Academic literature on the topic 'Tsonga language – Semantics – South Africa'

The aim of this article is to evaluate currently available electronic dictionaries from a South African perspective for the eleven official languages of South Africa namely English, Afrikaans and the nine Bantu languages Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Tsonga and Venda. A brief discussion of the needs and status quo for English and Afrikaans will be followed by a more detailed discussion of the unique nature and consequent electronic dictionary requirements of the Bantu languages. In the latter category the focus will be on problematic aspects of lemmatisation which can only be solved in the electronic dictionary dimension.

In South Africa, the transition from an apartheid regime to a popularly elected government in 1994 made possible wide-ranging changes in power relations in every sphere of human interaction, including language. Under the new political dispensation, there are 11 official languages (listed in order of numbers of speakers): Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana, North Sotho, English, South Sotho, Tsonga, Swati, Ndebele, and Venda. They replace English and Afrikaans, formerly the 2 official languages.

Abstract This article describes how procedural knowledge is produced in a meeting of the South African parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport, using concepts from Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and Legitimation Code Theory (LCT). Members of this committee argue over whether or not to amend a draft committee report and in the process co-construct procedural norms for future committee meetings. Participants on both sides of the argument use axiological condensation, in which actions and ideas are associated with each other and charged with a particular moral or affective value (Maton 2014: 130) to portray their version of the procedure to be followed as morally superior to that of their opponents. They also use axiological rarefaction (Maton 2014: 130) to reinforce their positions by making apparent concessions to those on the other side of the argument. This is revealed through an analysis of the coupling of ideation and Appraisal (Martin 2000: 161) in the logogenetic unfolding of members’ talk, combined with elements of Interactional Sociolinguistics (Gumperz 1982). The analysis suggests that axiological condensation and rarefaction in this meeting reflect competing visions of what it means to be ‘pro-democracy’ in post-apartheid South Africa.

Some languages make extensive use of clause-chaining. According to Payne (1997: 312), clause-chaining has been documented for languages in the highlands of New Guinea, Australia and the Americas. In Africa it is found in Ethiopia (Völlmin et al. 2007), in Kiswahili, a Bantu language (Hopper 1979: 213-215, Mungania 2018), in Anuak, a Western Nilotic language (Longacre 1990: 88-90 and 2007: 418) and in Toposa, a VSO language of South Sudan (Schröder 2011). Clause-chaining is characterized by a long combination of non-finite clauses that have operator dependency on a finite clause, and it usually signals foregrounded information in discourse (see also Dooley 2010: 3). Besides its discourse function, clause-chaining exhibits morpho-syntactic and semantic properties as demonstrated in this paper with examples from Toposa, an Eastern Nilotic language.

В статье рассматриваются семантические параметры типологического варьирования полипредикативных причинных конструкций. Результаты исследования основаны на двух выборках: ареально и генетически сбалансированной выборке из 100 языков (Африка – 14 языков, Евразия – 8, Юго-Восточная Азия и Океания – 13, Австралия и Новая Гвинея – 27, Северная Америка – 18, Южная Америка – 20; из более крупных семей отбиралось большее количество языков) и выборке из 44 языков Европы. В качестве материала используются типологически ориентированные грамматики и языковые описания, корпусные данные, консультации со специалистами по конкретным языкам. В результате исследования было обнаружено значительное количество типологических параметров, связанных с семантикой, характеризующих либо причинную клаузу, либо клаузу следствия, либо всю полипредикативную причинную конструкцию в целом, часть из которых, насколько нам известно, ранее не упоминалась в теоретических работах по причинным конструкциям. Чаще всего в языковых описаниях упоминался оценочный компонент значения, особенно характерный для языков Евразии. Положительная и отрицательная коннотация, как правило, характеризуют причину и следствие одновременно, однако в некоторых случаях могут относиться лишь к одной из соответствующих клауз. Кроме того, были обнаружены такие параметры, как степень контроля в главной или зависимой клаузе, соответствие или несоответствие ожиданиям слушателя пропозиции, соответствующей причине или результату, реальность / нереальность и субъективное или объективное восприятие причины, акцент на мотиве или каузаторе действия, временное расстояние между пропозициями главной и зависимой клаузы, более или менее сильная каузирующая связь между этими пропозициями и критическое отношение к причинной связи в полипредикативной конструкции. Некоторые причинные конструкции входят в более чем одну из упомянутых выше оппозиций. Тот факт, что в Евразии и Юго-Восточная Азии и Океании семантически обусловленная вариативность в причинных конструкциях фиксировалась нами чаще, чем в других макроареалах, может быть связан как с меньшей описанностью языков других ареалов и доступностью источников, так и тем, что для языков с письменной традицией характерно большее количество маркеров причинных отношений. The paper deals with the semantics of causal markers in polypredicative constructions; it is based on an areally and genetically balanced sample of 100 languages (Africa – 14 languages, Eurasia – 8 languages, Southeast Asia & Oceania – 13 languages, Australia & New Guinea – 27 languages, North America – 18 languages; South America – 20 languages; where the number of languages taken from each family depends on its size). The research is based on typologically oriented grammars, language descriptions, corpus data and consultations with language experts. It turns out that apart from their basic causal meaning, causal markers can express other additional meanings in the Reason clause, in the Result clause or in both of them. To my knowledge, a number of these parameters have never been mentioned in typological studies of polypredicative causal constructions. The most frequently mentioned additional meaning was evaluation, widely attested in European languages. Both positive and negative evaluation usually refers to the Reason clause and the Result clause at the same time, but in some cases, it can refer to only one of the clauses. The other parameters include: the degree of control of the Reason and Result; conformity or non-conformity of Result to the hearer’s expectations; the reality/objectivity of Reason; emphasis on the Motive vs. the Causer; greater or smaller temporal distance between the propositions; degree of causal relationship between the propositions; and critical attitude toward the causal relationship in polypredicative constructions. Causal markers can combine two additional meanings as well. The fact that most of the additional meanings were attested in languages of Eurasia and Southeast Asia & Oceania can be explained in two ways. First, the languages of these Macroareas are well-described, and, second, both Macroareas possess a larger number of causal markers, typical of written texts, sometimes having additional semantic features.

