A critique of language policy and implementation strategies used in selected institutions of higher learning in South Africa
- Authors: Somlata, Zakhile
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Language policy South Africa , Translanguaging (Linguistics) , Language and education South Africa , Language and languages Study and teaching South Africa , Education, Higher South Africa , Multilingualism South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62571 , vital:28208
- Description: This thesis evaluated the language policy implementation strategies used in selected universities of South Africa. The Constitution of the Republic of South African (1996) recognises eleven official languages, namely: English, Afrikaans, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Sepedi, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. These official languages should enjoy the parity of esteem in all domains. The language practices are very important in the education of students at all levels of education but this study focuses on the language policy implementation in universities. Most universities of South Africa have their language policies but the dilemma is on the implementation of those language policies. The overarching aim of this study is to evaluate how university use language policy for access and success of the students and to assess the language policy implementation strategies, monitoring and evaluation. The language is central to the success of the students and this study further investigated to what extent are the universities use the linguistic repertoires of the students in their education. This study is rooted in orientations of language planning: Language as problem, language as right and language as resource (Ruiz, 1984). This thesis employed a mixed methods approach (qualitative and quantitative method) with convergent parallel design. The data was collected from eleven universities of South Africa and the participants in each university were the "Key informants" (experts and insiders) which comprised of member of Executive Management, a member of the Institutional Language Committee and a language lecturer; and a cohort of forty third year students. The Key informants participated in the qualitative data collection through the structured interviews. The forty third year students participated in the quantitative data collected through survey questionnaires. The language policy documents of the universities were also sampled to get a better understanding of the real language practices and the language policy. The thematic analysis was used to analyse transcripts that were developed from the interviews, data from the students was analysed through descriptive and inferential analyses with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) as a statistical test and document analysis was used to analyse the language policies; The findings show that universities have commitment to access of the students to institutions of Higher Education. The success of the students is being thwarted by the monolingual approach where most of the universities use English only as the medium of instruction. The monolingual approach negatively affects the academic success and excellent academic performance of the majority of students. The findings show that there is high demand from the students that the course materials should be provided in African languages. All selected universities have their language policy which is something positive but most of them are outdated because they need to be reviewed at least after five years. The findings demonstrate that most universities lack the language policy implementation plans. The nonexistence of the language policy implementation plan adversely affects the implementation of the language policy. The study recommends that universities should provide the learning resources in African languages to meet the demands of the students. To maximise the success, students should be examined in any official languages of the university. The language policy implementation plans should be developed urgently so as to improve language policy implementation in universities. , Le thesisi iphonononge iindlela zokusetyenziswa komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi kwiiyunivesithi ezichongiweyo zaseMzantsi Afrika. Umgaqo-siseko waseMzantsi Afrika (1996) athathela ingqalelo iilwimi ezisemthethweni ezilishumi elinanye, isiNgesi, isiBhulu, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, SiSwati, Tshivenda neXitsonga. Ezi lwimi zisemthethweni zifanele ukuba zisetyenziswe ngokulinganayo kuzo zonke iinkalo. Ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi kubalulekile kakhulu kwimfundo yabantwana kuwo onke amanqanaba emfundo kodwa olu phando lugxile ekusetyenzisweni komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi kwiiyunivesithi. Uninzi lweeyunivesithi zinayo imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi kodwa ingxaki isekusetyenzisweni kwaloo migaqo-nkqubo yolwimi. Ezona njongo zolu phando kukuphonononga ukuba iiyunivesithi ziyisebenzisa njani na imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi ukuze abafundi bafikelele kwaye baphumelele ezifundweni kwakhona nokugocagoca izicwangciso zokusetyenziswa komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi nokuhlola ukusebenza kwezo zicwangciso. Ulwimi ngundoqo kwimpumelelo yabafundi kwaye umyinge wokusetyenziswa kweelwimi zabafundi ekufundeni kwabo kuthe kwaphandwa. Esi sifundo sisekelwe kwiindlela zocwangciso-lwimi: Ulwimi njengengxaki, ulwimi njengelungelo nolwimi njengesixhobo (Ruiz, 1984). Le thesisi esebenzise indlela yophando entlantlu-mbini (eyobunjani neyobungakanani) kunye noyilo lwendibaniso kokunxuseneyo. Idatha yathi yaqokelelwa kwiiyunivesithi ezilishumi elinanye eMzantsi Afrika kwaye abathabathi nxaxheba babandakanya ilungu lesigqeba solawulo, ilungu lekomiti yeelwimi eyunivesithi nomhlohli wolwimi; kunye nabafundi abakunyaka wesithathu kwizifundo zabo kwiyunivesithi nganye. Idatha yaqokelelwa kubadlulisi-lwazi abaphambili beeyunivesithi ngodliwano-ndlebe oluqingqiweyo. Abafundi abalishumi elinesine bathi bathabathi inxaxheba kuqokelelo lwedatha ngokuthi bagcwalise uludwe lwemibuzo eyayicwangcisiwe. Umaxwebhu omgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi athi achongwa ukuze kubekho ukuqondakala phakathi kokusetyenziswa kolwimi kunye nokumgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi. Uhlalutyo ngokomxholo lwathi lwasetyenziswa ukuhlalutya ulwazi olwabhalwayo luvela kudliwano-ndlebe olwashicilelwayo, idatha eyayisuka kubafundi yathi yahlalutywa ngokusebenzisa uhlalutyo ngokwenkcazelo nangokuthelekelela kunye neStatistical Pakage for Social Sciences (SPSS) njengesixhobo senkcukacha-manani kwaye uhlalutyo loxwebhu lwathi lwasetyenziswa ukuhlalutya imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi. Iziphumo zibonakalisa ukuba iiyunivesithi zizibophelele ekufikelelekeni kwabafundi kumaziko emfundo ephakamileyo. Impumelelo yabafundi ithi ithityazwe kukusetyenziswa kolwimi olunye apho uninzi lweeyunivesithi zisebenzisa isiNgesi kuphela njengolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa. Ukusetyenziswa kolwimi olunye kuthi kuchaphazela gwenxa impumelelo yabafundi nokuqhuba ngcono ezifundweni. Iziphumo zibonakalisa ukuba kukho imfuno emmandla kubafundi yokuba izixhobo zokufunda nokufundisa zifumaneke nangeelwimi zesiNtu. Inyathelo elihle lelokuba zonke iiyunivesithi ezichongiweyo zinayo imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi kodwa imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi emininzi midala kuba ifanelwe ukuba iphononongwe emva kweminyaka emihlanu ubuncinane. Iziphumo zibonakalisa ukuba iiyunivesithi azinazo izicwangciso zokusetyenziswa kwemigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi. Ukungabikho kwesicwangciso sokusetyenziswa komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi kuchaphazela gwenxa ukusetyenziswa kwawo. Olu phando lundulula ukuba iiyunivesithi zifanele ukuba zibonelele ngezixhobo zokufunda nokufundisa ezingeelwimi zesiNtu ukukhawulelana neemfuno zabafundi. Ukwandisa impumelelo, abafundi kufanele ukuba bavavanywe ngalo naluphi na ulwimi olusemthethweni lweyunivesithi. Izicwangciso zokusetyenziswa komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi zifanele ukuba ziveliswe njengenyewe engxamisekileyo ukuze kuphuculwe ukusetyenziswa kwemigaqo- nkqubo yolwimi kwiiyunivesithi.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Aspects Allocentristes de l’Humanisme dans l’Univers Romanesque de Williams Sassine
- Authors: Dami, Emmanuel Naancin
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sassine, Williams, 1944-1997 -- Criticism and interpretation , Guinean fiction (French) -- 20th century -- History and criticism , Humanism in literature , Human beings in literature , Postcolonialism in literature , Existentialism in literature
- Language: French , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61957 , vital:28089
- Description: The human being, his behaviour and more importantly, his very essence have, for time immemorial, proven to be enigmatic to many a man and to researchers in particular. Consequently, the need for a thorough and more profound understanding of man has made him the epicentre of epistemic investigations across many academic disciplines. This, unfortunately, does not seem to have shaded bright lights on the grey areas bordering on his nature to his behavior. This, in turn, opens up other windows requiring further probes. For instance, proponents of the Neo-classical economic school contend that the human being is homo oeconomicus. This implies that man is intrinsically egocentric and a rational being whose decisions are based on informed choices driven by his urge for maximal utility geared towards his personal satisfaction (O’Boyle 2009; Caruso 2012). This stance invalidates man’s ability to do ‘disinterested good’ in any form. African francophone literature is replete with different and diverse images of man, his behaviour and existential conditions: sufferings and struggles. It, therefore, constitutes, inter alia, a laboratory in which researchers undertake investigative endeavours. This thesis beams its floodlights on the allocentric aspects of humanism in the novels of Williams Sassine. Thus, using the phenomenological and ‘clavieniste’ lenses as overarching operational theories, the thesis investigates Sassine’s novels with the view to shading a ray of light on the ‘humanistic man’ especially the allocentric dimensions of his nature and comportment. Emphasis