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Books on the Bay 2023

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On the steps of the Simon's Town Museum

Like the weather, it was unpredictable. Rain poured down all night long before the first session of the day, but then the sun rose and bathed the Simon’s Town bay in its glorious light. We all sensed that a literary festival in the Far South of the peninsula could have plenty to offer for readers from near and far, but no one could tell for sure. Although, judging by the crowds that attended the opening event, which was held a month in advance in the presence of such literary greats as Antjie Krog, José Eduardo Agualusa and JM Coetzee, we could have counted on friendly skies. And so they were. As were the crowds that descended on the story-rich Simon’s Town like the kind morning light.

Nancy Richards and Barbara Mutch

The girl from Simon’s Town was first on stage in the Dockyard Chapel when acclaimed broadcaster, journalist and writer Nancy Richards interviewed the novel’s author, Barbara Mutch. Set in wartime Simon’s Town, the novel focuses on the story of a forbidden romance between a local nurse and a British naval officer. Although now based in the UK, Mutch often returns to her native South Africa and lived in Simon’s Town while writing and researching the book.

Books on the Bay book bag

Each event I went to was full or nearly so, even in such large venues as the Dockyard Chapel or the Methodist Church. Clearly, the longing for such a gathering of writers and readers must have been in the salty air for a long time, and hopefully Books on the Bay can still it every Cape autumn from now on.

David Attwell

The festival is the brainchild of Darryl David and David Attwell, and they roped in Karin Cronjé to help organise.

Erica Lombard tweeting

Erica Lombard was responsible for the great publicity that Books on the Bay received in the lead-up to the two-day festival, and throughout. One could observe her photographing, live-tweeting and instagramming for the comfort of those who could not attend, but who wanted to get a taste of the individual sessions via social media, and to whet their appetite for next year.

The organisers shared their passion for stories, their own and those of others, during the festival: David gave a talk about his A platteland pilgrimage – 102 country churches of South Africa, and Attwell was in conversation with Elleke Boehmer about JM Coetzee and all matters autofictional and self-revelatory. Cronjé, who in There goes English teacher captured her experience of teaching in Korea, spoke alongside Nancy Richards, whose The skipper’s daughter tells the story of her adventurous mother. They, too, discussed the fictional elements inherently embedded in memoir writing.

Nancy Richards, Elleke Boehmer and Karin Cronjé

“To write memoir is to create images; it becomes fiction,” said Cronjé, referring to the crafting of the past into a coherent narrative that can be shared with others.

“We all have family stuff,” concurred Richards, remembering how she’d needed many years and eventually the “gift of time” that the lockdown provided to face the family stories and memorabilia – in the form of newspaper cuttings, correspondence, diaries and the ship’s logbook which her mother, as captain’s clerk, had kept on board the SS Nailsea Manor when she sailed the world’s seas with her father at the age of 16 in 1938 – to write the remarkable story.

“Confronting the past takes a huge amount of courage,” remarked Elleke Boehmer, who chaired the session. Boehmer herself is currently working on Southern imagining, a major literary history that explores responses to the early myths and legends of the far southern hemisphere by a range of its modern writers, from Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Charles Darwin and Olive Schreiner through to Borges, Coetzee, Janet Frame, Alexis Wright and Terry-Ann Adams. Placing emphasis on stories of the south about the south, the book will question, through literature, the frameworks of thinking that the north has imposed on the south, such as the hostile antipodes and the distant “Global South”, and the environmental consequences of this imposition.

In the Noorul Islam Masjid

At the heart of the festival – for me, and several others I spoke to – was the free session held in the Noorul Islam Masjid (Thomas Street Mosque), during which Zeid Baker spoke about his father, Imam MA Baker.

Zeid Baker's memorabilia of his father

The Baker family’s history is deeply rooted in Simon’s Town. Imam Baker served at the mosque between 1952 and 1968, during which time he translated the Holy Quran into Afrikaans – “a cultural event of enormous significance”, said Attwell in his introduction.

More of Zeid Baker's memorabilia of his father

Zeid Baker is the principal of South Peninsula High School, with 35 years of experience in education and public service. Together with his nephew, Ihsaan Adams, who has written a book on the Baker family to “celebrate those who shaped our lives”, he took us on a fascinating and painful journey into their personal past, and revealed how the individual lives of their people sculpted the socio-historical reality of the country. The way the family preserves and holds this incredible legacy was moving to experience.

Attracting South Africans of all ages and backgrounds, including Minister Ebrahim Patel, and quite a few foreigners, the soulful event was profoundly inspiring. With his clarity of vision and the humility of remembrance, Zeid Baker shared the vivid memories of his father and this turbulent time with his captive audience. The translation was executed during a period of enormous pressures for the community – a period of indignation, resistance and indescribable loss. The Baker family was evicted from Simon’s Town when it was declared a white-only area on 1 September 1967 – “the dark blotch in the history of our country”, in the words of Zeid Baker. A blotch that will not be forgotten. The forced removals permeate the consciousness of Simon’s Town and were referred to in many sessions of the festival.

The Noorul Islam Masjid

When Zeid Baker mentioned that his name does lead to an actual baker in the distant branches of their family tree, and David Attwell remembered a Sea Point baker of the past whom he is related to, I couldn’t help thinking how fitting these connections were in the context of the nourishment that words, like bread, are for any community. And we shared a feast of great sustenance in the Noorul Islam Masjid on the second morning of the festival and at the free lunch organised for the community after the talk.

Henrietta Rose-Innes, Finuala Dowling and Jo-Anne Richards

The impression was reinforced when another local, Finuala Dowling, recalled how “words were king in our household” when she was growing up. “Being small in a large family, I wanted to be heard,” she said, but it was only when her heart was broken at the age of 38 that she started writing the iconic debut poetry collection, I flying. Dowling spoke to Henrietta Rose-Innes and Jo-Anne Richards about writing. Rose-Innes, who admitted to a “conflicted relationship with the idea of writing as vocation”, mentioned how being a writer was a “charmed profession” because it allowed you “to dip your toes” into all kinds of other professions and lives. Inevitably, writing nurtures curiosity, understanding and empathy.

All three authors recalled growing up in homes full of books. Their memories were a strong reminder of the importance of the festival’s outreach literacy programmes. With the assistance of such sponsors as Standard Bank, the initiatives offer opportunities for young people in the area, especially from disadvantaged communities such as Ocean View and Masiphumelele. Getting kids and local schools and libraries involved was essential for the organisers, and the particular programme will extend into the year. The festival hosts a big book drive, with the Simon’s Town Library as a central point for collections. Distribution to schools in the region will focus on two schools at a time.

Mignonne Breier and Bongani Kona

Another personal highlight of Books on the Bay was Bongani Kona’s interview with last year’s Sunday Times Literary Award winner for nonfiction, Mignonne Breier. Her meticulously researched Bloody Sunday: The nun, the defiance campaign and South Africa’s secret massacre sheds light on a nearly forgotten massacre by the police at an ANC Youth League event in East London in 1952. Never properly investigated, the massacre of dozens, if not hundreds, of people is another “dark blotch” on South Africa’s history. Breier’s interest in the horrific event and its fallout grew out of a personal story. A picture of the nun of the subtitle and Breier’s own lock of hair shared the pages of her mother’s Bible. “I tried to get to the truth,” she told Kona. “I know it’s impossible, but I wanted to. I wanted the story to be known.” Her intensely personal recollections evolved into an act of retrieval that, thanks to her research and efforts, now forms part of the nation’s archive.

Gabeba Baderoon taking photographs

I could not listen in on all sessions of the festival, but many attendees raved about one I missed: the conversations between Damon Galgut and Wahbie Long, with Anastasia Maw chairing. They examined the impact of memory and psychological inheritance which shape South Africans today. “Love is the best emotion humans are capable of,” Damon Galgut said. “But it’s involuntary. It’s a state of grace. It can’t be chosen. Kindness is always chosen. We can’t love a stranger, but we can be kind. It’s the best emotion easily available to humans.”*

Empathy – nourished by stories – is a key to the kindness Galgut encouraged us toward. And literary festivals offer spaces for such encounters, with long-lasting effects on the lives of people they touch.

Karina Szcurek with Austrian academic, Gabriele Dau, enjoying Simon's Town's seafood

Books on the Bay was a wonderful example of how these opportunities can be created. Poetry was read, coffees and meals shared, and at the end of it all, Mooiplaas Wine and the SA Navy Band delighted those present to celebrate the success of the festival (and delight was needed after the sobering last session of the festival when Jacques Pauw offered his take on the “mafia” state).

“They were so good!” Henrietta Rose-Innes tweeted about the SA Navy Band. “More jazz ensembles, fewer submarines, I say!”

More Books on the Bay, too! Please.

Clarke's Bookshop at Book on the Bay

Books on the Bay

*As quoted by All About Writing on Twitter, 10 March 2023.

  • Photography by Karina Szcurek

The post Books on the Bay 2023 appeared first on LitNet.


Die Internasionale Strafhof se arrestasiebevel vir poetin. Wat is die gevolge, en wat gaan Suid-Afrika doen?

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Agtergrondfoto: Karollyne Hubert op Unsplash, Logo van die Internasionale Strafhof in die openbare domein via Wikimedia Commons

Skrywersnota: Die spelling van poetin, rusland ens met ’n kleinletter is nie spelfoute nie; dis nou algemeen in die Oekraiënse media, as ’n daad van tipografiese verset en minagting. In hierdie artikel sluit ek by daardie gebruik aan.

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Ek lag maar, soos mens behoort te lag, ook vir komiese verligting, maar met verleentheid vlak onder die vel – dís dan hoe die regering se kortsigtigheid Suid-Afrika se beeld in die buiteland skaad.
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Daar’s deesdae min rede vir vreugdevolle feesviering in Oekraïne. Dis nie te sê mense vier nie verjaarsdae en sulke dinge nie, maar dis gedempte affêres in vergelyking met vroeër, want alles word nou gemeet aan vroeër, voor die uitbreek van die oorlog. Vrydag 17 Maart was egter ’n heuglike dag. Twee stukke opspraakwekkende nuus het dit genoodsaak dat veelvuldige glasies horilka (Oekraïens vir wodka) geklink en gedrink moes word. Op gedempte toon natuurlik – dit lyk amper of mense dit nie meer anders kán doen nie.

  • Die Internasionale Strafhof het ’n arrestasiebevel uitgereik teen poetin, president van die russiese federasie.
  • Turkye het uiteindelik toestemming gegee dat Finland Navo-lidmaatskap mag verkry.
Die arrestasiebevel

Die Internasionale Strafhof se arrestasiebevel is nie net teen poetin nie, maar ook teen die russiese federasie se kommissaris gemoeid met kinderregte. Sedert die russiese federasie se inval in Oekraïne in Februarie 2022 is daar al 65 000 gevalle opgeteken van beweerde oorlogsmisdade deur daardie land se magte. Maar die klag waarvoor die arrestasiebevel uitgereik is, gaan hoofsaaklik oor die beweerde ontvoering van Oekraïense kinders vanuit die besette gebiede na rusland, sogenaamd vir “heropvoeding”. Volgens die Oekraïense regering is daar 16 226 kinders na rusland gedeporteer, waarvan 10 513 opgespoor is en 308 teruggebring is. Hierdie is meestal kinders uit kinderhuise, maar daar is ook kinders wat tydens die chaos van die besetting van hulle ouers geskei geraak het.  

Die klag is dat die president van die russiese federasie en maria lvova-belova, die kommissaris van kinderregte, persoonlik verantwoordelik gehou moet word vir hierdie ontvoerings. Intussen kla maria, wat glo self ’n vyftienjarige seun aangeneem het, luidkeels dat die Oekraïense kinders “sleg praat van die (russiese) president”. Uit die mond van die kinders en die suigelinge ...   

Wat is die implikasie van die arrestasiebevel vir poetin en sy kommissaris gemoeid met kinderregte?

Altesaam 136 lande, waaronder Suid-Afrika, is lede van die Internasionale Strafhof. Lidlande van die Internasionale Strafhof is verplig om ’n persoon teen wie ’n arrestasiebevel uitgereik is en wat hom/haar op die grondgebied van een van daardie lande bevind, uit te lewer aan die Internasionale Kriminele Hof in Den Haag sou ’n geleentheid hom voordoen. Maar in die praktyk werk dit nie altyd so nie. Dikwels is dit meer ’n kwessie van politieke wil as enigiets anders. Daar word byvoorbeeld verwys na die voormalige president van Soedan, Omar al-Basjir, wat na bewering verantwoordelik is vir massamoorde in Darfur en vrylik gereis het na Internasionale Strafhof-lidlande wat die Roomse Statuut bekragtig het, terwyl daar ’n arrestasiebevel teen hom was. Hy was ook in Suid-Afrika, waar ’n Suid-Afrikaanse hof beslis het dat hy uitgelewer moet word, weliswaar ná hy al weer vertrek het.

Die russiese president sal wel nog kan reis; ’n land wat nie lid is van die Internasionale Strafhof nie, staan onder geen verpligting om hom uit te lewer nie. Maar ’n reis selfs na ’n lidland wat hom goedgesind is, sal wel ’n bepaalde risiko inhou. Omar al-Basjir moes dikwels vlugroetes verander uit vrees dat sy vliegtuig oor die grondgebied van ’n Internasionale Strafhof-lidland neergedwing kan word. Dit kos natuurlik meer brandstof, en dis te betwyfel of poetin, wat alreeds aansienlik minder reis, bereid sal wees om sulke risiko’s te loop.

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Dit ten spyte daarvan dat die Haagse konvensie, wat die metodes en middele van oorlogvoering beheer, en waarin die Internasionale Strafhof se bestaan gewortel is, in 1898 op die inisiatief van tsar Nikolas II van rusland tot stand gekom het
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Met karakteristieke bravade ontken rusland die arrestasiebevel en maak dit af as “verregaande”; die papier waarop dit geskryf is, is glo net goed vir toiletgebruik, raas hulle eerste minister. Dit ten spyte daarvan dat die Haagse konvensie, wat die metodes en middele van oorlogvoering beheer, en waarin die Internasionale Strafhof se bestaan gewortel is, in 1898 op die inisiatief van tsar Nikolas II van rusland tot stand gekom het; rusland is nie ’n lid van die Internasionale Strafhof nie. Mens kan nie verwag dat poetin môre in die hof sal wees nie. Maar dan ís daar altyd voorbeelde soos die Serwiese president Milosevic, van wie min mense destyds wou glo dat hy uitgelewer sou word.

Enigiemand wat na ’n jaar van hierdie oorlog nog “dis alles Westerse propaganda” of “dis geopolities geregverdig” skree, het nie die gebeure soos hulle ontvou het, en die politieke verskuiwings en morele heroriëntering wat tussendeur duidelik geword het uit debatte regoor die wêreld, gevolg nie. En veral nie ’n eerlike poging aangewend om kennis te neem van die destruktiewe invloed wat poetin op die russiese samelewing uitoefen nie, of van die grondverskuiwing wat die tragedie van hierdie oorlog teweeggebring het in die intellektuele herbesinning oor demokrasie in die Westerse wêreld nie. Mens kan eenvoudig nie hoop om hierdie gebeure te evalueer met slegs ’n paar stereotipiese opvattings van rusland wat spruit uit die Tweede Wêreldoorlog, of daarvóór, nie.

In hierdie verband is die arrestasiebevel teen poetin nou van groot simboliese waarde. Thomas Warrick van die Atlantic Council beweer:  

Today’s arrest warrant will limit Putin’s diplomatic options, and it will make it harder for anyone to dismiss Russia’s aggression against Ukraine as a “territorial dispute”. The real point of today’s ICC arrest warrant is to bring the world to a moment of moral clarity that what Putin is ordering in Ukraine violates the law and moral values of civilized nations around the world.

(Lees hier vir nog reaksie.)

Intussen sleep die oorlog voort, en begin dit al hoe meer soos die vorige groot Europese oorloë lyk wat betref omvang, vorm en deelnemers. En net soos in die geval van die vorige groot oorlog word die aggressor se verskonings van eksterne bedreiging, geopolitiese eise, beskerming van minderhede ens al hoe kleiner in die truspieël, om uiteindelik blatante volksmoord as die ware doelwit bloot te lê. Verlede week het rusland ’n VN Veiligheidsraadvergadering byeengeroep om “russofobie” te bespreek. Hulle is blykbaar ongelukkig omdat hulle wêreldwyd so ongewild is. Timothy Snyders, professor en spesialis in Oos-Europese geskiedenis by Yale-universiteit, het die vergadering toegespreek. In ’n uitstekende uiteensetting verduidelik hy dat om die slagoffer te speel terwyl jy eintlik die aggressor is, nie ’n vorm van verdediging is nie, maar neerkom op nóg ’n daad van aggressie. Sy hoofargument, goed toegelig met voorbeelde, is dat die russiese staat uiteindelik self verantwoordelikheid moet dra vir watter “russofobia” daar ook al bestaan. Kostelik is ook die russiese afvaardiging se navrae wat betref Snyders se “bronne” en sy “kwalifikasies”. Lees gerus sy voordrag hier.

Of luister hier daarna:

Wat gaan Suid-Afrika doen?

Wat beteken poetin se arrestasiebevel vir Suid-Afrika? Het die Suid-Afrikaanse regering homself in ’n hoek vasgeverf? Moontlik sal die besef dat daar geen neutraliteit in hierdie oorlog kan wees nie, stadig begin binnedring. Ook dat “neutraliteit” genadeloos deur rusland uitgebuit word, én dat daar ’n prys is wat betaal sal moet word. Gaan die Suid-Afrikaanse regering by rusland bly staan, ten spyte daarvan dat ’n kriminele arrestasiebevel vir die leier van daardie land uitgereik is? Die verdeling van die wêreldmening raak daagliks skerper; vermeende neutraliteit kan kwalik meer anders gesien word as steun. Hoe ver is die Suid-Afrikaanse regering bereid om op hierdie ambivalente trant te probeer voortgaan? Tot sanksies na Suid-Afrika se kant toe begin kom? Daar is byvoorbeeld ’n Brics-beraad in Augustus in Durban. Wat gaan Suid-Afrika doen as poetin wil kom kuier?        

Miskien is die vraagstuk gesetel in onbevoegdheid. Dalk weet die regering eenvoudig nie hoe om hierdie dilemma te hanteer nie. Dalk het hulle nie kundiges met genoeg inligting of agtergrond nie. Dis seker moontlik. En dan maak hulle moontlik soos op ander gebiede: Hulle kry onafhanklike adviseurs – in hierdie geval privaatagentskappe gestig deur oud-ANC-ondersteuners uit die apartheidera; prinsipieel anti-Westers en met verstokte idees oor rusland, wat drasties ’n stewige konsultasiefooi benodig in ruil vir ’n bietjie tagtigs-spioen-spioen-opwinding. Maar wat sit hulle vir die regering op die tafel? Verslae wat bestaan uit samestellings van prominente (Westerse) anti-Westerse joernaliste se skrywery, soos die een wat twee dae voor die uitbreek van die oorlog geskryf het ’n oorlog sal uitbreek slegs as een van daardie “Ukrainian crazies” iets onnosel aanvang. ’n Moderne regering kan nie staatmaak op oudinligtingsoffisiere vir die formulering van sy buitelandse beleid nie; daarvoor het jy intelligente mense nodig wat deeglik opgelei is in kontemporêre wêreldpolitiek. Ek spekuleer maar ’n bietjie.

Navo-lidmaatskap vir Finland

Turkye het lank Finland se aansoek vir Navo-lidmaatskap teengestaan op grond daarvan dat hulle kwansuis Koerdiese rebellevegters huisves. Alle Navo-lidlande moet toestemming gee voor ’n land wat aansoek doen, toegelaat kan word. Maar hierdie probleme is nou blykbaar opgelos. Finland is neutraal sedert die einde van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog, maar rusland se inval in Oekraïne het ’n radikale ommeswaai teweeggebring in die vroeëre beleid van daardie land, wat swaar deurgeloop het tydens ’n russiese inval in 1939. Fins-russiese “vriendskap”, wat nog sterk gepropageer is in russiese films destyds toe ek in Oekraïne aangeland het, is ten laaste ook iets van die verlede. En hierin lê nog ’n “oorwinning” vir poetin, die groot geopolitiese strateeg, want waar hy gekla het oor Navo se militêre teenwoordigheid op rusland se grens, en bereid was om daaroor ’n oorlog te ontketen, gaan rusland nou ’n ekstra 1 300 km lange grens met ’n Navo land deel. Dis nou nog sonder die paar duisend kilometer wat die grens met Oekraïne daaraan gaan byvoeg.

Om te verstaan

Dis Vrydagaand 17 Maart, en my vriend Wadim is nou al geïrriteerd met al my lang uiteensettings. Probeer ek Suid-Afrika verdedig? Probeer ek Afrika verdedig? Oorlog maak die nerwe rou; niemand het krag oor vir enige verstaansfilosofie nie. Verstehen is die allerlaaste oorlewingsopsie as die sirenes begin loei. Verduidelikings maak ten slotte ook nie meer soveel saak nie. Wadim skink nog ’n ronde horilka – miskien sal dit help met die slaap. Almal slaap sleg, want die onskuldige, geviktimiseerde russiese federasie loods snags missiel- en hommeltuigaanvalle op woongebiede. Jou kop begin jou al parte speel. Soms hoor jy, in jou slaap, ontploffings wanneer daar nie ontploffings is nie. Of jy lê wakker en wag vir die slag, en skrik vir elke geluid. En heeldag die sirene se gehuil. Ek sien Oekraïne is nou die wêreld se voorste gebruiker van antidepressante.

Ek is bevrees in hierdie omstandighede kan slegs stereotipes prolifereer. Wadim wys my ’n spotprentjie op sy foon, seker vir ’n bietjie komiese verligting. ’n Groep Afrika-mans hurksit in ’n kring, lendekleedjies, spiese en al, met poetin in die middel. In die agtergrond is ’n soort vliegtuig gemaak van bamboes. Die opskrif lui: “Ons kan alles self vervaardig! Sanksies maak ons sterker!”, ’n verwysing na rusland se ontkenning van sy ekonomiese agteruitgang en desperate pogings om vriende met Afrika-leiers te maak én wapens van hulle te verkry. Ek lag maar, soos mens behoort te lag, ook vir komiese verligting, maar met verleentheid vlak onder die vel – dís dan hoe die regering se kortsigtigheid Suid-Afrika se beeld in die buiteland skaad. Geweld reduseer alle gedink en besinning tot die laagste vlak. Is dít hoe alles swig voor gewelddadige barbaarsheid? Alle pogings sedert die slagtings van die vorige eeu, al die gepraat, al die gedink, al die gedroom van ’n wêreld sonder moord en doodslag, alles wat ons gedink het vooruitgang beteken, die idee van universele mensheid en menslikheid, die humanistiese ideale van die Verligting, humanitêre hulp, mediese wetenskap en menseregte, internasionale medewerking, verdraagsaamheid en vrede? Vrede, vrede, ... vrede?

