Magister Artium - MA (Linguistics, Language and Communication)

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Analysing the spontaneous speech of children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Martin, Linique; Antia, Bassey E.
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a global problem that affects various communities. FASD denotes a pattern of abnormalities intermittently seen in children born to women who consume huge quantities of alcohol during pregnancy (Church & Kaltenbach, 1997). Church and Kaltenbach (1997) suggest that FAS may be one of the primary causes of hearing, speech and other language problems in children. The two main approaches used to determine the effects of FASD on language are standardised language test (using a statistical approach to test some or all four domains of language, namely, phonology, syntax, morphology and semantics) applied to close-ended questionnaire answers and, to some extent, narrative analysis (in the course of which researchers use wordless picture books to analyse narratives in order to determine the social-communicative characteristics of individuals with FASD). Although the use of standardized measures of language might be helpful to determine problematic areas in relation to the different language domains (Wyper & Rasmussen, 2011), they do not show the difficulty with social-communicative functions which these children might be facing (Coggins, Friet, & Morgan, 1998). On the other hand, while narrative analysis addresses an important level of language (discourse level), it does not foreground the inherently interactive nature of language use and the problems that may be associated with communicative interactions. These shortcomings, in turn, suggest possible limitations in the interventions intended to address the language needs of children with FASD. There is, therefore, a need for complementary approaches that offer a more rounded picture of language impairment in children with FASD. In this study, three approaches are used in identifying features of the speech of children with FASD against the backdrop of comparisons with features in the speech of normally developing children. Firstly, conversational analysis (applied to spontaneous, open-ended speech) is introduced as a means to determine the more social-interactive aspects of speech impairment in children with FASD. Secondly, measures of linguistic aspects of speech (the mean length of utterance, Index of Productive Syntax and the number of different word roots) designed specifically for spontaneous speech are employed (they are applied to the same spontaneous data as the conversational analysis data). Thirdly, the more traditional standardized language test measures applied to non-spontaneous speech are used (covering the four domains of syntax, phonology, semantics, and pragmatics). The study�s objectives are to (1) compare patterns in the interactive speech of FASD children and normally developing children; (2) explore the relationship between FASD children and normally developing children in relation to both spontaneous speech measures and standardized measures of language; and (3) compare the impact of the primary caregiver's level of education on testing through spontaneous measures versus standardised measures. Using data from 14 children in the Bellville suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, the study finds that, on the conversational analysis measures, children with FASD, in contrast to normally developing children, tend to obey fewer rules of turn-taking, to overlap less, to engage less in self-repair and to struggle with management and maintenance of topics. The study also finds that children whose scores on the standardized language tests (with non-spontaneous data) suggest they have no language difficulty, especially in terms of phonology, obtained scores in measures of spontaneous speech that indicated language difficulty. The study also found that the socio-economic status of caregivers was a credible explanation for certain features in the speech of children with FASD is very similar to features in the speech of normally developing children. This finding highlights the role of family setting in mitigating the effects of FASD.
A functional terminological analysis of a �Multilingual parliamentary/ Political terminology list� of the Department of Arts and Culture
(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Majozi, Joyce Jabulile; Antia, Bassey E.
South Africa’s National Language Policy Framework was formulated in 2003. The framework was designed to create an enabling environment for the development of instruments and initiatives intended to promote multilingualism in the country. Following the formulation of the National Language Policy Framework, National Parliament, in collaboration with the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape Legislatures, commissioned a project of developing a Terminology List of terminology that is used in these settings. This Terminology List was taken over and expanded in 2005. According to the Terminology List’s preface, “stakeholders embarked on the enlarged terminology project in order to ensure that multilingualism was possible in this field. The Multilingual Parliamentary/Political Terminology List will promote multilingualism in Parliament and elsewhere, and will facilitate effective communication between parliamentarians, politicians, national and provincial language offices, provincial legislatures and Hansard offices” (DAC (2005: iii-iv). With perhaps one exception (Rondganger, 2012) focusing on the English-Afrikaans language pair, there are no known studies evaluating the Multilingual Parliamentary/Political Terminology List. As a result, it is not known to what extent envisaged target users (e.g. language practitioners) in National and Provincial Legislatures are even aware of its existence. It is also not known to what extent the terminology resource is able to support target users in the typical usage situations envisaged in the preface. More generally, there has also been no determination of how the Multilingual Parliamentary/Political Terminology List has contributed to language development, specifically, making possible the use of the nine indigenous African languages for parliamentary-related discourse. As a consequence of the above dearth of knowledge around the Multilingual Parliamentary/Political Terminology List, there also is no empirical database upon which suggestions can be made for improving it; that is, responding to the call in the preface for suggestions: “the compilers acknowledge that it might be useful to expand the collection, and any suggestions in this regard will be welcomed” (DAC (2005: iv). This research draws on the sociology of dictionary use (Kahn 1989, Flinz 2010) and on a knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) approach to terminology evaluation (Antia 2000, Antia & Clas 2003; Rubin 1977, Kummer 1983) to analyse the Multilingual Parliamentary Terminology List.