The Routledge Handbook of language and culture represents a comprehensive study on the inextricable relationship between language and culture. It is structured into seven parts and 33 chapters. Part 1, Overview and historical background, by Farzad Sharifian, starts with an outline of the book and a synopsis of research on language and culture. The second chapter, John Leavitt’s Linguistic relativity: precursors and transformations discusses further the historical development of the concept of linguistic relativity, identifying different schools’ of thought views on the relation between language and culture. He also tries to demystify some misrepresentations held towards Boas, Sapir, and Whorf’ theories (pp. 24-26). Chapter 3, Ethnosyntax, by Anna Gladkova provides an overview of research on ethnosyntax, starting from the theoretical basis laid by Sapir and Whorf and investigates the differences between a narrow sense of ethnosyntax, which focuses on cultural meanings of various grammatical structures and a broader sense, which emphasises the pragmatic and cultural norms’ impact on the choice of grammatical structures. John Leavitt presents in the fourth chapter, titled Ethnosemantics, a historical account of research on meaning across cultures, introducing three traditions, i.e. ‘classical’ ethnosemantics (also referred to as ethnoscience or cognitive anthropology), Boasian cultural semantics (linguistically inspired anthropology) and Neohumboldtian comparative semantics (word-field theory, or content-oriented Linguistics). In Chapter 5, Goddard underlines the fact that ethnopragmatics investigates emic (or culture-internal) approaches to the use of different speech practices across various world languages, which accounts for the fact that there exists a connection between the cultural values or norms and the speech practices peculiar to a speech community. One of the key objectives of ethnopragmatics is to investigate ‘cultural key words’, i.e. words that encapsulate culturally construed concepts. The concept of ‘linguaculture’ (or languaculture) is tackled in Risager’s Chapter 6, Linguaculture: the language–culture nexus in transnational perspective. The author makes reference to American scholars that first introduced this notion, Paul Friedrich, who looks at language and culture as a single domain in which verbal aspects of culture are mingled with semantic meanings, and Michael Agar, for whom culture resides in language while language is loaded with culture. Risager himself brought forth a new global and transnational perspective on the concept of linguaculture, i.e. the use of language (linguistic practice) is seen as flows in people’s social networks and speech communities. These flows enhance as people migrate or learn new languages, in permanent dynamics. Lidia Tanaka’s Chapter 7, Language, gender, and culture deals with research on language, gender, and culture. According to her, the language-gender relationship has been studied by researchers from various fields, including psychology, linguistics, and anthropology, who mainly consider gender as a construct that preserves inequalities in society, with the help of language, too. Tanaka lists diachronically different approaches to language and gender, focusing on three specific ones: gender stereotyped linguistic resources, semantically, pragmatically or lexically designated language features (including register) and gender-based spoken discourse strategies (talking-time imbalances or interruptions). In Chapter 8, Language, culture, and context, Istvan Kecskes delves into the relationship between language, culture, and context from a socio-cognitive perspective. The author considers culture to be a set of shared knowledge structures that encapsulate the values, norms, and customs that the members of a society have in common. According to him, both language and context are rooted in culture and carriers of it, though reflecting culture in a different way. Language encodes past experience with different contexts, whereas context reflects present experience. The author also provides relevant examples of formulaic language that demonstrate the functioning of both types of context, within the larger interplay between language, culture, and context. Sara Miller’s Chapter 9, Language, culture, and politeness reviews traditional approaches to politeness research, with particular attention given to ‘discursive approach’ to politeness. Much along the lines of the previous chapter, Miller stresses the role of context in judgements of (im)polite language, maintaining that individuals represent active agents who challenge and negotiate cultural as well as linguistic norms in actual communicative contexts. Chapter 10, Language, culture, and interaction, by Peter Eglin focuses on language, culture and interaction from the perspective of the correspondence theory of meaning. According to him, abstracting language and culture from their current uses, as if they were not interdependent would not lead to an understanding of words’ true meaning. David Kronenfeld introduces in Chapter 11, Culture and kinship language, a review of research on culture and kinship language, starting with linguistic anthropology. He explains two formal analytic definitional systems of kinship terms: the semantic (distinctions between kin categories, i.e. father vs mother) and pragmatic (interrelations between referents of kin terms, i.e. ‘nephew’ = ‘child of a sibling’). Chapter 12, Cultural semiotics, by Peeter Torop deals with the field of ‘semiotics of culture’, which may refer either to methodological instrument, to a whole array of methods or to a sub-discipline of general semiotics. In this last respect, it investigates cultures as a form of human symbolic activity, as well as a system of cultural languages (i.e. sign systems). Language, as “the preserver of the culture’s collective experience and the reflector of its creativity” represents an essential component of cultural semiotics, being a major sign system. Nigel Armstrong, in Chapter 13, Culture and translation, tackles the interrelation between language, culture, and translation, with an emphasis on the complexities entailed by translation of culturally laden aspects. In his opinion, culture has a double-sided dimension: the anthropological sense (referring to practices and traditions which characterise a community) and a narrower sense, related to artistic endeavours. However, both sides of culture permeate language at all levels. Chapter 14, Language, culture, and identity, by Sandra Schecter tackles several approaches to research on language, culture, and identity: social anthropological (the limits at play in the social construction of differences between various groups of people), sociocultural (the interplay between an individual’s various identities, which can be both externally and internally construed, in sociocultural contexts), participatory-relational (the manner in which individuals create their social–linguistic identities). Patrick McConvell, in Chapter 15, Language and culture history: the contribution of linguistic prehistory reviews research in this field where historical linguistic evidence is exploited in the reconstruction and understanding of prehistoric cultures. He makes an account of research in linguistic prehistory, with a focus on proto- and early Indo-European cultures, on several North American language families, on Africa, Australian, and Austronesian Aboriginal languages. McConvell also underlines the importance of interdisciplinary research in this area, which greatly benefits from studies in other disciplines, such as archaeology, palaeobiology, or biological genetics. Part four starts with Ning Yu’s Chapter 16, Embodiment, culture, and language, which gives an account of theory and research on the interplay between language, culture, and body, as seen from the standpoint of Cultural Linguistics. Yu presents a survey of embodiment (in embodied cognition research) from a multidisciplinary perspective, starting with the rather universalistic Conceptual Metaphor Theory. On the other hand, Cultural Linguistics has concentrated on the role played by culture in shaping embodied language, as various cultures conceptualise body and bodily experience in different ways. Chapter 17, Culture and language processing, by Crystal Robinson and Jeanette Altarriba deals with research in the field of how culture influence language processing, in particular in the case of bilingualism and emotion, alongside language and memory. Clearly, the linguistic and cultural character of each individual’s background has to be considered as a variable in research on cognition and cognitive processing. Frank Polzenhagen and Xiaoyan Xia, in Chapter 18, Language, culture, and prototypicality bring forth a survey of prototypicality across different disciplines, including cognitive linguistics and cognitive psychology. According to them, linguistic prototypes play a critical part in social (re-)cognition, as they are socially diagnostic and function as linguistic identity markers. Moreover, individuals may develop ‘culturally blended concepts’ as a result of exposure to several systems of conceptual categorisation, especially in the case of L2 learning (language-contact or culture-contact situations). In Chapter 