M.Ed. (Media Science) / The position of Afrikaans as a national language In South Africa has been a contested one since the 17th century settlement and occupation of the Cape by the Dutch and British settlers, and it Is not surprising that today, when the country faces critical questions relating to nationhood, cultural identity and language use In a profound way, its position again emerges as a crucial point of debate (Alexander, 1989:15). The Afrikaner group and the majority of their white South African adherents place great value on the historicity of the language. This is testified through the 'taalstryd" waged dUring an after the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) and the present-day status of the Afrikaans language as a major item on the negotiations agenda. This historicity and centrality of Afrikaans is contested by other language and cultural groups, who claim that Afrikaans is loaded with exclusivity and racism and that it therefore does not qualify in its claim for national status. The events of 1976 in Black schools and the subsequent years of considerable debate in public and academic forums, quite clearly Illustrates the Intensity of the contest surrounding the position of Afrikaans (Alexander, 1989:26). The Indian population group has always stressed its cultural heritage and at times this has occurred at the expense of Afrikaans as a language. Priority Is assigned to vernacular languages and Afrikaans is neglected in the process. The result is that the language is hardly spoken except in the Afrikaans classroom. It is against this background that this research project will examine the use of pictures In the teaching of Afrikaans at Indian secondary schools.

M.A. / In most instances, Afrikaans second language courses offered to black pupils are planned without pausing to reflect on the communicative needs of the black community. In certain instances this factor has been taken into account. However, these needs were determined intuitively rather than through research and sound experience. The primary aim of this study is to examine problems affecting the determination of the comminicative needs of black pupils in Afrikaans, as well as to find criteria for the selection of suitable material for learning Afrikaans in order to satisfy the specified needs. It is hoped that this study will serve to illustrate the need for careful research aimed at establishing a systematic and scientific needs analysis for Afrikaans at black schools in the Republic of S.A. The problems and constraints pertaining to the application of an investigation into the requirements of the target group are also outlined in this study. Recommendations suggesting possible solutions of these problems are made. In addition, the present syllabus is examined in the light of present insights into the communicative needs of black learners. Chapter one deals with the aims and structure of the study. The second chapter sketches the most important points concerning the acquisition and learning of a second language. In the following chapter the theories and approaches to language teaching are discussed.

