Department of General Linguistics

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Browsing Department of General Linguistics by Author "Bam, Mariette"

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    The position of English in the language repertoires of multilingual students at a tertiary institution: A case study at the Vaal University of Technology
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-12) Bam, Mariette; Southwood, Frenette; Oostendorp, Marcelyn; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis describes a case study on the position of English in the language repertoires of students at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT). Despite its multilingual student body, English is officially the VUT’s only language of learning and teaching (LoLT). The aim of the study was to draw up a language profile of VUT students by making use of language background questionnaires and language portraits. Furthermore, the study investigated the language biographies of a selected group of students with similar language histories, in the sense that they lived in the same province (Limpopo), had the same schooling background and had similar exposure to the main languages of that province. Here, the aim was to provide a detailed description of the formative language experiences of these students as reported in their language biographies and to gain insight into how these experiences relate to their current knowledge and use of English. Individual interviews were conducted with the Limpopo students, and their English marks over a two-year period were considered. All participants were enrolled for the compulsory second-year subject Applied Communication Skills. Data collected consisted of 127 completed language background questionnaires and language portraits, eight individual interviews, and the following marks of the interviewed participants: the mark for English on their National Senior Certificate, the mark for the compulsory computer-based VUT course English Development Learning, and the mark for Applied Communication Skills. An analysis was also done of the Limpopo students’ English essays. A mixed methods approach was followed: some findings were presented as descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis was also done. Findings included that 10% of the participants were bilingual and 90% multilingual. Participants on average spoke four languages, but some spoke up to 10. Most were not highly proficient in English, but participants still indicated that English was their language of choice outside of family-related domains: whereas they mostly used African languages in the home and at family and religious gatherings, they almost exclusively used English at university, on social media, and at social gatherings. That said, they voiced appreciation for their mother tongues and valued multilingualism. The findings for the Limpopo students concurred with those for the participants as a whole, with the analysis of their essays and English marks indicating limited English proficiency. Aliteracy (the phenomenon that adults who can read and write in a particular language choose not to do so) was noticed amongst the participants for the African languages they spoke as mother tongues. Based on the findings of this study (including those on aliteracy in African languages), English is at present deemed the most suitable LoLT for the VUT. This study drew on established research in the fields of multilingualism in education; language policy and practice; language repertoires, biographies, and identities; and language as an instrument in learning. Based on the findings of this study, the recommendation is that students should be offered opportunities to develop industry-acceptable English skills in order to improve their chances of obtaining good employment and progressing well on their chosen career paths.