UNAM Open Access Journal University of Namibia
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Form and Functions of Particles in Shinyiha
Get PDFShinyiha, is also referred to as Nyiha, is among the Bantu languages spoken in Tanzania. It is categorized as M 23 in Guthrie’s referential Bantu language classification system. In this paper, attention is paid to the form and functions of particles in this language. It is noted that particles are among the least studied word categories in Bantu languages (cf Schneider-Zioga, 2015). The absence of adequate attention to the form and function of particles is glaring in the already unstudied Bantu language. It is anticipated that the description and analysis of items in this word category will provide some useful insights into human language word categories in general and those of Bantu languages and Shinyiha in particular. This paper specifically pays attention to haa, pee, ishi, mwee, –ope, nziila, alaa and bhuulo as particles in Shinyiha. More specifically, the paper attempts to discuss the meaning/use of those particles and their distribution. It is shown that particles have a variety of properties and meanings/functions. Based on the varied properties and functions, I demonstrate in this paper that particles are pragmatic and context-sensitive. Because of their pragmatic and context-sensitivity, particles have special semantic functions and roles such as showing certainty; attention calling; expressing exhaustiveness, surprise, confirmation, focus, stating condition, showing emphasis, meaning intensification, after-thoughts, etc. I conclude that particles are a unique category of words in Shinyiha which indicates human communication is complex in that as humans communicate they deploy a variety of strategies to ensure they meet their communicative agenda
Indigenous Knowledge on Health care among the Ovahimba Community of Oukongo Village in Kunene Region of Namibia
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to explore the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants for treating common illnesses among the Ovahimba of Oukongo village in the Kunene region of Namibia. The coevolutionary theory of sustainable development informed this study as it promotes the anti-hegemonic ecology of knowledge and synchronises traditional knowledge with the modern world. The interview data were analysed using the inductive approach and content analysis. The results show that the Ovahimba community of Oukongo village use plant-based remedies such as roots, leaves, bark, fruits and flowers for the treatment of ailments such as headaches and diarrhoea, high blood pressure, chest pain and syphilis. The remedy preparation follows the process of harvesting parts of a plant, cleaning and breaking it into small pieces or crushing it into powder and then mixing with water or some form of liquid. The process also includes chewing roots, leaves and burning flowers into ashes. The study recommends further research to document indigenous health care practices of the Ovahimba. It also recommends the adoption of the co-evolutionary theory of sustainable development as the basis for the synchronisation of indigenous knowledge with modern health care and thus promote future generations’ access to the rich heritage of ancestral knowledge on health care
Language teacher identities: The Namibian perspective
No full textThis article explores the identities of Namibian English second language teachers from different perspectives – social, personal, material as well as technological. A group of 8 in-service English language teachers from the “O” three regions of Namibia completed a qualitative online questionnaire to give their perceptions regarding their identities from different components – social, personal, material as well as technological, which is based on Barkhuizen’s second facet of language teacher identity definition (2017). Other language teachers’ identities and the reasons for such identifications as well as societal identities given to teachers of the English language were also explored in this study. Therefore this article also aims to establish how the teachers’ identities affect their work ethics. Participants of the study were purposely sampled. The study’s findings indicate that language teachers’ identities are constructed based on what they know, their skills as well as their roles as teachers. Results also show that their work ethics are affected by their identities positively. This study fills the gap that currently exists in terms of teacher identity formation in Namibia as well as how language teachers are faring in this era of artificial intelligence
Investigating the factors that affect academic performance of first year Psychology and Sociology students at the University of Namibia
Get PDFStress is inevitable; it has become part of students’ lives as they work hard and compete at every stage of their academic careers. Students’ academic performance at tertiary institutions is affected by stress and their levels of motivation. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of stress, motivation and teaching styles of lecturers on first year students’ academic performance. This is because reducing students’ stress levels and finding ways to increase their levels of motivation would result in better academic performance; a greater understanding of factors underlying academic stress is believed to lead to improved stress management strategies and academic success; and this understanding would facilitate the development of effective counselling modules and intervention strategies by student counsellors to help students alleviate stress. The sample consisted of students from the University of Namibia’s main campus in Windhoek (n=321). The study questionnaire collected data on the biographical details, motivation, perceived stress, teaching style experienced and academic performance of first year Psychology and Sociology students of 2018. This study found that extrinsic motivation, a motivation and perceived stress negatively affected academic
