Chave Chemutengure Vhiri Rengoro : Husarungano Nerwendo Rwengano Dzevashona
- Authors: Mabasa, Ignatius T
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Ethnology -- Zimbabwe , Zimbabwe -- Folklore , Shona (African people) -- Folklore , Ethnoscience , Decolonization in literature , Decolonization -- Africa , Autoethnography , Chemutengure , Subaltern
- Language: Shona
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PHD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/174198 , vital:42454 , http://doi.org/10.21504/10962/174198
- Description: Tsvakurudzo ino inyaya yangu sasarungano nemunyori weChiShona, asiwo iri nyaya yevanhu veChiShona. Inyaya yekurerwa kwandakaitwa nengano, ndikaona ngano dzakandirera dzichipinzwa muzvikoro, dzichisangana nechirungu, dzichifambidzana nechirungu, nekuzopedzisira dzazvara mimwe misambo yengano. Basa rino maonero angu ndichishandisa nzira yetsvakurudzo inonzi husarungano, kureva muono wasarungano. Izvi zvinoreva kududzira nekutsanangura, kufungisisa nekupenengura humhizha hunowanikwa mutsika nemagariro angu, sasarungano ari kupfuurira mberi nekuita ngano munyika yazara chirungu. Naizvozvo, ini ndini musoro wenyaya yandiri kutaura, asiwo ndirini zvakare muiti wetsvakurudzo. Ndichishandisa zvandakasangana nazvo, nezvandinofunga nekuona sasarungano – ndinodzokera kuchimbo chinotaura nyaya yevaShona pakapinda vachena munyika yeZimbabwe. Ndinotsanangura zvinoreva Chemutengure, uye nekukosha kwacho mukufambisa ruzivo, mashoko nekutsanangura hupenyu hwedu sevanhu vatema vakanga vakadzvanyiriwa. Chemutengure mafungiro, imhenenguro, iyambiro nehungwaru. Ndinotsanangura ruzivo rwevanhu vangu nekushanduka kwarwo kwakakonzerwa nechirungu. Ndinoita izvi ndichipenengura ngano, mabhuku, nziyo, mafungiro nezvimwe zvimutengure zvakatakura ngano. Otoetinogirafu iyo yandichapa zita rekuti husarungano imhando yekuvhiya uchiita tsvakurudzo, uye inowanikwa pakati pehumhizha hwekunyora nyaya nekupenengura zvine chekuita nehumhizha hwetsika nemagariro evanhu. Husarungano hunovhurira musiwo vanhu vanowanzovharirwa kunze netsvakurudzo dzinoitwa mumayunivhesiti dzine mitauro isiri yavo uyewo dzimwe nguva isinganzwisisike zviri nyn’ore. Husarungano hunoshandisa rondedzero nengano kuti zvinhu zvinosanganisira hukama nezvakasanganikwa nazvo nevanhu zvinzwisisike, panguva imwechete pachiumbwa hukama pakati penguva dzakare nazvino, hukama pakati pevanoita tsvakurudzo nevavari kuita tsvakurudzo pamusoro pavo, hukama pakati pevanyori nevaverengi, vanasarungano nevateereri vengano (Adams nevamwe, 2015). Tsvakurudzo ino haisi kuzopedza zvese zvinofanira kutaurwa pamusoro pengano, tsika nemagariro evanhu vatema, kunyorwa kwemabhuku nezvimwe zvakawanda zvainobata nekutarisa, asi riripo kuratidza simba nehupfumi huri muruzivo rwevaShona rwuri kurariswa muberere memba, chirungu chichirariswa mumba. Shanduko yandiri kutarisa mubasa rino inoda kuti isu vanhu vatema tisarambe tichiverengera kuti tirongeke nekuronga mafambiro nemararamiro achaita ruzivo rwedu munyika iri kukoshesa ruzivo, maitiro nezvinhu zvinogadzirwa nevarungu. Kana tikasaronga kuti tipembedze nekuwanisa ruzivo rwedu mukana, tichaita mufakose – kurasikirwa nezvedu, nekusakwana kana kunyatsonzwisisa zvevamwe zvatiri kukoshesa. Ruzivo rwandakashandisa mubasa rino rwunosanganisira zvakaitika kwandiri kubva pandakatanga kuziva ngano dzandakaudzwa nambuya vangu, kubatsirwa kwangu nengano kuchikoro, kuve munyori wemabhuku, nekuenda kwangu mhiri kwemakungwa sasarungano. Zvakarewo ndiri kutarisa ngano dzakaunganidzwa nekunyorwa nemamishenari, ngano dzakanyorwa kare muNative Afffairs Department Annual (NADA), ngano dzakaitwa senziyo, ngano dzakaitwa neLiterature Bureau, nengano dzandave kuita dzemanon-governmental organisations (NGO), panhepfenyuro, paTwitter nezvimwe zvimutengure zvakasiyana-siyana. Hupfumi huri mungano, mazano ekuri kuenda ngano dzedu, nezvinoreva chemutengure senzira yemafungiro zvinobuda mutsvakurudzo ino. Chitsauko 1 ndicho chinozama kutevedza nzira yekuita tsvakurudzo inozivikanwa, asi Chitsauko 2 inyunyuto inoburitsa mukundo une chirungu sekuunzwa kwachakaitwa naCecil John Rhodes. Chitsauko 3 chinotambanudza nekujekesa kukosha kwechimbo Chemutengure, uyewo nekuti sezano, chemutengure chinotibata sei nhasi uno. Chitsauko 4 chinoronda nzira dzakafamba nadzo ngano dzekunze dzichipinda matiri, uyewo nezvakaitwa nengano dzedu pamusoro peshanduko yakanga yauya. Chitsauko 5 chinopa mienzaniso yezviteshi zvakamira ngano dzevatema padzakabva mumisha dzichienda kuzvikoro kusvika dzazove muzvimwe zvimutengure zvakadziendesa kure nasarungano. Chitsauko 6 chinotarisa dambudziko rine chirungu muhupenyu hwevanhu vatema, nekukosha kwekudada nerudzi rwedu. Chitsauko 7 chinopeta basa chichipa mazano, chichiratidza kuti ngano hadzifanire kufa nekuti dzakagara dzine simba rekufambirana nenguva. , This research is my story as a Shona folklorist and creative writer, but it is also the story of the Shona people. It is a story of how I am “a child” of storytelling, and how the stories that raised me got appropriated and incorporated into the colonial school system where they converged and mixed with western forms of storytelling to create hybrids. As a storyteller I use autoethnography – which offers an insider’s perspective - to interpret and explain, to reflect and analyse the art of storytelling in my culture. The alienation of indigenous knowledge and cultural practices – specifically storytelling, is what necessitates the use of autoethnography for this study. Autoethnography is a qualitative research