Affirming Marginal Voice: a Study of a Group of Primary School Children
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In this action research study, Aziza Jardine investigates the language attitudes of a group of ten- to eleven-year-old children from a diverse range of language backgrounds in an English medium school in the Western Cape, South Africa. Her particular focus is on Xhosa-speaking children, Affirming marginal voices: whose perceptions of their a study of a group of primary home language as being of little relevance to school school children in an asymmetrical learning form part of broader multilingual setting societal language attitudes. As a teacher researcher, the author made use of dialogue Aziza Jardine journal writing to raise the children’s awareness of their linguistic abilities, as well as to provide them with the opportunity of expressing themselves in writing. Her study is underpinned by critical conceptions of language, literacy, discourse, and voice. UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN PRAESA Occasional Papers No. 29 PRAESA’s series of occasional papers is meant to provide an opportunity for the Acknowledgments research done by staff members and associated researchers working in the Our thanks go to the Ford Foundation domains of language, education, and for financial support towards the language policy in education to obtain publication of this paper, which is initial exposure to an interested peer a slightly edited version of a minor audience. All views expressed are those dissertation submitted in partial of the author(s), and do not necessarily fulfilment of the requirements for reflect those of PRAESA. It is hoped that the award of the Degree of Master feedback will improve the final version in of Education, Faculty of Humanities, which this research is eventually published University of Cape Town, 2008. or distributed. For more information on the the series go to the PRAESA website. Published by PRAESA (Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa) University of Cape Town In this action research study, Aziza Jardine investigates the language Private Bag Rondebosch 7701 attitudes of a group of ten- to eleven- Cape Town, South Africa year-old children from a diverse range Tel: 021 650 4013/Fax: 021 650 3027 of language backgrounds in an English Email: [email protected] medium school in the Western Cape, South Africa. Her particular focus is on Xhosa- Website: http://www.uct.ac.za/depts/ speaking children, whose perceptions of praesa/ their home language as being of little relevance to school learning form part of ISBN: 1-919948-49-X broader societal language attitudes. As a Copyright: © 2008 the author and PRAESA teacher researcher, the author made use of dialogue journal writing to raise the children’s awareness of their linguistic Series Editor: Peter Plüddemann abilities, as well as to provide them with the opportunity of expressing themselves in writing. Her study is underpinned by DTP conversion: Andy Thesen critical conceptions of language, literacy, Printing: Salty Print discourse, and voice. Affirming marginal voices: a study of a group of primary school children in an asymmetrical multilingual setting Aziza Jardine PRAESA Occasional Papers No. 29 Author’s acknowledgements Contents I would like to acknowledge the support and contribution of the following: Abstract .............................................................................................6 • Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA) Opsomming ........................................................................................6 for the financial assistance that allowed me to undertake this study Isishwankathelo ..................................................................................7 • PRAESA staff, Neville Alexander, Carole Bloch, Ntombi Nkence and Peter Plüddemann for their insightful comments and suggestions during differ- 1. Introduction ................................................................................9 ent stages of the research process 1.1 ‘I can’t read Xhosa’ ....................................................................9 • 1.2 Situating my research ............................................................... 10 Ntombi Nkence, to whom I am particularly grateful, for assisting with 1.3 Aims of the study ..................................................................... 11 translations, and whose journal entries formed an integral part of the proc- 1.4 Research questions................................................................... 12 ess 1.5 Description of the study ............................................................ 12 • Brigitta Busch of the University of Vienna for her enthusiasm about this 1.6 Scope and limitations................................................................ 13 research, her wisdom and insight, and her willingness to act as ‘critical 1.7 Outline of the dissertation ......................................................... 13 friend’ throughout the process 2. Theoretical considerations .......................................................... 14 • Carolize Jansen, formerly of PRAESA, for so generously agreeing to edit 2.1 Language and society: a critical view .......................................... 14 this work 2.2 The postmodern view: constructing our worlds via language ......... 15 • Cathy Hutchings, who supervised the writing of this thesis, for being 2.3 Merging critical and postmodern interpretations: Discourse as accessible, for the time she invested in this project, for supporting and chal- ‘regulated ways of constructing our worlds’ ................................. 15 lenging me to explain more and better, for helping to shape my writing to a 2.3.1 Power in discourse – the effects of categorization .................. 16 2.4 Language attitudes – internalising hegemonic discourses ............... 17 form consistent with an academic work, for the reassurance and encourage- 2.4.1 South African language attitudes as historical constructions .... 18 ment amidst my bouts of self doubt: thank you, Cathy • 2.4.2 Current language policy and attitudes .................................. 19 the children in this study who, through their openness and willingness to 2.4.3 Criticisms of current language policy .................................... 19 allow me into their worlds, left an indelible impression on mine; to their 2.5 Language attitudes and ‘voice’ .................................................. 20 class teachers, for accommodating me; to the principals of both of the 2.5.1 Critical conceptions – amplifying the voices of schools at which I teach, for their encouragement and support marginalised others ............................................................... 20 • my family for their understanding and patience, particularly during the try- 2.5.2 Postmodern views – voices as multiple, fluid and emergent ..... 21 ing period leading up to the submission date. 2.6 Affirming marginal voices via dialogue journals ........................... 22 2.6.1 Empirical studies of dialogue journal writing .......................... 23 2.6.2 Dialogue journals as a literacy strategy ................................ 24 2.6.2.1 Literacy: autonomous and ideological views ..................... 24 2.6.2.2 Biliteracy within the ideological paradigm ....................... 25 2.6.3 Code-switching as bilingual discourse ................................... 26 2.6.4 Cummins’ theory of language and literacy learning ................. 26 2.7 Conclusion .............................................................................. 27 3. Methodology: Research as acting in the world ............................ 28 3.1 Views of knowledge and research .............................................. 28 3.2 Reconciling critical and postmodern views: the researcher within the study .....................................................................................29 3.3 Methodological choices .............................................................. 30 3.3.1 Conceptions of action research ............................................ 30 3.4 The research process ................................................................ 31 3.4.1 Research participants ....................................................... 31 PRAESA – Occasional Papers No. 29 Affirming marginal voices 3.4.2 Data collection during the first phase .................................. 31 Appendix B: Language questionnaire March 2006 .................................. 80 3.4.3 Reflections during the first phase ....................................... 32 Appendix C: Parent consent forms ...................................................... 81 3.4.4 The Second Phase: Encouraging home language literacy ....... 33 3.4.5 Journal writing during the second phase: working in Appendix D: Research participants’ profiles based on school records, two classes ........................................................................ 33 informal conversations and journal entries ....................................... 82 3.5 Critical Discourse Analysis ......................................................... 35 Appendix E: Dialogue Journal entries: Enathi, aged 10, August 2005. ....... 87 3.5.1 The textual dimension ....................................................... 35 3.5.2 The discourse process dimension ........................................ 36 Appendix F: Research journal observations ........................................... 97 3.5.3 The social context dimension .............................................. 36 Other publications in the Occasional Papers