Masters Degrees (African Languages)
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Browsing Masters Degrees (African Languages) by browse.metadata.advisor "Visser, Marianna W."
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- ItemActive, passive and neuter-passive verb constructions in Oshindonga: Argument alternation and event structure properties(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Shiwanda, Simon; Visser, Marianna W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African languages.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the argument alternations and event structure properties of active, passive and neuter-passive of various verb classes in Oshindonga and also to develop a more formal syntactic and semantics approach which is equally relevant in differentiating the passive from the neuter-passive. This study take into account the traditional aspectual semantic classification postulate in Vendler (1957) further developed in (Smith, 1997). These aspectual approaches are invoked for the reason that the two alternants in the neuter-passive and passive alternation in Oshindonga are associated with aspectual verb class differences. The syntactic decomposition approach is employed in order to provide a principled account for the phenomena in which arguments in passive and middles are assumed to be derived from the common detransitivisation base. The middle and passive variants are supposed not to represent each other in a deriviational relationship. This approach, however, assumes that the event structure of word meanings is constructed from two major elements; the eventive predicates indicating causation (CAUSE), action (ACT) and change of state (BECOME) and the other element is indicating idiosyncratic aspects (Beaver, 2012:332). The data contained in this study includes sentences constructed using various verb classes as proposed by Levin (1993), viz. verbs of change, verbs of communication, verbs of existence, experiencer verbs, verbs of contact, motion verbs, verbs of creation and weather verbs (cf. Du Plessis 1998). The findings of the study reveals that two types of alternations are identified in Oshindonga. These alternations are decided by the verb roots, and not by thier semantic classes. The first alternates comprise of the subject argument that appears with subject NPs. The second alternates, the subject argument NPs are not morphlogically marked, thus they appears with null subject. The findings of the present study demonstrate that in Oshindonga a single verb displays distinct aspectual behavior when used in passive and neuter-passive alternations, regardless of their common properties in terms of argument realization and alternations. The findings of the study further revealed that the classification of verbs roots in Oshindonga is semantic since different verbs classes are distinguished by the different properties of the events in their denotations. In addition, other sentence elements such as; tense aspects and predicate modifications play an important role in deciding the aspectual classes of the verb. However, this study has established that although some non-alternate verbs in Oshindonga such as pya, do not alternate, others such as pepa have satisfied the diagnostic test.
- ItemA genre-theoretic approach to media texts in isiXhosa for teaching academic literacy in secondary school(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-11) Xeketwana, Andreas Simthembile; Visser, Marianna W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The development of advanced academic literacy skills during primary and secondary schooling has been well researched as a crucial factor in achieving educational success and improving subsequent opportunities for tertiary study in successfully obtaining professional abilities (Martin, 2009). This study explores some properties of the influential genre-based approach to literacy development – mainly developed by Australian researchers over the past three decades (Rose & Martin, 2012) – regarding its possible application to the South African context. This approach is utilised in the light of facilitating academic achievement assuming bilingual/multilingual teaching and learning contexts in which the African languages as home languages are used in conjunction with English for teaching and learning content-subjects (Christie &Derewianka, 2008). This study presents evidence to the effect that (i) the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) of the Department of Basic Education, contains specifications regarding reading and writing in the home language subject which strongly assumes expertise of the genre-based approach by teachers (White, Feez&Iedema, 2010) and (ii) a variety of texts including printed-media texts can be used effectively by teachers in the home language class to facilitate academic literacy in content-subject genres. Selected examples of genres (text types) are discussed as regards their purpose and schematic (cognitive move) structure. In addition, the study explores some properties of teaching grammar of isiXhosa as meaning-making resources, along with the characteristics of the genre-based approach, including the use of lexical items in sentences – level grammar, discourse – level grammatical properties, and discourse semantics in evaluative language use (appraisal). Furthermore, the study explore the genre-based approach, as exemplified in the analysis of printed media and these analyses relate to the questions concerning academic writing development in isiXhosa at secondary school.
- ItemUhlalutyo lwezincoko ezixoxayo zesiXhosa kumabanga aphezulu esikolo(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Matshoba, Linda Cecil; Visser, Marianna W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In a period of history when unprecedented attention is given to the importance of literacy, there is a surprising lack of research into the nature of writing development. Myhill (2005), expresses concern at the ’dearth of systemic exploration of the linguistic characteristics of children’s’ writing, particularly in the secondary phase’. The scholarly interest of the thesis has been triggered by such concerns and findings and has put the writer of the thesis in a position to explore challenges regarding findings especially in Xhosa language speakers in South African schools that use Xhosa as a mother tongue. Applebee (2002), after reviewing research on various models of writing states that writing development is only imprecisely known, with a lack of agreement on what is meant by improvement or appropriate developmental expectations. The thesis aims to examine writing challenges in argumentative essays in isiXhosa and provide alternatives to writing challenges experienced by learners in secondary school. This will be done by making use of Systemic Functional language writing theories which include Feez and Joyce (1998) Grabe and Kaplan (1996), Christie and Derewianka (2008) and the Curriculum and Assessment Projects (caps). It is beleived that the use of the above research findings will assist IsiXhosa language learners to participate fully in the socio-political and career demands and holistic development of learners. The method used in the study made use of isiXhosa essays written by grade 11 learners in two phases. In the first phase, learners were not taught writing skills and in the second phase they have been taught requirements of writing argumentative essays.