Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-99). / This mini-dissertation explores the effects of the growth of English as an international and an intranational lingua franca with a focus on the South African debate about language and socio-economic empowerment. This exploration is carried out through an extended review of some of the theories that have challenged the notion that the spread of English is empowering for the majority of the world's population. I refer to these theories as the "critical discourse" about the power of English and argue that within this discourse there is a tendency to be exceedingly dismissive of the idea that the spread of English can in any way empower native speakers of other languages. I refer to this tendency as the "critical model" for looking at the power of English and analyze three metaphors that are often used as tropes to exclude from the "critical discourse" arguments that can be made for using English as a weapon of empowerment. These metaphors characterize English as a "linguistic poacher" that threatens endangered language species with extinction, as a "gatekeeper" that excludes the masses from socio-economic mobility, and as a "colonizer of the mind," or a mechanism that imposes Western-centric values. I argue that while it is important to be aware of these negative effects, the critics of English should not rely too heavily on negative constructions of this language, lest they create theories that are marred by epistemological fallacies that have negative pedagogical and political consequences. Epistemologically, sealing the border of a discourse can lead to tautological arguments that rely excessively on determinism and essentialism. Pedagogically, being exceedingly critical of the power of English can create obstacles in finding ways to teach this language effectively.

Given the challenges facing the South African education system, suburban schools are often assumed to be sites of excellence, and therefore seldom the objects of research. This notion, as well as the persistently poor literacy rates in South African primary schools and the need for more research on the teaching and learning of writing at the upper-primary level across school systems, motivates this case study. This research maintains a sociocultural view of literacy and learning. The linguistic ethnographic approach, carried out with classroom observations, field notes, video-recording and semi-structured interviews, necessitated particular attention to the specific practices of this 'niche' (Nystrand, Gamoran & Carbonaro, 1998) environment. Therefore, although I planned to analyse classroom discourses and students' writing to determine if and how students identify as writers, the teacher's profound disengagement with her pedagogy, her dominant procedural discourse and the closing down of opportunities for her students to take up positions as writers needed to be centred. This focus was particularly important, as in the broader context of her school and the South African education system, Miss King is perceived to be a 'good teacher;' this notion was substantiated by the feedback Miss King received from the Department of Basic Education representative who inspected the school during my field work. Critical Discourse Analysis (Gee, 2008; Janks, 1997; Rogers et al., 2005), Positioning Theory (Davies & Harré, 1990) and Ivanič's (2004) Discourses of Writing were used as conceptual resources in the analysis of the data gathered. These tools enabled an examination of how the participants in a Grade 6 classroom use and navigate discourses to position themselves and others. The teacher self positioned as the authoritative 'knower' through her use of monologic speaking turns and a restrictive Initiation-Response-Evaluation discoursal structure. Despite her assessment driven language and her insistence on students using the process approach when writing, her disengagement from her pedagogy, inability to talk about her learners as writers and unnecessarily prescriptive parameters for compositions, demanded an adaptation of Ivanič's Discourses of Writing framework; in order to capture the superficiality of her discourse, I have added a 'procedural discourse' category. Through this discourse, Miss King can be seen to position her students as nonwriters. In spite of the limiting opportunities to engage meaningfully with their teacher and their learning, the students' abilities to reposition themselves illustrate their continued agency in this space. That they control the classroom discourses during writing sessions, after the teacher delivers her introductions, demonstrates their power in this classroom, their ability to manage their teacher. Still, that some students are able to resist Miss King's positioning to maintain identities as writers occurs despite her pedagogy, not because of it; and those who struggle to reposition themselves are unfairly denied access to identities that should be open to them within the space of the classroom.

In this qualitative research, I hoped to get some impression of ways teachers and learners in five Cape Town schools deal with the process of making sense of a violent past. I offered five teachers material on the Trojan Horse Incident, partly generated by the TRC, and pondered the questions what for them and their learners is politically sensitive and how they position the people involved in the incident and how they position themselves. I understand by 'politically sensitive issues', issues centering on political and social divisions of the past and their ramifications in the present in this country. Applying a 'Foucaultian' approach to discourse analysis, I used the concepts 'indescribable' and 'undiscussable' as structuring categories, next to a differentiation between the discourse of classroom talk, and informal discourses outside the classroom situation. I also differentiated between the sense making processes of teachers, being part of a generation that lived through Apartheid, and of learners, the 'new' generation who didn't have that experience. The results of this research are: Firstly, teachers and learners in the five schools positioned themselves, the people involved in the incident and the researcher through dynamic practices of in- and excluding (shifting between 'us' and 'them') and of past and present framing (shifting between past and present tenses). Both groups seem to prefer to position themselves as 'observers'. In most classes, most of the time was spent on how exactly the Trojan Horse Incident took place (when, where, which tactics the policemen used, consequences,). Moral questions ('why' questions) were left for the end of the period or left implicit. Secondly, there was not a lot of space during classroom interactions for emotions and personal stories. The power/knowledge structure of the discourse of schooling seemed to be very strong, although it was also a matter of personal choices by teachers and learners. An 'official' image of Apartheid, with clear differentiations between victims and perpetrators prevailed. Personal stories were only situated in formal discourses of schooling before or after the actual lesson (learners speaking with the teacher about their personal experiences of or reactions to violence) or when 'others' were present, be it learners from 'another' community than the majority of learners and the teacher, or be it the researcher. Thirdly, a discourse of reconstructing personal histories and identities had more space in informal discourses (for example learners talking to one another during breaks) and during interviews with me. South African youth might have (similar to German and Irish youth) a 'fatigue' towards 'official', 'consensus' knowledge of the past and they might not to be able or not want to make sense of the 'wall' of silenced personal stories of those who have experienced the conflicts in the past. Fourthly, 'sensitive issues' were mostly expressed outside the classroom interactions. These were violence in past and present; moral stances towards violence and responsibility; schooling (teaching but also disciplining); and stereotypes people have of 'other' South Africans and the separate lives they have.

