Bachelor of Arts Honours in isiXhosa

Purpose

The Bachelor of Arts Honours in isiXhosa provides learners with the knowledge, specific skills and applied competence in several fields of Communication Studies and Language, Human and Social Studies, Culture and Arts, Education, Training and Development, in Social Services that provide opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society. The qualification represents planned learning outcomes, namely that the learner will be qualified to render holistic, integrated and inter-sectoral services, reflecting the diversity, accessibility, and equal distribution of resources for all South Africans. These outcomes are designed to promote lifelong learning.

Learners will be able to demonstrate knowledge, skills and applied competence in the field of study that provides opportunities for continued personal growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society.

Learners who graduate with this qualification are critical because of their transferable skills - that is, the skills that employers seek out across a wide range of professions including and beyond academic and research settings, such as law, finance, government, media, teaching, writing and business. The transferrable skills include the ability to interpret dense and difficult materials, unpack argumentative structures, analyse problems, think laterally, creatively, self-critically and independently, produce clear, argumentative analyses and communicate effectively. Learners will not only be equipped with such transferable skills but will also be prepared to do high-level theoretical research.

Rationale

There is an important need to develop African languages to promote their use in a multilingual context and schools. The rationale for this qualification is to contribute towards the development of isiXhosa language for enhancing the language as a medium of teaching and learning at the school, tertiary institutions and professional work context.

Most importantly, the economy needs a flexible and critical mind, suited to managing change and constant learning in new fields of knowledge associated with new technologies. After completing the qualification, the learners will be able to function effectively at all levels of education, and to assume leadership roles in corporate establishments, municipal, provincial and national government bodies, and in NGOs, amongst others.

The qualification prepares learners for a Masters' in a specialist field.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The University Report of the Admissions Committee (AC): Policy on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will apply where relevant.

RPL for Admission

RPL implementation will use a triangulated verification approach using academic records, portfolios and interviews conducted by a panel of academic and external experts. All RPL decisions go through the Faculty Management Committee meeting for scrutiny and approval.

Learners who do not meet the admission criteria as stipulated, but who can demonstrate experiential or work-based learning must go through the RPL process. The Faculty policy, derived from the institutional RPL policy, requires that each learner is assessed on an individual basis. The learner will approach the Head of Department regarding the RPL policy and process. The HOD will explain the RPL assessment process, the specific assessment criteria and the type and format of evidence(s) required. For learners who have already qualified with a cognate qualification and have done modules in their qualification that are similar to modules within this qualification may apply for the credits.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Arts, NQF Level 7, with IsiXhosa.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at NQF Level totalling 130 Credits.

1. Demonstrate advanced theoretical knowledge of the language.
2. Demonstrate a principled understanding of how the promotion of the use of the language is important in professional multilingual contexts, relating to values, ideologies, attitudes, social identities and relationships.
3. Construct, interpret and analyse spoken and written discourses in the language in institutional and organisational domains, for both internal and external communication.
4. Relate professional discourse practices in the language to broader issues concerning language and society in the implementation of multilingual language policy.
5. Identify and analyse problems relevant to the development and sustainability of multilingual language policy in institutional and organisational contexts, for the creation of a culture, sensitive to discourse practices in African languages.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will assess the Exit Level Outcomes in an integrated manner.

• Demonstrate a comprehensive, integrated knowledge of theoretical approaches to language understanding.
• Evaluate and critique current research on the language and Policy and Planning around it.
• Identify, analyse and present solutions to complex problems concerning the status and role of the language in Language Policy and Planning in multilingual professional contexts.
• Demonstrate familiarity with the current scholarly literature in the fields of the language policy, planning, pragmatics, and discourse and genre analysis, and applied research.
• Select appropriate research methodologies for pragmatic investigation or analysis of a research problem.
• Identify, analyse and present theory-based solutions to complex phenomena in the discourse of the language in an independent investigation.

Integrated Assessment

The qualification utilises different types of assessment, such as formative assessment, summative assessment, self-assessment and portfolios. An adequate number of assignments provide a broad integration of knowledge areas. Furthermore, the 30-credit research project serves to integrate theoretical knowledge in the researching process, writing of the report, presentation of the finding and the overall assessment.