MAAS / MER Mathivha Centre for African Languages, Arts and Culture

Thesis (Ph. D. (Translation Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Some research has been done on the intellectualisation of African languages. However, African languages are still not used enough in academia; in fact, they are undermined. They need to be developed into languages of education, economy and social interaction. This means preparing the languages for use in more advanced contexts. The aim of this study was to examine the intellectualisation of African languages at the University of Limpopo. Methodologically, this study was achieved through a qualitative-descriptive research design, with the use of semi-structured interviews to find out if the University of Limpopo was actively involved in intellectualising African languages. The data collected was analysed through thematic content analysis. The first finding is that the University of Limpopo has a language policy whose implementation requires improvement. It was found that there is no parity or equitable use of the languages of the university, mostly between African languages and English. It has been observed that African languages can improve the academic performance of students at the University of Limpopo. The study further found that the development of African languages can help students and lecturers to learn these languages, so they can communicate with each other in these languages and thereby promote multilingualism. It has been found that the University of Limpopo is a good place to promote and exercise multilingualism as it is a multicultural community. The significant point here is that there is a need to devise strategies to improve the implementation of the university’s language policy. It is concluded that the intellectualisation of African languages would help minimise (if not erase) any language barriers, particularly for those who would be working with individuals on a daily basis in their respective fields. There is a need to do campaigns to educate students about the importance of mother tongue and African languages as well as to remove the negative perceptions about these languages. One recommendation for the university is that the University of Limpopo must come up with an implementation plan to implement its language policy. One recommendation for other researchers is to come up with more strategies on how xi higher institutions of learning can implement their language policies and intellectualise African languages. / National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) and South African Humanities Deans Association (SAHUDA)

Thesis (Ph.D. (Language Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) mandates 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: 4). However, only English has continued to be used as the language of teaching and communication in almost all institution of higher education. The Language Policy for Higher Education in South Africa (DBE, 2002) calls on all institutions of higher learning to develop African languages. The Bill of Rights (Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996:10) asserts that “everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice...”. In consensus with this, the Language Policy of the University of Limpopo (1996:3) mandates the institution, to uphold the legislative provision of multilingualism as defined and laid out in Section 6 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996), the Language Policy and Plan for South Africa (2000). In addition, the National Language Policy Framework (2002), and the Ministerial Committee’s Report on the Development of Indigenous African Languages as Mediums of Instruction in Higher Education (2005). However, no practical plans to meet the mandates of these language policies have been made, except in the teaching of the language as a module. Many Xitsonga university students face challenging linguistic contexts when they enter institutions of higher learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of students and lecturers of the use of the Xitsonga language in teaching, learning and communication at the University of Limpopo. The Xitsonga students often codemix and codeswitch during lectures and social interactions. The researcher had to identify, describe, analyse and reflect on the kinds of learning and communication practices that emerged in this context. The investigation is an ethnographic case study of the language attitudes and behaviours of the students and lecturers at the University of Limpopo. The researcher spent time with Xitsonga students and lecturers in the School of Education and in the School of Languages and Communication Studies, where Xitsonga is offered as a module. The researcher used her class in the School of Education and observed lectures in the School of Languages and Communication Studies to develop a case, which can be used to enrich an understanding of other cases. The study was qualitative in nature within interpretivism paradigm. Research techniques namely interviews, documentary analysisvii and observations were used for data collection. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) and thick descriptions were used to analyse the data coded into themes to highlight the power play between English and the indigenous languages, with particular reference to Xitsonga. The results indicated that the environment at the University of Limpopo does not afford Xitsonga students the desire and motivation required to communicate in Xitsonga. The researcher also observed that language is only recognised for greeting purposes and cultural activities. As such, most Vatsonga students do not contribute to the development of the language. The study therefore recommends that the institution language policy be revised and implemented accordingly to cater appropriate use of the SOVENGA languages. Keywords: Language Learning, Communication, Xitsonga, Indigenous African Languages, Language Policy, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation, Motivation, Attitude, SOVENGA

