A genre analysis of South African female celebrities in isiXhosa texts

Date
2005-03
Authors
Jali, Nomfundo
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research work has put into practice the theoretical framework of text construction advanced by Grabe and Kaplan (1996) for the analysis of South African female celebrities' texts in Xhosa. Theoretical elements employed in this study includes linguistic elements and the elements that are applicable to the structure of narrative texts. This framework can be included in teaching methods and approaches for the development of the learners' analytic skills in analyzing the discourse structure of written texts. These skills are to be acquired by learners, are part of the Curriculum 2005 and are meant specifically for the teaching and learning of languages. This study has employed a range of textlinguistic strategies for analyzing written genre texts on issues relating to female music artists and actresses. It is imperatively recommended that language teachers with the incorporation of Curriculum 2005 methodology can use these strategies in order to produce learners that are able to analyze texts successfully and who have an awareness about how language is used in text construction as a reflection of social activities. For the purpose of analysis in this thesis, texts from the Xhosa Bona magazine with contents ranging from acting careers and music artists has been collected. This study demonstrates that text analysis involves to a larger extent, an investigation of generic factors such as the communicative purpose, the culture and the community, and as well as the traumatic and exciting human experiences encountered by people in the society in which the text is produced. A broad definition of a narrative and a text will be established in the discussion of the generic features of texts. The text-linguistic construction, the analysis of linguistic structures, and the elements of the overall structure of narratives will be demonstrated in the analysis of Xhosa texts with emphasis on the discussion of the parameters of the ethnography of writing as proposed by Grabe and Kaplan (1996). The following questions are addressed by these parameters of the ethnography of writing: "Who writes what to whom. for what purpose. why. when and how?" In addition to these parameters the study addresses the elements of narratives based from the overall structure of narrative texts as proposed by Labov (1972). In Labov's framework the following elements are addressed: "the orientation section. the complication. the evaluation. the resolution and the coda". In addition to these elements examined the move structures will be explored as a way of summarising the facts and the message carried by the content of each Xhosa text written for the purpose of analysis. This study explores the implications and rationale for the incorporation of text analysis in language teaching and learning, as well as to explore the relationship between the theoretical underpinning of this study with the learning outcomes of Curriculum 2005 which have to be applied in language pedagogy. Finally, this study has proved that the theoretical framework of Grabe and Kaplan (1996) and the elements of the overall structure of narrative texts of Labov (1972) as employed in the written text construction, will introduce language teachers and learners into an effective language learning and teaching. This implies that the strategies acquired in this study can be employed in any analysis of written text in any language study as it has been explored in the analysis of Xhosa genre texts of South African female celebrities from a Xhosa Bona magazine.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing doen 'n praktiese toepassing van die teoretiese raamwerk van tekskontruksie soos voorgestaan deur Grabe en Kaplan (1996) in die analise van Xhosa tekste oor vroulike bekendes. Teoretiese elemente wat aangewend word in die navorsing sluit in tekslinguistiese elemente en die elemente wat toepaslik is tot die struktuur van narratiewe tekste. Hierdie raamwerk kan gebruik word in taalonderrigmetodes en benaderings gerig op die ontwikkeling van leerders se analitiese vaardighede in die analise van die diskoersstruktuur van skriftelike tekste. Hierdie vaardighede wat verwerf moet word deur leerders, is gespesifiseer in Kurrikulum 2005 vir die leerarea tale. Die studie wend 'n verskeidenheid tekslinguistiese strategieë aan in die analise van geskrewe genre-tekste oor vraagstukke rakende vroulike musiekkunstenaars en aktrises. Daar word aanbeveel in die studie dat taalonderwysers, deur die toepaslike metodologie in Kurrikulum 2005, hierdie strategieë aanwend ten einde leerders te lewer wat in staat is om tekste suksesvol te analiseer, en wat 'n bewussyn het van hoe taal gebruik word in tekskonstruksie as 'n refleksie van sosiale en kommunikatiewe doelstelling. Vir die doel van die analises in hierdie studie, is 'n verskeidenheid Xhsoa tekste oor bekende vroulike musici en aktrises gekies uit die BONA tydskrif. Hierdie studie demonstreer dat teksanalise 'n ondersoek behels na die teks-generiese faktore, die kommunikatiewe doelstelling, en die sosiale en kulturele konteks en die traumatiese en opwindende ervarings ervaar deur mense in die gemeenskap waarin die teks geproduseer word. 'n Breë definisie van narratief en teks sal gegee word in die bespreking van die generiese kenmerke van tekste. Die tekslinguistiese konstruksie, die analise van linguistiese strukture, en die elemente van die geheelstruktuur van narratiewe, sal gedemonstreer word in die analise van die Xhosa-tekste met klem op die parameters in die etnografie van skryf soos voorgestel deur Grabe en Kaplan (1996): Wie skryf wat aan wie vir watter doel, waarom, wanneer. Bykomend tot hierdie parameters, ondersoek hierdie studie die globale elemente van narratiewe gebaseer op Labov (1972), die orientasie, die komplikasie, die evaluasie, die resolusie, en die koda. Bykomend sal die kognitiewe of retoriese skuifstrukture ook ondersoek word.
Description
Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.
Keywords
Xhosa language -- Discourse analysis, Xhosa language -- Study and teaching, Content analysis (Communication), Language and languages -- Study and teaching, Competency-based education -- South Africa
Citation