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FINAL PORTFOLIO
ASSIGNMENT NO: 06
NAME: VUTOMI
SURNAME: RIKHOTSO
STUDENT NUMBER: 12390623
GROUP NUMBER: 186T
NAME OF DERTMENT AND UNIVERSITY
(Department of African Laguages, Unisa)
COURSE CODE AND NAME (AFL1501: Languages,
through an African Lens)
NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: Dr. O.J. Nene
NAME OF TA: Denise Boonzaaier
DUE DATE: 17 SEPTEMBER 2021
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Table of contact Page

1. Introduction………………………………………………………. 3

1.1. First Portfolio……………………………………………………4

2. Second Portfolio……………………………………………..........7

3. Third Portfolio……………………………………………………..8

4. Forth Portfolio…………………………………………………….10

5. Final Reflection: Conclusion …………………………………...12

5. References……………………………………………………….13

6. Academic Honesty Declaration ………………………………..14

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1. Introduction

My portfolio task is based on the African Language and Culture in Practice1501 of

which I have been doing this year. Within this portfolio you will see that language is
an umbrella – term with concepts such as culture and belief. The portfolio task
summarizes all the work we have been doing over the course of this semester.

The first part of my portfolio activity it all about blog reflection and it have the
information about where I come from, my family tree and my cultural identity. The
second portfolio activity it is all about South African vernacular languages. The third
portfolio activity it is all about the impoliteness and politeness and the forth portfolio it
about being expose different cultures.

My final reflection is about learning experience throughout this module. I will share
what I have learned in this module.
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1.1 First portfolio Activity

Task 1: Screenshot
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Task 2: Blog reflection

What I have learned from this module is that we live in a society which is full of
different cultures and as people we have different beliefs and how we do things as
we are in different cultures. Though this module I have learned a lot about language
diversity. This module afforded me an opportunity of self-discovery. I will reflect on
how this module impacted and change the way I see and view language and culture.
Language is what binds us to our culture and ancestors. Our language is the heart of
who we are as a person, your own language and your culture reflect who you are. A
language depends on how you expose yourself and how you observe it. Through
AFL1501 I have learned that culture identifies is the functioning aspect of individual
personality and it is a fundamental symbol of person‟s existence. Every culture or
language identification has its own background, values, logic, beliefs and integrity.
This module has taught me to appreciate my own linguistic and cultural background.
I have learned more about Ubuntu, we have to show each other respect, love and
we have to help each other as people. It calls on us to believe and feel that your pain
is my pain, my salvation is your salvation. Now I know the circumstances behind my
name. I have gained effective and efficiently ways of communicating from one
generation to another as well important of our ritual cultural ceremony. Language is a
system of linguistic sings and words used for communication between human beings
used by an individual, it reflects traditional norms, race stereotypes and cultural
background of that individual.
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Task 3: Family Tree

Father's Paternal Great

Grandfather[Kwatisa
Rikhotso]Xitsonga Home
Language Father's Father
Grandfather[Magezi
Rikhotso]Xitsonga Home
Father's Paternal Great Language
Grandmother[Nyanisi
Baloyi] Xitsonga Home
Language
Father[Risimati Rikhotso]
Xitsonga Home Language
Father's Maternal Great
Grandfather[Risinga
Chabalala]Xitsonga Home
Language Father's Mother
Grandmother[Muthavini
Chabalala] Xitsonga Home
Father's Maternal Language
GreatGrandmother[Patironi
Chavani]Xitsonga Home
language
Me[Vutomi Rikhotso]
Xitsonga Home Language
Mother's Paternal Great
Grandfather[Lunghisa
Mahlauli]Xitsonga Home
Language Mother's Father
Grandfather[Meckson
Mahlauli] Xitsonga Home
Mother's Paternal Great Language
Grandmother[Muzamani
Maluleke]Xitsonga Home
Language
Mother[Tsakani Mahlauli]
Xitsonga Home Language
Mother's Maternal Great
Grandfather[Khazamula
Cauke]Xitsonga Home
Language Mother's Mother
Grandmother[ Ndaheni
Cauke] Xitsonga Home
Mother's Maternal Great Language
Grandmother[Polina
Shirindza]Xitsonga Home
Language