method of writing and storytelling where the researcher is the subject and the researcher's experiences are the data. I, being a Shona storyteller and creative writer, will systematically journey back and analyse personal experiences in order to make sense of the Shona people’s cultural experiences. The research process will see me running away from depending on other people’s records about my people’s cultural history. Instead, I traverse back in time to consult and extract a theory from the Shona song called Chemutengure from around 1890 that tells the story of British colonisation from the perspective of the colonised. I theorise and explain Chemutengure’s pedagogical and epistemological significance in critiquing the plight of Africans suffering contact-induced change. I apply the Chemutengure theory to folktales, books, songs, paradigms and other agents that played an active role in producing new forms of storytelling and worldviews. Autoethnography is a type of research method that blends engaging creative writing and analysis of cultural experiences. It opens doors of research to the subalterns who are usually shut out by research that is done in universities. “Rather than producing esoteric, jargon-laden texts, many auto-ethnographers recognize a need to speak also to nonacademic audiences,” (Adams et al, 2015: 42) employing narrative and story-telling to give meaning to identities, relationships, and experiences, and to create relationships between past and present, researchers and participants, writers and readers, tellers and audiences, (Adams et al, 2015:23). This research will not exhaust all that needs to be explored and said about Shona folktales, creativity and culture, or its literature and the many cultural aspects it looks at. Rather, it seeks to highlight, decolonize and deconstruct colonial mentalities, while emancipating the Shona worldview that has been put on leash by colonialism and western capitalistic tendencies. The study also looks at positive change that occurs when cultures inform one another, but without turning a blind eye to the lack of mutuality and how the logic of capitalism has left Africa hemorrhaging ideologically. Drawing from personal experiences when I listened to my grandmother’s stories, the study looks at the influence of folktales on my creative writing career. I reflect on my experiences as a Fulbright Scholar, as well as my Canadian experiences as storyteller and writer-in-residence at the University of Manitoba. Besides analysing stories written by missionaries in early Shona school readers, I also discuss folktales published in the Native Affairs Department Annual (NADA); the folktales performed as songs; the comic tales published by the Literature Bureau; tales developed for private institutions, government and non-governmental organisations; stories on radio, Twitter and many other forms. Besides giving the subaltern a voice, this research attempts to artistically demonstrate the power and versatility of the Shona folktale, as well as the genre’s potential for growth and development. Chapter 1 introduces the autoethngraphy method as well as what I hope to achieve through the methodology and style of writing. Chapter 2 is a conversation between a representative of the colonised and Cecil John Rhodes the imperialist. Besides pointing out imperialism’s damage to indigenous identities, the chapter discusses how Africa and Europe’s paradigms are diametrically conflicting. Chapter 3 introduces, explains and analyses the song/theory Chemutengure, and how it applies to the condition of the native in postcolonial Africa today. Chapter 4 tracks the trajectory of foreign tales in Zimbabwe, and how they influenced native folktales. The response of local tales is also critiqued. Chapter 5 looks at the milestones in the structural transformation of indigenous folktales, and how they were appropriated and hitched a ride in the wagon of change. Chapter 6 is a reflection on the impact of westernisation and globalisation in the lives of Africans, and how confused the native has become without his cultural anchor. Chapter 7 concludes by acknowledging the inevitability of change, and suggests how cultural practices and perspectives must respond to social change so as to remain relevant.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Mabasa, Ignatius T
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Ethnology -- Zimbabwe , Zimbabwe -- Folklore , Shona (African people) -- Folklore , Ethnoscience , Decolonization in literature , Decolonization -- Africa , Autoethnography , Chemutengure , Subaltern
- Language: Shona
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PHD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/174198 , vital:42454 , http://doi.org/10.21504/10962/174198
