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Tertiary education in a second language : a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a South African tertiary institution who previously had French as medium of instruction
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2021
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| _version_ | 1867613888537690112 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Nieman, Catharina Marita |
| author2 | Huddlestone, Kate |
| author_browse | Huddlestone, Kate Nieman, Catharina Marita |
| author_facet | Huddlestone, Kate Nieman, Catharina Marita |
| author_sort | Nieman, Catharina Marita |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/110033 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:18.087Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/110033 Tertiary education in a second language : a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a South African tertiary institution who previously had French as medium of instruction Nieman, Catharina Marita Huddlestone, Kate Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. African Francophone students Linguistic repertoires of African Francophone students Tertiary education in English as second language UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examined the language repertoires of a sample of African Francophone students, studying towards various degrees and diplomas at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) in South Africa. The study participants were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and from Gabon where their Medium of Instruction (MOI) at school was French. The aim was to investigate the reasons why these students come to study in South Africa in the medium of English when it often has a negative impact on their academic success. For this reason, the study investigated the participants’ linguistic repertoires and how they use their different languages in different contexts to gain academic success. Furthermore, the study investigated the specific role of English in their linguistic repertoires, their exposure to English and how English features in the context of their academic learning. From a sociolinguistic perspective, the study also investigated the reasons why these students choose to study in English in South Africa, their experiences of studying in English, the barriers they experience, and their attempts to overcome such barriers. Data on the linguistic repertoires of the study participants were obtained through language background questionnaires and language portraits. The language background questionnaires also provided information on the participants’ exposure to English to gain insight into their knowledge and use of English. Data from the language portraits were further investigated during individual interviews as language portraits help participants to reflect more deeply on the languages in their repertoire. Individual interviews were conducted and data was collected regarding the reasons for the participants studying in English in South Africa, as well as their experiences and the barriers they face. A thematic analysis was undertaken of the interview data. Findings included that all the participants were multilingual and spoke an average of four languages. Their median age of exposure to English outside of school was 15 years. Most participants completed an English language course before commencement of their study at VUT. The median duration of such course was one year. French and English are the only two languages in the repertoires of the participants that are used for academic purposes. African Francophone students come to South Africa to study in English in order to secure a better future for themselves. They view English as an important language and feel that it is important to have a qualification from an English tertiary institution. However, they struggle with English and find it difficult to study in English. They also experience other difficulties in adapting, but are motivated to succeed. It was concluded from the study that African Francophone students who come to South Africa to study in English would benefit from a structured academic English course before commencement of their studies. Such a course should not only address basic English proficiency, but also academic English proficiency. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die taal repertoires van ‘n groep Frankofoonse studente uit die Demokratiese Republiek van die Kongo (DRK) en Gabon in Afrika ondersoek. Die studente studeer tans vir verskeie kwalifiasies in Suid Afrika aan die Vaal Universiteit van Tegnologie (VUT) waar die onderrig taal Engels is. In die DRK en Gabon was hierdie studente se taal van onderrig Frans. Die doel was om te ondersoek waarom hierdie studente besluit het om in Suid Afrika, waar die taal van onderrig Engels is, te studeer aangesien Engels as taal van onderrig soms ‘n negatiewe impak op hul akademiese sukses het. Om dit te doen is die studie deelnemers se taal repertoires ondersoek om vas te stel hoe hulle dit in verskillende kontekste aanwend om akademiese sukses te verseker. Die studie het verder die spesifieke rol van Engels in hulle taal repertoires ondersoek, asook hulle blootstelling aan Engels en die funksie van Engels in hul akademiese konteks. Vanuit ‘n sosiolinguistiese perspektief het die studie verder ondersoek gedoen na die redes waarom die Frankofoonse studente besluit het om in Suid Afrika in Engels as onderrigtaal te studeer, asook hul ervarings en hindernisse tydens hul studie en hul pogings om die hindernisse te oorkom, al dan nie. Data rakende die deelnemers se taalrepertoires is verkry met behulp van taalagtergrond-vraelyste asook taalportrette. Die vraelyste het ook data verskaf oor die deelnemers se blootstelling aan Engels om insig in hul kennis en gebruik van Engels te hê. Data van die taalportrette is ook verder ondersoek tydents die individuele onderhoude, aangesien deelnemers dieper kon reflekteer oor die verskillende tale in hul repertoires. Individuele onderhoude is ook met die deelnemers gevoer. In die onderhoude is data verkry rakende hul redes om in Suid Afrika in Engels as onderrigtaal te studeer, hul ervarings, asook hindernisse tydens hul studie. Die data is tematies geanaliseer en weergegee en sekere data is ook met behulp van beskrywende statistieke weergegee. Die studie het bevind dat al die deelnemers multitalig is met ‘n gemiddelde hoeveelheid van vier tale in hul repertoires. Die gemiddelde ouderdom waarop hulle aan Engels buite skoolverband blootgestel was, is 14,7 jaar. Die grootste hoeveelheid deelnemers het voor die begin van hul studie by VUT ‘n Engelse taalkursus voltooi. Die gemiddelde tydperk van so ‘n kursus was 9,1 maande. Die deelnemers gebruik slegs Frans en Engels vir akademiese doeleindes. Die studie het verder bevind dat Frankofoonse studente van Afrika na Suid Afrika kom om hier ‘n kwalifiasie te behaal om sodoende ‘n beter toekoms vir hulself te bewerkstellig. Engels as taal en ‘n kwalifikasie by ‘n Engelse tersiëre instelling word as baie belangrik geag. Hulle vind dit egter moeilik om in Engels as onderrigtaal te studeer en hulle ondervind ook ander probleme om aan te pas, maar ten spyte hiervan is hierdie studente vasberade en gemotiveerd om suksesvol te wees. Die gevolgtrekking wat van die studie gemaak kan word, is dat Frankofoonse studente uit Afrika wat in Suid Afrika in Engels wil studeer, baat sal vind by ‘n gestruktureerde Engelse kursus voor die aanvang van hul studies. So ‘n kursus sal voordelig wees indien dit nie slegs basiese Engelse vaardighede insluit nie, maar veral ook akademiese Engelse vaardighede. Masters 2021-03-08T07:01:16Z 2021-04-21T14:37:17Z 2021-03-08T07:01:16Z 2021-04-21T14:37:17Z 2021-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110033 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xi, 77 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | African Francophone students Linguistic repertoires of African Francophone students Tertiary education in English as second language UCTD Nieman, Catharina Marita Tertiary education in a second language : a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a South African tertiary institution who previously had French as medium of instruction |
| title | Tertiary education in a second language : a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a South African tertiary institution who previously had French as medium of instruction |
| title_full | Tertiary education in a second language : a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a South African tertiary institution who previously had French as medium of instruction |
| title_fullStr | Tertiary education in a second language : a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a South African tertiary institution who previously had French as medium of instruction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tertiary education in a second language : a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a South African tertiary institution who previously had French as medium of instruction |
| title_short | Tertiary education in a second language : a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a South African tertiary institution who previously had French as medium of instruction |
| title_sort | tertiary education in a second language a case study of the linguistic repertoires and experiences of multilingual students at a south african tertiary institution who previously had french as medium of instruction |
| topic | African Francophone students Linguistic repertoires of African Francophone students Tertiary education in English as second language UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110033 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT niemancatharinamarita tertiaryeducationinasecondlanguageacasestudyofthelinguisticrepertoiresandexperiencesofmultilingualstudentsatasouthafricantertiaryinstitutionwhopreviouslyhadfrenchasmediumofinstruction |