A needs analysis as the first phase in the design of a task-based syllabus for Afrikaans second-language teaching at a university

The original publication is available at http://http://www.litnet.co.zaAbstract: The implementation of a multilingual language policy in South Africa requires the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as a second or additional language and especially the teaching of Afrikaans for specific purposes to adult learners. The latter has not received much attention in the South African context, especially research on the learning and teaching of Afrikaans for specific purposes in a university context. My research on Afrikaans as a second language has as framework Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching (Ellis 2003 and Nunan 2004). The research focuses on the challenges that await students in a multilingual university context and how task-based teaching fills these needs and challenges. The Cognition Hypothesis of Robinson (2001a, 2001b, 2003, 2005, 2007) posits a needs analysis, with target tasks as outcome, as a starting point for pedagogic task development. For the purpose of the article, a needs analysis was conducted through the use of a questionnaire and interviews with students at a university. This needs analysis shows that students whose first language is not Afrikaans have the need to acquire communicative skills in Afrikaans to communicate effectively with fellow students and lecturers at the university.Opsomming: Die implementering van ’n meertalige taalbeleid in Suid-Afrika vereis die leer en onderrig van Afrikaans as ’n tweede of addisionele taal – meer spesifiek die onderrig van Afrikaans vir spesifieke doeleindes aan volwasse leerders. Laasgenoemde het nie veel aandag binne die Suid-Afrikaans konteks ontvang nie, veral navorsing oor die leer en onderrig van Afrikaans vir spesifieke doeleindes binne universiteitskonteks. My navorsing oor Afrikaans as ’n tweede taal het as raamwerk taakgebaseerde taalleer en onderrig (Ellis 2003 en Nunan 2004). Die navorsing fokus op die uitdagings wat vir studente binne ’n multitalige universiteitskonteks voorlê en hoe taakgebaseerde onderrig in hierdie behoeftes en uitdagings kan voorsien. Volgens die Kognisiehipotese van Robinson (2001a, 2001b, 2003, 2005, 2007) is die beginpunt vir pedagogiese taakontwikkeling ’n behoefte-analise met teikentake as uitkomste. Vir die doel van hierdie artikel is ’n behoefte-analise onderneem deur middel van vraelyste en onderhoude met studente aan ’n universiteit. Die behoefte-analise toon dat studente wie se eerste taal nie Afrikaans is nie, die behoefte het om Afrikaans te verwerf ten einde suksesvol te kan kommunikeer met medestudente en dosente aan die universiteit.Publishers' Versio

Financial implications for built environment consultants working at risk in South Africa

Consultants in the built environment of South Africa are facing financial risks due to clients’ expectations of completing certain portions of work at risk. Thus, consultants would complete projects at risk in return for the possibility of remuneration in the long run. A descriptive survey was conducted among various professional consultants working within the built environment in South Africa. The findings include that a large percentage of work was expected to be completed at risk. Once work was completed at risk, a relatively small percentage continued to a stage where the actual consultant received remuneration. As a result of the current global economic climate, the amount of work required to be completed at risk increased and the percentage of work continuing to a stage of remuneration has also decreased. A greater percentage of clients therefore expected more work to be done at risk than the actual amount of work for which consultants are remunerated

The diagnostic utility of bone marrow biopsies performed for the investigation of fever and/or cytopenias in HIV-infected adults at Groote Schuur Hospital.

This is a retrospective review of the results of consecutive bone marrow biopsies performed at our institution over a three year period on HIV positive patients for the investigation of fever and cytopenias. Clinical data, haematological parameters, morphology of bone marrow biopsy, Ziehl-Neelsen staining and microbiological culture results were analyzed. The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic yield of this investigation

Successful transformational change in revenue management among beneficiary communities of South African renewable energy construction companies

