Browsing by Author "Deumert, Ana"
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- ItemOpen AccessAteso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Language(2017) Barasa, David; Deumert, Ana; Smouse, Mantoa; Dimmendaal, Gerrit; Schroeder, HelgaThis study discusses the structure of Ateso, an Eastern Nilotic language. Based on interview and recorded data from fieldwork conducted in both Uganda and Kenya, where Ateso is spoken, the study provides the first comprehensive description of the phonology, morphology and syntax of the language. The main findings of this study are as follows: The key feature of Ateso's phonological structure is that vowel alternation strategies are constrained by three harmony rules: root-control, feature-control, and, finally, mid-vowel assimilation. While Ateso shares this structure with the other Eastern Nilotic languages, it has its unique features as well. For example, while the other members of the Eastern Nilotic family have lost the vowel */ä/, Ateso has retained it phonetically. Ateso's noun morphology has noun-inflectional affixes associated with gender- and number marking. The language employs noun prefixes for gender and uses suffixes to express number and to derive words from others. With regard to its verbal morphology, Ateso verb forms are inflected for a variety of functions. Inflectional categories such as person, number, tense, aspect and mood are marked on the verb either segmentally or supra-segmentally. Tense is expressed suprasegmentally by tone on the nucleus of verb roots, while different morphemes mark person, number, aspect and mood. The discussion of Ateso verb morphology covers verbal derivations and extensions; namely, causatives, ventives, itives, datives, iterative, passives and instrumentals. Regarding its syntactic structure, as a VS/VO language, Ateso allows for a complete clause made up of an inflected verb only, or an inflected verb followed by one or two NPs/or an NP and a pronoun. The language can also have sentence structures involving strategies such as coordination, subordination and clause chaining.
- ItemOpen AccessKe in utterances: uses and functions of the Xhosa discourse marker ke(2013) Masinyana, Abdul-Malik Sibabalwe Oscar; Deumert, AnaDiscourse Markers (DM) have been identified in so many languages, utterance contexts, and studied from so many angles and theoretical approaches (Ogoanah, 2011;; Jantjies, 2009;; Jabeen, et. al, 2011;; Dér and Markó, 2010;; Verdonik et.al, 2007;; Li, 2010;; Hernández, 2011;; Camiciottoli, 2009), so much that another study hardly seems necessary. Focusing on Xhosa, a linguistic context where hardly any work is being done on DMs, this thesis argues that the Xhosa particle ke is a DM that is popular in, but not restricted to, oral utterances and a DM that is present even in 19th century Xhosa utterances. At present, the general agreement between Xhosa grammars and dictionaries is that ke is either/and/or a conjunction or conjunctive, an interjective, an adverb, an enclitic, an expletive or a form word with a variety of translation equivalents in English. Using a DM analysis framework provided by Schourup (1999) ? which corresponds closely with the pioneering framework by Schiffrin (1987) and also contains elements of Fraser's model (1996, 2009) ? this thesis examines these three claims and concludes that ke is mainly a DM (over and above being one or more or all of the present classifications) and should be presented as such in future Xhosa dictionaries, grammars and linguistic research.
- ItemOpen Access“Language Barriers in the Emergency Centre (EC): A survey of secondary public hospital EC doctors on the perceived presence and impact of language barriers"(2020) Docrat, Nasreen; Hodkinson, Peter; Deumert, AnaBackground Communication is vital to patient-doctor interactions especially in emergency centres (EC). It is evident from international and South African studies that language barriers result in suboptimal clinical outcomes, increased use of already limited resources and poor patient satisfaction. In the Western Cape, initiatives such as community trained interpreters, telephonic services and multilingual language policies have been implemented to improve communication between doctors and patients. Objectives This study was done to ascertain to what extent language barriers are perceived to still exist by doctors in emergency centres in secondary public hospitals in Cape Town. Methods A quantitative on-line survey of full time doctors in the ECs of six urban secondary public hospitals in Cape Town was conducted in October 2019. Data was collected over a 5 week period and covered demographics, languages spoken, (self-reported) fluency of languages spoken, languages encountered, perceived occurrence of language barriers, perceived impact of language barriers and strategies currently implemented to overcome these barriers. Results Of the 119 doctors invited to complete the survey, 74 eligible responses were received. Language barriers still exist in secondary public hospitals in the Western Cape. The majority of doctors spoke Afrikaans and no isiXhosa speaking doctors took part in the survey. Half of the doctors surveyed stated they would not be able to take a history in isiXhosa without an interpreter. Most (97%) of doctors had not heard of community trained interpreters and only 23% had ever used the telephone interpretation service available. Perceived consequences of language barriers include: inability or longer duration to get a history, increased use of resources, and patients returning because they did not fully understand the treatment plan. Informal interpreters such as nursing staff and family members were used most often to overcome language barriers. No official interpreters were available to assist in person and doctors are either unaware of telephonic interpreting services or woefully under-using this service. Due to language barriers, doctors are left feeling frustrated with themselves or sad for the patients that they are meant to be helping due to language barriers. Conclusion Reintroduction of community based interpreters, teaching doctors more languages and investment into technologyaided translation services are possibilities that have been suggested by doctors and could be researched further to help improve the current situation.
