Baseline assessments for foundation phase reading in isiXhosa: a case study
- Authors: Nesi, Nolubabalo Amanda
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Test of Early Reading Ability , Xhosa language , Reading (Elementary) Ability testing , Reading (Elementary) Social aspects South Africa Makhanda , Dynamic assessment (Education)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406320 , vital:70258
- Description: The main objective of this study was to investigate the use of baseline assessments for reading in isiXhosa in Foundation Phase. It focused on how teachers conduct baseline assessments, the assessment tools they use, and their responsiveness to baseline assessments data in terms of curriculum planning and practice, given the lack of explicit guidelines and tools specifically developed for African languages. The lack of clarity may lead teachers to assume that the same assessment approaches and practices apply across all official languages despite their linguistic and sociolinguistic differences. Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory of learning and Biggs’ concept on constructive alignment are used as the theoretical and conceptual framework for this study. The premise for this study was that it would be problematic to apply similar assessment approaches and use the same tools for all official South African languages. The socio-cultural approach emphasises the importance of language learning and learning generally according to the context within which language occurs. The main research sites are two Quintile 1 schools in a township in Makhanda District. These schools have been receiving external intervention which includes a baseline assessment for isiXhosa reading from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). This study sought to provide some insights on whether previous assessments have informed subsequent teaching practices. The findings of the study revealed that the most prominent tool for assessing reading in isiXhosa is Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and the tools used by external literacy interventions in the two schools were adapted versions of EGRA. Additionally, the subtasks in the baseline assessment tools used were aligned to the linguistic features of isiXhosa besides the nonsense word component. Furthermore, teachers were assessing and teaching reading at lower levels than expected in the grades 2 and 3 in this study. This study recommends that teachers respond to the baseline assessment data appropriately to develop reading competencies. In addition, there is need for an alignment between the linguistic features, the curriculum and strategies of teaching reading. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Elele nje usathetha: Ukukhapha as an expression of amaXhosa language world-sense
- Authors: Dana, Zikho
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Xhosa language Discourse analysis , Guides (Spiritualism) , Grief Religious aspects , Historical linguistics , Xhosa language Religious aspects , Xhosa (African people) Death , Death Religious aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406309 , vital:70257
- Description: This study examines ukukhapha as an expression of amaXhosa language world-sense. Firstly, it examines how ukukhapha as a rite of passage to accompany the spirit of the deceased from the physical realm into the spiritual realm maintains the nexus between the living and the dead. Secondly, it explores ukukhapha as a ritual of collective mourning. Both dimensions of the study are pursued using language as a point of departure. This study draws on four key texts written across different times in history, namely: Intlalo kaXhosa (The Social Life of amaXhosa) by Tiyo Burnside (TB) Soga (1974); the three volume Greater Dictionary of isiXhosa (1989, 2003 and 2006); Nokuzola Mndende’s (2002) PhD thesis entitled: Signifying practices: AmaXhosa ritual speech; and Khaya Dlanga’s (2015) memoire: To Quote Myself. This thesis examines ukukhapha in the context of death to establish how amaXhosa speak about death and how this shapes their understanding and its practice. Discourse analysis is employed to clarify some practices and examples of ukukhapha. It’s also used to trace the evolution of ukukhapha over time in isiXhosa. It is utilized as a reservoir of knowledge epitomizing the world-sense of amaXhosa rather than solely as a means of communication. This study reveals that while ukukhapha as a ritual slaughtering of an ox to accompany the deceased is found in literature, its examination as a practice of communal and collective grief is scanty. The four key texts studied in this thesis reveal that ukukhapha goes beyond a mere ritual slaughtering of a sacrificial beast to accompany the spirit of the deceased to the ancestral realm. It is a practice that has allowed amaXhosa to collectively grief. Furthermore, it has provided the bereaved various forms of support which are pivotal in maintaining and strengthening kinship and communal ties among the living. This study further reveals that for the Africans in general, and for amaXhosa in particular, death is not the end of life. It is a continuation of life where the deceased morphs and graduates to an ancestor who joins a larger community of ancestors who act as intermediaries between the living and uMdali, the Creator. The findings demonstrate that through ukukhapha, there is no bifurcation between gender and age, rather they complement each other as the successful execution of the mourning period and farewell of a loved one is dependent on the roles played by both women and men respectively. , Olu phando luceba ukuphonononga ukukhapha njengendlela yokuphila equlathwe kulwimi lwamaXhosa. Okokuqala, luzakuphanda indlela ukukhapha njengesiko lokukhapha umphefumlo womfi ukusukela kwelenyama ukuya kwelemimoya kugcina ngayo ubudlelwane phakathi kwabaphilayo nabaleli ukuthula. Okwesibini, luzakuphanda ukukhapha njengesiko lokuzila ndawoni nye. Zombini ezi nkalo zizakuvelelwa ngokugxila kulwimi. Olu phando lucaphula kwimibhalo emine engundoqo kumaxesha ohlukileyo kwimbali, iquka: Intlalo kaXhosa owabhalwa nguTiyo Burnside Soga (ngowe1974); isichazi-magama esinemiqulu emithathu iThe Greater Dictionary of isiXhosa (ngowama-1989, owama-2003 nowama-2006); ithisisi yePhD kaNokuzola Mndende (ngowama-2002) ebizwa Signifying practices: amaXhosa ritual speech; nencwadi engunomalisa wobom, ebhalwe nguKhaya Dlanga (ngowama-2015) ebizwa To Quote Myself. Le thisisi isebenzisa ukukhapha kwilixa lokufa ukuphanda indlela amaXhosa athetha ngkufa, nokuba le ndlela yokuthetha iyichaphazela njani indlela abakuqonda ngayo ukufa nendlela abakhaphana ngayo. IDiscourse Analysis isetyenziswa njengesixhobo sokucacisa ukukhapha. Iphinde isetyenziswe ukunika imizekelo yeli siko nendlela yokuphila kwakunye nendlela ukukhapha kutshintshe ngayo ekuhambeni kwexesha kulwimi lwesiXhosa njengokuba sizakusetyenziswa njengovimba wolwazi, endaweni yokusetyenziswa njengesixhobo sonxibelelwano kuphela. Olu phando lubonisa ukuba njengokuba ukukhapha njengesiko lokuphalaza igazi lenkomo ukukhapha umfi kubhaliwe ngako kuncwadi, indlela abaphilayo enyameni abakhaphana ngayo iyasilela kuncwadi. Le mibhalo mine echongiweyo nephononongiweyo kolu phando ivelisa ukuba ukukhapha akuphelelanga ekuphalazeni igazi lenkomo kuphela njengesiko lokukhapha umfi ukuze awelele kweleminyanya, yindlela eyavumela amaXhosa ukuba azile ngemanyano apho uluntu luxhasa abafelweyo ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo ezithi zomeleze imanyano phakathi kwabazalanayo noluntu lwabaphilayo. Olu phando lutyhila into yokuba kumaAfrika jikelele, ingakumbi amaXhosa, ukufa ayikuko ukuphela kobom, nto nje luhambo olugqithisa umfi kubom obulandelayo apho ongeza kwinani kwelezinyanya apho izinyanya zilikhonco phakathi koMdali nabaphilayo. Iziphumo ngokukhapha zibonisa ukuba akukho ukuchasana phakathi kwesini neminyaka, nto nje, le miba mibini iyathungelana ekuncediseni nasekuqinisekiseni ukuba abafazi namadoda benza iindima zabo ngokufanelekileyo ekuqinisekiseni ukuba ixesha lezila nokubeka umfi kwikhaya lakhe lokugqibela ziyimpumelelo. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-10-14