This study aimed to investigate challenges that teachers and learners face in using compensation strategies in English as second language in written comprehension in secondary schools in Malawi. Hymes' theory of communicative competence emphasises the use of learning strategies to achieve strategic, grammatical, discourse and sociolinguistic competencies to improve learners' performances. A case study design, utilising participant observation and semi-structured interviews with teachers of English and form three learners from three community day secondary schools in Lilongwe Urban, was adopted to collect data. Compensation strategies which teachers and learners used during lessons were recorded using an observation checklist. Data was analysed using Creswell's thematic procedure. The study revealed three significant challenges which both teachers and learners faced in using compensation strategies, namely a lack of learners' interest in understanding the meanings of difficult words, teachers simply telling learners to use compensation strategies without guidance and large class sizes. The study recommends the incorporation of comprehensive instruction on compensation strategies into initial teacher and ongoing in-service training courses. By addressing these challenges, education stakeholders can create a conducive learning environment that fosters English language proficiency and, ultimately, academic success through training teachers on the use of compensation strategy instruction to effectively teach.
This article examines the morpho-syntactic properties of predicative adjectives in isiNdebele, focusing on the internal structure of adjectives, the (non-)occurrence of copula verbs, word order and subject agreement in subject-copula-adjective constructions. Three adjective types are identified: Type 1, which agrees with the subject and may feature dual agreement markers; Type 2, with an invariant number marker; and Type 3, which is monomorphemic and without subject agreement. There are synthetic predicative adjectives and composite predicative adjectives. Synthetic predicative constructions typically follow the subject-copula-adjective order, but can invert to copula-adjective-subject when the subject is focused, shifting agreement to the expletive ku-. In contrast, composite predicative adjectives obtain when T(ense) directly selects the predicative phrase and follows the subject-adjective order. Like subject-copula-adjective constructions, this order can invert to adjective-subject when the subject is focused.
Rwanda's commitment to linguistic diversity and regional integration is reflected in the country's technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system, which offers the opportunity to study Kiswahili, among other courses. Kiswahili plays an essential role in Rwanda's efforts to enhance communication in the East African Community (EAC) and facilitate trade and cooperation across borders. This article aims to assess the opinions of technical students regarding the importance of learning Kiswahili as a second language. The case study was conducted at Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC KIGALI). The research design was qualitative, and the sample size of 24 students was selected purposively from the automobile and biomedical equipment technology fields. The findings indicate that students largely regarded Kiswahili as relevant to communication, regional interaction, and future professional engagement. They indicated that this language facilitates communication, employment opportunities, cognitive development, and cultural diversity. It was proposed that the Rwanda Polytechnic should incorporate Kiswahili into all TVET trades and encourage their students to learn the subject. Furthermore, the provision of support to foster an optimistic outlook towards the Kiswahili language is essential.
Olimini noma yiluphi kunamakhono ahlukene okubalwa kuwo ikhono lokubhala, elokufunda, elokukhuluma nelokulalela. Lawa makhono anobudlelwano kwazise ayasebenzisana uma kufundiswa ulimi. Ikhono lokuhaya lisebenzisa amakhono amabili, ikhono lokukhuluma nekhono lokubhala. Onke lawa makhono awubuciko bokuqamba. Leli phepha lihlose ukuqhakambisa ubuciko behlaya elibhalwe enkundleni yezokuxhumana i-TikTok ngesimo somnotho esibakhona ngenyanga kaMasingana, okuba yisikhathi emva kwamaholidi emva kokuthi abantu basebenzise imali budlabha. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuphendula imibuzo ethi, hlobo luni lolimi olusetshenziswe kuleli hlaya, ngabe lolu hlobo lolimi lusenayo indawo esikhathini samanje? Ngabe lethulwe kanjani leli hlaya? Kulolu cwaningo kusetshenziswe indlelakwenza yekhwalithethivu egxile emibonweni nasekuqondweni kwenhlalakahle yemiphakathi. Ulwazi lucashunwe enkundleni yezokuxhumana i-TikTok lwahlaziywa kusetshenziswa izinjulalwazi ezimbili eyokuqala ehlaziya ukucikoza (Orality) ehlaziya ubuciko bomlomo neyesibili ehlaziya incazelo (Discourse analysis) yona ebheka ukusetshenziswa kolimi, umqondo nencazelo eyethulwa amagama. Okuzuzwe ucwaningo ukuthi incazelo yamagama esimo sezulu ingena khaxa encazelweni yesimo somnotho. Izifenqo okuyisingathekiso, isifaniso nehaba yizona ezisetshenziswe ekwethuleni umqondo ocashile wesimo somnotho semiphakathi ngesikhathi sangoMasingana. Ikhono nobuciko bokuhaya lidale ubunkondlo ekwethulweni kwesimo somnotho okuholele nasekubhalweni kwalo mlayezo njengenkondlo ku-TikTok. Ngalo mlayezo imiphakathi ifundiswe ukuthi isisu esihle esibonwa ilanga, okungukuthi sibekelwa ngaphandle, ukugwema ukuswela ngesikhathi sangoMasingana. Kokuzuzwe yilolu cwaningo kunobudlelwano phakathi kwesikhathi sakudala ubuciko bomlomo busasetshenziswa uma kukhulunywa, nesikhathi samanje lapho ubuchwepheshe nempucuzeko ye-inthanethi nomakhalekhukhwini kuxhumanisa abantu kalula. Almost all languages have the following skills: writing, reading, speaking and listening. These skills are interrelated as they enhance language teaching and are part of the performative arts. Poems rely on reading and speaking skills, and most performative text relies upon creativity. This article analyses creativity and artistic skills while citing a humorous paragraph found on TikTok. As text-based research, the qualitative methodology is employed here. Data collected from TikTok is analysed using both orality and discourse analysis theories. This study intends to answer the question: how are linguistic repertoires used in this extracted paragraph? The semantic aspect of the linguistic repertoires is uncovered using discourse analysis and the identification of their species is based on orality. Findings were that the poetic presentation of the economic situation in January had a humorous nature. Stating the economic state of people using figurative speech, idioms and proverbs derived from weather forecast linguistic items amused readers on this social media platform. The jocular manner of presenting this difficult situation eased the tension of discussing January's self-inflicted economic crisis. This paragraph teaches people about the importance of budgeting during the festive season so that in January they will be able to pay for school and household responsibilities. Additionally, this study fuses traditional and modern technologies where literary osmosis from textual orality to textual orality results in isiZulu language creativity and promotion. Further study could look at the importance of other learning skills in promoting traditional literature on social media platforms.
Death, a concept that raises many questions with few answers, is surrounded by a wealth of discourse worth exploring. Several studies have explored discourse surrounding death and dying from different linguistic angles, but have rarely paid attention to communication by those nearing death. Therefore, this article sets out to examine the premonitory death utterances produced by the soon-to-die and the linguistic characteristics associated with these utterances. Data were derived from semi-structured interviews with elderly members in Basotho households and were interpreted through the lens of the speech act framework. The study reveals several illocutionary acts, such as assertives, directives and commissives, which the soon-to-die are said to utter closer to their time of death. The study further found that these illocutionary acts are articulated indirectly through metaphorical expressions, euphemised adverbs of time and place and elliptical euphemistic utterances. Therefore, this article argues that people have death premonitions and they communicate this intuition to their loved ones before they die.
This article examines Basotho naming practices for their dogs by analysing sociohistorical narratives that are embedded in the names. The study is underpinned by socio-onomastics in its efforts to uncover how dog names among the Basotho reflect broader sociohistorical narratives. Naming among the Basotho, like in many African societies, is a well-thought-out process that considers diverse social and historical factors. In this study, we used socio-onomastics framework to uncover the meanings that are embedded in dog names by exploring the meaning of dog names in a sociohistorical narrative of the Basotho. The qualitative descriptive approach was used to classify names into categories according to their characteristics and associations. We analysed fourteen dog names extracted from Facebook and informal conversations with Sesotho speakers. Five themes that emerged from data are names that address marital distress, names that portray societal challenges, names that stem from wild animals, names that offer advice or caution and names that reflect the owner's pride. Research findings indicate that dog names among the Basotho reflect a multitude of narratives about society. Dog names provide narratives about their owners' state of being and emotions. Phuputso ena e hlahloba mekgwa eo Basotho ba e sebedisang ho reha dintja tsa bona mabitso ka ho sekaseka dipale le nalane ya setjhaba tse patilweng mabitsong. Boithuto bona bo itshetlehile hodima lewa la thuta-mabitso setjhabeng (socio-onomastics) boitekong ba bona ba ho utulla hore na mabitso a dintja setjhabeng sa Basotho a bontsha bophelo le nalane ya setjhaba jwang. Theho ya mabitso ho Basotho, jwalo ka ditjhabeng tse ngata tsa Maafrika, ke tshebetso e nahannweng hantle e bileng e shebisisang mabaka a fapaneng a bophelo le nalane. Bafuputsi phuputsong ena ba sebedisitse lewa la thuta-mabitso phuputsong ena ho utulla moelelo wa mabitso a dintja ka ho fuputsa moelelo wa mabitso a dintja nalaneng ya Basotho. Re sebedisitse mokgwaphuputsotlhalosi ho arola mabitso ka dihlopha ho ya ka mekgahlelo le dikamano tsa ona. Re hlahlobile mabitso a dintja a leshome le metso e mene ao re a nkileng Facebook le dipuisanong tse sa rerwang tseo re bileng le tsona le Basotho. Phuphutso ena utullotse mabitso a rehwang dintja a supa mabitso a sebetsanang le mahlomola a lenyalo, mabitso a hlalosang mathata a sethjaba, mabitso a tswang diphoofolong tse hlaha, mabitso a fanang ka keletso kapa tlhokomediso le mabitso a bontshang boikgohomoso ba mong ntja. Dipatlisiso di utullotse hore mabitso a dintja setjhabeng sa Basotho a hlahisa ditaba tse ngata. Ka mabitso a dintja re kgona ho ithuta ka boemo le maikutlo a monga yona.
This study assessed teachers' practices of written corrective feedback in English language writing skills in secondary schools from a Tanzanian perspective. Specifically, the study intended to examine teachers' awareness of written corrective feedback, its importance and their practices in providing it. The study employed a qualitative research approach. The study used interviews, focus group discussions and documentary reviews to collect data from 16 teachers and 32 students who were purposively selected. The findings from the interviews, documents and group discussions were thematically analysed. The results showed that teachers (77%) were unaware of the importance of written corrective feedback, but a few (23%) were aware of its importance. Also, the results showed that teachers were unaware of the strategies to use while providing written corrective feedback. Teachers rarely assigned composition writing; instead, most assignments focus on language structure. Hence, teachers unknowingly used direct written corrective feedback for the few composition assignments provided. Similarly, it was also noted that teachers marked students' composition errors without providing written corrective feedback.