19, Colour language, thought, and culture, Don Dedrick investigates the issue of the colour words in different languages and how these influence cognition, a question that has been addressed by researchers from various disciplines, such as anthropology, linguistics, cognitive psychology, or neuroscience. He cannot but observe the constant debate in this respect, and he argues that it is indeed difficult to reach consensus, as colour language occasionally reveals effects of language on thought and, at other times, it is impervious to such effects. Chapter 20, Language, culture, and spatial cognition, by Penelope Brown concentrates on conceptualisations of space, providing a framework for thinking about and referring to objects and events, along with more abstract notions such as time, number, or kinship. She lists three frames of reference used by languages in order to refer to spatial relations, i.e. a) an ‘absolute’ coordinate system, like north, south, east, west; b) a ‘relative’ coordinate system envisaged from the body’s standpoint; and c) an intrinsic, object-centred coordinate system. Chris Sinha and Enrique Bernárdez focus on, in Chapter 21, Space, time, and space–time: metaphors, maps, and fusions, research on linguistic and cultural concepts of time and space, starting with the seminal Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), which they denounce for failing to situate space–time mapping within the broader patterns of culture and world perspective. Sinha and Bernárdez further argue that although it is possible in all cultures for individuals to experience and discuss about events in terms of their duration and succession, the specific words and concepts they use to refer to temporal landmarks temporal and duration are most of the time language and culture specific. Chapter 22, Culture and language development, by Laura Sterponi and Paul Lai provides an account of research on the interplay between culture and language acquisition. They refer to two widely accepted perspectives in this respect: a developmental mechanism inherent in human beings and a set of particular social contexts in which children are ‘initiated’ into the cultural meaning systems. Both perspectives define culture as “both related to the psychological make-up of the individual and to the socio-historical contexts in which s/he is born and develops”. Anna Wierzbicka presents, in Chapter 23, Language and cultural scripts discusses representations of cultural norms which are encoded in language. She contends that the system of meaning interpretation developed by herself and her colleagues, i.e. Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM), may easily be used to capture and convey cultural scripts. Through NSM cross-cultural experiences can be captured in a thorough manner by using a reduced number of conceptual primes which seem to exist in all languages. Chapter 24, Culture and emotional language, by Jean-Marc Dewaele brings forth the issue of the relationship between language, culture, and emotion, which has been researched by cultural and cognitive psychologists and applied linguists alike, although with some differences in focus. He considers that within this context, it is important to see differences between emotion contexts in bilinguals, since these may lead to different perceptions of the self. He infers that generally, culture revolves around the experience and communication of emotions, conveyed through linguistic expression. The fifth part starts with Chapter 25, Language and culture in sociolinguistics, by Meredith Marra, who underlines that culture is a central concept in Interactional Sociolinguistics, where language is considered as social interaction. In linguistic interaction, culture, and especially cultural differences are deemed as a cause of potential miscommunication. Mara also remarks that the paradigm change in sociolinguistics, from Interactional Sociolinguistics to social constructionism reshaped ‘culture’ into a more dynamic as well as less rigid concept. Claudia Strauss’ Chapter 26, Language and culture in cognitive anthropology deals with the relationship between human society and human thought/thinking. The author contends that cognitive anthropologists may be subdivided into two groups, i.e. ones that are concerned with the process of thinking (cognition-in-practice scholars), and the others focusing on the product of thinking or thoughts (concerned with shared cultural understandings). She goes on to explore how different approaches to cognitive anthropology have counted on units of language, i.e. lexical items and their meanings, along with larger chunks of discourse, as information, which may represent learned cultural schemata. Part VI starts with Chapter 27, Language and culture in second language learning, by Claire Kramsch, in which she makes a survey of the definition of ‘culture’ in foreign language learning and its evolution from a component of literature and the arts to a more comprehensive purport, that of culturally appropriate use of language, along with an appropriate use of sociopragmatic and pragmalinguistic norms. According to her, in the postmodern era, communication is not only mere transmission of information, it represents construal and positioning of the self and of self-identity. Chapter 28, Writing across cultures: ‘culture’ in second language writing studies, by Dwight Atkinson focuses on the usefulness of culture in second-language writing (SLW). He reviews several approaches to the issue: contrastive rhetoric (dealing with the impact of first-language patterns of text organisation on writers in a second language), or even alternate notions, like‘ cosmopolitanism’, ‘critical multiculturalism’, and hybridity, as of late native culture is becoming irrelevant or at best far less significant. Ian Malcolm tackles, in Chapter 29, Language and culture in second dialect learning, the issue of ‘standard’ Englishes (e.g., Standard American English, Standard Australian English) versus minority ‘non-standard’ speakers of English. He deplores the fact that in US specialist literature, speaking the ‘non-standard’ variety of English was associated with cognitive, cultural, and linguistic insufficiency. He further refers to other specialists who have demonstrated that ‘non-standard’ varieties can be just as systematic and highly structured as the standard variety. Chapter 30, Language and culture in intercultural communication, by Hans-Georg Wolf gives an account of research in intercultural education, focusing on several paradigms, i.e. the dominant one, investigating successful functioning in intercultural encounters, the minor one, exploring intercultural understanding and the ‘deconstructionist, and or postmodernist’. He further examines different interpretations of the concepts associated with intercultural communication, including the functionalist school, the intercultural understanding approach and a third one, the most removed from culture, focusing on socio-political inequalities, fluidity, situationality, and negotiability. Andy Kirkpatrick’s Chapter 31, World Englishes and local cultures gives a synopsis of research paradigm from applied linguistics which investigates the development of Englishes around the world, through processes like indigenisation or nativisation of the language. Kirkpatrick discusses the ways in which new Englishes accommodate the culture of the very speech community which develops them, e.g. adopting lexical items to express to express culture-specific concepts. Speakers of new varieties could use pragmatic norms rooted in cultural values and norms of the specific new speech community which have not previously been associated with English. Moreover, they can use these new Englishes to write local literatures, often exploiting culturally preferred rhetorical norms. Part seven starts with Chapter 32, Cultural Linguistics, by Farzad Sharifian gives an account of the recent multidisciplinary research field of Cultural Linguistics, which explores the relationship between language and cultural cognition, particularly in the case of cultural conceptualisations. Sharifian also brings forth illustrations of how cultural conceptualisations may be linguistically encoded. The last chapter, A future agenda for research on language and culture, by Roslyn Frank provides an appraisal of Cultural Linguistics as a prospective path for research in the field of language and culture. She states that ‘Cultural Linguistics could potentially create a paradigm that “successfully melds together complementary approaches, e.g., viewing language as ‘a complex adaptive system’ and bringing to bear upon it concepts drawn from cognitive science such as ‘distributed cognition’ and ‘multi-agent dynamic systems theory’.” She further asserts that Cultural Linguistics has the potential to function as “a bridge that brings together researchers from a variety of fields, allowing them to focus on problems of mutual concern from a new perspective” and most likely unveil new issues (as well as solutions) which have not been evident so far. In conclusion, the Handbook will most certainly serve as clear and coherent guidelines for scholarly thinking and further research on language and culture, and also open up new investigative vistas in each of the areas tackled.