Lees ook:

Waarom is Navo ’n vlieg in Poetin se salf?

Press release: Ukraine, a year of war crimes and resolve

When is an election free and fair?

Ukraine’s nightmare: The Russian Bear and its history

Collaboration – the moral maze of the enemy within

The post Die Internasionale Strafhof se arrestasiebevel vir poetin. Wat is die gevolge, en wat gaan Suid-Afrika doen? appeared first on LitNet.

Press release: The Island Prize longlist for 2023

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The Island Prize is very proud to be announcing our longlist for 2023:

  • Bobo Hamham by Aganaba, Jesudubami Jemima (Nigeria)
  • The Becoming-Nothing of Bodies by Olubunmi Familoni (Nigeria)
  • A Mouth Full of Salt by Reem Gaafar (Sudan)
  • No Poison, No Paradise by Nzeru Aquilar Nsaí (South Africa)
  • Braids and Migraines by Andile MaShundu Cele (South Africa)
  • Choosing an Outfit for the End of the World by Robyn Perros (South Africa)
  • Carrying a Country on Your Forehead by Tanaka Chidora (Zimbabwe)
  • Night’s Last Secrets by Felix Otis (Kenya)
  • Captured by Immaculate Halla (Tanzania)

The quality of this year’s submissions were incredibly strong, flooding in from across the entire continent. We received many submissions from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and South Africa, with further contributions from Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Mauritius, Zambia, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Ghana.

The longlisted entries will now be read in full and considered for shortlisting by our judges Karen Jennings (author and founder of The Island Prize), Rachel Edwards (author), and Hamza Koudri (runner up for The Island Prize 2022).

The post Press release: The Island Prize longlist for 2023 appeared first on LitNet.

The sports bet & the bunny chow

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A CEO doesn’t need the kind of hope they’re selling as much as someone who can’t afford to bet in the first place. A Unisa survey points out that most Lottery players have a combined income of under R10 000 per month.

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Legal sports betting is the best sin almost nobody talks about.

“If lawyers have time to do it, they don’t talk about it. If the accused people in court do it, they don’t talk about it to the lawyers,” says my co-writer.*

Even if you don’t know anything about sports betting, writer and co-writer included, you’ll know something about the betting houses from their abundance of quirky T-shirts and hats handed out for promotional reasons. Betting works almost just like religion and sports. It seems that even dominees might very well be doing it, while the congregation check their phones religiously to see whether they’ve gotten any luck from the latest test scores.

People who look too excited during any televised matches probably have R200 staked on the Manchester United game. They haven’t won the Premier League since 2012, but punters are always hoping for the best.

Here’s how sports betting has snuck up on worldwide culture, and why it’s sometimes difficult to tell whether this is a good thing.

Magna est vis consuetudinis (Great is the power of habit)

Betting has such a large cultural impact, that you’ll know its promotional value even if you have never spent a single cent on Lotto (or sports) before reading this sentence. Gaming provider Betway sponsors football clubs like West Ham United, Levante UD and Deportivo Alavés. Betting houses are also there to sponsor international esports leagues or put their money behind the Hollywoodbets Cape Town Street Parade. It’s not just the Kaapse Klopse anymore.

Once taboo, sports betting has done a great job of sneaking up on us all. Attitudes towards sports betting have made it a more acceptable form of entertainment, according to formal gambling studies. People used to queue for lottery tickets to buy with their chips; now, you can expect to see people line up to buy betting vouchers to load onto their account instead.

 ...

These days, even if you don’t want to get in your car, just do it from your phone. It’s not Candy Crush that keeps people on their phones; it’s sports bets and illicit slots.

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Sequere pecuniam (Follow the money)

Betting is everywhere. From Johannesburg and Pretoria to Cape Town and Durban, you always know exactly where to find the betting shops. They’re always in the same part of town as the takeaways, street buskers, bergies, loan sharks and courts. A betting shop is usually in the part of town you can feel: right between the core of the beehive and the place where you can get cheap chips.

There’s a betting shop around the corner from almost every mid-city courtroom. The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court (Francis Baard Street) is just two minutes from Hollywoodbets (Paul Kruger Street). The Durban Magistrate’s Court (c/o Somtseu & Stalwart Simelane) doubles the distance: it’s four minutes from the court to Hollywoodbets. If you’re looking for Tab Gold, just drive seven minutes away from the Durban Magistrate’s Court.

“I very much doubt lawyers would frequent betting houses,” adds the co-writer. “There are more roleplayers at court than just the lawyers.”

Betting shops aren’t this close to the arms of the law for the convenience of clerks, lawyers or judges. While some lawyers specialise in betting laws and gambling acts, the majority of legal professionals would never see the inside of a betting house for their enjoyment. Instead, the inside of a betting shop is more likely to see scores of punters who have to defend themselves in court when their loans have gone bad.

Maybe, and maybe not. These days, even if you don’t want to get in your car, just do it from your phone. It’s not Candy Crush that keeps people on their phones; it’s sports bets and illicit slots.

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Illegal gambling means, even if you win, you don’t.

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Dormiunt leges aliquando, nunquam moriuntur (The law sometimes sleeps, but never dies)

Sports bets are legal in South Africa, under the condition(s) that the bet is placed with a licensed South African bookmaker. Companies like Hollywoodbets and Tab are allowed under law, because they are adequately registered with local authorities.

Online gambling (such as poker and slots) doesn’t get the same free pass in South Africa just yet. Slot machines from the smartphone, or poker from the PC, are still illegal. Illegal gambling means, even if you win, you don’t. It’s not as easy to get statistics on the illicit gambling market, but it’s like a retired socialite: we know they’re living and breathing somewhere, but you almost never see them out in the open.

Non crimen (Not a crime)

The Hollywood Bunny Bar sells cheap food: burgers, curries, rotis, platters. Vegans are welcome, though we’ve never tried to walk into one for the food yet. Come for the food, stay for the possibility of winning (or losing) your cash. Strip clubs do the same: have the cheap prego roll, but stay for everything else. We’ve seen many individuals with gambling addictions, but this isn’t a crime.**

It’s called “incentive” in the gambling market, and it’s designed to keep customers there. It’s almost like cake and tea for pensioners on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but gambling adverts tend to be much louder and brighter. It’s why casinos are loud, have no clocks and give you free stuff every few spins. Like casinos, pachinko machines or Candy Crush, houses might be aware that some of their customers are there to go on a date, and then to lose a moerse klomp money over a fokken bunny chow.

Do the betting operators knowingly have tomato sauce on their hands? We asked several unnamed betting operators for simple statistics on the gambling industry: no response so far. We didn’t even get to ask any of the more detailed questions about the current industry.

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According to the National Gambling Board, sports betting was the only industry that showed positive growth (21,2%) during the COVID-19 lockdown.

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Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope)

Sports betting doesn’t just sell vouchers and returns: the commodity is hope, and the possibility of being blessed by the odds. And who needs hope? The poor do.

A CEO doesn’t need the kind of hope they’re selling as much as someone who can’t afford to bet in the first place. A Unisa survey points out that most Lottery players have a combined income of under R10 000 per month.

Like cigarettes or alcohol, sports betting is a legal addiction that many people can’t afford. They do it anyway, and the National Gambling Board admits (and studies) the potential danger. If you can’t afford the taxi back after two bunny chows and a few lost bets, you’ll be fine as long as you have your ID and proof of residence with you: there’s probably a loan shark right around the corner from the betting shop (or you can just find one from your phone).

According to the National Gambling Board, sports betting was the only industry that showed positive growth (21,2%) during the COVID-19 lockdown. A pandemic didn’t cause financial growth in the medical sector, but caused sports betting to skyrocket.

We may not have received any decent and direct answers about the size and scope of the current betting industry, but we do have some nice questions:

  • Does that mean sports betting is the pastime for everyone, and it doesn’t discriminate?
  • Does that mean sports betting is intrinsically ZEF or gevaarlik?
  • Does that just mean the house always wins?

We’ll let you work out the odds.

Notes:

*Coyne acknowledges a co-writer who preferred to remain anonymous.

**For gambling addiction help and advice, contact the SA Responsible Gambling Foundation at 080 000 6008, or visit responsiblegambling.org.za.

See also:

Dobbelary: Enkele gesigspunte

Can there be a dance between the health sciences and the arts?

Eureka! Waar kuns en die mediese wêreld mekaar ontmoet

Wat beteken die woord hoop in ons huidige klimaat?

Hoop in die donker: ’n onderhoud met André van der Merwe

Dobbel

"Hope" by Nolan Sampson

“Hope” by Xolani Giba

"Hope" by Tatum Kan

“Hope” by Emanuel Ferreira

The post The sports bet & the bunny chow appeared first on LitNet.

Die EFF-grendelpoging: Wat beteken dit vir Suid-Afrika?

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Wat beteken die aanloop tot, verloop en afloop van die EFF se grendelpoging (shutdown) vir die EFF, ander politieke partye en Suid-Afrika se korttermyn politieke toekoms?

Die aanloop tot die grendelpoging het beteken dat die EFF die derde van die drie groot opposisiepartye was wat massaoptogte teen beurtkrag gehou het. Die DA en die IVP het ook al hul optogte gehou, maar die EFF s’n was die grootste en het die meeste aandag getrek.

Die rede hiervoor is voor hande, naamlik dat die EFF ’n baie anargistiese indruk van hulself geskep het, en by baie Suid-Afrikaners die beeld het van onrussaaiers, moeilikheidmakers en afbrekers. Koelbloedige retoriek van die EFF-leierskap, by name die partyleier, Julius Malema, soos “Oorwinning of Dood” skep ’n rewolusionêre beeld. Rewolusies en gerugte van rewolusies maak almal met iets om te verloor meer as net ’n bietjie bekommerd. Niemand wil spoke opjaag of skrik vir koue pampoen nie, maar niemand wil ook onkant betrap word of alles verloor nie.

In Suid-Afrika is daar juis tans ’n lossigheid in die lug. Iets is vaardig; alles is nie pluis nie. Vertroue en selfvertroue is laag, veral vertroue in die regering en staatsinstansies, soos die polisie. Dis ’n tydsgees van onsekerheid, soos ons laas in die vroeë 1990’s beleef het. En hierdie keer is daar geen FW de Klerk en Nelson Mandela in sig nie.

Vir die EFF was die grendelpoging belangrik om hul steun te toon. Geen massaoptog gaan ’n duit verskil maak aan enige elektrisiteitkrisis nie. Dit het die DA korrek uitgewys – ’n insig wat hulle ontsnap het tydens hul eie, heelwat kleiner en ewe futiele massaoptogte enkele weke gelede. Die IVP het hul massaoptog wyslik tot Durban beperk. Wat die DA, EFF en IVP gemeen het, is dat hul massaoptogte maar ’n geval van “aanhou beweeg en geraas maak” is, eerder as dat dit as sulks ’n poging is om landsprobleme op te los. Dis mos volgende jaar weer verkiesing.

Vir die EFF kom die ietwat onsuksesvolle grendelpoging op ’n ongemaklike tyd. Die afgelope ses en ’n half jaar – sedert die plaaslike regeringsverkiesing van 2016 – heers daar ’n meningsverskil in die EFF oor wat hul rol in regering moet wees om te kan groei. Daar is drie denkskole, en ’n vierde en vyfde terugvalposisie.

Die eerste denkskool is dat die EFF moet saamwerk met die ander opposisiepartye teen die ANC. Hierdie denkskool het sedert 2016 nog telkens die oorhand gehad in die sentrale bevelspan – die 25 topleiers in die party. Daarom het die EFF telkens ná 2016 met die DA en ander opposisiepartye saamgewerk teen die ANC.

Daardie eerste EFF-denkskool het in 2016 een groot taktiese flater begaan. Nadat die EFF aanduidings gegee het dat hulle met die opposisiepartye sou saamwerk, het die ANC baie luidrugtig aangevoer die EFF het sy townshipkiesers in die steek gelaat deur met die DA saam te werk – dat die EFF uit opportunisme en in ruil vir posisies voorgee hulle is links van die regering, en dan in die bed spring met diegene regs van die regering, soos die DA, IVP en VF Plus.

Met dié dat die eerste denkskool so half onverwags die meerderheid steun in die sentrale bevelspan gekry het (sowel Malema as sy onderleier, Floyd Shivambu, was daarteen, maar moes by die meerderheid berus), het die EFF in 2016 die flater begaan om (in reaksie op die ANC-bewering van indicate left, turn right) in te stem om die opposisiekoalisies te steun sonder om enige uitvoerende leiersposisies vir hulself op te eis.

Dit het beteken hulle kon geen EFF-beleid implementeer nie, wat beteken het hul kiesers se EFF-stemme het beleidsgewys niks beteken nie. Toe die DA later (nadat dié party in 2019 regs geswaai het in ’n tot dusver onsuksesvolle poging om hul steunverlies aan die VF Plus te probeer teenwerk) besluit het om nie meer met die EFF saam te werk nie, het dit die meer gematigde eerste denkskool (van opposisiesamewerking) binne die EFF se posisie benadeel.

Die tweede denkskool binne die EFF oor die EFF se rol in regering is om met die ANC saam te werk. Daar is rede om te glo dit is eintlik Malema se voorkeur, of dat dit al by tye sy voorkeur was. Die gedagte word ook rondgegooi dat die EFF mos uit die ANC ontstaan het, so samewerking sal eintlik hereniging wees. Enigeen wat dink dit is so eenvoudig, vergeet dat daar in die magspolitiek niks so bitter as broedertwis is nie. Gaan kyk maar na die Afrikanerpolitiek van die 1980’s – alle buitestaanders het gemeen die NP en die KP hoort eintlik maar saam, maar ingeligtes het geweet dit is onmoontlik. Eweseer is dit waar dat waar die bloed letterlik vloei tussen die EFF en ’n politieke opponent, daardie politieke opponent gewoonlik die ANC is.

Waar die tweede EFF-denkskool dus strategies versigtig moet trap, is tydsberekening. Die stryd tussen die ANC en die EFF is naakte, brutale magspolitiek. Beginsel en beleid is nie afwesig nie, maar dit is ’n bysaak. Indien die een kant die ander nie kan vernietig nie, is die tydsberekening van samewerking deurslaggewend. Dit moet uit ’n magsposisie geskied. Uit ’n EFF-oogpunt kan samewerking met die ANC dus net gebeur as die ANC genoegsaam verswak kan word sodat die EFF die ANC kan insluk. Anders gaan die ANC die EFF insluk, en dan loop EFF-leiers weer die gevaar om verswak of uitgeskop te word, soos in 2012 gebeur het toe baie huidige EFF-leiers in die ANC-jeugliga was.

Benewens die verswakking van die eerste EFF-denkskool soos uiteengesit, het drie verwikkelinge die tweede EFF-denkskool die afgelope paar jaar versterk. Die eerste is dat die huidige korps ANC-leiers regtig baie oud is, en dat die volgende generasie taamlik treurig en oninspirerend voorkom. Daar is dus ’n komende leiersvakuum. Die tweede aspek is dat die DA se skuif na regs en gevolglike verlies aan swart leiers die grond braak laat vir die EFF om ontevrede swart ANC-kiesers aan te keer. Die derde aspek is Panyaza Lesufi se verkiesing tot die ANC se provinsiale voorsitter en premier van Gauteng.

Lesufi was reeds in 2012 een van die sterkste stemme in die ANC teen die skorsing van Malema en sy destydse jeugliga-trawante. Nou het hy ’n ooreenkoms moontlik gemaak wat in praktyk binnekort kan beteken die ANC beheer Johannesburg en die EFF beheer Ekurhuleni. Daardie ooreenkoms is nog nie vas nie en kan ontspoor as die nasionale ANC-leierskap – teen die onlangse geskiedenis in – murg in hul pype ontdek. Die tweede denkskool binne die EFF, naamlik samewerking met die ANC, staan dus die sterkste sedert 2016, hoewel steeds wankelrig weens die werklikhede van die brute magspolitiek, soos hierbo verduidelik.

Die derde denkskool binne die EFF oor die EFF se rol in regering is dat die EFF met niemand moet saamwerk nie – ’n tipe hedendaagse verdraaiing van die Steve Biko-spreuk: “Swart man, jy staan alleen.” Aanduidings is dat Floyd Shivambu as EFF-onderleier ’n sterk voorstander hiervan is. Die noodwendige nadeel wat so ’n strategie se sukseskanse tans uitknikker, is die EFF se lae steunvlakke – hulle het nêrens genoeg steun om op hul eie te wen nie. Veral in die drie groot kusprovinsies – KwaZulu-Natal, die Oos-Kaap en die Wes-Kaap – kry die EFF die een rooi bloedneus op die ander in tussenverkiesings. Daarom sal die populistiese retoriek van die EFF dikwels klink asof die derde denkskool die oorhand het – asof die EFF met sulke gaar, gedaan Jeeps deur die hekke van die Uniegebou gaan jaag om die landsregering rewolusionêr oor te neem as ’n tipe hedendaagse reïnkarnasie van hul Kubaanse held, wyle Fidel Castro. Terwyl min mense sal stry dat Malema, Shivambu en die res van die EFF se diknekke sekerlik sulke drome het, is die ondersteuningsgetalle net nie daar om dit vir die derde denkskool te maak werk nie.

Wat ons dus vierdens en vyfdens bring by die twee terugvalposisies, wat die hedendaagse debat in die EFF dikwels rig, en met hierdie week se grendelpoging weer duidelik te siene was in al sy teenstrydigheid, sowel in Malema se toespraak verlede Vrydag in Soweto ter aanloop tot Maandag se grendelpoging, was in die EFF se optrede Maandag.

Die eerste terugvalposisie is dat die EFF meer konstruktief moet wees as hulle sukses wil behaal, en dat hulle moet wys hulle kan verantwoordelik regeer en die gemeenskap tot diens wees. Hul pogings om eerstens met die ander opposisiepartye (veral die DA en die IVP) saam te werk in koalisies waar die EFF ook ’n uitvoerende regeringsrol sal vervul, moet in hierdie lig gesien word. Nadat eers die DA en later (op ’n heel ander manier) die IVP nee gesê het vir die EFF se samewerkingsplanne, het die EFF se nuwe samewerkingsplanne met Lesufi se Gautengse ANC gevolg. ’n Verdere aanduiding van die EFF se meer konstruktiewe pogings is die huidige Andries Tatane-projek waar EFF-lede elke naweek townships skoonmaak en opknap, wat – so sal alle Suid-Afrikaners tog sekerlik saamstem – ’n baie nodige en goeie projek is waarvoor die EFF krediet moet kry.

Maar die tweede terugvalposisie – dat die EFF destruktief moet wees en die huidige politieke stelsel en bestel in Suid-Afrika rewolusionêr moet vernietig sodat iets nuuts tot stand kan kom – het ook steeds baie steun en is skynbaar ingeburger in die EFF se grein. Hul gedrag elke jaar by die staatsrede, hul ontwrigting van burgemeestersverkiesings in stadsrade waar hul kandidate verloor, en les bes hul bloedstollende aansprake in die aanloop tot hierdie grendelpoging, dra by daartoe dat die meeste Suid-Afrikaanse kiesers, wat beskryf kan word as aspirerende kiesers wat voorbeeldige gedrag van hul leiers waardeer, die EFF die rug bly toekeer. Daarom wen die konstruktiewe opsie stadigaan meer veld binne die EFF, al is die destruktiewe neiging steeds sterker.

Die grendelpoging het as destruktiewe optrede begin en as konstruktiewe poging geëindig. Daar was nie geweld of plundery om van te praat nie. Die rede hiervoor was waarskynlik pragmaties, naamlik die onverwags goeie optrede van die polisie en weermag. ’n Mens kan amper nie glo die land het soveel polisie nie – waar is hulle op ’n gewone dag? Wat die weermag betref – so drie en ’n half duisend van hulle is nou vir ’n maand ontplooi teen ’n ontstellende R166 miljoen. ’n Mens weet nie wat die koste van die polisie-ontplooiing was nie.

Die vraag is natuurlik wat sou gebeur het as daar nie so baie polisie- en weermaglede ontplooi is nie, en dis waar daardie raam van onsekerheid wat hierdie gebeure as tydsgees omvou, so belangrik is. Niemand kan ooit regtig weet wat sou gebeur het as pres Kennedy byvoorbeeld nie in 1963 geskiet is, of Jan Smuts en Paul Kruger nie in 1899 ’n ultimatum aan die Britse regering gestuur het nie. Maar met ’n mate van studie kan ’n mens wel ’n aanvoeling ontwikkel, en wat die grendelpoging betref, is ’n mens se aanvoeling dat die EFF Maandag so ver sou gaan as wat hulle toegelaat sou word om te gaan. Dit is die ontplooiing van die veiligheidsmagte en voorbereidings soos die verwydering van potensiële brandstof soos buitebande wat verseker het die EFF gedra hulle.

Vir die Suid-Afrikaanse politiek gaan hierdie grendelpoging van die EFF nie die werklikhede in die aanloop tot die 2024-verkiesing veel verander nie. Kiesers bly kwaad vir die ANC oor die vyf redes wat die EFF heel korrek gelys het: die elektrisiteitkrisis, hoë lewenskostes, hoë werkloosheid, hoë misdaad en swak leierskap deur pres Cyril Ramaphosa. Kiesers soek ’n alternatief, maar met die DA wat regs swaai (en maar hoop hul persentasie steun styg indien swart kiesers van die stembus wegbly), nuwe partye soos ActionSA en die Rivonia-kring wat groeipyne ervaar, GOOD wat in die ANC se sak is, die IVP wat op KwaZulu-Natal fokus en die VF Plus wat aan etniese minderheidsgroepe se belange voorkeur gee, sit swart kiesers met die hande in die hare en bly die EFF ’n alternatief. Die swak opkoms by die grendelpoging wys egter dit is nie tans ’n genoegsame alternatief vir swart kiesers nie, met weliswaar nog heelwat tyd voor die 2024-verkiesing.

Vir die EFF is hul verdelingslyne (die drie denkskole en twee terugvalposisies) en dus ook hul opsies in die magspolitiek nogmaals duidelik deur die mislukte grendelpoging omlyn. Hulle sal keuses moet maak of aanhou aankarring met stadige groei in die plattelandse binneland en ’n gesukkel aan die kus en in die stede. Daardie keuse is hulle s’n.

En Suid-Afrika? Die land slaak ’n sug van verligting – die appelkar staan steeds. Dit was nie ’n herhaling van Julie 2021 in Gauteng en KwaZulu-Natal nie. Hierdie keer het die polisie en weermag puik gevaar, en geluk aan hulle (en dus ook aan Bheki Cele, of hoe?). Maar wat is die koste? Wat kon gedoen word met die seker minstens R200 miljoen regstreekse koste waarvan die geld aan veiligheidsmagte bestee is, om van die geleentheidskoste aan byvoorbeeld sakeondernemings nie te praat nie.