- ItemOpen AccessLocal and translocal literacies in an urban 'village' : a sociolinguistic study.(2012) Coetzee, Frieda; Deumert, AnaIncludes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.
- ItemOpen AccessMultilingual Selves: Exploring Language Ideologies and Linguistic Repertoires among Young People in Cape Town(2023) Adams, Imrah; Deumert, AnaAgainst the backdrop of a (provincial) language policy that includes Afrikaans, English, and isiXhosa, this project investigates the language ideologies and language practices of a group of young people who live in a historically Afrikaans-speaking area in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town. More broadly, this study seeks to understand the multilingualism of individual speakers within their social location while, at the same time, giving recognition to their personal experiences with language. The data collected is qualitative in nature, consisting of in-depth interviews, language portraits, and focus group discussions. In total, eleven different participants were involved in this study and were recruited via school visits and through word of mouth. Six of these participants, namely, Jaco, Claire, Farzahna, Rachel, Zene, and Kayla participated in all three data collection activities. Jason, Porcia, Mikayla participated with the interviews and the language portrait. Zonita participated in the focus group and the language portrait. Finally, Jake participated in the focus group, but did not complete the task and left the research process. The results confirm the expected high esteem of English, with ideologies focused on global communication, its lingua franca nature within South Africa, and the ways in which English is linked to travel prospects and globalization. Yet, all participants are all multilingual, and also speak or encounter Afrikaans in the home. They describe Afrikaans as having many varieties, standard and non-standard. Standard Afrikaans is associated mostly with negative experiences, including cases of judgment and unease. In contrast, non-standard varieties, referred to as Kaaps in the recent scholarly literature, are discussed as constituting a linguistic home, and as establishing a connection to family and friends. The results from the interviews and focus groups also indicate that isiXhosa and other indigenous African languages are frequently erased, both discursively and practically. At times, the languages within the participants' repertoires were racialized: English is portrayed as a language for all, Standard Afrikaans is associated with whiteness, non-standard Afrikaans with coloured identities, and isiXhosa with black African speakers. Furthermore, participants articulate a desire for foreign languages such as French, Japanese, and Russian. This was explored through language portraits, which helped to foreground participants' lived experiences, and which also brought African languages more strongly into focus
- ItemOpen AccessOut-of-school literacy practices - the case of Sesotho-speaking learners in Cape Town(2018) Lekhanya-Tshikare, Tlalane; Deumert, AnaThis study investigates the out-of-school multilingual literacy practices of four Grade Seven learners aged between 13 and 14 years at Lehlohonolo Primary School (henceforth LPS) in Gugulethu, Cape Town. They come from lower-income Sesotho speaking households and live in residential areas where isiXhosa is the predominant language of interaction. LPS is one of only two primary schools in the area that cater for these Sesotho speaking learners. The Language of Learning and Teaching is Sesotho from Grade R to Three, and then changes to English from Grade Four onwards for all subjects besides Sesotho. Located within the broader New Literacy Studies framework, this study approaches literacy as a historically and socially situated practice. It examines the learners‟ exposure and engagements with formal and informal texts by identifying the diverse communicative resources they have access to, and employ in, especially, out-of-school contexts. One central aim is to specify the roles of the various languages with a particular focus on Sesotho. Using an ethnographic approach, data was gathered primarily through observations and conversations. This was complemented by the photographic documentation of literacy artefacts and semi-structured interviews with the learners, their teachers, caregivers and other household members. To gain a better understanding of their multilingual repertoires and communication networks, the learners were asked to participate in language portrait and social network communication exercises. The core research question that informs the study is: What communicative resources do participants use in different out-of-school literacy events? The study‟s main findings are as follows: (a) the learners have unique language and literacy histories with varying degrees of digital access and competence in Sesotho, English and isiXhosa; (b) standard varieties of Sesotho and English are used for academic purposes; (c) the scarcity of Sesotho literacy is highlighted by the dominant English and isiXhosa literacy practices in out-of-school contexts, including online spaces and (d) Sesotho is used in spoken interactions at home and does not feature in leisure reading and writing.
