University Botswana Journals
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Translating Camfranglais Literature: Exegesis, Jugglery, Cultural and SemanticSignification
Get PDFCode-switching refers to the alternate use of more than one code in a single speech act, a phenomenon that Haugan refers to as the “the alternate use of two languages, including everything from the introduction of a single unassimilated word up to a complete sentence or more into the context of another language” (see Omole, p.58). In other words, these writers tend to transpose the imprint of their cultural backgrounds onto fictional works, thereby creating a third code-camfranglais. Camfranglais is a hybrid language spoken in the Republic of Cameroon where English, French and 248 indigenous languages co-exist. It is a medley of French, English, Pidgin and borrowings from local languages. This paper examines some aspects of the complexity of the language situation in Cameroon including the nuanced implication for translation in the field of literature
ASSESSING THE ALIGNMENT OF THE SYLLABUS TO THE CURRICULUM: THE CULTURAL COMPONENT IN BOTSWANA’S FRENCH JUNIOR CERTIFICATE SYLLABUS.
Get PDFSocietal needs have dictated the change from traditional methods of teaching language, which had a grammar-translation oriented approach with the teacher assuming an authoritarian role and learners memorising grammar rules, to methodologies that are communicative and task-based. These methodologies call for the incorporation of the target language culture in curricula and syllabi since the aim is to produce not only multilingual but also multicultural learners. One of the aims of the Revised French Curriculum for the Botswana three-year junior certificate of 2010 is for the learners to appreciate the culture of the target language. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which the French syllabus of 2010 incorporates the francophone culture and guides in developing the intercultural competency. Inclusion of cultural elements in the syllabus was analysed in relation to the topics of the syllabus. A questionnaire was administered to teachers, the results of which were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results suggest that the cultural component has been neglected in the syllabus and this has implications on teacher practices
Introduction by Guest Editors
Get PDFIn the tradition of academia or university, it is important to celebrate an academic, especially a longstanding professor such as Professor Moteane John Melamu who served the University of Botswana when it still belonged to a tripartite institution, UBLS, comprising campuses in Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland (éSwatini)
Affective Value and Novelistic Staying Power in Stay with Me
Get PDFThe role of literary devices in literature is well studied from the time of the theorists of antiquity up until the present time. The twentieth century stands out in literary history as a period of massive experimentation with devices of form in all genres of literature. The postmodern period witnessed the use of literary devices by writers to blunt the traditional boundaries which seemed to separate the genres from one another. The crisscrossing of literary boundaries by creative writing using literary devices has had a beneficial effect on literature by deepening reader empathy with character and action in prose fiction. This essay looks at the adroit exportation of the device of melodrama, usually associated with theatre, into a realist novel, Stay with Me by Ayobami Adébáyò and the implication for related devices of surprise and suspense, and realism
Universitarian Contingencies: When Downsizing is Equal to Downgrading
Get PDFThe institutionalisation of knowledge, marked by durability and excellence, goes back some ten centuries to the Middle Ages. Its durability has been ensured by two factors, namely, society’s respect for knowledge and, for its part, the institution’s regard for university tradition emanating from within its campuses. The stability of the institution created an environment in which knowledge could gestate and hatch excellence in all disciplines and the disciplines could shape perspectives and positively influence the course of history. This is all a description of the university, as an institution configured by knowledge, excellence and its own unique tradition, the three important elements responsible for the enduring prestige enjoyed by knowledge institutions the likes of the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. In Western societies, as far as universities are concerned, changing emphasis in the attitude to specific knowledge disciplines is usually nuanced and reasoned, not hasty and impulsive. Despite the ascendancy of STEM in academic and public discourse, the Department of English or Department of History, for example, still thrives in mainstream and other universities. It has not been shut down because of some signal inability to generate IGR (internally generated revenue) for its self-sustenance. The fact is rather that the humanities disciplines are still enjoying respect and patronage. By contrast, in Africa, the attitude to the advent of STEM in discourse and policy execution has tended to be sentimental and precipitate. This essay attempts a speculative examination of a few policy challenges that might be posed by the issue of STEM versus STEAM in the life of a university
Diplomatic Foolery: A Look at Melamu’s Use of Juvernallian Satire in Odyssey
Get PDFThis article attempts to unpack how Melamu wields Juvernallian satire in his short story, Odyssey, which appears in his collection of short stories titled The Unweeded Garden (2006). The story is told through the lens of a protagonist with untested diplomatic skills on the continent. The satire explores how the absurd clash between the stoic, aloof world of the diplomat is thrown into a cultural malaise of vice and spontaneity. Framed in realism, the article depicts how humour can tear away the veil of moral degeneration in our neo-colonial society
RECONFIGURING AND PROGRAMMING VISUAL ARTS EDUCATION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AMIDST COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
Get PDFSince the start of 2020, teaching and learning of the visual arts, which is primarily a hands-ondiscipline, has been disrupted by the insurgence of COVID-19. Frequent national lockdowns andadherence to World Health Organization (WHO) protocols seriously impacted on teaching andlearning. This comparative study investigated how visual arts teachers have, in the disruptiveprocess and environment, transitioned to the new normal in an effort to maintain quality teachingand learning of the visual arts. Online interviews with in-service undergraduate and postgraduatestudent teachers from one University in Botswana and another in Zimbabwe were used to establishtheir pedagogical strategies, students’ learning as well as programmatic transformations to thecurriculum. Results revealed that teachers were caught unprepared by the onset of the pandemicwhich compromised the quality of teaching and learning. Online pedagogy became thepredominant model. However, access to e-learning infrastructure created a social rift between ruraland urban schools. Collaborations and partnerships among stakeholders emerged as a criticalstrategy that could be used to combat similar pandemics in the future
Through the eyes of the editor: Ethics in research and publication-the case of the University of Botswana journals
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to determine the ethics principles that guide the University of Botswana editors and authors who submit articles to the University of Botswana-based journals, and the ethical challenges encountered by editors in the articles that are submitted to the journals. The study investigated ethical practices related to (a) authorship, (b) conflict of interest, (c) plagiarism, (d) simultaneous submission, (e) research fraud, and (f) salami slicing. The data were collected through a survey where a questionnaire was sent out to the editors via email. The data were analyzed and interpreted following the Aristotelian school of thought of ‘moral virtue’ as presented in Duffy (2017). The study determined that authorship, conflict of interest, and research fraud were not a serious problem in the submissions made to some of the University of Botswana journals. However, plagiarism, simultaneous submissions and salami slicing were reported to be a problem in some of the journals. The study also determined that some editors did not always practice due diligence, such as requiring authors to declare order of authorship, conflict of interest, and checking manuscripts for plagiarism, research fraud (data falsification and fabrication), and salami slicing. The findings of this study are important as they indicate areas in which editors need to focus on for improved quality of publications. In addition, the article recommends measures that can influence the University’s publication policy for UB journal
Political instability in Lesotho: Causes and possible remedies
Get PDFLesotho presents one of the more unusual political complexities in Southern Africa. It became independent on 4 October 1966 and since then, it has been characterized by a deep constitutional crisis, lack of popular elected governments, dawn of coup d’états, schisms within the political parties, and rejection of the election outcomes. In 2002, the country adopted a Mixed Member Proportion (MMP) model from the First-Past-the-Post. However, the MMP model complicated the situation as it produced hung parliaments, which resulted in coalition governments, snap elections, and the use of the army to cling to power. This paper attempts to dig deeper into how these causes of instability manifested themselves. They are sub-divided into internal causes such as socio- economic, politics and governance, politicization, and polarization of the public service, and regional causes. The paper concludes by suggesting possible remedies to the country’s instability