performance. Teaching style (facilitating expert style) positively affected motivation to know, motivation to achieve and extrinsic motivation. Motivation to know and motivation to achieve reported a positive effect on academic performance
Resolving hiatus in Tonga
Get PDFThe study investigates hiatus contexts and hiatus resolution strategies in Zimbabwean Tonga. Data for this research were collected through intuition because one of the researchers is a native speaker of Tonga. The data were verified by other native speakers of Tonga. The analysis is couched within generative CV Phonology model (Clements & Keyser, 1983). The study establishes that Tonga does not allow vowel hiatus and when it occurs it is resolved by vowel deletion, secondary articulation, glide formation, glide epenthesis and vowel coalescence.These strategies do not operate haphazardly but they are motivated by different morphosyntactic and phonological environments. The study also found out that compensatory lengthening accompanies each strategy in well-defined morphosyntactic and phonological contexts. Morphosyntactically, it accompanies other hiatus resolution strategies in the verbal domain and infinitive verbs. Phonologically, compensatory lengthening accompanies other strategies when V1 is either /u/ or/i/. The major contribution of this research is typological because it adds to the Bantu literature as to how Tonga language resolves hiatus. Tonga is unique in the sense that it uses accompanying compensatory lengthening. Compensatory lengthening in Tonga occurs only in the verbal domain when V1 is either /u/or/i/
The mismatch between the language of training and language of teaching : Challenges faced by the selected Grade 2 Mathematics teachers
Get PDFAlthough English is the dominant language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in many Namibian schools, the current Namibian Language in Education Policy (LiEP) prescribes that the Junior Primary Phase (Grades 0 to 3) learners in government schools should be taught in their first language (L1), and only later from Grade 4 onwards they can switch to English as LoLT. In training teachers, however, teacher training institutions such as the University of Namibia (UNAM) only use English as LoLT to train all the teachers, including those who will teach in the Junior Primary Phase. This becomes a challenge especially for content subject teachers who are trained in English and are expected to teach in a mother tongue other than English when they are formally employed in schools. This paper employed a qualitative interpretive approach to explore the challenges experienced by the selected Grade 2 Mathematics teachers who were trained at UNAM, regarding teaching Mathematics in the mother tongue. Data collection methods consisted of questionnaires and interviews with six Grade 2 Mathematics teachers who all graduated from UNAM. The data were analyzed inductively using the thematic content analysis approach. The key findings include that the preparation of Junior primary mathematics teachers was constrained by the mismatch between the language used to train them at UNAM and the language they are expected to use as a medium of instruction for actual teaching in schools, and the lack of prescribed materials for teaching Mathematics in the mother tongue. This study responds to the gap in mother tongue literacy teacher preparation and contributes to knowledge on how junior primary teachers should be prepared to teach all the subjects in the mother tongue as per the Namibian language policy
The Bovine Major Histocompatibility Complex and Its Role in Tick and Tick-borne Disease Resistance and Immune Responsiveness in Bos Indicus and their Crosses with Bos Taurus in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review
No full textTicks present a major challenge in livestock production given the increased demand for animal protein worldwide. Ticks cause worry, blood loss, damage hides and most importantly they are vectors of pathogens that cause severe diseases in livestock. Economic losses caused by ticks amounts to billions of dollars annually. The primary tick control method relies heavily on the use of acaricides. The increasing prices of these chemicals, environmental pollution, chemical residues in animal products and most importantly evolution of resistance of ticks to almost all available acaricides, has frustrated efforts of farmers to control ticks and tick-borne diseases. This has motivated researchers to search for alternative methods of tick control. The Major Histocompatibility complex (MHC) which is called Bovine Leuckocyte Antigen (BoLA) in cattle is an important component of the immune system which plays a major role in immune responses. The BoLA-DRB3 gene is the most polymorphic MHC class II gene locus where numerous associations have been found between the MHC polymorphism and disease resistance making it a good gene candidate for tick resistance. The Bos indicus breed is known to be more resistant to ticks and tick-borne diseases than the Bos Taurus. The use of tick and tick-borne disease resistant cattle breeds is a promising choice for tick and tick-borne disease control given the downsides of acaricides, vaccines and other tick control methods. This review summarizes available information on ticks and tick-borne diseases and the role of the Major Histocompatibility Complex in tick and tick-borne disease resistance.  
