Persons who cannot rely on natural speech to fulfil their communication need to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to enable them to participate in life activities. For persons who are nonliterate, the vocabulary for the AAC systems must be preselected. A core vocabulary approach proposes that vocabulary used with a high frequency in spoken language samples be included in AAC systems, in order to ensure that communication can take place across a variety of contexts, and to enable the generation of novel utterances. Various studies have recorded the speech of persons without disabilities in order to determine core vocabulary lists in a number of languages. In South Africa, 22.7% of the population speak Zulu as a home language. There is to date no published Zulu core vocabulary list. This quantitative observational study therefore aimed to determine a core vocabulary for Zulu-speaking preschoolers. Six children aged between 5;1 (years;months) and 5;9 from three different rural preschools participated in the study. The spontaneous speech of these participants was captured during typical preschool activities using small, body-worn digital voice recorders. A total of 9000 orthographic words were captured and transcribed. Due to the linguistic structure of Zulu, the sample was analysed using a formative tagging system, in order to capture the smallest meaningful parts of the language. By applying inclusion criteria of frequency counts of ≥0.5‰ and use by at least two participants (commonality score), a core vocabulary of 221 formatives was determined, which accounted for 88.9% of the total composite sample. The formatives in this core vocabulary are further described and, where possible, compared to the core vocabulary of previous studies. Implications for the design of Zulu AAC systems are discussed. / IsiZulu: Abantu abangakwazi ukukhuluma ngendlela ejwayelekile baye badinge ukusebenzisa iAugmentative and Alternative Communication (i-AAC) ukuze nabo bezophila benze njengabantu bonke. Kulabo abangakwazi ukufunda nokubhala, kumele bakhethelwe amagama azofakwa ezinsizeni zabo (assistive devices) zokukhuluma. Isu lamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo liphakamisa ukuthi kumele kufakwe wona ezinsizeni zokukhuluma ikhona inkulumo izophumelela nomaphi futhi ukuze oyisebenzisayo ezokwazi ukuzikhulumela azakhele nemisho emisha. Ucwaningo olahlukahlukene seluye lwaqopha izinkulumo zabantu abazikhulumelayo ukuze kutholakale izinhlu zamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo ezilimini ezahlukeneyo. ENingizimu Afrika, ngama-22.7% ezakhamuzi akhuluma isiZulu njengolimi lwebele. Kuze kube yinamhlanje alukho uhla lwamagama esiZulu asetshenziswa njalo njalo oseluke lwashicilelwa. Ngakho-ke lolu cwaningo lokubheka ngezibalo luhlose ukuthola uhlelo lwamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo yizingane ezikuzinkulisa ezikhuluma isiZulu. Yizingane eziyisi-6 ezangena kulolucwaningo ezazineminyaka yobudala engaphakathi kwe-5;1 (iminyaka;izinyanga) ukuya eminyakeni yobudala emi-5;9. Ezazisuka ezizinkuliseni zasemakhaya ezintathu ezahlukene. Zazifakwe izikhwanyana ezaziphethe iziqophamazwi, zaqoshwa zizikhulumela zingagqutshwa muntu, zibe zenza zonke izinto ezijwayele ukuzenza umangabe zazikunkulisa. Abhalwa phansi amagama ayekhulunywa izingane aze afika ku-9000. Ngenxa yohlelo lolimi lwesiZulu, kwaphoqa ukuthi kusetshenziswe indlela yokubala amagama eyayizowahlaziya ngokwezakhi zawo. Isakhi ngasinye ukuze sibalwe njengegama elisetshenziswa njalo njalo kwakumele sivele ngokuphindapinda