Switching of Bilingual Shona-Xhosa Speakers in Cape Town
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Unisa Institutional Repository “BLESSED WITH A CURSE?” LINGUISTIC CONSTRAINTS ON THE CODE- SWITCHING OF BILINGUAL SHONA-XHOSA SPEAKERS IN CAPE TOWN BY JOHN MAMBAMBO SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE SUBJECT AFRICAN LANGUAGES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR D.E. MUTASA NOVEMBER 2016 DECLARATION Student number - 46513779 I, John Mambambo, declare that “BLESSED WITH A CURSE?” LINGUISTIC CONSTRAINTS ON THE CODE-SWITCHING OF BILINGUAL SHONA-XHOSA SPEAKERS IN CAPE TOWN is my work and that all the sources used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. November 2016 ________________________ _____________________ SIGNATURE DATE ii ABSTRACT Completely couched in and steered by the qualitative research method, this study examines the linguistic constraints on the code-switching of the bilingual Shona-Xhosa speakers in Cape Town. The views of the key research participants obtained through participant observation, interviews and questionnaires were heavily relied on. The motivations for the code-switching of the bilingual Shona-Xhosa speakers in Cape Town were explored in this study, including the Shona- Xhosa interlink. Myers-Scotton‟s Markedness theory was scrutinized to discern the assorted social variables motivating the bilingual speakers to code-switch in Cape Town while the Matrix Language Frame Model was used to determine that Shona is the base language and isiXhosa is the embedded language in the Shona-Xhosa code-switching in Cape Town. Diverse linguistic constraints were examined in the context of the Shona-Xhosa code-switching and their universality was disputed. Similarities between Shona and Xhosa were unearthed and the researcher recommends that further Shona-Xhosa studies be pursued. iii KEYWORDS Shona-Xhosa similarities; code-switching; bilingualism; linguistic constraints; interlocutors; bilingual; code-switching motivations; Markedness theory; Matrix Language Framework Model; constraint. iv DEDICATION to my son Divine John Mambambo and my daughter Delight Jayden Mambambo who brought some chaotic harmony to my world v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While the eventual assemblage of this dissertation was an individual responsibility, its content and organization are products of my contact with people from diverse backgrounds. I therefore strongly feel indebted to my Promoter Prof Davie E. Mutasa for his incomparable lenience, academic leadership, supervision and academic assistance right through the episode of my studies. I would like to acknowledge his assistance and contribution to the quality of this dissertation. I am absolutely grateful and would want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the University of South Africa‟s Financial Aid Bureau for granting me a Postgraduate Academic Merit Bursary. Without their financial assistance, it would have been a hurdle to complete my Masters Degree with UNISA. Many thanks go to my loving family members. My mom Theresa Mambambo toiled to ensure that I would go to school and my sister Fungai Mambambo Muroyiwa who picked up the stick to send me to my „A‟ Levels and Undergraduate studies. This is the fruit of your inspiration ladies! I also want to acknowledge the support that I received from my loving wife Thelmar, my daughter Delight Jayden and my son Divine John who arrived when I was completing this research. Their love and memory motivated me even when the going was getting tough for the duration of the episode of my studies. They allowed me to study during the time that I should have wholly devoted to them when I was working on my research. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of Dr. P. Mpofu, from the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe who introduced me to Prof Davie E. Mutasa and kept on motivating me while constantly requesting my Supervisor to help me. Prof Magwa, Prof Chigidi, Dr. Charamba and Dr.Viriri also motivated me by constantly reminding me that I was wasting time by not proceeding to my Masters studies. Thank you, I appreciate your motivation! I also want to mention my friends Mr.S.G Maeresera and Mr. I. Shumba whose constant motivation kept me on track. Much gratitude is extended to all those who participated in the data collection stages of this dissertation. Devoid of the input from all these acknowledged beings and groups of individuals, this research would not have materialized, I thank them all for liberally submitting the data that were germane to this research. vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Shona-Xhosa switched conjunctions.....................................................................50 Table 2: Shona-Xhosa Days of the week.............................................................................62 Table 3: Shona-Xhosa Numbers from One to Ten...............................................................62 Table 4: Similar Shona and Xhosa Nouns.......................................................................... 63 Table 5: Shona-Xhosa Verbs................................................................................................64 Table 6: Similar Shona and Xhosa body parts......................................................................65 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Topic Page Declaration.................................................................................................................. ii Abstract....................................................................................................................... iii Key words................................................................................................................... iv Dedication................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements..................................................................................................... vi List of tables................................................................................................................ vii Table of contents........................................................................................................ viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION........................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Statement of the problem....................................................................................... 3 1.3 Aim of the study..................................................................................................... 5 1.3.1 Objectives...............................................................................................................5 1.3.2 Research Questions................................................................................................5 1.3.3 Justification of the study........................................................................................ 5 1.4 Literature Review................................................................................................... 6 1.5 Definition of terms................................................................................................. 9 1.6 Theoretical Framework.......................................................................................... 9 1.7 Research Methodology........................................................................................ 12 1.8 Scope of the study................................................................................................ 13 1.9 Ethical considerations.......................................................................................... 14 1.10 Conclusion........................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................. 15 2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................ 15 2.2 Tracing the code-switching, linguistic constraints, and bilingualism studies footprints..............................................................................................................15 2.3 Code-switching studies in other parts of the world................................................ 17 2.4 Code-switching studies in other African countries................................................ 19 2.5 Code-switching studies in South Africa................................................................. 22 2.6 Conclusion............................................................................................................. 24 viii CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK...................................... 25 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................ 25 3.2 The structural approach to the code-switching studies.......................................... 25 3.3 Is bilingualism being blessed with a curse?........................................................... 26 3.4 Motivations for code-switching and code-mixing................................................. 28 3.5 Linguistic/Grammatical constraints on bilingual code-switching......................... 30 3.6 Bantu languages interlink: Zone S / The Niger-Congo B Bantu........................... 33 3.7 Conclusion............................................................................................................