Students in Open Distance Learning (ODL) face a myriad of challenges including a low proficiency in English. While research has identified vocabulary as important in improving language proficiency and the pertinent role of interaction in vocabulary development, there remains a dearth of research on how to enhance vocabulary in ODL, a context which is characterised by the distance between students and the institution. In searching for an intervention that would support vocabulary development, including interaction, while taking cognisance of the distance between students and lecturers, this study explored the use of mobile learning (mlearning). Because mlearning technologies offer ubiquitous flexibility and accessibility, they were deemed fit for purpose for ODL which is established on the principles of openness, flexibility and student‐centredness. Using the design‐based research (DBR) method within a pragmatic paradigm, this study designed, implemented and evaluated mobile‐based interventions for vocabulary development. The first phase of the study involved the analysis of the problem through a literature review. The literature and theoretical framework were used to ground the second phase of DBR, which included the development of the intervention prototype in the form of a mobile‐based vocabulary development app called VocUp. The intervention was implemented, tested and refined in three iteration stages, which formed the third phase of DBR. The iterations included a VocUp only stage, followed by a WhatsApp only stage, and ended with a VocUp plus WhatsApp stage. The last phase of DBR involved a reflection and a production of artefacts and guidelines for practice in ODL. Data were collected through interviews and WhatsApp chats from students registered for a first‐year English module. The results were 1) that vocabulary should be explicitly taught, allow for rehearsal opportunities and contain assessment while acknowledging the instrumental role of interaction; 2) mobile interventions should balance the pedagogic benefits with the technological qualities; and 3) the advantages and challenges of using WhatsApp and VocUp can be successfully combined into a hybrid model of both platforms. This study’s contribution to the body to knowledge includes the newly‐designed VocUp as an artefact; a revised model of the CoI theoretical framework called MODeL as well as principles guiding the application of the MODeL in authentic ODL contexts. / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English)

In many international schools where English is the language of learning and teaching there are large percentages of students whose first language is not English. Many of these students may have low vocabulary levels which inhibits their chances of taking full advantage of their education. Low vocabulary levels can be a particular problem for students in mainstream classes where fluent English speaking teachers are using English to teach content areas of Mathematics, Science and History. Not only do students have to comprehend the low-frequency, academic and technical vocabulary pertaining to the subject, but they also need to know the higher frequency vocabulary that makes up general English usage. If students’ vocabulary levels fall too far below the vocabulary levels with which their teachers are speaking, then their chance of comprehending the topic is small, as is their chance of succeeding in their subjects. This study has two broad aims. Firstly, I have set out to assess the English vocabulary levels of students at an international school where English is the language of learning and teaching. The majority of students at this school do not have English as their first language. The second aim of this study is to explore the vocabulary profile of the teachers’ spoken discourse at the research school. By gaining a better understanding of the nature of teacher discourse – specifically the percentage of high, mid and low-frequency vocabulary, as well as academic vocabulary that they use – English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers will be in a stronger position to identify what the vocabulary learning task is and be able to assist students in reaching the vocabulary levels necessary to make sense of their lessons. This study revealed a large gap between the generally low vocabulary levels of ESL students and the vocabulary levels spoken by their teachers. As a result the need for explicit vocabulary instruction and learning is shown to be very important in English medium (international) schools, where there are large numbers of students whose first language is not English. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Applied Linguistics)

Abstract in English, Sepedi and Sesotho / In this thesis, the researcher used an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to investigate the role of English academic vocabulary on reading comprehension of grade 11 English First Additional Language (EFAL) learners in the Free State province, Fezile Dabi district in South Africa. The current study is an attempt to determine whether the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge have a bearing on grade 11 EFAL learners' reading comprehension, and to examine which one of these variables, that is, breadth or depth of vocabulary knowledge, makes a more important contribution to reading comprehension. It also attempts to investigate the Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) used by grade 11 EFAL learners. For the non-experimental quantitative study, the participants of the study were thirty EFAL learners who were chosen based on available sampling. To collect the relevant data, two tests measuring breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge (Section A and Section B) and a reading comprehension were administered to all participants. To achieve its aim 1, two independent variables namely, the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) which measures vocabulary breadth and Word Associate