Van der Wiel, Renée. The Swazi People. Gallo Manor, South Africa: Awareness Publishing Group, 2012. Print.South Africa describes itself as “one rainbow nation going forward”, but within that rainbow there are eleven indigenous South African peoples. The Swazi People is one of eleven volumes in the African Cultures of South Africa series, which presents the cultures for readers at the upper elementary level. The other volumes include the cultures of The Khoikhoi, The Ndebele, The North Sotho, The San, The South Sotho, The Tsonga-Shangaan, The Tswana, The Venda, The Xhosa, and The Zulu.In The Swazi People, Renée Van der Wiel describes their arts and crafts, beliefs, clothes, history, houses, language, leaders, marriage, music and dance, recipes, and way of life. The book incorporates many Swazi words, which are listed in the glossary at the back of the book. For example, mahiya (cotton cloth), gogo (grandmother) and lobola (marriage gift, usually cattle) are all listed in the glossary.This volume is attractively produced and brightly coloured. It opens with a full-page map of South Africa that shows the historical movements of the Swazi people and highlights their homelands. Text and images are presented on alternate pages. The professional quality images are usually full-page and are either historical black and white photos or modern colour photos of Swazi people engaged in traditional activities. There is also an index, which improves the book's usefulness as an elementary research text.The text is written in age-appropriate language and deals with the subjects in sufficient detail that as an adult, I was able to learn from it. In general, the tone is objective and non-judgemental. For example, "[i]n 1973, King Sobhuzall and the Imbokoduo National Movement stopped all other political parties from taking part in elections in Swaziland. (…) After only five years of being a democracy, Swaziland became a country ruled by a king." Where there is bias present, it is more in the form of presenting the Swazi point of view: "But the Boers did not care about looking after the Swazi people – all they wanted was to get through to the sea without having to travel through British territory.".This sturdily bound volume is an excellent work and is highly recommended for public and elementary school libraries. Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

