UNAM Open Access Journal University of Namibia
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Etalululo lyembo “Omapuko gi igalala mokupopya, mokulesha nomokunyola melaka lyOshindonga” (ISBN: 978-99945-54-29-4)
Full text linkA REVIEW OF THE BOOK “COMMON ERRORS IN SPEAKING, READING AND WRITING IN OSHINDONGA LANGUAGE”
Johannes Shifela
Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture
This paper reviews Oshindonga grammar book titled "Omapuko gi igalala mokupopya, mokulesha nokunyola mElaka lyOshindonga" (translated as "Common mistakes in speaking, reading and writing in Oshindonga language"). As the title says, the book is on Oshindonga language rules. This paper reveals that Oshindonga phonology and morphology are well presented in the present book. In addition, it discloses that the structure of a verb and the subject marker of Oshindonga are narrated effectively in this book. The paper further argues that the present book has a number of shortcomings, namely nontreatment of loanwords, uses of diphthongs that don’t exist in Oshindonga orthography, uses of a hyphen in complex words, uses of the disjunctive writing system in writing Oshindonga verbs and possessive nouns, uses of twelve noun classes in Oshindonga, as well as a number of few grammatical errors. Furthermore, it posits that Oshindonga orthography is unfit, hence there are mismatches between its sound system and its alphabetical representation. Finnegan (2011) as cited in Dube (2021, p.42) supports the finding above that orthography is a writing system that aims to match an alphabet’s representation of a language’s sound system. Therefore, orthographies that do present a difference between spoken and written language are deemed inappropriate. Moving forward, this paper identifies teachers, and lectures as some of the potential benefits as it could serve as guide to them in teaching Oshindonga according to Bantu languages word structure. Moreover, it is useful to learners, students, editors, authors and foreigners who are interested in learning Oshindonga language grammar rules. Lastly, this paper recommends Oshindonga orthography to be reviewed, because this book is based on the present Oshindonga orthography 3. The review of Oshindonga orthography 3 will permit the gap between its spoken language and its alphabetical representation to be filled
Presidential Rhetoric Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: The Unpacking of Namibia 2021 State of the Nation Address (SONA) Speech
Full text linkOne of the significant speeches the Namibian presidency delivers is the State of the Nation Address (SONA). It is a constitutional obligation for the President to address the nation during the consideration of the national budget to review past policies and programmes and articulate the government’s priorities for the next financial year. Speechmaking is one of the essential roles of presidents in announcing their policies and persuading the nation. This article is a textual analysis of the 2021 SONA speech delivered by President Hage Geingob during the crisis time of COVID-19. Using a qualitative approach, the research analyses the most common rhetorical devices that Geingob used to achieve social change during this crisis. The analysis grounds on charismatic leadership theory, by focusing on three structural components, namely leader, followers, and context, as influenced by the three Aristotelian rhetorical appeals of pathos, ethos, and logos. The speech demonstrates Geingob’s presidency's ongoing response to the COVID-19 crisis. The president advanced the values of democracy, united the Namibian people, and used valence rhetoric that offers the nation a sense of security and stability as they face the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Morpho-syntactic Analysis of Sex-related Euphemisms and the Stretch of Dysphemism in Swahili
Full text linkThis paper analysed the morpho-syntax of sex-related euphemisms and their role in stretching dysphemism in Swahili. Euphemism formation mechanisms are reliant upon societal cultural values, which are not universal. Data were collected in Morogoro through observations, interviews, and Informal Focus Group Discussions (IFGDs). Findings indicate that the morpho-syntax of the noun and verb determines the formation of sex-related euphemisms and the extent of dysphemism. In terms of noun morphosyntax, sex-related euphemisms do not belong to the same class as taboos, amounting to 14 for male and 12 for female sexual body parts. Additionally, the class 9 agreement property -i is intentionally used to form sex-related euphemisms, which can create humour but also stretch dysphemism when uttered unintentionally. Regarding the morphosyntax of verbs, 40.9% of those tested signify sex-related euphemisms in Swahili, depending on speakers' morpho-syntactic manipulations. In conclusion, ignorance of Swahili morpho-syntactic structures may contribute significantly to sex-related dysphemism. Therefore, this paper recommends further study into how Swahili learners' morpho-syntactic structures may lead to sex-related dysphemism.
