AFL1501/101/1/2019

Tutorial Letter 101/1/2019

Language through an African lens

AFL1501

Semester 1

Department of African Languages

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please activate your myUnisa and myLife email address and ensure you
have regular access to the myUnisa module site AFL1501-19-S1 as well
as your group site, e.g. AFL1501-19-S1-10T with the group site number
being 10T.

Note: This is an online module and therefore it is available on myUnisa. However, in order to
support you in your learning process, you will also receive this Tutorial Letter as the only hard
copy study material for this module. It is also available on the main site for this module.

BARCODE

Open Rubric
 CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Getting started… ........................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 What is a Signature Module? ........................................................................................................ 4
1.3 Why do I have a group site and a Teaching Assistant? ................................................................. 4
2 OVERVIEW OF AFL1501 ............................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 4
2.2 Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................... 4
3 CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Module Coordinator ...................................................................................................................... 5
3.2 Department ................................................................................................................................... 5
3.3 University ...................................................................................................................................... 5
3.4 Online Support .............................................................................................................................. 5
4 RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 5
4.1 Joining myUnisa ........................................................................................................................... 5
4.2 Library services and resource information ..................................................................................... 6
4.3 Free computer and internet access ............................................................................................... 6
5 HOW TO STUDY THIS MODULE ONLINE .................................................................................. 7
5.1 What does it mean to study fully online? ....................................................................................... 7
5.2 The two online spaces .................................................................................................................. 7
5.3 The myUnisa tools you will use ..................................................................................................... 7
6 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 8
6.1 Assessment plan .......................................................................................................................... 8
6.2 Final Mark and Portfolio .............................................................................................................. 10
7 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................ 10

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1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student
Greetings to you and welcome to AFL1501: Language through an African lens. In this module,
we look at the study of the usage of language and the way one reflects who one is when one uses
language with reference to some African languages.
This module enables you to understand the culturally diverse South African society better, and
empowers you -- through this understanding of yourself in terms of others -- to contribute to
reconciliation and to improve interpersonal relations in the country. The purpose is to improve
your knowledge of each other in pursuit of creative co-existence, effective cross-cultural
communication and nation-building. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are in our country,
you must use language to communicate. It doesn’t matter which languages you use, you will
reflect specific attitudes and world views, i.e. who you are.
Because this is a fully online module, there are no prescribed textbooks or readings for this
module. You need to use myUnisa to study and complete the learning activities for this module.
You need to visit the websites on MyUnisa for AFL1501 frequently, at least once or twice a week,
i.e. AFL1501-19-S1 as well as your group site which is the same as the main site but with a
number at the end, e.g. -10T. The group site is the ‘classroom’ in which you operate and you have
a Teaching Assistant (TA) as your ‘teacher’ who is your first line of communication and assistance
for this module. All communication about the content and administration of the group site should
be directed to the TA.

1.1 Getting started…

Owing to the nature of this module, you can read about the module and find your study material
online. Go to the website here: https://my.unisa.ac.za and log in using your student number and
password. You will see AFL1501-19-S1 as well as your group site, e.g. AFL1501-19-S1-10T (10T
is the number of your group site) when you are grouped in your row of modules in the orange
blocks across the top of the webpage. If it is not there select the More Sites tab and see if it is
there. If you still cannot see it, it means you are not grouped to a group site yet and you need to
be patient and wait to be grouped as the numbers of registered student for the module fill up the
groups.

Don't know where to start? Well, follow these instructions and start by going to your group site.

1. Go to Learning Units by clicking on the tab in the left hand panel of the screen. Start at
the beginning and complete the learning experiences in the "Module Overview - Getting
started" section.
2. This includes some learning experiences to give you practice using myUnisa and practice
studying online. We call these "Ice breakers” because they do not count for any marks in
the course -- they are just for practice. Note that each Ice breaker is done in a different
answering tool, i.e. Discussions, Blogs and Self-Assessment (the survey) for you to
practise how to use these tools.
3. The Ice breakers will also help you to get to know the other students in your group as well
as the Teaching Assistant (TA) for your group.

