Thesis (MPhil (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study the balance between relational and expressive messages on the image formation and projection of a document is studied. To study the effect of these messages, a case study was done on one of the donation letters of Stellenbosch University (SU). The purpose of the research was firstly to established what the image formation and projection of the SU was. The quality of the SU’s image and communication had to be determined. Secondly, the degree of attachment between die SU and respondents was measured to see if it had any influence on the way that they perceived the SU. The IFP-model (Image Formation and Projection model) served as a theoretical basis for the study – the model postulates that various document design aspects and concepts such as image, identitity and culture influence each other. The model was then used to a) identify problematic areas in the documentation b) form the basis of the questionnaire and c) explain the connection between the image formation and projection, and the style aspects in die document. The third goal of the research was to operationalize the relational and expressive messages by manipulating specific style aspects. The researcher had determined that the two messages were imbalanced in the original donation letter, to the extent that the reader did not have any real ‘presence’ in the document. The researcher then proceeded to design a second version of the donation letter, but with the relational and expressive messages brought into balance. Alumni of the SU were chosen as respondents for the study. The Stellenbosch Foundation distributed the questionnaires, along with the two versions of the letter. The researcher had decided upon e-mail as a distribution channel to discount any geographical bias. Two variables were used: Race (coloured and white persons) and age. Younger than 35 years of age, and 35 years of age or older than 35 were chosen as arbitrary cutoff points for respondents. The results were processed statistically so that trends and data could be displayed clearly. Results showed that alumni do have a positive image of the SU, as well as its communication. Alumni also feel reasonably connected to the SU. A strong preference was however shown for the redesigned donation letter, wherein the two messages are balanced out. This means that the SU’s image is projected in a more positive way in a document where the reader has a bigger presence. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie is daar ondersoek watter invloed ‘n wanbalans tussen die relasionele en ekspressiewe boodskappe in ‘n dokument op die beeldvorming en projeksie van daardie dokument het. Vir hierdie ondersoek is een van die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) se donasiebriewe as gevallestudie gebruik. Die doel van die navorsing was eerstens om te bepaal hoe die beeldvorming enprojeksie van die US daar uitsien. Daar moes dus vasgestel word hoe gunstig die beeld van die US is en wat die opvatting oor die US se kommunikasie is. Tweedens is gepoog om die graad verbondenheid en verhouding tussen die US en die respondente te meet, om te sien of dit ‘n invloed het op hoe hulle die US sien. Die IFP-model (Image Formation and Projection) dien as ‘n teoretiese basis vir die studie – die model postuleer dat verskeie dokumentontwerp-aspekte en konsepte soos beeld, identiteit en kultuur, ‘n wedersydse invloed op mekaar het. Die model is dus gebruik om a) probleemareas in die dokument te identifiseer, b) die basis van die vraelys te vorm, en c) die verband tussen die beeldvorming en projeksie van die US, en die stilistiese aspekte te verduidelik. Die derde doel van die navorsing was om die relasionele en ekspressiewe boodskappe te operasionaliseer in verskeie stylaspekte, sodat dit gemanipuleer kan word. Die navorser het bepaal dat daar ‘n wanbalans bestaan tussen die twee boodskappe in die oorspronklike donasiebrief, en dat hierdie wanbalans veroorsaak dat die leser nie werklik ‘n ‘teenwoordigheid’ in die dokument het nie. Om die effek van hierdie wanbalans te toets, is ‘n tweede weergawe van die brief ontwerp, waarin die twee boodskappe in balans gebring word. Alumni van die US is as teikengroep gekies vir die studie. Die Stellenbosch Stigting het vraelyste, tesame met die twee weergawes van die donasiebrief aan hulle gestuur. Die navorser het besluit op e-pos as ‘n distribusiemetode om enige geografiese bevooroordeeldheid te voorkom. Die twee veranderlikes was ras (bruin en wit persone) en ouderdom. Jonger as 35, en 35 of ouer as 35 is gekies as arbitrêre afsnypunt vir respondente. Die resultate is statisties verwerk om duidelike tendense en data te bekom. Resultate het getoon dat die alumni wel ‘n positiewe beeld van die US het, asook sy kommunikasie. Alumni voel ook nog redelik verbonde aan die US. ‘n Voorkeur is egter getoon vir die herontwerpte brief, d.w.s. waar die balans tussen die boodskappe eweredig is. Dit dui aan dat die US se beeld beter uitgedra sal word (of op ‘n positiewer wyse) as die leser ingetrek word deur die teks.