Humanities

This study follows a qualitative narrative inquiry research design, investigating the Music Literacy (MusLit) conundrum through the lived experiences of eight South African MusLit teachers. This conundrum exists amongst a number of variables regarding the effective teaching and learning of MusLit as prescribed in the South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS 2011) in South African secondary schools. The variables include available, but sometimes inadequate, resources in the school education system, the individual circumstances of teachers and learners, as well as ever-changing environments in schools – both government and privately owned. In addition, music teachers, managers and the community have different points of view regarding the place and value of MusLit education in the school context. Furthermore, these variables are interrelated and entangled, playing juxtaposed roles in the effective teaching and learning of MusLit. In the literature review of this study, the found variables were systemised, organised, and structured into a visual representation, the Ishikawa Cause-and-Effect Diagram (Ishikawa CED).
This Ishikawa CED displays the relationships between the interdependent variables, causing a single effect: the MusLit conundrum. In this investigative study, the Ishikawa CED served a dual purpose. Firstly, as graphic elicitation in the semi-structured interviews conducted with the MusLit teachers; and secondly, it was appropriated as theoretical framework, situating the findings of this study in a structure through which the data, systematic data analysis, the interpretation of findings, recommendations and conclusions could be done. 
Bridging the gap between the qualitative visualisation of the MusLit conundrum in the Ishikawa CED and the gathered data (semi-structured interviews), was narrative inquiry, which collectively served as the conceptual framework for this study. Because of the deductive nature of this study, a theoretical as well as conceptual model was appropriated as essential components of the research design and methodology. ATLAS.tiTM Version 9.3 (Atlas.ti 2021), which is purpose-built computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software, was used for the classifying, sorting, and arranging of categories, as well as the coding and sub-coding of themes, in both the found variables (literature review) and the narrative data. 
In the investigation of the MusLit conundrum and the variables impacting on it, it became evident that MusLit teachers could deepen and augment the previously researched knowledge of the MusLit conundrum. Subsequently, three research questions are being answered: “How will the MusLit conundrum in South African secondary schools be investigated?”; “Why are the personal stories of South African MusLit teachers of significance in the investigation of the MusLit conundrum?” and “How do these teachers effectively sustain the teaching and learning of MusLit in a constantly changing environment?” The researcher theorises that the Music teachers use their own personal teaching and learning experiences to teach MusLit effectively in their unique individual environments. The collected narrative data (semi-structured interviews with eight South African music teachers) consisted of their unique experiences regarding the teaching and learning of MusLit. Their stories are being retold to gain understanding of, and new insight into, the MusLit conundrum. 
The Ishikawa CED evolved gradually through the course of the study, first from a basic root-cause-analysis of the variables, through the systemisation of the variables. Then the Ishikawa CED was deconstructed and recomposed into the NIshikawa CED (Narrative Ishikawa Cause-and-Effect Diagram). Bridging the gap between the initial qualitative visualisation of the MusLit conundrum in the Ishikawa CED, and the analysis of the gathered data (semi-structured interviews), was narrative inquiry as developed by Clandinin and Connelly. This consequentual merge of cause-and-effect analysis theories by Ishikawa, and narrative inquiry theories by Dewey, Clandinin and Connelly, led to the newly developed NIshikawa CED. One of the main results of this study is the development of the NIshikawa CED, a merge between the Ishikawa CED and Clandinin and Connelly’s three-dimensional narrative inquiry space. This study concluded that the MusLit conundrum is an enigma, an ever-present companion to the South African music teacher. Ultimately, music teachers use different coping strategies and mechanisms to effectively teach MusLit - even when the circumstances and environments are not ideal.

In this paper I describe Word Clouds, as applied pragmatically, in an interpretive qualitative study regarding effective teaching and learning of Music Literacy in South African secondary schools. Word Clouds, or, word frequency lists, are usually seen by qualitative researchers as non-interpretive and non-subjective, and thus not suitable to be utilised in a 'truly authentic' interpretive qualitative study. However, in the abovementioned study, the advantages of Word Clouds cannot be undervalued or underestimated. In the journey from getting to know the freshly collected data, through the content analysis and, consequently, the findings, the application of the Word Clouds combined perfectly with the nuances of the text. This led to many 'aha' moments which were exciting and intrinsically motivating.

Among the various themes that we could have explored in our study of Toni Morrison's Beloved, my resistance narratives lecturer felt violence was a particularly interesting one. In this paper I explore both verbal and physical acts of violence and aggression in the characters of Sethe and Beloved.

