The assumption underlying this study is that cultures differ in terms of politeness norms. Often people from different cultures approach one another in what they think is an appropriate manner and the outcome is miscommunication. This may be attributed to differing cultural norms and this study aims to examine what a sample of school learners perceive to be polite behaviour when making requests and their reasons for doing so. This study focuses on perceived politeness norms (Brown and Levinson 1978) in English across selected South African cultures. The individuals are seen as reflecting a cultural identity, using norms that they feel are appropriate in given situations. Previous researchers have endeavoured to show that politeness norms are universal, but it has emerged that this is not always the case. When people from differing language and cultural backgrounds come into contact they have to find a common ground for their interaction to be successful (Lustig and Koester 1999). Of particular interest is the way people request things, both the way they phrase their request and their reasons for phrasing it this way. In order to investigate this, twenty-nine same-sex pairs of Grade 10 learners were selected from three schools with different cultural backgrounds in Grahamstown. These learners were required to complete a Discourse Completion Test, which contained both Think-Aloud and Retrospection Procedures, while they were being audio-taped. This data was transcribed and analysed using a model that was developed and adapted to describe request strategies. This data is shown through the use of basic statistics, even though it is primarily qualitative. The data is given this qualitative dimension by looking at the factors that the co-conversants attend to. The recorded data shows that although second language speakers of English have a formula for requesting things, they are not always able to articulate why they use the request strategies they do. It appears that English first language speakers and speakers who have English as an additional language request things similarly, but the first language speakers have access to a greater variety of politeness strategies. They also attend to different contextual features. This shows that while the need to be polite seems to be universal, the expectations of the speakers will be different and while a first language speaker of English would not misinterpret the force of a given speech act, they may feel that the person who has English as an additional language is rude. Sensitivity is therefore called for in order to combat mutual negative stereotyping and misunderstandings. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

This study explores approaches and strategies to implement in multicultural English-medium secondary schools for the management and education of black pupils with limited proficiency in English. It attempts to identify means of enhancing and accelerating the mastery by such pupils of English at a level sufficient to support their cognitive-academic needs. An account is given of those elements of the South African education system that have contributed to the disadvantagement that such children bring to the multic,llttu'al classroom. Relevant theories of bilingual education create a theoretical context for the qualitative research that follows, in which the experiences are recorded of educators at three schools where the needs of limited-English-proficient (LEI') pupils have been addressed. Data gathering was by means of focus-group interviews. Based Oll this research, guidelines are offered to help multicultural schools design policies and implement programmes to accommodate the needs of LEP pupils. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Comparative Education)

An exposition of South African English radio drama tracing the historical, cultural and political issues which led to the demise of the art form in 1999, and its resurrection at ICASA’s insistence in 2006. The research demonstrates the ideological influences of both British Imperialism and Afrikaner Nationalism on the development of South African radio drama, drawing parallels between the development of Afrikaans radio drama, Zulu radio drama and English radio drama. The study also deconstructs the role played by English language radio drama in underpinning the ideologies of whiteness, and illustrates attempts made towards transformation from 1985. The recent development of an essentially South African form of radio drama is described, and the effects of new ideological constraints imposed by the SABC are discussed. The study also provides a critical lens through which the SABC’s failure to observe its public service mandate is made evident. / Afrikaans and Literature / M. A. (Afrikaans & Theory of Literature)

An immense degree of linguistic diversity exists in the work force where it is possible for speakers of twenty-three home languages to come into contact on the work floor. The language of management in industry is predominantly English; while supervisors are primarily English- or Afrikaans-speaking. Misinterpretation of speaker intent plays a significant role in communication breakdown that occurs when management or foremen/supervisors communicate directly with workers who do not understand the two erstwhile official languages sufficiently or not at all. Reagan ( 1 986) hypothesized that the greatest number of problems are caused by what might be termed mutual ignorance, rather than by language difficulties. The aim of the thesis was therefore to establish what constitutes the mutual ignorance that leads to misinterpretation of speaker intent. The Hymesian model, the ethnography of speaking, was used as a model for an analysis of sociolinguistic features in factories in the Pretoria-WitwatersrandVereeniging area. For data collection a process of triangulation was used and qualitative and quantitative methods used. The Free Attitude Interview technique was used for unstructured interviews. Other methods include observation, and elicitation procedures such as the Discourse Completion Test, which were used in structured interviews. Language preference, forms of address and politeness markers were examined. Findings revealed that the major differences were found to be in the area of non-verbal behaviour. Speakers of Afrikaans and English are, on the whole, unaware of politeness markers used by speakers of African languages. Afrikaans and English speakers are unaware of offensive non-verbal behaviour used by them. It is revealing that speakers of the official languages believe this to be the very area that makes communication possible, but it is the area in which they may cause offence. It was also found that speakers of African languages have adopted many of the features of the power dominant group at work. The findings of the research are important for the development of strategies for overcoming misinterpretation of speaker intent and negative stereotyping. This research was undertaken as part of the Human Sciences Research Council's programme entitled Language in the labour situation. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)

Recent language policy developments at the University of South Africa (Unisa) indicate that the language attitudes of its students should be researched, particularly the attitudes of students who have an African language as their first language. This study takes a first but solid step towards meeting this requirement. It conducts exploratory research into the nature of the relevant language attitudes and, based on the findings of this research, constructs an attitude scale that can be usefully employed in the measurement of such attitudes, both at Unisa and other tertiary institutions in South Africa. In order to achieve its aims, the study places much emphasis on the use of proper methodology, in order to counteract the trend in much local language-attitude research of ignoring the complexity of language attitudes and avoiding methodologically sophisticated and rigorous statistical techniques that are equipped to accommodate such complexity. / Linguistics / M.A. (Linguistics)

Recent language policy developments at the University of South Africa (Unisa) indicate that the language attitudes of its students should be researched, particularly the attitudes of students who have an African language as their first language. This study takes a first but solid step towards meeting this requirement. It conducts exploratory research into the nature of the relevant language attitudes and, based on the findings of this research, constructs an attitude scale that can be usefully employed in the measurement of such attitudes, both at Unisa and other tertiary institutions in South Africa. In order to achieve its aims, the study places much emphasis on the use of proper methodology, in order to counteract the trend in much local language-attitude research of ignoring the complexity of language attitudes and avoiding methodologically sophisticated and rigorous statistical techniques that are equipped to accommodate such complexity. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

Hierdie studie fokus op die taalontwikkeling en -verryking van senior kleuters in milieubenadeelde gemeenskappe. Die ondersoekgroep is 'n A:fiikaanssprekende Kleurling- en Griekwagemeenskap. Dit blyk dat die ouers in hierdie gemeenskap sekere leemtes openbaar ten aansien van bulle taalopvoedingsgedrag, wat resulteer in taalervaringsagterstande by die senior kleuters. Taalontwikkeling en -verryking is in wese "a socially mediated process" en blootstelling aan stimulerende taalervaringe bevorder begrip van taalgebruik binne die sosiale konteks. Die ontoereikende taalvoorbeeld binne die gesinne en gemeenskap resulteer in ontoereikende taalontwikkeling en -verwerwing en die senior kleuters openbaar bulle arme, ongedifferensieerde taalwereld in taaltekorte ten opsigte van taalbebeer, taalstyl en taalkode. Die senior kleuters se konsepvorming is gebrekkig en in bulle taalaanwending is bulle eerder beskrywend en konkreet-gebonde as analities en abstrak. Dit blyk dat die ouers nie bulle senior kleuters kognitief toereikend stimuleer nie, en dat uitbreiding van taalkode nie toereikend gefasilieer word nie, omdat die ouers onkundig is omtrent die benutting van toevallige leersituasies, en nie potensiele leergeleenthede skep of ontgin nie. Kognitiewe stimulasie verwys na die vaslegging van sekere konsepte en uitbreiding van taalkode verwys na die vaardigheid om juis daardie konsepte te kan omskryf, verklaar of mee te deel. 'n Uitgebreide taalkode is dus die resultaat van gereelde blootstelling aan 'n wye verskeidenheid stimulerende ervaringe. Hierdie ervaringsraamwerk word later die kleuter se venrysingsraamwerk wat by gebruik om inligting te berhaal, versoeke te formuleer, voorwerpe te benoem en gebeure akkuraat te beskryf 'n Uitgebreide taalkode is dus noodsaaklik vir latere suksesvolle leer, omdat dit die leerder in staat stel om nuwe inligting te analiseer, te sinteseer en te globaliseer. Die implikasie vir die antwerp van 'n ouerprogram is dat die ouers nie net begelei moet word ten aansien van die taalverryking van die senior kleuters nie, maar ook eksplisiet daartoe begelei te word om potensieel-stimulerende leersituasies te skep. / This study focuses on the language development and -enrichment of senior toddlers in environmentally deprived communities. The research group is an Afrikaans speaking Colouredand Griqua community. It is evident that parents in this community reveal certain deficiencies pertaining to their language-teaching behaviour, resulting in linguistic experiential backlogs in their senior toddlers. Language development and -enrichment is in essence a socially mediated process and exposure to stimulating language experiences enhances comprehension of colloquial usage within the social context. The inadequate linguistic example set by both the family and the community results in inadequate language development and -enrichment and the senior toddlers reveal their impoverished, undifferentiated world of language in deficiencies pertaining to mastery of language, style of language and code of language. The senior toddlers' conceptualization is deficient and in their language usage they are rather descriptive and concrete-bound than analytic and abstract. It is evident that the parents do not adequately stimulate their senior toddlers' cognitive abilities, and a code of language is not adequately facilitated, because the parents do not know how to derive profit from incidental learning situations and are ignorant pertaining to the creation and utilization of potential learning opportunities. Stimulation of cognition refers to the mastery and fixation.. of certain concepts, while broadening of a code of language refers to the. ability to describe, to explain, to interpret or to communicate the meaning of these concepts. A broadened and expanded code of language is thus the result of regular exposure to a wide range of stimulating experiences. This experiential framework later becomes the toddler's referential framework which he uses to repeat information, to formulate requests, to name objects and to accurately describe events. A broadened and expanded code of language is thus essential for later successful learning, because it enables the learner to analyze, to synthesize and to globalize new information. The implication for the draft of a parental programme is that parents should not .only be accompanied pertaining to the enrichment of their senior toddlers' language development, but that parents in this deprived environment also explicitly be educated to create potential stimulating learning situations at home. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkudige Opvoedkunde)