- Description: Tsvakurudzo ino inyaya yangu sasarungano nemunyori weChiShona, asiwo iri nyaya yevanhu veChiShona. Inyaya yekurerwa kwandakaitwa nengano, ndikaona ngano dzakandirera dzichipinzwa muzvikoro, dzichisangana nechirungu, dzichifambidzana nechirungu, nekuzopedzisira dzazvara mimwe misambo yengano. Basa rino maonero angu ndichishandisa nzira yetsvakurudzo inonzi husarungano, kureva muono wasarungano. Izvi zvinoreva kududzira nekutsanangura, kufungisisa nekupenengura humhizha hunowanikwa mutsika nemagariro angu, sasarungano ari kupfuurira mberi nekuita ngano munyika yazara chirungu. Naizvozvo, ini ndini musoro wenyaya yandiri kutaura, asiwo ndirini zvakare muiti wetsvakurudzo. Ndichishandisa zvandakasangana nazvo, nezvandinofunga nekuona sasarungano – ndinodzokera kuchimbo chinotaura nyaya yevaShona pakapinda vachena munyika yeZimbabwe. Ndinotsanangura zvinoreva Chemutengure, uye nekukosha kwacho mukufambisa ruzivo, mashoko nekutsanangura hupenyu hwedu sevanhu vatema vakanga vakadzvanyiriwa. Chemutengure mafungiro, imhenenguro, iyambiro nehungwaru. Ndinotsanangura ruzivo rwevanhu vangu nekushanduka kwarwo kwakakonzerwa nechirungu. Ndinoita izvi ndichipenengura ngano, mabhuku, nziyo, mafungiro nezvimwe zvimutengure zvakatakura ngano. Otoetinogirafu iyo yandichapa zita rekuti husarungano imhando yekuvhiya uchiita tsvakurudzo, uye inowanikwa pakati pehumhizha hwekunyora nyaya nekupenengura zvine chekuita nehumhizha hwetsika nemagariro evanhu. Husarungano hunovhurira musiwo vanhu vanowanzovharirwa kunze netsvakurudzo dzinoitwa mumayunivhesiti dzine mitauro isiri yavo uyewo dzimwe nguva isinganzwisisike zviri nyn’ore. Husarungano hunoshandisa rondedzero nengano kuti zvinhu zvinosanganisira hukama nezvakasanganikwa nazvo nevanhu zvinzwisisike, panguva imwechete pachiumbwa hukama pakati penguva dzakare nazvino, hukama pakati pevanoita tsvakurudzo nevavari kuita tsvakurudzo pamusoro pavo, hukama pakati pevanyori nevaverengi, vanasarungano nevateereri vengano (Adams nevamwe, 2015). Tsvakurudzo ino haisi kuzopedza zvese zvinofanira kutaurwa pamusoro pengano, tsika nemagariro evanhu vatema, kunyorwa kwemabhuku nezvimwe zvakawanda zvainobata nekutarisa, asi riripo kuratidza simba nehupfumi huri muruzivo rwevaShona rwuri kurariswa muberere memba, chirungu chichirariswa mumba. Shanduko yandiri kutarisa mubasa rino inoda kuti isu vanhu vatema tisarambe tichiverengera kuti tirongeke nekuronga mafambiro nemararamiro achaita ruzivo rwedu munyika iri kukoshesa ruzivo, maitiro nezvinhu zvinogadzirwa nevarungu. Kana tikasaronga kuti tipembedze nekuwanisa ruzivo rwedu mukana, tichaita mufakose – kurasikirwa nezvedu, nekusakwana kana kunyatsonzwisisa zvevamwe zvatiri kukoshesa. Ruzivo rwandakashandisa mubasa rino rwunosanganisira zvakaitika kwandiri kubva pandakatanga kuziva ngano dzandakaudzwa nambuya vangu, kubatsirwa kwangu nengano kuchikoro, kuve munyori wemabhuku, nekuenda kwangu mhiri kwemakungwa sasarungano. Zvakarewo ndiri kutarisa ngano dzakaunganidzwa nekunyorwa nemamishenari, ngano dzakanyorwa kare muNative Afffairs Department Annual (NADA), ngano dzakaitwa senziyo, ngano dzakaitwa neLiterature Bureau, nengano dzandave kuita dzemanon-governmental organisations (NGO), panhepfenyuro, paTwitter nezvimwe zvimutengure zvakasiyana-siyana. Hupfumi huri mungano, mazano ekuri kuenda ngano dzedu, nezvinoreva chemutengure senzira yemafungiro zvinobuda mutsvakurudzo ino. Chitsauko 1 ndicho chinozama kutevedza nzira yekuita tsvakurudzo inozivikanwa, asi Chitsauko 2 inyunyuto inoburitsa mukundo une chirungu sekuunzwa kwachakaitwa naCecil John Rhodes. Chitsauko 3 chinotambanudza nekujekesa kukosha kwechimbo Chemutengure, uyewo nekuti sezano, chemutengure chinotibata sei nhasi uno. Chitsauko 4 chinoronda nzira dzakafamba nadzo ngano dzekunze dzichipinda matiri, uyewo nezvakaitwa nengano dzedu pamusoro peshanduko yakanga yauya. Chitsauko 5 chinopa mienzaniso yezviteshi zvakamira ngano dzevatema padzakabva mumisha dzichienda kuzvikoro kusvika dzazove muzvimwe zvimutengure zvakadziendesa kure nasarungano. Chitsauko 6 chinotarisa dambudziko rine chirungu muhupenyu hwevanhu vatema, nekukosha kwekudada nerudzi rwedu. Chitsauko 7 chinopeta basa chichipa mazano, chichiratidza kuti ngano hadzifanire kufa nekuti dzakagara dzine simba rekufambirana nenguva. , This research is my story as a Shona folklorist and creative writer, but it is also the story of the Shona people. It is a story of how I am “a child” of storytelling, and how the stories that raised me got appropriated and incorporated into the colonial school system where they converged and mixed with western forms of storytelling to create hybrids. As a storyteller I use autoethnography – which offers an insider’s perspective - to interpret and explain, to reflect and analyse the art of storytelling in my culture. The alienation of indigenous knowledge and cultural practices – specifically storytelling, is what necessitates the use of autoethnography for this study. Autoethnography is a qualitative research method of writing and storytelling where the researcher is the subject and the researcher's experiences are the data. I, being a Shona storyteller and creative writer, will systematically journey back and analyse personal experiences in order to make sense of the Shona people’s cultural experiences. The research process will see me running away from depending on other people’s records about my people’s cultural history. Instead, I traverse back in time to consult and extract a theory from the Shona song called Chemutengure from around 1890 that tells the story of British colonisation from the perspective of the colonised. I theorise and explain Chemutengure’s pedagogical and epistemological significance in critiquing the plight of Africans suffering contact-induced change. I apply the Chemutengure theory to folktales, books, songs, paradigms and other agents that played an active role in producing new forms of storytelling and worldviews. Autoethnography is a type of research method that blends engaging creative writing and analysis of cultural experiences. It opens doors of research to the subalterns who are usually shut out by research that is done in universities. “Rather than producing esoteric, jargon-laden texts, many auto-ethnographers recognize a need to speak also to nonacademic