- ItemOpen AccessShifting family bilingualism: two South African case studies(2013) Reynolds, Rose-Anne; Deumert, AnaThis ethnographic, sociolinguistic study describes the home language practices of two Afrikaans/English bilingual families, living in two middle-class English-dominant neighbourhoods, with the youngest children attending an English-medium primary school. In this study, I investigate if these families maintain their existing Afrikaans-dominant bilingualism, or shift towards greater use of English. According to the sociolinguistic literature, there is an on-going relationship between the processes of language maintenance and shift. Factors that influence these processes include bilingualism, marriage patterns, socio-economic status, prestige of dominant languages, domains, educational environment, school peer group and attitudes as well as perceptions about languages and language use. The database consists of naturalistic observations, interviews and language diaries. Conversations between family members in their respective homes were audio-recorded (32 hours of observations in total) and open-ended interviews were conducted with family members about their language use and attitudes. The children completed language diaries where they self-reported their language use at home and at school. The findings are as follows: both families speak English, Afrikaans as well as varieties of English and Afrikaans characterised by code-switching, code-mixing and borrowings in the home. The Petersen family presents with intergenerational transmission and maintenance of Afrikaans from the mother and brothers to the younger daughters. ‘Teaching moments’ in this family, characterised by an active interrelationship between English and Afrikaans, result in the transmission and use of Afrikaans and English between the family members. As a result of the domestic Afrikaans maintenance, the two daughters continue to speak Afrikaans and express a positive attitude toward the language in general and their bilingual identity in particular.
- ItemOpen AccessSyntactic variation in Afrikaans : an empirical study(2009) Klein, Yolandi; Deumert, AnaThis dissertation presents a variationist analysis of syntactic variation and change in modern spoken Afrikaans. The Afrikaans language community is heterogeneous, and can be divided into different communication communities according to patterns of segregated residential settlement and limited social interaction (linked to South Africa's history of apartheid). The selection of a sample for the study is informed by these realities and the sample is kept deliberately homogenous (following Barbiers, Cornips and Van der Kleij, 2000): participants (N=34) are White middle-class speakers of Afrikaans who are under 36 years of age and have been residing in Cape Town for at least the past seven to ten years. In addition, all participants are bilingual in English (as established through an electronically administered language use survey).In order to combine formal theory (generative linguistics) withΓÇó empirical analysis (sociolinguistics), the methodology follows a bi-modal approach. Both performance and competence are considered, and arguments are based on two types of data: speech data (interviews, narrative picture descriptions) and grammaticality judgements (elicited by means of an oral questionnaire). Grosjean's (2001) language mode model assists in refining the methodology of the study, because it recognises the fact that a bilingual speaker is a unique speaker-hearer (Chomsky, 1965). The empirical data are elicited in near-monolingual Afrikaans language modes. The results are quantified according to token frequencies and analyzed in comparison to other studies; significance tests are carried out using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. From the literature, the consensus seems to be that the word order in Afrikaans (XV structure) is changing to resemble an English frame (VX structure) because of language contact (cf, inter alia, Conradie, 2004; Donaldson, 1991). Two syntactic variables are studied to investigate variation in word order and verb placement: firstly, changes from XV to VX in subordinate clauses are explored by looking at the use of specific types of subordinate clauses, and the impact of matrix clause bridge verbs on complementizer omission and dependent/independent word order in the speech corpora. Secondly, the study examines the use of direct linking verbs and the role that complex verb initials play in proliferating VX structures. The findings are as follows: with embedded clause word order, the corpus data provides evidence of the frequent use of complementizer-less VX subordinate clauses that were not formally elicited in the questionnaire. These clauses have an important impact on variation in Afrikaans word order, leading to the proliferation of VX embedded clauses. Contributing factors are the weakening of the complementizer's semantic strength, and the role of the bridge verb as quotative marker in the matrix clause. Furthermore, the corpus data shows high frequencies of non-standard