M. Tech. Language Practice / Eleven languages were accorded official status at the start of the democratic dispensation in South Africa in 1994, nine of which are Black South African languages. These languages do not appear to be treated equally in most settings, and the linguistic rights of ethnic minorities, especially, seem to be neglected, although the constitution protects them. This study set out to find out how ethnic minorities feel about the state of language practice in South Africa, with regard to their linguistic rights. Ethnic minorities in this country comprise of Tsonga, Swati, Venda, and Ndebele groups. The main aims of this study were to: investigate whether ethnic minorities perceive their languages as treated equally, in relation to other official languages in South Africa; assess whether a multilingual society can exist without ethnic minorities being 'neglected' or sidelined; and, survey views on the effectiveness of language policy and implementation in South Africa in different domains of life.

Thesis (Ph. D. (Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2000 / Refer to document

Thesis (M.A. (Translation studies and Linguistics)) --University of Limpopo, 2010 / The aim of this study is to analyse the language policy adopted by Mopani District. The study has discovered that although the Constitution of South Africa (1996) grants official recognition to all eleven languages, the Mopani District uses largely English and Afrikaans in its official communication. The study further reveals that although the majority of the residents of the district are Sepedi and Xitsonga speakers, they still prefer English to their own languages. In other words, most people in the district still harbour negative attitudes towards African languages. Lastly, the study recommends that Sepedi and Xitsonga should also be accorded the respect that they deser ve, if the district is to achieve its full potential in terms of social, economic and educational development.

M. Tech. Applied Languages / This study is about awareness of language careers in contemporary South African society, given its multilingual ecology, and post-1994 official language policy, with particular reference to Black South African languages. The study attempts to come to its conclusions, based on a survey of societal language attitudes, current university offerings on such languages, the possible impact of technology on the language professions, and government efforts to promote careers in African languages.

This study investigates the perceptions of Zulu speaking parents of the new language-in-education policy. The context for the study, which is explained in Chapter one, is an ex-Model C senior primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. Chapter two consists of a review of the literature and examines South African language policy before 1989 as well as early ANC language policy up to the present language-in -education policy of additive multilingualism. The research entails a critical examination of the popularity of English as a language of learning (hereafter referred to as LOL), weighed against the need to maintain and sustain indigenous languages. There is also a focus on the current debate surrounding language policy and the notion that, historically, language policy has never been a neutral issue. Chapter three describes the research methodology. A qualitative approach was used, drawing on the interpretive paradigm. Some quantitative data, however, was necessary to support the research. Data was drawn from a sample comprising 30 Grade 4 Zulu speaking parents at a former Model C school, who completed a questionnaire. Interviews were conducted to probe and clarify the responses to the questionnaire. Three main issues were addressed: parents' reasons for choosing an English school; any concerns they might have over the neglect of culture; and their knowledge of the new language-in-education policy. Chapter four describes how these three broad issues were tested against the perceptions of two other participants, namely the Principal of the school (Mr B) and an outside educator (Dr L). Conclusions are discussed in Chapter 5. A key finding that emerges from the study is that parents do not favour an English only policy; they want both unfetted access to English and the assurance that their indigenous language and culture will be safeguarded. However, these findings need to be discussed in the context of rapid social change and it was concluded that parents were not well informed about the new language-in-education policy of additive multilingualism, and the options that this affords them. The government needs to disseminate information more efficiently if the new language-in-education policy is to impact on the decisions that parents make regarding their children's education. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