I connect my cultural identity to my immediate family. My family has impacted my

cultural identity positively because my grandparents and my parents they are Tsonga
speaking people as I have mentioned in my family tree and their culture is Xitsonga.
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As I am from Xitsonga culture family, my cultural identity is Xitsonga. Even though

my mother she is a modern person, traditional culture and modern culture are alike. I
believe that all my grandparents and my parents they play a large role in making who
I am today. My parents have always taught me to never be ashamed of whom I am, I
am proud of my cultural identity and my language.

2. Second Portfolio Activity

Task1:
Lufuno is a Venda name that means love.

Luthando is a Xhosa name meaning love.

Makhanani is a Xitsonga name that means joy in English.

Thabiso is a Sesotho name meaning joy-bringer.

Sehloho this is Sesotho name meaning disaster or cruelty.

Vusiwana this is Xitsonga name meaning poverty.

Task 2
Some of the names that indicate joy they are given when the child has bring joy to
the family, some they are named with the name that indicate joy because of the joy
and emotions of their parents of having first new-born baby.

The story behind the names of love it is the love that the baby brings in the family.
For example the parents of the baby they were trying to separate but when the baby
born they get back together and show each other love.
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Some of the names that I have given in task 1 that have bed influence are given to
the child born to the family living in poverty. Some of those names such as Xaniseka
which is Xitsonga name are given to children who are born under severe condition.

3. Third Portfolio Activity

Task 1
In Zulu culture they believe that during the ritual woman have to cover her head
during the ritual that is the way to show respect to ancestors. Even in my culture
woman have to cover her head during ritual even during the funeral. During Zulu
wedding the wife is supposed to show respect. The way she speaks and dresses up
should always show respect to the in-laws family so that the ancestors can welcome
and accept her as a member of the family. The way Zulu wedding it is done it is
similar to Xitsonga culture a woman have to show respect to her in-laws by so doing
she is also showing respect to the ancestors of her in-laws. She must learn to
respect and honour a different set of ancestors. It is important for the woman to
respect ancestors since it is believed that they are the ones who will give them good
luck.

In terms of what traditional healing processes of Tsonga people, bones symbolise

ancestors and are believed to speak on behalf of ancestors. The removal of shoes at
the entrance of the consultation hut or room is a symbol that one is entering a sacred
place. A place where one communicates with his or her ancestors and is worth
respect. This is similar to my culture in consultation, when one arrives at the
entrance of the sacred or consulting hut, shoes must be removed by so doing we are
showing respect to the ancestors. The person who is consulting will indicate if he
wants to be cured or want the “sangoma” to throw down the divine bones. If he
knows what is bothering him, there is no need for consulting with the bones. He will
tell the sangoma what is bothering him or what the problem is and what he wants the
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“Sangoma” to do for him. But if he is not sure of what the problem is he will ask the
“sangoma” to throw down the bones. Zulu people belief that a female can enter to
consultation while she is in her period same applies to my culture this is the way to
show respect. Even in Zulu culture when you enter to consultation room you have to
remove your shoes. In term of respecting the ancestors in consultation room for Zulu
culture it is similar with the way my culture does.

The Zulu respect and fear the dead. Their spirits are said to wander after death and
must be ritualises and offering tally brought back after year with the eating of maize
and a sacrificed animal, and a special calling of the spirit ceremony. Restless
ancestors are said to be the source of many ills. Zulu believe in sacrifices of animals
for example: goat or oxen to the dead. They also offer a traditional beer to the
ancestors. The thanks giving sacrifice is a celebration of good crops and life going
well. This is similar to my culture we do sacrifices animals for our ancestors which is
the way of honouring them and we call it (ku pahla) in my Xitsonga language.
Offerings of traditional beer snuff and slaughtering of goat we usually do this when
there is a new born baby and when asking for better things in future.