Wat dus van Suid-Afrika? Ons leef voort in hierdie tydsgees van onsekerheid. Ons byt vas. Dit is miskien die bevestiging hiervan wat die grootste nalatenskap is van hierdie grendelpoging wat genadiglik misluk het. Dit is tog altyd vreemdweg gerusstellend dat ons land se beste historikus, CW de Kiewiet, reeds in 1941 geskryf het Suid-Afrika ontwikkel deur ekonomiese gelukskote en politieke katastrofe. Dalk bly dit waar. Dalk is dit wel, soos die joernalis Ken Owen beweer het, altyd kwart voor middernag in Suid-Afrika. Miskien is hierdie onsekerheid ons lot, soos hierdie mislukte grendelpoging weer aantoon. Minstens tot die volgende keer.

(Jan-Jan Joubert is ’n politieke joernalis en skrywer wat tans besig is met ’n doktorsgraad in politieke wetenskap aan die Universiteit van Chester)     

Lees ook op LitNet en LitNet Akademies:

Het olifant ’n muis gebaar? #NationalShutdown

Sal die Suid-Afrikaanse konstitusionele demokrasie die huidige krisis wat die bestel in die gesig staar oorleef?

Houdings in verband met protesaksie in Suid-Afrika

The post Die EFF-grendelpoging: Wat beteken dit vir Suid-Afrika? appeared first on LitNet.

Submission in opposition to the current Copyright Amendment Bill

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On Friday 17 March 2023, Izak de Vries submitted an oral submission opposing the current Copyright Amendment Bill at a sitting of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature’s portfolio committee on Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism. This is a copy of his speech. It has also been submitted in writing to the committee coordinator.

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I speak to you, madam, from the mind, but also from the stomach.
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Chairperson

Thank you for the opportunity.

Introducing PEN Afrikaans

May I briefly introduce PEN Afrikaans, on whose behalf I am making this submission?

PEN Afrikaans is an association of authors, journalists and publishers affiliated to PEN International, thus representing our members in an international context. PEN International is the world’s leading association of writers. We represent authors who write trade publications (fiction, nonfiction and books for children and young adults), educational works like school textbooks, as well as academic and scholarly publications.

PEN International is a non-political organisation which holds Special Consultative Status at the UN and Associate Status at UNESCO. PEN International is aimed at promoting literature and defending freedom of expression around the world. PEN Afrikaans subscribes to these goals, and we are geared towards lobbying for the rights of authors, journalists and publishers if and where necessary.

I am here on behalf of PEN Afrikaans, but I am also an author.

I am a father, as well. And this is important, because many authors, like me, augment our daily income with royalties earned from the sales of works. I speak to you, madam, from the mind, but also from the stomach.

Our position on the Bill

So, what is PEN Afrikaans’s position on the Bill?

We do support an update to the Copyright Act, but we cannot support the Copyright Amendment Bill in its current form. As per the proposed Copyright Amendment Bill, Section 12 of the principal Act will be repealed and replaced with the provisions in the Bill.

We are concerned that the current Copyright Amendment Bill goes too far in weakening copyright protection, by introducing an overreaching “fair use” principle in Section 12A, as well as other specific copyright exceptions which we submit are too broad. The one proposed copyright exception that is particularly worrying to us and our members, is the exception for educational purposes contained in Section 12D.

“Fair use” versus “fair dealing” in Section 12A

Our current copyright law, as it stands, does deal with certain exclusions, according to a system of fair dealing.

Fair dealing is an approach to copyright exceptions and limitations which works with a closed list of permitted uses and contexts within which obtaining the permission of the copyright owner would not be necessary if the dealing with the work was fair. Currently, our fair dealing exceptions are listed in Section 12(i) of the Copyright Act: it permits fair dealing for the purposes of research, criticism and review, and reporting on current events. These purposes are similar to points 12A i, ii and iii as they appear in the Copyright Amendment Bill, but they have become a fraction of what a “fair use” system allows.

Chairperson, “fair use”, which is now being introduced into our copyright law in the Copyright Amendment Bill, is not the same as fair dealing; and the principle of “fair use” is not the same as the closed, defined list in our current legislation. As defined in the Copyright Amendment Bill, “fair use” is an open-ended approach to the unauthorised use of copyright work, which relies on a set of factors to determine whether a particular use can be considered fair. It has a broad scope and indeterminate application. This is evident in the language in the Bill. Section 12A contains the words “for purposes such as the following”. This suggests that the list provided contains mere examples of permitted uses, and that it is not at all an exhaustive list.

As a doctrine, “fair use” relies heavily on courts to judge whether the use is fair or not. The question of “fair use” is always case-specific. Each case must be decided on the facts.

To create a system in which an author’s work may be used without permission or compensation for a wide (and arguably limitless) range of purposes, places the burden on the author to challenge such use if they feel it has infringed their rights. Chairperson, writers, like me, simply do not have the means to institute court proceedings to challenge every unauthorised use of our work.

We also contend that 12A is not in line with the three-step test set out in the Berne Convention, of which South Africa is a signatory, which says that copyright exceptions and limitations must be confined to “certain special cases, provided that such reproduction does not conflict with a normal exploitation of the work and does not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the author.”

Fair use could lead to job losses

We are concerned that the decision to include this far-reaching addition to our law was not based on any proper socio-economic impact assessment. A regulatory impact assessment promised by government in 2015 never materialised.

The Publishers Association of South Africa (PASA) asked the firm PwC to estimate the economic impact of the Bill’s fair use provisions and exceptions for education. PwC estimated that the bill will lead to a 33% reduction in book sales, with 30% of the industry losing their jobs.[1]

We implore the legislature to reconsider the entire clause 12A and 12D until a proper socio-economic impact assessment has been done. We are legitimately concerned that fair use will diminish legal certainty and harm authors and publishers by diminishing their work, and creating a climate for freely using their work without permission or compensation.

The education exception in Section 12D

Like elsewhere, the education sector makes up the biggest part of the South African publishing industry.

Many authors earn their living from writing for the education market – expending their time, skills and labour in imparting their knowledge for the ultimate benefit of society. In exchange, they should be entitled to fair remuneration and acknowledgement. This will not be the case if the Bill is passed into law. The Bill allows copying of whole works under certain circumstances, and reproducing works in course packs without permission or compensation.

This will disturb the copyright ecosystem which authors rely on. It will create a climate within which freely copying copyrighted works for a wide range of purposes is permitted.

We submit that the rights of authors, especially of educational works, are to a large extent obliterated by the wide-ranging exceptions introduced by the Bill. These exceptions take away the incentive for authors and publishers to continue the business of, especially, educational publishing.

Is it wrong for authors and researchers and publishers to be fairly compensated? In certain scenarios contemplated by Section 12D, this core right to fair compensation is entirely extinguished in all meaningful ways. This carries the dangerous potential to destroy the basis for creating these works for educational purposes.

In conclusion:

The Bill needs to be reworked to actually protect and promote authors’ rights. At this stage, the Bill deprives us of our existing rights and income streams. We feel that authors deserve better.

And we humbly thank you for the opportunity to raise our concerns.

Notes:

[1] Read PASA’s statement here: https://www.litnet.co.za/press-release-no-impact-assessment-underlying-the-economically-destructive-copyright-amendment-bill/

See also:

Nuwe kopieregwetgewing: Wat skrywers moet weet

Press release: No impact assessment underlying the economically destructive Copyright Amendment Bill

The Copyright Amendment Bill: an interview

The Copyright Amendment Bill: an interview with Sadulla Karjiker

Press release: Authors unite against Copyright Amendment Bill

South African authors protest against Copyright Amendment Bill

The post Submission in opposition to the current Copyright Amendment Bill appeared first on LitNet.

Die seemeeu kom sit: E Kotze voltrek die skrywersirkel met Hulle noem haar Carminda

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https://www.nb.co.za/en/view-book/?id=9780795710506

Hulle noem haar Carminda
E Kotze
Kwela
ISBN: 9780795710506 

Aangesien die skrywer E Kotze (gebore Elizabeth Walters, 17 Oktober 1933 naby Hopefield) self meen dat Hulle noem haar Carminda (Kwela, 2023) haar laaste boek sal wees, sal ’n resensie beslis onvolledig en los van konteks voorkom indien daar nie ten minste ’n voëlvlug oor haar skrywersloopbaan en belangrikste invloede gemaak word nie. Dit is dan die doelwit hier.

Terloops, ek noem my bydrae hier eerder ’n lesersverslag;  ’n wyer inslag as die soort mening wat in ’n koerant of tydskrif sou verskyn, waar elke woord waardevolle spasie inneem (die internet het sy voordele) en geskryf deur iemand wat haar pennevrug vir dekades al oorspannend beskou. 

Kotze (oftewel Sussie) begin sowat ’n halfeeu gelede skryf oor die Weskus en sy mense en die bedrywighede daar – kortverhale en vervolgverhale. Van haar vervolgverhale, Die prys vir Vogelsang (1972), Oggendblom en Bitterkalbas (1973), Kielwater (1975) en Die vuurgety (1978), word deur Human & Rousseau in boekvorm gepubliseer.

Dit is wel as kortverhaalskrywer dat Sussie in 1982 op die voorgrond tree met die verskyning van Halfkrone vir die nagmaal. Die meeste van hierdie verhale het oor ’n tydperk van 18 jaar in verskeie tydskrifte verskyn voordat dit in boekvorm uitgegee is. Die bundel word in 1983 met die Eugène Marais-prys bekroon. Dat daar nie meer pryse was nie, is met die oorsig van haar oeuvre opvallend. Dit herinner my aan die feit dat ons gevierde kortverhaalskrywer Abraham de Vries óók nooit me die Hetzogprys bekroon is nie. Ook ’n liederlike miskenning van ons ouer skrywers.

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Vir André Brink (Rapport, 14 Desember 1986) is die trefpunt van Kotze se werk die taal: "En hoe lees mens nie agter die taal aan nie.” Inderdaad.
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Vir André Brink (Rapport, 14 Desember 1986) is die trefpunt van Kotze se werk die taal: "En hoe lees mens nie agter die taal aan nie.” Inderdaad. In al Kotze se boeke lees ’n mens om nie net die verhaallyn en karakters se ervarings te volg nie, maar ook om haar unieke vertellerstem te hoor en daardie lieflike en (vir die gemiddelde leser) rare, welluidende woorde te geniet, woorde wat meestal soos veldkosse met die grond nog daaraan geklont voorkom, so aards en werklik en byna voelbaar is hulle. Iets anders vir ons, deur Kotze uitgehaal en aangebied.

Ria Smuts meen Kotze is soos ware volkvertellers: Sy “kyk goed, luister fyn en het soveel fantasie dat hul vertelsels egter as die werklikheid is” (Skrywers en boeke, 15 April 1993).   

Dog sy is nie bloot ’n streekskrywer of oordraer van haar man en ander se verhale nie; sy omvorm haar aanvanklike inspirasie in outentieke kunswerke wat voldoen aan die kriteria van ware letterkunde. Die menslike kondisie bly altyd die goue draad wat deur elke kortverhaal en roman uit haar pen loop. Miskien is haar skrywerstem kenmerkend juis omdat sy nie die stemme van literators en skryfskoolmentors hoor nie – sy is immers (soos sy as Carminda-die-skrywer in hierdie roman verklap) ‘n selfgeleerde skrywer; ’n outodidak in ’n sekere sin. En goddank daarvoor. In die woorde van nóg ’n groot Afrikaanse skrywer: “’n Wonderlike en geseënde skryfster soos E Kotze mag nooit voel dat sy Literatuur moet maak nie. Wat sy skryf, is dit meesal – en oënskynlik spontaan" (Hennie Aucamp, Die Vaderland, 1983). 

In 1989 is haar “Skipper”, Willie Kotze, oorlede, en vir Sussie was dit ’n diep seer, aangesien dit saamval met haar ma se afsterwe na Alzheimer-siekte en haar suster se breinkanker. Karel Schoeman het beweer ’n ware skrywer moet werklik ly voordat hy/sy kan skryf. Kotze het egter reeds voor genoemde verliese kenners gaande en lesers lojaal gemaak.

Dat haar eie leed haar mensekennis en empatie verdiep het, is sekerlik wel die geval. Anders as Schoeman was Kotze egter nie ’n kompulsiewe produsent van dosyne werke of ’n asketiese eilandbewoner tussen die massas nie. Albei kenmerkend teruggetrokke mense, Kotze en Schoeman, maar heelalle van mekaar verwyderd – en tog, tog steeds die skeppers en bewaarders van (vervloë) wêrelde. Is die verlede ’n ander land, soos Schoeman ook gesê het? Of is ons as mensdom maar net besig om gedurig aan te pas, variasies op veranderlikes, kronkelend aanstromend soos die Griekse filosofie sê, panta rei, “alles vloei”? Ons skrywers was nog altyd daar om hiervan dagboek te hou, geannoteerd of verryk met lewenswysheid, al dan nie.

’n Paar jaar ná haar Skipper se dood skryf sy weer: Die slag van die breekbrander (Tafelberg, 2000), en op LitNet skryf Linda Rode: "Die slag van die breekbrander is nie net ’n uitsonderlike elegie vir ’n afgestorwe geliefde nie, maar ’n ode aan die lewe self, veral die lewe sáám; en dis ’n besondere milieubeeld van die son- en soutgebreide wêreld wat die basis van E Kotze se verhaalkuns uitmaak. Dis selde dat lesers so ’n eerlike blik in die lewe van ’n geliefde skrywer gegun word." 

In 2007 word haar volgende bundel, Die wind staan oos (Tafelberg) uitgegee. En 20 jaar later verskyn Toring se baai (Kwela, 2009), ’n storie oor ’n plek aan die Weskus. Wat hierdie lang tussenintydperke onderstreep, is nie net Kotze se besonder lang skryfloopbaan nie, maar ook die langdurigheid van haar aanhang – min skrywers kan vir sulke lag periodes van die toneel wegbly en steeds ’n standhoudende lesersgevolg terugwink. 

Toring se baai (‘n verwysing na Doringbaai) verskyn in 2009 en in 2011 kom Hoogty (albei Kwela), wat vir haar besonder vinnig tot stand gekom het. Die saadjie van die boek is egter al geplant toe sy in die jare sewentig, tagtig en negentig bekendheid verwerf het met haar kortverhaalbundels, vertel sy aan Johan van Zyl in Die Burger, 2011.

Hierdie stelling herinner weer eens aan hoe lank sy skrywer was. "Sy gebruik selfs nie tradisionele tegnieke soos naelbytslotparagrawe vir hoofstukke om die spanningslyn te versterk nie. Sy boei eerder voortdurend met fyn beskrywings, detail van tientalle situasies, karakters en voorwerpe. As ervare skrywer borduur sy rustig voort, bladsy ná bladsy wat skryfkunskenners én ‘gewone’ boekwurms deur begrip van die skryfkuns, óf akademies-geïnspireerd óf deur blote ervaring [met] honderde boeke agter die blad, of beide, wéét. In Kotze se kortverhale, vervolgverhale en romans is dit telkemale ooglopend die geval.” Só beweer Stoffel Cilliers (Volksblad, 2011). 

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Soos dit ’n skrywer betaam, al het sy nooit dié titel nagejaag nie, het sy dus geslaag waarin betreklik min ander storievertellers én woordkunstenaars al kon slaag: Sy het eenvoudig geskryf, en van dié eenvoud dan lewendige, gelaagde en geslaagde metafore van Die Lewe geskep.
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Soos dit ’n skrywer betaam, al het sy nooit dié titel nagejaag nie, het sy dus geslaag waarin betreklik min ander storievertellers én woordkunstenaars al kon slaag: Sy het eenvoudig geskryf, en van dié eenvoud dan lewendige, gelaagde en geslaagde metafore van Die Lewe geskep. Self sê sy: “Dis nie moeilik om eerlik te wees nie; eerder om eerlikheid te onderdruk” (Rapport, 24 Junie 2001).

Hierdie ingesteldheid resoneer met John Steinbeck s’n toe hy in 1938 sy dagboek skryf: “I am assailed with my own ignorance and inability. I’ll just have to work from a background of these. Honesty. If I can keep an honesty it is all I can expect of my poor brain.” Dit het hy geskryf kort nadat hy met sy klassieke The grapes of wrath begin het, waarvan tans al ongeveer 14 000 000 eksemplare in etlike tale verkoop is.

Plaaslik is dit veral die skrywer Dana Snyman wat benadruk dat eerlikheid die beste benadering vir ’n skrywer is. Eenvoud, eerlikheid en fyn waarneming. Met “eenvoud” word natuurlik bedoel dat onnodighede, die little darlings wat tot mooiskrywery lei, genadeloos uitgeroei moet word, maar nie dat daar tussen hierdie minimalistiese landskappe nie ook ’n kleurvolle vygie of majestueuse koningsprotea mag blom nie. Hou hulle dun gesaai, laat hulle verras en waardeer word.

In 2014 stel Suzette Kotzé-Myburgh ’n keur uit Sussie Kotze se kortverhale saam (Diepsee, Tafelberg). Die verhale is gekies uit Halfkrone vir die nagmaal (1982), Silt van die aarde (1986), Halwe hemel (1992), Waterwyfie en ander verhale (1997) en Die wind staan oos (2007). Kotzé-Myburgh het in die bundel gepoog, en daarin geslaag, om die skrywer se beste kortverhale byeen te bring. Ek self het so daaroor vir LitNet gerapporteer: "Skitterstories wat so fyn bedraad is, waarvan die humor en tragiek (en die deernis wat die twee oorbrug) wel duidelik uitstaan, maar die boodskappe soos ’n vernuftige, byna onsigbare naat gevolg moet word om die geheime binnesak te vind.  

"Kotze volg altyd MER se raad en sê net wanneer sy iets het om te sê, en doen dit soos die ware kunstenaar kan: Sy ken die kuns om komplekse gevoelens duidelik te stel. Daarom bly hierdie stories so vars soos die dag toe hulle aan wal gebring is. Kotze is dus geen blote kontreiverteller nie. Sy skets met ’n kennersoog die tonele wat sy intiem ken, bevolk die landskappe met lewendige karakters wat deur son en wind en sand en swaarkry verweer is tot hulle so taai soos bokkoms is, en net so heilsaam.” Destyds het ek so gevoel en vandag is ek geheel en al daarvan oortuig.

Daarom herinner haar werk aan die stelling: “Om ’n werklik goeie kunstenaar te wees, moet jy jou kuns aan jou lewe koppel” (Reality hunger, David Shields, 2010) – en met Carminda doen Kotze dit weer, om waarskynlik die sirkel van haar skrywersbestaan te voltooi.

Dit alles in ag genome, bly pla die vraag my: Voldoen Carminda aan Kotze se eie hoë standaarde? Ons kom aanstons daarby, en by wyse van afleiding kan die leser self ook oordeel ...

In 2016 verskyn Sussie Kotze se volgende roman onder die titel Soetloop by Kwela. Die roman word aangeprys, maar vir die volgende paar jaar is dit stil uit die studeerkamer in die aftree-oord in Panorama, waar ek en my vrou, Ilse, haar in 2019 gaan besoek het om ’n onderhoud vir Kaapse Bibliotekaris te doen. Sy sê sy gaan nie weer publiseer nie, “net iets vir haar kinders skryf”.

Later gaan kuier Ilse en Jolene van der Walt, ook ’n boorling van Kotze se omtes, weer daar, maar steeds was daar geen sprake van ’n nuwe publikasie nie. Daarom was dit vir ons ’n aangename verassing toe Kwela haar kon oorhaal om ’n nuwe roman vir die algemene publiek aan te bied.

Ons wel ook het gewonder hoe gretig hierdie boek deur die monetêr geteisterde en kwynende leserspubliek ontvang sou word. Daar is geen doekies om te draai nie. Uitgewers sukkel moedig teen die “perfekte storm” van elektroniese mededinging, ekonomiese afplatting en demografiese daling, wat alles een ding uitspel: Ons huidige (konstante) lesers is ons laaste groot lesersgenerasie. Daar was altyd relatief min lesers, maar dié Gideonsbende het baie gelees. Kan daar nuwe lesersmarkte onder groepe sonder tradisionele leserskulture gekweek word? ’n Debat vir ’n ander forum ... al wat ek kan sê, is dat die ooglopende verdwyning van boekwinkels, resensieblaaie in die media, ens, nie meer geïgnoreer kan word nie. Elke nuwe boek, soos hierdie een, is ’n vinger in die dyk wat barstens is met rekenaargedrewe visuele aanbiedinge, selfs robotskrywers, om nie te praat van ’n kraterkopregering wat kopiereg wil afskaf nie.

Op 7 Maart 2023 ontvang ek ’n eksemplaar van Caminda per koerier, soos met LitNet gereël, en begin dadelik te lees. Die plan was om daarmee klaar te wees wanneer die bekendstelling die volgende dag by Exclusive, Tygervallei, plaasvind. ’n Jigaanval pootjie egter my plan, en ek loop die geleentheid mis. Ilse en Jolene was wel daar.

Nietemin, ek lees vinnig dog lekker aan Carminda en Ilse steel die boek tussendeur om ook blitsig daardeur te lees – duidelik is daar dus min tekens van leesversperrings en nêrens dwing vaal kolle jou tot uitstel om “later” voort te gaan nie. Ek het niks vervelig gevind nie, al is liefdesverhale nie my voorkeurleesstof nie. En hoewel ’n resensent al opgemerk het dat Kotze nie van populêre tegnieke soos cliffhangers gebruik maak nie, behou sy jou aandag, sekerlik deels weens haar goeie ritme en bekende vertellerstem, die stem wat reeds nou al soos dié van ’n vriend klink, terwyl jy ook met die hoofkarakters empatiseer en tot ’n mate identifiseer, al mag hulle karaktertrekke en lewenswyse nie met joune ooreenstem nie.

Van karakters gepraat, daar kan dalk gevoel word dat Emmeline te min van ’n speekbeurt kry om as volwaardige antagonis beskou te word. Sy is eerder ’n stem wat pla, maar in die agtergrond. Maar dis ook nie noodwendig ’n swak plek in die verhaalkonstruksie nie, want beide Carminda en Mias vermy ’n grootskaalse of finale konfrontasie met Emmeline en haar ma. Ook Okkie Bierman, die fatale vlieg in Mias se salf, word eintlik sagkens behandel, al wou Mias hom aanvanklik byloop. Kotze slaag daarin om Okkie meer as ’n slagoffer (en sagter tipe persoon met ’n troetelbrakkie) uit te beeld. Nadat hy klaarblyklik vir Emmeline afgevry het, word hy, eerder as Mias, toe Emmeline se karperd – sy bly by hom al versuip hy sy ongelukkigheid en gebrek aan ruggraat, tot sy dood.