Mass communication through the print and the electronic media has not been spared by the post-Cold-War wind of change that is sweeping across Africa and the rest of the world. According to Wilcox (1974: 37), in 1974 over 70 percent of all the newspapers that were printed in Africa were government-owned; in the same year, almost all radio and T.V. stations were owned by government. In the changing socio-eonomic climate, however, a state monopoly of the mass media in many Sub- Saharan African countries is now a thing of the past (see for instance, Bourgault 1995). Where, for example, there used to be only one or two newspapers owned by the government or the ruling party, there now exists a plethora of privately owned competing newspapers and other publications; and where there used to be only one sycophantic radio and T. V. station owned by the government, there now exist several radio and T. V. stations, many of them privately-owned commercial broadcasters. The general philosophy behind the liberalization of the mass media is what has come to be called `the freedom of speech`. Citing the liberalization of the electronic media in Kenya, this paper argues that the liberalization of the media in many Sub-Saharan countries has not been matched by policies that encourage the entrenchment, spread and full utilization of African indigenous languages. It is further argued that the lack of media policy that favours African indigenous languages is likely to lead to negative consequences for the languages of Africa.

Immigrants lose their unique psychosocial context when their experiences are subsumed under pan ethnic labels such as Hispanics, Latina/o, Asians or Africans. The stress from navigating different cultural contexts becomes problematic when immigrants operate within mainstream cultural norms that are in conflict with their traditional values. The number of Kenyan immigrants to the United States has steadily increased since the 1980s. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to study the lived experience of Kenyan immigrants by focusing on their integration experience and how the integration processes may have affected their mental health. Very few studies center on the psychological impact of the integration processes on Africans, while even fewer studies focus on Kenyans. The results of the study could be used by helping professionals to assist Kenyan immigrants with mental health problems as well as policy makers on immigration issues in both Kenya and the United States. Future Kenyan immigrants to the United States can also use this information as they prepare to migrate. The transition theory and social constructionism theory were used as the theoretical lens for this study. Data were collected using semi structured interviews conducted with 7 Kenyan men and women over the age of 18 from Northeastern United States who had immigrated from 1996 to the present day. Coding was used to analyze the data by cross-case analysis to search for themes and patterns. Data analysis revealed discrimination, alienation, shame, overcompensation, and cultural shock among other issues faced by immigrants, but from the Kenyan immigrants' perspective.

Empirical studies have shown that single-parent families have been overrepresented in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and the children of these families are more exposed to factors that lead to aggressive behavior. Despite these studies, there is limited literature on the parenting of immigrant mothers that may prevent aggressive behaviors in children. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of single Southern African immigrant mothers in low socioeconomic neighborhoods in California working and raising male children who do not exhibit aggressive behaviors in schools and in the community. Seligman's theory of positive psychology informed this study. Research questions were focused on how the participants make meaning of and positively cope with their parenting experiences. Data were collected through semistructured interviews using purposive sampling of 8 single Southern African immigrant mothers. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, 5 themes emerged: (a) working hard, (b) religion, (c) family, (d) education, and (e) positively coping. The findings of this study may contribute to positive social change by informing policy makers from California and high school personnel about the need to develop programs that are culturally responsive to the needs of adolescents with aggressive behaviors.

Research suggests that disengaged employees have contributed to the 28.5% reduction in the mining industry's contribution to South African gross domestic product. Some South African mining leaders lack strategies for engaging employees. Using the employee engagement framework, the purpose of this single case study was to explore successful strategies that South African mining leaders use to engage employees. The target population was mining leaders, purposefully selected because of their success with engaging employees at a typical South African mining company. Data collection was through face-to-face interviews with 4 leaders; a focus group interview with 9 employees; and a review of archived organizational documents, including internal case organization surveys, reports, emails, and Facebook posts. Data were analyzed using inductive coding of phrases and words from interviews while additional data gathered from participants' displays, websites, and other documents supported theme interpretation through methodological triangulation. Within this group of South African leaders, findings revealed that leader behavior improved employee engagement, situationally relevant employee engagement strategies improved employee engagement, and communication strategies improved employee engagement. Improving employee engagement contributes to social change by shaping employees' experience of their work environment, thereby improving their personal well-being and living conditions while maintaining a balance between work and personal interests.

