Browsing by Author "Hautemo, Aletta Mweneni"

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    English Wikipedia translation as a communicative task in task-based language teaching pedagogy : a case of Namibian language student teachers
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-12) Hautemo, Aletta Mweneni; Van der Merwe, Michele F.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : This thesis reports the findings of a study conducted on the translation of English second language content on Wikipedia into Oshikwanyama/Oshindonga first languages. The translation focused on the communicative competencies of students in a tertiary environment. The context of this study included bilingual student teachers who were trained using English second language as a Medium of Instruction (MoI), but with much exposure to Oshikwanyama/Oshindonga as a first languages. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of Wikipedia translation as a Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT) task, with the aim of allowing language student teachers to use language in real-life contexts and interact collaboratively. The study was underpinned by the interpretivism research paradigm, which informed the choice of a qualitative research approach. A case study design was conducted with twenty-four student teachers. The student teachers were purposively selected from a tertiary institution in Namibia. Data were collected through observation of Wikipedia translation tasks, artefacts analysis and blogging reflections. The data were analysed thematically and produced themes and categories that were discussed to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that mediation of languages is an important tool for guided scaffolding of students to communicate meanings in a student-centred language classroom. The findings proved that TBLT presented real communicative language classroom situations, where students used spoken and written language forms, ultimately developing their communicative competencies. Wikipedia translation allowed the enculturation of real-world communicative tasks on a virtual learning platform through meanings construction and focused correct use of terms. The research findings provide a useful Wikipedia translation framework for language teachers to integrate TBLT pedagogies into technology-enhanced classroom settings for both instruction and assessment. The study recommends language teachers to use technological tools to promote language learning through mediation processes that encourage students to communicate and use languages meaningfully. A holistic approach to task completeness at all levels of language learning is another recommendation for use by language teachers to groom language education students in the acquisition, processing and mastery of communicative competencies.