12 research outputs found

    African languages as medium of assessment in the teaching of indigenous languages in higher education: a paradigm shift

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    This study was a call for a paradigm shift in the language of assessment for indigenous languages in higher education. It challenged the continued use of English in Teaching Practice supervision at one Zimbabwean State University whose language policy emphasises the teaching of African languages through the respective languages. It sought to establish challenges encountered by students studying African languages who are taught and examined through indigenous languages in all the other modules except for Teaching Practice. This research used the qualitative paradigm where ten randomly selected student teachers practicing ChiShona were interviewed together with two section coordinators. Document analysis was also used to analyse assessment reports. From the study, it was established that the English instruments were designed to accommodate supervisors who are not indigenous languages specialists, there was confusion among supervisors and supervisees on translating indigenous languages on documents and used during lesson delivery to English and vice versa and the student teachers’ potentials were limited due to difficulties in interpreting the instrument. The study concluded that the use of English in teaching practice for African languages was not effective as it compromised quality in both practice and supervision. It, therefore, recommends the use of assessment instruments prepared in indigenous languages

    Ukuqhathaniswa kwezibongo zabantu basentshonalanga-Afrika, Empumalanga- Afrika Nezabasemzansi-Afrika Njengenkomba yesiko lobuzwe obubodwa base- Afrika.

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    Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2001.This research is entitled «A comparative study of Western, Eastern and Southern African surnames as a reflection of African identity" In this study the researcher looked at the historical Origins of surnames in the world, making references of countries including Britain, Scotland, China and India. The researcher then came to the African continent, where she targeted Western, Eastern and Southern Africa as areas of research. The reason for choosing these three parts of Africa is because they fall under the largest language family in the continent i.e. Niger-Kordofanian. The analysis of the findings reveals some similarities between naming practices among Western, Eastern and Southern African Kintu language groups. In the analysis of African surnames, it came out very clear that in these three parts of Africa most surnames are derived from people's names, especially male names; time of the day; animal names; weather condition and from natural phenomenon. Looking at African traditional religion, it came out from the research that in these three parts of Africa there are three categories of religion i.e. Christianity, African religion and Islamic religion. In this particular research religion came through because the findings reveal that religion had an important impact on naming in Western, Eastern and Western Africa and also in other countries in Europe as well. This research gives a proof that Bantu/Kintu languages spoken in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa are related due to common origin from the ancestor language called Proto Bantu. The language relations and the common origin from one ancestor language resulted in similar cultures and similar naming practices among the three parts of Africa. IQOQA Isihloko salolu cwaningo sithi! "Ukuqhathaniswa kwezibongo zaseNtshonalanga-Afrika, eMpumalanga-Afrika, naseMzansi-Afrika njengenkomba yobuzwe obubodwa base-Afrika". Kulolu phando umcwaningi ubheke umlando wokudabuka kwezibongo emhlabeni, ube esegcizelela ukudabuka kwezibongo eBrithani, eScotland, eChina naseNdiya. Umcwaningi ube esebuya eza ezwenikazi i-Afrika lapho eqoke khona ukusebenzisa amazwe aseNtshonalanga-Afrika, eMpumalanga-Afrika naseMzansi-Afrika. Isizathu sokuqoka lezi zizinda ezintathu e-Afrika ngesokuthi amazwe alapha angena ngaphansi komndeni omkhulu e-Afrika obizwa ngokuthi i-Niger-Kordofanian. Uma kuhlaziywa okutholakele ngokocwaningo kuyatholakala ukuthi kukhona ukwefanana ezindleleni ezisetshenziswayo uma kwethiwa amagama nezibongo eNtshonalanga-Afrika, eMpumalanga-Afrika naseMzansi-Afrika. Kutholakale. futhi ukuthi izibongo eziningi zethiwe zisuselwa emagameni abantu, ikakhulukazi emagameni abantu besilisa; esikhathini sosuku, emagameni ezilwane, esimweni seZulu kanye nasezintweni eziyimvelo. Kuthe uma sekubhekwa ngeso lenkolo yase-Afrika kwatholakala ukuthi zintathu izinhlobo zenkolo ezikhona : inkolo yobuKristu, yeSintu neyamaSulumane. Kulolu cwaningo, inkolo ingene ngoba kutholakale ukuthi ineqhaza elikhulu elibambile ekwethiweni kwamagama eNtshonalanga"Afrika, eMpumalanga-Afrika naseMzansi-Afrika kanye nakwamanye amazwe eYurophu. Lolu cwaningo lunikeza isiqiniseko sokuthi izilimi zabantu ezikhulunywa eNtshonalanga-Afrika, eMpumalanga-Afrika naseMzansi-Afrika zihlobene ngenxa yokudabuka kukhokho oyedwa wolimi. Ubuhlobo obudalwe ulimi ngokudabuka ndawonye yilona olungumphumela wamasiko kanye nezindlela zokwetha amagama nezibongo ezifanayo eNtshonalanga-Afriaka eMpumalanga-Afrika, naseMzansi-Afrika