is laid on the motives and motivations underlying the individual and the in-group struggle of the sassinien heroes in the emancipation of their society from the shackles of colonial and postcolonial domination, exploitation and subjugation resulting in self-determination and the subsequent disenchantment. Furthermore, the thesis examines the nature and character of human charity, generosity and sacrifices among the characters in the novels. In conclusion, the thesis establishes, through an x-ray of the nature of actions and decisions of certain characters in the novels, the examination of the conscious and subconscious intentions underlying these same actions and decisions which, on a face value, are apparently altruistic, that the sassinien heroes’ efforts and sacrifices are geared towards the common and greater good. This invariably means that man is, indeed, capable of posing disinterested acts of charity and bringing succour, devoid of any ulterior motives for personal gain, to his fellow humans. The position of the Neo-classical economists is consequently over-assuming, sweeping and tad generalizing. The sassinien characters have demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that they are humanists. Their nature, the remote and immediate causes of their fights, the goals and objectives of their struggles and their spirit of abnegation have indeed proven that “human beings have the right and the responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. [They have stood] for the building of a more humane society through an ethics based on the human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities” (AHA 2017 : 3).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Code-switching as a pedagogical strategy in classroom settings: the case of township schools in a South African Metropolitan Municipality
- Authors: Marawu, Sithembele
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Code switching (Linguistics) , Multilingual education -- South Africa , Education, Bilingual -- South Africa , Language and languages -- Study and teaching -- Bilingual method , English language -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Language and education -- South Africa , Language and education -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62406 , vital:28173
- Description: The purpose of this study was to explore the use of code-switching as a pedagogical strategy in bi/multilingual classroom settings. It was prompted by the widespread use of codeswitching (CS) in classrooms, particularly in South African rural and township schools. This study highlighted that learners from disadvantaged backgrounds struggle to learn through the medium of English but aspire to acquire it because of its association with socio-economic advancement. However, poor proficiency in English excludes them from being part of the country's economy. Research studies show that there is a shift from the old orthodoxy which perceived CS as undesirable in classrooms to a new orthodoxy that acknowledges its academic contribution in classrooms. Although more research on classroom CS has been done, this study identified the need for development of new strategies on how to use CS effectively in classrooms as a linguistic and pedagogical resource. In line with critical classroom ethnography, qualitative interpretation of data was used to understand the teachers' discourse behaviour. Additionally, non-probability sampling - specifically purposive sampling - was used to collect data. These methods and approaches assisted in the analysis of the discourse of the three teachers who served as units of analysis in this study. These teachers relied on CS to impart the content of their subjects to the learners. It transpired from data analysis that teachers use CS in classrooms to achieve various functions like social and pedagogical functions. Another finding is that the switches teachers make do not affect the syntactic structure of the matrix language. Moreover, CS enhances understanding of the subject matter. This study concludes by stating that as learners are emergent bilinguals, additive bilingualism would be more ideal in the South African situation than subtractive bilingualism which parents and learners seem to prefer. Lastly, there is a need to harness CS as a communicative and pedagogical resource in classrooms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Sepedi oral poetry with reference to kiba traditional dance of South Africa
- Authors: Maahlamela, Tebogo David
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Northern Sotho poetry , Northern Sotho poetry -- History and criticism , Folk songs, Northern Sotho , Sound poetry -- South Africa , Archival materials -- Conservation and restoration , Spiritualism in literature , Cultural appropriation , Folk poetry, Northern Sotho , Kiba traditional dance , Kiba poetry
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63209 , vital:28381