As students register for the module, you will be put into groups with a Teaching Assistant for each
group. Each Teaching Assistant is responsible for several (4) groups (50 students). These group
sites will contain all the study material you need. The assignments are embedded into the

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learning units. It is in this site where you need to do your work. It is like your ‘classroom’ with
your ‘classmates’ around you and the TA as the teacher – you read everything. The TA will create
platforms, e.g. a forum or topic under a forum in Discussions for you to interact with each other
and to post Discussion Assignments. The Assignments tool is there for you to upload ‘Written’
assignments, and the final portfolio assignment where each assignment is submitted as one file.
Note that it is not literally ‘written’ as no hard copy assignments are allowed to be submitted.
When you have questions for your TA you post it as requested by the TA in the Welcome Message
of the group site.

1.2 What is a Signature Module?

The Signature modules are special modules developed at Unisa, which are taught fully online and
have the support of Teaching Assistants to help the students in groups. Each Signature module
is also the platform where the distinct character and values of a specific College is established
and implemented.

1.3 Why do I have a group site and a Teaching Assistant?

One of the advantages of the Signature modules is that they are designed so that you work in
groups. For many Unisa modules, we know that there are many, a large number of students
enroll. Sometimes it feels like you can get lost in the crowd of students. But here interaction is
built into the structure of the module.
For the Signature modules, we have divided all the students into groups of about 50 students
each with a Teaching Assistant to facilitate the group. This means that the Teaching Assistant will
guide you in the module, give assistance with your assignments and assessment activities and
mark your formal Assignments.

2 OVERVIEW OF AFL1501
2.1 Purpose
Students who successfully complete this module will be able to demonstrate linguistic and cultural
diversity awareness and sensitivity in order to enhance their interpersonal relationships in day-to-
day situations. In addition, successful students will be able to interact across cultures in a
respectful way while appreciating their own linguistic and cultural background in relation to the
languages and cultures of others.
The module is delivered via myUnisa, the Internet, peer group interaction, and community
engagement in some of the activities. Lecturers and Teaching Assistants can also interact with
students on myUnisa and via email.
2.2 Outcomes

For this module, there are four outcomes that we hope you will be able to accomplish by the end
of the course:

 Specific outcome 1: Demonstrate awareness and sensitivity of linguistic and cultural

diversity in order to enhance personal relations in day-to-day situations.
 Specific outcome 2: Demonstrate respect for diversity within a multi-cultural society as
expressed through language.
 Specific outcome 3: Interact across cultures in a respectful way.
 Specific outcome 4: Appreciate own cultural background in relation to the cultures of
others within a multi-cultural society.

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3 CONTACT DETAILS
3.1 Module Coordinator
The contact detail for the Module Coordinator is:
AFL1501
Department of African Language
Unisa
0003
Email: [email protected]

Remember to always mention your student number as well as the number of your group site,
e.g. 101T when you communicate with your Module Coordinator.

3.2 Department
The Department of African Languages can be contacted as follows:
E-mail: [email protected]
3.3 University
To contact the University, you should use the Study @ Unisa brochure. Remember to always
have your student number available when you contact the University.
Whenever you write to a lecturer, please include your student number to enable the lecturer to
help you more effectively.
3.4 Online Support
The main support for the Signature modules comes from within the small groups and Teaching
Assistants. These are the people who will provide you with support every day, with every activity
and assignment.
Because the Teaching Assistants are only assigned to you after enrolment, we cannot give you
the contact information here. When you are assigned to your group site with a Teaching Assistant,
each one will provide you with their contact information so that you can contact him or her by
email, usually in the Welcome Message. Note that most of your contact with the Teaching
Assistant or Module Coordinator will occur via email.

4 RESOURCES
4.1 Joining myUnisa
If you have access to a computer that is linked to the internet, you can quickly access resources
and information at the University. The myUnisa learning management system is Unisa's online
campus that will help you to communicate with your lecturers, with other students and with the
administrative departments of Unisa – all through the computer and the internet.
You can start at the main Unisa website, http://www.unisa.ac.za, and then click on the myUnisa
orange block. This will take you to the myUnisa website. To go to the myUnisa website directly,
go to https://my.unisa.ac.za. When you are at the myUnisa website click on the “Claim UNISA
Login” at the right-hand side of the screen. You will then be prompted to give your student
number to claim your initial myUnisa as well as myLife login details. Please activate your
myLife account as it is our direct line of communication to you via email.
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Please consult the publication Study @ Unisa which you received with your study material for
more information on myUnisa.
4.2 Library services and resource information
For brief information, go to www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies
For detailed information, go to the Unisa website at http://www.unisa.ac.za/ and click on
Library.
For research support and services of personal librarians, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=7102.

