South Africa has 11 official languages enshrined in the Constitution of the country. An additional language, sign language was approved as an official language at the end of 2008. The Constitution of the Republic of S...South Africa has 11 official languages enshrined in the Constitution of the country. An additional language, sign language was approved as an official language at the end of 2008. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 emphasise teaching and learning through any mother tongue, a learner would understand best. Section 29（1） of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa categorically states that： ＂Everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice in public educational institutions where that education is reasonably practicable＂. However, most text books written in English have been prescribed at many schools. One is not certain whether the subjects are taught in English or in the indigenous language at these schools. In the end, those teachers use the mother tongue, together with English, in teaching learners. This result in code switching and code mixing takes place in classes, which are meant to facilitate communication across barriers of colour, language, and region, while creating an environment in which respect for languages other than one＇s own would be encouraged. Teaching and learning in one＇s mother tongue promotes full participation in the economy of the country. The aim of the paper is to investigate teaching and learning in Vhembe primary schools of the Limpopo Province in South Africa, within the framework of existing legislation. This will be compared with empirical evidence. The researcher seeks to establish what language（s） primary schools use for teaching and learning. Based on this, conclusions and recommendations will be made to assist stakeholders in language-in-education policy formulation.展开更多
Empowerment in learning has been a topic of discussion for the last two decades. Empowered learners are not only believed to achieve greater content learning but are also thought to better demonstrate competencies suc...Empowerment in learning has been a topic of discussion for the last two decades. Empowered learners are not only believed to achieve greater content learning but are also thought to better demonstrate competencies such as communication, teamwork, and problem solving. These competencies are becoming increasingly important as the role of professional accountants evolves and diversifies. This paper examines first-year accounting students＇ perceptions of empowerment based on two different learning styles： cooperative learning and traditional classroom instruction. A quantitative research design was used to survey 279 first-year business degree students studying at institutions in Libya. The results indicated that students who attended cooperative learning classes were more empowered in terms of the impact they believed they could have on class discussions and the meaningfulness they attributed to the tasks being discussed. In addition, students taught by cooperative learning methods recorded significantly higher end of term exam results than those students who received traditional classroom instruction. In conclusion, this research indicates that the teaching method used in classroom instruction may impact an accounting student＇s levels of empowerment and subsequently their critical thinking, problem solving, writing skills, and technical accounting competencies.展开更多
In today＇s globalized world with English as the lingua franca, many countries, including the United Arab Emirates （UAE）, are focusing on English as a medium of instruction （EMI）. Due to the many expatriates resid...In today＇s globalized world with English as the lingua franca, many countries, including the United Arab Emirates （UAE）, are focusing on English as a medium of instruction （EMI）. Due to the many expatriates resident in the UAE English has become the main language of business, industry, and higher education. This paper looks at one of those English medium universities with an American curriculum. Since most American curriculums require substantial amounts of writing, it is important that students become competent at writing in their second language at this particular institution. This paper discusses how a novel assignment, allowing English as a foreign language （EFL） students to present readings in the classroom at an EMI university in the UAE, has helped them become both better readers and writers. Since the majority of the students are native speakers of Arabic, the project was designed with their oral traditions and proficiency in mind.展开更多
文摘South Africa has 11 official languages enshrined in the Constitution of the country. An additional language, sign language was approved as an official language at the end of 2008. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 emphasise teaching and learning through any mother tongue, a learner would understand best. Section 29（1） of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa categorically states that： ＂Everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice in public educational institutions where that education is reasonably practicable＂. However, most text books written in English have been prescribed at many schools. One is not certain whether the subjects are taught in English or in the indigenous language at these schools. In the end, those teachers use the mother tongue, together with English, in teaching learners. This result in code switching and code mixing takes place in classes, which are meant to facilitate communication across barriers of colour, language, and region, while creating an environment in which respect for languages other than one＇s own would be encouraged. Teaching and learning in one＇s mother tongue promotes full participation in the economy of the country. The aim of the paper is to investigate teaching and learning in Vhembe primary schools of the Limpopo Province in South Africa, within the framework of existing legislation. This will be compared with empirical evidence. The researcher seeks to establish what language（s） primary schools use for teaching and learning. Based on this, conclusions and recommendations will be made to assist stakeholders in language-in-education policy formulation.
文摘Empowerment in learning has been a topic of discussion for the last two decades. Empowered learners are not only believed to achieve greater content learning but are also thought to better demonstrate competencies such as communication, teamwork, and problem solving. These competencies are becoming increasingly important as the role of professional accountants evolves and diversifies. This paper examines first-year accounting students＇ perceptions of empowerment based on two different learning styles： cooperative learning and traditional classroom instruction. A quantitative research design was used to survey 279 first-year business degree students studying at institutions in Libya. The results indicated that students who attended cooperative learning classes were more empowered in terms of the impact they believed they could have on class discussions and the meaningfulness they attributed to the tasks being discussed. In addition, students taught by cooperative learning methods recorded significantly higher end of term exam results than those students who received traditional classroom instruction. In conclusion, this research indicates that the teaching method used in classroom instruction may impact an accounting student＇s levels of empowerment and subsequently their critical thinking, problem solving, writing skills, and technical accounting competencies.
文摘In today＇s globalized world with English as the lingua franca, many countries, including the United Arab Emirates （UAE）, are focusing on English as a medium of instruction （EMI）. Due to the many expatriates resident in the UAE English has become the main language of business, industry, and higher education. This paper looks at one of those English medium universities with an American curriculum. Since most American curriculums require substantial amounts of writing, it is important that students become competent at writing in their second language at this particular institution. This paper discusses how a novel assignment, allowing English as a foreign language （EFL） students to present readings in the classroom at an EMI university in the UAE, has helped them become both better readers and writers. Since the majority of the students are native speakers of Arabic, the project was designed with their oral traditions and proficiency in mind.