Motivated in part by a sustained amount of research in South Africa and principally guided by techniques of problem-solving suggested by Polya as well as error analysis by Newman, the current research examines fundamental influencers (underlying factors) relating errors due to language difficulties in financial mathematics concerning the language of instruction. The current research was accomplished using a case study design. The sample size was 105 out of a population of 186, with assumption of confidence and precision levels at 95 per cent and 0.5 respectively. The aim of the study was addressed by using both sets of structured-interview and document analysis for collecting data. Analysis of data was conducted by both content analysis as well as correlation analysis, wherein, the analysis revealed that errors committed by learners in financial mathematics were due to language difficulties. In contrast, misinterpretation of the mathematical semantics was not as a result of not indicating answers as expected, not following instructions, and not understanding instructions.

Speech-language therapists (SLTs) working in the context of cultural and linguistic diversity face considerable challenges in providing equitable services to all clients. This is complicated by the fact that the majority of SLTs in South Africa are English or Afrikaans speakers, while the majority of the population have a home language other than English/Afrikaans. Consequently, SLTs are often forced to call on untrained personnel to act as interpreters or translators, and to utilise informally translated materials in the assessment and management of clients with communication impairments. However, variations in translation have the potential to considerably alter intervention plans. This study explored whether the linguistic complexity conveyed in translation of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) test changed when translated from English to isiZulu by five different first-language IsiZulu speakers. A qualitative comparative research design was adopted and results were analysed using comparative data analysis. Results revealed notable differences in the translations, with most differences relating to vocabulary and semantics. This finding holds clinical implications for the use of informal translators as well as for the utilisation of translated material in the provision of speech-language therapy services in multilingual contexts. This study highlights the need for cautious use of translators and/or translated materials that are not appropriately and systematically adapted for local usage. Further recommendations include a call for intensified efforts in the transformation of the profession within the country, specifically by attracting greater numbers of students who are fluent in African languages.

Aim of the study: The aim of this longitudinal study was twofold: first, to determine whether the relationship between working memory measures and language performance in young English language learners (ELL) remains constant over the year. The second aim was to determine if performance on working memory tasks predicts future performance on language measures. Methodology: The participants were 27 ELLs between the ages of 5 and 6 years who were in their first year of formal schooling and attended the same mid-low socioeconomic status school in South Africa. The participants were tested three times throughout the year on tasks of working memory and an English assessment battery. Data analysis and results: Mixed effects models and multiple linear regression were used to address the aims of the study. The first aim of the study showed that there are significant correlations between all working memory measures and all language measures in varying strengths across the year. The second research aim further elaborated on this by showing that both phonological working memory and non-verbal complex working memory are implicated in the acquisition of syntax, semantics and pragmatics at different points throughout the year. Implications and originality: Language acquisition in ELLs is not a stand-alone process and working memory measures may be able to predict future language outcomes. This could indicate that working memory measures may be used as an indicator for who may need language intervention, at a time when the ELL only has limited English proficiency and limited English exposure. This research is the first of its kind to originate from Africa, with a sample from low socioeconomic, culturally and linguistically diverse circumstances who are exposed to English consistently for the first time and are tested with working memory tasks with less strong language components.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Educational Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2012
This research project was an endeavor to investigate the effects of the languages of instruction (English and Shona), to teach Tsonga (Shangani) speaking children in Chiredzi district of Zimbabwe. Because of the nature of the study, a mixed method design was used where both qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted to study the performance of the Tsonga (Shangani) minority language speaking learners in five purposively sampled schools. 222 learners participated in the study. The main aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the language instruction in teaching Tsonga (Shangani) speaking Grade Seven children in Environmental Science. In fact, the researcher was interested in finding out whether teaching learners in a foreign language was a bridge or barrier to learning. In this case, the research did not only look at the effect of using English for instructional purposes, but also investigated how other major or dominant indigenous languages which are used for instructional purposes affect the performance of minority language speaking children in Chiredzi district of Zimbabwe. Data for this study were collected using lesson observation, document analysis, the questionnaire and a knowledge test. In this case, fifteen lessons were observed. Fifteen Tsonga (Shangani) speaking Grade Seven learners per school were purposively selected and taught in Tsonga (Shangani) only and the other fifteen Shona speaking Grade Seven children per school were also purposively selected and taught the same topic in Shona, and a third group of fifteen Grade Seven learners per school, were randomly selected and taught in English only. A knowledge test was given to each group thereafter. Children from each language condition were allowed to answer questions in their home languages, except for the third group which was taught in English. This group answered the questions in English with the restricted use of Shona. Each of the test results from the knowledge tests were analysed using a One Way Anova of Variance (ANOVA) and conclusions drawn. The results from other data collection instruments were analysed using qualitative methods like narrative discussions of data. A sample of five learners per school had their exercise books analysed. Data were presented in tables. The results from the knowledge tests given showed a significant difference in the mean marks obtained from the three groups (the Shangani, Shona and English group). The result showed that language has a significant influence on the performance of learners since the p – value was 0.000. This implies that the performance of learners between the three groups is significantly different. On the basis of these observations, the Null hypothesis was rejected. The same picture was also shown in document analysis and in the questionnaires. Consequently,conclusions were drawn and recommendations made.

Thesis (M.A. (Linguistics)) --University of Limpopo, 2011
This study examines the effectiveness and relevance of Xitsonga at the University of Limpopo, Turfloop Campus. The study argues that as one of the six (6) official languages of Limpopo Province, Xitsonga deserves to be treated with the respect that it deserves. Although Xitsonga enjoys some recognition and support nationally and on campus, the study has discovered that there are problems associated with negative attitudes among Xitsonga speakers as they feel that the use of the English language enables them to be part of a global world. Furthermore, a major stumbling block with regard to the use of Xitsonga at the University of Limpopo Turfloop Campus is that some of its speakers hold a negative attitude towards their language as they prefer the use of English language for academic purposes. This is one reason English is still dominant amongst the student community as it is viewed as the language of the corporate world. However, the study reveals that a large number of respondents now support the idea that Xitsonga should be used in all official communication. Finally, the study recommends the use of Xitsonga in social and educational settings. It also recommends the holding of workshops and cultural activities in order to further promote and revitalise the language and its people, thus widening the circle of its acceptance at the Turfloop Campus of the University of Limpopo and beyond.
the National Research Foundation