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to gain more insight with regards to the comprehensibility of the revised Afrikaans undergraduate application form (see Form B in Excerpt 2) of the Stellenbosch University (SU), especially in comparison to the previous version of 2011 (see Form A in Excerpt 1), to be able to guide document designers with designing a better form. Answers to the following question were searched for: Do prospective students regard the revised Form B as more understandable than the previous Form A? The revised form was changed by a team of experts, as requested by the SU, in order to make the form more understandable. There were 140 male and female, white and coloured grade 11 respondents of both Vredendal High and Vredendal Secondary. This study was launched in light of the South African Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 that took effect on 1 April 2011. In terms of section 22 of this Act, documents must be written in plain and simple language, because consumers have got the right to information that they understand (2008:32). Plain language is practical attitudes about the meaning of good written work, the goal of that and what benefits the reader the most. It is also our intellectual understanding of the way in which people read, the questions readers ask about a document, and readers’ reaction towards various forms of document design (De Stadler, 2012:3). Three parts of the two versions of the SU’s Afrikaans undergraduate form was used, specifically the cover, the program and personal information, and the responsibility of the prospective student. The forms were judged according to its comprehensibility, design and logic order by using a between-group design after respondents had to fill in the parts of the form by using fictional information on an information page. With that, respondents also had to underline words in the form they didn’t understand and fill in a questionnaire. Most of the information was statistically processed. To be able to make comparisons between the forms, a twee-way-variance-analysis was done with alternative form/gender and form/race as independent variables. By using the data collected, it became clear that respondents didn’t like a specific version of the form more than the other version. It also became clear that respondents had huge problems filling in both forms. Even though respondents perceived the form’s comprehensibility, design and logical build-up in the same way, more respondents left out questions in Form B. This, against what we would have anticipated, means that respondents made better sense of Form A. It can even mean that, in contrast to their experience, respondents made more sense of the design and logical build-up of the questions in Form A, compared to the questions in Form B. This result is not a good outcome for the team of experts who made the changes to the revised form. It may be, however, that the SU didn’t allow the team to make enough changes, and because of that the forms are not really perceived as different from one another. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om meer insig te kry oor die verstaanbaarheid van die hersiene Afrikaanse voorgraadse aansoekvorm (Vorm B in Bylae 2) van die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US), hoofsaaklik in vergelyking met die vorige 2011-weergawe (Vorm A in Bylae 1), sodat ’n verbeterde vorm daargestel kan word. Op die volgende vraag is daar antwoorde gesoek: Beskou voornemende studente Vorm B as meer verstaanbaar as Vorm A? Die hersiene vorm is deur ’n taakspan, wat opdrag van die US gekry het, verander met die doel om meer verstaanbaar te wees. Die proefpersone was 140 manlike en vroulike, wit en kleurling graad 11-leerders van beide Hoërskool Vredendal en Vredendal Sekondêr. Die ondersoek is geloods in die lig van Suid-Afrika se gepromulgeerde Verbruikersbeskermingswet 68 van 2008 wat vanaf 1 April 2011 in werking getree het. Volgens hierdie wet moet besighede tekste skep in verstaanbare taal, want verbruikers het die reg tot inligting in gewone en verstaanbare taal (2008:32). Verstaanbare taal is “[p]raktiese houdings oor wat goeie skryfwerk is, wat die doel daarvan is en wat in die beste belang van die leser is. [Dit is ook die v]erstandige aannames oor hoe mense lees, die vrae wat lesers te stel het oor enige dokument, [en] lesers se reaksies tot verskillende vorme van dokumentontwerp” (De Stadler, 2012:3) Drie gedeeltes van die twee weergawes van die US se Afrikaanse voorgraadse aansoekvorm is in die ondersoek gebruik, spesifiek die voorblad, program- en persoonlike besonderhede, en verantwoordelikhede van die voornemende student. Die vorms is ten opsigte van verstaanbaarheid, ontwerp en logiese orde beoordeel deur ’n tussengroepontwerp te gebruik nadat proefpersone die genoemde gedeeltes van een vorm aan die hand van fiktiewe inligting in ’n inligtingsbladsy moes gebruik. Tesame hiermee moes hulle ook moelike woorde in die vorm onderstreep en ’n vraelys invul. Die meeste van die inligting is statisties verwerk. Om vergelykings te kon tref tussen die vorms, is twee-rigting-variansie-analises gedoen met alternatief vorm/geslag en vorm/ras as onafhanklike veranderlikes. Uit die data wat versamel is, blyk duidelik dat deelnemers nie ’n voorkeur vir een spesifieke weergawe gehad het nie. Dit is ook duidelik dat deelnemers ernstige probleme gehad het met die invul van beide vorms. Alhoewel deelnemers se ervaring ten opsigte van die vorm se verstaanbaarheid, uiterlike ontwerp en logiese ordening dieselfde was, het deelnemers meer antwoordvelde in Vorm B as Vorm A oopgelos. Dit kan, teen die verwagting in, beteken dat deelnemers Vorm A makliker of meer verstaanbaar as Vorm B gevind het. Dit kan selfs, in teenstelling met hulle ervaring, beteken dat deelnemers meer sin van die uiterlike ontwerp en logiese ordening van die vrae in Vorm A as die vrae in Vorm B kon maak. Hierdie resultaat is dus nie ’n goeie uitkoms vir die span wat die vorm moes hersien nie. Dit mag egter wees dat die US die ontwerpers nie toegelaat het om genoeg veranderinge aan die hersiene vorm aan te bring nie, en daarom verskil die vorms nie genoeg van mekaar nie.