M.Ed. (Language Teaching) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Language Policy for Higher Education (2002) endorses multilingualism and language diversity in tertiary education. The issues relating to multilingualism in tertiary contexts and the design of a vocational language teaching program has not yet been adequately covered in research. Language teaching includes courses for specific purposes for adult learners. This type of teaching for specific purposes has not yet received much attention in Afrikaans second language research. There is currently little or no scientific research on the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as a second language for specific purposes in university context within the framework of the task-based theory. Therefore, this study – to design a vocational language teaching program for education students – was undertaken. Teachers (and education students) should be prepared for effective teaching to be challenged as South Africa is diverse in terms of culture and language, and learners are expected to use language at a high academic level. Linguistic diversity, as found in Western Cape schools, have a direct impact on learners‟ chances of success and education courses should prepare student teachers for teaching in multilingual contexts. Research shows that it is important for the teacher to be able to function in a multilingual context mainly in the foundation and intermediate phases. These are two of the teaching phases that student teachers are trained for in graduate programs. It is important that the education students' language training takes place in such a way that they would be able to function effectively in a multilingual context. The need for further development of Afrikaans as a second language in first-year English-speaking student teachers is especially great since no distinction is made between the two groups – Afrikaans first language speakers and Afrikaans second language speakers – from the second year on. In the second year of undergraduate education courses Afrikaans second language speakers are expected to be able to use Afrikaans at the same level as first language speakers, specifically with the aim of possible teaching in Afrikaans. This study looked at how and to what extent needs analyses contribute to determining the content of a specific purposes course for Afrikaans second language student teachers as they require a unique syllabus due to the fact that the nature of their communication places demands other than that of generic language acquisition. The characteristics of the specific skills that the students need were therefore studied through a needs analysis. Language for specific purposes (LSP) has its own approach to curriculum development and materials design as one of the goals include learning the specific language in limited time. This study will look at how and to what extent the LSP course take students' academic language needs into account. In other words, the principles underlying the design of LSP courses will be studied. The grading and organisation of the content of syllabi often occurred randomly in the past. With the use of needs analyses, the content of the specific purposes syllabi can be specifically determined. By making use of existing research, this study examines the sequencing of content or tasks within a syllabus. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Taalbeleid vir Hoër Onderwys (2002) onderskryf veeltaligheid en taaldiversiteit in tersiêre onderrig. Die vraagstukke rakende veeltaligheid in tersiêre kontekste en die ontwerp van 'n beroepsgerigte taalonderrigprogram ("vocational language teaching programme") is nog nie genoegsaam in navorsing hanteer nie. Die onderrig van tale sluit kursusse vir spesifieke doeleindes aan volwasse leerders in. Hierdie tipe onderrig vir spesifieke doeleindes het nog nie veel aandag binne Afrikaanse tweedetaalnavorsing ontvang nie. Daar word tans min of geen wetenskaplike navorsing oor die onderrig en leer van Afrikaans as tweede taal vir spesifieke doeleindes binne die universiteitskonteks binne die raamwerk van die taakgebaseerde teorie onderneem. Daarom is hierdie studie na die ontwerp van 'n beroepsgerigte taalonderrigprogram vir onderwysstudente onderneem. Aangesien Suid-Afrika divers is ten opsigte van kultuur en taal, moet onderwysers (en onderwysstudente) daarop voorbereid wees dat effektiewe onderrig uitgedaag word, omdat van leerders verwag word om met taal op 'n hoë akademiese vlak om te gaan. Linguistiese diversiteit, soos gevind kan word in Wes-Kaapse skole, het 'n direkte invloed op leerders se kanse op sukses en onderwyskursusse sal leerderonderwysers daarop moet voorberei om in veeltalige kontekste onderrig te kan gee. Navorsing toon dat dit veral in die grondslag- en intermediêre onderrigfases is waar dit vir die onderwyser belangrik is om in 'n veeltalige konteks te kan funksioneer. Dit is twee van die onderrigfases waarvoor onderwysstudente in graad-programme opgelei word. Dit is belangrik dat hierdie onderwysstudente se taalopleiding van so 'n aard is dat hulle suksesvol in 'n veeltalige konteks kan funksioneer. Die behoefte vir die verdere ontwikkeling van Afrikaans as tweedetaal by eerstejaar- Engelssprekende onderwysstudente is veral groot aangesien daar vanaf die tweede jaar in sommige onderwyskursusse geen onderskeid tussen die twee groepe – Afrikaans eerstetaalsprekers en Afrikaans tweedetaalsprekers – getref word nie. In die tweede jaar van voorgraadse opvoedkunde-kursusse word van Afrikaans tweedetaalsprekers verwag om op dieselfde vlak met Afrikaans te kan omgaan as eerstetaalsprekers, spesifiek met die oog op moontlike onderrig in Afrikaans. In hierdie studie word gekyk na hoe en tot watter mate behoefte-analises bydra tot die bepaling van die inhoud van 'n spesifiekedoeleindeskursus vir Afrikaans-tweedetaalonderwysstudente aangesien hulle 'n eiesoortige sillabus benodig as gevolg van die feit dat die aard van hulle kommunikasie ander eise stel as die generiese taalverwerwingskursusse. Daarom word die eienskappe van die spesifieke vaardighede wat die studente benodig, deur middel van 'n behoefte-analise bestudeer. Taal vir spesifieke doeleindes (TSD) het sy eie benadering tot kurrikulumontwikkeling en materiaalontwerp aangesien een van die doelstellings onder meer die aanleer van die spesifieke taal binne beperkte tyd is. In hierdie studie word gekyk na hoe en tot watter mate die TSD-kursus die studente se akademiese taalbehoeftes in ag neem. Daar word met ander woorde na die beginsels wat onderliggend is tot die ontwerp van TSD-kursusse gekyk. Die gradering en ordening van die inhoude vir sillabusse het in die verlede dikwels lukraak plaasgevind. Met behoefte-analises kan spesifiekedoeleindesillabusse se inhoude meer spesifiek bepaal word. Deur gebruik te maak van bestaande navorsing, ondersoek hierdie studie die gradering en ordening van die inhoud of take binne 'n sillabus.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the Degree of Master of Arts. / Phonological awareness, or the ability to manipulate sounds, has been found to be highly correlated with the acquisition of reading skills. This awareness may be influenced by the orthography or language system in which the child is learning to read. In addition, different aspects of phonological awareness may also apply to different stages of reading development. This study found that depth of orthography does not seem to influence initial levels of phonological awareness. After two years of reading instruction, readers of a transparent orthography are better at phoneme segmentation and blending and reading nonwords than readers of an opaque orthography. Afrikaans children appear to begin leading in an alphabetic stage using a nonlexical strategy of grapheme-phoneme conversion. English beginner readers seem to start reading using predominantly a logographic strategy of visual word recognition. It also seems that some levels of phonological awareness such as onset/rime detection and syllable manipulation are acquired spontaneously by prereaders of both languages, but that the manipulation of phonemic units is dependent on the acquisition of literacy. The introduction of literacy training and/or the maturation of the children's phonological systems results in a change to a greater awareness of small phonemic units than larger units. / AC2017