The Zulu pay tribute to the souls of dead in Zulu they are called abaphansi or
amadlozi (ancestors). In western term one could compare them to guardian angels.
Those left behind go to great lengths to keep them happy making sacrifices and
offering to them, they ensure that souls are brought back from the place where the
body died to the family home. They are given special place to live in the hut, this
place is called „emsamo‟ and this is where one goes to talk to and communicate with
even the offerings are placed there. in my culture when a person is dead they
brought his/her soul from where the body died and take it home, the place where we
put the soul of dead is called gandzelo set aside for ritual and sacrifices to pay
homage to their ancestral spirits.

Task 2

I am a true believer that the world is filled up with good people. Engaging with other
students it was a great experience the comments made me to feel positive about my
work. I could sense feeling of care, love and politeness. The way we interact with
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each other it was amazing it was as if we all went to a class where we were taught
“be kind” lessens first. When engaging with other students in groups and in
discussion assignment it was good because I have not saw any student using
inappropriate language. They choose their words carefully and they think kindly of
others.

4. Forth Portfolio Activity

Cultural Paradigm shift

I agree with Morgan Freeman just because when I disagree with you it doesn‟t mean
that I hate you and it doesn‟t mean that I don‟t love you. Everybody has an opinion,
we cannot agree in everything in life our brain are not the same. I can agree with you
in everything you say but still it doesn‟t mean that I love you. Why do we have such a
problem with people expressing different opinions than us? As Morgan Freeman
stated not everyone thinks the way you think, know, believes the things you believe,
nor acts the way you would act. Sometimes I can agree with you but your opinion
can lead you to wrong direction. As people we have different belief for example: the
belief of Tsonga people and the beliefs of white people is not the same. When you
disagree with someone it‟s doesn‟t mean you have to shout but always stay calm
keep your voice low and your body movements clam. You can use this kind of words
to disagree with someone in a polite way: true, that is fair point, but I have to say I
disagree or I‟m afraid I disagree. As human we have different ways of viewing things
and our beliefs are different. We all know that human beings are diverse in many
ways.

Generally, interacting with humans from one kind of cultures enables you view
existence from a distinctive perspective. When you learn about different cultures,
you establish new approaches of wondering and drawing close and fixing problems.
Being exposed to diverse cultures it helps me to appreciate more in life. There more
I interact with people from different cultures, there more I value and respect them. I
have learned more about different cultures events. From now I easily understand
why other people do things the way they do. Cultural diversity is all about merging
different cultures. Being exposed to different cultures it enhances my verbal fluency,
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intelligence and awareness. The cultural ceremony assignment made me love other
people culture and it has change the way I view things. AFL 1501 expanded my
world view now I am more vocal about my belief and culture and I have learned new
ways of doing things. It is worth noting that we, as individuals, should treat each
other with respect regardless of where we came from. The different cultures have
contributed distinct flavours to the beauty of our country. We have to avoid
discriminating against other people of their beliefs or lifestyle. When I have learnt
about different cultures, I establish new ways of thinking and approaching and
solving problems.

The culture that I love when learning about cultures in this module is
isiZulu

I have learned about Zulu food and clothing. Some of foods are prepared by woman
for example: the making of traditional beer is the job of the Zulu woman.

Maize meal is a staple Zulu food and is usually eaten in a dish called uphutu, which
is a crumbly maize meal porridge generally eaten cold with amasi but is also enjoyed
hot with beans or cabbage, amasi is curdled milk which tastes like cottage cheese or
plain yogurt, sweet pumpkin and boiled modumbers (a type or yam which has dark
skin and is pleelec and tastes like a mix between potato and sweet potato: the fleshy
part is grey-white). Cattle only slaughter on special occasion such as weddings and
coming of age ceremonies, where goats, sheep or chicken are slaughtered on the
other occasions.

