3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Linguistic analysis of early language acquisition: a case study of the Black Middle Class South African, ‘Born Free’ generation in Gauteng(2018) Bhowan, Theressa DeshikaThis dissertation seeks to assess the presence of language attrition that leads to a language shift in Black middle-class, South African communities, specifically in the Gauteng province. According to the 2011 Census, there is a steady decline in the use of indigenous African languages (Stats SA, 2011). This decrease of indigenous African languages, has gained the attention of many researchers (De Klerk, 1999; Msila, 2014; Kamwangamalu, 2003; Bylund, 2014). While majority of previous studies assess this language shift and language attrition by assessing the language use of adults, the languages that are used in different social contexts and the language use of individuals from different socio-economic statuses, the present study aims to look at language attrition and the language shift that is occurring at the early developmental stages of language acquisition. This study aims to assess whether children with bilingual parents (L1 Sesotho and L2 English) are growing up as bilingual speakers or as monolingual English speakers. This study also sought to assess the lexical development of these young children and what linguistic strategies the children employ during early language acquisition. In order to achieve the goals set out by this investigation, different methodology techniques were used to gather and analyse data. Parental input and educational input needed to be assessed in order to see what languages the children were exposed to, direct assessment of the children’s lexicon needed to be carried in order to assess their lexical development and the gesture production of the children also needed to be assessed. Demographic questionnaires were distributed to parents or caregivers in order for the researcher to gain insight into the language input that the children receive in the home environment. Observational data was collected at the school which is in the Bedfordview region of Gauteng, South Africa to assess the educational input that children receive. Children were also directly assessed in the two languages that their parents spoke (Sesotho and English) in order to assess their proficiency in each language The findings of this study show that there is a language shift that is currently taking place in this sample group, within the Gauteng province of Black middle-class, South African families. The children of bilingual parents in this specific sample group are developing as monolingual English speakers, with a passive knowledge of their parents L1. The results of this study also found that this is due to the fact that children are predominantly exposed to English in the educational context as well as the home environment. These particular children show a trend of monolingual development and are adhering to universal theories of monolingual language development. This study also found that children use gesture as a strategy that is employed during language development. The gesture production by the children also indicated a passive knowledge of Sesotho in that they responded gesturally to Sesotho questions, and when they did respond verbally, it was only in English. This study shows the development of the ‘born free’ population who are exposed to English and how young children in the South African context are currently growing up in the midst of a language shift.Item The practices of a group of ‘out-standing’ early reading teachers working in Johannesburg government schools(2017) Botha, Deborah JoanThis work explores the teaching practices of a small number of experienced early reading teachers who are considered ‘out-standing’ in that they ‘stand out’ in their individual schools as teachers who consistently produce children who are able to read at grade level. Twelve teachers, from different socio-cultural and socio-linguistic backgrounds, who teach in Johannesburg government schools, situated in different socio-economic areas, are the participants in the case study. Through in-depth teacher interviews and conversations, the teachers’ own descriptions of their reading programmes and pedagogies were recorded and analysed. Bourdieu’s theory of practice, [(habitus) (capital)] + field = practice’ (Maton, 2014, p.51) is used to consider the relational alignment between field, habitus and capital which underpins each teacher’s practice, to provide insights into the origins and evolution of these practices. The main finding is that all twelve teachers implement ‘balanced’ reading programmes with the explicit teaching of decoding skills being foregrounded. However it is the systematic and compassionate way in which the programmes are delivered, rather than the programme itself, which makes the teachers stand out. This is underpinned by the teachers’ habitus shown in their linguistic, organisational, time-management, and planning skills, together with a childcentered disposition. Significant differences between the teacher’s practices are revealed, particularly regarding the core instructional strategies for teaching reading, but also in relation to differentiation, homework practices and supervised reading practice, and despite the common terminology of the national curriculum being used. The differences in practice are aligned to the different socio-cultural and socio-historic backgrounds of the teachers, and their exposure to the historical field. The practices are also associated with the differently resourced and positioned schools in which they teach, which constitute different microfields. Because these are all effective reading teachers, this study shows how good teaching practices can be enacted in a variety of ways, in different contexts. Individually, each teacher has acquired different forms of symbolic capital which makes them out-standing. This has enabled them to adapt to the transforming field in South Africa. Where teachers qualified and worked in the historically more privileged sectors, unchanged ii reproductions of historic practices are common, while the teachers from the historically dominated sector have all significantly changed their practice. Greater levels of adaptation were thus required from the teachers who acquired the least capital in the historical field. New capital had been acquired after 1994, through teaching in different types of schools, literacy interventions, and through personal agency. The recommendations, based on this study, are that further support is provided to early reading teachers in the form of reading resources, upskilling opportunities, particularly regarding the use of the Language of Teaching and Learning, the implementation differentiated practice and the implementation of homework practices. It is also suggested that aspects of the curriculum be reviewed.