M.A. (Applied Linguistics) / There is widespread concern regarding the second language communicative competence of first year university students. This inadequacy has necessitated the introduction of special language courses at various universities. After eleven years of second language study, and the attainment of good matric symbols, many students are still not able to converse adequately. Teachers using cramming methods, especially with regard to the prescribed books, are often blamed for this. In this study an attempt is made to demonstrate that the particular nature of literature makes it a valuable adjunct in the process of language acquisition. Through this medium students can gain insight into the cultural-set and world-view ·of those whose language he is studying - hence the requirements for both psycho- and socio-linguistic input are satisfied. Recent theories regarding language acquisition place particular emphasis on the role of the student in the learning process: Internal factors inclUding attitudinal and personality tendencies are particularly.relevant in this context. The most important external factor is the nature of the input itself for this to effect an optimal impact on the internal aspects of a student specific requirements must be met, the most important criteria being interest-value and comprehensibility. In order to determine whether standard nine and ten setbooks.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / Many changes are taking place in our country. One aspect that must be emphasized, is provision for proper education. The demands on our country and its citizens, necessitate change in education. In South Africa there are still many defects concerning education. There are for example many uncertainties about curriculum, and attempts are made to eliminate defects in syllabi. One of the curricula concerned, is that of Afrikaans First Language. Due to current changes multi-cultural schools have been founded. Thus the curriculum must change in order to accommodate everybody. A new and better curriculum for Afrikaans First Language will have to be brought about to benefit all mother tongue speakers of Afrikaans. This study clearly shows that a relevant first language curriculum is necessary for Afrikaans First Language. This study will point out that certain needs exist among learners and teachers of Afrikaans First Language, which can contribute towards a new and better Afrikaans First Language curriculum. A literature study has been done on curriculum design. Here is shown what a curriculum is and what curriculum design entails. This is done according to the design principle and is carried into effect in first language teaching. There is concluded that Afrikaans First Language must be conceptualised and that attention must be given to subject matter.

M.A. (Applied Linguistics) / Language is dynamic. It must keep pace with new experiences and developments in the growth of a nation. otherwise it cannot be used as a means of communication. According to Chomsky (Lyons: 1980. Derwing: 1973. Klein: 1986) and other linguists who believe in the innatist hypothesis. every normal human being has an inborn ability to acquire his mother tongue in a relatively short space of time. However. research seems to indicate that unless the child is in a normal environment at the critical stage for language acquisition. he will not acquire his mother tongue. The innate ability thus requires stimulation from the environment: plenty of exposure to the language in informal social situations in a supportive atmosphere. Research into mother-tongue acquisition has distinct implications for second language acquisition in early childhood. The second-language teacher can take advantage of the language-acquisition ability of the child and re-create in the classroom the conditions described above under which the child acquires his mother tongue

M.A. / The language needs for non-mother tongue speakers of Afrikaans. The study of Afrikaans by non-mother tongue speakers of Afrikaans is not as simple as it sometimes appears. The aim of this study is to identify the specific language needs of individual learners and whether the course complies with all the requirements or meets all their expectations. The study concentrates specifically on the adult learner who is part of the ABET- programme at RAU. The study further tries to investigate any shortcomings by ways of quantitative and qualitative empirical research. The study seeks to make a valuable contribution by its recommendations to other institutions intending to introduce similar courses. Finally, possible further area of research that need to be explored are highligted.