In Zulu culture, women also wear different attire at different stage of their lives. A
single young woman wears her hair short and only a short grass-reed skirt
embellished with beads, while engaged women will cover their breast and grow their
hair. A married woman covers her entire body to indicate that she is spoken for. She
wears a thick cowhide skirt that has been softened with animal fat and charcoal.
Traditionally, women covered their bosom with a cloth, but nowadays cotton vests or
beaded bras are worn along with bead necklaces. The most iconic adornment is
circular shaped hats called izicolo, which are worn by married women. The hats were
traditionally made of grass and cotton and measured as a metre across to protect
the wearer from the sun.
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Zulu men traditional wear animal skins and feathers. Because the Zulu revere
leopard as the king of all predators, only royalty are allowed to wear leopard skin. A
front apron (isinene) and a rear the (ibheshu) are worn to cover the genitals and
buttocks. The tufts of a cow‟s tail called amashaba are worn on the upper arms and
below the knees to give the appearance of greater bulk. Headbands are only by
married man.

4. Final Reflection
Before I started AFL1501, I thought the module would be interesting, given the fact
that it is an online module and my speculation of such was one of surfing through the
internet and getting resources but I have found the module challenging at first, I can
say that I have been developed as a student and I did certain reflections over the
pass semester while working on this module, as for now my views concerning the
module has changed and I can say it is quite as interesting as I thought and I feel
that I have gain knowledge, skills and positive attitude towards learning it creates
positive thinking toward language diversity. What I have learned from AFL1501 is
that we live in society full of different cultures, and as people we are different and
also that there are lot of factors influencing who we are.
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5. References
https://www.news24.com/parent/Pregnant/Baby-names/tshivenda-baby-names-for-
boys-and-girls-20170519?fbclid=IwAR3FhkDjjuWCHAyd1kRI-
msMbsCyoSB77oa8Yavkg9TvTG9GniRCczT7uWE (Date of use: 23 August 2021)

https://www.lizcho.org/blog/language-and-identity-beautifully-insightful-reflections-
from-
seniors?fbclid=IwAR2B0Hy_Bpf4Hb2uzdpwU2Eu6jLC2dxI24p7pzii3CHbX_G2ohjzD
xtom_o#:~:text=Language%2C%20a%20system%20of%20linguistic%20signs%20a
nd%20words,to%20ideas%20that%20are%20attributed%20to%20language%20cult
ural-specifically (Date of use: 23 August 2021

https://www.demandafrica.com/travel/culture/a-guide-to-zulu-culture-traditions-and-
cuisine/?fbclid=IwAR1q8KSJZSPBSBich2GGmSVytN4Ktd1FwvTar0aDPUwPQthGn
CsKMW3cgf8#:~:text=As%20in%20any%20ancient%20culture%2C%20the%20Zulu
%20culture,soul%20of%20the%20departed%20and%20invoke%20their%20blessing
s (Date of use: 25 August 2021)
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6. Academic Honesty Declaration:

1. I know that plagiarism means taking and using the ideas, writings, works or
inventions of another as if they were one‟s own. I know that plagiarism not only
includes verbatim copying, but also the extensive use of another person‟s ideas
without proper acknowledgement (which includes the proper use of quotation
marks). I know that plagiarism covers the use of material found in textual sources
and from the Internet.

2. I acknowledge and understand that plagiarism is wrong.

3. I understand that my research proposal must be accurately referenced.

4. This research proposal is my own work. I acknowledge that copying someone

else‟s research, or part of it, is wrong, and that submitting identical work to others
constitutes a form of plagiarism.

5. I have not allowed, nor will I in the future allow, anyone to copy my work with the
intention of passing it off as their own work.

6. I confirm that I have read and understood UNISA‟s Policy for Copyright and
Plagiarism - https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Apply-for-
admission/Master%27s-&-doctoral-degrees/Policies,-procedures-&-forms

Full Name Vutomi Life Rikhotso Student No: 12390623