- Description: Previous studies show that contrary to other African languages of fewer speakers, written poetry in Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa’s transition from oral to written did not only lag behind, its development was also slow, with less intense treatment. However, this scarcity is not of the actual oral material, but rather its documented version. Vast untreated material at various repositories such as the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) library and the International Library of African Music (ILAM) are facing a risk of being lost due to limited resources and resourcefulness to digitalise them. Investigation of written poetry from 1906 to 2006 attests to the fact that in its written form, Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa poetry is still underdeveloped, dominated by “microwaved” collections aiming at nothing beyond meeting school prescription criteria. Calls have been made from the dominant South African poetry narrative that there are no innovative studies in the field of African languages, especially Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa. Musicological studies show that contemporary jazz artists have adopted and adapted kiba poetry into jazz music, which resulted into classics of all times. Intensive studies were conducted on such poetic kiba-influenced jazz, but the primary source remains a grey area. The analysis of selected kiba poems shows that kiba poetry is the richest poetic form in the Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa with its creative and artistic merit exceeds all other genres. The study further reveals that kiba poetry is the heart of Bapedi/Basotho ba Leboa spirituality, a heart without which some faith institutions will remain incomplete. Furthermore, kiba poetry embodies, among others, poetic genres rarely explored in the South African poetry milieu such as “sound poetry” and poetry of special metrical schemes, of dramatic and devotional essence. Scholarly attention is, therefore, recommended on this repertoire to explore the field beyond this preliminary study, so as to save as many kiba poems as possible, which will enrich the dwindling written poetry milieu. Literary excellence of the treated poems attests to the fact that the artistic wealth of kiba poetry is worthy of attention, and it has potential to transform not only the face of poetry in Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa, but of the entire South African poetry landscape.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Uphando-nzulu lweempendulo ezibhaliweyo zabafundi bamabakala aphezulu emfundo kuncwadi lwesiXhosa
- Authors: Mavela, Xolani Sikhomo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Discourse analysis , Anthropological linguistics , Academic writing Study and teaching , Academic writing Evaluation , Linguistics Research
- Language: Xhosa
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63176 , vital:28370
- Description: Kwiziphumo zakutsha nje ezivezwe kwiigridi zocazululo zohlolo loncwadi kwinqanaba lemfundo ephakamileyo (FET), kufumaniseke ukuba abafundi beli nqanaba abaqhubi kakuhle tu kwaphela xa becelwa ukuba babhale iimpendulo zabo kwanezo zimandundu nezikhwencayo kwiitekisi zoncwadi. Ngenxa yesi sizathu, eyona njongo iphambili yolu phando kukuzama ukuyila nokuvelisa isixhobo esinokusetyenziswa ekwaziseni nasekuxhobiseni abafundi besiXhosa abakwinqanaba leFET, ngezakhono zokubhala eziphuhlileyo nezikumgangatho wobhalo lwamaziko emfundo enomsila. Kule meko, ingcali yophando kwezobhalo lolwimi uMartin (2009) uhlomla ngelithi ubhalo olujolise ekunikeni iimpendulo, lubonwa njengohlobo lokubhala oluneengcambu ezimiliselwe ekufundisweni nasekungeneleleni ngokugqibeleleyo ngezakhono zokubhala, bhalo olu lunokuthi emva kwethuba elithile, luphelele kwincochoyi yokushicilelwa, lube ngamaxwebhu ahlelwe ngokusesikweni. Iindlela okanye izixhobo zokubhala eziyilwe ngeenjongo zokunikeza iimpendulo, nezithathwe kuphando lukaFeez noJoyce (1998), zizo eziza kusetyenziswa njengenxalenye yoqeqesho nakumaphulo ongenelelo oluza kuxhasa abafundi besiXhosa benqanaba leFET, nanjengoko ezi zixhobo zibonakala zinegalelo elincomekayo kwindlela ekubhalwa ngayo iimpendulo zeetekisi zoncwadi, ngokuthi zigxile kwezi njongo zilandelayo: (i) Ukunika abafundi ulwazi lokuzuza ulwazi olunzulu nolugqibeleleyo ngokuphathelele kwiinjongo zetekisi. (ii) Ukunika inkcazelo ecacileyo ngokubaluleka kwesakhiwo setekisi kwanokubunjwa kwayo. (iii) Ukuxhobisa abafundi ukuze bakwazi ukuchonga ulwimi oluxabisayo, iimpawu zobume bamagama negrama, kuquka nemiba ephambili yamasiko kwiitekisi zoncwadi. Ngenxa yezi njongo, kufikelelwa kuqikelelo oluthi, kuya kuthi ngokusetyenziswa kwesixhobo sikaFeez noJoyce seZakhono zokuBhala, sixhobo eso sayame kwiinqobo zeNgcingane yokuXabisa okufundwayo nedandalaziswa nguMartin noWhite (2006; 2005 no-2003) nayo le ngcingane eluncedo ekufundisweni kokubhala, abafundi abaninzi boncwadi lwesiXhosa kukholeleka ukuba bakukwazi ukuphuhlisa izakhono zokubhala iitekisi ezinika iimpendulo ezihlahlela imiba ephambili yoncwadi abalufundisiweyo. Olu phando lukwahlabela mgama lubonisa nokuba nezinye izixhobo zoyilo lweetekisi zikaGrabe noKaplan (1996), zinakho ukusetyenziswa ngaxesha linye neenqobo zeNgcingane yokuXabisa okufundwayo, kuquka nemiba yeZakhono zokuBhala, ukuze kwandiswe oku kuphuhliswa kwezakhono zokubhala kubafundi besiXhosa, kungaphelelanga kumabanga aphezulu, koko kufikelelwe nakumabanga asezantsi, nanjengoko kuveziwe kwiziphumo, kwizishwankathelo nakwisiphelo solu phando.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018