The new Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) announced that “the official languages of the Republic are Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu” (Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, p. 4). However, only English and Afrikaans have continued to be used as languages of learning and teaching (LoLT) in higher education. The Language Policy for Higher Education (DoE, 2002) in South Africa has also made a call to all institutions of higher learning to develop African languages. The Bill of Rights (Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, p. 10) asserts “everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice...”. Up to now, there have not been practical plans to meet the aspirations of these language policies. Many African students face challenging linguistic contexts when they enter institutions of higher learning. The purpose of this project was to create a comfortable “safe space” where a group of ten first year Sepedi home language students discussed Education Studies concepts. These students used their first language, Sepedi to discuss these concepts, although English was the language of learning and teaching at the University of the Witwatersrand. I aim to identify, describe, analyze and reflect on the kinds of learning practices that emerge in these small groups. The research design was a qualitative case study. I collected data in two phases: a pilot study that I conducted in 2010 and a main study in 2011. Both phases took place on the premises of the School of Education of the University of the Witwatersrand. Interviews, observation of group discussions, students’ reflective reports and field notes were used for data collection. A thematic content analysis method was used to analyse the data. The results indicate that when students are afforded a comfortable “safe space” to discuss academic concepts using their first language, key learning practices emerge that lead to learning and thinking about content. Students experienced freedom, enjoyment and camaraderie during the group discussions. Their participation skills in formal lectures and tutorials improved after the group discussions. They participated in bilingual and multilingual practices, such as code-alternation processes: code-switching, code-mixing, code-borrowing and code translation. They engaged in exploratory talk, using assertions, explanations, questions, challenges and so on to deepen understanding of concepts. I also observed that students used culturally oriented habits that motivated and encouraged them to learn. They also began to respect their mother tongue as a language that could be used in academic contexts.

Thesis (M. A. Linguistics) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / Refer to document

The full text of this thesis/dissertation is not available online. Please <a href="mailto:upetd@up.ac.za">contact us</a> if you need access. Read the abstract in the section 00front of this document. / Dissertation (MA (Sepedi))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / African Languages / unrestricted

Thesis ( M. A. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / The study explored the restandardization of Sepedi with the aspiration of including Khelobedu dialectical lexicons in the standard form. The standardization of Sepedi, unlike the case of Shona, excluded many of its dialects from the process, thus, left Khelobedu speakers outside of this medium and later subjected them to learn it in schools, putting them at a point of disadvantage academically. Very few studies have been conducted around this term restandardization. This study is mixed method in approach and sequential in design. Data is collected via self-administered questionnaires and face-to-face interviews using an interview guide. A total of 20 participants from four villages in the Mopani District made up a sample for the quantitative data collection phase, while four participants who are Language practitioners by profession made up the qualitative phase of the study. The findings of the study reveal that dialect speakers do not have much confidence in their dialectical variety. They still believe that English and Sepedi are mediums of development and progress. Although restandardization according to the language practitioners is said to possible, PanSALB still has a lot to do in terms of developing Indigenous Languages in South Africa.

Thesis (M. A. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2004 / Refer to document