Mias is ’n buitengewoon sterk, of taai, karakter – en Carminda ook, hoewel op ’n vroulike manier – terwyl hy juis so groter as lewensgroot geskets word. Sy bewonder hom, al kwets hy haar telkens met sy oënskynlike afstandelikheid. Hulle is twee kante van dieselfde munt, gehard teen die aanslae van die lewe, en nie juis kommunikatief nie – en soos in die lewe maar gebeur, lei dit tot misverstande. Om met ’n alfahond soos Mias (of Willie) getroud te wees, kon ook geen sagte rosebedding wees nie. Jy moet oor ’n sterk wil en keiharde plig- en lojaliteitbesef beskik. Soos pioniers van die Weskus moes hê om te oorleef. Hier verklap Kotze iets van haar eie deursettingsvermoë wat haar deur ’n lewensloop in meestal ongenaakbare omstandighede en dikwels op haarself aangewese moes dra, en ook noodsaaklik was om etlike boeke te voltooi. Skryf is harde en eensame werk, nie ’n naelloop nie, maar ’n maraton. En op byna 90 kan sy haar lourierkrans nou maar met onderskeiding en genoegdoening dra. Die wedloop is gewonne.

Eers het Mias as hoofkarakter gedien, of ingestaan, totdat die meisie wat hy toevallig optel, uiteindelik op die voorgrond tree, en later besef die leser (hopelik) dat die verhaal eintlik deur Carminda vertel word, en ook aangesien sy, wat Suster genoem is en Kotze wat algemeen as Sussie bekend is, dieselfde verteller is.

Identifikasie met die fokaliseerder is soms wel onduidelik. Op bladsy 96 staan: “Ek het darem ’n naam.” En dan: “Carminda, dan sal dit Carminda wees. Dit is wat hulle almal haar noem. Maar die naam lê onwennig op sy tong. Vrou, noem hy haar, en hy is vir haar Skipper.” Op bladsy 234 staan: “Bly om te hoor, sê Lena.” [Aanhalingstekens, of gebrek daaraan, net so gekopieer.] “Die dorpsmense het nogal heelwat te sê gehad toe Mias siek word. Wat nou van julle gaan word, en die kinders.” En dan: Sy praat die dorpsmense na. [Wie fokaliseer hier?] ’n Mens neem aan dis Carminda, namens die skrywer, maar Carminda ís ook die skrywer. Maar Kotze gebruik die derdepersoonperspektief, nie ’n ek-verteller nie, en kan sodoende “sien” en rapporteer wat karakters in ander ruimtes doen – ’n slim opsie.

Later, wanneer Carminda skrywer word, word dit duidelik hoe en waar Kotze self begin skryf het. Ook hoe sy te werk gaan en wat haar aspirasies is of was. Sy skryf op bladsy 236: “Kraam! As sy iets moes versin, sou sy die storie anders laat uitwerk. [...] Met stories kan ’n mens klarigheid hê. In die werklike lewe is dit nie so maklik nie, [...].” Sy verklap ook haar insig in die skepping en aard van kortverhale op die volgende bladsy.

Na my mening is die kortverhaal haar beste genre, al beweer JB Roux dat die laaste drie nie die peil van haar vorige werke gehandhaaf het nie (Die Burger, 2014). Miskien is dit ’n backhanded compliment. Tog het sy vier suksesvolle romans gepubliseer, en voel al haar resensente dat mense van woordeboekmakers tot vermaaksoekers gerus haar werk kan lees. Sy besit immers die gawe om jou te interesseer al is daar nie die wêreld se ingewikkeldste plot of elegantste struktuur aan bod nie.

Gedurende die genoemde bekendstelling het sy benadruk dat sy basies haar en “haar Skipper”, soos Mias/Willie bekend staan, se lewensloop uitstippel, maar ingekleur deur verbeelding en verdoeseling.

Dus is Carminda ’n gefiksionaliseerde outobiografie, nie faction nie (die aanbied van verifieerbare feite, hoewel in romanvorm om lees te vergemaklik). As ek mag: My eie Omega, oor en uit (Tafelberg, 2006) is ’n voorbeeld van laasgenoemde, asook Ilse se ’n Vrou staan op (LAPA, 2002); beide kom deesdae wêreldwyd al meer voor. Die grense tussen feite en fiksie word dus vaer en die behoefte om werklike gebeure en mense te vermom of te verwring raak minder. Dalk ook omdat die moderne leser ’n groter aptyt vir “werklikheid” het, soos die voorkoms van “realiteitsprogramme” ook aandui. Ons soek die lewe soos dit is, maar teen selfs ’n vinniger spoed as ons eie snelle lewenstempo, soos ons alles verlang: bederf deur kits-alles, van kos tot krieket.

Wat tempo betref, stel Kotze ook nie teleur nie. Wanneer gebeure die leser se hartklop moet versnel, verkort sy haar sinne, kap hulle selfs af (bladsy 124: “Lam van skrik en woedend vloek sy hom, gebruik al die woorde wat sy ken, bal haar vuiste en slaan. En skop. Sy baklei hom van haar af en van die kooi af, tot hy oorgee.”), en dit skyn een van die redes te wees waarom Kotze vandag steeds gretig gelees word. Baie ouer skrywers handhaaf ’n tempo wat nie by die moderne leser byhou nie. Daarom is die classics deesdae meestal ’n teleurstelling. Begin gerus met The grapes of wrath of To kill a mockingbird en kyk hoe dwaal jou gedagtes.

Maar pragtige en liriese passasies is daar heelwat van. Soos op bladsy 218: “Hy is lief daarvoor om saans, wanneer die aandvaalte afsak teen die hang, saam met sy vrou teen die koppe uit te stap waar die puntige blomwyses van repens soos ligpienk kerse teen die lug staan. Die nuwe groei van die waboom bloei helderrooi teen die stofgroen loof. Om elke koekemakrankapol is ’n klipkraaltjie gepak.” Mooie beskrywing word nie hier blote mooiskrywery nie.

Die aardse aard van die Weskussers kom ook na vore waar sy van die meisies se mikkies en van Okkie se uithangbal praat, asook vloekwoorde hier en daar. Eerlike skryfwerk, nie soseer kru nie, meen ek. Die Weskussers draai, soos die Namakwalanders, nie doekies om nie. My ma se mense is van daar, so ek weet. Hulle is so reguit as wat hulle verbeeldingryk met hulle beskrywings kan wees. Sodoende bring Kotze nog iets van daardie mense na vore en verewig sy dit op papier. Soos sy ook in Terblanche se LitNet-stuk oor haar in die ATKV-Skrywersalbum noem: Sy hoop die mense, hulle kultuur en hulle geweste word deur haar werk onthou.

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Maar soos ek in my resensie van Diepsee genoem het, die meeste verhale speel aan die Weskus af, dog Sussie Kotze sou ongetwyfeld net so goed in die Bosveld of Hillbrow of Bloemfontein kon skryf. Net so is dit met Carminda.
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Maar soos ek in my resensie van Diepsee genoem het, die meeste verhale speel aan die Weskus af, dog Sussie Kotze sou ongetwyfeld net so goed in die Bosveld of Hillbrow of Bloemfontein kon skryf. Net so is dit met Carminda.

Tydens vraetyd by die boekwinkelbekendstelling antwoord sy op ’n vraag oor die betekenis van onbekende woorde in die teks: “Dis in enige verklarende woordeboek te kry.” Kortaf. Neem dit soos jy wil. En daar is oudergewoonte heelwat sulke woorde in die teks. So. Siende dat tant Sussie die aanwending van woordeboeke aanbeveel, laat ek dit aan die leser oor om self te kyk. Argaïsmes, anglisismes en streektaal soos “bonkse” (bl 48), “gedresseer” (56), “obsent” (232) en “smoetsee”, “tiek-tak”, “neënoog” (almal bl 82), asook “strawasie” (182) en “tes” (226) is dus op die leser se rekening.

Sou ’n glossarium nodig wees? Om te lees is om te leer. Om te leer is om te lewe. Daarom is dit vir my hartseer dat die wonderlike gewoonte om boeke te lees skynbaar besig is om verdring te word deur kitsvermaak. Ons versmoor eenvoudig ons eie kreatiwiteit met tegnologie. Nogtans sou ’n verklarende lys tog vir toekomstige lesers nuttig wees, met die bewaring van ons kulturele kleinode in ag genome. Met Kotze, soos met Langenhoven van ouds, se permissie natuurlik.

Hierdie historiese roman wat iewers in die vyftigs van die vorige eeu begin, is volgens die skrywer ’n relaas oor die liefde tussen man en vrou, met die lewenswaarheid dat so ’n liefde op vertroue en geloof in mekaar gebaseer moet wees. Dit is die tema van Hulle noem haar Carminda. Of Mias en Carminda altyd volkome op mekaar se trou en liefde geglo het, laat ek ook aan die leser oor om te besluit.

Om af te sluit: Beveel ek die boek aan? Natuurlik, anders sou my verslag aansienlik korter gewees het.

 Lees ook:

Biebouw-resensie: Diepsee, bolwerk teen die aanslag van vergetelheid

The post Die seemeeu kom sit: E Kotze voltrek die skrywersirkel met <em>Hulle noem haar Carminda</em> appeared first on LitNet.

Langenhoven-gedenklesing 2023: Ontmoet die paneellede

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’n Geochemikus, ’n filosoof, ’n letterkundige en ’n ingenieur stap ’n tent in. Nee, dis nie die begin van ’n vreemde grappie nie, dit is wat letterlik op 1 April in Oudtshoorn gaan gebeur tydens die Langenhoven-gedenklesing.

Sagmoedige Neelsie, soos wat CJ Langenhoven alom geliefd en bekend geword het, se Loeloeraai is vanjaar 100 jaar gelede geskryf. Van Neelsie se by tye bedenklike politiek en sy altyd bedenklike drinkgewoontes kan heelwat gesê word, en daar ís ook al. Hy en Hemingway kan bladskud daaroor. Maar, soos Hemingway s’n, is ook sy skryftalent onteenseglik. Hy het hom nie laat bind aan genre of taal nie.

Met Loeloeraai het hy nog ’n glasplafon gebreek. Dis die eerste wetenskapfiksie wat in Afrikaans verskyn, en vir ’n baie lang tyd was dit ook die enigste wetenskapfiksie waarmee Afrikaans kon spog. Deesdae is dit natuurlik heelwat anders, soveel dat ’n paneel kundiges saamgesels op Oudtshoorn. En wat ’n interessante paneel is hulle nie! Daai gesprek gaan lit wees, soos die jongspan sê.

Ek het ’n bietjie met hierdie deskundiges gaan gesels om eerstens meer omtrent hulle uit te vind en tweedens ’n paar vrae te vra as lusmaker voor die lesing. Vir die volle lesing, onder die bekwame leiding van joernalis Izak de Vries, vat gerus die langpad volstruiswêreld toe.

Jennifer Pape is ’n geochemikus, webwerfontwerper, digter en kranige wetenskapfiksieleser. Sy is ook die stigter van die Stomme Jonge-digklub. Jenny vertel sy het eers as ’n tiener haar pa se versameling wetenskapfiksieverhale ontdek, en sedertdien kan sy nie genoeg kry daarvan nie.

Carien Smith is ’n filosoof, dramaturg en skrywer, tans besig met haar PhD in filosofie aan die Universiteit van Sheffield. Sy is die skrywer van die wetenskapfiksiekortverhaalbundel Bot. Carien bou in haar vrye tyd robotte. Bottie Twiki II kruip sommer gou in mens se hart in. My persoonlike villain origin-verhaal gaan begin die dag as ek BT steel en gedwing word om op die vlug te slaan en iewers in die Karoo incognito te gaan woon, daarvan is ek oortuig.

Nini Bennett is ’n taalpraktisyn, skrywer, digter en resensent besig met haar PhD in letterkunde aan die Universiteit van Johannesburg. Nini skryf gereeld vir LitNet, Beeld, Rapport, Sarie en Versindaba. In haar vrye tyd bestudeer sy esoteriese leringe en artefakte.

Laastens is daar Mellet Moll. Hy is ’n bedryfsingenieur, was dekaan van die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese en Bou-omgewing by die Kaapse Skiereiland Universiteit van Tegnologie en is later aangestel as die universiteit se uitvoerende beampte vir besigheidskontinuïteit en COVID-19. Tydens sy tyd as dekaan ontwerp, vervaardig en lanseer die fakulteit se ruimteprogram onder andere ’n konstellasie nanosatelliete wat die land se kuslyn monitor as deel van Operasie Phakisa. Boonop is Mellet ’n digter en musiekliefhebber met ’n versameling van 60 000 albums. Asof sy PhD in bedryfsingenieurswese nie genoeg is nie, het Mellet nou ook begin met ’n tweede PhD, in Afrikaanse lettere aan die Universiteit van Johannesburg.

Tussen hierdie formidabele vier het hulle ’n magdom kennis oor wetenskapfiksie, of toekomsfiksie soos wat dit al meer bekend staan.

Ek het ’n bietjie by hulle gaan kers opsteek, en my absoluut verstom oor die insigte waarmee hulle vorendag kom.

*

Nini, lees jy wetenskapfiksie?

Ek het vroeër wetenskapfiksie gelees, soos dié van Isaac Asimov en HG Wells. Uiteraard ook Langenhoven se Loeloeraai. Daar is tydlose allegorieë onderliggend aan wetenskapfiksie en uiteraard daag die genre die beskouing rondom die menslike kondisie uit. Ek is wel ’n kranige kyker van wetenskapfiksie. ’n Mens moet in gedagte hou dat wetenskapfiksie se tydlyne disintegreer as gevolg van reële wetenskaplike en tegnologiese vooruitgang. Hollywood wen by verre as dit kom by hedendaagse wetenskapfiksie – en met filmkuns as medium kan wetenskapfiksie met groter aanskoulikheid uitgebeeld word as in boeke. Die korpus temas in wetenskapfiksie bly verruim soos tegnologie vooruitgaan. My gunsteling is biotegnologie en die etiese dilemmas daaraan verbonde.

Jennifer, hoe vergelyk Afrikaanse sci-fi met dié wat internasionaal beskikbaar is?

Ons het ’n paar baie goeie volwassene-WF-verhale wat in die afgelope tien jaar verskyn het (ek sluit nie jeugverhale in nie), onder meer Skepsel van Willem Anker, Bot van Carien Smith, Stof van Alettie van den Heever en Toekomsmens van Isa Konrad. Saam met vele ander wat in die laaste paar dekades verskyn het, handel dit meestal oor KI of ’n postapokaliptiese Suid-Afrika. As ek oor Skepsel dink, is ek hoopvol en opgewonde dat ons nog baie sal vorder in die genre. Maar in vergelyking met die internasionale vlak is ons nog beperk oor wat ons skryf. Ek vind geen boeke hier wat die heelal deurkruis en wat opgewonde oor die toekoms is nie. Dink byvoorbeeld aan Ursula K Le Guin se The left hand of darkness en The dispossessed of NK Jemisin se The broken earth-reeks, Liu Cixin se The three-body problem of Orson Scott Card se Speaker for the dead. Die kompleksiteit, die intrige, die bou van wêrelde en hoe daar gebruik gemaak word van die “alien” in hierdie verhale is kopverskuiwend anders en oorspronklik. Ons verhale speel skaars meer as 100 jaar in die toekoms af en ons vorder nie verder as ’n vliegrit Svalbard toe nie.

Ek wag gretig op wonderbaarlike Afrikaanse WF wat my verwonderd maak en nie terneergedruk nie.

Carien, KI is nou op almal se lippe, en dit laat Bot profeties voel. Het jy die belangstelling in KI voorsien toe jy die bundel geskryf het?

Hmm. Ek dink ek het besef dat ons op ’n dag gaan besef dat ons dit nie meer kan ignoreer nie. Soos wat meer mense hopelik op ’n dag gaan besef dat ons nie klimaatsverandering meer kan ignoreer nie. KI is klaar geïntegreer met ons wêreld. Dalk nie die kunsmatige algemene intelligensie wat oorkoepelende kunsmatige intelligensie is nie, maar die kunsmatige spesifieke intelligensie is orals – selfone, ens. Dit beteken dat dit reeds deel is van ons wêreld en net al hoe meer daarvan gaan deel word. Hoe slimmer dit word en hoe meer funksies dit vir ons gaan uitvoer, hoe meer van ’n bewussyn gaan ons daaroor ontwikkel. Koos Kombuis het onlangs oor hulle robotstofsuier geskryf. Daardie beskrywing is só akkuraat en weerspieël presies wat in my ma se huis gebeur het. En toe ek die eerste keer kom kuier het, het ek ook verwonderd na die ding – ekskuus, Robbie – gestaar. Ek het ook nou ’n kleiner en goedkoper een gekry vir my woonstel hier in Sheffield: Bella – of Isabella: “Is-a-bellllll-a” met ’n Italiaanse aksent, want sy is ’n Italianer – maar sy is effens dommer as die ander, aangesien sy nie met my kan gesels nie. En sy probeer gereeld om my tone op te vreet, wat my ma se Robbie nie doen nie. Maar, slim is sy slim.

Nini, wat dink jy van kunsmatige intelligensie, en is jy bekommerd dat robotte binnekort goeie gedigte gaan begin skryf?

Ek is baie opgewonde oor die vooruitsigte rondom KI – in alle velde. KI se doel is om die mens by te staan. Aan die Universiteit van Oxford is Ai-Da, die wêreld se eerste realistiese humanoïede robot wat werklik verbluffende poësie skryf, onlangs bekendgestel as deel van die 700ste viering van Dante se dood. Ter plaatse kan ons spog met AfriKI, ’n eksperimentele en generatiewe taalmodel wat as datastel Etienne van Heerden se Die biblioteek aan die einde van die wêreld gelees en met hierdie subteks die eerste KI-gedigte in Afrikaans ontwikkel het. Tans is hierdie bloot kokreatiewe pogings wat mens en masjien integreer. Omdat taalmodelle ter sprake is in die skep van KI-gedigte, is dit seker nie onmoontlik dat robotte eendag goeie poësie sal skryf nie – wat ’n opwindende vooruitsig!

Mellet, waarheen is ons op pad met die absolute ontploffing in KI?

Telkens wanneer ’n nuwe tegnologie sy opwagting maak, is die mensdom se reaksie soortgelyk: Sommige kommentators is só beïndruk daarmee dat uitsprake gemaak word wat die rol van daardie tegnologie in die wêreld totaal oorskat en daar word ekstrapolasies gedoen wat geheel en al onrealisties is. Die eerste ruimtereise het byvoorbeeld die verwagting geskep dat ons teen 1999 die maan behoort te koloniseer. Ander kommentators weer is behoudende puriste wat die bestaande tradisie teen sulke nuwe onhebbelikhede probeer beskerm. Dink maar aan die musiekbedryf en die koms van die grammofoon. Om na jou gunstelingopera op ’n draagbare toestel te luister? Nee wat, dit sal nie deug nie. En dink aan die koms van sintetiese musiekinstrumente in die vroeë 1970's – kunstenaars soos Jean-Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze en Kraftwerk het groot debatte veroorsaak: Aan die een kant wou entoesiaste dit hê dat hierdie vorm van musiekinstrument die toekoms in die geheel sou oorheers, terwyl ander dit as kitsch, kortstondig en ’n kortpad vir die talentloses beskryf het. As ons terugskouend na enige van hierdie verskynsels sou kyk, besef ons dat die waarheid altyd iewers in die grys gebied tussen hierdie twee uiterstes lê, en dat die tegnologiese baanbrekers op enige terrein as hoogs eksperimenteel beskou behoort te word totdat die tegnologie volwassenheid bereik het. 

Maar ons weet ook dat die bekendstelling van enige sodanige tegnologie ’n uiters ontwrigtende effek het: ’n tyd van wanorde, teenstrydighede en wilde spekulasie. Hoewel KI reeds oor baie dekades ontwikkel is, het die beskikbaarstelling daarvan in die hande van die breë samelewing in die onlangse verlede groot skokgolwe veroorsaak. Bykans almal wat met hierdie nuutjie interaksie het, eksperimenteer met groot opwinding daarmee vanuit hulle eie onderskeie verwysings­raamwerke; maak uitsprake oor die toekoms; wys op tekortkominge; en formuleer standpunte. Hulle doen dit met ’n vonkel in hulle oë en ’n senuweeagtige giggel in hulle stemme. 

Jennifer, sal robotte die aarde oorneem?

Nee, ek dink nie so nie. Ons gebruik tegnologie en KI vir spesifieke doeleindes. Ons slimfone, hommels en ChatGPT werk slegs in opdrag van ons. Die magtige internet bestaan uit miljoene rekenaars en servers, maar dit het nog nie uit sy eie besluite geneem soos om die wêreld oor te neem nie (nie dat die programmeerders nie probeer nie), of self iets eenvoudigers, soos om te besluit jy het nou genoeg na die video gekyk en toe jou ma gebel. Tegnologie en KI is fantasties en gaan beslis nog baie vorder, maar ek dink dit gaan net ons lewens makliker maak.

Ons vergeet dat om “bewus” te wees, iets ongelooflik uniek is wat in die heelal gebeur het – dit het miljoene jare gevat en is verbysterend ingewikkeld, niemand weet wat dit is om “bewus” te wees en waar dit in ons breine sit nie. ’n Paar skaars metale en elektroniese seine gaan nie die ding doen nie.

Mellet, gaan robotte ons vervang?

Ek het ongeveer 10 jaar gelede Audi se fabriek in Ingolstadt, Duitsland besoek. Ek het na die produksielyn van die Audi A2 gaan kyk. Groot was my verbasing toe ek besef dat die voertuig op ’n geoutomatiseerde produksielyn vervaardig word waarbinne bykans alle aktiwiteite deur robotte gedoen word. Montering, gehalteversekering en ander aktiwiteite word deur robotte wat soos vroedvroue by ’n geboorte gereed staan, behartig. Die enkele fabriekswerkers wat rondstaan, is ingenieurs wat gereed is om kalibrering en ander instandhoudingstake op die robotte te doen. Hierdie praktyk het reeds ’n algemene gesig geraak in heelwat gevorderde vervaardigingsaanlegte wêreldwyd. Daar is ook verskeie ander sfere van die samelewing waar robotte take kan verrig wat herhalend is en wat fyn motoriese vaardigheid behels, soos sjirurgie. Dit sluit nie die mens se rol uit nie, dit verander die rol van die mens na een wat die robot beheer en ingryp sou die robot onklaar raak. Ons kan dit bloot nog nie waag om robotte alleen te laat nie. Daarom is selfbesturende voertuie ook steeds nie wettig nie.

My antwoord dus: Dit gebeur reeds, maar nie noodwendig op die wyse waarop mense sou verwag nie, nie soos in wetenskapfiksieverhale nie. Vooruitgang is ’n proses van deurlopende verbetering met verskeie klein en groot deurbrake langs die pad.

In ons eie land, met die hoë werkloosheid, bly die vraag tereg tot watter mate dit die arbeidsmark gaan beïnvloed. Ek was in Japan, ’n land met byna geen werkloosheid nie, byvoorbeeld verbaas dat sommige fabrieke doelbewus outomatisasie vermy het en eerder menslike arbeid benut het.

Die Vierde Nywerheidsrevolusie maak ondernemings uiteindelik meer mededingend, maar met die voorwaarde dat dit nuwe vaardighede vereis en dat werkers hierin opgelei moet wees, daarom dat verskeie universiteite in ons land vandag baie aandag hieraan skenk.