The Library has compiled numerous library guides:

 finding recommended reading in the print collection and e-reserves –

http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/undergrad
 requesting material – http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
 postgraduate information services – http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
 finding, obtaining and using library resources and tools to assist in research –
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_Skills
 contacting the Library/finding us on social media/frequently asked questions –
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask

4.3 Free computer and internet access

Unisa has entered into partnerships with establishments (referred to as Telecentres) in various
locations across South Africa to enable you (as a Unisa student) to gain free access to computers
and the Internet. This access enables you to conduct the following academic related activities:
registration; online submission of assignments; engaging in e-tutoring activities and signature
courses; etc. Please note that any other activity outside of these are for your own costing e.g.
printing, photocopying, etc. For more information on the Telecentre nearest to you, please visit
www.unisa.ac.za/telecentres

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5 HOW TO STUDY THIS MODULE ONLINE

5.1 What does it mean to study fully online?
The Signature modules are taught fully online – this means that it is totally different from some of
your other modules at Unisa.

 All your study materials and learning activities are online, on myUnisa. In other
words, there are no printed study materials from Unisa – no tutorial letters (except for this
one) and no study guide.

 All of your assignments must be submitted online. It means that you do all your
activities and submit all your assignment on myUnisa. In other words, you can NOT post
your assignments through the South African Postal Service.

 All of the communication between yourself and the university also happens online
– by email, in Discussions and through Questions and Answers. You can use all of these
ways to ask questions and contact your TA. This also means that your lecturers and
Teaching Assistants will communicate with you in the same way – through emails, with
Announcements, in Discussions and with Questions and Answers.
5.2 The two online spaces
Remember, you will have two online spaces for the module, Language through an African lens:

 Your main site: AFL1501-19-S1. This is where you will hear from your Module
Coordinator, through Announcements. We also give you some of the study materials in
order for you to get started before you are grouped, but you cannot complete any activities
here. You will note that the tools to interact such as Discussions and Blogs are not active.
For that, you need to go to your group site.
 Your group site: AFL1501-19-S1-?T (? for number). This group site will be assigned to
you as soon as you are grouped with other students into a group, with your Teaching
Assistant, i.e. TA. Your group site will look almost the same as the main site, but it will have
a group number at the end. For example, a group site for the first semester looks like this:
AFL1501-19-S1-10T. This is where you will interact with the group of students and your
Teaching Assistant. This is also the place where you will find the following:
o All of the study materials for the module, including reading materials, links and
activities
o All of the information about your assignments and activities.
o This is where you must submit your formal Assignments to the university.
The level of interactivity of a group site depends on the ability of the TA to set it up. The
TA must, for example, create new forums with topics to which you need to reply in
Discussions before you can do the first Ice breaker or your assignments which are
discussions, e.g. assignment 01. A forum for each unit also needs to be opened by the TA
for the activities to enable you to do them. Do not start a new topic under any
circumstances unless requested by the TA.

5.3 The myUnisa tools you will use

All of the information about myUnisa tools is located on the myUnisa website for this module, in
Unit 0. However, we thought it was important to stress the tools that will be used for your formal
Assignments.

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In this module, there are two different types of assessment, using different myUnisa tools:

 Discussions: This tool is the place for online discussion forums, where you share your
ideas and insights with the other students in your small groups. Many activities also use
discussion forums, but there are five that will count as assignments for this module. For
these assignments to be submitted the TA for the site needs to create a forum with a topic,
e.g. a forum ‘Assignment 01’ in Discussions and when you click on it you should find a
topic “Assignment 01” in which you need to go to Reply and click on it to get a message
box in which you do your assignment and then scroll down to Publish to finalise the
assignment. Never create a new topic by yourself unless requested by the TA. For the
activities which need to be done in Discussions the TA will create a forum “Unit 1” and then
a topic for the activity, again you do the activity as a reply under the topic created by the
TA and not as a separate topic.