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The recent introduction of the outcomes-based curriculum for the learning field language, literacy and communication has revealed a number of essential areas of research in African languages that urgently need to be addressed if this curriculum for African Languages is to be successfully implemented with the necessary theoretical basis as support. This dissertation addresses one such research issue, the genre-based approach to Xitsonga texts within the broad field of language and literacy. This study wil] first explore different models of writing approaches that relate to the analytic approach to genre literacy, including the traditional progressivist approach, the Bereiter and Scardamalia approach, and Grabe and Kaplan's (1996) model. It will be argued that Grabe and Kaplan's model is suitable as a framework for teaching writing, because it incorporates the ethnography of writing which entails that a detailed analysis of texts should address the following questions: who writes what to whom, for what purpose, why, when and how? The use of the ethnography of writing in the analysis of texts according to Grabe and Kaplan's model also explores factors such as the communicative purpose, the culture and the community in which the text is produced. This is investigated through the text-linguistic analysis of the nine Xitsonga written speeches where the speech genre has an identifiable format including an introduction, middle and ending. This study also explores the relationship between the ethnography of writing, the Grabe and Kaplan's theory of text construction, the learning outcomes 4 and 5 of grades 7, 8 and 9 and their related assessment standards. Attention is given to prescribed texts and the taxonomy of academic writing skills, knowledge bases and processes, using some of the nine Xitsonga written speeches for illustrative purposes. This study explores questions of how Grabe and Kaplan's model can be effectively employed in the analysis of texts within the framework of Curriculum 2005 in the teaching of language. This study further focuses on the teaching of Xitsonga as a language subject within a multilingual education system. It is argued that in order to develop Xitsonga terminology for teaching content subjects, resources must be put in place, both materially and financially. It will be argued that Xitsonga should be taught as a language subject and . used as a medium of instruction in content subjects in conjunction with English across the curriculum within a bilingual education policy in order to enhance teaching and learning. Learners who have Xitsonga as first language will be able to apply the writing skills acquired in the teaching of writing of Xitsonga as a language subject in their learning across the curriculum.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die resente invoer van die uitkoms-gebaseerde kurrikulum vir die leerarea tale, geletterdheid en kommunikasie het 'n aantal areas van noodsaaklike navorsing in die Afrikatale aan die lig gebring wat dringend aangespreek moet word om hierdie kurrikulum suksesvol te implementeer vir die Afrikatale. Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek een van hierdie navorsingsvraagstukke, naamlik die genre-gebaseerde benadering tot die analise van Xitsonga tekste binne die bree veld van taal en geletterdheid. Die studie sal eers 'n ondersoek doen van verskillende modelle van skryfbenaderings wat verband hou met die analitiese benaderings tot genre geletterdheid, insluitende die tradisionele progressivistiese benadering, Die Bereiter en Scardamalia benadering, en Grabe en Kaplan (1996) se model. Daar sal aangevoer word dat Grabe en Kaplan se benadering 'n toepaslike raamwerk vir skryfonderrig is, aangesien dit die etnografie van skryf inkorporeer, wat meebring dat 'n gedetailleerde analise van tekste die volgende vrae moet aanspreek: Wie skryf wat aan wie vir watter doel, waarom, wanneer en hoe? Die gebruik van die etnografie van skryf in die analise van Xitsonga tekste volgens Grabe en Kaplan se model ondersoek ook faktore soos die kommunikatiewe doelstelling, kultuur en die gemeenskap waarin die teks geproduseer word. Hierdie vrae word ondersoek deur die analise van nege geskrewe toesprake in Xitsonga, waar die toespraak genre 'n identifiseerbare formaat het, insluitende 'n inleiding, 'n middel en 'n slot. Die studie ondersoek ook die verband tussen die etnografie van skryf, die Grabe en Kaplan teorie van tekskonstruksie, die leeruitkomste 4 en 5 van Graad 7, 8 en 9, en hulle verwante assesseringsstandaarde. Aandag word gegee aan voorgeskrewe tekste en die taksonomie van skryfvaardighede, kennis basisse en prosesse, met verwysing na die nege geskrewe tekste in Xitsonga. Die studie ondersoek vrae oor hoe Grabe en Kaplan se model effektief ingespan kan word in die analise van tekste binne die raamwerk van kurrikulum 2005 in die onderrig van taal. Die studie fokus voorts op die onderrig van Xitsonga as 'n taalvak binne 'n meertalige opvoedkundige stelsel. Daar word aangevoer dat ten einde Xitsonga terminologie te ontwikkel vir die onderrig van inhoudsvakke, moet die nodige hulpbronne daarvoor voorsien word. Daar word ook aangevoer dat Xitsonga as 'n taalvak in die onderrig van inhoudsvakke, in samehang met Engels vir laasgenoemde, oor die kurrikulum ten einde leer en onderrig te bevorder. Leerders wat Xitsonga as 'n eerste taal het, sal in staat wees om die skryfvaardighede wat hulle verwerf her in die onderrig van skryf in Xitsonga as 'n taalvak in hulle leer oar die kurrikulum.

Thesis (M.A. (Linguistics)) --University of Limpopo, 2011
Xitsonga is one of the eleven official languages in South Africa. It is spoken mainly in three provinces, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, while English is a global language. Whenever two languages meet, challenges are evident in terms of communication. The study aim to analyse the impact of nonverbal communication in both English and Xitsonga cultures. Nonverbal communication accounts for 60 to 70 per cent of what people communicate. Furthermore, the study deals with the role of nonverbal communication as it shapes the perceptions of both the receivers and communicators’ personality. Categories of nonverbal communication have been investigated by exploring different intercultural dimensions which include nonverbal immediacy and non-immediacy behaviours, power, authority and status, power distance, responsiveness, high-context and low-context communication, individualistic or collectivistic cultures. In addition, the study explores facial expressions which, among others, include expression of emotions; the types of emotions; paralanguage; and factors that influence facial expressions; cultural display rules, eye contact and gaze. Also, the study gives attention to Facial paralanguage and facial reflexes. It has been discovered in the study that although English and Xitsonga cultures are related in some nonverbal communication aspects, there are other aspects that are culturally bound. The latter aspects require a serious scrutiny lest miscommunication and misinterpretation occur. In other words, culture cannot be taken for granted when it comes to nonverbal communication cues. Cultural display rules dictate responsiveness, attitudes, and perspectives of communicators’ perceptions.