Transformational change is the second of three sub-models that resulted from the splitting of the original model following the data analysis as part of a thesis entitled A theoretical model for successful management of revenue for beneficiary communities of renewable energy companies in South Africa. The sub-model provides specific guidance for project managers dealing with transformational change in communities to stakeholders, industry experts and community development practitioners in the renewable energy sector. The aim of the research was to promote a localised understanding of education, social interaction, social cohesion, infrastructure improvement and sharing to ensure success in managing the revenue for beneficiary community projects by renewable energy construction companies. A literature review of relevant literature on transfor mational change factors was conducted and used to develop a structured questionnaire distributed to national and international popu lation of project management practitioners who were conveniently sampled in South Africa. Using an electronic measuring instrument, the empirical findings established four factors that were reliable and valid for transformational change in communities, namely education, infrastructure development, human develop-ment, and change management. Using these factors and construc ting a path diagram of the indepen dent variables (education, infrastructure develop ment, human development, change management) and subsequent intervening (good governance) and dependent variables (perceived success of revenue management), appropriate hypotheses were developed to test the model. The hypotheses were analysed and tested empirically using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Determinants were identified as elements of transformational change that influence the success of revenue management for beneficiary communities for South African renewable energy companies. These included the use of education, infrastructure development, human development, change management, and good governance.&nbsp

Endowments and conditions in terms of the land use planning ordinance

The Land Use Planning Ordinance has abolished improvement levies imposed in terms of section 35 of the Old Township Ordinance. Article 42 of the new Ordinance provides for rezoning and subdivisions to be sharpened in respect of levies and conditions. This article briefly looks at the origin of improvement charges, and thereafter discusses the guidance given by the Provincial Administration through notices in this regard as well as recommendations from the Venter Commission. The discussion focuses specifically on the distribution of engineering services in large-scale developments, and concludes that capital costs can not be borne by the local government, as it will make the tax burden too big. Capital costs for internal services should be borne by the developer, which will then let it down on the prospective buyer. On the other hand, the cost of external services in the case of new towns is so high that it can not be borne by the developer or also by the inheritors

An investigation into factors impacting on exports from South Africa to the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Manufacturers face vigorous competition in local and export markets and need to have a genuine competitive advantage in order to grow. The South African government has recognised the importance of developing national manufacturing capacity as a means of increasing employment and reducing poverty. To this end, the government provides substantial support to both the manufacturing and exporting sectors. The government also negotiated the Southern African Development Community (SADC) agreement which leverages competitive advantages for South African manufacturers exporting into the region. However, since the ratification of the SADC agreement in 2008, there has been no perceptible increase in export activity to the region when compared to other markets. This research study was conducted to determine why this is the case and what factors are influencing the process. A structured literature review was undertaken to encapsulate export barriers, the role of the South African government in the export process, and the SADC agreement. The findings of the reviewed literature form the basis of the survey that led to the compilation of the research primary data. The results indicate that export barriers do not pose a major obstacle to trade into the SADC region. The role that the South African government holds was less conclusive with some successes noted, but on the whole the impact is not meaningfully positive. The SADC agreement and the dynamics prevailing in the free trade area do have a positive impact on exports to the region. The level of awareness with regard to the government support initiatives appears to be low.RésuméLes fabricants font face à une vive concurrence sur les marchés locaux et d’exportation et ont besoin d’avoir un véritable avantage concurrentiel pour se développer. Le gouvernement sud-africain a reconnu l’importance de renforcer les capacités nationales de production comme un moyen d’accroître l’emploi et réduire la pauvreté . À cette fin, le gouvernement apporte un soutien important à la fois la fabrication et secteurs exportateurs. Le gouvernement a également négocié l’accord Southern African Development Community (SADC ), qui s’appuie sur des avantages concurrentiels pour les fabricants sud-africains exportateurs dans la région. Cependant , depuis la ratification de l’accord de la SADC en 2008 , il a eu aucune augmentation perceptible de l’activité d’exportation de la région par rapport à d’autres marchés. Cette étude a été menée afin de déterminer pourquoi c’est le cas et quels sont les facteurs qui influencent le processus . Une revue de la littérature structurée a été entreprise pour encapsuler les obstacles à l’exportation , le rôle du gouvernement sud-africain dans le processus d’exportation , et l’accord de la SADC . Les résultats de la littérature examinée forment la base de l’enquête qui a conduit à la compilation des données primaires de la recherche . Les résultats indiquent que les barrières à l’exportation ne constituent pas un obstacle majeur au commerce dans la région de la SADC . Le rôle que le gouvernement sud-africain détient était moins concluante avec quelques réussites constatées, mais dans l’ensemble l’impact n’est pas significative positive. L’accord de la SADC et la dynamique qui prévaut dans la zone de libre-échange ont un impact positif sur les exportations de la région . Le niveau de sensibilisation à l’égard des initiatives de soutien du gouvernement semble être faibl

