The use of video as a resource for the development of L1 Foundation Phase Literacy in isiXhosa: a digital multimodal discourse approach
- Authors: Schafli, Sasha-Lee
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/467105 , vital:76815 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/467105
- Description: Videos as a resource for African language L1 literacy development are strikingly absent from the South African school curriculum for the Foundation Phase (Grades 1 to 3). Furthermore, an overall lack of isiXhosa same language subtitling (SLS) practices in South Africa for videos poses questions as to the benefits and challenges of SLS for L1 early grade readers of isiXhosa. The aim of this research was to test, describe and analyse the efficacy of five isiXhosa YouTube story videos with SLS for the development of literacy in isiXhosa at the Grade 2 and 3 L1 levels. In this mixed-methods study, the five videos were exposed to Grade 2 and 3 learners at a school in the Eastern Cape in a quantitative two-group experimental design in a three-month intervention. This was to determine whether video exposure resulted in significant difference for learners' literacy, focusing particularly on word recognition, Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) scores and broad semiotic awareness between the linguistic and visual modes. The five videos were also analysed with a Digital Multimodal Discourse Analysis (DMDA), illustrating potential areas in which these five videos could assist or pose challenges to literacy learning in this context. While learners’ reading scores improved over the three-month intervention, nonparametric t-test results indicate SLS video exposure did not make a significant difference in learners’ reading improvements. Results from both methods were triangulated with cognitive theories of multimodal literacy and Mayer’s principles of learning with multimedia. The analysis highlights that while the videos’ design may be conducive for learning, the subtitle rate in the videos is far greater than the learners’ reading scores in this study or reading speed benchmarks expected of Grade 2 and 3 learners. This can result in these videos being ineffective as a resource to improve literacy in isiXhosa for this level. This research highlights the importance of the integration of multiple methods of analysis for multimodal resources, as well as the importance of subtitle rate as a system within a multimodal analysis for literacy research. Furthermore, Comparative Relations in Intersemiotic Texture is proposed as a useful system for examining learning resources. This research further suggests areas of focus for future video design in potential L1 Foundation Phase literacy resources for isiXhosa and other African languages. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Pedagogic videos as a foreign language learning resource in textbooks used in the German studies section of a South African university: A digital multimodal discourse perspective
- Authors: Schafli, Sasha-Lee
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Language and languages Study and teaching Audio-visual aids , Educational technology , Media programs (Education) , German language Study and teaching Foreign speakers Audio-visual aids , Visual learning , Rhodes University , German language Discourse analysis , Digital multimodal discourse analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Masters theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177087 , vital:42789 , http://doi.org/10.21504/10962/113934
- Description: Video is a prominent teaching and learning tool within foreign language (FL) textbook media packages in the 21st century. While studies undertaken in the Global North highlight that video materials in the FL classroom have the potential to influence learning and cultural knowledge acquisition, there is a lack of research on the manner in which pedagogically designed videos influence adult FL learning and cultural knowledge acquisition in a South African context. In this study, I explore the opportunities and challenges in terms of language learning and cultural knowledge acquisition that arise from three pedagogic videos in the Menschen A1 textbook which is used in teaching students registered for the German Studies 1 course at Rhodes University. I compare and contrast two sets of data to examine the relationship between pedagogic video and student knowledge acquisition: the results of a digital multimodal discourse analysis (DMDA) of these videos, and questionnaires and transcriptions collected from semi-structured group interviews with German Studies 1 students. These questionnaires and transcriptions were analysed thematically. Findings in terms of the language learning experience indicate that actor over-exaggeration and visual aids assist students when learning German at this level with this type of video. However, these visual aids can be distracting and confusing without balanced representation and contextual information. Differences between videos in terms of speech rate seem to affect students’ perceptions of their ability to comprehend the videos. Students reported forming only positive impressions of German culture(s) on the basis of the videos. In general, students find Germans portrayed as friendly and helpful in the videos. The results of this investigation provide recommendations for the optimal use of this type of teaching and learning resource, for example, teachers/ lecturers/ facilitators should allow for focus group discussions on cultural discourse to occur in order to balance stereotype formation and should consider the speech rate of videos for language learning. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04