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PERSPECTIVES ON A SCHOOL’S BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM IN SOUTH AFRICA By BUYISWA MAVIS MINI A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2016 © 2016 Buyiswa Mavis Mini To my late dad and mom, Manene and Nomakhosi Olga Njobe, who braved it through all odds to provide me with the basic education that became a firm foundation for all my God-given achievements up to this moment, and beyond; to the inspiration of all grandchildren, particularly Buhlebenkosi Linamandla, Libongwe Zanoxolo, Mikhulu Mthwakazi the only princess, Mnqobi Simbongile, and Mila Salusiwe, to my only living maternal aunt, ninety-year old Mrs. Idah Mkafeni MaRhudulu Luthuli, and to the service of bilingual education in my country, by the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express deep gratitude to Dr. Esther J. De Jong for tireless intellectual guidance and for her patience, encouragement and support, first as my Academic Advisor throughout my years at the College of Education and also as my Academic Committee Chair. My appreciation also goes to the other members of my Academic Committee, Drs. Candice Harper, James Essegbey and Brent Henderson for their dedication in serving in the Committee and for their support and intellectual guidance. Dr Henderson was also my very helpful advisor in the Linguistics PhD program from which I moved to Education after two years. I still appreciate his care and assistance at that time, as well as his serving in my current academic committee. I am grateful to each and every professor who contributed to my learning at UF, and to the auxiliary services like the International Center and the Disability Resource Center for their part in making my stay and learning successful and thus ensuring that this day of recognition of my achievements would come. My gratitude also goes to the Center for African Studies for financial assistance and overall support and friendliness. The kindness I experienced from other teaching assistants (TAs) and professors of African languages, and from all my other professors and many of my fellow classmates is appreciated and will never be forgotten. There are no words that can express adequately my appreciation of Nomzo, Dr. Zoliswa Sidzumo-Mali popularly known as Zoli, who is currently lecturer for isiXhosa and isiZulu, as well as other language related courses, including computer assisted language teaching, and African Linguistcs at Boston University, and who has held positions of Clinical Assistant Professor, and Co-Ordinator of Southern African Languages at the same university, namely, Boston University. Our God-guided friendship and mutual support from time to time has a long history, and it has endured and continued from long years at the University of Fort Hare and in 4 the same church, the Alice-Town Assemblies of God Church, right into the United States. A sister, true friend, genuine fellow-child of God, she has been a pillar of support for me unreservedly, untiringly, and unendingly, sharing with me from all her God-given blessings and experiences in the United States, in many aspects of my life here. I thank the people who have always been there for me to fall back on, giving me moral support and numerous other kinds of invaluable assistance, every time I needed it, thereby contributing to making my stay here a success, Drs. Rose Lugano, Agnes Ngoma Leslie, and Charles Bwenge at the University of Florida. I can never thank them sufficiently. The students I taught isiXhosa and later isiZulu as foreign languages, throughout my years at the University of Florida (UF) have been very good to me from term to term and year to year. The same applies to those I taught during the summer programs, SCALI and AFLI. I appreciate them and their friendship very much. A heartfelt word of appreciation goes especially to my very good and supportive friends, Ahyea Jo and her husband, Sangyeon and their little daughter, Sarah. I am grateful also to Aazam, Yang Qi, and Dianne Murphy for their friendship and support. Special thanks go to my spiritual home in Gainesville, namely the house of God in North Central Baptist Church, for spiritual support, prayers, and the sincere love I experienced. Among them Brother Jerre and his wife, Ms Pat Brannen deserve a special thank you for being my constant home away from home, and being there for me at every turn and every call. I speak God’s blessings to the church leadership and to all the other children of God for all your kindness and friendliness. My fellow Africans in Maguire Village and other places, past and present, too numerous to mention by name, also deserve a special thanks for friendship and support, and for the family atmosphere they all created around me in all the years of our stay here. Among them are 5 Omotola and her husband, Demola, with their young son, Jedediah. Being my nearest neighbors in 383 Maguire Village, Apartment 2 (I am in 3), Tola and Demola have used that as an opportunity to lovingly and wholeheartedly support and serve me with indescribable courtesy and self-sacrifice as they would their own parents. They are readily available to transport me and also serve me in any other way, literally at any time I call. To them too I say thank you without ceasing. Only the Lord can thank them sufficiently on my behalf. This applies also to all the other beautiful people the Lord placed in my life and at my service all the years of my stay in Gainesville, whose contribution to my success only the Lord is able to repay. I am thankful for the regular encouragement and support of all kinds that I received from the people at home in South Africa. Among them are my siblings and their families, who have always been my greatest support and fans, uBhuti Thembinkosi, Nomsa (Sno), Thozama (Thozi), Zamicebo (Breeze Mabhuti), nethunjana uNdileka (Ndili), noSibali uThandabantu (ufaf’olude lwakwaNgxabi); relatives, friends, and all the children of God who always lifted me up in prayers, shared some special moments with me, and made some significant contributions to my life during this time. Some of those who were closest to me during my times away from home were Nomonde Dabula (uMaZulu), Nathi and Vuyiswa Mbombela (kwaQhudeni), my cousin who also is my friend from childhood, Buyelwa Xaki- Bisholo and her family, my Mkhaya’s wife and friend, Mrs. Nomava Tunzelana and family, and my prayer warrior, Mrs. Tomato Mateke (uSmata). My friend, whom I call My Sister, Beauty Zisiwe Mzati aka Nosimo Balindlela and her husband deserve special mention and appreciation for their unforgettable contribution that enabled me one time to visit my family after a whole four years away from home. 6 My sincere gratitude also goes to Xolani Qamata for gifting me with my first iPad in 2012, and for kindly borrowing me a car for my research travels in 2013. This was a great contribution to the success of my dissertation research, and was in addition to all the other services he had had opportunity to render to me. I am grateful also to Sibonginkosi and Nontlantla Hlalukana for the warmth, courtesy and kindness they and their pretty daughters treated me with as they gave me accommodation in their beautiful Ndabakazi home and were great host and hostess to me. In this way they too contributed to making my research possible and successful. In our language, isiXhosa, ndibamba ngazibini. Ningadinwa nangamso. I thank the principals, teachers, parents and government officials who graciously agreed to be participants for my research, and the Education District, especially Miss Fezeka Njotini who treated me with so much kindness and care that it will take me time to forget. I still remember with gratitude and appreciation the warm welcome I received at the Office of the Language-in-Education Policy, in the Department of Education in Zwelitsha, King Williams Town. To all of these people and others not mentioned I owe the success of my stay and research activities during that time. Words fail me with which to express my gratitude and appreciation to all my children, Kungomsa Zanobuhle Eviwe, Viswinceba Zenakhane Enkosi and Mbulelo Simbongile, and Abongwe-Ophayo Culolikamama (ithunjana), whom I call “kids of mine,” who gave and still give me every kind of support conceivable. My first umzukulwana, Buhlebenkosi Linamandla Mawande’s role is also significant. May blessings untold follow them all, all the days of their lives, in Jesus Christ’s name! In my home language, bawa bevuka nam. Almost literally, they all have been willing to fall and rise with me, lifting me up prayerfully to encourage me and ensure 7 my progress, until the end of my program, and beyond. To them too, and to the Lord I owe my success. Above all, to God, my Creator and Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ my Savior, and the Holy Spirit my Companion, to God three-in-one and one-in-three, I give glory, and thanks and praises, for divine enablement in all my endeavors through all of my life, and through Whom I am all what I am, and have all what I have, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen. 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................4 LIST OF TABLES .........................................................................................................................13 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................14