A morphosyntactic and semantic description of augment in Kipangwa
Full text linkhis paper describes the morphosyntactic and semantic meaning of augments in Kipangwa (G64), the pre-prefix that precedes the noun. The main objective was to describe the morphosyntactic and semantic properties of the augment in the Kipangwa. The study was conducted in Ludewa District of Njombe Region in Tanzania. With regard to the research approach, the study employed a qualitative approach. The data for this study were collected through the text collection method. Using this method, the researchers collected sentences with NPs from 18 informants and three storybooks in Kipangwa. These informants were sampled through snowball sampling, while the storybooks in Kipangwa were purposefully sampled. The study reveals that there are augments in Kipangwa, specifically in vowel forms. It also exposes that syntactic and semantic factors mainly trigger the occurrence of augments in Kipangwa nouns. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the specificity and topicality of the noun can influence the function of the augment in Kipangwa. Finally, the study recommends further research into other aspects of augments in Kipangwa
Negotiating language barriers in communication: The case of Tanzanian inmates in Ghana
Full text linkThis study investigates communication barriers faced by Tanzanian immigrants serving prison terms in Ghana for various offences. Given the role of communication in inmates' daily lives, including various processes and procedures within the prison yards, the study seeks to examine strategies employed by such inmates to meet their social/communicative needs within the prison environs. The study is carried out against the backdrop of some East African migrants encountering communication barriers in Ghana. The main objective is to investigate the effect of communication barriers on Tanzanian inmates at Nsawam Prisons and the linguistic support system in place within the prison yards for such inmates. The study also looks at the coping strategies to overcome such communicative barriers and the long-term negative and positive effects of the language barrier on their linguistic abilities. Data were collected by two research assistants with funding support from the Andrew Mellon Foundation through the administration of questionnaires and interview sessions with five Tanzanian inmates. The findings of the study indicate that in addition to the use of similar coping strategies that are used by other East African migrants, resident in Ghana, such as gestures and the seeking of assistance for interpretation, Tanzanian inmates in Nsawam Prisons ultimately learn a Ghanaian language because they see the acquisition of a Ghanaian language as an effective solution to the challenges of language barriers at the Nsawam Prisons. It was also noted that although gender differences played a role in the linguistic choices of these inmates, individual preferences for negotiating linguistic barriers were paramount
Determination of some selected heavy metals in catfish samples collected from some dams in Katsina state, Nigeria.
Full text linkThis study was conducted to determine the concentrations of Cadmium, Cobalt, Copper, Nickel, Lead and Zinc in the Gill, Muscle and Tails of African catfish collected from Gwaigwaye, maska and Zobe dams in Katsina state, Nigeria across the dry and wet seasons. The collected tissues of African catfish were digested and analyzed for the toxic metals using microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MPAES). The levels of the metals obtained were compared with acceptable limits of world health organization(WHO) and Standard organization of Nigeria(SON).The metal levels were found in the following ranges, 0.0132±0.01 to 0.057±0.02 mg/kg for Cd, 0.00±0.00 to 0.887±0.01 mg/kg for Co, 0.090±0.00 to 0.26±0.00 mg/kg for Cu, 0.00±0.00 to 0.138±0.01 mg/kg for Ni, 0.00±0.00 to0.003±0.00 mg/kg for Pb and 0.133±0.04 to 0.855±0.01mg/kg for Zn for catfish gill in dry and wet seasons. Likewise, the concentration levels of the metals in catfish muscle in the following ranges were as follows 0.01±0.00 to 0.076±0.01 mg/kg for Cd, 0.00±0.00 to 0.048±0.01 mg/kg for Co, 0.066±0.04 to 0.108±0.03 mg/kg for Cu, 0.01±0.00 to 0.096±0.03 mg/kg for Ni, 0.00±0.00 to 0.01±0.00 mg/kg for Pb and 0.036±0.05 to 0.411±0.04 mg/kg for Zn . Similarly, 0.019±0.01 to 0.029±0.03 mg/kg for Cd, 0.00±0.00 to 0.091±0.01 mg/kg for Co, 0.079±0.01 to 0.133±0.03 mg/kg for Cu, 0.016±0.03 to 0.116±0.01 mg/kg for Ni, 0.00±0.00 to 0.023±0.03 mg/kg for Pb and 0.323±0.03 to1.08±0.01 mg/kg for Zn in catfish tail in both dry and wet seasons. The levels of the metals were found to be below the safe limits set by both WHO and SON. African catfish from gwaigwaye, maska and zobe dams are therefore safe for human consumption. The results of statistical analysis and P values<0.05 indicated no significant difference between the tissues of African catfish analyzed across all the dams in both seasons