ngaphezu kuka-0.5‰ (≥0.5‰), siphinde futhi sisetshenziswe izingane okungenani ezimbili. Ngalendlela kwatholakala izakhi ezingu-221 athathwa njengamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo. Lezozakhi futhi zatholakala ukuthi zibambe inxenye engu-88.9% yayo yonke inkulumo yezingane eyayiqoshiwe. Izakhi ezikuloluhlelo ziyaqhubeka zichazwe, ziqhathaniswe futhi lapho okunokuqhathaniswa khona nohla lwezingcwaningo ezedlule. Umqondo ovezwa izakhi nawo uyahlaziywa mayelana nokusungulwa kwezinsizi zokukhuluma ezisosebenzisa isiZulu. / Afrikaans: Persone wat nie op natuurlike spraak kan staatmaak om hulle kommunikasiebehoeftes te vervul nie, moet gebruik maak van aanvullende en alternatiewe kommunikasie (AAK) om hulle in staat te stel om aan lewensaktiwiteite deel te neem. Vir persone wat nie geletterd is nie, moet die woordeskat vir die AAK-sisteem vooraf gekies word. ‘n Kernwoordeskat-benadering stel voor dat woordeskat, wat met hoë frekwensie in gesproke taal gebruik word in AAK-sisteme ingesluit word, om te verseker dat kommunikasie oor ‘n verskeidenheid kontekste kan plaasvind, en om nuwe uitinge te genereer. Verskeie studies het die spraak van persone sonder gestremdheid opgeneem om kernwoordeskatlyste in verkeie tale te bepaal. In Suid-Afrika besig 22.7% van die bevolking Zulu as huistaal. Daar is tot op hede geen gepubliseerde Zulu kernwoordeskatlys nie. Hierdie kwantitatiewe waarnemingstudie het dus gepoog om ‘n kernwoordeskat vir Zulu-sprekende voorskoolse kinders te bepaal. Ses kinders tussen die ouderdomme van 5;1 (jare;maande) en 5;9 van drie verskillende landelike voorskole het aan die studie deelgeneem. Die spontane spraak van die deelnemers is gedurende tipiese voorskoolse aktiwiteite opgeneem, deur gebruik te maak van klein, digitale bandopnemers wat op die liggaam gedra word. ‘n Totaal van 9000 ortografiese woorde is opgeneem en getranskribeer. Weens die linguistiese struktuur van Zulu is die steekproef deur ‘n formatiewe koderingsisteem geanaliseer, om die kleinste betekenisvolle dele van die taal vas te lê. Deur insluitingskriteria van frekwensietellings van ≥0.5‰ en gebruik deur ten minste twee deelnemers (algemeenheidstelling) aan te wend, is ‘n kernwoordeskat van 221 formatiewe vasgestel, wat 88.9% van die totale saamgestelde steekproef gedek het. Die formatiewe in hierdie kernwoordeskat word verder beskryf, en, waar moontlik, vergelyk met die kernwoordeskat van vorige studies. Implikasies vir die ontwerp van Zulu AAK sisteme word bespreek. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) / National Research Foundation (NRF) / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / MA / Unrestricted

In order for communication to take place, there must be a set of core concepts that are universal to all speakers. Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) has proposed an inventory of these concepts, called semantic primes, and uses them as universal concepts in the explication and exploration of cultural values. The English semantic primes, while the majority are Anglo-Saxon, contain words that have been borrowed from Latin, Old Norse, and French. Borrowing lexical items into core vocabulary has many implications. First, the primes are not entirely stable or immune to foreign influence, even the Anglo-Saxon primes have been susceptible to the processes of language change. Second, the primes do not reflect the trends of borrowing in English as a whole. And finally, because the primes are core vocabulary, this study opens up a new aspect of English as a mixed language.