audiences,” (Adams et al, 2015: 42) employing narrative and story-telling to give meaning to identities, relationships, and experiences, and to create relationships between past and present, researchers and participants, writers and readers, tellers and audiences, (Adams et al, 2015:23). This research will not exhaust all that needs to be explored and said about Shona folktales, creativity and culture, or its literature and the many cultural aspects it looks at. Rather, it seeks to highlight, decolonize and deconstruct colonial mentalities, while emancipating the Shona worldview that has been put on leash by colonialism and western capitalistic tendencies. The study also looks at positive change that occurs when cultures inform one another, but without turning a blind eye to the lack of mutuality and how the logic of capitalism has left Africa hemorrhaging ideologically. Drawing from personal experiences when I listened to my grandmother’s stories, the study looks at the influence of folktales on my creative writing career. I reflect on my experiences as a Fulbright Scholar, as well as my Canadian experiences as storyteller and writer-in-residence at the University of Manitoba. Besides analysing stories written by missionaries in early Shona school readers, I also discuss folktales published in the Native Affairs Department Annual (NADA); the folktales performed as songs; the comic tales published by the Literature Bureau; tales developed for private institutions, government and non-governmental organisations; stories on radio, Twitter and many other forms. Besides giving the subaltern a voice, this research attempts to artistically demonstrate the power and versatility of the Shona folktale, as well as the genre’s potential for growth and development. Chapter 1 introduces the autoethngraphy method as well as what I hope to achieve through the methodology and style of writing. Chapter 2 is a conversation between a representative of the colonised and Cecil John Rhodes the imperialist. Besides pointing out imperialism’s damage to indigenous identities, the chapter discusses how Africa and Europe’s paradigms are diametrically conflicting. Chapter 3 introduces, explains and analyses the song/theory Chemutengure, and how it applies to the condition of the native in postcolonial Africa today. Chapter 4 tracks the trajectory of foreign tales in Zimbabwe, and how they influenced native folktales. The response of local tales is also critiqued. Chapter 5 looks at the milestones in the structural transformation of indigenous folktales, and how they were appropriated and hitched a ride in the wagon of change. Chapter 6 is a reflection on the impact of westernisation and globalisation in the lives of Africans, and how confused the native has become without his cultural anchor. Chapter 7 concludes by acknowledging the inevitability of change, and suggests how cultural practices and perspectives must respond to social change so as to remain relevant.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
A critique of the language of record in South African courts in relation to selected university language policies
- Authors: Docrat, Zakeera
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Language policy -- South Africa , Forensic linguistics -- South Africa , Communication in law -- South Africa , Language planning -- South Africa , Linguistic rights -- South Africa , Court interpreting and translating -- South Africa , Multilingual education -- South Africa , Language and education -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PHD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141394 , vital:37968
- Description: This interdisciplinary research located in the research area of forensic linguistics seeks to provide a critique of the monolingual language of record directive for courts in South Africa, while investigating how university language policies contribute the formulation of a monolingual language of record policy for courts, by graduating monolingual LLB students. The research commences with identifying the research problem, goals and objectives and how the language of record policy for courts is linked to university language planning. The research proceeds to an overview of scholarly literature concerning the historical developments of language planning in both the legal system and higher education in South Africa. The theoretical principles concerning the enacting of language legislation and policies is advanced in relation to the constitutional framework. This research furthermore provides a thorough critique of the constitutional framework where the language rights the other related language provisions are discussed in relation to the theory and the application thereof in case law. The research explicates that the language rights of African language speaking litigants is unfairly limited and that access to justice for these litigants is either unattainable or achieved to a lesser extent. The disparities between language, law and power are brought to the fore, where the relevant legislation and language policies fail to determine the language of record in courts as well as legislate the African language requirements for legal practitioners in giving meaning to the constitutional language rights. The language policies of six selected universities is discussed in relation to the legal system’s legislative and policy frameworks, outlining the need to transform the language of learning and teaching and develop the curriculum to support the legal system. In doing so, the shortcomings of the interpretation profession in South Africa are highlighted and the effects thereof on the language rights of litigants. This thesis advances seven African and international case studies, comprising Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Australia, Belgium, Canada and India. Each of the case studies provides an in-depth analysis of the language of record/proceedings in courts and the language competencies of legal practitioners and judicial officers in relation to their university education. The African case studies are illustrative that English on the African continent in courts and higher education is dominate and the resultant loss of indigenous languages marginalises people from mainstream society. The international case studies provide two models, Belgium and Canada, which South Africa can emulate, in enacting new legislation and policies and the amendment of current legislation, to ensure bilingual/ multilingual language policies are drafted for courts per province, where the language demographics present majority spoken languages alongside English. Furthermore, where courts interpret language rights and legislative and policy provisions in a purposive manner, where African language speakers are able to, fully realise their rights. Australia and India as multilingual models serve as important case studies where South Africa can learn from what to avoid, how to subvert challenges or adequately address these. These case studies highlight the dangers of a political elite who pursue an English only agenda at the expense of the indigenous languages and the speakers thereof. This thesis in conclusion provides interdisciplinary recommendations that need to be implemented in order to address the language question in South African courts and higher education.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Docrat, Zakeera
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Language policy -- South Africa , Forensic linguistics -- South Africa , Communication in law -- South Africa , Language planning -- South Africa , Linguistic rights -- South Africa , Court interpreting and translating -- South Africa , Multilingual education -- South Africa , Language and education -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PHD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141394 , vital:37968
- Description: This interdisciplinary research located in the research area of forensic linguistics seeks to provide a critique of the monolingual language of record directive for courts in South Africa, while investigating how university language policies contribute the formulation of a monolingual language of record policy for courts, by graduating monolingual LLB students. The research commences with identifying the research problem, goals and objectives and how the language of record policy for courts is linked to university language planning. The research proceeds to an overview of scholarly literature concerning the historical developments of language planning in both the legal system and higher education in South Africa. The theoretical principles concerning the enacting of language legislation and policies is advanced in relation to the constitutional framework. This research furthermore provides a thorough critique of the constitutional framework where the language rights the other related language provisions are discussed in relation to the theory and the application thereof in case law. The research explicates that the language rights of African language speaking litigants is unfairly limited and that access to justice for these litigants is either unattainable or achieved to a lesser extent. The disparities between language, law and power are brought to the fore, where the relevant legislation and language policies fail to determine the language of record in courts as well as legislate the African language requirements for legal practitioners in giving meaning to the constitutional language rights. The language policies of six selected universities is discussed in relation to the legal system’s legislative and policy frameworks, outlining the need to transform the language of learning and teaching and develop the curriculum to support the legal system. In doing so, the shortcomings of the interpretation profession in South Africa are highlighted and the effects thereof on the language rights of litigants. This thesis advances seven African and international case studies, comprising Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Australia, Belgium, Canada and India. Each of the case studies provides an in-depth analysis of the language of record/proceedings in courts and the language competencies of legal practitioners and judicial officers in relation to their university education. The African case studies are illustrative that English on the African continent in courts and higher education is dominate and the resultant loss of indigenous languages marginalises people from mainstream society. The international case studies provide two models, Belgium and Canada, which South Africa can emulate, in enacting new legislation and policies and the amendment of current legislation, to ensure bilingual/ multilingual language policies are drafted for courts per province, where the language demographics present majority spoken languages alongside English. Furthermore, where courts interpret language rights and legislative and policy provisions in a purposive manner, where African language speakers are able to, fully realise their rights. Australia and India as multilingual models serve as important case studies where South Africa can learn from what to avoid, how to subvert challenges or adequately address these. These case studies highlight the dangers of a political elite who pursue an English only agenda at the expense of the indigenous languages and the speakers thereof. This thesis in conclusion provides interdisciplinary recommendations that need to be implemented in order to address the language question in South African courts and higher education.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
