to be experts in. Each acknowledged the challenge of devising strategies to keep their clients committed, motivated and returning to them. The study highlighted two distinct phases of intervention as the Trainers used different motivational approaches to firstly, initiate change and then maintain their client's progress. As the clients began to see results all of the trainers agreed that their relationship with their long-term clients became more collegial. As time progressed, and in order to facilitate and foster client belief in the inherent value of physical activity 'for life', the Trainers became their client's Life Coach. The Personal Trainers in this study described a multitude of roles that each believed they needed to fulfil in order that they achieved on-going success as a Trainer. This emphasises the need for a more expansive
education programme for Personal Trainers. Programmes which move beyond a traditional fitness discourse and better reflect the complexities of what it truly means to
be a one-on-one 'Trainer'.

text: Personal Trainers: Motivating and Moderating Client Exercise Behaviour First established in the 1990's, the personal training industry in New Zealand has experienced unprecedented growth. Over 80% of New Zealand health clubs market the services of Personal Trainers and there are now over 1500 registered Personal Trainers working in a range of settings. Their primary professional role is one whereby they promote and support individuals to attain desired 'results' in relation to their physical fitness and particularly, to adopt a more physically active lifestyle. But despite the growth of this industry, little is known about how Personal Trainers actually go about supporting
the clients who purchase their service to find a way into, as well as stay committed to a physically activity lifestyle. To date there has been no research in New Zealand exploring
how Personal Trainers operate as agents of behaviour change. Furthermore, there appears
only anecdotal evidence about how the intervention strategies used by Personal Trainers
reflect those recommended in the 'behaviour-change' literature.

This thesis focused on the daily, working experiences of ten Personal Trainers. Inspired
by the interpretive paradigm, in-depth interviews were conducted and analysis of the data, guided by the tenets of grounded theory, allowed the story about the way each participant went about her/his work to emerge. The study highlights a variety of issues that these Trainers recognise as significantly influencing their ability to succeed in an increasingly competitive and demanding business. Specific reference was also given to the behavioural intervention strategies that each participant believed were the most
beneficial in nurturing client lifestyle behaviour-change.

The study outcomes reveal that although the Trainers worked independently of each other
there was considerable commonality in the approaches they had developed. All agreed on
the importance of presenting themselves as confident, competent professionals who
modelled healthy life-styles to their clients. Some of the strategies they used were similar
in some regards to those described in the intervention literature, but others were not. A
salient point made by all was that, despite some of their practices lying outside the
professional boundaries defined by their professional registration organisation, the
provision of services to clients often went beyond the 'physical'. Nutritional counselling
especially had become an integral part of the service they provided for clients and was, in
fact, an area which clients 'expected' them to be experts in. Each acknowledged the challenge of devising strategies to keep their clients committed, motivated and returning to them. The study highlighted two distinct phases of intervention as the Trainers used different motivational approaches to firstly, initiate change and then maintain their client's progress. As the clients began to see results all of the trainers agreed that their relationship with their long-term clients became more collegial. As time progressed, and in order to facilitate and foster client belief in the inherent value of physical activity 'for life', the Trainers became their client's Life Coach. The Personal Trainers in this study described a multitude of roles that each believed they needed to fulfil in order that they achieved on-going success as a Trainer. This emphasises the need for a more expansive
education programme for Personal Trainers. Programmes which move beyond a traditional fitness discourse and better reflect the complexities of what it truly means to
be a one-on-one 'Trainer'.

year: 2008

title: Dis-lodging literature from English: Challenging linguistic hegemonies

authors: Locke, Terry

subjects: literature

abstract: This paper problematises the location of literature "teaching" within the English (L1) curriculum, as is the case in New Zealand and other settings. It defamiliarises this arrangement by drawing attention to official New Zealand policies of biculturalism and to the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in many New Zealand classrooms. It identifies a number of social justice issues arising from the current arrangement, and also raises issues in respect of educational policy and ways in which canonical subjects become constructed in practice. It then discusses ways in which a new qualifications template developed at the University of Waikato might provide a vehicle for establishing a new arrangement, in terms of which literature study is dislodged from English and reshaped as a course of study entitled Literature in Society. It indicates ways in which Comparative Literature, as a predominantly university-constituted discipline, might contribute to the theorisation of this new arrangement.

text: Dis-lodging literature from English: Challenging linguistic hegemonies This paper problematises the location of literature "teaching" within the English (L1) curriculum, as is the case in New Zealand and other settings. It defamiliarises this arrangement by drawing attention to official New Zealand policies of biculturalism and to the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in many New Zealand classrooms. It identifies a number of social justice issues arising from the current arrangement, and also raises issues in respect of educational policy and ways in which canonical subjects become constructed in practice. It then discusses ways in which a new qualifications template developed at the University of Waikato might provide a vehicle for establishing a new arrangement, in terms of which literature study is dislodged from English and reshaped as a course of study entitled Literature in Society. It indicates ways in which Comparative Literature, as a predominantly university-constituted discipline, might contribute to the theorisation of this new arrangement.

year: 2004-05-01