The present study examines possible effects of extramural English (EE) on oral proficiency (OP) and vocabulary (VOC). The study is based on data collected from Swedish learners of ESL in grade 9 (aged 15-16; N=80; 36 boys, 44 girls) over a period of one year. EE was defined as linguistic activities that learners engage in outside the classroom in their spare time. EE was measured with the help of a questionnaire and two language diaries, each covering one week. In the diaries, the learners recorded how much time they had spent on seven given EE activities (reading books, reading newspapers/magazines, watch­ing TV, watching films, surfing the Internet, playing video games, listening to music). There was also an open category. Speech data were collected with the help of five interactional speaking tests; learners were in random dyads on each occasion. Each student performance was assessed by three raters with the help of a profile scheme, resulting in an overall grade. Based on these grades from the tests, a mean grade for OP (the OP grade) was calculated for each student. OP was defined as the learner’s ability to speak and use the target language in actual communication with an interlocutor. Learners’ VOC was measured with an index variable based on the scores on two written vocabulary tests. For a selection of ten learners, additional analyses were made of oral fluency and the use of advanced vocabulary in speech. A mixed methods research design was used, but the lion’s share of data was analyzed using inferential statistics. Results showed that the total amount of time spent on EE correlated positively and significantly (p < .01) both with learners’ level of OP and size of VOC, but that the correlation between EE and VOC was stronger and more straightforward than the one between EE and OP. The conclusion drawn was that although EE impacts both OP and VOC, the causal relationship is more salient in the case of VOC. Results also showed that some activities were more important than others for OP and VOC respectively; i.e., the type of EE activity mattered. EE activities that required learners to be more productive and rely on their language skills (video games, the Internet, reading) had a greater impact on OP and VOC than activities where learners could remain fairly passive (music, TV, films). An important gender difference was identified. Boys spent significantly more time on productive EE activities than girls; therefore, EE had a greater impact on OP and VOC for boys than for girls. Four background variables were also studied. The conclusion was that EE is an independent variable and a possible path to progress in English for any learner, regard­less of his or her socioeconomic background.

The purpose of this study is to provide additional research on the topic of the relationship between extramural English activities and performance on vocabulary tests among Swedish school learners. Data were collected from English L2 learners in Swedish upper secondary school (English 6 course). A questionnaire about participants extramural English activities was filled in. Participants then took a receptive vocabulary test of 140 items. The participants (N=74) were aged 17, with the exception of one 19-year-old and two 16-year-olds and got divided into two main research groups: gamers and non-gamers. The results from the vocabulary test revealed that gamers had a higher mean score than non-gamers on the test. However, the non-gamers trailed behind with a barely notable distinction. When examining the gamer group more closely, the findings show that participants who spent more time gaming also had the highest scores, compared to lower frequency gamers. Additionally, gamers spend more hours per week on other English-related media (excluding tv-series, movies and gaming) than the non-gamers. This makes it possible to conclude that there is, to some extent, a connection between extramural English activities and better receptive vocabulary. However, while extramural activities influence vocabulary, so does length of instruction in a language. The non-gamers caught up to the gamers, one reason as to why being a result of the length of instruction in English, which may even out large differences between gamers and non-gamers for more advanced learners (Peters, 2018). / Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med ytterligare forskning om ämnet extramurala engelsksaktiviteter och deras inverkan på svenska skolelevers vokabulärinlärning. Data samlades in från elever som har engelska som andrahandsspråk och som gick på gymnasiet (och deltog i engelska 6 kursen). Deltagarnas uppgift var att fylla i ett frågeformulär samt ett engelskt vokabulärtest som bestod av 140 ord. Deltagarna (N = 74) var 17 år gamla, samt en 19-årig elev och två 16-åriga elever, och delades in i två huvudgrupper: spelare (gamers) och icke-spelare (non-gamers). Resultaten från vokabulärtestet avslöjade att spelarna hade ett högre medelvärde än icke-spelare på testet: Dock hade icke-spelarna nästan samma  medelvärde. När man undersöker den gruppen som spelar spel närmare, visar resultaten att deltagare som tillbringade mer tid på spel också hade de högsta poängen jämfört med spelare som spelade mindre frekvent. Dessutom tillbringar spelare i genomsnitt fler timmar per vecka på annan  engelskrelaterad media (exklusive tv-serier, filmer och spel) i genomsnitt än icke-spelarna. Detta gör det möjligt att dra slutsatsen att det i viss utsträckning finns en koppling mellan extramurala engelskaktiviteter och högre ordförrådsförmåga. Peters (2018) slutsats visade att även längden av engelskstudierna kan ha en inverkan på vokabulären och för äldre elever kan möjligen effekten av exempelvis dataspelande jämnas ut desto längre de studerat engelska.