IsiXhosa as the language of teaching and learning mathematics in Grade Six: investigating the mother tongue based bilingual education mathematics pilot in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Mbude, Naledi Ntombizanele
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Education, Bilingual -- South Africa , Native language and education -- South Africa , Language policy -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PHD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143262 , vital:38215
- Description: This study is an investigation on lessons learnt when the language of learners is maintained for teaching and learning mathematics beyond Grade 3 for another 3 years. It is undertaken in Cofimvaba, a rural village of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. We investigate lessons that can be learnt from the Mother Tongue based- Bilingual Education (MTbBE) strategy, that can be replicated. South Africa post-1994 has a Language-in-Education Policy (1997) that provides for the use of all official languages as Languages of Teaching and Learning (LoLT), this has remained on paper as the schooling system focusses on an early –exit model of three years of the Mother Tongue Education (MTE) for the Foundation Phase (FP) then exit to English instruction in Grade 4; this applies to African language learners only. English and Afrikaans speakers have mother tongue education from cradle to university; a benefit they have enjoyed pre- and post-apartheid. Various studies have been conducted to understand the relationship between language and mathematics learning as it is crucial to design mathematics instruction for students who are English Learners (ELs) and/or bilingual. However, in South Africa, there had not been a direct exploration of the achievement of learners in mathematics when their mother tongue is used and sustained throughout the first six years of learning mathematics, while English is a supportive resource. This is the focus of this study. The study lends itself to the adoption of a mixed methods design (QUALT+QUANT), while also employing documents, observation and test scores of learners to obtain data. Content analysis and thematic analysis approaches were used in analyzing the qualitative-type data while a statistical approach was used in the analysis of quantitative data. The main aim of the study was to establish whether in the Cofimvaba pilot, there is any evidence to make a case for extending Mother Tongue Based-bilingual Education (MTBBE) beyond Grade 3 for black African children. Another aim, was to highlight and document the effort that was the first of its kind in South Africa, undertaken in a small rural area to develop isiXhosa as language of Mathematics and Science. The most salient of this effort was the fact that it was underpinned by deliberate theoretical and empirical foundations central to language policy and planning. The finding of this study is that the use of isiXhosa for MTbBE was effective for boosting mathematical and science skills in the mother tongue and English in Grade 6 as demonstrated in Chapter 7 and 8. Lastly, this study demonstrates the power of political will and how a decision backed by financial investment can transform the wider system despite the challenges of transformation. For the first time in the history of education; a poor department has stuck to its guns; unwearied by the negativity surrounding the development of African languages. It committed to the cause of improving the academic achievement of the poorest of the poor. Historically, in implementing a Mathematics Curriculum, the Department of Education (both officials and teachers) has never efficiently implemented the LiEP (1997) in the manner spelt out in its policy documents viz, multilingualism as the norm. The focus has been on a perspective of learners who are learning and must English, then mathematics and ways to get them to know English at all costs. This view creates inequities in the classroom because it places emphasis on what learners don’t know or can’t do. In contrast, this study proposes a sociocultural perspective that shifts away from deficiency models of bilingual learners and instead focuses on describing the resources bilingual students use to communicate mathematically (Moskovich, 1988). Without this shift we will have a limited view of these learners and will design instruction that neglects the competencies they bring to mathematics classrooms. If, instead, we learn to recognize the mathematical ideas these students express in spite of their accents, code-switching, or missing vocabulary, then instruction can build on students’ competencies and resources (Moskovich, 1998). This study recommends a plethora of strategies that must be taken by the Department of Education to widen epistemological access to mathematics for African language learners using MTbBE as a viable strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Mbude, Naledi Ntombizanele