Namibia in its thirties: Reviewing the choice of English as sole official language
Full text linkNamibia is a linguistically diverse country that attained independence in 1990. One of the most significant policy decisions at the time was to remove Afrikaans as one of the official languages, recognising English only, a monolingual official language policy that ignored the multilingual realities of the new country. The document justifying this decision was written a decade earlier and prepared by the United Nations Institute for Namibia based on eight criteria. In this paper, we critically review these criteria: unity, acceptability, familiarity, feasibility, science and technology, pan-Africanism, wider communication, and United Nations. We argue that the choice of these criteria, and the “value” attributed to European languages, compared with that of Namibian languages, were biased in a way to support the monolingual English policy. We conclude with an invitation to Namibian officials at all levels of government and local community organisations to engage in conversations to promote multilingualism more formally
Transitivity in social work reports: A case of destitution reports written by professional social workers in Botswana
Full text linkSocial work in Botswana is a rapidly developing profession. In the last fifty or so years, the role of the social worker has changed, from distributing practical help to taking on roles that were previously filled via age- and status-based social structures. A lot of research has been done on business communication in different workplaces. However, there is not much done on Social work professional communication in Botswana. This study, which is part of a longer study, analysed the types of texts produced by social workers in their professional settings. The research method for this study combines two major research tools in the qualitative inquiry, which are text analysis and interviews. Sixty-four (64) destitution reports were collected and analysed. Six (6) professional social workers were also interviewed to share their experiences in writing the reports. The findings show the powers that the social workers have over their clients
Challenges experienced by Upper Primary Student Teachers in post-lesson reflections during School Based Studies
Full text linkThis study sought to uncover how student teachers reflect on their lessons and to suggest strategies for improving post-lesson reflections. Post lesson reflection allows students to identify their strengthens and weaknesses which can improve teaching and learning processes. A qualitative approach with a single case of Hifikepunye Pohamba Campus was used. A sample of 10 student teachers from Social Studies and Mathematics Education was purposively selected. Document analysis and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Twenty post-lesson reflections were analysed to establish the extent to which students reflect on their own teaching. Data from document review and interview were thematically analysed. Findings revealed the following: students’ post lesson reflection are mostly focusing on the description and action plans; students understand post-lesson reflection as a way of evaluating oneself to improve teaching; students are faced with numerous challenges such as forgetting what happened in the lesson, not taught how to reflect, overloaded schedule, and mentor teachers and lecturers are not fully supportive. The study suggested the integration of reflection into lesson planning components of other modules and the presence of mentor teachers during the lesson presentations. The study recommends student teachers’ exposure to models of reflection and reduction of student teachers’ work in line with the University guidelines
A Short story: Ino iteta koshitayi wa londa ko
No full textThis is a short story about two friends who almost lost their friendship because one of them followed a different lifestyle that later brought unfavourable results. It teaches about the importance of true friendship and the importance of living a responsible lifestyle