Thesis (M.ED.) --University of Limpopo, 2009.
This study focuses on the morpheme le in Northern Sotho. It is sometimes confusing to establish the correct semantic function which the morpheme le expresses; and also to classify it into a certain word category. This study suggests the morphological features which the morpheme le bears in terms of its word categorization. The morpheme le in Northern Sotho can be used as a conjunction, a demonstrative pronoun, an agreement, a preposition, a copulative, an adverb and a complement as well. It is suggested in this study, ways of identifying the semantic function of the morpheme le in various contexts. This study reflects that the morpheme le in Northern Sotho can be used to denote: possession, accompaniment, location, additive focus, existentialism and honorifics.

Thesis (MA (Afrikaans Language))--University of Stellenbosch, 1990.
199 leaves single sided printed, preliminary pages and numbered pages 1-187. Includes bibliography. Digitized using a Bizhub 250 Scanner to pdf format (OCR).
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An evaluation of semantic information in a dictionary must take into account all aspects of meaning of lexical items. Therefore the different homonyms and polysemous senses of lexical items and the underlying semantic relations between lexical items are accounted for. A description should be given of the lexical items which form the macrostructure of HAT. These lexical items include sublexical, multilexical and free lexical items. The treatment of multilexical items in HAT is not satisfactory at present and suggestions are made for the improvement of the situation. Possible solutions for distinguishing between homonymy and polysemy are given. Suggestions to determine the possible polysemous senses of a lexical item are also made. The ordering of polysemous senses and different homonyms are discussed. It is essential to make use of a synchronic criterion to distinguish between homonymy and polysemy. The HAT's treatment of semantic relations between lexical items is not always very succesfull. The semantic relation which receives the most substantial treatment is that of semantic inclusion between lexical items. The HAT's treatment of synonyms is not without problems. More attention should be given to semantic linking and semantic opposition between lexical items. An evaluation of the system of cross-references in HAT is given, with special reference to the function of cross-references. Sometimes indistinct typographical conventions are used and they confuse the user of the dictionary. The indistinct use of typographical conventions has a detrimental influence on the transfer of information. The cross-reference system of HAT can be improved by an informative explanation in the general introduction, focusing on ways and means to use it more specifically, unambiguously and consistently. A distinction is made between various types of definitions used to define lemmas. Well known lexicographic definitions such as definitions per genus et differentia, synonymdefinitions, example definitions, circular definitions and descriptive definitions are discussed. The usage definition and two definitions which explicate a semantic plus value, the contrast and diminutive definitions, are identified. Attention is also given to the role of the general introduction in a standard synchronic dictionary. Suggestions are made to improve the general introduction of HAT.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wanneer semantiese inligting in 'n woordeboek ondersoek word, word alle aspekte van leksikale items se betekenis in ag geneem. Dit sluit homonimiese vorme en polisemiese onderskeidinge van leksikale items in, asook die semantiese betrekkinge wat leksikale items onderling met mekaar aangaan. Die leksikale items wat die makrostruktuur van die HAT vorm, word beskryf. Dit sluit subleksikale, multileksikale en vrye leksikale items in. Verskillende tipes multileksikale en subleksikale items word onderskei. Tans word multileksikale items in HAT nie na wense hanteer nie en voorstelle word aan die hand gedoen hoe die stelsel verbeter kan word. Moontlike oplossings vir die onderskeidingsprobleem tussen homonimie en polisemie, asook maniere waarop 'n leksikale item se polisemiese onderskeidinge vasgestel kan word, word verskaf. Aandag word ook aan die ordening van polisemiese onderskeidinge en homonimiese vorme gegee. Dit is belangrik dat 'n sinchroniese maatstaf gebruik word om tussen homonimie en polisemie te onderskei. Semantiese betrekkinge tussen leksikale items word met 'n wisselende mate van sukses deur HAT hanteer. Semantiese insluiting tussen leksikale items word die meeste beskryf. Daar bestaan egter probleme by die hantering van sinonimie tussen leksikale items. Semantiese aansluiting tussen leksikale items word min deur die woordeboek aangedui. Semantiese opposisie tussen leksikale items kan ook meer deur die HAT aangedui word. Die kruisverwysingstelsel van die HAT word ondersoek. Funksies van kruisverwysings word beskryf. Kruisverwysings word wel deur die HAT redaksie gebruik, maar hulle kan nog meer gebruik word. Soms word onduidelike tipografiese konvensies gebruik en dit het swak inligtingsoordrag tot gevolg. Die kruisverwysingstelsel van die HAT kan verbeter word deur dit in die toeligtende aantekeninge te verduidelik, spesifiek en ondubbelsinnig toe te pas en deur dit konsekwent te gebruik. Verskillende tipes definisies waarmee leksikale items gedefinieer word, word onderskei. Bekende leksikografiese definisies soos genus-differentia-definisies, sinoniemdefinisies, voorbeelddefinisies, sirkeldefinisies en deskriptiewe definisies word bespreek. Die gebruiksdefinisie en twee definsies wat semantiese pluswaardes ekspliseer, naamlik die teenstellingsdefinisie en die verkleiningsdefinisie,word geidentifiseer. Die rol van toeligtende aantekeninge in 'n handwoordeboek word bespreek. Daar word gewys op die swak toeligtende aantekeninge van die HAT. Voorstelle word gedoen oor hoe die hantering van semantiese inligting in die toeligtende aantekeninge verduidelik moet.