Thesis (MA (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die geografiese ligging van enige bepaalde skryflaboratorium maak dit dikwels moeilik vir verafgeleë afstandonderrigstudente om ’n konsultasie te ontvang. ’n Veeleisende klasrooster kan dit vir residensiële studente enersyds problematiseer om ’n nabygeleë skryflaboratorium fisies te besoek vir hulp rakende ’n spesifieke skryfopdrag. Hierdie twee studentegroepe benodig gewoonlik addisionele skryfhulp om die tekskwaliteit van hulle geskrewe tekste te verbeter. In hierdie werkstuk het die navorser gevolglik ondersoek ingestel of ’n elektroniese skryflaboratorium, gegrond op die bestaande World Wide Writing (WWW)-model, ’n statisties beduidende effek gelewer het om studente se skryfvaardighede te verbeter. Die teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie loodsprojek is verskaf deur Bereiter en Scardamalia (1987) se tweeledige skryfprosesmodel. Laasgenoemde model het ’n belangrike komponent van die ondersoek gevorm om die ontwikkeling van die hersieningsfase (waarmee ook herskrywing bedoel word) in die skryfproses te illustreer, nadat die proefpersone blootgestel is aan ’n skryfadvies oor paragrafering. Altesaam 67 tweedejaarproefpersone van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch het die opdrag ontvang om verbeterings aan die paragraafstruktuur van hulle oorspronklike teks aan te bring, ná verwysing van die elektroniese skryflaboratorium wat skryfhulp aangebied het in die vorm van web-advies. Hierna het die proefpersone ook ’n vraelys voltooi om hulle houding ten opsigte van die web-advies bloot te lê. ’n Geselekteerde ekspertpaneel het gevolglik die paragraafstruktuur van die tekste geëvalueer en sodoende aangedui of die tekskwaliteit verbeter het of nie. Hierdie resultate is uiteindelik gebruik om die effek te meet wat ’n elektroniese skryflaboratorium uitgeoefen het om die hersieningsfase van die skryfproses te beheer.

Thesis (MPhil (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / In this study, students’ reactions towards linguistic politeness and the lack thereof in letters distributed by Stellenbosch University (SU), is tested. The aim of the research is to determine the answers to mainly two questions: Does letters which lack linguistic politeness influence institutional image negatively? Is linguistic politeness considered a vital component in institutional letters? SU is currently engaged in establishing the institution’s proposed image in letters directed to students. For that reason, male and female students from the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Natural Sciences were chosen as respondents. The pioneers in the field of pragmatic politeness, Penelope Brown and Stephen C. Levinson, identified approximately 40 politeness strategies utilised in social interaction. According to Brown and Levinson, these strategies protect two intrinsic aspects of the human personality: positive face (roughly, the want to be respected by others) and negative face (roughly, the want not to be impeded by others). Consequently, two official letters from SU were tested to establish senior students’ interpretation of the letters’ contribution to face loss. One letter, incorporating no politeness strategies, and a manipulated version comprising appropriate strategies was employed. The research was accomplished by means of pared observations in which fifteen analogous politeness concepts were tested. Senior students responded to comparable questions that assessed the letters’ effect on their positive and negative face. Despite this, the respondents were never fully aware of the fact that their opinion of politeness was tested. The next step entailed the statistical processing of the answers that were ultimately featured on comparable histograms. The results prove that the writer (as a representative of SU) of the letter in which politeness strategies lack, shows no respect for the student (she/the letter generates positive face loss). However, this letter is mainly responsible for negative face loss which means the writer is excessively prescriptive. Interestingly enough, the student respondents were more sensitive towards linguistic politeness in the manipulated text than the lack thereof in the original version. Alternatively, the students are more appreciative towards the institutional letter which employs positive and negative politeness strategies. The results prove the high probability of linguistic politeness promoting institutional image and white, Afrikaans speaking students’ regard for linguistic politeness in institutional letters.