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A critical review of language errors in the writing of distance education studentsWard-Cox, Maxine 11 1900 (has links)
‘A critical review of language errors in the writing of distance education students’ examines linguistic competence and investigates the language errors made by a heterogeneous group of 100 entry-level distance education university students with a view to improving their academic writing skills. The research follows a process of error identification and statistical analysis, and reviews intervention strategies based on the findings. Despite the continuing debates on the value of error correction, especially in relation to ‘World Englishes’, language accuracy remains a key factor in determining academic success. This is of particular concern in the South African multi-lingual context and in the light of the under-performance of South African students as evidenced in international comparative studies. The implications of the bimodal pattern of distribution in the review findings are discussed and pedagogically appropriate approaches and intervention strategies are suggested. / English Studies / M.A. (TESOL (Teaching English to speakers of other languages))
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Validation of a rating scale for distance education university student essays in a literature-based moduleWard-Cox, Maxine Welland 01 1900 (has links)
This thesis reports on the findings of a study to validate an assessment scale for writing
in an Open Distance Learning (ODL) context by first-year students in their responses to
English literary texts. The study involved the interrogation of an existing scale, adapted
from Jacobs et al. (1981), which was being used for the Foundations in English Literary
Studies (ENG1501) module at the University of South Africa. Despite the credibility of
the original scale, the modified version had been used in language- and literature-based
courses in the English Studies Department since 1998 and had not been updated or
empirically tested in the context of the target group. Thus, the gap that this current study
addressed was the need for a valid rating scale that takes into account the complexities
of literature teaching and ODL in the current South African university environment.
This thesis includes a review of the debate on validity and the validation of rating scales
both internationally and in South Africa, the ODL environment, and the assessment of assignments based on literary texts, particularly in the multicultural South African
context. The methodology included research of both a quantitative and a qualitative
nature. The outcome was an empirically-validated scale that should contribute to the
quest for accuracy in assessing academic writing and meet the formative and summative assessment needs of the target group / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English)
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Challenging the hegemony of English in post-independence Africa : an evolutionist approachCharamba, Tyanai 02 1900 (has links)
This study discusses the evolutionist approach to African history as an action plan for challenging the hegemony of English in university education and in the teaching and writing of literature in post-independence Africa. The researcher selected Zimbabwe’s university education and literary practice as the microcosm case studies whilst Africa’s university education and literary practice in general, were used as macrocosmic case studies for the study. Some two universities: the Midlands State University and the Great Zimbabwe State University and some six academic departments from the two universities were on target. The researcher used questionnaires to access data from university students and lecturers and he used interviews to gather data from university departmental Chairpersons, scholars, fiction writers and stakeholders in organizations that deal with language growth and development in Zimbabwe. Data from questionnaires was analysed on the basis of numerical scores and percentage of responses. By virtue of its not being easily quantified, data from interviews was presented through capturing what each of the thirteen key informants said and was then analysed on the basis of the hegemonic theory that is proposed in this study. The research findings were discussed using: the evolutionist approach to the history of Africa; data from document analysis; information gathered through the use of the participant and observer technique and using examples from what happened and/or is still happening in the different African countries. The study established that the approaches which have so far been used to challenge the hegemony of English in post-independence Africa are not effective. The approaches are six in total. They are the essentialist, the assimilationist, the developmentalist, the code-switch, the multilingualist and the syncretic. They are ineffective since they are used in a wrong era: That era, is the era of Neocolonialism (Americanization of the world). Therefore, the researcher has recommended the use of the evolutionist approach to African history as a strategy for challenging the hegemony in question. The approach lobbies that, for Africa to successfully challenge that hegemony, she should first of all move her history from the era of Neocolonialism as she enters the era of Nationalism. / African Languages / D. Lit. et Phil. (African Languages)
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