Repository logo
 

Faculty of Arts and Design

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/7

Browse

Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Language teaching

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Social context and the use of technology in teaching African languages : a case study of public universities in KwaZulu-Natal
    (2024-03-27) Adedokun, Theophilus; Awung, Felix Nkwatta; Usadolo, Sam Erevbenagie; Awung, Felix Nkwatta; Usadolo, Sam Erevbenagie
    This study uses the concepts of Bourdieu’s sociological theory to investigate factors influencing technology use in teaching African languages. The study contends that language lecturers’ choices in teaching with technology were affected by the social phenomena of the field in which they operate. By adopting Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital, and field, the study offers a multi pronged approach to understanding the complex nature of the relationship between practices of individuals and social structures. A thematic textual analysis was used to investigate the attitudes of lecturers who taught African languages in selected public universities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The analysis reveals a mutually reinforcing relationship between individuals who operate in the teaching field and their behavioural attitudes towards using technology in teaching African languages. The study contributes to understanding how individuals and groups navigate different social and cultural contexts and how they could use their resources to the advantage of their fields. In addition, the study showed how agents actively try to shape their current teaching practices and adopt new approaches while subtly resisting external pressures that conflict with the practical realities of their field and their audience (students). The results of the interviews indicate that individuals' behaviours were influenced by the forces of the field where they operated, external factors and their habitus. This study recommends that policymakers collaborate with stakeholders like communities, governments, institutions, and lecturers to ensure technology development for teaching African languages yields desirable results. It also suggests African countries create an enabling environment for African languages to thrive, and future research adopts an integrated approach examining various factors influencing technology use in language teaching.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A sociological exploration of language lecturers' journey into African language teaching
    (University of Brawijaya, 2024) Adedokun, Theophilus Adedayo; Usadolo, Sam Erevbenagie; Awung, Felix Nkwatta
    Post-apartheid policies aimed to promote African languages in higher education, yet lecturers face lack of institutional support and resource scarcity. This qualitative study explores experiences of African language lecturers at South African universities, using Bourdieusian theory to understand broader discourses around language, identity, and power shaping efforts to revalue these languages. In-depth interviews were conducted to gain insights into lecturers' journeys and lived experiences. The findings revealed that their habitus was oriented towards language teaching by familial, socio-political, and educational contexts. In addition, accumulating cultural capital through credentials facilitated academic lecturers’ progression while leveraging social capital through professional networks provided them crucial access and advocacy. Within competitive academia, lecturers continuously pursued prestigious positions and various forms of capital. Collaborating with language communities enabled developing localized, culturally validating pedagogies to counter institutional barriers. Technology access empowered effective role performance, research publishing, and career advancement. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by African language lecturers and highlights the need for institutional support, resource availability, and community engagement to promote and sustain African language education in higher education institutions.