All that glitters is not gold : counter penetrating in the name of Blackness and queerness, or, Athi-Patra Ruga's camp act in the dirt

In this article I engage South African artist Athi-Patra Ruga’s artistic practice to flesh out the complexities that arise from the intersection of the terms Black and queer. Drawing on diverse historical, social and textual resources, I interpret Ruga’s dismantling of dominant post-apartheid and postcolonial narratives visà- vis a close reading of some of his provocative avatars. Ruga’s practices of staining, tainting and contaminating serve to expose the borders that produce conventional notions of race and gender. The article employs camp discourse in its allusion to performativity, displacement and artifice in order to 1) lay bare prevailing normative structures; and 2) dismantle conventional views of identity. To avoid being blindsided by camp’s flamboyance and ostentation, I propose a view that favours an intimate embroilment with dirt – a stance I argue may furnish camp acts with political intent and so help create a more sophisticated and comprehensive view on the juncture of Blackness and queerness. Relying on Ruga’s method of counter penetration as a way of fleshing out a hermeneutic view of Black queer subjectivity, I show how counter penetration in Ruga’s estimation is a subversive and transgressive act intent on contaminating and infecting conventional narratives of history, identity and politics.http://www.imageandtext.up.ac.zaam2022Visual Art

Student-teachers’ understanding of the role of theory in their practice

In the current educational context there are calls worldwide for a shift from the perspective which treats theory separately from practice, to a more organically evolving, more grounded conception of theory which integrates campus-based courses with school teaching and learning. This study adopts a guided reflection conceptual framework in making sense of student teachers’ understanding of the role of theory in their practice. A qualitative design is employed. The aim was to establish how student teachers think about theory in their teaching. Following a survey aimed at identifying a relevant sample for a guided reflection, a focus group interview was conducted with a sample of twelve 4th-year student teachers. Data analysis involved transcribing, coding and classification of the codes into themes. Findings indicate that contrary to popular notions of student-teachers not being sure of what is meant by ‘theory’ in the practice of teaching, they have very particular and nuanced understandings of the position and role of theory

Strategic management: An Eastern Cape construction SME case study

Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) fulfil an important role in the long-term growth and development of the economy of the country. The development and growth of construction SMEs are important for all countries, as a strong SME base has the capacity to produce a high-quality infrastructure for the country. However, research has revealed the high failure rate of small businesses within the first five years of their existence in South Africa. In addition, research also indicated that lack of long-term planning and lack of strategic thinking are major contributing factors to the failure of most SMEs. For instance, despite the considerable growth in the industry in the past decade due to government’s considerable infrastructural spending occasioned by the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the majority of construction SMEs failed to use the opportunities gained in this period to develop into established construction entities. This study investigates how strategic management can be applied to address the problems faced by construction SMEs, and to explore techniques and tools of strategic management that can make a significant contribution to their growth and development. The research findings, based on a literature review and a qualitative research approach, suggest that, although many construction SMEs perform poorly, some have the potential to grow and develop into more established entities by proactively managing their firms strategically. In addition, the findings indicate that SMEs that practise strategic management perform better, and that there are many advantages for SMEs that adopt strategic management principles at the organisational level

Job evaluation : understanding the grading and remuneration strategies of architectural firms in Cape Town.

Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.Job Evaluation is the process of determining, as systematically and objectively as possible, the worth of one job relative to another without regard for personalities or existing structures. (Paterson, 1975) The purpose is to achieve and maintain an equitable distribution of basic wages and/or salaries according to level of position. The establishment of internal equity with a graded hierarchy of jobs within the organisation and of external equity with the external market rate for equivalent jobs (Paterson, 1975) is important and has lead to the overall analysis of the following problem statement: An Analysis of the Grading and Remuneration Structures of Architectural Practices in the Western Cape, Cape Town Metropole with specific reference to establishing what methods are used in arriving at cost to company packages. The nature of the architectural profession is unfortunately governed by economic "boom and bust" cycles and therefore workload fluctuates with the economy. Given this and that the architectural profession in Cape Town currently has no formal grading and remuneration structures, the research hopes to answer if there is a need to formulate a grading system. Understanding how and why the nature of the profession is changing, if the way a practice is organized / graded enhances or undermines its decision-making ability and if the informality of the grading and remuneration structures currently in practice are adequate, is studied. This research investigates how architectural practices in Cape Town establish their salary structures, which include benefits and incentives, thereby arriving at a total cost to company package. Specifically, the study will examine whether there is a direct relationship between those practices that have adopted a modern, scientific job grading system, i.e. Paterson, Peromnes or Task and accordingly pay market-related salaries and cost to company packages based on salary survey data or some other scientific calculation, as opposed to those practices which adopt an ad hoc approach. Many individuals choose architecture over other professions as they believe it can provide a work and family balance. The Royal Institute of Architects (RIBA) found that women's career paths generally slow after childbirth and with inflexible working arrangements, including long hours and a lack of transparency in relation to pay and promotion, are the main reasons why both women and men, generally with dependants are leaving the profession, (www.riba.org) A need to balance the personal and professional demands placed on architects has long been recognized by the majority of literature. The study evaluates whether firms are addressing these issues or if there is a need to implement changes to accommodate a better work / life balance and grading / remuneration imbalances. The survey found that there were discrepancies in the grading and remuneration packages offered between various firms; however not to the extent that RIBA had warned was occuring internationally. There are more noticeable differences in job grades and remuneration in the higher grades, but there were also signs of disparity in the architects 1-5 years of experience in terms of gender towards pay within similar job descriptions. When pay was directly compared to years of experience, members received similar pay, however when compared to levels of responsibility and pay, there were major differences. The current informal systems are not reflective or accurate in guiding employers on the correct levels of compensation for a particular level of responsibility and those architects practicing in the higher grades certainly need to evaluate their current levels of responsibility to their pay level and hours worked. The key question was, can architects- be they male or female - balance a working career with family responsibility. The days of a part-time architect have vanished, and those that do work part time are confined to helping on other member's schemes with less responsibility. The 'all-nighter' syndrome of the academic design studio is evident in some of the overtime hours recorded, but these marathon hours are few and far between and does not infringe on a regular home life for employees in the lower grades as the hours worked are in line with the normal 45 hour week. What is a concern is that in the upper grades, especially in senior member and owners, reported excessively long hours which are not condusive to normal work-family interaction. Other than some of the contraventions to the basic conditions of employment act, most firms are trying to address options for a balanced work / life relationship Salaries in particular are extremely low in relation to length of training when compared to similar professions. The research found that poor advancement prospects were a significant factor in members choosing to leave the profession. With lack of training opportunities leading to a lack of experience, lower levels of responsibility and poor career progression paths, combined with limited opportunities for creativity, were the main factors leading to architects expressing their dissatisfaction in the industry. From the salient points made in the study, a list of recommendations are outlined for consideration. These included developing more expertise in business management, addressing the image of the profession, training needs, salaries and working hours Architectural firms are seeing the demise of the old arena, dominated by tiered hierarchies, vertical career ladders, practices and processes that are confrontational and authoritarian. Workplaces are becoming more suited to negotiation, to collaborative management systems, horizontal career paths and a more democratic view of how individuals can develop within the company structure. 'It is no longer about what you can do for the company, but what the company can do for you.