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Education, Bilingual -- South Africa , Native language and education -- South Africa , Language policy -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PHD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143262 , vital:38215
- Description: This study is an investigation on lessons learnt when the language of learners is maintained for teaching and learning mathematics beyond Grade 3 for another 3 years. It is undertaken in Cofimvaba, a rural village of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. We investigate lessons that can be learnt from the Mother Tongue based- Bilingual Education (MTbBE) strategy, that can be replicated. South Africa post-1994 has a Language-in-Education Policy (1997) that provides for the use of all official languages as Languages of Teaching and Learning (LoLT), this has remained on paper as the schooling system focusses on an early –exit model of three years of the Mother Tongue Education (MTE) for the Foundation Phase (FP) then exit to English instruction in Grade 4; this applies to African language learners only. English and Afrikaans speakers have mother tongue education from cradle to university; a benefit they have enjoyed pre- and post-apartheid. Various studies have been conducted to understand the relationship between language and mathematics learning as it is crucial to design mathematics instruction for students who are English Learners (ELs) and/or bilingual. However, in South Africa, there had not been a direct exploration of the achievement of learners in mathematics when their mother tongue is used and sustained throughout the first six years of learning mathematics, while English is a supportive resource. This is the focus of this study. The study lends itself to the adoption of a mixed methods design (QUALT+QUANT), while also employing documents, observation and test scores of learners to obtain data. Content analysis and thematic analysis approaches were used in analyzing the qualitative-type data while a statistical approach was used in the analysis of quantitative data. The main aim of the study was to establish whether in the Cofimvaba pilot, there is any evidence to make a case for extending Mother Tongue Based-bilingual Education (MTBBE) beyond Grade 3 for black African children. Another aim, was to highlight and document the effort that was the first of its kind in South Africa, undertaken in a small rural area to develop isiXhosa as language of Mathematics and Science. The most salient of this effort was the fact that it was underpinned by deliberate theoretical and empirical foundations central to language policy and planning. The finding of this study is that the use of isiXhosa for MTbBE was effective for boosting mathematical and science skills in the mother tongue and English in Grade 6 as demonstrated in Chapter 7 and 8. Lastly, this study demonstrates the power of political will and how a decision backed by financial investment can transform the wider system despite the challenges of transformation. For the first time in the history of education; a poor department has stuck to its guns; unwearied by the negativity surrounding the development of African languages. It committed to the cause of improving the academic achievement of the poorest of the poor. Historically, in implementing a Mathematics Curriculum, the Department of Education (both officials and teachers) has never efficiently implemented the LiEP (1997) in the manner spelt out in its policy documents viz, multilingualism as the norm. The focus has been on a perspective of learners who are learning and must English, then mathematics and ways to get them to know English at all costs. This view creates inequities in the classroom because it places emphasis on what learners don’t know or can’t do. In contrast, this study proposes a sociocultural perspective that shifts away from deficiency models of bilingual learners and instead focuses on describing the resources bilingual students use to communicate mathematically (Moskovich, 1988). Without this shift we will have a limited view of these learners and will design instruction that neglects the competencies they bring to mathematics classrooms. If, instead, we learn to recognize the mathematical ideas these students express in spite of their accents, code-switching, or missing vocabulary, then instruction can build on students’ competencies and resources (Moskovich, 1998). This study recommends a plethora of strategies that must be taken by the Department of Education to widen epistemological access to mathematics for African language learners using MTbBE as a viable strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Making South African tertiary education multilingual: the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SANTED Multilingualism Projects 2007 – 2010
- Authors: Nosilela, Bulelwa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South Africa-Norway Tertiary Education Development Programme , Language policy -- South Africa , Multilingual education -- South Africa , Language and education -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PHD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140513 , vital:37895
