Academic literature on the topic 'Sepedi language – Dialects – South Africa - -Limpopo Province'

The Bapedi is an ethnic group in South Africa whose traditional music is not well documented. For this article, 31 traditional Pedi religious songs from 11 elderly Bapedi women in Sekhukhune, Limpopo Province, South Africa were collected and analysed. They were analysed using religious, musicological and contextual perspectives, and two choruses were selected. Eight Sepedi-speaking children from a school choir at Baxoxele Primary School in Soshanguve were observed whilst learning these two choruses. Repetition was used as a powerful, rhetorical and expressive device, skilfully employed to express and internalise faith and to impart dominant emotions. Informal discussions with teachers indicated that the children showed an improvement in their concentration and attitude to schoolwork. Learning these two choruses also unlocked some creative talent and improved their social skills. The joyous nature, rhythmic foundation, harmonic simplicity, and combination of intellect and emotion as well as the repetitiveness and briefness of these songs appealed to both children and adults. It was concluded that for the preservation of traditional Pedi religious music and culture there is an urgent need for the collection and documentation of traditional Pedi religious songs. In recognising their identity, such songs could contribute to the attitudes and cultural values of Sepedi-speaking children. Similar projects are suggested for the other 10 language groups in South Africa.Analisering van tradisionele godsdienstige Pedi-liedere vir gebruik in die laerskoolkurrikulum. Die Bapedi is ’n etniese groep in Suid-Afrika wie se tradisionele musiek nie goedgedokumenteer is nie. Vir hierdie artikel is 31 tradisionele godsdienstige Pedi-liedere van 11 bejaarde Bapedi vroue in Sekhukhune, Limpopo Provinsie, Suid-Afrika, ingesamel en ontleed.Hierdie liedere is volgens godsdienstige, musiekwetenskaplike en kontekstuele perspektiewe ontleed en twee kore uit die liedere is daarna gekies. Agt Sepedi-sprekende kinders van die Baxoxele Primêre Skool in Soshanguve se skoolkoor, is waargeneem terwyl hulle hierdie tweekore aangeleer het. Herhaling is gebruik as ’n kragtige, retoriese en betekenisvolle hulpmiddel,vaardig toegepas om uitdrukking aan geloof te gee en ’n verdieping daarvan te bewerkstellig sowel as om grootliks emosie daaraan te verleen. Informele gesprekke met onderwysers het aangedui dat die kinders se konsentrasie en hulle houding teenoor skoolwerk verbeter het. Die aanleer van hierdie twee kore het ook hulle kreatiwiteitstalent ontsluit en hulle sosiale vaardighede verbeter. Die vrolike en ritmiese aard, harmoniese eenvoud, die kombinasie van intellek en emosie sowel as die herhaling en bondigheid van hierdie kore het ’n effek op kinders sowel as volwassenes gehad. Die gevolgtrekking was dat daar ’n dringende behoefte is om soortgelyke liedere te versamel en te dokumenteer met die doel om tradisionele godsdienstige Pedi-musiek en -kultuur behoue te laat bly. Deur erkenning te gee aan die aard van sulke liedere kan bygedra word tot ’n positiewe houding van Sepedi-sprekende kinders teenoorkulturele waardes. Soortgelyke projekte vir liedere van die ander 10 taalgroepe in Suid-Afrika word voorgestel.

Thesis (M.A. (African Languages))-- University of Limpopo, 2014
The study was intended to investigate the influence and the impact which Sepulana as a dialect has on the learning of Sepedi as the standard language. The findings included among others: Sepulana has a negative impact on the learning of Sepedi as a standard language in Sabie circuit, Bohlabela district of Mpumalanga Province. Secondly, most Sepedi educators who speak Sepulana use the dialect to offer Sepedi in the formal classroom situation, and as such, learners become confused on whether to use Sepedi or Sepulana words. The study recommends that teachers of Sepedi be encouraged to teach Sepedi and not Sepulana in class, and also that teachers should upgrade their Sepedi qualifications to enable them to have in-depth knowledge of the language.

Thesis (MA. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013
The study sought to investigate the challenges that the learners and educators encountered in learning and teaching when they use English as a medium of instruction. The study reveals that African languages, along with their culture are being dominated by English. Most of Pedis’ learners cannot speak Sepedi without mixing it with English, and most of African people usually read English books and neglecting the Indigenous books. In addition, the study shows that learners performed better when they were taught in Sepedi than in English. The educators’ responses showed that learners have difficulties in understanding English as the medium of instruction and that they code-switch from English to Sepedi to enhance understanding.

M. Tech. Language Practice
Sepedi is one of the eleven official languages spoken in South Africa. It is mostly spoken in Limpopo province and by the minority in other provinces. The National Language Policy (1997) states that indigenous languages should be used to provide equal access to public services and programmes amongst all citizens, thus, Language Policies of the spheres of governance, national, provincial and local, should be determined based on their needs and circumstances of its residents. This study strives to check whether Sepedi as one of the five official languages has been used to its full capacity in the Greater Letaba Local Municipality, Limpopo province, as a language for official communicative purpose. The municipality has five official languages. In view of the fact that Sepedi is one of these official languages of the Limpopo province, it deserves to be treated with the respect it ought to have.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Language education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018
The aim of this study is to evaluate the implementation of curriculum in the teaching of reading and writing in the Sepedi Home Language in the Mankweng Circuit of Limpopo Province. This result from the fact that intermediate learners are struggling to read and write in the Sepedi Home Language, and as a result are incompetent when reading and writing even in their language of teaching and learning, namely English. This signifies that mastering to read and write in the Sepedi Home Language, is likely to enable learners to read and write better in English as a language of teaching and learning. Of a huge surprise, the struggle to read and write in Sepedi Home Language occurs with every cohort of learners registered in the Intermediate Phase. For this reason, the study is designed to evaluate the manner in which Sepedi curriculum is being implemented in schools to address and respond to challenges of inability to read and write by intermediate Sepedi learners. This is a case study covering three primary schools and it is located within the qualitative research approach and phenomenology. The collection of data was done through individual face-to-face interviews, document study and diagnostic assessments. Each of the three schools forwarded three categories of research participants, namely, an HOD, a teacher and a parent whose child was doing Sepedi in the Intermediate Phase. Findings revealed that overcoming reading and writing inability by the intermediate learners needs to be a joint stakeholders’ effort. In addition, inadequate Sepedi materials and resources for intermediate learners need to be the apex priority by the Department of Basic Education. In view of the shared research results, the study recommends that there be well-coordinated participation of all stakeholders in the development of skills associated with reading and writing for the Sepedi Home Language Intermediate learners. Lastly, the study recommends that intermediate Sepedi learners be offered an opportunity to participate in Sepedi essay writing competitions wherein they are first given pamphlets and posters in Sepedi as a clue. Finally, the Sepedi Home Language needs to be equally protected and promoted just like it is the case with English from the Intermediate Phase upwards.