Incorporating indigenous African languages in higher education: Student attitudes towards learning materials in isiXhosa at the University of the Western Cape
(The University of the Western Cape, 2017) Sawula, Sabelo; Antia, Bassey E.; Dyers, Charlyn
There have been extensive studies conducted on the language attitudes of students or their parents at primary, secondary as well as tertiary levels of education in South Africa. Many scholars have found that African language speakers hold negative attitudes towards their own languages (De Klerk, 2000; Barkhuizen, 2002; Dyers, 1999; and Conduah, 2003). This is rather unfortunate, given the several constitutional and other policy provisions in South Africa promoting multilingual education (see Constitution, 1996; Language-in-education policy, 1997; Higher education language policy, 2002; UWC language policy, 2003). These negative attitudes have been attributed to a number of factors by scholars (see Kamwangamalu, 2000; Somhlahlo, 2009; Alexander 2004).
The language factor in students� experience of assessments: A case study from the University of the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Mndende, Athenkosi; Antia, Bassey E.
Recent statistics show that 25% of university students in South Africa drop out in their first year of study (Stats SA, 2018). This figure is all the more worrisome when older but still relevant statistics are considered, e.g., that only 21% of students graduate within the regulation time (Scott et al., 2007). High drop-out rates and low throughput rates in higher education have been discussed in terms of such factors as funding, student support, race and gender. Although several factors contribute to high dropout rates and low throughput rates in higher education, there is not much research that analyses the problem from the language standpoint in assessment.
Multilingual electronic glossing: Implementing and evaluating an alternative reading aid for students at the University of the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Pute, Mlondolozi; Antia, Bassey E.
Vocabulary knowledge is an indicator of language competence. There is a positive relationship between literacy levels and the medium of instruction. Research has shown that reading comprehension is largely dependent on the reader’s vocabulary knowledge in the language in which the text is written (Kieffer & Lesaux, 2007; Nation, 2001; Sutarsyah, Nation, and Kennedy, 1994). The lack of vocabulary knowledge is normally one of the major challenges for many university students struggling with their academic work, especially those for whom the language of tuition is not a first language. African (and Afrikaans mother tongue) students are unable to access information in their home languages because of the lack of terminology and texts in African languages (Edward and Ngwaru, 2011). There is research in South Africa showing that vocabulary is a challenge for university students, especially at first-year level (Butler & van Dyk, 2004, Manik, 2015: 236, Nkomo & Madiba, 2011). Vocabulary, being such a problem, ultimately affects the academic performance of many students. Although some universities have provided multilingual online glossaries (and other resources) in an effort to accommodate multilingual students struggling with comprehension in the medium of instruction, these modes of delivering glossaries are associated with a few problems. Consulting traditional glossaries/dictionaries disrupts the reading process and affects the flow of ideas. It is also possible that the reader will forget the term in question (or its context) right after consulting the dictionary/glossary, therefore readers have to look-up the same term in the dictionary/glossary several times to ensure that they match it with its definition accurately. In some dictionaries/glossary lists, readers will not find the desired term, or the term they find will not provide an adequate definition � which ends up frustrating the reader. Sometimes the list of definitions for one term that readers find in dictionaries/glossary lists is difficult to comprehend. Instead of providing clarity, the definitions can confuse readers even further. The comprehension of some definitions provided in dictionaries/glossary lists depend on prior understanding of several other terms.
Problematising the construct of 'definitions' within academic literacy: An analysis of students' knowledge of definitions in isiXhosa and English language textbooks at the University of the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Cl�mence, Ingabire; Antia, Bassey E.
