This research report focuses on an investigation of the prevalence and nature of code switching practices in grade 8 mathematics classrooms in the Ohangwena region of Namibia. The existence of code switching in these classrooms was established by administering a survey to all grade 8 teachers in the region, while the nature of these practices was explored by interviewing and observing selected teachers using a case study research methodology. The data from the survey was analysed quantitatively using descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data from the case study which comprised of audio and video transcripts was analysed within the framework of Probyn’s (2006) code switching categories. These categories looked at code switching in terms of: explaining concepts; clarifying statements or questions; emphasising points; making connections with learners’ own contexts and experiences; maintaining the learners’ attention with question tags; classroom management and maintaining discipline; and affective purposes. The study found that code switching is widespread in most of the grade 8 mathematics classrooms in the Ohangwena region. It also revealed that the teachers’ code switching practices aligned well with most of Probyn’s framework. The criterion of maintaining learner’s attention with question tags was however not found in this study. The results of the study showed that teachers code switch because the majority of the learners’ language proficiency is not good. Code switching is mostly used as a strategy to support and promote learners understanding in mathematics. The study recommends that it is high time that code switching is acknowledged as a legitimate practice and recognised as an important and meaningful teaching strategy to assist learners who are learning mathematics in their second language. Code switching needs to be de-stigmatised and teachers should be supported in using this practice effectively and efficiently.

Silozi is one of the local languages of Namibia with over 200 thousand mother-tongue speakers. The aim of this study is to examine the language situation in the Malozi Community of Caprivi and to identify the factors influencing the maintenance of Silozi in Namibia. The following factors were identified as relevant to the maintenance of Silozi: education, media, religion, contact situations, cultural activities and language loyalty. Despite the strong influence of English in education and increased use of English bythe younger generation, the findings indicate that Silozi is likely to survive for several generations into the future. The study reveals that a high percentage of both young and old use more Silozi in the domain of home, neighbourhood and church than English. It is evident that Silozi will continue to be used as a functional language in Caprivi for many years to come. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / (M.A. (Sociolinguistics))

The study is an in-depth examination of code-switching in the Logoli speech community in the cosmopolitan Kangemi informal settlement area on the outskirts of the city of Nairobi. The aim of the study is to investigate the sociolinguistic and structural developments that result from urban language contact settings such as Kangemi. The main objective is to identify and illustrate the social motivations that influence the tendency of the Logoli speakers to alternate codes between Lulogoli, Kiswahili and English in the course of their routine conversations as well as the structural patterns that emerge in the process of code-switching. Various methodological techniques were used in the gathering of data, including questionnaire surveys, oral interviews, tape recordings and ethnographic participant-observation techniques are highlighted. Extracts from the corpus were analysed within a theoretical framework based on two models, namely the Markedness Model and the Matrix Language Frame Model, both developed by Myers-Scotton. The study identified and interpreted, within the Markedness Model framework, the key social variables that determine code-switching behaviour among the Logoli speech community. These include age, education, status and the various social domains of interaction. In the light of these factors, the researcher was able to explain the tendency to switch codes in different settings and confirm the study’s assumption that urban-based social factors largely determine the motivations for and the patterns of code-switching. This lead to the conclusion that code-switching is not a random phenomenon but a strategy and a negotiation process that aims at maximizing benefits from interaction. Structural features of the corpus were also identified and analysed within the Matrix Language Frame Model. The assumptions of the model were tested and found to be supported by numerous examples from the data. A number of recommendations were made for further research on minority languages in Kenya and the need for language policy in Kenya to be formulated to take these language groups into consideration. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Sociolinguistics)

This research is a case study which sought to investigate the educational implication of code switching in a multilingual school in Matatiele. Since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, the language policy has sought to promote multilingualism and also honours the cultural diversity existing in this country. It is against this background that the study was conducted. The present study also sought to investigate the occurrences and nature of code switching in the classroom context. In South Africa, the Language in Education Policy prescribes that English as Language of Learning and Teaching be practiced from Grade 4 upwards, alongside home languages. At school, it seems that teachers are not empowered regarding the approach towards code switching. The study investigates whether the use of code switching in a classroom context is in line with the Language in Education Policy. It also looks at the implications of trilingual instruction (which is the use of three languages) in content subjects in the classroom. Functions of code switching were examined as well. This empirical research study used qualitative research methods. Qualitative research provided the study with insight into code switching in the educational context. This study encompassed specific techniques for collecting data, mainly observations. Notes were also of some assistance and were jotted down while observation was underway to supplement what could not be captured by the video, such as emotion and feelings. The study concluded that code switching plays a significant role in an English as Second Language (ESL) classroom context. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M. A. (Linguistics)

This study aimed to investigate how Grade 11 Biology teachers mediate learning through code-switching from English to Oshiwambo. It was triggered by my experience as a teacher when I came to observe that the majority of teachers still use the home language during their lessons though the language policy for schools in Namibia clearly states that English should be used as a medium of instruction from Grade Four onwards. The research was carried out at Happy Secondary School (pseudonym), a rural government school in Omusati Region, Namibia. It was a qualitative case study underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. The unit of analysis was the mediation of learning through codeswitching from English to Oshiwambo. Document analysis, questionnaires, interviews (semistructured, focus group, stimulated recall interviews) and lesson observations were used as data gathering techniques, to ensure adequate coverage, validity and trustworthiness of the data gathered. The study adopted Vygotsky’s social constructivism and the socio-cultural perspective in conjunction with Shulman’s Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) as the theoretical frameworks. The data analysis process entailed organising data into themes from which four analytical statements were then derived in relation to the research questions. The study found that both Biology teachers and learners view code-switching as a useful tool in making learners understand the biological concepts. The study revealed that Biology teachers code-switch from English to Oshiwambo to make learners understand better, increase participation, explain concepts, elaborate, for disciplinary purposes, when giving examples of everyday knowledge events and when asking questions. The study also revealed that learners code-switch mainly for good communication, easier self-expression, due to loss of words, when unprepared to explain concepts and due to fear of making mistakes. It emerged, however, that both teachers and learners experience some challenges when codeswitching from English to Oshiwambo is used to mediate learning in Biology lessons. These include time constraints, lack of biological terms in Oshiwambo, different Oshiwambo dialects and the language policy. In addition, learners also lose the opportunity to learn English and find it difficult to answer questions in the examinations. The study revealed that Biology teachers and learners try to overcome these challenges by good lesson preparation, mini-teaching, using English/Oshindonga dictionaries or simply by adhering to the language policy.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature of code switching between Tamazight and Arabic in light of Myers-Scotton's Matrix Frame Model (MLF) (Myers- Scotton, 1993), and the 4-M model of code switching (Myers-Scotton & Jake, 2000). Data come from the very first Libyan Tamazight news broadcast in Libya on May 2, 2011, during the uprising against the Gaddafi regime. I analyzed the broadcast in an attempt to understand the nature and implications of the switching between the two languages in the utterances of the speakers in the video. I also argued that in many ways what many might think of as code switching is actually borrowing. During the Gaddafi era, the government banned the use of Tamazight in formal settings such as the media, work place, and schools. Since the fall of Gaddafi and his regime, the Imazighen (or Berbers) in Libya have sought to present themselves, their language, and their culture as an important part of Libyan culture. Libya's Imazighen are bilingual speakers, a fact that set up the conditions for the switching between Tamazight and Arabic analyzed in this study. Their bilingualism, along with Libyan language policies under Gaddafi, help account for the nature of code switching in the data. This study documents contact phenomena among different languages in Libya. It also facilitates understanding of some of the sociolinguistic changes occurring there as a result of the political changes in the wake of so-called "Arab Spring."

The historical nature of language contact between French and Arabic in Algeria has created a sociolinguistic situation in which French is permeated throughout Algerian society. The prevalence and use of spoken French in Algeria by native speakers of Spoken Algerian Arabic has been a topic of interest to researchers of codeswitching since the 1970s. Studies have been conducted on codeswitching in Algerian media such as television, radio, and music. The hip hop scene has been active in Algeria since the 1980s. Algerian hip hop lyrics contain a multitude of switches into French. This study explores the structural makeup of the codeswitching between French and Spoken Algerian Arabic in Algerian hip hop. These are pattern that have gone heretofore unstudied. The purpose of this study was to utilize Myers-Scotton's MLF and 4-M models in order to analyze the codeswitching between Spoken Algerian Arabic and French found in the lyrics to the hip hop album Kobay by popular Algerian hip hop artist Lotfi Double Kanon. This study had two goals: the first was to document the structural patterns of the codeswitching found in the data. The second goal was to test Myers-Scotton's models and determine whether the patterns found in the data could be predicted by the MLF and 4-M models. In order to accomplish these goals, the lyrics to the album were transcribed, translated, coded and analyzed at the level of the complementizer phrase. The principles of the MLF and 4-M models were used as central tool for analysis. This study demonstrates that the codeswitching found in the lyrics to Kobay follow the principles of the MLF and 4-M models to a great extent. However, three examples of problematic data are presented. This is followed by a discussion on the social and structural implications of these findings.

This dissertation seo out to investigate if use of visually symbolic representations in addition to the more traditional written methods of the key elements 9theme, setting, characterisation) of a short story would support South African ESL learners to grow in their interpretation and appreciation and appreciation of English literary texts. The assertion was that using a multimodal (verbal-visual) transmediated interpretation of the key elements (theme, setting, characterisation)of a short story might afford ESL learners a "deeper reading" (inferential comprehension and appreciation) of a literary text, and that the learners could also be supported to grow in their interpretation and appreciation of English literature. The research findings of the literary analysis project revealed that ESL learners with a "satisfactory" English proficiency can be supported by using transmediation to engage them in rich interpretations of literary genres to realise their interpretations linguistically in written academic eesays. / English Studies / M. A.

This dissertation focused on the study of the Spanish academic language proficiency of novice bilingual teachers during the act of teaching mathematics in elementary grades. Four first year teachers in a large urban school district in central Texas participated in the study. At the time of the study two participants were fully certified and had attended four-year teacher preparation programs. The additional participants had completed all certification requirements including content examinations and the Texas Oral Proficiency Test (TOPT); they were completing their certification requirements through alternative certification programs. The study sought to identify the moments in their teaching of mathematics in Spanish when their instruction broke down, i.e. when they appeared unable to communicate ideas to students, and the reasons for these breakdowns. Findings revealed that the teachers in the study demonstrated linguistic and/or pedagogical breakdowns and that certain factors influenced their knowledge and language competencies. Linguistic breakdowns were manifested when teachers switched to English, used repetitive language when teaching, or provided limited academic language. Pedagogical breakdowns were identified as a lack of: student talk or discussion, effective teacher questioning, or diverse presentation of content. Overall, the teachers struggled with limited language in Spanish and limited pedagogical reasoning skills while teaching mathematical concepts to their students. These limitations were exacerbated by the pressures of high stakes testing and countered by the fact that all four teachers shared linguistic and cultural affiliation with their students. This collective case study was conducted from within a constructivist theoretical framework focusing on theories of academic language, communicative competence, and Vygotsky’s sociocultural perspective of learning. Recommendations for future training and practice of bilingual teachers are provided specifically on the importance of Spanish language proficiency of this group of educators. / text

Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates whether language shift is occurring within the community of the northern areas of Port Elizabeth. These areas are historically predominantly “coloured” and Afrikaans-speaking, and are mixed in terms of the socioeconomic status of their inhabitants. Lately, there is a tendency for many of the younger generation to speak more English. Using the model of another study (Anthonissen and George 2003) done in the Cape Town area, three generations (grandparent, parent and grandchild) of three families were interviewed regarding their use of English and Afrikaans in various domains. The pattern of language shift in this study differs somewhat, but not totally, from that described in Anthonissen and George (2003) and Farmer (2009). In these two studies, there was a shift from predominantly Afrikaans in the older two generations to English in the youngest generation. In this study, the shift is also almost exclusively to English in the youngest generation, but the shift at times took place from English-Afrikaans bilingualism and not predominantly from Afrikaans. In two cases, the first generation was raised in English but raised their children in Afrikaans, and then the grandchildren were raised in English again. The reasons why the shift took place in the northern areas of Port Elizabeth appears to be similar to the reasons in the Cape Town area, namely perceived better education opportunities and better socio-economic prospects. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis word daar gepoog om vas te stel of taalverskuiwing besig is om plaas te vind in die gemeensakp van die noordelike areas van Port Elizabeth. Hierdie areas is histories hoofsaaklik “gekleurd” en Afrikaanssprekend, en is gemeng in terme van die sosioekonomiese status van hul inwoners. Dit wil egter voorkom asof daar deesdae ‘n tendens onder die jonger geslag is om meer Engels te praat. Die model van ‘n ander studie (Anthonissen en George 2003), wat in die Kaapstad-area gedoen is, is in hierdie studie gebruik: daar is onderhoude gevoer met drie generasies (grootouer, ouer, kleinkind) van drie families oor hul gebruik van Engels en Afrikaans in verskeie domeine. Die patroon van taalverskuiwing in hierdie studie het verskil van dié wat in die Anthonissen en George (2003)- en Farmer (2009)-studies beskryf is, maar nie heeltemal nie. In laasgenoemde twee studies was daar ‘n verskuiwing van hoofsaaklik Afrikaans in die ouer twee generasies na Engels in die jongste generasie. In hierdie studie is die verskuiwing ook na amper uitsluitlik Engels in die jongste generasie, maar by tye het die verskuiwing plaasgevind vanaf Engels-Afrikaans tweetaligheid en nie vanaf hoofsaaklik Afrikaans nie. In twee gevalle is die eerste generasie Engels grootgemaak maar het hul hul kinders Afrikaans grootgemaak, en dan is die kleinkinders weer Engels grootgemaak. Die redes waarom die verskuiwing plaasgevind het, is dieselfde as die redes wat deur die verskuiwing in die Kaapstad-gemeenskappe aangevoer is, naamlik beter opvoedkundige geleenthede en beter sosio-ekonomiese vooruitsigte.