Evaluation of pre-emergence herbicides for weed control in maize
Get PDFWeed management is an ongoing constraint in southern Africa for conventional farming systems and in emerging conservation agriculture systems, which are more heavily reliant on herbicides for primary weed control. The challenge of rising labour costs and decreasing availability creates a greater need to develop effective and efficient weed management methods in key crops such as maize. Field experiments were conducted at Sebele Agricultural Research Station, Botswana in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 cropping seasons to evaluate pre-emergence application of atrazine at 1,000 and 2,000 g a.i. ha-1 and S-metolachlor at 1,440 and 2,880 g a.i. ha-1, and a tank mixture of atrazine at 1,000 and S-metolachlor at 1,440 g a.i. ha-1. Atrazine at either rate alone, effectively controlled annual broadleaf weeds: Acanthospermum hispidum, Datura ferox and Sesamum alatum, but failed to control annual grass weeds (Tragus berteronianus and Urochloa spp.). Conversely, sole application of S-metolachlor at either rate provided complete control of annual grass weeds, but poorly controlled annual broadleaf weeds except small-seeded Amaranthus hybridus and Amaranthus thunbergii. A tank mixture of atrazine and S-metolachlor provided broad-spectrum weed control and successfully controlled both annual broadleaf and grass weeds. Atrazine alone and in tank mixture with S-metolachlor significantly reduced annual broadleaf weed density and biomass and increased maize grain yield by more than 80% when compared with the weedy treatment. High weed density and biomass of annual broadleaf weeds in S-metolachlor treatments significantly reduced maize grain yield to levels similar to the weedy treatment. A pre-mixture of atrazine and S-metolachlor is recommended for broad-spectrum weed control. Using a combination of herbicides with different modes of action may reduce selection pressure for herbicide resistance.
 
Exploring retail employees’ satisfaction with life in selected regions of Namibia
Get PDFCustomer service enhances the shopping experience of customers and impacts on their buying behaviour. Enhancing employees’ levels of psychological capital, general health and job satisfaction will likely impact positively on their satisfaction with life. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of psychological capital, general health and job satisfaction on satisfaction with life of retail employees. A quantitative research design was used to collect the data on the biographical details, psychological capital, general health, job satisfaction and satisfaction with life of retail employees in Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Windhoek, Namibia (n=453). A positive relationship was found between psychological capital, job satisfaction and satisfaction with life. General health reported a negative relationship with satisfaction with life. It is recommended that supervisors should encourage staff members to take on more challenging tasks, offer praise and recognition to employees that excel at their tasks and regularly assess job satisfaction levels in order to enhance satisfaction with life. In addition, organisations need to provide medical benefits to employees, encourage an active lifestyle or invite medical aid service providers to facilitate health seminars
Zimbabwean prison argot:: A sociolinguistic/etymological analysis of inmates’ discourse at Whawha Prison in Zimbabwe
Get PDFThe prison is a unique discourse community, often characterised by the use of a peculiar commonly shared communicative code. In a country such as Zimbabwe in which inmates generally come from different and diverse ethnolinguistic and sociolinguistic backgrounds, the need for a common communicative code amongst inmates cannot be overstated. Communication amongst inmates is often through ‘cant’, ‘argot’ or slang and these are usually prison specific since they are formulated within. The formulation of prison ‘cant’ is also oftentimes necessitated by inmates’ need to create and own an alternative ‘safe’ interactive linguistic space that ‘evades’ prison authorities due to the ‘cat and mouse’ nature of prison life. Prison is thus here envisioned as a cultural and linguistic space and the linguistic codes used within prison walls can be considered as sociolects or language varieties – more precisely to be conceived of as slang/tsotsitaal. Prison life, thus, has its own value systems and norms which are strengthened through such a linguistic code. Once one gets in prison, he or she adapts to a new culture and language which is spoken by other fellow inmates. Herein, we examine sociolinguistically the etymology of the vocabulary of the discourse of inmates at Whawha Medium Offenders Prison in Gweru, Zimbabwe