Taalgesindheid teenoor Afrikaans : ’n gevallestudie onder Afrikaanse Taalverwerwing 188-studente

Date
2021-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the predisposition of Afrikaans Language Acquisition 188² students towards Afrikaans. The predisposition of language learners towards any language is crucial to ensure successful language acquisition. It is therefore important, for the purposes of this study, to understand the difference between “predisposition” and “attitude”. Predisposition towards Afrikaans in this study refers to the personal opinions of an individual towards Afrikaans, which serves as motivation and driving force for learning Afrikaans. Language attitude, on the other hand, merely refers to the mentality, stance or opinion of a student/speaker towards a particular language, whereas the word “predisposition” also includes the emotional reaction of a speaker towards a language. By examining students’ predisposition towards Afrikaans, the deep-seated convictions of individuals with regards to a specific language is revealed, as well as the language experience of language learners. The main research question of this thesis is: What is the predisposition of Afrikaans Language Acquisition 188 students towards Afrikaans? This question is investigated based on a few sub-questions: What impact does the students’ predisposition towards Afrikaans have on learning Afrikaans? What factors have contributed towards this predisposition? Are the students who feel positive towards Afrikaans more likely to use it outside the classroom than those who feel less positive? In what ways can the lecturer/tutors make positive changes in the classroom or adjustments to their lectures to promote a positive attitude and predisposition towards Afrikaans as a language and as a subject? This study was undertaken within the following theoretical frameworks, namely language attitude theories (Dittmar, 1976, Garrett, 2010, Dyers, 2013 and Swart, 2016), stereotyping (Roos, 1990 andLadegaard, 1998); the language acquisition theory (Krashen, 1982) with the focus on his affective filter hypothesis; academic emotions (Pekrun, Goetz, Titz and Perry, 2002 and Pekrun, Hall, Goetzen Perry, 2014); acculturation (Zaker, 2016)–specifically Schumann’s acculturation model– and language awareness (Ibarraran, Lasagabaster and Sierra, 2008). This study makes use of participatory action research with a case study component. The data collected were analysed using qualitative and quantitative research methods. The tool used for collecting data was a series of questionnaires. The data were used to investigate the predisposition towards Afrikaans, the motivation and emotional state of the respondents. Furthermore, the data only serve as a representative sample of the total Afrikaans Language Acquisition 188 student class. The main findings of the research show that predisposition towards Afrikaans is of importance in language acquisition. Therefor the motivation and emotional state of the language learner must always be considered by the lecturer. It is also necessary that the content discussed during lectures stimulates the learners’ interest in such a way that they do not lose focus and motivation to learn the language successfully.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die taalgesindheid van Afrikaanse Taalverwerwing 188¹-studente teenoor Afrikaans. Die taalgesindheid van taalaanleerders is van kardinale belang om suksesvolle taalverwerwing te verseker. In dié studie is dit belangrik om die onderskeid tussen taalgesindheid en taalhouding te verstaan. Taalgesindheid in hierdie studie dui op die persoonlike opinie van die deelnemers oor Afrikaans, wat dien as motivering en dryfveer vir die aanleer van Afrikaans. Taalhouding, daarenteen, is net die denkwyse/standpunt wat ’n student/spreker ten opsigte van ’n taal het, terwyl die woord “gesindheid” ook ’n student/spreker se emosionele reaksie op ’n taal insluit. Deur taalgesindhede te ondersoek word die diepliggende oortuiging van individue teenoor ’n spesifieke taal geopenbaar, en so ook die taalervaring van taalaanleerders. Die oorkoepelende navorsingsvraag van die tesis is: Wat is die gesindheid van Afrikaanse Taalverwerwing 188-studente teenoor Afrikaans? Die vraag word aan die hand van enkele subvrae ondersoek: Watter impak het die studente se gesindheid teenoor Afrikaans op die aanleer van Afrikaans? Watter faktore het tot hierdie taalgesindheid bygedra? Is die studente wat positief teenoor Afrikaans voel, meer geneig om dit buite die lesinglokaal te gebruik as dié wat minder positief voel? Op watter maniere kan die dosent/tutors positiewe veranderinge in die klas aanbring of aanpassings in hulle lesings maak om ’n positiewe gesindheid teenoor Afrikaans as taal en as vak te bevorder? Die studie is binne die volgende teoretiese raamwerke onderneem: die taalgesindheidsteorieë (Dittmar, 1976, Garrett, 2010, Dyers, 2013 en Swart, 2016); stereotipering (Roos, 1990 en Ladegaard, 1998); die taalverwerwingsteorie (Krashen, 1982) met die fokus op sy affektiewfilter-hipotese; akademiese emosies (Pekrun, Goetz, Titz en Perry, 2002 en Pekrun, Hall, Goetzen Perry 2014); akkulturasie (Zaker, 2016)–spesifiek Schumann se akkulturasiemodel– en taalbewustheid (Ibarraran, Lasagabaster en Sierra, 2008). Hierdie studie maak gebruik van deelnemende aksienavorsing met ’n gevallestudiekomponent. Die data wat ingesamel is, is deur middel van kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetode ontleed. Die instrument wat gebruik is om die data in te samel, is vraelyste. Die data is gebruik om ondersoek in te stel na die taalgesindheid, motiveringsvlakke en emosionele toestand van die respondente. Voorts dien die data slegs as ’n verteenwoordigende steekproef van die totale Afrikaanse Taalverwerwing 188-studenteklas. Die hoofbevindinge van die navorsing toon dat taalgesindheid in taalverwerwing van kardinale belang is. Die motiveringsvlakke en emosionele toestand van die taalaanleerder moet ook te alle tye deur die dosent in ag geneem word. Daarby is dit nodig dat die inhoud wat tydens lesings bespreek word, die taalaanleerders se belangstelling prikkel, sodat hulle nie fokus en motivering om die taal suksesvol aan te leer, verloor nie.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Language acquisition, Language and languages -- Study and teaching, Afrikaans language -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Case studies, Predisposition towards Afrikaans, UCTD
Citation