Browsing Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Linguistics, Language and Communication) by Title
Now showing items 1-20 of 53
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A critical evaluation of the development of Rumanyo as a national language in Namibia
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Among others, the current study had been conceived due to the fact that, although Namibia is endowed with multiple languages, their development throughout the long colonial history, had been unequal. That is, some languages ... -
A social semiotic analysis of the linguistic landscape of two rural district municipalities in the Northern Cape, South Africa
Linguistic Landscape (LL) studies typically focus on public signage displayed in urban environments, therefore LL is associated with cityscapes. There is limited research related to the LL of non-urban environments or ... -
Academic writing as social practice: a critical discourse analysis of student writing in higher education in Tanzania
(University of the Western Cape, 2006)This thesis was a critical analysis of students academic second language writing at Sokoine University of Agriculture. Student writing in English as a second language in higher education has excited much interest in the ... -
Analysing the discourse on corruption in presidential speeches in Nigeria, 1957- 2015: Systemic functional linguistics and critical discourse analysis frameworks
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Corruption as a concept is viewed differently by various disciplines, but there seems to be consensus that it relates to the misuse of public office for private gain. Studies in the social sciences, mainly political ... -
Beyond the glass ceiling: Towards a multi-sensory definition of functional literacy
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)The world is becoming increasingly visual (Kress, 2009:1).The visually literate viewer should be able to gather data, place it in context, and determine its validity. A huge visual world opened up for the users of new ... -
Consequences of ideology and policy in the English second language classroom: The case of Oshiwambo-speaking students in Namibia
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)At independence, Namibia chose English as its official language and therefore its language of learning and teaching (LOLT). This decision has been well supported and therefore there has been an expectation among Namibians ... -
A contextual analysis of compound nouns in Shona lexicography
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)This research is in the area of lexicography and investigates the relationship between Shona terminology development and the culture of the language community for which the terminology is intended. It is a contextual ... -
A critical analysis of colonial and postcolonial discourses and representations of the people of Mozambique in the Portuguese newspaper ‘O Século de Joanesburgo’ from 1970-1980
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)The aim of this thesis is to probe how Mozambican people were represented or constructed in the colonial and post-colonial periods through the columns of the Portuguese newspaper, ‘O Século de Joanesburgo’. The study ... -
A critical reflection on eclecticism in the teaching of English grammar at selected Zambian secondary schools
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)English is the official language in Zambia and a compulsory subject from grade 1 to the final year of secondary education. Communicative competence in English is therefore critical to mobility in education and is also ... -
A discourse analysis of selected truth and reconciliation commission testimonies: appraisal and genre
(University of Western Cape, 2007)This thesis is a discourse analysis of five testimonies from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The aim of the analysis is to explore the ways in which the testifiers perform their identities, construe ... -
The discursive construction of Kenyan ethnicities in online political talk
(UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE, 2019)Multi-paradigmatically qualitative, and largely in the fashion of the critical theory, this study seeks to explore how a selection of Kenyans construct, manipulate and negotiate ethnic categories in a discussion of ... -
An exploration of texture in Ghanaian undergraduate students’ essays
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)As an official and second language in Ghana, English is used as a medium of instruction in the Ghanaian educational setting, especially at the university level. Therefore, for Ghanaian students to go through their university ... -
Exploring semiotic remediation in performances of stand-up comedians in post- apartheid South Africa and post-colonial Nigeria
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)This research has been conducted by focusing on the trajectories of semiotic ensembles from various contexts that stand-up comedians exploited for aesthetic and communicative purposes. I apply the social semiotic theory ... -
Exploring the link between literacy practices, the rural-urban dimension and academic performance of primary school learners in Uganda district, Uganda
(University of the Western Cape, 2005)This study aimed at establishing and analysing the literacy practices in the rural and urban communities and their effect on the academic achievements of learners. It also aimed to establish the impact of other factors, ... -
Exploring the micro-social dynamics of intergenerational language transmission: a critical analysis of parents's attitudes and language use patterns among Ndamba speakers in Tanzania
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)The study has several implications; for general theoretical traditions it highlights the point that ambivalent attitudes and incomplete language use are responsible for gradual language decline. Previous studies while ... -
The form of Muslim government and its source of authority in contemporary Islamic thought : a comparative study of the views of Ayatollah Ruḥollah Khomeini and Sayyid Quţb
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)The year 1924, which coincided with the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate and more recently, the Arab Spring which started in Tunisia in December 2010, and spread across much of north Africa and parts of the Middle East, has ... -
Globalisation and higher education branding at three Western Cape universities in South Africa: A multi-semiotic analysis
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)This study investigates how the three selected Western Cape Province (WCP) institutions of higher education position their brand imageries and awareness in a localised global way. It explores the branding discourses and ... -
Independent clause Sesotho personal names as texts in context: a systemic functional linguistics approach
(University of Western Cape, 2014)This study sought to examine independent clause Sesotho personal names as authentic social discourse using the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theory. It sought to analyze their structure and map them to social ... -
Investigating Kiswahili academic literacy: the case of two primary and two secondary schools in Morogoro region, Tanzania
(University of the Western Cape, 2009)The purpose of the current study was to examine whether pupils/students master academic literacy and if various genres are taught appropriately. In other words whether pupils/students master academic literacy in a way that ... -
An investigation into English second language academic writing strategies for black students at the Eastern Cape technikon
(University of the Western Cape, 2006)This study has been prompted by the negative remarks that lecturers make concerning the academic performance of students and the number of years they spend at the Eastern Cape Technikon before completing their diplomas. ...