Masters Degrees (Modern Foreign Languages)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Modern Foreign Languages) by browse.metadata.advisor "Bergman, Lesley"

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    Moodle and blended learning in teaching German for beginners
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-03) Strauss, Trudie; Bergman, Lesley; Annas, Rolf; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Modern Foreign Languages
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The use of technology in teaching is often seen as a deus ex machina. Teachers and parents are quick to identify that the best way to improve teaching is the implementation of technology, by means of a Blended Learning approach. However, little thought is given to the practical considerations of this statement. Reflection on whether the Blended Learning approach can be implemented in the already established teaching practice or whether this necessitates a complete change in teaching methods rarely happens. This study aims to determine whether the incorporation of certain aspects of Blended Learning into an already existing teaching methodology results in a significant change in learners’ German performance. Grade 8 beginner German learners took part in this study during the third term of 2014. Two groups were identified: an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group did all homework assignments on the available online learning platform, Moodle, while the control group did homework assignments in the conventional way – on paper. At the end of the third term, learners’ examination results were compared to the results of the examination of the second term. The changes in the results of the two groups were compared to determine whether one group manifested a significantly greater change in results than the other. The outcome of the study is that incorporating only elements of a Blended Learning approach into an already existing teaching system, while keeping the methods of instruction constant and only changing the medium of homework delivery, does not have a significant influence on learners’ performance in German.
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    Trajectories of learning : the use of multimodal resources to enhance academic writing development in open and distance e-learning
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Du Toit, Jacques Avril; Bergman, Lesley; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Modern Foreign Languages.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Students’ transition from school to university is as much multifaceted as it is complex. Such complexity is particularly evident among first-year students entering Higher Education. One should be especially cognisant of such complexities when considering variables such as learner characteristics in relation to their approach to distance learning, as well as their writing skills and digital literacies development. Student support frameworks should be put in place to complement subject-related content. Currently, strategies to support students with their academic writing abilities are limited, and findings are often inconclusive. In 2015, a study was conducted at an Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) Writing Centre to explore both theoretical and practical issues related to an Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)-driven writing intervention to first-year students studying through distance learning. A digital writing portal, through the curation of OERs, was designed and used to find ways to steer follow-up interventions. The study focused primarily on learner experiences, and the use of OERs to support practice-based activities within the skill-set of academic writing ability at university level. This qualitative study focused on learner experiences and the usability and pitfalls of Information and Communication Technologies in complementing writing intervention during practice-based activities within the skill-set of academic writing at university level. Mainly positive responses were received in instances where the theory of multimodality and Connectivism followed. Findings suggest that cognitive-linguistic activity is often not evident within the framework of both higher and distance education, especially where academic writing skills development is needed in context to scaffold actual content cognitively within the curricula itself. With a strong focus on Multimodality and Connectivism, this study showed that learners were able to work with reference points and to conceptualise images and texts related to the content which allowed them to practice writing conventions better. Finally, by applying theories of first-language transfer (Gass, 1988; Ellis, 2000), the students’ ability to digest newly introduced materials as well as their ability to understand and follow instructions were also key themes which emerged as workable opportunities to model their understanding of writing practices favourably.
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    Vergilius en hiperteks: 'n bespreking van die Aeneidos Electronicum-projek en 'n kritiese vergelykende evaluering van vyf Vergilius webwerwe
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010-12) Swanepoel, Liani Colette; Bergman, Lesley; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Modern Foreign Languages.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The ancient Roman poet Vergil’s great literary epic, the Aeneid, is written in Latin. This so-called “dead” language is already almost three thousand years old and had a rich history and extensive influence on the Western world. The most influential development of the modern era is the World Wide Web (WWW). Hypertext drives the Web. The translation of just one book of the Aeneid can be a protracted process for the Latin student. Usually a great deal of information must be consulted to translate just one line into idiomatic Afrikaans or English. Hypertext can manage, link and rapidly make available large amounts of information. A discussion of Aeneidos Electronicum (“The Electronic Aeneid”) – a web-based electronic text commentary of Book I of the epic – shows the effectiveness of hypertext as a medium to facilitate the translation of the Aeneid. Moreover an examination of the Web determines the extent and nature of Vergil’s presence on it. Finally a critical evaluation of five websites provides an overview of the available resources for the reader/researcher of the classical poet and his works on the Web. The Aeneidos Electronicum-project attempts to show how hypertext can be utilised to make the translation of the Aeneid expeditious and translation aid more accessible. The aim of the project is to support and expand Vergil’s place in the field of computer assisted language learning. The examination and evaluation of the classical poet’s presence on the Web wishes to confirm that his and his works’ enduring influence and impact not only exists on paper, but also in cyberspace. Chapter 2 deals with Latin and Vergil respectively. Chapter 3 discusses the theory of good hypertext and web design. Chapter 4 describes and explains the contents, structure, navigation and design of the Aeneidos Electronicum-project. Chapter 5 examines Vergil’s presence on the Web and critically evaluates five websites according to the principles of good web design. Aeneidos Electronicum utilises hypertext’s ability to manage and link large amounts of information to produce an electronic text commentary of Book I of Vergil’s Aeneid. It is web-based and follows the guidelines of good hypertext and web design to be a userfriendly and extremely functional electronic translation aid. Similar websites exist, but its object is to make Latin students’ experience of Vergil and his great epic easy, informative and enriching. Vergil’s presence on the Web is considerable and there is a wide variety of websites with information and interactivity for study of the classical poet and his works available to the student/teacher/researcher as well as the lay person. The random sample of five websites shows not only the application of good and less effective web design principles, but also the predominantly good quality and importance of the presentations. Thus Vergil and his works gain further ground in computer assisted language learning and he lives on in the 21st century with all the possibilities that the Web and hypertext can offer.