PhD (Xitsonga)
Ehansi ka Senthara ya M. E. R. Mathivha ya Tindzimi ta Afrika, Vutshila na Ndhavuko
Ndzavisiso lowu wu wela ehansi ka dyondzo ya swa vuhundzuluxi leyi nga tlhelaka yi vuriwaka leswaku i xiyenge xa swa ririmi ni ndhavuko. Ndzavisiso lowu wu boxa no kanela mitlhontlho leyi ku hlanganiwaka na yona eka vuhundzuluxi lebyi khumbaka Xichangana eZimbabwe. Ndzavisiso lowu wu xopaxopa mitlhontlho leyi eka swiyimo swo hambanahambana swa xilingwistiki leswi katsaka mipfumawulo ya marito, swivumbeko swa marito, vulongoloxamarito na tinhlamuselo ta wona. Ndzavisiso lowu wu tlhela wu xopaxopa mitlhontlho ya vuhundzuluxi leyi khumbaka swa ndhavuko. Eka swa ndhavuko ku langutiwa swivuriso, swivulavulelo, switekatekisani/mitshayilo, swivongo na swithopo. Ndzavisiso lowu wu wela eka xivumbeko xa nhlawulo naswona ku tirhisiwa tindlela to hlengeleta mahungu ta nhlokohliso wa swivutiso ni ntlhatlho wa vundzeni. Tithiyori leti tirhisiweke i ta xilingwistiki ni ya matirhiselo leti khumbaka timhaka ta mindhavuko. Nsusumeto wo endla ndzavisiso wa muxaka lowu wu kongomisa eka Xichangana xa Zimbabwe i ku vona leswaku matsalwa manyingi ya hundzuluxeriwa eka tindzimi leti hluvukeke khale ta Xixona na Xindhevele, kasi tindzimi to fana na Xichangana na tin’wana leti a ti vuriwa ta vavulavuri va nhlayo yintsongo ti karhi ti honisiwa. Ndzavisiso lowu wu kumile leswaku ku na mitlhontlho ya swa ririmi leyi ku hlanganiwaka na yona eka swiyimo swa fonoloji, mofoloji, vulongoloxamarito na semantiki loko ku hundzuluxiwa switsariwa exikarhi ka Xichangana na Xinghezi. Xivangelonkulu xa mhaka leyi i ku hambana ka swivumbeko swa vuvulavuri bya tindzimi, ngopfungopfu eka mofoloji ni vulongoloxamarito. Ndzavisiso lowu wu kumile nakambe leswaku mitlhontlho yin’wana yi tisiwa hi timhaka ta matsalelo laha vahundzuluxi va tirhisaka matsalelo yo hambana ya Xichangana. Hi tlhelo ra swa ndhavuko, ndzavisiso lowu wu kumile leswaku ku na mitlhontlho loko swi fika eka ku hundzuluxela swivuriso, swivulavulelo, switekatekisani/mitshayilo, swivongo n swithopo. Eka xiyenge lexi ku kumekile leswaku ku na marito ya ndhavuko lama nga hundzuluxekiki ku ya eka Xinghezi. Leswi swi vangiwa hi ku hambana ka mindhavuko exikarhi ka Xichangana na Xinghezi.

AbstractThis chapter concludes the volume on social protection in Brazil, India, China, and South Africa, 1920–2020. The main findings are: (1) Historical evolution—the hundred years from 1920 to 2020 mark the century of the rise of social protection in the four countries. (2) The social construction of the social—all four countries, with the exception of India, have articulated social issues in a generalised way as a social question. (3) Political language—semantics of the social have spread in all four countries. (4) “Multireferentiality”—social protection policies were largely driven and shaped by “non-social” ideas and interests. (5) Transnational diffusion—external ideas have pervaded domestic social protection policies. The chapter closes by thoughts about the future of social protection in middle-income countries.

South Africa is a multi-lingual country with a population of about 40.5 million people. South Africa has more official languages at a national level than any other country in the world. Over and above English and Afrikaans, the eleven official languages include the indigenous languages: Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Ndebele, Tsonga, and Venda (Pretorius & Bosch, 2003). Figure 1 depicts the breakdown of the South African official languages as mother tongues for South African citizens. Although English ranks fifth (9%) as a mother tongue, there is a tendency among national leaders, politicians, business people, and officials to use English more frequently than any of the other languages. In a national survey on language use and language interaction conducted by the Pan South African Language Board (Language Use and Board Interaction in South Africa, 2000), only 22% of the respondents indicated that they fully understand speeches and statements made in English, while 19% indicated that they seldom understand information conveyed in English. The rate of electrification in South African is 66.1%. The total number of people with access to electricity is 28.3 million, and the total number of people without access to electricity is 14.5 million (International Energy Agency, 2002). Although the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” is narrowing, a significant portion of the South African population is still without the basic amenities of life. This unique environment sets the tone for a creative research agenda for HCI researchers and practitioners in South Africa.

On one hand, healthcare has taken the centre stage of attention in recent years, due to many more activities of both natural and manmade. On another hand, the use of mobile technologies is increasingly growing across the world, particularly in developing countries. Mobile devices, including phones and computers are becoming significant ICT tools for many activities and process of healthcare service delivery in both urban and rural areas, by organisations and individuals, literates and educated. Also, both businesses (organisations) and individuals are involved in the delivering and accessibility (recipient) of healthcare services at different levels and locations. The nature of the diverse tribes and languages within some developing countries make it difficult to deliver or receive the services which are provided by some Healthcare organisations. This is so because particular language, such as English, as in the case of South Africa, is often used for communication. Even though majority of the citizens make use of Mobile devices (such as cellular phones), the media of communication exchange is English language. Due to the sensitivity, confidentiality, and private nature of healthcare information and services, a one-on-one and the use of language which the patient is comfortable with is critical. Otherwise, the services and objectives of the healthcare organisations continue to be challenged. As such, there is need to address the semantics of language through the use of electronic devices for healthcare services.