Browsing by Author "Tyam, Nolubabalo"

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    An exploration of teaching and learning in an isiXhosa communicative language skills course in a medical school
    (2016) Tyam, Nolubabalo; Paxton, Moragh
    This thesis reports on research conducted into the teaching and learning of an isiXhosa Communication Skills course as a Second Language (SL) at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The research was an exploration of an isiXhosa language teaching pedagogy with a particular focus on learning and teaching and the usage of isiXhosa in the isiXhosa Communications Skills classroom. In doing this research, I wanted to know what could be the cause of these attitudes. Questions that need to be considered in developing this pedagogy are: What are the benefits of its usage in the classroom? What are the language pedagogies that the teachers are struggling with? The study was carried out with second year medical students. In this study, questionnaires were distributed to 63 research subjects. Four classroom observations were carried out and 12 students were interviewed. I observed that teachers as a group had characteristic pedagogical styles and approaches. The teachers were using more teacher-centred method, relying heavily on the use of textbooks, focused more on the teaching of pure isiXhosa language and used less varied techniques of instruction and engagement. There was little evidence of learner-centred teaching and incorporation of more communicative, interactive lessons and activities that help students for speaking competence. Students had strong positive attitudes towards learning isiXhosa communication skills. The students' views from the interviews and classroom observations point towards broadly issues of learning second language and pedagogy in learning and teaching. Students seemed to be concerned and frustrated with the fact that they cannot speak in isiXhosa with the patients. They felt that learning isiXhosa was essential for their future careers, and the ability to speak isiXhosa would be beneficial for their work. The students' interviews reinforced the conclusions that I drew from the classroom observations and yielded insights into how teachers teach a Second Language.
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    Multilingualism education project: economics glossary translation in isiXhosa
    (2025) Neethling, Leigh; Tyam, Nolubabalo; Gxilishe, Sandile; Deyi, Somikazi; Goxo, Thandiwe; Jacobs, Nontsikelelo; Gambushe, Wanga
    This Economics Glossary has been compiled and translated specifically to support Commerce students by demystifying the complex terms and concepts related to the subject. By offering clear definitions and contextual explanations, this glossary serves as an invaluable reference tool that enhances comprehension and retention. It promotes active learning, empowering students to engage confidently with economics material and fostering a deeper understanding of key concepts and definitions. Ultimately, effective glossaries break down intricate ideas, equipping students with the language and skills necessary for academic success.
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    Multilingualism education project: statistics glossary translation in isiXhosa
    (2025) Low, Tim; Tyam, Nolubabalo; Gxilishe, Sandile; Deyi, Somikazi; Goxo, Thandiwe; Jacobs, Nontsikelelo; Gambushe, Wanga; Kwakwi, Yamkela; Cebekhulu, Luyanda; Mashego, Tsapang
    This Statistics Glossary has been compiled and translated specifically to support Science students by demystifying the complex terms and concepts related to the subject. By offering clear definitions and contextual explanations, this glossary serves as an invaluable reference tool that enhances comprehension and retention. It promotes active learning, empowering students to engage confidently with statistical material and fostering a deeper understanding of key concepts and definitions. Ultimately, effective glossaries break down intricate ideas, equipping students with the language and skills necessary for academic success.
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    Xhosalising English? Negotiating meaning and identity in economics
    (Taylor & Francis, 2010) Paxton, Moragh; Tyam, Nolubabalo
    As yet, very few South African studies have explored multilingual learning contexts in order to develop a better understanding of the role that students' diverse primary or hybrid languages play in meaning making in English medium universities.This paper will report on a project which set out to investigate code-switching practices in informal learning groups in the university and to distinguish the forms and functions of these code-switching practices. A particular focus has been to gain insights into the ways in which concepts transfer from one language to another in order to develop thinking on language and learning in multilingual contexts and extend theories of conceptual transfer. The particular focus of this paper is the pedagogic and social functions of this hybrid language and how its use might be tied to questions of identity. We look particularly at the way the tutor in the peer learning group used code-mixing to negotiate different identities in dealing with first a rural and then an urban group of students. We will also illustrate by means of our data ways in which English is being appropriated and Xhosalised, particularly by the urban group of students in order to negotiate meaning, identity and status on this campus and in the wider community.