Thesis (MEd)--PU vir CHO

Thesis (MEd)--PU vir CHO

Like other Bantu languages, Sepedi tends to utilise one basic colour term (tala) to refer to both the colour concepts ‘blue’ and ‘green’. This does not of course imply that the speakers of this language are unable to distinguish between these two categories and/or talk about them. Sepedi employs various other terms in order to designate these concepts. However, to date no in depth study has been undertaken as to precisely how this encoding takes place, exactly which terms are utilised in which contexts, how salient these terms are (i.e. how frequently and widely they are used), and which terms can be regarded as being basic terms. In this mini-dissertation an investigation into the various ways in which Sepedi encodes the concepts ‘blue’ and ‘green’ was undertaken. In order to accomplish this, a review of the literature was undertaken, the electronic Pretoria Sepedi Corpus was utilised and finally fieldwork was also conducted. In this manner, a comprehensive list of terms used to express the colour concepts ‘blue’ and ‘green’ were collected and analysed. Based on statistical comparisons between the collected terms, the findings were that the terms most frequently used to express the concept ‘blue’ are talalerata ‘sky-blue, lit. blue of the sky’, mmala o mo talalerata ‘colour of the blue sky’, tala ‘blue’, talaleratadima ‘blue of the sky’ and leratadima ‘sky, i.e. blue colour of the sky’ and the most frequently used terms when expressing the concept ‘green’ are tala ‘green’ and talamorogo ‘lit. green of vegetables’ Furthermore, it emerged that many of the terms used in Sepedi to express the colour concepts ‘blue’ and ‘green’ are formed by way of loanwords, compounding, phrases and paraphrases. It was concluded that in terms of Berlin&Kay’s (1969) framework for the identification of basic colour terms, only the term tala ‘blue/green’ and perhaps also the term talee (an ideophone signifying ‘green’) could be regarded as basic colour terms. AFRIKAANS : Soos wat dit die geval is in baie van die ander Bantutale, word daar in Sepedi slegs een term (tala) gebruik om na beide die kleurkonsepte ‘blou’ en ‘groen’ te verwys. Dit beteken uiteraard nie dat die sprekers van hierdie taal nie daartoe in staat is om die verskil tussen hierdie twee kleurkategorieë raak te sien en/of daaroor te praat nie. Daar word in Sepedi van ’n veelheid ander terme gebruik gemaak om hierdie konsepte te verwoord. Tot op hede is daar egter nog geen in in-diepte studie onderneem ten einde vas te stel presies hoe hierdie enkodering plaasvind nie, watter terme in watter kontekste gebruik word, hoe dikwels hierdie terme in die alledaagse omgang voorkom en laastens watter terme as basiese terme beskou kan word nie. In hierdie mini-verhandeling word daar ondersoek ingestel na die verskillende maniere waarop Sepedi die konsepte ‘blou’ en ‘groen’ enkodeer/verwoord. Ten einde hierdie doelstelling te bereik, is daar eerstens ’n oorsig van die literatuur onderneem, waarna die elektroniese Pretoria Sepedikorpus geraadpleeg is. Dit is gevolg deur veldwerk. Op hierdie wyse is ’n uitvoerige lys terme met behulp waarvan die kleurkonsepte ‘blou’ en ‘groen’ verwoord word, byeengebring en geanaliseer. Gebaseer op statistiese vergelykings tussen die versamelde terme, is daar tot die slotsom geraak dat die terme talalerata ‘hemelsblou, lett. blou van die hemel’, mmala o mo talalerata ‘kleur van die hemel, hemelsblou kleur, tala ‘blou’, talaleratadima ‘hemelsblou, lett. blou van die hemel’ en leratadima ‘hemel, d.i. blou kleur van die hemel’ die mees gebruiklike terme is in die uitdrukking van die konsep ‘blou’, terwyl die konsep ‘groen’ mees dikwels uitgedruk word met behulp van die terme tala ‘groen’ en talamorogo ‘lett. die groen van groente’. Dit het verder aan die lig gekom dat heelwat Sepediterme wat gebruik word om die kleurkonsepte ‘blou’ en ‘groen’ uit te druk, gevorm word by wyse van ontlening, die maak van samestellings en die gebruik van frases en parafrasering. Daar is tot die slotsom gekom dat, in terme van Berlin&Kay (1969) se raamwerk vir die identifisering van basiese kleurterme, slegs die terme tala ‘blou/groen’ en dalk ook die term talee (’n ideofoon wat ‘groen’ uitdruk) as basiese kleurteme beskou kan word. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / African Languages / unrestricted

Cultural views are known to play a critical role in the identification, diagnosis and intervention of developmental disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Indigenous views regarding the nature and causes of ASD have often been overlooked. Based on the paucity of research on indigenous perspectives on ASD in South Africa, as well as the alarming rise in the incidence of ASD, the purpose of the study is to investigate the views held by members of the Sepedi group in South Africa regarding ASD. Research relating to ASD has mostly been conducted in other countries or according to Western or conventional scientifically proven positions. The study attempts to answer the following primary research question: “What are Sepedi cultural views regarding the nature, cause/s as well as intervention of Autism Spectrum Disorder?” The theoretical framework that was utilised during the study was that of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). Furthermore, the study was approached from a phenomenological paradigm. A qualitative approach as well as case study design were followed, and purposive sampling was used. The first method of data collection was a focus group and subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis to pinpoint recurring themes. These five themes are (1) Indigenous African Views, (2) Participants’ views of causes, (3) Circumstances surrounding diagnosis, (4) Personally coping with ASD, and (5) Intervention with a child with ASD. Results obtained from the study could be utilised within a diagnostic, intervention and educational approach that is uniquely South African. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

Thesis (Ph.D. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study explores the influence of the Khelobedu Dialect on Standard Sepedi with a special focus on the students’ writing. A classroom is a space where students need to feel the confidence to take part in classroom activities, language should not be a barrier. Post-1994, South Africa had to take quick measures to redress the injustices that were implemented towards indigenous languages by the previous government. This meant that South African indigenous languages were elevated to official status. Part of this process of officiating indigenous languages of South Africa was based on the concept of language planning which required that official languages must have orthography. This meant that those dialects which did not have orthography could not form part of the standardisation process. Khelobedu is one of the dialects in Sepedi which was left out during the standardisation of Sepedi. This was because of the settlement of the missionaries in South Africa. With the growing need to promote multilingualism and to use indigenous languages for learning and teaching, students who speak Khelobedu as a first language face challenges in the Multilingual classroom where Sepedi is used as a medium of instruction. Instruments such as individual interviews, focus group interviews and document analysis was used to gather data for this qualitative study. The data for this study has revealed that students face various challenges in the Multilingual Studies classroom, in the individual interviews participants have highlighted challenges such as phonological, spelling and finding relevant terminologies from their first language to the standardised Sepedi. The data from the focus group has revealed that most of the participants agree that these challenges are predominant. Both types of interviews revealed that participants will appreciate having orthography from the first language be added to the standard Sepedi. Document analysis instrument data has revealed the challenges that the students face in the Multilingual Studies classroom. With the current trends in Higher Education where education is evolving and issues of inclusivity are of importance, the study suggests a model for the re-standardisation of Sepedi where orthography from Khelobedu can be added through the process of corpus language planning. / National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS)