Volume 2 (2017)

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African writing, aesthetics and discursive violence
(University of Namibia, 2017) Oyegoke, Lekan
As a signifier “African writing” is suitably pluralistic in its potential for denotation and connotation and delimitation of thematic concern. Wearing an ambiguous qualifier such as “African” the contestable positions taken for granted for this cultural tag – which had camouflaged as incontrovertible – are mediated by the pluralism of the nominal which it qualifies. The erstwhile monolith and subject/object of literary/critical discourse fissures viscerally agreeably into fluid ethnic, linguistic and cultural heterogeneity with the result that both the literature and the study based on this literature transform into semantically elastic nondescript items in a state of unremitting variability. Which condition seems compatible with postmodernist insistence of organic connections and disconnections between the system of sound and that of reality according to Saussurean linguistics and Barthesian associative distinction between signifier, signified and sign. Calibrated synchrony deepens the complexity of a subject/concept already detached from signifier, a changing and changeable signified that is stratified and is multilingual multiracial multicultural.
The jigsaw method: The use of cooperative learning in a grade 7 English second language lessons – a Namibia school case study
(University of Namibia, 2017) Hautemo, Aletta Mweneni
This paper reports on the use of cooperative learning technique – Jigsaw - that describes the use of small groups to enable learners to increase their own responsibility in learning and that of their peers. As a strategy that support Learner Centred Education which was adopted as a framework for teaching and learning in Namibia in 1990, cooperative learning is very compatible to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) which are both highlighted in the new basic education national curriculum as strategies for teaching languages in Namibian schools. To develop responsive practices to the learner-centred approach this study investigates the role of cooperative learning activities in learning English second language and the influence it has on teaching and assessing learners. An expansive route was taken to engage learners in a Jigsaw activity, in an English Second Language lesson. The findings revealed that participants of the study perceived cooperative learning instructional to be generally a positive experiences which provide an effective method of learning in groups and it enhance learners’ achievement. Cooperative learning may help learners to acquire and develop four language skills at the same time and with easy as concepts are interlinked. Learners in the jigsaw classroom reported stronger intrinsic motivation, greater interest in the topic, and more cognitive activation and involvement.
Omikalo omikulu nomipe dhokuyunga oosa dhAawambo
(University of Namibia, 2017) Mbenzi, Petrus A.
This paper describes the past and the present mourning practices and rituals of Aawambo. It examines traditional practices, which were adhered to in the ancient time, and the impact of modernization on the mourning practices of Aawambo. The paper also presents the responses of the Aawambo to the funeral rites in Oshiwambo society. Interdependent construal theory is used to identify the tenets of mutual obligations among Aawambo during the mourning rite. In addition westernisation theory is employed to gauge the impact of euro-western culture on the mourning practices and rituals of Aawambo. The data for this paper were collected through interviews, observation and documented texts. In the final analysis, the paper reveals that western cultures co-exist with Oshiwambo culture. It further reveals mourning period has become a conduit for class distinction associated with prestige, respect and economic status.
Theoretical configurations and considerations on African popular culture
(University of Namibia, 2017) Senkoro, Fikeni E.
This conceptual paper deals with some theoretical configurations and considerations of the form and content of African popular culture/s. It problematizes the subject by raising some provocative questions that may produce further and, perhaps, new areas for discussions. The three leading questions are: What exactly is popular culture? For whom and by what means is such culture produced and consumed? To whom and to what end is such culture popular? The paper touches on questions of identity, especially pertaining to the youth; and the link between popular culture and social, political and economic power. Further, the paper deals with aspects of production, including mass production, and consumption of popular culture. The role of popular culture in the political processes is interrogated in terms of mobilization, resistance, articulation and maintenance of identities that provide alternative ways of interpreting different social forces. Issues of nationalism and national culture in the face of “globalization” are also touched on vis-à-vis African popular cultures. We also ask whether we should view the subject from purely anti-elitist and pro-masses outlook. Generally the paper probes into the place of popular culture within the bigger definition of culture as a drapery of physical, mental and emotional actions whose nexus holds a particular people together within and oftentimes across generations.
Three poems
(University of Namibia, 2017) Simwanza, Shane Simasiku
I decided to use Silozi language in writing my poetry firstly to promote it countrywide and possibly to take it to another level whenever possible. It is a language that I can easily and best express all my deep thoughts and emotions on the topics that I have chosen to explain everything clearly. Also I was driven to write in Silozi due to limited writings in this language from our local writers. My main purpose is to communicate easily with general readers, but also with learners in schools, who are doing this language as a subject. I believe that, through this process such learners will have a better understanding of life and different issues that they may encounter on their way up to tertiary and university levels of learning.
The nature and origin of acronyms in Kiswahili and Setswana
(University of Namibia, 2017) Matlhaku, K.; Batibo, H.M.
This study examines how this mechanism has been used in two major regional languages, namely Kiswahili, spoken in eastern Africa, and Setswana, extensively used in southern Africa. The main aim of the article is to investigate how these two regional languages have dealt with the influx of acronyms which have become important word forms in African languages, as the use of these languages expands to higher domains. The study uses primary and secondary data to demonstrate the efforts which have been made in the development of acronyms in both languages, and the challenges which have been experienced. The study findings are very revealing in that they show that, although most African dictionaries do not include acronyms as part of their entries, they are found most often in the higher domains and appear in many forms. The main conclusion of the paper is that African countries need full-fledged language institutions and supportive language policies in order to spearhead the process of lexical expansion and intellectualization of the indigenous African languages by using all strategies of term development.
The use of mother tongue in public services in Namibia: A short thinking piece
(University of Namibia, 2017) Senkoro, Fikeni E.; Simasiku, Liswani
The history of policies that include the use of mother tongue in public services in Namibia goes back to as far as the period immediately after Independence. Among such policy documents is Chapter 1 Article 3 of The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia that deals specifically with Language. In this article English is declared to be the official language of Namibia. It is further stated in Sub-Article (2) that: Nothing contained in this Constitution shall prohibit the use of any other language as a medium of instruction in private schools or in schools financed or subsidized by the State, subject to compliance with such requirements as may be imposed by law, to ensure proficiency in the official language, or for pedagogic reasons.
Matumizi ya lugha katika mandhari-lugha ya jiji la Dar es Salaam: Ulinganishi wa dhima za Kiswahili na Kiingereza
(University of Namibia, 2017) Kidami, Rhoda Peterson
Numerous studies have been undertaken on the uses of language in the linguistic-landscape of various cities in the world, for instance in Bangkok, Tokyo, Vilnius, Amsterdam, and Gaborone. Those studies revealed that the number of multilingual communities is increasing in the linguistic-landscape, with English use increasing more and more. The question is, what is the language use situation in the linguistic-landscape of Dar es Salaam city? The aim of this paper is to answer that question as well as comparing the functions of Kiswahili and English languages in the linguistic-landscape of Dar es Salaam city. Data were gathered through photographing, interview and observation. The findings of this study revealed the use of seven languages in the area of study. Furthermore, some language functions are similar to both languages (Kiswahili and English) while others are specifically to either Kiswahili or English.
Language Skills for Higher Education in Tanzania
(University of Namibia, 2017) Rugemalira, Josephat
This paper argues that there are two radical policy options available to the higher education establishment in Tanzania with regard to the issue of the language medium of instruction. The first option requires the establishment of a strict filtering mechanism in order to exclude all applicants who do not possess the English language skills required in an English medium university. The second option seeks to develop a bilingual language policy for higher education. This would allow partial use of Kiswahili in the system e.g. in lectures, seminar discussions and examinations, even while most literature has to be accessed in English. The paper presents an account of the conditions that call for such a radical departure from current practice, showing that the much utilized ‘University of Dar es Salaam Model’ of Communications Skills courses has not had the expected impact.
Speakers living and languages dying: The endangerment of !Xóõ and øHua in Botswana
(University of Namibia, 2017) Moumakwa, Tshiamiso V.; Monaka, Kemmonye C.
!Xóõ and øHua are San languages spoken in Botswana, with !Xóõ also cross-bordering into South Africa and Namibia. !Xóõ is a Southern Khoesan language genetically affiliated to the Taa branch of Khoesan languages. The classification of øHua has been rather problematic. It has been classified with Southern Khoesan or Northern Khoesan, as an isolate or into the Ju-øHoan conglomerate. Both of these languages are acutely endangered. The objective of this article to is address the classification of !Xóõ and øHua, discuss the geographical spread in Botswana and lay out factors that lead to their acute endangerment in the country. The paper argues that endangering factors include the San relocation exercise in Botswana, contact with powerful Bantu groups and the current anguage/ language-in-education policy. The collective effect of these factors is the obliteration of !Xóõ and the øHua cultures and languages, and the domination and marginalization of these people in the land of their birth. The paper further recommends that this decimation of !Xóõ and øHua language and culture could be curbed by an enabling political will, documentation of these cultures and languages, the development of orthographies if possible, among other things.
Another day in my life
(University of Namibia, 2017) Mkandawire, Lucy
As I lie on my mat in the still of the night, with only the intermittent sound of a laughing hyena in the far distance, I wonder what tomorrow will bring. The baby in my belly begins to kick as though reminding me that the little porridge that I had apportioned myself for supper was not enough for both of us. Since my husband left two months ago to live with his new wife, life has been even more difficult than before. At least when he was here I did not have to till the land on my own. But now I have to till the land, pound the corn, cook the meals – assuming there is something to cook, and take care of my three other children. And with a growing belly, doing household chores gets more and more difficult by the day. I’m thankful that I only have two more months to go before the baby comes. Then I can at least do the housework more comfortably while my mother tends to the baby.
Chinua Achebe and hybrid aesthetics
(University of Namibia, 2017) Waliaula, Ken Walibora
This essay examines the question of hybridity in Chinua Achebe’s fiction and essays with a view to bringing to fore the inherent contradictions, ambiguities and ambivalences that typify writing in the colonial language. It hinges on the premise that Achebe’s choice of English as a language of literary expression is fraught with rejection and acceptance, aporia and agony, and Anglophilia and Anglophobia. Therefore, in his articulation and projection of the postcolonial narrative, Achebe implicitly grapples with the issue of identity in trying to make sense of his world as well as the world of his fictional characters.
Usanifishaji wa Kiswahili Afrika Mashariki: Changamoto na namna ya kukabiliana nazo
(University of Namibia, 2017) Hans, Mussa M.
The process of standardizing Kiswahili language started before East African countries attained independence. Despite adopting different objectives and methods, the process has been ongoing even after independence of the East African countries. When discussing this process, it is of paramount importance to take into consideration the growth of terminologies, especially scientific and technological terms, which are created almost on a daily basis. It is also important to take cognizance of an increase in the number of universities in this region in which Kiswahili is one of the subjects studied by many students. Taking into consideration the fact that Kiswahili is the medium of the subject’s instructions these universities, students need sufficient textbooks and reference books written in Kiswahili, among other things. As such, East African Community member states need standard terms in various sectors, including research. This being the case, it is important to carefully coordinate the process of standardizing Kiswahili terms for use in various domains of the East African Community. The main objective of this article, therefore, is to examine the challenges of standardizing Kiswahili in the new East African Community. The article also provides recommendations on what can be done best to facilitate effective use of Kiswahili language among East African Community member states.
Minimizing academic English lexicon gap between English first language students and English second language students
(University of Namibia, 2017) Mukoroli, Joseph Namutungika
Vocabulary, much more than grammar, is the key to any learner to understand what she/he hears and reads in school; and to communicate successfully with other people. For this reason it is very important for a learner to quickly build up a large store of words. Research studies have shown the strong links between having an extensive vocabulary and achieving school success. Lewis (1993) states that “Lexis the core or heart of language”. As English Second Language students develop greater fluency in English it is significant for them to acquire more productive academic vocabulary knowledge and to develop their own personal vocabulary learning strategies. This conceptual paper aims to highlight the academic lexicon gap between English First Language students and ESL students. Moreover, it defines what academic vocabulary is and how vocabulary is learned. Finally it provides effective vocabulary teaching strategies that could be employed in the ESL classroom in order to minimize the lexicon gap between English first language students and ESL students.
Spirit medium language mediation: A neglected form of interpreting?
(University of Namibia, 2017) Mpemba, Titus
While the need for interpreting has been growing as can be evidenced by intensification of research on interpreting and establishment and expansion of interpreting institutions and course programmes worldwide, the interpreting research landscape has been devoid of insightful research on African indigenous forms of interpreting. Using the Bhasukuma1 spirit medium transcendental language mediation (henceforth TLM) as a case study, the present paper examines interpreting definitional criteria in a bid to make a comparison with TLM features and determine what the comparison may reveal with regard to the relationship between interpreting and TLM. To achieve this objective, the researcher used literature research to glean the criteria used by previous interpreting scholars to define the concept interpreting, after which the criteria were used as an observation schedule for fieldwork observations. Results indicate that TLM exhibits all of the criteria used in defining interpreting. The present paper, therefore, concludes that the Bhasukuma spirit medium TLM is an indigenous form of interpreting, to which people have not been exposed and recommends that African scholars should take the responsibility of educating and re-educating the world about their unknown realities to better the understanding of the same.
Namibian multilingualism and sustainable development
(University of Namibia, 2017) Simataa, Agnes A.; Simataa, Evans
This position paper provides a critical discussion on the significance of indigenous languages in development in Namibia. The importance of the relationship between language and society is unquestionable as language in general allows communication to take place in society. The premise of this line of reasoning is to argue that though multilingualism may provide a challenging linguistic scenario for a country like Namibia which has a fragmented population running across different ethnic groups, the role of native languages in economic and social development should not be ignored as native languages can perpetuate sustainable development. This paper used qualitative content analysis, employing a desktop examination of secondary sources that pertain to language and economic development. As a desktop study, the data was collected through critical reading and analysis of language and development literature.
Investigating students’ motivations to learn French Foreign Language at the University of Namibia
(University of Namibia, 2017) Lumbu, Simon D.; Zannier-Wahengo, Aurelie
This paper is based on a case study carried out to instigate the motivation in students studying French as a foreign language in a tertiary institution, in an Anglophone country. There is general consensus among applied linguists that all learning is stimulated by motivation. The type of motivation is a determining factor in a student’s performance. This study presented a first of its kind in a Namibian context. Using Gardner’s self-determination theory, the study sought to establish motivation patterns in students of French as a foreign language; to determine the attitudes of students towards the French language, culture and its speakers; and to determine students’ objectives of learning French. Using Gardner’s theory, the concurrent mixed methods approach, a questionnaire was administered to the participants. The study revealed that the French community enjoys a positive image among students. However, a lack of exposure to Francophone speakers outside the classroom was a demotivating factor
The gap between grade 5 learners and their English Second Language competency: Should we be worried?
(University of Namibia, 2017) Julius, Lukas Homateni; Hautemo, Aletta Mweneni
In Namibian (public) schools, Lower Primary learners (pre- primary- Grade 3) are taught through their mother tongue and switch to English as the language of learning and teaching from Upper Primary phase (Grade 4 onwards). Upper Primary phase teachers are therefore faced with the challenges of developing learners’ cognitive and academic skills which learners need to study other subjects that are taught in English. This paper explore factors that constraint four different Upper Primary phase teachers from four different schools in the northern part of Namibia to effectively teaching teach their subjects. A qualitative interpretive approach was used to explore the factors that constrain teachers from effectively teaching their subjects. Data collection methods consisted of interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. Analysis of the data reveals that the syllabus are way ahead of learners’ actual competency in English Second Language. In addition, data reveals that when learners come into the Upper Primary phase, they have such a poor foundation that they continue to learn little and lag behind grade appropriate outcomes throughout their school careers
The Arabic stimulus to the Swahili language: A post-colonial balance sheet
(University of Namibia, 2017) Mazrui, Alamin
It is generally accepted that Arabic has had a major impact on the growth of the Swahili language over the centuries. The meaning of this linguistic stimulus of Arabic, however, has been a matter of far lesser consensus in both the colonial and postcolonial dispensations. Does the Semitic influence reduce Swahili’s African credentials, and does it amount to some degree of linguistic Islamization? If so, is the development an argument in favor of or against Swahili in relation to its role as a language of Christianity and, later of national belonging and expression? And can one be anti-Arab and anti- Islam but pro-Swahili at the same time without having to dis-Arabize Swahili? These are some of the central questions addressed in this article, reflecting conflicting positions of various interest groups, even as Swahili’s own momentum and dynamism have increasingly neutralized the contestation over its identity.

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