An Impact Study with Reference to isiXhosa and Afrikaans Multilingual Glossaries for First-Year Law of Contracts Students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology

doi:10.1017/9781108671088.009

7 - An Impact Study with Reference to isiXhosa and Afrikaans Multilingual Glossaries for First-Year Law of Contracts Students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology

from Part II - Multilingualism and Intellectualisation of African Languages

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 September 2020

Linda Manashe ,

Boniface Kabaso ,

Monwabisi K. Ralarala and

Eunice Ivala

Edited by

Russell H. Kaschula and

H. Ekkehard Wolff

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Russell H. Kaschula: Affiliation:
Rhodes University, South Africa
H. Ekkehard Wolff: Affiliation:
Universität Leipzig

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Summary

English language only as the medium of instruction often creates a barrier for students whose first language is not English. It has proven to be difficult for students to understand and apply the academic discourse that is used in their course materials, assignment tasks and course assessments. There is considerable evidence about the value of using home languages as language of learning, or as languages of support and intervention in different disciplinary context. The chapter explores language-related interventions meant to provide academic support to first-year Law of Contract students through the usage of online multilingual glossaries. Details of the methodology pertaining to the development, verification, dissemination and academic usage of the online multilingual glossaries are discussed with a view to uncover students’ perceptions regarding (i) the use of this teaching and learning facility (online multilingual glossaries), (ii) the extent to which student’s home languages may impact their access into the academic discourse and (iii) the potential for success. From a theoretical perspective, this study draws on Cummins’s theoretical model of basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP).

Keywords

Multilingualism hypermedia multilingual glossaries cognitive semiotics multimedia

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: The Transformative Power of Language
From Postcolonial to Knowledge Societies in Africa
, pp. 153 - 175

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108671088.009 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2020

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