This thesis is based on an anlaysis of adolsecents’ discursive construction of sexuality. Its main objective is to gain an understanding of the world of adolescents sexuality. Worldwide, studies on sexual behaviour among adolescents indicate that a significant number of adolescents are becoming sexually active at an early age. Whereas it is true that culture and language use fundamentally influence sexuality by creating and communicating values, norms, and expectations regarding sexual relationships and behaviour, it is also true that due to various socio-economic and political changes, these cultures are gradually being abandoned. How sexuality is linguistically defined and framed within adolescents groupings thereby influencing their sexual decision and actions inspired this research. Goffmans’s Frame Analysis Theory and van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis framework were used to examine the lexical items, the different discursive frames and strategies employed in the discourse of sexuality among school going adolescents. The study randomly selected a sample of 104 students from three secondary schools purposefully chosen within Nakuru County. Data was collected through focus group discussions. The data was transcribed, coded and analysed using Frame Analysis as well as Critical Analysis methods. The study established that the words used by adolescents in the construction of their sexuality falls into three functional categories and within which there were subcategories. These words are largely euphemistic and metaphorical. In view of frames, it emerged that there are four distinct frames i.e urgency frame, abstinence frame, authority and characterization or categorization frames. These frames mirror adolescents’ understanding and construction of sexuality and complement each other in the adolescent sexuality discourse. On strategies, seven strategies were used by the adolescents to naturalize and rationalize their sexual acts. These strategies are disclaimer, authority, categorization, euphemisim, metaphors, number game and hyperbole. It is hoped that these findings will not only add to the existing body of knowledge on sexuality discourse but will also inform stakeholders involved in designing youth sexuality programmes in different learning institutions. This may in turn contribute to solving issues such as unwanted pregnacies, school drop out and abortion among adolescents.

The study sought to identify and describe the articulation and phonological impairments in the speech of 6-14 year old learners of English as a second language in primary school with cerebral palsy. Further the study also established the linguistic interventions employed by the teachers to assist the learners affected by articulation and phonological impairments as a result of cerebral palsy. Optimality theory was used to account for the impairments through mapping of competence and performance vis- a-vis input and outputs as shown in the speech samples of the respondents. Further, error analysis provided the procedural methodology for analysis of the speech samples obtained from the subjects. Data was collected from 27 subjects who were purposively sampled from the school population. For purposes of understanding the levels of severity, the subjects were put into three cohorts. A qualitative design with a triangulation strategy was adopted whereby data obtained from the subjects using picture naming tasks and focus group discussion from the teachers, was put in tables and later followed with explanations. Analysis of the speech samples collected from the subjects show the presence of the articulation impairments that include omissions, substitutions, distortions and insertions. The phonological impairments were consonant deletion, cluster reduction, syllable reduction, fronting deafrication, and stopping. Further, findings in this study show that core vocabulary and articulation therapy were the linguistic interventions employed by teachers to help remedy the impairments in the subjects. The findings of this study would be of importance and significance to three groups namely: parents, teachers and researchers. This study also offers both clinical and theoretical benefits. Clinically, data is urgently needed to inform the assessment, treatment and therapy for articulation and phonological impairments in second language learners with Cerebral Palsy. Theoretically, investigation of different varieties of English allows testing of hypothesis based on English speakers.