M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / South Africa can be metaphorically described as a quilt – a combination of diverse languages, ethnicities, beliefs and cultural practices, carefully stitched together and passed on from one generation to the next. South African children grow and develop surrounded by the comfort and warmth of this colourful quilt. Although this provides a rich and dynamic learning environment, we face the challenge of providing equal quality education and educational psychological services to all our children. Psychological testing aids with the deeper understanding of an individual’s area of development and strengths in order to be able to make informed decisions about appropriate interventions, support and recommendations. However, due to South Africa’s problematic political past, psychological testing is faced with challenges of its own such as unavailability of tests that are culturally sensitive. This study forms part of a longitudinal study which is addressing this challenge by implementing a localized solution to a local problem, at an affordable cost. The Junior South African Intelligence Scale (JSAIS) is an instrument which measures the intelligence of 3- to 7-year-old children, and is currently standardised for Afrikaans and English-speaking children only. In an effort to eliminate the language barrier and make it more applicable of our South African population, the JSAIS GIQ-8 was translated into Sesotho and isiZulu. In previous studies, the translated tests were administered and a Rasch measure of analysis used to determine the quality of the items in relation to the ability of the participants. This exploratory qualitative study focuses on acquiring recommendations from a panel of people experienced in administering the JSAIS with the aim to improve the quality of the Sesotho JSAIS. Findings show that the Sesotho used in the initial translation is a pure form of Sesotho and participants are concerned that children living in townships around the country may not understand this well. The participants recommend administration to a wider sample group to learn more about the Sesotho dialects used in different regions of South Africa. A Sesotho manual needs to be added to guide administrators in regional word use and in providing standard instructions. The answer sheets needs to be adapted. Some of the pictures on the picture cards need to be changed and the Sesotho questions on those picture cards added as appendices...

M.A. (Applied Linguistics) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (Ph.D. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Refer to ducoment

This work has taken the region of Qwaqwa as a case study. Through this study, the researcher attempted to join in the debate around language varieties that occur as a result of contact between different language groups. To achieve this objective, the factors that have an impact on Sesotho spoken in the Qwaqwa area and, in particular, in schools, have been assessed. The researcher provides a broad and general picture of the language situation and patterns of language use in the Qwaqwa area. A brief overview of the geographical description, historical background and economic development of Qwaqwa is given. Some of the linguistic phenomena that play a role in language variation in this area fall under the spotlight. Language contact, i.e. language and dialect, regional and social dialect, the use of language and the impact of language contact between languages is discussed. Patterns and the extent of language contact and the resultant effects of interference, codeswitching and borrowing as well as the processes and points at which these processes occur are identified. The major similarities and relationships between spoken and written Sesotho, as used by learners in Qwaqwa schools, is highlighted with the discussion focussing on the linguistic description of the similarities and relationships between the two forms. / African Languages / (M.A.(Afican Languages))

Text in English / This study explores the syntax of the substantive phrase, more especially substantive phrase composed of more than one qualificative, in Sesotho. Adopting interviews, questionnaires and documents, the study seeks to investigate the syntactic sequence of qualificatives, their relation to the modified head word and influence of such ordering pattern in the phrase. Structurally, qualificatives comprise two components, namely the qualificative concord and stem. The qualificative serves to give varied information about the implicit or explicit substantive resulting in seven types of qualificatives in Sesotho, be they the Adjective, Demonstrative, Enumerative, Interrogative, Possessive, Quantifier and Relative. From the Minimalist perspective, the qualificative is recursive. The study established a maximum of five qualificatives in a single phrase. The number is generally achieved by recurrence of the Adjective, the Possessive and the Relative up to a maximum of four of the same qualificative in a single phrase. It is observed that the recurrence of the Demonstrative, Interrogative, Enumerative and Quantifier is proscribed in Sesotho. Regarding the ordering of qualificatives, it is also observed that the Demonstrative, Interrogative, Quantifier and Possessive mostly occupy the position closer to the substantive while the Adjective, Enumerative, Possessive and Quantifier mostly occur in the medial position. The Possessive and Relative occur in the outer-border position of the phrase. Such a sequence is influenced by several factors including focus, emphasis, the nature of the relationship between the head word and the dependent element, the syntactic complexity of the qualificative and the knowledge shared by both the speaker and the hearer about the qualified substantive. It can, therefore, be concluded that there are no strict rules of occurrence of the qualificatives in Sesotho. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

This work has taken the region of Qwaqwa as a case study. Through this study, the researcher attempted to join in the debate around language varieties that occur as a result of contact between different language groups. To achieve this objective, the factors that have an impact on Sesotho spoken in the Qwaqwa area and, in particular, in schools, have been assessed. The researcher provides a broad and general picture of the language situation and patterns of language use in the Qwaqwa area. A brief overview of the geographical description, historical background and economic development of Qwaqwa is given. Some of the linguistic phenomena that play a role in language variation in this area fall under the spotlight. Language contact, i.e. language and dialect, regional and social dialect, the use of language and the impact of language contact between languages is discussed. Patterns and the extent of language contact and the resultant effects of interference, codeswitching and borrowing as well as the processes and points at which these processes occur are identified. The major similarities and relationships between spoken and written Sesotho, as used by learners in Qwaqwa schools, is highlighted with the discussion focussing on the linguistic description of the similarities and relationships between the two forms. / African Languages / (M.A.(Afican Languages))