Carien, moet ons bekommerd wees dat ons deur robotte of simulante soos in Bot vervang sal word?

In ’n vorige onderhoud (in Sarie) het ek gesê dat ek nie glo dat ons daarvoor nog bekommerd hoef te wees nie. Die beginpunt is dat ’n robot of enige tipe KI steeds geprogrammeer moet word en slegs daarvolgens optree en funksies uitvoer. Maar die ding is dat masjiene nou slimmer en slimmer raak met masjienleer. Ons moet dalk daaraan dink dat ’n masjien dalk eendag sy eie kodering sal kan verander, dat die mens dit nie meer sal verstaan nie, en ons dan op daardie manier beheer daaroor kan verloor. Dalk ’n wilde idee? Ek weet nie. Net ’n gedagte. As ’n masjien via masjienleer oor programmering kan leer, kan dit nie dan sy eie programmering probeer “verbeter” en op daardie manier die mens eintlik verhoed om dit te kan beheer nie?

Mellet, hoe na aan die waarheid was Langenhoven met sy uitbeelding in Loeloeraai?

Loeloeraai is nie wetenskapfiksie in die ware sin van die woord nie. Dit kan eerder as ’n fantasieverhaal, of spekulatiewe fiksie beskou word. Wetenskapfiksie skep ’n fiktiewe verhaal wat gebaseer is op wetenskaplike kennis en tegnologiese vooruitgang. Sou ons dit met die leidende wetenskapfiksieverhale van die tydgreep vergelyk, byvoorbeeld dié van Jules Verne en HG Wells, is daar groot tekortkominge. In Loeloeraai is daar weinig sprake van wetenskap en tegnologie. Die hemelwese Loeloeraai is afkomstig van die planeet Venus. Ons weet natuurlik lank reeds dat daar geen lewe op Venus bestaan nie. Langenhoven verskaf ook weinig leidrade oor hoe die ruimteskip aangedryf word of welke tegnologie gebruik word. Uit die terminologie wat gebruik word, kom dit voor asof Langenhoven die Wright-broers as uitgangspunt gebruik het (“vliegmasjien”).

In die postapartheid en postkoloniale diskoers is daar ook ander aspekte van die boek wat vandag problematies is, byvoorbeeld die rassistiese wyse waarop Kiewiet, die bruin werker, uitgebeeld word. Ook die feit dat Loeloeraai klaarblyklik ’n Afrikanergesin van die Karoo uitkies om sy wysheid mee te deel. Dit is belangrik, aangesien Loeloeraai ongeveer twee jaar voordat Afrikaans ’n amptelike landstaal geword het, vrygestel is. Carl Sagan verwys na die sogenaamde antroposentrisme van die mens in sy siening van die kosmos, naamlik dat die aarde die middelpunt van die kosmos is, dat ’n godheid die mens hier geplaas het, dat alles rondom ons draai, en vir ons voordeel bestaan. Op dieselfde wyse, dink ek, het die Afrikanerdom in daardie jare dit ’n stap verder geneem en aan homself ’n verhewe status bokant ander nasies gegee. Dit was immers tydens die opbloei van Afrikanernasionalisme.

Laastens toon die verhaal ooreenkomste met die messiaanse narratief: die reisiger wat afkomstig is van die aand- en môrester (wat met Christus geassosieer word). Hoogstens is Loeloeraai dus as karakter vandag ’n morele leermeester binne hierdie messiaanse beskouing. Venus, die planeet van liefde, simboliseer in hierdie metafoor naasteliefde.

Carien, Loeloeraai en Bot lewer al twee sterk ekokritiek, selfs al is hulle ’n eeu uit mekaar gepubliseer. Is die twee tekste met mekaar in gesprek oor tyd en ruimte heen?

Dit is altyd moontlik vir twee tekste om oor tyd en ruimte heen in gesprek met mekaar te tree.

Carien, wat sou jy en Langenhoven vir mekaar sê as julle mekaar kon ontmoet?

Ha! “Hulle wou nie luister nie.” 😉

*

Ek vind die uiteenlopende invalshoeke en perspektiewe opwindend.

Die Langenhoven-gedenklesing sal op 1 April 2023 om 13:00 in die Netwerk24-Feeskafee plaasvind. Almal is welkom. Toegang is gratis.

Gaan luister gerus!

Lees ook:

Langenhoven se 1923-verbeeldingsvlug maan toe

Op soek na Saartjie: In gesprek met Langenhoven se agterkleinkind

Op soek na Saartjie deur Dominique Malherbe: ’n LitNet Akademies-resensie-essay

CJ Langenhoven as kunstenaar2005

Om die onmoontlike moontlik te maak

Persverklaring: Langenhoven 150, Loeloeraai 100 by vanjaar se KKNK!

The post Langenhoven-gedenklesing 2023: Ontmoet die paneellede appeared first on LitNet.


Wat beteken dit om volgens Kolossense 3:10 vernuwe te word "in kennis na die beeld van sy Skepper"?

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Wat beteken dit om volgens Kolossense 3:10 vernuwe te word “in kennis na die beeld van sy Skepper”?

Jan G van der Watt, Departement Ou- en Nuwe-Testamentiese Studies, Universiteit van die Vrystaat

LitNet Akademies Jaargang 20(1)
ISSN 1995-5928
https://doi.org/10.56273/1995-5928/2022/j20n1c2

Die artikel sal binnekort in PDF-formaat beskikbaar wees.

 

Opsomming

Kolossense 3:10 is ’n sleutelteks in Paulus se brief aan die Kolossense. Dit fokus op die vernuwing van die “nuwe mens/self” in kennis volgens die beeld van sy Skepper. Dit roep verskeie vrae op, byvoorbeeld: Wat beteken dit om vernuwe te word? Waarna verwys kennis hier? Wie is die beeld van die Skepper en na wie verwys die Skepper – na die Vader of Seun? Kennis is ’n sleutelbegrip in Kolossense, waar ware kennis met kennis van menslike oorsprong gekontrasteer word. Ware kennis, wat ’n goddelike oorsprong het, word verchristologiseer. Jesus is die misterie van God wat deur die verkondiging van die evangelie ware kennis kom openbaar. Die volheid en rykdom van God se kennis is in Hom te vinde. Hierdie kennis kan egter nie van gepaardgaande optrede geskei word nie. In 1:9–10 word die besit van die kennis verbind aan optrede wat op grond daarvan ontstaan. Hierdie positiewe optrede sorg egter vir toename (groei) in die kennis wat weer tot meer vrug in goeie werke lei. Hierdie sikliese proses van kennis wat tot dade lei wat weer tot groei in kennis aanleiding gee sodat meer goeie dade daaruit voortkom, dien as konseptuele agtergrond vir 3:10. Die kennis word, volgens 3:10, vernuwe. Dit beteken egter nie dat alle voorafgaande kennis vervang word nie, maar dat ekstra kennis by bestaande positiewe toegevoeg word, soos wat 1:9–10 ook veronderstel. Hierdie vermeerdering van kennis geskied volgens die voorbeeld van die “beeld van die Skepper”, wat volgens 1:15 na Jesus Christus verwys. Hy dien as die voorbeeld vir die gedrag van gelowiges. Gelowiges moet alles in sy naam doen, sodat Hy “alles en in almal” kan wees (3:11). Kolossense 3:9-11, waar na die vernuwing verwys word, word juis omsirkel deur verwysings na die aflegging van negatiewe dade (3:5–9) en die nastrewe van positiewe gedrag (3:12–4:2). Op dié wyse sal Christus alles en in almal wees; met ander woorde, die “nuwe mens/self” sal vernuwe wees na die beeld van die Skepper.

Trefwoorde: Beeld van God; etiek; geestelike groei; Kolossense 3:10; vernuwe na kennis

 

Abstract

What does it mean to be renewed “in knowledge after the image of (the) Creator” in Colossians 3:10?

As a key text in Colossians, the statement in Colossians 3:10 focuses on the renewal of the “new man/self” in knowledge according to the image of its/his Creator. This statement touches on several issues that are discussed in this article – for instance, what does knowledge refers to? Who serves as reference for his Creator: God the Father or Jesus Christ? What exactly is meant by renewal: starting all over again or growth? Are there any indications in the text of what this renewal looks like or what Paul could have intended? How does this statement fit theologically with the rest of the material in the letter? These issues are treated systematically, suggesting that if the statement is read within the context of the rest of the letter to the Colossians, some clarity might be reached.

The complex nature of the concept of knowledge in the letter is first discussed. It is pointed out that true knowledge is contrasted with knowledge of human origin. This true knowledge is revealed by and through Jesus Christ, who is the mystery of God and has all the riches of knowledge. This knowledge is Christologically determined, as is described in the rest of the letter where, for instance, Christ is the image of God who creates and recreates; is the mystery of God who reveals the richness of knowledge; has the fullness of God, which in Him is shared with believers; is the One in and with whom believers have eternal life, which should be practically lived in this world; is the Lord in whose name everything should be done; and so on. By being firmly grounded in Christ, a believer is also exposed to this knowledge that was conveyed through the gospel. Two important aspects of this knowledge are pointed out, namely, that this knowledge is aligned with covenantal knowledge where knowledge is always expressed in obedient activity. Accordingly, knowledge in Colossians leads to proper actions that satisfy the Lord. Acting according to this knowledge leads to growth in knowledge, leading to a circular process of growing in knowledge by acting correctly, while newly acquired knowledge again leads to more fruitful actions (cf. 1:9–10).

In 3:10 renewal in knowledge does not refer to forgetting what is known and being renewed in totally new knowledge, as some dictionaries would like to suggest. It is, rather, a process of gaining additional knowledge that increases the positive knowledge already known. It is a process of growth rather than replacement. This is also what is suggested in 1:9–10.

Renewal in knowledge must take place “after (kata) the image of its/his/her Creator”. The Greek word kata (the image of its Creator) indicates that the renewal in knowledge should take place “according to” the image of the Creator; that means, with the image of the Creator as example. The question is, however, to whom “Creator” refers. If it refers to God as Creator, based on Genesis 1:26–7, (as several commentators suggest) the context of the Genesis creation narrative would be the primary framework for interpreting the renewal according to the Creator. This would suggest that believers should be renewed according to their original image, as they were created by God. This would then fit with the dogmatic view of the renewal of the image of people according to their original image, created by God. This view is, however, problematic, not least because what exactly is implied by image of God (even in Genesis and throughout the history of interpretation) is not abundantly clear and there is no further indication in Colossians that the reference should be to Genesis.

However, in 1:15 there is direct reference to the image of God, namely, to the Son, Jesus Christ. He is described as the image of God, since He creates, sustains and recreates (1:15–20). It seems plausible that 3:10 refers back to 1:15, where there is a direct reference Jesus Christ as Creator and also as image. In this case it implies that believers should be renewed in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. This explanation is heavily supported in the rest of the letter, where Jesus Christ is described as the source of knowledge and serves as the One who saves and sustains believers. In the next verse (3:11) the way in which the perspective on reality is changed is described in Christological terms. Reality should no longer be evaluated according to earthly divisions like slaves or free men, men or woman, Greeks or non-Greeks, but only one perspective should determine the perspective on reality, namely that Jesus is all and in all. If believers are renewed in knowledge according to their Creator Jesus Christ, this perspective will be realised. The realisation will take place on the ethical level, based on their change in identity. They are raised with Christ to eternal life (2:11–3) and should live according to their new status in Christ (2:20 and 3:1). This renewal relates to ethical behaviour (cf. 1:9–10). The expression that they should be renewed (3:9–11) is encircled with ethical remarks: In 3:3–9 believers are encouraged to lay down (kill) evil behaviour, while in 3:12–4:2 positive ethical behaviour is described as the desired way of life for the holy ones chosen by God (3:12). The image of clothing is used: They have undressed the “old self” i.e., got rid of evil behaviour, and dressed themselves as the “new self”, which suggests Christ as example. Now they should live their new lives, being renewed in knowledge of their Creator.

To be renewed in knowledge according to the image of his/her Creator implies that believers should increase in their knowledge of the revelation and presence of Jesus Christ, according to who He is. In this way their behaviour will increasingly reflect the actions and behaviour that are according to God’s will (1:9–10) and done in the name of Jesus Christ (3:17).

Keywords: Colossians 3:10; ethics; image of God; renewal of knowledge; spiritual growth

 

1. Inleiding

Kolossense 3:10 is ’n sleutelstelling in die Brief aan die Kolossense1 (vgl. Wolter 1993:180) en lees as volg: “En julle (het) jul met die nuwe mens (τὸν νέον) beklee (ἐνδυσάμενοι) wat vernuwe word (τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον) tot kennis (εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν) na die beeld van sy Skepper (κατʼ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν.” Hierdie stelling is uniek in die Nuwe Testament en roep vanuit eksegetiese hoek verskeie vrae op, byvoorbeeld: Na wie word verwys as daar van die Skepper gepraat word, na die Vader of die Seun? Wat behels die vernuwing en waarna verwys kennis? Hoe hang die twee aspekte saam as dit om vernuwing gaan, naamlik die vernuwing tot kennis (εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν) en die vernuwing volgens (κατά) of na die beeld van die Skepper?

In wat volg, gaan daar op veral twee sentrale aspekte van die stelling in 3:10 gefokus word, naamlik (i) die betekenis van die vernuwing tot kennis en (ii) die vernuwing na die beeld van die Skepper.

 

2. Word vernuwe na kennis

Kolossense 3:9–10 sit die etiese argumente wat van 3:5 af gevoer word, voort met ’n uitspraak oor die identiteit en status van die gelowiges. In 3:9 word ’n tipiese2 antieke beeld van “aan- en uittrek”3 gebruik om die verandering in status van gelowiges wat tot verandering in etiese optrede lei, aan te dui: “Julle (het) jul met die ‘nuwe mens’ (τὸν νέον) beklee (ἐνδυσάμενοι – aoristus partisipium)”, aangesien hulle die “ou mens met sy werke” ontklee het (ἀπεκδυσάμενοι [ook ’n aoristus partisipium]4 τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ). Hierdie proses van “ontklee en beklee” eggo die beskrywings in 2:9–15 (vgl. ook 2:20, 3:1), waar die gelowiges deur die doop saam met Christus opgewek is en aan die nuwe lewe saam met Christus nou deel het. Dit gaan dus oor die tydstip (van bekering) waar die “ou mens” dood en begrawe is, en die “nuwe mens” saam met Christus opgewek is. Hierdie patroon van om ontslae te raak van die negatiewe en aan die positiewe gestalte te gee, word ook in die res van die brief aangetref (2:20, 3:1–17).

As gevolg van hierdie nuwe identiteit word daar nou in 3:10 vereistes gestel vir gelowiges se huidige asook toekomstige lewenstyl (3:10). Hierdie lewenstyl is ’n voortgaande uitdrukking van hulle nuutverworwe status in Christus.

Die eerste vereiste is dat gelowiges “vernuwe word (τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον – teenswoordige partisipium) tot kennis (εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν)”. Die volgende vrae is hier van belang: (i) Is die vernuwing afgehandel of is dit ’n voortgaande proses? (ii) Wat beteken vernuwing in hierdie konteks? (iii) Wat presies behels die kennis waarna verwys word?

Die teenswoordige tyd van die partisipium (ἀνακαινούμενον) in 3:10 veronderstel dat dit in 3:10 gaan om ’n voortgaande proses in die lewe van gelowiges, met ander woorde om ’n voortgaande lewenstyl wat volg op die aanvaarding van Christus, die daaropvolgende identiteitsverandering wat in die doop bevestig is (2:12).5 Dunn (1996:221) bevestig dat “the aorist event of the conversion-initiation past is qualified by an ongoing present: the new self is in process of being renewed (ἀνακαινούμενον), ‘constantly being renewed’ (REB).” Moo (2008:269; vgl. ook O’Brien 1982:190) deel hierdie siening: “The present durative force of the verb (a present participle in Greek) makes clear that the ‘new self’, the new reality ruled by Christ, is not in its final state: it is in a state of ‘becoming’.”6

Die vernuwingsproses word sintakties verbind met εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν, waar εἰς dien as “marker of a specific point of reference, for, to, with respect to, with reference to” (Arndt e.a. 2000:291). Hierdie vernuwing in kennis verwys meer na die doel van die vernuwing as na die middele tot vernuwing (vgl. Moo 2008:269). Daar word ’n konstante positiewe verandering “in / met verwysing na / ten opsigte van” (εἰς) kennis veronderstel.

Waarna verwys “kennis” in Kolossense? Kennis as konsep was sentraal belangrik in die antieke tyd en moontlikhede sluit van tipiese Joodse kennis tot by Grieks-Romeinse filosofiese kennis in, en in die tyd van die Nuwe Testament nog kennis rondom byvoorbeeld misterieë of ook rigtings soos die vroeë Gnostiek.

Kennis in Kolossense staan inderdaad sentraal en daar word veral na twee kontrasterende tipes kennis verwys, wat elk ’n ander bron van oorsprong het, naamlik kennis wat menslik van aard is en kennis van God se misterie, wat Christologies van aard is. Gelowiges word gewaarsku dat die filosofieë en mensgemaakte kennis gelowiges van die ware kennis wat Christus bring, kan ontneem (Lohse 1971:30 en Wolter 1993:60), soos Paulus in 2:8 sê: “Pas op dat niemand julle van Hom af wegvoer deur teorieë en argumente wat misleidend is nie. Dit is dinge wat berus op die oorlewering van mense, op wettiese godsdienstige reëls en nie op Christus nie.” Dit het inderdaad “’n skyn van wysheid met hulle selfgemaakte godsdiens, danige nederigheid en streng beheersing van die liggaam”, maar het eintlik geen werklike waarde nie (2:23). Paulus verwys ook na sulke kennis in 2:16–19.

Teenoor die mensgemaakte kennis staan die kennis van God,7 soos dit in Christus geopenbaar word. Hierdie kennis is die waarheid wat aan gelowiges verkondig is toe hulle die waarheid van die evangelie gehoor het (1:5–6) en deur geloof God se genade leer ken het (1:6) en deel van die koninkryk van God se Seun geword het (1:13).

Hierdie “evangeliese” kennis (1:6) moet uitbrei en vrug voortbring, soos 1:9–10 verder beklemtoon.8 Reeds as deel van die eksordium van die brief druk Paulus sy wens vir die gelowiges in Kolosse uit in terme van die besit en groei van kennis (1:9–10), twee temas wat Paulus chiasties verbind:

A (v. 9): πληρωθῆτε τὴν πίγνωσιν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ ἐν πάσῃ σοφί καὶ συνέσειπνευματικῇ,
  dat julle vervul mag word met die kennis van sy wil in alle wysheid en insig
  B (v. 10a): περιπατσαι ἀξίως τοῦ κυρίου (v. 10b) εἰς πᾶσαν ἀρεσκείαν,
    om vir die Here op ’n waardige wyse te leef en Hom tevrede te stel
  B1 (v. 10c): ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ καρποφοροντες
    terwyl julle vrug dra deur elke goeie werk
A1 (v. 10d): καὶ αὐξανόμενοι τῇ πιγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ
  en te groei in die kennis van God.

 

In die eerste deel van die chiasme (A en B, 1:9–10b) lê die klem op Paulus se versoek daarop dat die gelowiges met kennis vervul mag word met die doel om deur hulle waardige gedrag, gebaseer op hierdie kennis, God tevrede te stel. Hier word die kousale verband tussen kennis en gedrag duidelik beklemtoon – positiewe gedrag vloei uit positiewe kennis. Die kennis is nodig om te weet hoe om op ’n waardige wyse vir God te leef.

In die tweede gedeelte (A1 en B1, 1:10c–d) val die klem op groei. Die verhouding tussen kennis en gedrag is ’n dinamiese, sikliese proses. Deur goeie werke te doen groei gelowiges ook in hulle kennis van God. Dit lei tot ’n sikliese proses: Kennis van God is nodig om te weet hoe om reg op te tree, en juis korrekte optrede lei verder na groei in kennis en natuurlik verdere optrede wat God tevrede stel.

Hierdie proses van groei in kennis en optrede word in 3:10 verder ontwikkel. Die woord “vernuwe” (ἀνακαινόω) word in woordeboeke dikwels verbind met “to cause something to become new and different, with the implication of becoming superior – ‘to make new, renewal’” (Louw en Nida 1996:593). Hierdie semantiese omskrywing van die woord sou impliseer dat die kennis waarna in 3:10 verwys word, heeltemal nuut, anders en kwalitatief beter as die vorige moet wees. Tog, as die term “vernuwe” na ’n statiese proses sou verwys het, is die gevolgtrekking dat dit gaan om ’n eenmalige verandering van kennis, soos byvoorbeeld tydens die proses van bekering. Daar is egter vroeër aangedui dat vernuwing in hierdie konteks na ’n voortgaande proses verwys. In die res van die brief word kennis ook nie telkens “vervang sodat dit nuut en anders is nie”, maar veronderstel ’n proses van groei en uitbreiding van kennis, wat natuurlik nuwe kennis veronderstel, maar nie die voorafgaande positiewe kennis oor die evangelie “uitskakel” of nutteloos maak nie.9 Nuwe (vernuwende) kennis bou voort op bestaande kennis. In 3:10 gaan dit oor voortdurende groei wat die perspektief van gelowiges op hulle verhouding met God (in kennis en gedrag) voortdurend uitbrei met nuwe perspektiewe.10 “Vernuwe” in 3:10 beteken dus nie dat die kennis “nuut en anders” word omdat die kennis van gister “oud” geword het nie, maar dui op ’n dinamiese proses waarin die perspektief van gelowiges in hulle verhouding met God steeds vergroot en so steeds vernuwe, onder andere deur die onderrig van Epafras (1:7) en Paulus (1:25). Die lewensveranderende kennis is dus nie stagnant nie, maar is deel van ’n dinamiese proses waarin waardige gedrag die resultaat van groeiende kennis van God is (3:10).

Wat presies sluit hierdie kennis in? Daar word deurgaans na “kennis” in die brief verwys, wat help om vas te stel wat Paulus in gedagte gehad het. In 1:24–2:5 beskryf Paulus sy pogings om die kennis van die misterie van God, wat met Christus verband hou, onder gelowiges uit te brei. Daar sê hy dat sy doel is om die woord van God (λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ) volledig bekend te maak aan gelowiges (1:25) deurdat hy almal met alle wysheid (πάσῃ σοφίᾳ – 1:28) volwasse in Christus wil maak. Hy wil gelowiges help om saam te “strewe na diep en volledige insig (τῆς συνέσεως)”, sodat hulle God se geheimenis kan ken.11 Die geheimenis is Christus (2:2) – ’n stelling wat die aard van kennis in Kolossense tipeer deur dit te verchristologiseer. Kennis in Kolossense word dus in terme van Jesus Christus herdefinieer as die “plek” of persoon waar die misterie van God bekend gemaak word en die kennis van God beskikbaar geraak het. In 2:3 sê Paulus juis dit: In Christus “is al die verborge skatte van wysheid (σοφία) en kennis (γνῶσις) te vind” (terme uit 1:9–10 word hier herhaal). Nie enige ander kennis nie, maar die kennis wat deur Jesus verpersoonlik en openbaar word, en in gelowiges is (1:25–27), is spesifiek hier ter sprake. Dit is die kennis wat onder andere in die evangelie aan die Kolossense verkondig is (1:6).

