Faculty of Arts and Design
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Item Towards digital inclusion in South Africa : the role of public libraries and the way forward(CJEAS Ltd, 2022-05-13) Adedokun, Theophilus Adedayo; Zulu, Sylvia PhiwaniDigital inclusion continues to be a recurring theme and pose serious challenge in achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goal. Factors such as growing population, age, gender, education, economy etc., continue to play a major role in inhibiting people’s digital access. As a result of the instant exchange of information, people now have access to knowledge, information, data, and other useful things to them than the world has ever recorded in history. People then see the need to be digital inclusive and to be part of the fascinating historical development of ICTs. To enhance people digital inclusiveness, the role of public libraries cannot be overemphasized. This study explores the role of public libraries in making ICTs more accessible to the populations of South Africa, and how these libraries increase ICTs relevance to people’s lives, needs, aspirations, and ultimately, in bridging the digital divide. This study adopts the digital divide approach in discussing the state and role of public libraries in South Africa in bridging the digital gap among its citizens. The authors integrate data from studies on digital inclusion and from Public Library Access studies to give clearer picture on the issue of digital inclusion and the role of public libraries in South Africa. This study found that digital inclusion goes beyond internet literacy and computer access, but it signifies technical proficiency and people’s ability to access appropriate digital services and contents as and when needed. This study also found that the public libraries play an indispensable role in providing and sustaining digital inclusion for people across South Africa, however not without some challenges.Item Hypocoristics in isiZulu anthroponomy(2019-02-01) Zungu, Evangeline Bonisiwe; Zulu, Sylvia Phiwani; Bariki, IsaiahThis article focuses on the context and meaning of hypocoristics in isiZulu. The analysis provided is based on names collected randomly within the isiZulu speaking community. The objective of this paper is to discuss hypocoristics in isiZulu, one of the eleven official languages of South Africa which is also spoken in slightly different forms in other countries of the sub southern African region. Hypocoristics has a variety of definitions. Depending on the context, it could mean one of the following. 1. An expressive or informal form of a proper name that derives morphologically from a personal name. E.g. Bill and Dick for William and Richard respectively in English. 2. A diminutive form of a personal name. 3. An affective diminutive form of a personal name. 4. A familiar personal name modified by abbreviation. 5. An expressive form of a child language that sometimes renders the personal name unrecognisable. 6. A nicknameItem Factors affecting language academics’ attitudes towards Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL)(2019) Adedokun, Theophilus Adedayo; Eyono Obono, Seraphin Desire; Zulu, Sylvia PhiwaniDespite the known benefits of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), evidence from existing literature still indicates that many language instructors have a negative attitude towards it. There are many possible factors behind this negative attitude, and the aim of this study was to devise a theoretically sound conceptual model of these factors. The methodology used by this study for the achievement of its aim was to review existing literature published during the past twelve years on CALL attitude factors. The conceptual model proposed by this study posits that instructors’ attitude towards CALL is dependent on the following factors: demographics; computer usage; language teaching ability; prior CALL usage; and Technology Adoption Model (TAM) related factors. One of the biggest gaps identified from this literature review was that English seems to be the only language that is being probed by existing research on CALL attitude factors.Item Use of language and communication among the Pentecostal Evangelical Charismatic Churches in Durban, South Africa(Scholarlink Research Institute Journals, 2018) Adebayo, Rufus Olufemi; Zulu, Sylvia PhiwaniThe significance of language and communication is more relevant in multifarious cultural settings similar to South Africa. Churches are at the vanguard of using religious languages to communicate and express ideas, emotions, and convictions to diverse congregants. We contextualize a linguistic element that the emergence of new Pentecostal and evangelical charismatic churches has not only raised a complexity of language and communication but has also become ambivalent and paradoxical in nature. As a result, we highlight the relationship between language and religion and how language could be a medium for the transmission of religious communication and debates in a multi-cultural setting. Using qualitative methodology, data was gathered among 20churches in the Durban area of South Africa, to understand the flow of linguistic characteristics set up to serve spiritual interests. The results show that the problem associated with religious language has been an age long and in recent times, attention has also shifted to an absurd linguistic problem. This study has, to an extent, found that religious language differs from everyday communication, and there is no common ground between these miotic and pragmatic use of language and the contending power of spirit-filled languages. We found that as modern Christian churches emerge, a series of issues have resurfaced, including the denotation and connotation of language, communication of religion and pragmatic motivations in behaviour; the struggle between interfaith and the channel of communication remains at the edge of church denominations. To ensure effective use of language and communication, it is highlighted that if language should be used for religious communication and debates, it needs to be used in a systematic, spiritual and theological forms. Pentecostal churches should identify and establish a common ground between semiotic and pragmatic use of language and the contending power of spirit-filled languages. The paper is important as preachers, communicators and the world of scholarship may benefit from the study in understanding the spiritual implication of language and communication when passing across messages to their various congregations and audiences.Item Miracle as a spiritual event and as a marketing tactic among neo-Charismatic churches : a comparative study(Vereniging vir Christelike Hoer Onderwys, 2019) Adebayo, Rufus Olufemi; Zulu, Sylvia PhiwaniThis article explores how neo-charismatic churches use miracles as spiritual events and as a marketing tactic to draw ‘unbelievers’ or ‘miracle seekers’ to church. This study examines the significance of miracles among neo-charismatic churches as a spiritual event and as a marketing tactic. The data is derived from interviews with Black and Indian research participants from Pentecostal churches based in the Phoenix area of Durban, South Africa. The data showed that miracles do play a major role in drawing unbelievers to church and thus boosting the numbers of congregation members. It is observed from the data analysis that the connection with God is miraculous or spiritual and the emotionality associated therewith cannot be compared to marketing. The use of evidence of a miracle as a marketing tactic to attract unbelievers has a positive association with marketing, but the results revealed that for the Word of God to be spiritually understood by the congregants, there must be a conscious and constant dependence upon the Holy Spirit. This study recommends that the church should master the concept of services marketing, particularly when marketing characteristics of church services like miracles to congregants.