    AlterNation Open Issue #01

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    Following the opening of Alternation on the UKZN platform of the Online Journal Editing System (OJS), in late 2018, we have decided to both continue publishing theme-specific issues of Alternation, as well as open issues. Calls for papers for upcoming theme-specific issues will be published, on the Calls for Papers button, on our regular site, at, http://alternation.ukzn.ac.za/calls-for-papers.aspx. Starting with this issue of Alternation, we shall also publish open issues, and number them consecutively, as from this, the first issue, AlterNation Open Issue #01. As usual, we provide a brief overview of the abstracts of the papers in the issue

    Editorial

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    The papers in this special edition contribute to our understanding of African indigenous knowledge systems in mental health, African literature, and education. They also point towards an urgent need to engage critically with the knowledge-power matrix (Quijano 2007) and to introduce new epistemologies and worldviews into our curricula. This calls for an inclusive paradigm that not only recognizes the Other, with whom one needs to engage with on an equal basis (Nabudere 2011), but also the understanding that there are diverse ways to the market place, as Olawole (1997) teaches us. We hereby conclude by calling for an interdisciplinary approach towards the study of African indigenous knowledge systems, as it is evident that AIKS cannot be meaningfully pursued while one is located within one discipline. African universities and African communities in general have a major role to play in developing AIKS so that it becomes part and parcel of global world knowledge. Although AIKS is part of the global dialogue on what constitutes international knowledge, in the first instance, it needs to be salvaged from marginalization, so that it can enter the dialogue about universal knowledge, as an equal partner

    Nicknames of South African soccer teams and players as symbols of approbation in a multilingual and multicultural country

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    This article deals with the nicknames of South African soccer players and their teams. The nicknames (izidlaliso/izibongelo in isiZulu) are coined by players, supporters and managers of the teams. The nicknames were collected from the weekly South African newspaper entitled Soccer Laduma. More names came from a series of interviews with soccer fans and soccer presenters working for the South African Broadcasting Corporation in the sports section, sports journalists and public relations officers for the soccer clubs. Some nicknames were collected through interviews with students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The focus of this article is the influence of African languages on nicknames in football. This influence reflects the multilingual nature of South Africa as a ‘rainbow nation’. Nicknames of soccer players and their teams are derived from various sources, such as the regalia, town where the team originated, reputation of the managers, names of soccer teams, performance of the players as well as the names of wild animals and the team’s hope and fighting spirit. The article looks at the derivation and functions of the nicknames of soccer players and their teams and finally concludes that these nicknames are symbols of approval in a multilingual and multicultural country.S.Afr.J.Afr.Lang., 2010,

    Impediments in promoting the functional status of African languages in higher education

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    This paper seeks to provide an analysis of obstacles that hinder progress in promoting the functional status of African languages in the South African higher education sector. African languages suffer marginalisation despite the existence of various empowering and restorative legislative provisions and policies. In this study, we argue that African languages have a central role in driving the transformation agenda in the South African higher education sector. In particular, marginalising African languages has disastrous implications for the achievement of social justice and cohesion, and the access to and success of indigenous African language-speaking students. A language management approach was adopted as a foregrounding theory for this paper. A language planning and policy framework was also employed as a complementary theory. The study is based on data collected through semi-structured interviews with academics in the college of humanities at a university in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The study revealed a number of challenges, ranging from negative linguistic ideologies, orthography, weak bilingualism, among other factors. In rising to these pertinent challenges, higher education institutions need therefore to consider language management strategies designed to address language problems, particularly in multilingual contexts

    Embracing the use of African languages as additional languages of teaching and learning in KwaZulu-Natal schools

