Thesis (MPhil (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / This study investigates the role of that which the style concept people‐orientation plays with regard to image formation and image projection in documentation, with specific reference to the Stellenbosch University’s registration forms. The goal of this study was firstly to determine how the concept people‐orientation could be operationalized within this specific case study. Regarding image formation and image projection, the researcher aimed to determine (a) what students’ current image of the University Stellenbosch is, (b) if students regard peopleorientation as an important style aspect within communication and (c) if the presence or absence of people‐orientation has an effect on the image of an institution. The Integrated Model for Image Formation and Projection (IFP‐model), whereupon this study is based, suggests that different messages in a document can have an effect on the image of an institution. These messages can however be manipulated in order to determine or adjust the image of an institution. In reference to this, this study investigated the effects of a presence or lack of people‐orientation as an aspect of style in communication. The researcher defines people‐orientation as a concept that bears reference to those aspects which directly or indirectly writes the human role player (including the writer and the reader) into the text. In other words, it refers to communication that puts the role of the person in the foreground of the communication situation. The concept of people‐orientation is however very complex in the sense that it can be created by a number of document design aspects. Thus the best way to test people‐orientation was to identify a number of operationalizeable design aspects. The researcher selected five style aspects which at core has relevance to people‐orientation. These five aspects were forms of address, reference to self, the use of passive or active voice, the use of politeness and empathy markers and the use of graphical illustration, which for the purpose of this study also classifies as a stylistic signal. Thirty‐two respondents from the Humaniora faculties were selected to participate in this study. Although the faculty of Economical and Management Sciences and the Faculty of Law traditionally fall under this division, only the Faculty of Theology, the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Education were used. Gender and race were incorporated as independent variables of this study. Respondents’ attitudes were tested using interviews as the primary methodology, aided by informal questionnaires as secondary methodology. Questionnaire results were however not processed by use of the traditional statistical methods, mainly because the sample of the study was too small. These results were only functional as a basis from which tendencies could be identified. Interview results had a very multi‐dimensional quality and the researcher therefore decided that it would be best to discuss these results in a thematic order rather than listing responses in tables. The results clearly demonstrate that students have a preference for forms which contain people‐orientation and that they dislike forms which lack people‐orientation. Their responses indicate that style aspects which promote people‐orientation have a relative to high probability to positively effect an institution’s image . Thus, Afrikaans‐speaking students from the Humanioria‐faculties regard people‐orientation as an important component in the management of effective communication, especially that of a positive image.

This thesis examines tutor feedback on student essays to ascertain the extent to which these responses assist in teaching the academic and specific disciplinary conventions and to determine what is effective feedback and what is not. The investigation constituted an evaluation of a small sample of essays and the framework for this evaluation was developed from a study of current theories of literacy and language teaching. It was further informed by data gathered from interviews with students and tutors and questionnaires completed by them. This was done in order to establish how students interpret and react to feedback and to demonstrate the level of understanding between tutors and students in this mode of communication. The conclusion was that tutor feedback can provide a valuable method for teaching the discourse of the discipline. However, results of the study revealed that communication often breaks down because tutors and students do not share a common language for talking about academic discourse and because students may not have understood the requirements of the task. In addition, the study found that responses to a small group of essays in the lowest mark category and written by second language students, were very inadequate. As the researcher, I concluded that graduate tutors were not well equipped for the task of dealing with these weaker essays. I have made suggestions for future research in this area and I believe that the data from this case study will provide valuable ideas for training tutors for responding to student essays.