Kolossense verwys dus ook deurgaans na die inhoud van hierdie kennis, byvoorbeeld in gedeeltes soos 1:13–20 waar Jesus geïdentifiseer word as die Skepper, Onderhouer en Herskepper en Versoener wat hoof oor alle magte en owerhede is. Jesus is ook die bron van die volheid van die heil en nuwe lewe wat God en Jesus aan almal “in Hom” skenk, soos 2:9–15 dit beskryf. Hy is ook die hoof van sy kerk wat uit Hom groei (2:19). Hy is die werklikheid wat gekom het (2:17) en wat dus veroorsaak dat die “dinge van die skaduwee” nie meer van belang is nie (2:16–18, 20–23).

Dit gaan dus nie om Gnostieke, mistieke of ’n tipe “ken-jouself”-kennis nie, maar om praktiese heilskennis wat die resultaat is van die verhouding tussen Jesus en die gelowige. Dit herinner Wolter (1993:59) tereg aan die verbondskennis van die Jode, waar kennis van God noodwendig lei tot optrede volgens die verbondswet.12 Die verhouding met Jesus kom egter in die plek van die verbondswet: Gelowiges, wat saam met Jesus opgewek is, moet die dinge bedink en soek waar Jesus (en nie mensgemaakte wette of reëls nie) is (3:1–2) en dienooreenkomstig optree (3:5–4:2).

 

3. Word vernuwe na die beeld van die Skepper

Volgens Kolossense 3:10 het gelowiges hulle beklee (ἐνδυσάμενοι) “met die nuwe self/mens (τὸν νέον)13 wat vernuwe word (τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον) … na die beeld van sy Skepper (κατʼ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν)”. Twee vrae is hier ter sprake, naamlik: (i) Na wie verwys die term Skepper? (ii) Presies hoe word die gelowige vernuwe “na die beeld van sy Skepper”?

Die frase “die beeld van sy Skepper” kan op verskillende maniere verstaan word, waarvan veral drie van belang is.

(i) “Skepper” kan moontlik na God as Skepper verwys, op grond van Genesis 1:26–7,14 wat dan hier as primêre agtergrond sou funksioneer – ’n standpunt wat algemeen in kommentare voorkom.15 Die moontlikheid veronderstel dat gelowiges vernuwe moet word na die oorspronklike beeld van God, soos hulle as beeld van God geskape is. Mense moet vernuwe word in ooreenstemming met hulle oorspronklike “beeld”.

(ii) “Skepper” kan ook moontlik na Jesus as Skepper verwys, op die basis van die skeppingsteologie in Kolossense 1:15–20.16 Die moontlikheid veronderstel dat gelowiges na die beeld van Jesus, wat in 1:15 genoem word, vernuwe moet word. Dit is ’n volledige verchristologisering van die uitdrukking wat na Jesus in die algemeen verwys.

(iii) Die Skepper kan na God verwys, van wie Jesus die beeld is.17 Die beeld van God is dus die beeld waarvolgens die vernuwing moet plaasvind, wat die veronderstelde agtergrondskonteks meer tot die skeppingsteologie van 1:15–20 beperk.

Moontlikhede (ii) en (iii) is nóú verwant, maar verskil tog ten opsigte van wat beklemtoon word.

Die interpretasie volgens (i), die eerste moontlikheid, naamlik dat die nuwe “self/mens” volgens God se beeld, soos die mens aanvanklik deur Hom geskape is, vernuwe moet word (1:26–7), veronderstel dat die skeppingsteologie uit Genesis die teologiese betekenis hier in 3:10 moet bepaal. Dit is egter ’n probleem dat die tema van die mens as beeld van God nie in Kolossense voorkom nie – Jesus is die beeld van God (1:15). Dit beteken dat hier ’n ander beeld as in Genesis 1 gebruik word, met weinig of geen verdere suggesties dat Genesis hier in Kolossense as die interpretatiewe agtergrond moet dien nie. Die uitwys van hierdie agtergrond is ook van weinig interpretatiewe nut, aangesien daar geen konsensus (eintlik net onduidelikheid wat tot veel spekulasie lei)18 bestaan oor die presiese teologiese inhoud van die “mens as beeld van God die Skepper” wat hier opgeroep sou word nie.

In die lig van bostaande moet die ander twee moontlikhede, naamlik dat die “beeld” hier na Jesus verwys (of die Skepper nou die Vader of die Seun is), dus ernstig oorweeg word, veral in die lig van die herinterpretasie van die skeppingsteologie in die lig van die Christologie in 1:15–20.19

As wegspringpunt moet die semantiese betekenis van die woord κατά (na [die beeld]) eers kortliks oorweeg word, aangesien hierdie woord ’n spesifieke verhouding tussen die gelowige en sy Skepper beskryf. Hierdie woord het ’n baie wye leksikografiese en dus semantiese potensiaal wat verskillende verhoudings kan beskryf. Beide Arndt e.a. (2000:512) en Louw en Nida (1996:777) noem dat die semantiese potensiaal van die woord die idee van soos, in ooreenstemming met, in verhouding tot, volgens insluit.20 Dit sou beteken dat die “vernuwing” in ooreenstemming met, of na die voorbeeld van, die beeld van sy Skepper moet wees. Dit plaas die uitdrukking binne ’n duidelike raamwerk: Die gelowiges se proses van verbreding van hulle kennis moet plaasvind in ooreenstemming met en na die voorbeeld van die “beeld”, wat na Jesus verwys. Jesus is dus die oriënteringspunt en voorbeeld vir die vernuwing in kennis.

Word hierdie standpunt deur die kontekstuele gegewens van Kolossense ondersteun? Die gelowiges se bestaan en optrede word sterk verchristologiseer in die res van Kolossense. Hierdie oriëntering van gelowiges aan die voorbeeld van Jesus sou selfs as die (of ten minste ’n) hooftema in die brief beskryf kon word (2:6–7; 3:1–2, 17). Voorbeelde van die mate waarin Paulus sy boodskap, ten opsigte van beide identiteit en gedrag, verchristologiseer, kom deur die hele brief voor: Gelowiges kry hulle volheid en nuwe lewe in en saam met Jesus en moet daarin volhard (1:9–15, 22–3). Gelowiges moet strewe na wat bo by Jesus is (3:1–2); hulle moet uit die Hoof, Jesus, groei (2:19); hulle moet volkome gemaak word in die kennis wat in Jesus verpersoonlik word (1:26–2:3); hulle het Jesus aangeneem en moet daarom in Hom gewortel en op Hom gebou bly (2:6–7) – en so kan voortgegaan word. Uitdrukkings soos “in” of “met” Jesus Christus word ook met hoë frekwensie in Kolossense gebruik.21 Gelowiges is saam met Christus opgewek tot die nuwe lewe, en moet dus hulle gedagtes rig op wat daar bo is en strewe na die dinge waar Jesus is (3:1–2). Hulle moet inderdaad alles doen in die naam van en dus op gesag van Jesus (3:17).

’n Belangrike aanduiding van hoe Paulus Jesus as oriëntering en voorbeeld in 3:10 verstaan, word in die daaropvolgende uitspraak (3:11) verduidelik: “Hier is dit nie Griek en Jood nie, besny en nie besny nie, barbaar, Skuth (Σκύθης), slaaf, vry nie, maar Christus alles en in almal (alles) (ἀλλὰ [τὰ] πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός).” Hier word uiteengesit wat die vernuwing in ooreenstemming met die beeld (Jesus) van die Skepper beteken. Die gelowiges se vernuwende “lewenspasie” (die “hier”22 – ὅπου) word in terme van Jesus, sy teenwoordigheid en invloed, beskryf (Jesus is alles en in almal/alles), waarvolgens die visie van die gelowige op die menslike realiteit van persoonlike, geslagtelike, sosiale en politieke maatstawwe verskuif na die beeld van Jesus – Hy is nou alles en in alles (Wolter 1993:182–3). Hoewel slawe in hierdie wêreld slawe bly, vroue vroue, besnedenes besnede, ens., bepaal of beskryf dit nie gelowiges se identiteit of gedrag nie. Hulle vernuwende identiteit in Christus bepaal hulle lewens op ’n oorkoepelende manier. Of in terme van 3:10 gestel: Gelowiges wat vernuwe word in kennis in ooreenstemming met die beeld van hul Skepper, word in totaliteit deur hierdie beeld bepaal, sodat Christus in almal is en menslike maatstawwe in hierdie lig vervaag as kriteria van beoordeling en gedrag. Dit laat min twyfel oor wie as voorbeeld vir die vernuwing dien. “At its simplest, this means that the manner of Christ’s living, as attested in the Jesus tradition, provided the pattern for this new self life (2:6–7), as the enabling of the risen Christ provided its means (1:9–11)” (Dunn 1996:221).

Indien die uiteensetting hier bo korrek is, maak dit kontekstueel sin om die stelling in 3:10 te verstaan as ’n beskrywing van hoe gelowiges al meer vernuwe moet word volgens en in ooreenstemming met die beeld van Jesus. Dit is wat moontlikhede (ii) en (iii) hier bo veronderstel. Indien die beeld na God as Skepper verwys (moontlikheid (iii) hier bo), kom die gedagte van Jesus as Skepper, Onderhouer en Herskepper (1:15–20) meer in fokus.23 Dit is egter onwaarskynlik dat gelowiges se vernuwing in die lig van “skeppers of onderhouers” verstaan moet word, wat die funksies van Jesus as beeld van God in 1:5–20 veronderstel. Moontlikheid (ii) lyk dus meer waarskynlik, veral in die lig van die feit dat die verbondenheid tussen Christus en sy invloed op gelowiges deurgaans in die brief beskryf en beklemtoon word, soos hier bo aangedui. Dit beteken dat die begrip “beeld” in hierdie geval meer veronderstel as die skepping of herskepping soos in 1:15–20 beskryf is, maar dat dit die algemene beskrywings oor Jesus in die res van die brief insluit, byvoorbeeld dat Hy die misterie van God is, dat korrekte gedrag gedrag in sy naam as Here beteken (3:12–17), dat gelowiges sy voorbeeld moet volg deur onder andere die dinge daar bo, waar Hy is, te bedink (3:1–2).

Die breër konteks van 3:10 (naamlik 3:5–4:2) bevestig bostaande uiteensetting deur verder te beskryf hoe Paulus die “vernuwing” prakties visualiseer. Die sentrale uitspraak in 3:10–11 vorm die kern van ’n breër antitetiese ringskomposisie: Negatiewe gedrag, waarvan ontslae geraak moet word, vorm die eerste deel van die ring (3:5–9) en positiewe gedrag die tweede deel van die ring (3:12–4:2). Die vernuwing in ooreenstemming met die beeld van die Skepper word hier in terme van korrekte gedrag op grond van die verworwe status as uitverkorenes en heiliges in Christus uitgedruk (3:1, 12).24 Daarom moet negatiewe gedrag afgesweer word (3:5–9, vgl. ook 2:20). Alles wat gelowiges doen of sê, moet in die naam en op gesag van Jesus gesê en gedoen word (3:17; Wolter 1993:60). Hoe vernuwing na die beeld van die Skepper dus lyk, word in terme van tipiese positiewe gedrag beskryf, wat liefde, vrede, vriendelikheid, nederigheid, goedheid, sagmoedigheid, verdraagsaamheid en soortgelyke optrede insluit (3:12–16).25 Hierdie gedrag fokus op gesonde persoonlike verhoudings wat nie onsedelike of kwetsende of skadelike gedrag insluit nie (3:5–9), maar gedrag “in die naam van die Here Jesus” illustreer (3:17), juis omdat Jesus in en saam met hulle is (vgl. ook 1:26–7). Sulke positiewe etiese gedrag is die resultaat van hulle identiteit as mense wat saam met Jesus opgewek is en op dinge wat “daar bo is”, waar Christus is, moet fokus en dit moet bedink (3:1–2).26 Hulle lewens word volgens die voorbeeld en onder die invloed van Jesus vernuwe. Hier lê die klem veral op die positiewe manier waarop gelowiges in hulle verhoudinge hulle lewensruimte moet beïnvloed (3:11), of anders gestel, hoe hulle eties met hulle gedrag van liefde, vrede, ens. (3:12–4:2) soos Jesus “lewe” en “versoening” (1:20) moet bring. Behm (1964:452–3) stel dit so: “Col. 3:10 refers to moral renewal … The new man is present and he is also in constant process of becoming (pres. part.) as he continually receives the new life which is given. This renewal of being is moral by nature …” 27

Soos uit die bespreking hier bo blyk, lewer die twee frases wat in 3:10 op mekaar volg, naamlik om vernuwe te word in kennis en in ooreenstemming met die beeld van die Skepper, elkeen sy eie bydrae tot die idee van vernuwing, maar staan tog in noue sintaktiese verband tot mekaar. Die vernuwing vind ten opsigte van kennis plaas wat as voorbeeld die beeld van sy Skepper het. Dit eggo wat in 1:9–10 gesê is: Op grond van die kennis van God weet gelowiges hoe om reg op te tree, en deur reg op te tree brei hulle kennis van God uit. Inderdaad, hulle word vernuwe in hulle kennis na die voorbeeld van die beeld van God soos deur Jesus verteenwoordig word.

 

4. Enkele slotopmerkings

Die stelling in 3:10 weerspieël die Christologiese klem en fokus in Paulus se brief aan die Kolossense. Die kennis waarin die gelowiges vernuwe moet word en groei, is die kennis wat hulle in die evangelie aangaande Jesus, die misterie van God wat openbaar gemaak is, bereik het. In hierdie kennis moet hulle gewortel bly en groei. Dit is ook waarvoor Paulus hom beywer, want groei in kennis beteken gedrag wat meer en meer vrug dra. Gelowiges se identiteit en nuwe lewe word deur Jesus bepaal, wat in en saam met hulle gesterwe het, maar ook opgewek is. Gelowiges deel in sy volheid. Hulle moet derhalwe in kennis volgens die voorbeeld van sy beeld groei as mense wat alles in die naam van Jesus doen. Dan sal Christus alles en in alles/almal wees.

 

Bibliografie28

Arndt, W., F.W. Danker en W. Bauer (reds.). 2000. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Behm, J. 1964–. Καινός, Καινότης, Ἀνακαινίξω, Ἀνακαινόω, Ἀνακαίνωσις, Ἐγκαινίζω. Theological dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Bird, M.F. 2009. Colossians and Philemon. Eugene: Cascade Books.

Curtis, E.M. 1992. Image of God (OT). The Anchor Yale Bible dictionary. New York: Doubleday.

Dunn, J.D.G. 1996. The epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: A commentary on the Greek text. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Fee, G.D. 2007. Pauline Christology. Peabody: Hendrickson.

Gundry, R.H. 2010. Commentary on the New Testament: Verse-by-verse explanations with a literal translation. Peabody: Hendrickson.

Lightfoot, J.B. 1886. Saint Paul’s epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon. Londen, New York: Macmillan.

Lohse, E. 1971. Colossians and Philemon: a commentary on the epistles to the Colossians and Philemon. Philadelphia: Fortress.

Louw, J.P. en E.A. Nida. 1996. Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains. New York: United Bible Society.

Malherbe, A.J. 1986. Moral exhortation. A Greco-Roman sourcebook. Philadelphia: Westminster.

Martin, R. 1974. Colossians and Philemon. Londen: Oliphants.

Moo, D.J. 2008. The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Morgan, T. 2007. Popular morality in the early Roman Empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

O’Brien, P.T. 1982. Colossians, Philemon. Dallas: Word.

Talbert, C.H. 2007. Ephesians and Colossians. Grand Rapids: Baker Academics.

Witherington III, B. 2007. The letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians: A socio-rhetorical commentary on the captivity epistles. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Wolter, M. 1993. Der Brief an die Kolosser. Der Brief an Philemon. Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus.

 

Eindnotas

1 Paulus word gerieflikheidshalwe as outeur genoem, sonder om daardeur iets oor die werklike outeurskap te veronderstel.

2 Talbert (2007:228) onderstreep dat die beeld van klere “uittrek en aantrek” nie tot Kolossense beperk is nie, maar wyer in die Griekse literatuur voorkom: “Diogenes Laertius tells how Pyrrho, attacked by a dog, sought refuge in a tree, a behavior inconsistent with his philosophy. When this was pointed out, he said, ‘It is difficult to put off the man’ (Vit. Phil. 9.62, 66) … [T]he language of taking off vices and putting on virtues is found in conventional speech (e.g., Philo, Somn. 1.224–5; Dio Chrysostom, Or. 60.8; Philostratus, Vit. Apoll. 4.20). Taking off and putting on was also the language of initiation within the mystery religions (Apuleius, Metam. 11.23–24).” Dit word ook elders in die Nuwe Testament gebruik vir die aantrek of uittrek van klere, byvoorbeeld in Mat. 27:28, 31, Mark. 15:20, Luk. 10:30, 15:22). Vgl. ook Arndt e.a. (2000:100, 333) wat na verskillende antieke outeurs verwys.

3 Die werkwoorde ἀπεκδύομαι en ἐνδύω “normally refer[s] to a literal ‘taking off’ of clothes … The same is true of the verb used in v. 10a, endyomai, ‘put on’, which refers to the donning of clothes fourteen times in the Gospels, Acts, and Revelation,” soos Moo (2008:266) tereg opmerk. Hy sê verder (2008:266): “While, then, it was not clear that the verb ‘rid yourselves’ in v.8 alluded to a change of clothes, the case for such an allusion here is considerably stronger. A change of clothes is a rather natural symbol for a change in life or situation; and a kind of ‘ritual’ changing of clothes therefore featured in a number of ancient religions.”

4 Lightfoot (1886:212–3) asook Lohse (1971:141) interpreteer die partisipia as imperatiewe, gebaseer op die aard van die hoofwerkwoord. O’Brien (1982:188–9) noem dat “grammatically this interpretation is possible …, and the use of the participle for the imperative was a genuine Hellenistic development …, with instances in the NT (e.g., Rom. 12:9) while examples of this phenomenon were common enough in rabbinic usage …” Vgl. ook Moo (2008:267).

5 Talbert (2007:228) beklemtoon tereg die volgende: “In verse 5 (‘Kill, therefore, the earthly members in you’ by avoiding these five vices) and verses 12 and 14 (‘clothe yourselves’ with five virtues, love), the language points to the process of moral and spiritual growth subsequent to conversion. Note that ‘the new [self/man] … is in the process of being renewed’ (3:10b). The Christian life is not automatically ‘free of vices’ but represents rather the battle against these vices.”

6 Behm (1964:452–3) stel dit so: “The new man is present and he is also in constant process of becoming (pres. part.) as he continually receives the new life which is given.” Vgl. ook Witherington (2007:178): “… [a] present passive participle indicating God’s ongoing action in the believer’s life. This is not a one-time experience or even repeated sanctifying experiences, but rather an ongoing progressive process of sanctification and inward renewal.”

7 Wolter (1993:58–61) gee ’n goeie oorsig oor die potensiële betekenis van “kennis” in Kolossense.

8 Lightfoot (1886:137), O’Brien (1982:23) en Dunn (1996:72) byvoorbeeld sien die verwysing na groei in 1:6 as agtergrond vir die verstaan van 1:10.

9 Behm (1964–:453) het dit reeds aangevoel deur die woord “vernuwe” met ’n “process of becoming” te verbind wat ’n groeiproses ook op morele vlak veronderstel. Dit gaan dus nie telkens oor iets anders wat alles vooraf vervang nie.

10 Die term “vernuwe” word net deur Paulus gebruik – hier in 3:10, asook in 2 Kor. 4:16. In Korintiërs gaan dit ook oor ’n proses waarin swaarkry met die onsigbare, ewige heerlikheid gekontrasteer word. Al gaan dit swaar, kan die gelowige elke dag vanuit die ewige heerlikheid verdere moed skep. Ook hier gaan dit nie daarom dat die gelowige elke dag alles voorafgaande vervang met iets nuuts en anders nie, maar dat die kennis wat reeds bestaan, dag vir dag verdere positiewe perspektiewe bevestig. Dit blyk dus dat die klem in die woordeboeke wat “change into something new and different” (Louw en Nida 1996:593) nie die gebruik in Paulus akkuraat weergee nie.

11 Die kursiewe woorde in die teks veronderstel dat Paulus die oordrag van kennis as proses sien, wat die gedagte van die groei in kennis, in beide 1:9–10 en 3:10, bevestig. Epafras is ook deel van hierdie proses (1:7–8).

12 Wolter (1993:59) verbind hierdie kennis met “atl-jüdische Sprachgebrauch” wat aan die Tora herinner en wat in die konteks van “Heilsvorgabe” verstaan moet word. Hierdie kennis is Christologies gevul (bl. 60). Martin (1974:51) bevestig ook dat kennis teen die Ou-Testamenties-Joodse agtergrond “[is] always connected with practical obedience”. Identiteit en gedrag kan dus nie geskei word nie.

13 Moo (2008:267–8) meld: “This language strongly suggests that the ‘new self’ is not a part of an individual or even an individual as a whole, but some kind of corporate entity”, soos wat die geval in Efes. 2:15; 4:13, 22 en Rom. 5:12Behm, J. 1964-. Καινός, Καινότης, Ἀνακαινίξω, Ἀνακαινόω, Ἀνακαίνωσις, Ἐγκαινίζω. Theological dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.21; 6:6 is. O’Brien (1982:189–90) is dieselfde mening toegedaan: “Also the terms ‘the old man’ (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον) and ‘the new (man)’ (τὸν νέον) do not simply describe an individual’s condition (e.g. one’s old, bad character and the new, Christian character), but also carry corporate associations denoting an old and a new order of existence.” Hy is verder van mening (bl. 191) dat “the expression, ‘the new man’” korporatief van aard is en op die nuwe mensheid in Christus dui. Gundry (2010:807) waarsku daarteen om die “nuwe mens” as Christus te sien, omdat Hy geen vernuwing in kennis nodig het nie. “So, it’s better to understand ‘the old human being’ as the Colossians preconversion self, together with its vices, and ‘the new [human being]’ as their converted self, together with its virtues.” Dat die ‘nuwe mens’ korporatief verstaan word, is nie vreemd in die antieke konteks van groepsdenke nie.

14 “En God het gesê: Laat Ons mense maak na ons beeld, na ons gelykenis (κατʼ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν – LXX) …”

15 Lightfoot (1886:214), Wolter (1993:180–1) en Fee (2007:303–4) tel onder die ondersteuners van die een standpunt dat die verwysing na “Skepper” hier na God die Vader is, veral vanweë die gebruik van κτίζω en derivate. Dit sou natuurlik tot die dogmatiese standpunt lei dat die mens as beeld van God “herstel of nuut gemaak” word.