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    This article posits that the implementation of language policy in South Africa and particularly in the KwaZulu- Natal Department of Education remains a challenge, notwithstanding existing attempts by policies to promote multilingualism and guard against the use of language to perpetuate inequalities which were entrenched by the past history of the country. In this article it is argued that the use of foreign languages as the only languages of teaching and learning in KwaZulu-Natal schools impedes access to the curriculum by African learners who are neither English nor Afrikaans. The article challenges the mission of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education in that the Department cannot champion transformation successfully if African languages are left behind as languages of teaching and learning. The article poses recommendations as to how the apparent linguistic imperialism, which is a human rights violation, can be turned around to linguistic diversity that is based on linguistic justice

    Ukuhlaziywa kwemizwa ecashile equkethwe amagama emizi yakwaMkhwanazi KwaSomkhele

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    Leli phepha liphenya ngokwethiwa kwamagama emizi yakwaMkhwanazi ngenhloso yokuhlaziya imizwa ecashile equkethwe amagama. Kuleli phepha kusetshenziswe indlela yekhwalithethivu ukuqoqa ulwazi obeludingeka, ngoba bekugxilwe kuphela emizini yakwaMkhwanazi kwaSomkhele, eMtubatuba. Kube nezingxoxo nabantu abadala bakulesi sizwe abasikhanyisele ngomlando wamagama emizi. Kwenziwa uhlaka lwemibuzo eyayizobuzwa ngesikhathi sezingxoxo njengethuluzi lokuqoqa ulwazi. Kusetshenziswe insizakuhlaziya yeHermeneutics kanye neyeMimesis ukuhlaziya ulwazi oloqoqwe ngesikhathi kwenziwa izingxoxo. Abacwaningi bathole ukuthi abantu bakwaMkhwanazi bafuduka eSwazini, beza eNingizimu Afrika ngesikhathi kubusa inkosi uDingiswayo. Batholakala kakhulu eMtubatuba eNyakatho neKwaZulu-Natali. Indawo yaseMtubatuba yethiwa leli gama emva kweNkosi uMtubatuba owayeyiNduna eyasebenza isikhathi eside esizweni samaZulu. Kwezinye zezinto ezitholakele kuvela ukuthi abantu basebenzisa ubuciko ukwetha amagama nokudlulisa izinto ezingabaphethe kahle. Sibuye sathola ukuthi amanye amagama emizi ethiwe ukugwema inkulumo eqondile nokuvika ingxabano. Sathola nokuthi inhlonipho ibambe iqhaza elikhulu nayo ekugwemeni ingxabano. Kuvelile futhi ukuthi ukwethiwa kwamagama emizi yesizwe sakwaMkhwanazi kukhombisa ukubaluleka kokulondolozwa kwamasiko

    Embracing African languages as indispensable resources through the promotion of multilingualism

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    This paper seeks to explore the potential significance of additive multilingualism in South Africa’s multilingual society. Additive multilingualism treasures the principle of equality among all 11 official languages. Therefore, our point of departure is the South African Constitution and various policy provisions that advocate for a multilingual mode of operation. The paper is premised upon the potential value of multilingualism that encompasses indigenous African languages and the view of language as a resource. This concurs with the language policy of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), which seeks to promote a multilingual society. Perceptions and experiences of a group of part-time LLB students regarding the learning of isiZulu as an additional language at UKZN were solicited in this study. The ‘language as a resource’ framework was employed as the theoretical approach of the study. The study established an acknowledgement of the resourcefulness of isiZulu as instrumental in fostering social cohesion, breaking communication barriers, and dispelling misconceptions about the value of these languages

    Defying ideological misconceptions through information and communication technology localisation in Higher Education

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    This article seeks to provide a critique on various ideological misconceptions regarding the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) and African languages in higher education. It further seeks to provide insight into various ICT localisation opportunities within the higher education domain. Many institutions of higher learning in South Africa have developed multilingual policies that are founded upon various national, regional and international provisions in order to promote the status of African languages. The low profile of African languages in these institutions, among other factors, could be attributed to negative ideological misconceptions that reinforce the hegemony and status of English in higher domains. These languages are often viewed as incapable of expressing technical terms, although they inherently possess the capacity to function in any given context, just as any other language can, and their multiplicity should be viewed not as problematic, but rather as resource and evidence of Africa’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity. Given the high levels of utilisation, spread and accessibility of information and communication technologies (ICT) in higher education institutions, the integration of African languages with ICT could be of paramount significance in revitalising them
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