 Assignments: The assignments which are not done in Discussions are what we call
‘written’ assignments and they require you to type the written assignment as a file
document and submitting it online in the same manner you submit all other assignments
online. The assignments will be routed to your TA who will mark it. You may be given a
form to fill in or type a document, but it depends on the assignment. These typed
assignments must be submitted using the online Assignment tool on myUnisa, as a one
file document. The instructions for submitting these assignments are in Unit 0. Please do
not post the assignment to the lecturer, this is an online module. You must submit all
your written assignments using the online Assignment tool. N.B: it is important for you
to do all your assignments and to submit them on time or before the due date. It is
also your responsibility to check that your assignment is marked and a mark is assigned
to it – in the Assignments tool and not in the Gradebook. Don’t wait until you receive your
final results, make myUnisa your friend.

6 ASSESSMENT
6.1 Assessment plan
Here is a breakdown of the Assignments and formal portfolio activities, as they occur in the
semester. Also, see Assessment plan in Additional Recourses. Note that a cut-off date will be
imposed on written assignments. No extension can be given.
Unit 1: Language as a Process:

First Portfolio Activity: Reflection: Your language story -- Do now and keep for interpretation in
your portfolio.

 Assignment 01: Discussions

Unit 2: How does language signify attitudes and world-view?

 Assignment 02: Assignment

Unit 3: Language and Identity

Second Portfolio Activity: Build your Family Tree - Save for your Portfolio.

 Assignment 03: Discussions

 Assignment 04: Assignments

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Unit 4: Interpersonal Relationships

 Assignment 05: Discussions

Unit 5: Ubuntu (Self and Other) -- Preparing the Portfolio – Written Assignment 06

 Preparing for your final Portfolio

o First Portfolio activity
o Second Portfolio activity
 Putting it all together
o Add an Introduction
o Relook at Assignment 04
o Conclusion: Your Final Reflection
 See Unit 5 for more detail....Portfolio

NOTE:

Plagiarism is the act of taking words, ideas and thoughts of others and passing them
off as your own. It is a form of theft which involves a number of dishonest academic
activities.
The Disciplinary Code for Students is sent to all registered students. Students are
advised to study the Code. Kindly also read the University’s policy on Copyright
Infringement and Plagiarism.

An assignment must be the product of your own study. It is not a matter of simply reproducing
facts from a couple of books or the internet. It is unacceptable simply to combine data
taken from different sources, particularly if this data is copied word for word from the
sources.

You need to acknowledge your sources when you quote directly from them, when putting the
information in your own words, or when using the ideas of an author. If you do not do this, you
are simply stealing the ideas of others and committing plagiarism - one of the most serious
offences a student can commit.

Plagiarism is not acceptable. Not only is it dishonest, but it also means that your teaching
assistant cannot evaluate your assignment because it is not your own work. You will also be
doing yourself a great disservice, because your teaching assistant will not be able to see
whether you are experiencing difficulties with your studies or with a particular part of the work.

Remember that you are also committing plagiarism when copying from a fellow student.
Students who copy from sources or fellow students will be penalised.

Be careful when someone assists you when you upload your assignments. Some so-called
assistants just copy a generic assignment and upload it for you as your assignment. The result is
that you are penalised in terms of the plagiarism policy or sometimes a wrong assignment is
submitted, especially when you are requested to ‘pay’ for assistance.

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6.2 Final Mark and Portfolio
Your final mark for this module is composed as follows:

 Weighting in the course: year mark and portfolio

o 80% year mark for assignments [formative assessment].
o 20% final Portfolio [this will take the place of the typical final examination for this
module as the summative assessment] – a subminimum of 40% will be required.

Why we don't have an exam for this module

 Your final assessment task is the portfolio and is the focal point of this course.
 In your final portfolio, you are expected to reflect on your own language use and how
language serves as a tool to get to know yourself and other people.
 The purpose of the final portfolio is to show how Ubuntu is reflected in language use in
your own life.

7 CONCLUSION
Do not hesitate to contact your TA if you are experiencing problems with the content of this tutorial
letter or any aspect of the module.
We wish you a fascinating and satisfying journey through the learning material and trust that you
will complete the module successfully.
Enjoy the journey!
Dr J O Nene
DEPARTMENT OF AFRICAN LANGUAGES

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