Thesis (M. A. (Translation Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / This study is an evaluation of language management by the University of Limpopo. It is divided into six chapters which are arranged as follows: Chapter one serves to introduce the study by first giving background to the study and the research problems. The researcher’s aims and objectives as well as the research design, method used to collect and analyse data were discussed. Chapter two deals with literature review that covers the scope of Language Management Theory; the language policy in higher education; the intellectualisation of African languages; the advantages of using African languages in education; the non-implementation of language policies; and the attitudes towards the use of African languages. Chapter three discusses the methodology used in the research. The methodology used in this research is qualitative and the method used to collect data was questionnaires and interviews. Ten students and ten lecturers answered the research questionnaires and furthermore five language practitioners were also consulted for this study. Chapter four of this research compiled a sociolinguistic profile of the University of Limpopo. SWOT analysis of languages was also done to determine the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the official indigenous languages of the University of Limpopo. Chapter five presents the interpretation of results. The data from students, lecturers, and language practitioners were examined separately. SPSS version 23 was used to analyse the data collected through questionnaires and the graphs are shown in chapter four. Content analysis was used as well to analyse the data collected through interviews. And lastly, the summary of the results was presented. Chapter six presents the summary of all the chapters included in this research. It also provides the recommendations of the study.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Education University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the Degree of Master of Education. Johannesburg 1993 / The formulation of language policy in South Africa is inextricably bound up with the ideology of Apartheid. The "official" language, English and particularly Afrikaans are associated with race-ru1e and the exercise of state power. Many south Africans, whose mother-tongue is neither are compelled to learn these European languages for economic reasons [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / AC 2016

This thesis is a study of patterns of language attitudes and use among Xhosa home language speakers at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Speakers of Xhosa, according to Statistics South Africa 2000, form the second largest speech community in South Africa (17.9% of the total population), second only to speakers of Zulu (22.9% of the total population). The University of the Western Cape, which is situated just outside Cape Town, was originally intended to serve only the Coloured (mixed-race) population of South Africa. Coloureds form the majority group in the population of the Western Cape, one of the nine provinces of South Africa. In 1982, the university took the bold step of defying the apartheid regime, by opening its doors to students of all races. Students from all over South Africa now attend the university, but Xhosa students, drawn mainly from the provinces of the Eastern and Western Cape, form the largest language group or speech community on the campus. The thesis presents a study of the patterns of language attitudes and use with which Xhosa students enter the university, as well as patterns of change in language attitudes and use revealed by a longitudinal study of a smaller group of Xhosa students.

This study is a qualitative evaluation of how one state school interprets and makes a decision on the language medium to use as guided by the Language in Education Policy [LiEP] that advocates multilingualism in schools. The study asks how the LiEP ideal informs the language policy in the school, and establishes reasons parents give for choosing English as medium of instruction to be used in classrooms. Following Parlett and Hamilton‟s (1976) evaluation as illumination framework, this study outlines the language medium ideal expressed in LiEP and describes the actual Language Policy of the School in practice and how it accords with LiEP in guiding the medium of instruction. Data collection methods in this report included document analysis, classroom observations, interviews and questionnaires. The key findings from the data illuminate; parents of the learners in the school view the national language policy in a positive light that it is inclusive despite the challenges it presents to implementation. The findings reflected the decision makers‟ endeavour to strengthen their case that by choosing English as medium of instruction is not to contravene the policy, but a democratic right to benefit their children. Findings in the report suggest that the national language policy in South Africa is regarded a valuable document to guide the selection on the medium of instruction in schools, but raises issues that need to be addressed to make it play a more effective role in educational contexts.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Language Education)) --University of Limpopo, 2018 / Assessment is a crucial component in the learning and teaching environment. Many educators often go about assessment design by emulating their own teachers or predecessors. Gronlund (1993:1) argues that “despite the widespread use of achievement testing and the important role it plays in instructional programmes, many teachers receive little or no instruction on how to construct good achievement test.” Gronlund (1993) posits that the result is that there is no innovation towards good tests construction because many educators do not study the principles that guide effective test construction. Carey (1994:1) says that “effective teachers must also be proficient in testing, and proficiency in testing requires the synthesis of many different skills.” In Limpopo Province, especially in the under-resourced regions, the actual on-site practices by educators suggest that there are problems with the implementation of school based assessment tasks as prescribed by the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) through the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). This problem is further echoed in the sentiments of some academics that are skeptical about the authenticity of marks generated by educators and schools. This loss of confidence in the assessment practices impacts negatively on the worth of the education of the learners and their readiness to take their place in the academic and vocational spheres. The purpose of this study is to find the degree of success and failure in the implementation and management of school based assessment (SBA) in English Additional First Language in Grade 10 classes. Grade 10 is a crucial level of entry into the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase in schools because it lays the foundation for focused, rigorous and careeroriented high school learning in South Africa.