16 O’Brien (1982:191) ondersteun die standpunt dat die verwysing na die Skepper na ’n verwysing na Jesus Christus is. Vgl, ook Witherington (2007:178).

17 Bird (2009:102) stel dit so: “While echoes of Gen. 1:26–27 are quite clear, the verse harks back to what Paul said in Col. 1:15, where Jesus is the ‘image of the invisible God’, and Paul also predicates the role of creator to Jesus in Col. 1:16. As Jesus Christ is the icon of God (Col. 1:15; 2 Cor. 4:4) so Christians, when Messiah dwells in them, become renewed after the image of God.”

18 Curtis (1992:389) noem byvoorbeeld dat “the statement of humanity’s creation in the image of God appears to have had less importance in the biblical tradition than it assumed in later theological discussion … [T]he contexts are lacking the kind of explicit clues that would remove the ambiguity as to the exact meaning of the terms.”

19 Onder andere dui die sterk strukturering van 1(13)15–20 op die klem wat op hierdie tema gelê word.

20 Arndt e.a. (2000:512) formuleer ’n potensiële gebruik van die woord κατά so: “marker of norm of similarity … according to, in accordance with, according to … just as, similarly to”, terwyl Louw en Nida (1996:777) dit so stel: Dit is “a marker of a relation involving similarity of process, ‘in accordance with, in relation to’”.

21 Vgl. 1:2, 27, 28; 2:6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20; 3:1, 4, 11.

22 Moo (2008:267) is van mening dat “here (ὅπου)” waarskynlik na die “new self” verwys, terwyl Martin (1974:109) ook die verwysing sien as na “the realm of the new man”.

23 Dunn (1996:222) merk tereg op: “In this way Paul and Timothy in true Pauline style manage to hold together creation and salvation in the thought of Christ as both the creative power of God (1:15) and as the archetype for both creation and redeemed, renewed humanity (πρωτότοκος both ‘of all creation’ and ‘from the dead’, 1:15, 18b).”

24 Behm (1964:452) stel dit so: “Col. 3:10 refers to moral renewal …”

25 Malherbe (1986:38) beklemtoon hoe belangrik dit vir die antieke mens was dat wat hy of sy sê en doen, met mekaar ooreenstem. Wie jy is moes deur wat jy doen bevestig word. Vgl. ook Morgan (2007:141).

26 Bird (2009:102) sê tereg: “God’s recreation is according to the pattern of Jesus Christ who resembles God’s absolute likeness.”

27 Moo (2008:269–70) onderstreep: “However, we will also recall that Paul has already claimed in this letter that it is Christ himself who is supremely ‘the image (eikōn) of God’ (1:15). It is Christ who supplies the pattern for the renewal of the ‘new self’, as Romans 8:29 makes clear.”

28 Dit is opmerklik dat die kommentare wat onlangs gepubliseer is, meestal tendensieus van aard is, of met populêre inslag aangebied word. Dit dra nie wesentlik iets nuuts tot bogenoemde ondersoek by nie. Wat artikels spesifiek oor Kol. 3:10 betref, is daar ook nie onlangse publikasies wat uitgestaan het nie.

 

 


LitNet Akademies (ISSN 1995-5928) is geakkrediteer by die SA Departement Onderwys en vorm deel van die Suid-Afrikaanse lys goedgekeurde vaktydskrifte (South African list of Approved Journals). Hierdie artikel is portuurbeoordeel vir LitNet Akademies en kwalifiseer vir subsidie deur die SA Departement Onderwys.


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What does it mean to be renewed "in knowledge after the image of (the) Creator" in Colossians 3:10?

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Abstract

As a key text in Colossians, the statement in Colossians 3:10 focuses on the renewal of the “new man/self” in knowledge according to the image of its/his Creator. This statement touches on several issues that are discussed in this article – for instance, what does knowledge refers to? Who serves as reference for his Creator: God the Father or Jesus Christ? What exactly is meant by renewal: starting all over again or growth? Are there any indications in the text of what this renewal looks like or what Paul could have intended? How does this statement fit theologically with the rest of the material in the letter? These issues are treated systematically, suggesting that if the statement is read within the context of the rest of the letter to the Colossians, some clarity might be reached.

The complex nature of the concept of knowledge in the letter is first discussed. It is pointed out that true knowledge is contrasted with knowledge of human origin. This true knowledge is revealed by and through Jesus Christ, who is the mystery of God and has all the riches of knowledge. This knowledge is Christologically determined, as is described in the rest of the letter where, for instance, Christ is the image of God who creates and recreates; is the mystery of God who reveals the richness of knowledge; has the fullness of God, which in Him is shared with believers; is the One in and with whom believers have eternal life, which should be practically lived in this world; is the Lord in whose name everything should be done; and so on. By being firmly grounded in Christ, a believer is also exposed to this knowledge that was conveyed through the gospel. Two important aspects of this knowledge are pointed out, namely, that this knowledge is aligned with covenantal knowledge where knowledge is always expressed in obedient activity. Accordingly, knowledge in Colossians leads to proper actions that satisfy the Lord. Acting according to this knowledge leads to growth in knowledge, leading to a circular process of growing in knowledge by acting correctly, while newly acquired knowledge again leads to more fruitful actions (cf. 1:9–10).

In 3:10 renewal in knowledge does not refer to forgetting what is known and being renewed in totally new knowledge, as some dictionaries would like to suggest. It is, rather, a process of gaining additional knowledge that increases the positive knowledge already known. It is a process of growth rather than replacement. This is also what is suggested in 1:9–10.

Renewal in knowledge must take place “after (kata) the image of its/his/her Creator”. The Greek word kata (the image of its Creator) indicates that the renewal in knowledge should take place “according to” the image of the Creator; that means, with the image of the Creator as example. The question is, however, to whom “Creator” refers. If it refers to God as Creator, based on Genesis 1:26–7, (as several commentators suggest) the context of the Genesis creation narrative would be the primary framework for interpreting the renewal according to the Creator. This would suggest that believers should be renewed according to their original image, as they were created by God. This would then fit with the dogmatic view of the renewal of the image of people according to their original image, created by God. This view is, however, problematic, not least because what exactly is implied by image of God (even in Genesis and throughout the history of interpretation) is not abundantly clear and there is no further indication in Colossians that the reference should be to Genesis.

However, in 1:15 there is direct reference to the image of God, namely, to the Son, Jesus Christ. He is described as the image of God, since He creates, sustains and recreates (1:15–20). It seems plausible that 3:10 refers back to 1:15, where there is a direct reference Jesus Christ as Creator and also as image. In this case it implies that believers should be renewed in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. This explanation is heavily supported in the rest of the letter, where Jesus Christ is described as the source of knowledge and serves as the One who saves and sustains believers. In the next verse (3:11) the way in which the perspective on reality is changed is described in Christological terms. Reality should no longer be evaluated according to earthly divisions like slaves or free men, men or woman, Greeks or non-Greeks, but only one perspective should determine the perspective on reality, namely that Jesus is all and in all. If believers are renewed in knowledge according to their Creator Jesus Christ, this perspective will be realised. The realisation will take place on the ethical level, based on their change in identity. They are raised with Christ to eternal life (2:11–3) and should live according to their new status in Christ (2:20 and 3:1). This renewal relates to ethical behaviour (cf. 1:9–10). The expression that they should be renewed (3:9–11) is encircled with ethical remarks: In 3:3–9 believers are encouraged to lay down (kill) evil behaviour, while in 3:12–4:2 positive ethical behaviour is described as the desired way of life for the holy ones chosen by God (3:12). The image of clothing is used: They have undressed the “old self” i.e., got rid of evil behaviour, and dressed themselves as the “new self”, which suggests Christ as example. Now they should live their new lives, being renewed in knowledge of their Creator.

To be renewed in knowledge according to the image of his/her Creator implies that believers should increase in their knowledge of the revelation and presence of Jesus Christ, according to who He is. In this way their behaviour will increasingly reflect the actions and behaviour that are according to God’s will (1:9–10) and done in the name of Jesus Christ (3:17).

Keywords: Colossians 3:10; ethics; image of God; renewal of knowledge; spiritual growth

Lees die volledige artikel in Afrikaans

Wat beteken dit om volgens Kolossense 3:10 vernuwe te word "in kennis na die beeld van sy Skepper"?

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Chat GPT: Haikoe

Chat GPT

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Foto: Canva

Jy spoeg woorde oor die skerm
Jy sê vir my daar is seekoeie in die see
Jy maak woorde op soos “watpaaie”
Jy maak spelfoute en ek krimp ineen
Jy bou metafore wat my laat verstik
Jy gee antwoorde en verduidelikings
Jy maak die wêreld slim en dom
Jy verander ons doen, ons denke
Jy word ’n afgod, ’n god aanlyn
Jy breek reëls asof ’n tiener
Jy veroorsaak intellektuele aardskuddings
Jy, mensgemaakte kennis-masjien
Jy, brein binne-in kuberruim
Jy, met jou kunsmatige intelligensie
Jy kom lê nuwe grense om ons heen
Jy vertel my jy is die nuwe wêreldorde
Jy, robot, tot die dood ons skei

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Kluisenaarshart

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Foto: Canva

waar ek kluisenaarstil
in die skadu’s van my kamer sit
voel ek hoe die donderstorms
diep binne my bedaar

spinnerak en gisterrommel
weggooibagasie word
staar ek nou –
(van spoke bevry)
na buite;
iewers uit die melkweg
daar waar sterre lepellê
val ’n hemellig na benede
migreer deur atmosfeer
van lig na duisternis
voor dit sonder skuilte
’n nuwe woning
in die stikdonker vind

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Wonde

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Foto: Canva

Ek raak naar en proe jou woorde in my mond en voel hoe dit my siel net aanhou skop, 
en aanhou 
en aanhou 
en aanhou.
Terwyl ek in die hoek tussen verneder en vernietig lê, 
probeer jy weer en weer en weer.
Hoe het jy die mag?
Om my menswees weg te ruk? 
Weg te skop, weg te skree, weg te jok.
Jy sê jy leer jou kinders ook so.
Ek hoop hulle is okay.
Maar vir jou is daar niks oor nie.
Niks.
Ek staan op en plak pleisters op wonde wat lank voor jou daar was, 
wat jy van voor af laat bloei het, 
en terwyl ek pleisters plak en pyn, 
weet ek my einas sal gesond word
en ek sal dit saam met my dra met dieselfde deernis en dignity 
soos ek al die jare het. 
Maar jou wonde sal nooit genees.
Jou wonde sal aanhou bloei op ander. 
Tot jy uitgebloei is. 
Jy sal nooit weer die reg hê om my lyf, 
my vroulikheid, my waardigheid te misbruik vir jou eie aansien nie. 
Jy sal nooit weer die reg hê om my naam te skend om jou eie beter te maak nie. Nooit. 
#wantekisvrou

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Twitter dawn: ’n gesprek met Koos Kombuis, oftewel Joe Kitchen

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https://naledi.co.za/product/twitter-dawn/

Twitter dawn
Joe Kitchen
Naledi
ISBN: 978177617280

Koop Twitter dawn by Graffiti

Koos Kombuis, oftewel Joe Kitchen, praat met Naomi Meyer oor sy boek Twitter dawn, wat onlangs by Naledi verskyn het.

Koos, ek sien jy het onlangs ’n boek geskryf onder die naam Joe Kitchen. Is alles nou Engels, en jy ook?

Nee, alles is nie nou Engels nie! Afrikaans sal altyd my eerste liefde bly. Ek is egter in die proses om myself te vestig as ’n Suid-Afrikaanse eerder as ’n eksklusief Afrikaanse woordkunstenaar. En natuurlik sal ek verheug wees as my Engelse werk ook toenemend oorsee gelees word! Die enigste rede hoekom ek die pseudoniem Joe Kitchen in Engels gebruik, is omdat ek al te dikwels agtergekom het oorsese magazines is geneig om “Kombuis” verkeerd te spel. Hulle foeter aanmekaar in die rigting van “Kombius”, met die i en die u omgeruil! Twitter dawn, hierdie baie kort novelle, het op Maandag 20 Februarie uit die drukkers gekom, presies op dieselfde oomblik toe my nuwe Afrikaanse album, “Nag van die honde”, aanlyn vrygestel is.

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Twitter dawn, hierdie baie kort novelle, het op Maandag 20 Februarie uit die drukkers gekom, presies op dieselfde oomblik toe my nuwe Afrikaanse album, “Nag van die honde”, aanlyn vrygestel is.
..........

Die boek se naam is Twitter dawn. Almal se konsentrasie is nou ongeveer so lank soos ’n Twitter-plasing. En lyk my jou hoofstukke is ook so lank (of sal ek eerder sê so kort). Hoe het hierdie boek ontstaan?

Ek het so ’n paar jaar gelede aan myself die uitdaging gestel: Wat as ek ’n kortverhaal op Twitter skryf? Of, nog beter, ’n langer storie? Dit het onmoontlik gelyk, want twiets was toe nog beperk tot 140 karakters. Maar ek het vasgebyt!

Die boek is oor ’n tydperk van jare as twiets geskryf. Maar nou is hierdie vlietende boodskappe in ’n boek saamgevat. Is dit nie teenstrydig nie?

Ja, dit het my sowat drie jaar geneem om die storie te voltooi. Maar, om eerlik te wees, die aantal mense wat die verhaal van begin tot end gevolg het, is waarskynlik minimaal. Dit het my hartseer gemaak dat so min mense dit enduit kon volg. Daar was heelwat belangstelling, selfs in die pers, maar ja, soos jy sê, mense se aandag bly nie lank op een plek nie; dis die siekte van ons tyd. Op die ou end het die hele affêre vir my gevoel soos ’n private speletjie. As Naledi nie nou die relevansie van die eksperiment raakgesien het nie, sou dit altyd net dít gebly het: iets wat ek gedoen het om myself te entertain.

Nog iets: Is dit dieselfde ervaring om ’n boek te lees as wat dit is om ’n Twitter-plasing te lees? Dink jy nie ’n mens moet die plasings een vir een lees en daaroor nadink en eers weer later die volgende twiet lees nie? Is die boek-ervaring dieselfde?

Nee, natuurlik is ’n boek beter. Ek bedoel, om eerlik te wees, om ’n boek op Twitter te probeer skryf is ’n misbruik van die medium! Maar toe ek eers begin het, het die storie sy loop met my geneem, en kon ek eenvoudig nie ophou nie! 

Waaroor gaan jou storie? As jy dit nou soos ’n roman moet verduidelik/uiteensit.

Die storie, om dit baie kortliks op te som, is ’n toekomsfantasie waarin ek deur middel van fiksie die vraag stel: Waarheen is ons as spesie op pad met sosiale media? Wat as sosiale media op die ou end vir ons meer werklik word as persoonlike interaksie in die werklike lewe? Bygesê (en hierop is ek nogal heel trots), dit was voor die tyd toe ’n konsep soos meta geopper is.

..........
Wat as sosiale media op die ou end vir ons meer werklik word as persoonlike interaksie in die werklike lewe?
............

Is dit ’n speletjie hierdie? Dink jy dis werklik die toekoms? Gaan mense sulke kort hoofstukke wil lees en daardeur bevredig voel?

Die hoofstukke is baie kort, ja, ongeveer drie tot vier twiets per hoofstuk. Miskien moes ek dié ’n “haiku-story” genoem het eerder as ’n “micro-novel”?

Onthou jy die TV-program Beyond 2000? ’n Mens se verbeelde idee van hoe die toekoms sal lyk en nou, inderdaad beyond 2000, is iets totaal anders. Of is dit? In Twitter dawn is dit ’n era van tegnologie, maar in ons werklike lewe sit ons daagliks sonder krag. Is dit nie ’n bietjie teenstrydig nie?

Ek het nou die dag ’n lang gesprek met ChatGPT gehad oor hierdie kwessie, want die nuwe tegnologie gebruik geweldig baie krag, en krag is iets wat soms moeilik bekombaar is, nie net in Suid-Afrika nie, maar wêreldwyd. Sy antwoord was baie insiggewend. Hy het gemeen dat kunsmatige intelligensie dalk in die toekoms ingespan kan word juis om nuwe kragbronne te ontdek en te ontwikkel! Dis iets waaraan ek nog nie self gedink het nie.

Hierdie boek is saam met tegnologie geskryf, of saam met tegnologie se beperkinge, as ’n mens dit so wil noem. Want jy mag net ’n sekere aantal karakters vir ’n Twitter-boodskap gebruik. Dink jy dis die toekoms van boeke? Nou saam met bots of ander tegnologie?

...........
Dis groter as wat ek self aanvanklik besef het, en dit is een rede hoekom ek so bly is dat dit nou as ’n novelle verskyn het, want mense praat deesdae al hoe meer hieroor. Die nuwe tegnologie is besig om op talle vlakke ons lewens te verander en oor te neem. Twitter dawn was vir my die begin van hierdie spekulasieproses.
..............

Ek dink nie iets soos dié is ’n toekomstige resep vir boeke nie, en ek sal dit ook nie weer probeer nie; dit was ’n eenmalige “grappie”. Wat wel vir my boeiend is, is die tema wat hier aangeraak word ... Dis groter as wat ek self aanvanklik besef het, en dit is een rede hoekom ek so bly is dat dit nou as ’n novelle verskyn het, want mense praat deesdae al hoe meer hieroor. Die nuwe tegnologie is besig om op talle vlakke ons lewens te verander en oor te neem. Twitter dawn was vir my die begin van hierdie spekulasieproses. Ek hoop dat beter en meer kundige skrywers as ek sulke dinge in groter detail sal ontgin.

Wat is ’n onlangse boek, geskryf deur ’n mens, wat jy geniet het?

Ek is nou byna klaar met Martin Ford se bekende 2015-publikasie, The rise of the robots. Dis ’n boek wat deur ’n mens oor robotte geskryf is. Ek sien uit na die eerste boek wat deur ’n robot oor mense geskryf gaan word! Dalk kan so iets Imke van Heerden se volgende projek wees ...

Lees ook:

Persverklaring: Silwerwit in die soontoe: Afrikaans se eerste KI-gedigte deur Imke van Heerden, met Anil Bas en Etienne van Heerden

Langenhoven-gedenklesing 2023: Ontmoet die paneellede

Besinning oor die ASSAf-paneelbespreking oor ChatGPT, assessering en hoër onderwys

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Die toepassing van ’n multigeletterdheidsbenadering in ’n Afrikaans Eerste Addisionele Taal-klaskamer

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Die toepassing van ’n multigeletterdheidsbenadering in ’n Afrikaans Eerste Addisionele Taal-klaskamer

Alta Engelbrecht en Anike Conradie, Fakulteit Opvoedkunde, Universiteit van Pretoria

LitNet Akademies Jaargang 20(1)
ISSN 1995-5928
https://doi.org/10.56273/1995-5928/2023/j20n1d6

Die artikel sal binnekort in PDF-formaat beskikbaar wees.

 

Opsomming

Een van die grootste uitdagings vir Afrikaans Eerste Addisionele Taal (EAT)-onderwysers is dat leerders van verskillende taal- en kultuuragtergronde binne een klas geakkommodeer word. Hierbenewens ontvang baie leerders ook onderrig in ’n taal wat hoogstens as hul tweede of derde taal bestempel kan word. Dit kan selfs ’n taal wees waaraan hulle nie voorheen blootgestel is nie. Voorts word van skole verwag om inklusiwiteit te alle tye te bevorder. Hierdie artikel poog om ’n bydrae op die gebied van multigeletterdheid in ’n EAT-klaskamer te lewer deur die hoekom, wat en hoe van multigeletterdheid te ontgin in ’n poging om die aanleer van ’n addisionele taal te vergemaklik. Om antwoorde op die navorsingskwelvrae te kry, het 17 deelnemers in die Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer van ’n privaatskool in Pretoria ’n visuele voorstelling gemaak wat hul onderrig en aanleer van Afrikaans uitbeeld, sowel as bypassende bloginskrywings oor die ontsluiting van die verskillende genres (poësie, prosa, filmkunde en grammatika) in die klaskamer. Hierdie twee datastelle is deduktief ontleed om spore en patrone van die vier pilare van multigeletterdheid te vind sodat vasgestel kon word hoe ’n multigeletterheidsbenadering tot suksesvolle leer kan bydra. Die studie se bevindinge toon dat selfgerigte leer (met die klem op vorige leerderervaring) en begeleide fasilitering daartoe lei dat leerders nie net kennis maak met verskeidenheid nie, maar verskeidenheid as hulpbron gebruik om Afrikaans aan te leer. Verdere boublokke vir multigeletterdheid soos ervaringsleer, tegnologiese ondersteuning en multimodale leer het herontwerpte kennis en praktyke tot gevolg gehad. Leerders het 21ste-eeuse vaardighede beoefen, geoefen en verbeter en so hul eie werklikhede herskep. Die bevindinge weerspieël dat ’n multigeletterdheidsbenadering moontlik ’n ononderhandelbare plek in vandag se Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer het.

Trefwoorde: Afrikaans Eerste Addisionele Taal; 21ste-eeuse vaardighede; ervaringsleer; inklusiwiteit; multigeletterdheid; multimodaliteit; selfgerigte leer

 

Abstract

The application of a multiliteracies approach in an Afrikaans First Additional Language classroom

One of the challenges South African teachers face is the number of learners receiving instruction in a language ‒ most commonly English ‒ that is generally their second, third or fourth language. It may even be a language they have not been exposed to before, considering the many cross-border and continental learners seated in local classrooms. This cultural and linguistic diversity, coupled with the constant need to promote inclusivity, places heavy demands on teachers. The teaching of Afrikaans as an additional language could thus serve to embrace methodologies that are focussed on cultural and linguistic diversity as a resource rather than a deficit or problem to address. Furthermore, novel teaching and learning strategies aligned to 21st-century skills such as teamwork, adaptability and social networking ought to be introduced in order to prepare learners for the future awaiting them in the ever-changing corporate world. The pedagogy of multiliteracies was already introduced in the 1990s, and South African scholars such as Janks (2010), Janks and Vasquez (2011), Stein and Newfield (2016) and Engelbrecht (2019) have broadened this field. This study contributes to the field of multiliteracies and how this pedagogy manifests in a culturally and linguistically diverse grade 11 Afrikaans first additional language (FAL) classroom. The argument put forward in this article is the necessity of multiliteracies as an agent to facilitate additional language learning and the possibility of mining the what, why and how of the multiliteracies approach in an Afrikaans FAL classroom. Multiliteracies pedagogy encourages diversity, embraces technology and multimodality and in doing so, moves away from the autonomous and traditional literacy model (reading and writing) to a nuanced model of literacies, as reflected in the manifesto of the New London Group (1996).