Educational success and attainment, and individual sustainability depend on reading ability. School leaders, especially at the elementary and primary level, have great responsibility ensuring student success in learning to read. In this era of standards-based curriculum and high stakes testing and accountability, school leaders must be certain the programs employed to grow student reading ability are successful. This program evaluation analyzes the effects implementing a scripted, direct instruction reading program has had at a rural, primary school. Specifically, this study investigated the correlation between the Scholastic Reading Inventory and the Virginia Third Grade Reading Standards of Learning Assessment, analyzed the extent student achievement changed on the two assessments from implementing the Reading Mastery initiative, and determined the extent the practice of regrouping students for instructional alignment was utilized and the effect it had on student achievement. Findings indicate a moderate correlation between the Scholastic Reading Inventory and the Third Grade Reading Standards of Learning Assessment, a significant increase in Lexile when comparing beginning and end of year scores, a significant decline in Standards of Learning Assessment scores when comparing three years pre-Reading Mastery implementation to three years post implementation, and found that students remaining in their original program placement demonstrated greater Lexile and grade level equivalency growth than students regrouped to a lower level or accelerated. If program goals, increasing reading ability and increasing Standards of Learning pass rates are to be obtained, Reading Mastery initiative implementation will require modifications. Recommendations for policy, practice, and future studies are included.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 78-82). / The investigation seeks to establish whether vital information is lost or not communicated properly due to differences in language between medical practitioners and patients. In particular the thesis is concerned with English-speaking doctors and their Xhosa-speaking patients in Cape Town. This thesis studies interactions between ten Xhosa patients and five English-speaking doctors at the Red Cross hospital in Cape Town. It examines terminological issues, especially the names for illness as understood by doctors and patients. It also examines communication difficulties pertaining to a lack of complete fluency in the respective second languages. Culture-bound assumptions about illness and communication of important information are also studied. The thesis contends that vital information does tend to be minimised or even lost and examines the consequences of this loss, and makes recommendations in order to minimise miscommunication and enhance communication.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of African Languages at the University Of Zululand, 2017. / Lolu cwaningo lumayelana nokwethiwa kwabalingiswa emibhalweni ekhethekile ebhalwe emva kokuzuzwa kombuso wentando yabantu. Ukwethiwa kwegama lomuntu kusemqoka kakhulu osikweni lakwaZulu, njengakwamanye amasiko ase-Afrika. Imvamisa lawa magama ahamba nezincazelo kanti futhi ahambisana nezehlo ezithile. Amagama angaveza ulwazi olukhulu ngamasiko nezinkolelo ezahlukene ngokomphakathi nangokwezizwe. Isiko lokwethiwa kwamagama luyaziveza ngendlela ababhali abangama-Afrika abetha ngayo abalingiswa emisebenzini yobuciko eyahlukene. Umbhali usuke enenhloso nezizathu ezithile ngalelo gama. Umbuzo onqala wocwaningo ubheka ukuthi ngabe ababhali babusebenzise kanjani ubuciko bokwethiwa kwamagama emibhalweni (Literary onomastics), ukwakha abalingiswa, emibhalweni eqokiwe yesiZulu ebhalwe ngemuva kokuzuzwa kombuso wentando yabantu. Injongo yalo mbuzo, ukuhlaziya indlela ulimi olusetshenziswe ngayo ukwakha abalingiswa njengalokhu kunobudlelwano obunzulu phakathi kolimi nesimomqondo kanye nencazelo eqondiwe. Kulolu cwaningo kuqokwe uhlobo lobucikomazwi obubhaliwe okungamanoveli ayisihlanu kanye nohlobo lomdlalo owodwa. Ucwaningo lusebenzise insizakuhlaziya yokuHlaziya nokuCofiya iNgxoxombhalo, okuyinto ezinye izingcwaningo ezingayisebenzisanga. Ezinye zezinto ezitholwe ucwaningo zimbandakanya: ukusetshenziswa ngababhali iqhingasu lokwethiwa kwabalingiswa ukugqamisa izindikimba ezifana nemiphumela yokwanda kwezidakamizwa, ukudayisa ngomzimba nokuhlukunyezwa kwezingane nabesifazane emiphakathini. Okunye okutholwe ucwaningo kufakazela osekuvezwe ngongoti abaningi abaphenya ngale ndikimba okuthinta ukuqonela kwabesilisa (patriachy). Kugqamile nokho ocwaningweni ukuthi abanye ababhali bayakugwema ukwetha amagama achemile ngokobulili kunalokho bakhetha amagama akhuthazayo, nadlulisa ukwexwayisa. Ucwaningo luphinde lwathola ukuthi amagama ethiwe akhombisa izinguquko ezenzekile ezweni, ezithinta izigigaba zomlando njengokubuya kwababesekudingisweni, ukuzuzwa kwenkululeko nemithelela yokuthutheleka kwabokufika eNingizimu Afrika. Lolu cwaningo luncoma ukusetshenziswa kwenzululwazi ye-onomastiki njengesu lokufundisa ukuhlaziywa kwemibhalo kulesi sikhathi lapho izikole zibhekene nengwadla yabafundi abangalwazi ulimi nencazelo yamagama esiZulu, kanye nezigigaba ezingumlando wesizwe.