Eighty-five percent of all firms operating in Nigeria are small-and medium-sized business enterprises (SMEs) and contribute almost 55% to the gross domestic product (GDP) in Nigeria. Capital flight and other growth inhibitors pose threats to the sustainability of SMEs in Nigeria. This exploratory multiple-case study was to determine strategies SME leaders use to sustain business operations in Nigeria. The study participants consisted of 15 SME leaders from 3 regional manufacturing firms who had successfully implemented strategies to sustain SMEs in Nigeria. Bertalanffy's general systems theory and Freeman's stakeholder theory were the conceptual frameworks used in the research. The data collection processes included semistructured interviews and reviewing company documents. After analyzing the interview data and validating through member checking, 5 core themes emerged during the data analysis process: creating new markets, encouraging opportunity for sustainable growth, securing additional funding sources, employee participation in decision making, and gaining competitive advantages. The findings may promote social change among the business community leaders by identifying essential characteristics to improve the posterity of SMEs in Nigeria.

Thesis (M. A. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study provides the guidelines for the implementation of a mandatory African language course for first-year students at the University of Limpopo. The study utilised a phenomenological design to help participants to understand the need for a compulsory language course. Most importantly, the study aimed to understand the meanings that the participants ascribed to the importance of the course on campus at large. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews from 8 participants from the University of Limpopo. The sample size comprised of postgraduate students studying African language modules at the university, lecturers in African language modules, namely, Sepedi, lecturers in Tshivenḓa, and in Xitsonga. This study tested Language Management Theory (LMT) by Neustupny and Jernudd (1970). The study clarifies the meaning of section 4 (4.8) of the University of Limpopo’s language policy. Furthermore, this study brought the concept of ‘multilingualism’, as used in the setting of the University of Limpopo, into critical focus. This study recommended language module content needed at the University of Limpopo. Finally, the findings of the study show how students benefit from completing an African language course. The researcher suggested a compulsory African language module for all first-year students as a means to promote the use of African languages in academia. Furthermore, the study recommended that the language chosen by the students should not be their home tongue.

The degree to which the SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) as public broadcaster gives shape to its language policy and language mandate, against the background of an investigation of language rights, establishes the central problem statement of this research.It is widely acknowledged that it is difficult to define the concept of language rights. Although the language-sociological literature associates this concept with minority and cultural rights, it can also be seen as individual rights. According to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, it is clear that language rights should be seen as individual rights that can be exercised within a particular community. Although this dissertation provides an extensive juridical and language sociological explanation of the concept of language rights, the description by Judge Albie Sachs will be used as a working definition for this research. His division between the following four fundamental language rights, viz.: (i) the right to use your language; (ii) the right to develop your language; (iii) the right to be understood and to understand other languages as well as (iv) the right not to be discriminated against because of your language, provides a useful investigation instrument with which the degree to which the SABC-TV acknowledges and protects language rights can be measured.It is found that despite the policy documents on national and corporate level that has equal consideration and treatment of the diverse South African languages in mind, it still happens that the SABC-TV fails to give form to the language rights of individuals that belong to indigenous minority language groups in South Africa. Due to this, the research suggests that the extensive implementation of subtitles, as a form of screen translation that differs from lip synchronised dubbing, can make a significant contribution to the acknowledgement and protection of language rights by the SABC-TV.In addition to a discussion on what subtitles entail, the technical nature and specific parameters thereof, a feasibility study is included within which the affordability of this project for the SABC-TV is indicated. It is found that this form of screen translation is ideal for the South African situation because it is cheaper than both lip synchronised dubbing and the creation of new television programmes, but also because it can effectively be employed in regional broadcasts. Furthermore, the use of bilingual subtitles and pivot subtitles are also alternatives that may be considered. It is essential though that subtitles can indeed contribute to the way in which the SABC, as a public broadcaster, acknowledges and protects the fundamental language rights of the multitude of South Africans that belong to different language communities in South Africa. (Written in Afrikaans)