Masters Degrees (General Linguistics)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (General Linguistics) by Subject "African Francophone students"

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    Tertiary education in a second language : a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a South African tertiary institution who previously had French as medium of instruction
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Nieman, Catharina Marita; Huddlestone, Kate; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examined the language repertoires of a sample of African Francophone students, studying towards various degrees and diplomas at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) in South Africa. The study participants were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and from Gabon where their Medium of Instruction (MOI) at school was French. The aim was to investigate the reasons why these students come to study in South Africa in the medium of English when it often has a negative impact on their academic success. For this reason, the study investigated the participants’ linguistic repertoires and how they use their different languages in different contexts to gain academic success. Furthermore, the study investigated the specific role of English in their linguistic repertoires, their exposure to English and how English features in the context of their academic learning. From a sociolinguistic perspective, the study also investigated the reasons why these students choose to study in English in South Africa, their experiences of studying in English, the barriers they experience, and their attempts to overcome such barriers. Data on the linguistic repertoires of the study participants were obtained through language background questionnaires and language portraits. The language background questionnaires also provided information on the participants’ exposure to English to gain insight into their knowledge and use of English. Data from the language portraits were further investigated during individual interviews as language portraits help participants to reflect more deeply on the languages in their repertoire. Individual interviews were conducted and data was collected regarding the reasons for the participants studying in English in South Africa, as well as their experiences and the barriers they face. A thematic analysis was undertaken of the interview data. Findings included that all the participants were multilingual and spoke an average of four languages. Their median age of exposure to English outside of school was 15 years. Most participants completed an English language course before commencement of their study at VUT. The median duration of such course was one year. French and English are the only two languages in the repertoires of the participants that are used for academic purposes. African Francophone students come to South Africa to study in English in order to secure a better future for themselves. They view English as an important language and feel that it is important to have a qualification from an English tertiary institution. However, they struggle with English and find it difficult to study in English. They also experience other difficulties in adapting, but are motivated to succeed. It was concluded from the study that African Francophone students who come to South Africa to study in English would benefit from a structured academic English course before commencement of their studies. Such a course should not only address basic English proficiency, but also academic English proficiency.