Dissertation submitted to the Department of African Languages and Linguistics in fulfilment of the requirement for Master of Art's Degree in Humanities The University of the Witwatersrand, School of Literature, Language and Media, March 2016 / The gradual decline in the use of Black South African languages (BSALs) has been a concern for the past 20 years in both the South African civil population and academia. The last census data of 2011 informs this phenomenon by showing how language use has changed nationally over the years. In an effort to counter this decline, some researchers have called for the improvement of existing non-standard language varieties, which could serve to improve some of these decreasing Black South African languages (Ditsele, 2014). Non-standard language varieties are ‘languages’ largely spoken in black townships around South Africa. They are sometimes referred to as stylects, sociolets or speech varieties, due to their structures and functions (Bembe & Beukes, 2007). Applying a psycholinguistic approach, this study seeks to compare the standard language Sesotho to a non-standard language variety, Mamelodi Lingo. This study looks at the discursive behaviour focusing on speech and gesture. Previous literature on South African language varieties focuses on the semantic and pragmatic description of the words in use (Calteaux, 1996; Hurst, 2008; 2015; Rudwick, 2005; Ditsele, 2014), and very few have incorporated co-speech gesture, which form an integral part of non-language varieties (Brookes, 2001; 2005). The present study presents the results of an empirical investigation that compares 20 narratives produced by Sesotho and Mamelodi Lingo speakers. Using the methodology used in the elicitation of speech and gesture by Colletta et al., (2009; 2015), participants watched a speechless short cartoon and were then asked to retell the story they had seen to the interviewer. Using the language annotation tool, ELAN narratives were annotated for language complexity, length, and type of clause, syntax, as well as story grammar memory-recall. Narratives were also annotated for gesture: type of gesture and function of gesture. The focus was on the discursive performance of speech and gesture. Results show a significant use of meta-narrative clauses from the language variety compared to the standard language as well as a higher use of non-representational gestures by the non-standard language. The findings also show an interesting use of interactive co-speech gestures when retrieving lexical items that are not present in the repertoire of Mamelodi Lingo / GR2017

MA (Tshivenda) / Senthara ya M. E. R. Mathivha ya Nyambo dza Vharema , Vhutsila na Mvelele / Musi ḽifhasi ḽoṱhe na lushaka lwoṱhe vho sedza u losha sa u tambudza vhathu vha mbeu ya tshinnani na ya tshifumakadzini, kha mvelele ya Tshivenḓa u losha hu tou vha u ḓiṱongisa ngazwo. Vhavenḓa ndi lushaka lune lwa dzhia u losha tshi tshone tshithu tsha ndeme kha mvelele yavho ya Tshivenḓa zwine zwa bvukulula tshivhumbeo na vhuvha, u ṱhonifha, u hulisa, u ṋea tshirunzi, u tenda mulandu na vhuthu nga u angaredza. Ngauralo, ṱhoḓisiso iyi i khou ṱoḓisisa u losha ha vhanna na vhafumakadzi kha mvelele ya Tshivenḓa. Ṱhoḓisiso iyi i ḓo dovha ya ṱoḓisisa nḓila dzo fhambanaho dza u losha vhukati ha kuloshele kwa kale na kuloshele kwa musalauno hu u itela uri ṱhoḓisiso iyi i dzie kana i angalale zwavhuḓi. Muṱoḓisisi u ḓo shumisa ngona ya khwaḽithethivi hune muhanga wa thyori wo ḓisendeka nga Afrocentrism kana Afrocentricity Framework. Iyi ndi thyiori ine ya khwaṱhisa u ombedzela kana u khwaṱhisedza mvelele ya Vharema na u bveledza mvelaphanḓa kha u alusa mvelele ya Vharema. Ṱhoḓisiso iyi i ḓo dovha ya ṱalutshedza siangane, tshitatamennde tsha thaidzo, ndivho, zwipikwa na ndeme ya ṱhoḓisiso khathihi na ṱhalutshedzo dza mathemo a ndeme. / NRF

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / This study deals with the analysis of accounts of marriages in isiXhosa. Gergen (1994) proposes the following aspects that such narratives should cover: structure of narrative account; narrative form; self-narrative: process; pragmatics of self-narrative, interknitting of narratives, and emotion. Each of the listed aspects has its own variants. The variants will be dealt with in Chapter four, where Gergen’s theory is being summarised. The proposals Gergen (1994) made are central and significant in this research, since the narratives that have been given by five Xhosa-speaking married persons will be analysed according to his theory on self-narratives. This research seeks to verify the validity of Gergen’s (1994) theory of narratives in the Xhosa context. The research has been conducted by involving five Xhosaspeaking married persons. Each person had to give his or her account of marriage in line with the topic of this research, namely, the analysis of accounts of marriage in Xhosa. After narratives had been collected, an analysis of each narrative has been done in Chapter five of this research. The analysis reveals how each narrative reflects the following: the structure of the narrative account, narrative form, selfnarrative: process, pragmatics of self-narrative, practices of self-narratives, and emotions, as suggested by Gergen (1994). Analyses vary from one narrative to another because an account of married life varies from one person to another. Bakhtin (1981) suggest that the words that narrators use are inter-individual. The understanding of social morals, values, norms, justice, and the history of the community by the narrators enables them to be intelligible in their narratives. It is therefore crucial that this study be pursued in the Xhosa language because narratives are socially embedded. The narratives in this study could assist people to think correctly about the marriages in the Xhosa context. The issue of marriage affects all people, despite language diversity, and it is therefore proper that this study be conducted in all languages. If this is not done, others may think that the findings from this research is applicable to the Xhosa-speaking community only. The analytic part of this research would help communication practitioners and language practitioners to analyse narratives in their languages in the same manner as they have been analysed from Xhosa narratives. This research analysis would assist developing communicators to grow into competent communicators.

Grandparents fail to communicate sexual matters to the youth. It is their duty to initiate this communication. The escalating numbers of sexually transmitted infections among the youth require grandparents as carers to talk openly. The main purpose of the study was to support grandparents in their communication about sexual matters to the youth. In-depth phenomenological focus group interviews were conducted. Data analysis revealed three themes: grandparents' experience of communication, emotional experience, and the experience of political and social influence. The study developed guidelines for grandparents. The limitations of the study involve the research sample, which was not truly representative of the whole population of East London. The study recommends that all stakeholders be involved in supporting grandparents in their communicating sexual matters to the youth. The researcher recommends further research to describe youth perceptions of communicating sexual matters to grandparents / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Grandparents fail to communicate sexual matters to the youth. It is their duty to initiate this communication. The escalating numbers of sexually transmitted infections among the youth require grandparents as carers to talk openly. The main purpose of the study was to support grandparents in their communication about sexual matters to the youth. In-depth phenomenological focus group interviews were conducted. Data analysis revealed three themes: grandparents' experience of communication, emotional experience, and the experience of political and social influence. The study developed guidelines for grandparents. The limitations of the study involve the research sample, which was not truly representative of the whole population of East London. The study recommends that all stakeholders be involved in supporting grandparents in their communicating sexual matters to the youth. The researcher recommends further research to describe youth perceptions of communicating sexual matters to grandparents / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)