Test (WAT) which measures vocabulary depth were used. Then, the dependent variable was the reading comprehension test in which the participants were asked to read the passages and answer some multiple choice questions. Pearson product-moment correlations and multiple regression were chosen as the dominant techniques for the statistical analyses. The results obtained from the analysis of the data indicated that while both depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge play an important role in EFAL learners' reading comprehension performance, depth of vocabulary knowledge makes a more important contribution. The results further revealed that depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge are positively correlated, that is, those learners who had large vocabulary size had a deeper knowledge of the words, too. Then, the findings from the qualitative study based on the data collected through eight focus group discussion participants about the VLS used by grade 11 EFAL learners, highlight that it is important to explore and broaden learners’ vocabulary learning strategic knowledge. Also, results reflect that learners can take control of their own vocabulary learning as long the teachers train and then offer them opportunities to learn and practice the strategies.The qualitative data for this study was analysed using the content analysis method. / Nyakisiso ye e tserwe ka mekgwa ye mentshi ye e hlakantshitsweng lebaka e le go nyakishisha ka karolo yeo polelo ya Sepediya poleloya tlatselletso e ralokang karolo dithutong tsa polelo ya go bala taodiso mphatong wa lesometee (11) polelong go bana kua porofenseng ya Foreistata e bitswang Fezile Dabi, districting (lefapheng) gona mo Aforika Borwa. Gonabjalo dithuto di ipontsha go ikemisetsa go tseba ka bophara le bogolo ba tsebo ka polelo ya sepedi ka seo e leng sona Mphatong wa le sometee (11), polelong ya tlatselletso ya bana ba mphato wa lesometee ka go bala ga taodisho. Go nyakega di nyakisiso ka mekgwa yeo oka e berekisang ke bana ba Mphato wa lesometee polelong ya tlatselletso. Go thuto yeo e tiilego batseakarolo ba masome a mararo (30) ba polelo ya tletselletso e leng bana ba sekolo bao ba kgethilweng ka mokgwa wa dinyakisiso tse di ntshitswego. Go humana palo ya mannete, dihlahlobo tse pedi (2) tseo ditlago go lekanetsa bogolo le bophara ba tsebo ya go bolela le go bala taodisho e filwe batseakarolo kamoka. Go humana maikemisetso a pele (1). Tseo di ikemetsego di bolelwe, le hlahlobo ya polelo ya mantswe eo e lekanyetsago polelo ka bophara e berekishitswe. Seo se ikemetsego e be ele go bala teko ya taodiso ye batseakarolo ba kgopetsweng go bala ditemana le go araba dipotsiso tse mmalwa tseo dikgethilweng. Dipoelo tseo di humanwego gotswa go dipalo tsa tseo ditserweng ka bophara le go bolela ga polelo kapa yona tsebo ya polelo yeo e ralokileng karolo e bohlokwa go polelo ya tlatselletso go baithuti ka go bala taodiso yeo e tsereng karolo ka bophara kapa bogolo ba tsebo ya polelo e dira gore go be bohlokwa gotseyeng karolo. Dipoelo go tswela pele di bontsha bogolo le bophora ka tsebo polelo di ya kopana di ya tsamaisana nang ka tsela ya maleba, Baithuti ba palo ya godimo bao ba nang le tsebo ya polelo yeo e tibileng ka mantswe le bona baya amega. Gotswa go dinyakisiso tseo di fitisisago go humanwe gore dipalopalo go tswa go dihlopa tse sesawi tseo kapa bao batsereng karolo ka mekgwa ya nyakisiso kapa tsebo ya polelo yeo e berekisitswego go bana ba Mphato wa bo lesometee (11) polelong ya tlatselletso e hlagisa gore go bohlokwa gore bogolo ba baithuti bainyakisisetse ka tsebo ya mekgwa ya polelo. Dipoelo di bontsha thuto ya polelo go barutegi bao barutiwago ba filwe monyetla wa go ithuta le go tsea karolo go mekgwa ya go ithuta e fapaneng. / Mokgwa ona o tswakilweng wa ho hlahloba karolo ya puo ya Senyesemane ka ho bala kutlwisiso ya diithuti tsa Sekolo sa Pele sa Puo ea Senyesemane sa Pele (EFAL) seprofinseng sa Free State seterekeng sa Fezile Dabi, Arika Borwa. Phuputso ya morao tjena ke boiteko ba ho bona hore na bophara le botebo ba tsebo wa mantswe di na le sebopeho sa ho bala sekolo sa EFAL, mme ho hlahloba e nngwe ya mefuta ena, ke hore, bophara kapa botebo ba tsebo ya mantswe, e etsa monehelo wa bohlokwa haholwanyane ho bala kutlwisiso. E boetse e leka ho batlisisa mekgwa ya ho ithuta ya mantswe (VLT) e sebediswang ke barutwana ba 11 EFAL. Bakeng sa dipatlisiso tse ngata, barupeluwa ba thuto ba ne ba e-na le diithuti tse mashome a mararo tsa EFAL tse kgethilweng di thehilwe ho sampole e fumanehang. Ho bokella boitsebiso bo nepahetseng, diteko tse pedi tse lekanyang le bophara ba tsebo ya mantswe (Karolo ya A le Section B) mme kutlwisiso ya ho bala e ne e tsamaiswa ho bohle ba barupeluwa. Ho finyella sepheo sa yona 1, mefuta e mmedi e ikemetseng, e leng. Tlhahlobo ya disebediswatsa vocabulary (VLT) e lekanyang tekanyao ya mantswe le Testing (WAT) e lekanyang e tibeleng ya mantswe e sebedisitsweng. Jwale, moelelo o itshetlehile ka ho bala teko ya kutlwisiso eo barupeluwa ba ileng ba koptjoa hore ba bale dipatlisiso le ho araba dipotso tse ngata. Diphello tse fumanweng ha ho hlahlojwa boitsebiso bo bontshiitse hore ho tseba hore boitsebiso bo bongata bo tebileng le bobopeho ba tsebo ya mantswe bo phetha karolo ya bohlokwa haholo. Diphello di ile tsa tswela pele ho senola hore tsebo le tsebo ya tsebo di tsamaisana hantle, ke hore, baithuti ba neng ba e-na le boholo ba di-vocabulary bana le tsebo e tebileng ya mantswe, hape. Jwale dithuto tse tswang thupelong ya boleng bo thehilweng boitsebisong ba dihlopha tse robedi tsa dipuisano tsa dihlopha tsa dipuisano ka sehlopha sa VLS se sebedisitsweng ka dihlopha tsa bo 11 ba EFAL di bontsha hore ke habohlokwa ho hlahloba le ho atolosa tsebo ya diithuti tsa ho ithuta tsebo. Hape, diphello di bontsha hore barupeluwa ba ka nka boikarabelo ba ho ithuta mantswe ha nako e telele matichere a ntse a kwetliswa mme jwale a ba fa menyetla ya ho ithuta le ho sebeisa manqheka. / Language Education, Arts and Culture / D. Phil. (Education)