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in accordance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in education in the Department of Foundations of Education, at the University of Zululand, 2018. / The aim of the study was to investigate the teaching strategies being used by teachers teaching literacy competencies in overcrowded classrooms of Mamaila Circuit primary schools. The study followed a qualitative approach. The design was a case study. The literacy competences were in the home language Sepedi and first additional language English. The grades covered by the study were grade 4 and grade 6. At grade 4 the learners enter the Intermediate Phase after they finish the Foundation Phase at grade 3. At grade 6 the learners exit the Intermediate Phase. The sample comprising 12 teachers was drawn from three primary schools. In-depth interviews were conducted using an interview guide whose questions were formulated from the research questions. Data were analysed thematically. The least overcrowded classroom in the sample had 51 learners and the most overcrowded classroom had 139 learners out of a recommended 1:40 teacher to pupil ratio for primary schools. One of the findings was that the most common teaching strategy amongst others was that of grouping learners according to mixed abilities and appointing group leaders from amongst the learners adjudged to be more capable in terms of reading skills. There were learners with learning barriers who did not benefit from any of the strategies in place. These learners were disadvantaged as there were no education psychologists at school, circuit and district education offices to attend to their needs. These learners were kept in the conventional schools for lack of special schools that could cater for them. The study has recommended on teaching strategies that the grouping method must have rotational group leadership so that the initially most ‘capable’ learners do not feel entitled to leading other learners. The most common method for assessing the effectiveness of the mixed ability grouping strategy was to keep numbers of learners who at beginning of the each term had reading and writing challenges. The teachers claim that the numbers of poorly literate learners decreased from first to fourth term of the year. While the teachers found the grouping method effective the study warned the over-reliance by teachers on shedding off their responsibilities to group leaders could be interpreted as abusing the learners. The study made suggestions for further studies at the end of the report.

Young children who are learning to read are exposed to digital technology from a very young age and many contemporary families have access to a range of digital devices. This project investigates the reading practices, both digital and print-based, of six middle-class suburban children in Cape Town and how the children and their mothers conceptualise reading. By analysing reading practices and associated discourses, this study aims to ascertain how the dominant discourses of the mothers influence the children's reading practices. This research project is a case study using a qualitative approach, with ethnographic data generating techniques. These included observations, interviews with the six children and their mothers and a questionnaire. Analysis of the data showed that middle-class pre-school children engage in many emergent literacy practices, both digital and print-based, in their homes. Both mothers and children conceptualise reading as being the decoding of print, thus not recognising the multimodal meaning-making strategies to access and read screen texts as being part of the children's emergent literacy practices. A critical discourse analysis of the mothers' answers to the interview and questionnaire revealed that their dominant discourses are ‘literacy is a skill' and ‘being a good parent'. This resulted in the mothers in my study all exposing their children to digital technology, but also restricting the amount of time that their children spend engaging with it. The mothers failed to acknowledge the emergent literacy practices present in their children's digital activities and viewed online and offline literacy practices as separate, not acknowledging the relationship between the use of digital technologies and print-based decoding, seeing their digital practices as ‘other' to what they needed to achieve. This serves to marginalise these digital literacy practices in the children's ‘coming to literacy'. In trying to be a good parent, they feel conflicted by the need to expose their children to digital technology and the need to protect them and thus limit their access by imposing restrictions. Thus, discourse shapes which literacy practices are valued and which are restricted. Regimes of truth about what reading is and the need to restrict access to digital technology reinforce the suburban middle-class ideas and ways of becoming literate and being a good parent. Discourse is thus shaping literacy practices in suburban homes and constituting knowledge, marginalising particular ways of being and doing and, thus failing to recognise the child's potential to contribute to their own learning and full participation in their emergent literacy practices. This project concluded that despite literacies changing as a function of social, cultural and technological changes, how people view reading has not changed since the 1950s. If people regard the contribution that the digital is making towards a child's emergent literacy, the ‘formal' literacy learning that occurs in schools and other institutions may improve.

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