complementizer-led VX clauses, especially when compared to their low meta-linguistic acceptance in the questionnaires. The data thus shows significant variation in embedded clause word order and suggests that we are witnessing a change in progress for this variable. With respect to complex verb initials, the study finds a high acceptance rate in the questionnaires, as well as regular use in the spoken language corpus. By comparing the use of complex verb initials to a previous study (Ponelis, 1993) the study establishes a change in real time where an increase in the use of complex verb initials promotes the suspension of the main verb in clause-final position (V-final). The study recommends that that the bi-modal approach of considering both performance and competence data should be applied to similar studies of other groups in the Afrikaans language community.
- ItemOpen AccessTextbook, chalkboard, notebook: resemiotization in a Mozambican primary school(2015) Ker, David Allen; Deumert, Ana; Archer, ArleneThis ethnographic, sociolinguistic study describes the writing practices of teachers and students in a Portuguese-language primary school in Mozambique. In the classroom, teachers and students engage in a text-chain ritual in which the teacher copies a text from the textbook onto the chalkboard, which is then copied by the students into their notebooks. Using the theoretical framework of social semiotics, this study situates classroom writing within a range of multimodal practices which scaffold the written texts. This study employs the notion of resemiotization in order to describe the ways in which signs are transformed as they move between different sites of display. This resemiotization is framed by educational ritual with the language of instruction, Portuguese, being a second language (hereafter ‘L2’) to most of the students. Because of the linguistic constraints of the L2, rote- copying practices predominate in the classroom. Copying allows lessons to move forward despite the comprehension difficulties of the students. The text-chain is shown to be simultaneously reductive and expansive. Subsequent links tend to be reduced representations of their originating signs even while these signs serve as the basis for expansive multimodal ensembles which include speech, drawing and gesture, as well as the use of the students’ home language. This study employ s the notion of mimesis in order to account for the ways in which the resemiotization observed in the classroom is both imitative and creative. Each instance of writing imitates a previous link in the text-chain but also shows evidence of teachers and students creatively shaping their texts. In order to study these writing practices, more than 40 classroom lessons were observed during two research trips to Tete, Mozambique. This study used observation and photographic data-records to trace the movement of texts over the course of a lesson. Photographs of the chalkboard were taken as the chalkboard text grew and changed. In each classroom, six students were selected and their notebook writing photographed. The photographing of the chalkboard and notebooks allowed for the comparison of these texts as they were produced in the classroom. Additionally, teachers and educators were interviewed to provide insight on classroom writing practices. During these interviews, teachers were asked to describe their schooling experience and compare it with schooling today. Teachers and educators also provided background information on bilingual education and their use of a technique known as currículo local , ‘local curriculum’ , in which teachers use local language and culture to create connections between classroom knowledge and students’ existing knowledge. This thesis draws attention to the complexity of writing practices in L2 classrooms. Writing is shown to be a term that covers a wide range of practices including rote copying, drawing, doodling, and pseudo-writing. These writing practices take place in an environment marked by linguistic and semiotic diversity. This thesis expands the use of the term resemiotization by looking in detail at the material and social processes that occur in the classroom. Additionally, this thesis draws attention to ritual as an organizing principle for resemiotizing processes in which institutional forces and authorized language influence and shape local practices. The use of the notion of mimesis allows this analysis to account for the ways in which resemiotization involves both imitation and creativity in a text-chain that exhibits signs of semiotic reduction while simultaneously facilitating instances of profuse multimodal communication.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Implementation of the South African Language Policy by Local Government. A Case Study.