Thesis (M. A. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2005 / Refer to the document

Thesis (M.A. (Translation Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / This study focuses on aspects that form part of the reasons of not having complete bidirectional bilingual dictionaries and to find solutions to those problems. The following dictionaries have been evaluated in this study: Oxford Pukuntšu ya Sekolo School Dictionary (2010), Pharos Popular Northern Sotho Dictionary (2007 & 2009) and Sesotho sa Leboa/English Pukuntšu Dictionary (2006). Most African bilingual dictionaries which are supposed to be bidirectional are not because reversibility is not applied thoroughly. This study focuses on checking how Northern Sotho-English bilingual dictionaries apply the reversibility principle. When evaluating bilingual dictionaries it comes to light that there are a lot of errors that lexicographers commit and these errors negatively affect the process of compiling complete user-friendly bidirectional dictionaries. Having user-friendly bidirectional bilingual dictionaries is very important because dictionaries help different language speakers to learn each other’s language.

Thesis (MA. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / Structural markers, front matter, contextual guidance and cross-referencing are some of the important features of bilingual dictionaries which are often taken for granted. This study evaluates the presentation of structural markers in some Northern Sotho/English Bilingual dictionaries, with special reference to Pharos: Popular Northern Sotho Dictionary and Sesotho sa Leboa/English Pukuntšu Dictionary. The study further evaluates the use of the front matter, contextual guidance and cross-referencing in bilingual dictionaries. The study has established that bilingual dictionaries can become user-friendly if they identify and use appropriate strategies, as this leads to communicative success. By contrast, the incorrect application of a comma or a semicolon may lead to a misinterpretation of the supplied equivalents in bilingual dictionaries.

South Africa is a multilingual country and this has certain implications on the development of cognitive-linguistic skills such as phonological processing (amongst others), which are essential for reading development. Research has, in the past, not adequately addressed the development of, and relationship between, a broad range of phonological processing and reading skills in South Africa. The study investigates the relationship between phonological processing skills and reading development in Northern Sotho-English bilingual children. Ninety-eight participants, divided into group 1 (n=48) and group 2 (n=50) based on their Language of Learning Language of Teaching were sampled. Group 1 received literacy instruction in Northern Sotho, whilst group 2 in English. Participants were assessed using a battery of phonological processing tests and on reading abilities in English and Northern Sotho. Correlations, multiple regressions and multivariate analyses of variance were conducted. Findings revealed that phonological processing skills are essential in reading development in both the first and second language of the participants. / African Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)