Instructional verbs (such as analyse, summarise, apply, evaluate) have been referred to as performatives and have become the object of initiatives around developing and assessing students' academic literacy competencies. Although there are extensive studies on developing and evaluating performatives such as analyse, apply, create, there is one instructional verb that has not received much attention. It is the verb 'define'. The neglect of 'defining' as a performative in the relevant research on academic literacies may be explained by the low value attributed to this performative in different taxonomies of educational outcomes where it is placed along with verbs such as 'list', 'identify', 'recall' identified as lower-order thinking skills. As a result of the dearth of studies of definition in academic literacy contexts, there are a number of questions that have not been addressed. We do not know the extent to which definitional knowledge may be central to efforts at developing the overall academic literacy of students. We do not know if the language in which students read academic texts (home language or second/third language) affects their ability to differentiate definitions from non-definitions, or to formulate definitions of concepts. This point is especially important as it is all too often assumed that (even without attention to relevant academic literacy development) the use of the home language of students necessarily enhances academic performance. Also, our knowledge is rather limited with respect to how different definitional structures affect the ability of students to recognize definitions in their study materials. It is also not clear how to intervene in order to make it explicit to students what may be expected of them in terms of defining in their academic work. Given the foregoing, this research analyses the notion of �definition� as an integral component of the academic literacy of university students, with the focus being on determining the knowledge around definitions possessed by students in the Linguistics and Xhosa departments of the University of the Western Cape. Specifically, the study assesses the following: the structure of definitions in selected textbooks; students' awareness of the existence of different definitional structures in their textbooks; their ability to identify the concepts being defined in specific passages; their ability to define concepts; their ability to distinguish definitions from non-definitions; and their awareness of how definitions may be introduced. The study also investigates how the language of the textbook (home language versus second/third language of the students) may impact on the performance of students in assessments of definitional knowledge. In terms of theoretical framing, the study is informed by an approach to definitions taken in the field of terminology and by the academic literacy framework which stipulates that students' academic literacy practices are inextricably shaped by different factors such as basic skills possessed by them, institutional ideologies, contexts and issues of power. The research uses a mixed-method paradigm. A total of 100 definitions excerpted from English and isiXhosa textbooks were analysed qualitatively to describe the structure of definitions (in the textbooks), using as parameters the following: definiendum (item to be defined), definiens (meaning) and definitor (link between definiendum and definiens). Quantitative data on students' knowledge of different aspects of the notion 'definition' were collected by means of questionnaires completed by 50 students from each of the Linguistics and Xhosa departments of the University of the Western Cape. While the former have English as their major language of academic literacy, the latter have isiXhosa. Chi-square tests were administered to examine whether or not there was a significant relationship between the language of the questionnaire and students' performance. Overall, the research findings suggest that definition writing is not an autonomous phenomenon; rather, it is socioculturally (e.g. language, discipline) shaped. In this respect, the way definitions are structured in English (in a linguistics textbook) is in many respects different from the way they are constructed in isiXhosa (in books on cultural studies). With regard to students' performance on a range of definition tasks in the questionnaires administered, the findings reveal that the major language of academic literacy (also home language in the case of Xhosa students) may have a positive impact on how students perform tasks requiring them to, for instance, identify definienda (concepts being defined) and definientia (meanings), and/or to spot a definition within a passage. Unlike with these datasets, other findings show that the main language of academic literacy is not a significant explanation of students' underperformance in tasks requiring them to identify a definition that is wrongly introduced and also to produce definitions of their own. The findings underscore the need for explicit teaching as recommended by the academic literacies model. A pedagogical guide outlining how a course on definition could be structured is proposed.
A semiotic analysis of user manuals for two blender brands
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Jensel, Leanne C.L.; Antia, Bassey E.
Technical documentation comes in a variety of forms such as installation or operation manuals, quick reference guides, maintenance manuals, user manuals, policy and procedure manuals or marketing brochures and flyers (Walsh, 2012). What all these sub-genres have in common is that the texts that correspond to them seek to inform and give instruction about procedures, behaviour and actions related to products (Sch�ffner & Wiesemann, 2001: 49). Manuals have been described as �the complete reference source for a product�s operation, maintenance and safety� (Cowley & Wogalter, 2011: 1773). For the purpose of this study, we will focus on one form of technical documentation, namely user manuals. The terms �documentation� and �manuals� will be used interchangeably. Although there are probably as many manuals as there are products in our homes, these user manuals have not frequently been the subject of academic study in the South African context. The relative lack of research into user manuals is especially regrettable at a time when new product liability legislation and trade regulations (e.g. the Consumer Protect Act of South Africa, 2008) have enhanced the profile of product manuals in public and regulatory discourse. As a result of this relative neglect, it is not known how understandable, relevant and therefore empowering users of products find these manuals. There is also not much knowledge concerning the level of compliance in manuals to the provisions of product liability legislation. This study therefore proposes to investigate the comprehensibility and usability of user manuals associated with two products (blenders) marketed in South Africa. It will draw on theories and methods of analysis associated with technical writing, analysis of terminological consistency, genre and multimodality, to evaluate the selected manuals from the standpoint of a subset of the criteria listed in Section 22(2) of the Consumer Protection Act of South Africa, No. 68 of 2008, which was later amended in 2011. The methodology for the proposed study will combine text analysis (by the researcher) with comprehension and usability tasks performed by selected participants. Data from these sources will be collated and analysed to determine the conformity of the manuals to criteria in the Consumer Protection Act of South Africa, and the effect the manuals have on product users. Areas for optimising (improving) the manuals will also be identified.
The semiotic signature of transformation of political parties in South Africa: A multimodal analysis of selected Democratic Alliance texts
(The University of the Western Cape, 2017) Hendricks, Tamsyn Lynn; Antia, Bassey E.
Social semiotics (Halliday, 1978 and van Leeuwen, 2006) makes us acutely aware that social communication like public speaking often takes place through non-verbal modes (such as images, and bodily attributes), in combination with unique but socially motivated meanings that can be read from language. A broadened view of the resources for communication consequently sees semiotic potential in the essence and practices of individuals and organizations in society. Specific social, cultural or historical situations have relevant meanings that can be made or read from ways of being, doing, saying and so on.

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