(2021) Mhlongo, Nobuhle; Deumert, AnaIn 1994, the South African democratic government declared 11 languages as official. Section (6) of the Constitution stipulates that all 11 official languages should enjoy equal status. Amongst other things, language policies, language institutions, and legislations were established to assist in implementing Section (6) of the Constitution. Provincial governments have been given the task to adopt a language policy that will ensure that the designated official languages are used, promoted, and developed equally. Mpumalanga has four designated official (provincial) languages: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, and SiSwati. This study aims to investigate the implementation of the South African language policy by a local municipality in Mpumalanga. The data presented in this thesis were gathered using semi-structured interviews with executive staff members as well as through questionnaires and office observations at the municipality. In addition, this thesis analysed physical municipal signage, Facebook posts by the municipality and members of the public, the official website of the municipality, and annual municipal reports. The findings indicate that there exist a variety of multilingual practices on the ground. However, these multilingual practices are mostly habitual and everyday; they are not due to the active implementation of a municipal language policy. Moreover, the findings of the study indicate that English is the preferred language at the municipality: English dominates in meetings, in written communication, on signage, official Facebook posts, and the website. The data also indicate that SiSwati has a strong presence at the municipality, but it is marginalised in other areas such as written and online communication. In addition, the data suggest that there is inequality in how the other provincial languages are used: there is only minimal presence of isiNdebele and Afrikaans. Moreover, Xitsonga, which is not a designated provincial language, has a strong presence in the municipality but no official status. This thesis argues that there is partial implementation of the language policy at the municipality. The challenges affecting the implementation includes the ideology around the use of English and the negative attitudes towards SiSwati that are present in the community. Lack of implementation is also a result of limited resources in the municipality. This thesis uses the data to formulate recommendations for the Mpumalanga provincial government. These recommendations can assist with the implementation of the language policy in government communication and the equal use of all the languages present in the municipality
- ItemOpen AccessTo bry or not to bry: the social meanings of Afrikaans rhotic variation in the South Cape(2016) Ribbens-Klein, Yolandi; Deumert, Ana; Mesthrie, RajendThis dissertation investigates the social meanings of Afrikaans rhotic variation in a town in the South Cape region of the Western Cape Province in South Africa. The study combines approaches to 'place as location' (traditional dialectology and sociolinguistics) and 'place as meaning' (ethnography and linguistic anthropology) to explore the relationship between geographical place, local social meanings and linguistic variation. Theoretically, I make use of the concept of indexicality, following Silverstein's (2003) indexical orders and Eckert's (2008) indexical fields. To date, there is no previous study that explores Afrikaans variation from these perspectives. The study therefore contributes to the development of Afrikaans linguistics. The participants are residents of Houtiniquadorp, which was a mission station in South Africa's colonial era and declared a Coloured residential area during apartheid. In South Africa, place has been politicised due to colonialism and apartheid. I argue that the racialisation of places contributes to Houtiniquadorpers' sense of locality and belonging. The linguistic form I focus on is Afrikaans /r/. Afrikaans phonetics texts describe alveolar-r [r] as standard, and uvular-r ([ʀ] or [ʁ]; bry-r) as a non-standard, regional feature. In Houtiniquadorp, [ʀ] and [r] variants of the (r) variable are used. My data collection methods were semi-structured interviews and ethnographic fieldwork. The linguistic variants were quantified from the interview data and description tasks. The qualitative data analysis focused on the participants' narratives about places, lived experiences, and meta-linguistic commentary. I discuss three different sets of results, all of which investigate how people in Houtiniquadorp use Afrikaans /r/ to index locality, belonging, and other forms of social meanings, particularly in the context of social and geographic mobility. I analyse metalinguistic comments, the frequency use of rhotic variants, and the use of variants in interaction. Uvularr forms part of many Houtiniquadorpers' repertoires, and the participants show varying degrees of awareness of the sound as locally, and socially, meaningful. The results show that while uvular-r is an emplaced sound (i.e. a regional stereotype or dialect feature), the sound has various other non-place meanings that index macro-social categories such as residential status, gender and age. Finally, by looking at participants who use both variants, I argue that they use variation to index meaningful moments during the interview interactions.