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study assumes the theoretical framework of text construction as advanced by Grabe and Kaplan (1996) for the analysis of Sepedi texts of government speeches from the magazine: ANC TODAY. The theory that is used in this study invokes the linguistic elements that can be used by both the teachers and learners to critically analyse texts in classrooms. This genre-theoretic approach is employed as framework, for analysing the linguistic, rhetorical and discourse properties for Sepedi texts. It also addresses the parameters of the ethnography of writing advanced by Grabe and Kaplan: "who writes what to whom, for what purpose, why, when and how?' The text construction analysis executed in the study enable the learners to acquire skills, knowledge and values of outcomes-based language teaching. The information structuring of text analysis and construction enables learners to write, read and use language structure and conventions for learning and career pathways. The textlinguistic strategies for analysing written texts in language teaching enables learners to analyse texts successfully and gain an awareness of language use in texts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie aanvaar die teoretiese raamwerk van tekskonstruksie soos voorgestaan deur Grabe en Kaplan (1996) in die analise van Sepedi tekste van regeringstoesprake uit die tydskrif ANC TODAY. Die teorie wat aanvaar word, gebruik die linguistiese elemente wat aangewend kan word deur taalonderwysers sowel as taalleerders om tekste krities te ontleed. Die genre-teoretiese benadering word ingespan as raamwerk vir die analise van die linguistiese, retoriese, en diskoerskenmerke van Sepedi tekste. Dit spreek ook die etnografie van skryf, soos voorgestaan deur Grabe en Kaplan, aan: wie skryf wat aan wie, vir watter doel, wanneer, waarom, en hoe. Die tekskonstruksie analise uitgevoer in hierdie studie stel leerders in staat om vaardighede, kennis en waardighede van uitkoms-gebaseerde taalonderrig te verwerf. Die informasie strukturering in teksanalise stel leerders in staat om te lees, skryf en praat in hulle toekomstige beroepe. Die tekslinguistiese strategieë vir die analise van geskrewe tekste in taalonderrig stel leerders in staat om tekste suksesvol te ontleed en 'n bewussyn te ontwikkel van taalgebruik in tekste.

M. Tech. Language Practice / Sepedi is one of the eleven official languages spoken in South Africa. It is mostly spoken in Limpopo province and by the minority in other provinces. The National Language Policy (1997) states that indigenous languages should be used to provide equal access to public services and programmes amongst all citizens, thus, Language Policies of the spheres of governance, national, provincial and local, should be determined based on their needs and circumstances of its residents. This study strives to check whether Sepedi as one of the five official languages has been used to its full capacity in the Greater Letaba Local Municipality, Limpopo province, as a language for official communicative purpose. The municipality has five official languages. In view of the fact that Sepedi is one of these official languages of the Limpopo province, it deserves to be treated with the respect it ought to have.

Thesis (M. A. (African Languages) --University of Limpopo,2005 / The study aimsat finding out thecategorical status of copulatives in Northern Sotho. This will be achieved by examining the morphosemantic features of various copulatives. From a morphological perspective, thestudy focuses on the following types ofcopulative verbs: ke, se, ba, le, na, and COP. The study argues that the foresaid copulatives are not particles but are fully-fledged verbs. As far as the semantic nature of the copulatives is concerned, the study discovered a variety of meanings associated with copulatives, such as the following: the identifying, descriptive,locational and associative. Lastly, the study contends that any research on the copulative in Northern Sotho should be a morphosemantic one, as previous studies focused on one and neglected the other.

Thesis (Ph. D.(Translation and Linguistics Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / This thesis assesses the use of Northern Sotho as an official language in the Capricorn and Mopani District Municipalities of Limpopo Province. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa stipulates clearly that all eleven official languages are equal. The study argues that Northern Sotho, as one of the 11 official languages of the Republic of South Africa, deserves to be treated with respect. It (the study) has shown that Northern Sotho is currently not enjoying the proper status that is afforded to it by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996). The business world does not make use of Northern Sotho as it is regarded as an inferior language which is associated uneducated people. Furthermore, the study has discovered that many of the public and private sector companies communicate with their employees and members of the public in English, while most of these employees and members lack the necessary linguistic proficiency. Information that is directed to employees and members of the public only serves the purpose if it is distributed to them in the languagethat they best understand. The main factor with regard to the use of Northern Sotho in all spheres of life is that many Northern Sotho speakers feel ashamed of speaking the language, particularly in public. This is not surprising because many, mainly educated African people, despise their indigenous languages because they consider them backward, inferior and under-developed. English is still used as a dominant language. The researcher drew on theories of scholars such as Piaget, Laswell, Weaver and Schramm to ground this study. Ethnolinguistic vitality theory is also considered as the study of minority languages and more specifically, Northern Sotho, involves language vitality issues. The researcher has used qualitative research methodology designed through document analysis, observations and individual interviews. Research findings confirm that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) indicates that all the 11 official languages should be used in all spheres of life with equal regard and consideration. This implies, among others, the entrenchment of the right of learners and students to be taught in the language that they best understand. The 12 participants from Capricorn and the 12 from Mopani Districtv Municipalities stated that the use of English should not be tampered with. All the other remaining respondents concurred that Northern Sotho should be granted its rightful status in all official communication. Northern Sotho was found to have linguistic vitality in that majority of Capricorn and Mopani District Municipalities’ residents are Northern Sotho speakers who deserve to be afforded their constitutional right to be served in the medium of Northern Sotho as their indigenous language of choice