African languages in a new linguistic dispensation : challenges for research and teaching at universities
Date
2013-04
Authors
Visser, Mariana
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
Marianna Visser was born in 1957 and matriculated at
Framesby High School in Port Elizabeth. Her tertiary
studies commenced in 1976 at Stellenbosch University,
where she obtained her BA in 1978, and her BA Honours
(cum laude) in 1979, MA (cum laude) in 1981, and DLit in
African languages in 1987. Her first academic position was at
Rhodes University in Grahamstown, where she was appointed
as lecturer from October 1981 to March 1986. In April 1986
she returned to her alma mater as lecturer in the Department
of African Languages, where she later was promoted to senior
lecturer and associate professor. She has served terms as Chair
of the Department of African Languages and as Vice Dean
(Languages) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Since
2012 she has been appointed as professor in African languages.
Marianna has read papers at various international
conferences on African linguistics in South Africa and abroad.
She has published in the field of syntax of the African languages,
including the book Xhosa syntax, which she co-authored. She
has also published in the field of second/additional learning and
teaching of the African languages and she is a former editor of
the South African Journal of African Languages. Her research
interests further include genre-based literacy development at
secondary school level and in tertiary education, genre studies,
and the language of evaluation and appraisal in a variety of
discourse contexts. She has been intensively involved in
academic programme design for African languages and has
supervised numerous master’s and doctoral studies.
Description
Inaugural lecture delivered on 09 April 2013.
Keywords
African Languages -- Study and teaching, Language and education -- Africa
Citation
Visser, M. 2013. African languages in a new linguistic dispensation: challenges for research and teaching at universities. Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, South Africa.