This study examines the conditions for successful online mentoring in order to develop writing skills in English in a workplace setting. Chapter 1 gives the background and context of the study. Problems to be addressed in the study and the aims, objectives, hypotheses and their rationale are presented. This is followed by testing procedures, research design, sources of data and research procedures. In Chapter 2, the literature review supports the hypotheses on the need for collaboration in materials development and delivery, mentoring relationships, motivation and computer and Internet efficacy. Chapter 3 presents the findings from the case study bringing into focus problems that would jeopardise a mentoring programme if training providers do not pay attention to the hypotheses. The findings are collated and the hypotheses are confirmed. Conditions for successful online mentoring are spelt out in Chapter 4. The study concludes that online mentoring works once the conditions are properly followed. / English Studies / M.A. (TESOL)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study the focus is on the yearbooks of the Stellenbosch University with spesific reference to the consumer friendliness thereof. The researcher focused on the General Yearbook as well as an extract from the Humanities Yearbook of the Stellenbosch University. The goals of this study is to firstly determine (a) what is the present image that prospective students have of the Stellenbosch University, (b) if the SU Yearbooks have any impact on the image formation of these prospective students and (c) if so, what is the exact impact of the yearbooks on the image formation process of these students and how can it be improved. There are five important factors that measure the consumer friendliness of a document. These factors refer to the physical access to a document, the external structure, the ergonomy of a document, the style of writing and the cognitive access (understanding) of the text. These factors are closely tied to each other, but for the sake of this study, the researcher decided to focus only on the factors that directly influence the consumer friendliness of a document. The researcher decided on four stylistic aspects that influence the consumer friendliness of a document. These refer, firstly, to the external structure of a document with specific reference to the margins, headings and paragraphs in the chosen document. Secondly, the focus is on the information distribution of the document, i.e. the organisation and representation of information. The third aspect refers to forms of address in the document including both references to the writer as well as to the reader. The last aspect that is researched in this study is the style concept of formality. The researcher primarily focuses on difficult words and phrases in the text as well as the use of passive and active sentence constructions. The researcher also tests the concept of consumer-friendliness with a usability test based on an extract taken out of the Yearbook of Humanities. The researcher’s hypothesis claimes that the yearbooks of the Stellenbosch University are not consumer-friendly and that this can have a negative influence on the image that the prospective student forms of the SU. By determining this perception under the prospective students in the study, the researcher could find a suitable solution from the results to improve the image that the current documentation reflects and also to help the yearbooks of the SU fulfill its purpose which is to serve as an accessible information guide that is consumer-friendly. The Integrated Model for Formation and Projection, the IFP-model, on which this study is based, determines that different messages in a document can have an effect on the image of an institution. These messages can however be manipulated in order to determine or adjust the image of an institution. 123 respondents from the Paarl Gymnasium High School and Luckhoff High took part in this study. Gender and race were incorporated as independent variables in the study. These respondents’ attitudes were measured by means of questionnaires as the primary methodology. Statistical methods were used in order to determine the results from the questionnaires and to identify certain tendencies from the research. The results show that prospective students show a preference for yearbooks that are more consumer-friendly. As the hypothesis predicted, prospective students have a very positive image of the Stellenbosch University. After the introduction to the yearbooks, these images changed to a more neutral, and even in some cases to a more negative image of the University. By means of testing the different style aspects in this study, the researcher also concluede that the respondents preferred a more people-oriented and consumer-friendly yearbook. The respondents in this study had a definite preference for a yearbook which is more consumer-friendly en that therefore have a more positive influence on the image of the University. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word daar gefokus op die jaarboeke van die Universiteit Stellenbosch met spesifieke verwysing na die gebruikersvriendelikheid daarvan. Die navorser het gefokus op die Algemene Jaarboek en ’n uittreksel uit die Jaarboek Lettere en Wysbegeerte van die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Die doelwitte van hierdie studie is om te bepaal wat is (a) voornemende studente se huidige beeld van die Universiteit Stellenbosch, (b) of die US-jaarboeke enige invloed het op die beeldvormingsproses (van die US) van hierdie voornemende studente en (c) indien wel, wat is die uitwerking van die jaarboeke op die beeldvormingsprosesse en hoe kan dit verbeter word? Daar is vyf belangrike faktore waaraan die gebruikersvriendelikheid van ‘n teks gemeet kan word. Hierdie faktore verwys na die fisiese toegang tot die dokument, die uiterlike struktuur, die ergonomie van die dokument, die skryfstyl en laastens die kognitiewe toegang (verstaanbaarheid) van die teks. Die faktore hou sterk verband met mekaar, maar vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie het die navorser haar studie beperk tot slegs die faktore wat die gebruikersvriendelikheid van die teks beïnvloed, sowel as die faktore wat ‘n invloed het op die beeldvormingswaarde van ‘n teks. Die navorser het vier stilistiese aspekte gekies wat met die gebruikersvriendelikheid van ’n dokument verband hou. Hierdie vier aspekte verwys eerstens na die uiterlike struktuur van ’n teks met spesifieke verwysing na die kantlyne, opskrifte en paragrawe van die betrokke dokument. Die tweede aspek verwys na die inligtingsverspreiding van die dokument en dit behels die organisering en voorstelling van inligting in die betrokke dokument. Die derde aspek verwys na die aanspreekvorme in die dokument met spesiale fokus op die aanspreekvorme wat verwys na die leser asook dié wat verwys na die skrywer. Laastens, word die stylaspek formaliteit ook in hierdie studie bespreek deur te fokus op moeilike woorde en frases asook passief- en aktiefkonstruksies in die dokument. Die aspek gebruikersvriendelikheid word in geheel getoets deur die respondente bloot te stel aan ’n tipe begripstoets en sodoende te bepaal of die dokument gebruikersvriendelik is vir voornemende studente. Die navorser se hipotese in die studie was dat die jaarboeke van die US nie so gebruikersvriendelik is nie en dat dit ‘n negatiewe impak kan hê op die beeld wat die voornemende student van die US vorm. Deur hierdie persepsie te kon vasstel onder voornemende studente, kon die navorser uit die resultate ‘n werkbare oplossing kry om die beeld wat die dokumentasie tans skep te verbeter en ook om die US-jaarboek in sy doel te laat slaag – om ‘n toeganklike inligtingsgids te wees wat gebruikersvriendelik is. Die studie word gegrond op die Geïntegreerde Kommunikasiemodel vir Beeldvorming en -projeksie (Integrated Model for Formation and Projection, kortweg die IFP-model genoem). Hierdie model beweer dat verskillende deelboodskappe in ’n dokument ’n effek het op die beeld van die instansie. Hierdie boodskappe kan egter deur middel van dokumentontwerp-aspekte gemanipuleer word ten einde die beeld van die instansie te bepaal of te verstel. 123 respondente uit twee skole, naamlik Hoërskool Paarl Gimnasium en Hoërskool Luckhoff, het in hierdie studie deelgeneem. Geslag en ras is as onafhanklike veranderlikes in die studie in berekening gebring. Respondente se houdings is getoets met vraelyste as die primêre metodologie. Statistiese metodes is aangewend om die resultate van die vraelyste te verwerk en op grond daarvan is sekere tendense geïdentifiseer. Die resultate toon dat voornemende studente ’n voorkeur het vir ’n Jaarboek wat meer gebruikersvriendelik is. Soos die hipotese bepaal het, was voornemende studente se houdings teenoor die US baie positief. Na kennismaking met die US Jaarboeke, het hierdie beeld meer neutraal en in somminge gevalle meer negatief geword. Deur die verskillende stylaspekte te toets, kon die navorser ook bepaal dat die respondente ’n meer mensgerigte en gebruikersvriendelike Jaarboek verkies. Die respondente wat aan hierdie studie deelgeneem het verkies dus ’n Jaarboek wat meer gebruikersvriendelik is en wat sodoende ’n meer positiewe invloed sal hê op die beeld van die Universiteit Stellenbosch.