Hierdie studie fokus op die taalontwikkeling en -verryking van senior kleuters in milieubenadeelde gemeenskappe. Die ondersoekgroep is 'n A:fiikaanssprekende Kleurling- en Griekwagemeenskap. Dit blyk dat die ouers in hierdie gemeenskap sekere leemtes openbaar ten aansien van bulle taalopvoedingsgedrag, wat resulteer in taalervaringsagterstande by die senior kleuters. Taalontwikkeling en -verryking is in wese "a socially mediated process" en blootstelling aan stimulerende taalervaringe bevorder begrip van taalgebruik binne die sosiale konteks. Die ontoereikende taalvoorbeeld binne die gesinne en gemeenskap resulteer in ontoereikende taalontwikkeling en -verwerwing en die senior kleuters openbaar bulle arme, ongedifferensieerde taalwereld in taaltekorte ten opsigte van taalbebeer, taalstyl en taalkode. Die senior kleuters se konsepvorming is gebrekkig en in bulle taalaanwending is bulle eerder beskrywend en konkreet-gebonde as analities en abstrak. Dit blyk dat die ouers nie bulle senior kleuters kognitief toereikend stimuleer nie, en dat uitbreiding van taalkode nie toereikend gefasilieer word nie, omdat die ouers onkundig is omtrent die benutting van toevallige leersituasies, en nie potensiele leergeleenthede skep of ontgin nie. Kognitiewe stimulasie verwys na die vaslegging van sekere konsepte en uitbreiding van taalkode verwys na die vaardigheid om juis daardie konsepte te kan omskryf, verklaar of mee te deel. 'n Uitgebreide taalkode is dus die resultaat van gereelde blootstelling aan 'n wye verskeidenheid stimulerende ervaringe. Hierdie ervaringsraamwerk word later die kleuter se venrysingsraamwerk wat by gebruik om inligting te berhaal, versoeke te formuleer, voorwerpe te benoem en gebeure akkuraat te beskryf 'n Uitgebreide taalkode is dus noodsaaklik vir latere suksesvolle leer, omdat dit die leerder in staat stel om nuwe inligting te analiseer, te sinteseer en te globaliseer. Die implikasie vir die antwerp van 'n ouerprogram is dat die ouers nie net begelei moet word ten aansien van die taalverryking van die senior kleuters nie, maar ook eksplisiet daartoe begelei te word om potensieel-stimulerende leersituasies te skep. / This study focuses on the language development and -enrichment of senior toddlers in environmentally deprived communities. The research group is an Afrikaans speaking Colouredand Griqua community. It is evident that parents in this community reveal certain deficiencies pertaining to their language-teaching behaviour, resulting in linguistic experiential backlogs in their senior toddlers. Language development and -enrichment is in essence a socially mediated process and exposure to stimulating language experiences enhances comprehension of colloquial usage within the social context. The inadequate linguistic example set by both the family and the community results in inadequate language development and -enrichment and the senior toddlers reveal their impoverished, undifferentiated world of language in deficiencies pertaining to mastery of language, style of language and code of language. The senior toddlers' conceptualization is deficient and in their language usage they are rather descriptive and concrete-bound than analytic and abstract. It is evident that the parents do not adequately stimulate their senior toddlers' cognitive abilities, and a code of language is not adequately facilitated, because the parents do not know how to derive profit from incidental learning situations and are ignorant pertaining to the creation and utilization of potential learning opportunities. Stimulation of cognition refers to the mastery and fixation.. of certain concepts, while broadening of a code of language refers to the. ability to describe, to explain, to interpret or to communicate the meaning of these concepts. A broadened and expanded code of language is thus the result of regular exposure to a wide range of stimulating experiences. This experiential framework later becomes the toddler's referential framework which he uses to repeat information, to formulate requests, to name objects and to accurately describe events. A broadened and expanded code of language is thus essential for later successful learning, because it enables the learner to analyze, to synthesize and to globalize new information. The implication for the draft of a parental programme is that parents should not .only be accompanied pertaining to the enrichment of their senior toddlers' language development, but that parents in this deprived environment also explicitly be educated to create potential stimulating learning situations at home. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkudige Opvoedkunde)