Academic literacy: prepare to learn is different from traditional courses in that it is task-based: it requires of language learners who are developing their academic literacy to do authentic academic tasks and to solve real academic problems. It assumes that telling students about how tasks must be done is never enough - they must be allowed to demonstrate that they can actually do real academic work. The book is also different from other titles in that tasks have been sequenced in line with current research into the acquisition of academic literacy.

One of the important challenges of test design and construction is to align the blueprint of a test and the specifications that flow from it with the task types that are selected to measure the language ability described in the blueprint. This article examines a number of such task types and their alignment with the blueprint of a particular test of academic literacy. In particular, we consider a reconceptualisation of one traditional task type that has been utilised in some pilot tests. Its modification, problems, and potential value and future application are examined.

Note by Albert Weideman on 3/10/2017: The ideas in this article were further developed in a follow-up article: The refinement of a construct for tests of academic literacy. Journal for Language Teaching 47(1) 2013: 125-151.  DOI: 10.4314/jlt.v47i1.6.

The designed solutions to language problems that are the stock-in-trade of applied linguistics affect the lives of growing numbers of people. By calling for these designs to be accountable, applied linguistics has, in its most recent postmodern form, added an ethical dimension that is lacking in earlier work. Postmodern understandings of the field echo many valid concerns that were first raised several decades ago in other fields (cf Stafleu, 2004: 107): the non-neutrality of science, and a critique of progressivism and scientific hubris. The paper shows how this discipline has struggled with issues of continuity, integrity and validation, before analysing the ideas of transparency and accountability as an ethical concern in current applied linguistics. Illustrations are given of attempts at greater transparency and accountability for a typical applied linguistic artefact, the Test of Academic Literacy Levels (TALL) that is used by three South African universities.

Language proficiency among young South Africans is low. This is true not only of mother tongue speakers of English and Afrikaans, but also, and especially, of non-mother tongue speakers of English, among whom language proficiency levels raise serious concern. Some examples are given to illustrate the importance of this problem, and the extent of the problem is outlined. In this paper, we focus on one critical factor related to these low proficiency levels. What is important, in addition, is that the conditions, strategies and current remedies are all less than likely to make a difference. In fact, one can safely predict that the situation is likely to worsen. The importance of remedying the present situation is therefore crucial, and we discuss a number of alternatives to do so successfully.

Explores the history of communicative language teaching. The concepts are dealt with more extensively in the eBook "Designing language teaching: on becoming a reflective professional", freely downloadable at: https://www.academia.edu/472810/Designing_language_teaching_On_becoming_a_reflective_professional

The Test of Academic Literacy Levels (TALL) used by three South African universities (Pretoria, Stellenbosch and North-West) provides a reliable and affordable alternative means of assessing the academic literacy of new entrants into the higher education sector. A close alignment is sought between the test, the task-based language instruction that follows its administration, and the learning and acquisition aimed for. The article critically examines the construct of the test as well as its task types in light of various current discussions about authenticity. The article is concluded by suggesting a number of possible alternative task types that may achieve a closer alignment with the goals embodied in the construct. Various developmental, contextual, administrative and logistical constraints appear, however, to affect the level of resemblance to academic discourse of the test task types. 

English: We often neglect to justify course and task design in language teaching in terms of current insight. This article articulates a number of general considerations that influence course design in communicative language teaching, as well as one specific condition: that the task or course must make language learning possible in the classroom. It concludes with a consideration of three essential criteria: that the task or course design embody a broad (communicative) perspective on language, that it provide learners with opportunities for focusing on the learning process itself, and that it use learners’ personal experience as a starting point for tasks.


Afrikaans: Die ontwerpers van taalkursusse en -opdragte versuim dikwels om hul ontwerpe te regverdig aan die hand van eietydse insigte. Die artikel bespreek enkele algemene beginsels wat kursusontwerp beïnvloed. Dit identifiseer ook een oorkoepelende voorwaarde, naamlik dat die taak of kursus die aanleer van taal in die klaskamer moontlik moet maak. Die artikel sluit af met ’n bespreking van drie noodsaaklike kriteria in kursusontwerp: die belang van ’n breë kommunikatiewe perspektief op taal, leerders moet die geleentheid gebied word om op die leerproses self te fokus en leeerders se persoonlike ervaring moet as basis gebruik word vir die ontwerp van opdragte.