- Description: This thesis focuses on multilingualism as it applies to education, particularly higher education in South Africa. The thesis suggests that language must be seen as critical in education (Obanya, 2004; Wolff, 2006). This thesis also suggests that there is a link between a person’s general competence in an educational environment, and that person’s language competence. In support of other scholars, this thesis also finds that learners from low social classes in society have a restricted linguistic code and therefore the learners from these social classes lack the ability to express themselves in an elaborative manner in a cognitive situation while learners from upper social class have an elaborate linguistic repertoire in the language of instruction, namely English. Even though general policy in South Africa and Africa as a whole recognises this relationship between language and education, this thesis finds that very little is being done to implement these well-meaning policies. The SANTED (South Africa-Norway-Tertiary-Education) programme, which forms the focus of this thesis, is seen as an exception. While there is an increase in the number of learners and students accessing centres of learning, especially those from historically-disadvantaged backgrounds (CHE Higher Education Monitor, 2008), there is at the same time rigorous debate in South Africa at the moment as to whether these learners and students benefit optimally from knowledge offered in centres of learning, and are therefore, not accomplishing success expected from them (Boughey, 2008). This thesis suggests that at the centre of this debate is the understanding that, while there are a variety of factors that might affect their success, for example social and economic status, schooling background in case of students in higher education, language plays a pivotal role. This thesis analyses the challenges and successes which faced the SANTED programme at a number of South African institutions where language issues were brought to the centre of the learning process. The thesis also assesses best practices in various African countries and makes recommendations regarding language-use in Higher Education, as part of a transformationprocess. The collaboration between the South African and Norwegian governments provided impetus to policy implementation. It also had other focus areas such as capacity building, access, success and retention and collaboration with Southern African Developing Countries (SADC). This thesis shows, through a critical analysis of SANTED, that it represented an important intervention regarding the promotion of multilingualism.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Nosilela, Bulelwa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South Africa-Norway Tertiary Education Development Programme , Language policy -- South Africa , Multilingual education -- South Africa , Language and education -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PHD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140513 , vital:37895
- Description: This thesis focuses on multilingualism as it applies to education, particularly higher education in South Africa. The thesis suggests that language must be seen as critical in education (Obanya, 2004; Wolff, 2006). This thesis also suggests that there is a link between a person’s general competence in an educational environment, and that person’s language competence. In support of other scholars, this thesis also finds that learners from low social classes in society have a restricted linguistic code and therefore the learners from these social classes lack the ability to express themselves in an elaborative manner in a cognitive situation while learners from upper social class have an elaborate linguistic repertoire in the language of instruction, namely English. Even though general policy in South Africa and Africa as a whole recognises this relationship between language and education, this thesis finds that very little is being done to implement these well-meaning policies. The SANTED (South Africa-Norway-Tertiary-Education) programme, which forms the focus of this thesis, is seen as an exception. While there is an increase in the number of learners and students accessing centres of learning, especially those from historically-disadvantaged backgrounds (CHE Higher Education Monitor, 2008), there is at the same time rigorous debate in South Africa at the moment as to whether these learners and students benefit optimally from knowledge offered in centres of learning, and are therefore, not accomplishing success expected from them (Boughey, 2008). This thesis suggests that at the centre of this debate is the understanding that, while there are a variety of factors that might affect their success, for example social and economic status, schooling background in case of students in higher education, language plays a pivotal role. This thesis analyses the challenges and successes which faced the SANTED programme at a number of South African institutions where language issues were brought to the centre of the learning process. The thesis also assesses best practices in various African countries and makes recommendations regarding language-use in Higher Education, as part of a transformationprocess. The collaboration between the South African and Norwegian governments provided impetus to policy implementation. It also had other focus areas such as capacity building, access, success and retention and collaboration with Southern African Developing Countries (SADC). This thesis shows, through a critical analysis of SANTED, that it represented an important intervention regarding the promotion of multilingualism.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
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