This study describes the social practices involved in the situated activity of report writing in an engineering automotive discourse community in South Africa. In particular, the study focuses on the subjectivity of predominantly English Second Language (ESL) engineers writing reports by determining what literacy means to them and what meanings they give to dominant literacy practices in report writing, especially feedback in text production. In the South African engineering workplace, because of the diversity and complexity of language and identity issues, the appropriation of the required literacy skills tends to be multifaceted. This context is made more complex as English is the business language upon which engineering is based with engineering competence often related to English proficiency. Therefore, the study is located within the understanding that literacy is always situated within specific discoursal practices whose ideologies, beliefs, power relations, values and identities are manifested rhetorically. The basis for this critical theory of literacy is the assertion that literacy is a social practice which involves not only observable units of behaviour but values, attitudes, feelings and social relationships. As the institution’s socio-cultural context in the form of embedded historical and institutional forces impact on writer identity and writing practices or ways of doing report writing, notions of writing as a transparent and autonomous system are also challenged. As critical ethnography is concerned with multiple perspectives, it was selected as the preferred methodology and critical realism to derive definitions of truth and validity. Critical ethnography explores cultural orientations of local practice contexts and incorporates multiple understandings providing a holistic understanding of the complexity of writing practices. As human experience can only be known under particular descriptions, usually in terms of available discourses such as language, writing and rhetoric, the dominant practices emerging in response to the report acceptance event are explored, especially that of supervisor feedback practices as they causally impact on report-writing practices during the practice of report acceptance. Although critical realism does not necessarily demonstrate successful causal explanations, it does look for substantial relations within wider contexts to illuminate part-whole relationships. Therefore, an attempt is made to find representativeness or fit with situated engineering literacy practices and wider and changing literacy contexts, especially the impact of Higher Education and world Englishes as well as the expanding influence of technological and digital systems on report-writing practices.

This study examines the conditions for successful online mentoring in order to develop writing skills in English in a workplace setting. Chapter 1 gives the background and context of the study. Problems to be addressed in the study and the aims, objectives, hypotheses and their rationale are presented. This is followed by testing procedures, research design, sources of data and research procedures. In Chapter 2, the literature review supports the hypotheses on the need for collaboration in materials development and delivery, mentoring relationships, motivation and computer and Internet efficacy. Chapter 3 presents the findings from the case study bringing into focus problems that would jeopardise a mentoring programme if training providers do not pay attention to the hypotheses. The findings are collated and the hypotheses are confirmed. Conditions for successful online mentoring are spelt out in Chapter 4. The study concludes that online mentoring works once the conditions are properly followed. / English Studies / M.A. (TESOL)

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.

This study aims to explore politeness shown by lecturers during tuition and student support conversations with the objective of promoting polite interactions between IsiZulu mother tongue and non-mother tongue speakers in higher education in South Africa. In particular, the study investigates the way in which politeness in email communication influences learning outcomes within an ODL environment, using quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, a questionnaire as well as interviews to collect data from a cross-section of students from an Open Distance Learning (ODL) institution. All the results drawn from the data sources, namely the questionnaires and interviews, were enumerated according to the data collection tools used. Version 12 of SPSS and Nvivo were used to analyse the quantitative data. The analysis is also based on the politeness strategies of Brown and Levinson (1978) as well as a conceptual framework that links all the variables. Based on the results, the research hypotheses are accepted, thus indicating that politeness in email communication influences learning outcomes within an ODL environment. In particular, the results show that, overall, lecturers who employ politeness contribute positively to student compliance. Accordingly, the study recommends that ODL should recognise both the role of language in communication as well as the power and influence of politeness in communication. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil.