Department of Languages and Literacy Education

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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/3404
The Department of Languages and Literacy Education collection in DSpace at the University of Fort Hare provides access to the scholarly and research outputs of staff and students. This collection includes theses and dissertations, research articles, conference papers, and examination question papers. The Department focuses on advancing knowledge and practice in language teaching, literacy development, multilingual education, and curriculum studies, with a strong emphasis on the South African educational context. Its teaching and research address key issues such as language acquisition, reading development, language policy in education, and the role of indigenous languages in learning. By preserving and disseminating these resources, the collection supports teaching, learning, and research while promoting effective language and literacy education across diverse learning environments.

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Browsing Department of Languages and Literacy Education by Author "Mutongoza, B.H."

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    The implementation of translanguaging in selected schools in Nkayi District, Zimbabwe
    (University of Fort Hare, 2024-09) Bhebhe, Prichard; Makeleni, S.; Mutongoza, B.H.
    Translanguaging involves utilising one language to support the other, enhancing comprehension, and enriching students' engagement in both languages. In a translanguaging classroom, students are encouraged to use their native language, second language, and any other language they know to communicate with their teachers and classmates. This is based on the idea that students should be able to use their entire linguistic repertoire, which is the dialects, registers, and styles an individual possesses to learn and express themselves. Translanguaging is not simply about teaching students their native language or allowing them to use their native language in the classroom. Instead, it is about creating a learning environment where students can use all their linguistic resources to make meaning. This study aimed to investigate the implementation of translanguaging as a medium of instruction to aid the development of a framework that will encourage teaching all languages. The schools were selected based on their proximity. The research was guided by an interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative approach. Participants in this study were twenty-four (24) learners, eight (8) teachers, and four (4) Heads of Departments (HoDs) who were purposively sampled. In collecting data, semi-structured and focus group interviews were conducted with learners, teachers, and Heads of Departments to elicit their views on the studied phenomena. The researcher used inductive data analysis, coded categories, and found differences and similarities in the emerging themes to address the research questions. The findings revealed no effective implementation of translanguaging in Nkayi district schools, indicating that the challenges stem from teachers' need for more information on translanguaging and inefficiency in addressing translanguaging during teacher training and that the in-service training conducted in schools on the implementation of multiple languages was impractical and disadvantageous to learners and teachers. The findings revealed that teachers do not implement translanguaging because they confuse it with code-switching, even though translanguaging is different; there is also a challenge in the lack of information on how to use translanguaging and its information because it is a new phenomenon. Therefore, this thesis concludes with recommendations for improving the quality of the implementation of translanguaging in selected schools in the Nkayi District. The study suggests the use of interactive methodologies and the use of all languages available in the classroom as well as the mother tongue as this enriches the understanding, builds confidence, allows learners to grasp concepts, and speaks to the culture of the learners. Thus, the study recommends implementing translanguaging as a teaching approach in the classroom to accommodate learners whose language is not taught. This study recommends that teachers' colleges train potential teachers on emerging strategies. The study also recommends in-service training for teachers as they were training on codeswitching. Language policies should also be revised to accommodate all strategies instead of only codes witching.