Cognitive, affective, and behavioural aspects of attitude in isiZulu L1 tertiary students towards discipline-specific terminology in isiZulu and isiZulu as an academic language.
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Date
2022
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Abstract
The study uses the tripartite model of attitude to interrogate students’ attitudes towards isiZulu
and the influence that the existence of discipline-specific terminology in isiZulu has on their
attitudes towards isiZulu as an academic language. The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN),
in response to the constitutional directive of elevating indigenous African languages in South
Africa, has developed discipline-specific terminology in isiZulu for Administration,
Architecture, Anatomy, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Law, Physics, Psychology
and Nursing. The attitudes of students toward the availability of terminology have not been
explored. This study explores the perception of isiZulu home language (L1) students on the
availability of the terminology in the disciplines of Anatomy, Architecture, Law, and Physics,
as well as the lack of the terminology in the disciplines of Community Development,
Management, Chemistry, and Physiology. It distinguishes between the uses of isiZulu as a form
of mother tongue-based education (MTBE), that applies in the entire learning experience of
students, and the use of isiZulu alongside English with discipline-specific terminology as an
academic resource for isiZulu L1 students. Applying a mixed methods research methodology,
data is sourced using a questionnaire survey and focus group interviews from 149 isiZulu L1
students enrolled in the eight disciplines across the four colleges of UKZN. The results indicate
that the attitudes of L1 students are directly impacted by two distinct language learning
experiences; those with increased exposure to L1 hold positive attitudes, while those with
diminished exposure to L1 hold negative attitudes. The study discovers that the L1 students
were not aware of the availability of the discipline-specific terminology in isiZulu at UKZN
and that they find the terminology difficult to decipher, irrespective of their language learning
experiences. For this reason, there is a preference for loanwords in addition to the terminology
in proper isiZulu. The results also indicate that the attitudinal responses on the three aspects of
attitude are not consistently aligned towards the attitude objects. This study postulates that
discipline-specific terminology in isiZulu should be used consistently throughout the schooling
years of the students. The terminology lists need to include loanwords that are accessible to
students. In this way, isiZulu, and other African languages, will be activated in academic
contexts, the heterogeneity of L1 students will be catered for, and the students’ multilingualism
will be a resource that enhances their academic performance. For language attitude studies, this
study advocates for the investigation of the three aspects of attitudes individually, conducted
both in the absence as well as the presence of the attitudinal objects, in order to obtain
comprehensive insight into the attitude construct.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.