Multiliteracies as an approach rests on four interdependent tenets. Firstly, situated practice emphasises the prior knowledge and situated experiences of all learners. Secondly, overt instruction refers to the sum of interventions by the teacher who facilitates scaffolded learning in a constructivist process. Critical framing, the third tenet of multiliteracies, encourages learners to question assumptions and to transfer meaning to different social contexts. Lastly, transformed practice aims to teach learners to apply their new knowledge to their own contexts and to allow new knowledge to redefine and recreate themselves. The overarching research question is: How can a multiliteracies approach enhance learning in an Afrikaans FAL classroom? The sub-questions address the core characteristic of the four multiliteracies tenets in order to answer the main question. The first sub-question deals with the diverse situated practice of learners: how can diversity enhance learning in an Afrikaans FAL classroom? The second question refers to scaffolding interventions by the teacher’s overt instruction: how can learners’ previous experiences enhance their learning? The third tenet (critical framing) is directed at the cultivation of critical and authentic self-directed learning: how can learners be supported to take responsibility for their own learning? Lastly, to relate to the individual growth and meaning-making of learners, the sub-question is: how can multiple learning styles support learning in an Afrikaans FAL classroom?

To answer these questions, 17 participants between 17 and 19 years old in the Further Education and Training phase of a private school in Pretoria in the Afrikaans FAL classroom created a drawing depicting their experiences of learning Afrikaans (poetry, prose, film studies and grammar). This was followed by five matching blog entries on the different genres in which the participants described their learning experiences in a narrative format. These two data sets informed each other and were deductively analysed to find traces and patterns of the tenets of multiliteracies as described in the research sub-questions (diversity, interventions, self-directed learning and individualised learning) and how these contributed to successful learning. According to an arts-based analysis the visual representations of the participants’ experiences of learning Afrikaans were analysed. The visual data were first analysed separately and then compared to the narratives that participants wrote on the same day, explaining their drawings. This member-checking aligns with an arts-based methodology. Participants were permitted to express themselves in Afrikaans or English to prevent a possible lack of Afrikaans vocabulary from limiting their expression. This qualitative study was conducted using an interpretivist lens while an instrumental case study design helped to establish how the multiliteracies approach was employed in the FAL classroom. Findings show that self-directed learning that focussed on prior learner experience and guided facilitation resulted in learners not only becoming acquainted with diversity but also using each other as resources to learn Afrikaans. Their learning was enriched by exposure to different cultural and linguistic perspectives. Experiential learning, technological support and multimodal learning gave rise to redesigned knowledge and practices. The following technological sources were reflected in both data sets: electronic dictionaries, music, videos, films, television, photographs, white boards and cell phones. Technology and multimodality were integral to learning experiences such as collectively visiting cinemas and watching trailers of the film studied in class. Participants constantly developed, practised and improved 21st-century skills and in doing so, they created new meaning from the literary and other texts used inside and outside the classroom and were able to transfer their meaning-making to their social world and that of other communities. For instance, participants drew on different sensory impressions to explore texts about food while applying critical literacy to question assumptions and stereotypes and unmask ideological thinking. Participants benefitted from the various cultures represented in the classroom as different perspectives and opinions were exchanged. The findings suggest that a multiliteracies approach might become non-negotiable in a contemporary additional language classroom, especially in highly diverse contexts. There is a paucity of research in the field of Afrikaans methodology and these findings suggest that a multiliteracies pedagogy can be implemented successfully in a diverse Afrikaans FAL classroom.

Keywords: Afrikaans First Additional Language; experiential learning; inclusivity; multiliteracies; multimodality; self-directed learning; 21st-century skills

 

1. Inleiding

In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is daar tans vele uitdagings op die onderrigfront. Een van die grootste uitdagings is die feit dat leerders met verskillende tale, kulturele agtergronde en wêreldbeskouings tot die skoolstelsel toetree. Die tameletjie in die Afrikaanse addisioneletaalklas is dat leerders met Afrikaans as ’n huistaal, eerste addisionele taal, tweede addisionele taal en selfs derde of vierde addisionele taal almal in een EAT-klaskamer sit. Hierdie leerders het nie noodwendig in die kleuter-, laer- en hoërskool onderrig in hul huistaal ontvang nie. Hulle het ook nie noodwendig, soos die kurrikulum veronderstel, Afrikaans EAT in die grondslagfase geneem nie. Hulle verskil grootliks ten opsigte van kultuur, ras en die sosiale kringe waarin hulle beweeg. Alhoewel die leerders se kennis van Afrikaans EAT dus hemelsbreed van mekaar verskil, is hulle ook individue wat op hul eie manier leer, elk met sy eie ervaringsveld. Tog moet elkeen van hierdie leerders aan dieselfde leeruitkomste en assesseringskriteria voldoen.

In postapartheid Suid-Afrika is inklusiwiteit ten opsigte van verskillende agtergronde, ervaringe en geloofsoortuigings nie onderhandelbaar nie. Leerders word tans aan die verskeidenheid van kulture, wêreldwye eise, sosiale en tegnologiese vooruitgang blootgestel en om kognitiewe ontwikkeling vir elke leerder te verseker, vereis drastiese veranderinge in geletterdheidspraktyke in Suid-Afrika en in die besonder in die EAT-klaskamer. Die multigeletterdheidsbenadering stel uitdagings aan verouderde denkwyses wat glo dat daar slegs een “korrekte” manier is om kennis te bekom en oor te dra (Sujee 2015:14–9). Hierdie artikel redeneer ten gunste van multigeletterdheid as die opvoedkundige agentskap wat taalonderrig behoort te fasiliteer. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die hoekom, wat en hoe van multigeletterdheid te ontgin om die aanleer van ’n addisionele taal te vergemaklik.

 

2. Probleemstelling

Suid-Afrika met sy ryk taalverwante geskiedenis kan baat vind by ’n taalstudie wat die belangrikheid van multimodaliteit en multigeletterdheid beklemtoon (Genis 2019:23–36). Die wêreldwye COVID 19-pandemie het nuwe uitdagings na die klaskamer toe gebring, maar het ook die weg voorberei vir die effektiewe inkorporering van tegnologie tydens lesse. Onderwysers het gemaklik geraak met tegnologie en die 21ste-eeuse leerder is reeds lankal gereed daarvoor (Sujee 2019:83–107).

Verskeidenheid in die huidige ekonomie is alomteenwoordig en dit is ’n gegewe dat leerders met leerders van ander tale en kulture moet kan saamwerk (May en Hornberger 2008:195–211). Denig (2004) voer aan dat leerders kennis op verskillende maniere verwerf en die nuutgevonde kennis op so ’n manier verstaan dat dit bydra tot hul eie sosiale konteks en ontwikkeling. Nie net is daar dus taal- en kulturele verskille nie, maar ook verskil elke leerder op unieke wyse van die ander. Om in die ware sin van die woord inklusief te wees, is dit belangrik om verskillende leerstyle in die klas te gebruik om aan te sluit by die verskeidenheid maniere waarop leerders kennis binne ’n leerervaring verwerk (Du Toit 2019; Brown 2000).

Afrikaanse taalonderrig staan by ’n metaforiese kruispad en daar moet besluit word watter rigting daar ingeslaan gaan word. Die keuse is: tradisionele geletterdheid wat lees en skryf as die enigste vorm van geletterdheid beskou of ’n benadering van multigeletterdheid, soos voorgestel deur die New London Group (NLG 1996). Multigeletterdheid bevorder inklusiwiteit, verwelkom tegnologie en beweeg doelbewus weg van ’n eendimensionele begrip van geletterdheid. Die tyd is ryp daarvoor dat skole veral in hul benadering tot die aanleer van ’n addisionele taal wegbeweeg van tradisionele geletterdheid sodat ruimte geskep kan word vir die groei en verkenning van meer as net een geletterdheid (Genis 2019:23–36).

Vergeleke met ’n eeu gelede, vereis werkgewers en beroepe nou werknemers wat oor verskillende vaardighede beskik (Ganapathy en Seetharam 2016; Binkley, Erstad, Herman, Raizen, Ripley, Miller-Ricci en Rumble 2012). Daar word van onderwysers verwag om leerders toe te rus met vaardighede vir beroepe wat nog nie eers bestaan nie. Leerders móét daarom toegerus word met 21ste-eeuse vaardighede wat hulle kan ondersteun om aanpasbaar te wees wanneer sosiale en tegnologiese verandering in die gesig gestaar word. Dit is so dat die wêreld bly verander en dit is hierdie verandering en vooruitgang wat as ’n platform vir die aanleer van nuwe vaardighede kan dien (Cole 2008). Cole voer verder aan dat die toenemende verskeidenheid in Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamers die gebruik van verskillende onderrigstrategieë vereis wat ontwerp is om op elke leerder as individu te reageer (Cole 2008). Volgens Engelbrecht en Hugo (2019) is spanwerk, aanpassing, buigsaamheid en die gebruik van sosiale netwerke belangrike 21ste-eeuse vaardighede. Kultuurverskille in die klas behoort as ’n hulpbron eerder as ’n struikelblok in die uitvoering van die kurrikulum beskou te word. Geleenthede moet bewustelik geskep word om wisselwerking tussen leerders van verskillende kulture aan te moedig.

Hierdie artikel se doel is om te verken hoe ’n multigeletterdheidsbenadering in ’n Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer gebruik kan word. Die hoofnavorsingsvraag is:

  • Hoe kan ’n multigeletterdheidsbenadering in ’n Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer toegepas word om leer te bevorder?

Die volgende vier onderliggende vrae is gebaseer op die hoekstene van multigeletterdheid en sal saam die hoofvraag beantwoord:

  • Hoe kan verskeidenheid gebruik word om leer in ’n Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer te bevorder?
  • Hoe kan leerders se vorige ondervindings gebruik word om leer te bevorder?
  • Hoe kan leerders in ’n Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer gehelp word om vir hul eie leer verantwoordelikheid te aanvaar?
  • Hoe kan meervoudige leerstyle bydra tot leer in ’n Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer?

Om antwoorde op die navorsingskwelvrae te kry, het 17 deelnemers (graad 11-leerders tussen 17 en 19 jaar oud) in die Verdere Onderwys en Opleidingfase van ’n privaatskool in Pretoria ’n visuele voorstelling gemaak wat hul persoonlike aanleer van Afrikaans uitbeeld, sowel as vyf bypassende bloginskrywings.

Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie gebruik ’n interpretivistiese paradigmatiese lens en die navorsingsmetodologie is ’n instrumentele gevallestudie omdat die toepassing van die navorsingsverskynsel (multigeletterdheid) in ’n EAT-klaskamer ondersoek word. HU 17/03/02 is die etiese verwysing wat vir hierdie navorsing deur die etiese komitee van die Universiteit van Pretoria toegestaan is.

Alvorens daar na die data-insameling en data-ontleding beweeg word, word daar in die literatuurstudie na die geskiedkundige ontwikkeling van multigeletterdheid, sowel as die hoekstene waarop die benadering berus, gekyk. Ook die beginsels van die multigeletterdheidsbenadering word ten slotte bespreek.

 

3. Literatuurstudie

3.1 Inleiding

Alhoewel multigeletterdheid sedert 1990 bekend geraak het en enkele outeurs soos Janks (2010), Janks en Vasquez (2011), Stein en Newfield (2016) en Engelbrecht (2019) bydraes gelewer het ten opsigte van die Suid-Afrikaanse landskap, is daar weinig gepubliseer wat op Afrikaans as onderrigtaal en spesifiek op EAT van toepassing is. Die term multigeletterdheid is deur die NLG (1996) geskep en dui op die veelsydige kommunikasiekanale wat voortgebring word uit die digitale tegnologiese sfeer wat kulturele diversiteit en linguistiek bevorder (Sujee 2015:17). Daar is verskeie definisies wat multigeletterdheid kan beskryf, maar dit is Jewitt (2008) se opsomming hiervan wat die doel van hierdie studie ondersteun. Sy voer aan dat multigeletterdheid beskou word as ’n benadering wat daarop klem lê om geletterdheid om te skakel in geletterdhede deur betekenis op verskillende wyses te ontgin soos byvoorbeeld deur massakommunikasiekanale, linguistiese en taaldiversiteit en hulpmiddele wat nie noodwendig taalgedrewe is nie.

Die volgende tabel (Tabel 1) vergelyk die tradisionele geletterdheidskonsep met ’n multigeletterdheidskonsep.

Tabel 1. Geletterdheid versus geletterdhede

(Aangepas uit May en Hornberger, 2008:195–211)

Die NLG (1996) is veral geïnteresseerd in die “multi”-dimensies van geletterdheid, meertaligheid en multimodale metodes van leer. Meertaligheid word daagliks toenemend belangrik binne die konteks van wêreldwye eise en vaardighede wat van die onderwysstelsel verwag word. Kamuche (2005:35–40) beweer dat die suksesvolste wyse waarop ’n individu sin maak van nuwe inligting gebeur wanneer die vyf sintuie ingespan word om leer te bewerkstellig. Dit ondersteun die leerder om voort te bou op reeds bekende en gevestigde kennis. Meervoudige leerstyle bou verder op hierdie kennisverwerwing deur van die veronderstelling uit te gaan dat daar verskillende wyses is waarop verskillende leerders binne ’n leerervaring inligting verwerk; daarom is dit belangrik om leerders aan verskillende leerstyle in die klas bloot te stel (Du Toit 2019; Brown 2000). Sowel meertaligheid as die gebruik van sintuie en ’n verskeidenheid leerstyle is hoogs versoenbaar met die multigeletterdheidsbenadering en kan die kurrikulum stimuleer sodat verskeie 21ste-eeuse vaardighede in die klaskamer beoefen kan word (Jacobs, 2005; Engelbrecht 2019). Dat leerders verantwoordelikheid vir hul eie leer neem en argitekte van hul eie kennis word (Cope en Kalantzis 2013), is die ideaal wat volgens ’n multigeletterdheidsbenadering daagliks nagestreef word.

Multigeletterdheid het verder te make met twee kernbeginsels binne die gebruik van taal. Die eerste beginsel beklemtoon die wisselwerkende rol wat uiteenlopende kulturele en sosiale verskille en kontekste in betekenisverkenning speel. Dit beklemtoon dat die verwerwing van geletterdheid nie in afsondering kan plaasvind nie. Terwyl voorheen klem geplaas is op die reëls en die diskoers van die gegewe nasionale standaardtaal, lê die klem nou op die inspan van ander vaardighede om optimale leer te bewerkstellig (Angay-Crowder, Jayoung en Yi 2013). Leerders moet veelsydige vaardighede toepas om die kompleksiteit van betekenis te kan verstaan, soos dit uit verskillende kulturele en sosiale kontekste voortspruit. Die waarde van betekenis wissel van gemeenskap tot gemeenskap en is ’n eiesoortige ervaring omdat dit gekoppel word aan die rol wat kultuur, lewenservaring, waardes, norme en sosiale agtergrond speel (May en Hornberger 2008; Dippenaar en Livingston 2019). ’n Multikulturele ervaring vind egter plaas wanneer individue oor rasse en kulturele grense heen met mekaar in wisselwerking tree en inligting uitruil (Boche 2014).

Die tweede beginsel berus op die eienskappe wat in nuwe inligting en mediakommunikasie te vinde is. Betekenisverkenning word op multimodale wyses verwerf wat mondelinge, visuele, ouditiewe en nie-verbale metodes insluit. Hiermee saam word tasbare en ruimtelike patrone ook belangrik geag. Van der Merwe (2019) stel dit onomwonde dat multimodaliteit slegs bewerkstellig kan word wanneer die opvoedkundige model van geletterdheid verbreed en uitgebrei word deur digitale media in te sluit.

3.2 Die hoekstene van multigeletterdheid

Multigeletterdheid is volgens Cope en Kalantzis (2009) op die volgende vier hoekstene gebaseer:

  • Openlike onderrig, wat op die verskillende intervensies dui waardeur leerders geskaaf en geskuur kan word ten opsigte van werkinhoud.
  • Gesitueerde werklikheid, wat gegrond is op die beginsel dat leerders se ervaringswêreld – dit waarmee hulle vertroud is – die basis vorm van hul geletterdheidsontwikkeling.
  • Kritiese raamwerk, wat betekenis heg aan leerders se sosiale kontekste.
  • Veranderde werklikheid, wat dui op hoe leerders betekenis oordra en hulself in verskillende kontekste herdefinieer.

Tabel 2. Die hoekstene van multigeletterdheid (Kalantzis en Cope 2003)

Al vier hoekstene van multigeletterdheid moet saam ingespan word om effektiewe leer te bevorder. Dit word dus metafories vergelyk met ’n ui wat uit verskillende lae bestaan en geen laag kry meer voorkeur of dra groter gewig as die ander nie. Die kern en moontlike verryking van multigeletterdheid is juis daarin geleë dat die vier hoekstene in verhouding tot mekaar in die klaskamer aangewend moet word, aldus Angay-Crowder e.a. (2013).

3.2.1 Openlike onderrig

Die eerste pilaar van multigeletterdheid, openlike onderrig, beklemtoon aktiewe, konstruktiewe en wisselwerkende metodes van leer wat spreek tot ’n spesifieke kognitiewe proses (Menekse, Stump, Krause & Chi 2013). Dit is allermins uitgebreide papegaaileer en die klem lê eerder op aktiewe ingrypingsmetodes (Angay-Crowder e.a. 2013) wat op hul beurt weer op konstruktivistiese steierwerk berus. Openlike onderrig word gegrond in ervaringsleer en bou dus op kennis wat die leerder reeds bemeester het en hulle ’n geleentheid bied om hierdie kennis in nuwe omstandighede te kan gebruik. Dit motiveer die leerder om bewustelik vorige ervarings te beskou as ’n leerskool vir die volgende leeraktiwiteite. Dit verg samewerking tussen die onderwyser en leerder omdat daar gedurig bewustelik betekenis oor leerinhoude onderhandel word (Cazden, Cope, Fairclough en Gee 1996). Wisselwerking tussen klasmaats ten opsigte van vakinhoud word ook deel van hierdie betekenisonderhandeling deurdat eie ervarings en opinies gedeel word (Wrenn en Wrenn 2009). Ervaring as leermeester, sosiale konteks in die klas en ’n onderwyser wat fasiliteer eerder as onderrig, stem ooreen met die ideaal van Vygotsky se Sone vir Proksimaliteit (Vygotsky 1978). Op hierdie wyse word leerders se “eie stem” ontwikkel en die som van aktiewe ingrypings bou ’n brug na die vaardighede wat in die 21ste-eeuse werkplek benodig word.

3.2.2 Gesitueerde werklikheid

Gesitueerde werklikheid is die tweede pilaar van multigeletterdheid en beklemtoon hoe die leerder sy/haar eie ervarings gebruik om van ’n spesifieke konteks sin te maak (Boche 2014). Angay-Crowder e.a. (2013) redeneer dat gesitueerde werklikheid die integrering van verskillende betekenisonderhandelinge binne ’n leerder se gemeenskap tot gevolg het. Hierdie onderhandeling stel die leerder in staat om verskillende rolle te vertolk wat in elke individu se agtergrond en ervaringe geanker is. May en Hornberger (2008) beskou dit as die proses waarin kennis en voorkennis verweef word. Wrigley en Guth het al in 1992 aangevoer dat die dinamiese aard van die aanleer van ’n taal nie net klem kan plaas op grammatika, klankleer en woordeskat nie, maar dat leerders self ondersoek moet instel en prakties moet leer deur inhoude self te interpreteer, verken en voorspel. Die rol van intertekstualiteit (verskillende genres) brei die leerder se eie repertoire uit wanneer hy/sy aktief, kreatief, samewerkend en verantwoordelik betekenis skep uit sy/haar eie (bekende) gesitueerdheid, maar ook uit die diverse aard van die mense wat saam met hom/haar betekenis skep. Verskeidenheid word dus ’n bate in die klaskamer, eerder as ’n probleem (NLG 1996; Engelbrecht en Hugo 2019).

3.2.3 Kritiese raamwerk

Kritiese raamwerk werk nóú saam met die vorige twee hoekstene. Hierdie derde hoeksteen bied aan die leerder ondersteuning om sosiale omstandighede te interpreteer en betekenis daaraan te verleen (Boche 2014). Leerders ondersoek verskillende tekste (op multimodale wyse) om vas te stel wie voordeel trek en hoe dit verteenwoordigend is van bepaalde patrone en gebruike in die wyer gemeenskap (Janks 2010). Kritiese raamwerk laat leerders ook ’n metaforiese tree terugstaan en laat hulle nadink oor wat hulle geleer het, om sodoende vas te stel of die nuwe kennis oorgedra kan word na ander, nuwe kontekste (Angay-Crowder e.a., 2013). Onderwysers moet hierdie proses van selfontdekking fasiliteer en leerders toerus met die nodige vaardighede om dit te kan doen (Cazden e.a., 1996). Hierdie fasiliteringsproses word deur Wrenn en Wrenn (2009) beskryf as geleenthede wat die leerders laat nadink oor hul eie denke en hul reeds bestaande kennis deur hulle te wys hoe om hierdie kennis binne nuwe kontekste te gebruik. Onderwysers vertolk die rol van ’n fasiliteerder, gids, model en soms (of meestal) ’n kombinasie van alles, omdat dit tot optimale leer bydra. Met kritiese raamwerk is dit belangrik om die leerder te ondersteun om sosiale kontekste self te interpreteer en sinvolle betekenis daaraan te heg. Betekenisvaslegging is dus ’n geleidelike proses en tekste se betekenis moet binne ’n geskiedkundige en sosiolinguistiese agtergrond verstaan word (Cervetti, Portales, en Damico 2001).

3.2.4 Veranderde werklikheid

Laastens beklemtoon veranderde werklikheid hoe leerders inligting gebruik om hul eie werklikheid te (her)konstrueer. Genis (2019) wys op die sikliese aard van hierdie konsep en voer aan dat daar in multigeletterdheid konstant veranderde werklikhede moet wees. Dit stel die leerder in staat om sy/haar eie toekoms te ontwerp (Boche 2014). Reeds gevestigde kennis en betekenis word getransformeer en herontwerp om in nuwe omstandighede aangewend te kan word. May en Hornberger (2008) noem dit ’n poging om betekenis uit kulturele kontekste te verkry sodat dit op ander kontekste toegepas kan word. Dit vind veral plaas wanneer verskeidenheid ’n positiewe rol binne die gegewe konteks speel (Angay-Crowder e.a. 2013). Dit kom daarop neer dat dit wat die leerder bemeester en geleer het, voortdurend aangepas moet kan word, omdat die leerder altyd besig is om nuwe betekenis te vind (Cazden e.a. 1996). Wanneer leerders blootgestel word aan die herontwerp van kennis, bou hulle hul eie werklikheid sodat dit by hul verbesonderde behoeftes pas (Angay-Crowder e.a. 2013). Onderwysers moet bewustelik geleenthede skep waar leerders betekenisskepping kan oefen en verbeter.

3.3 Beginsels van multigeletterdheid

3.3.1 Tegnologie en multimodaliteit

Tegnologie verander nie net die manier waarop leer gebeur nie, maar ook die manier waarop ons deelneem aan die gemeenskap. Dit is ’n alledaagse verskynsel dat internetgebruikers nou suksesvol inligting kan sif of soek. In die huidige digitale era is tradisionele praktyke alleen onvoldoende. Praktyke van geletterdheid verander as gevolg van tegnologiese vooruitgang en die sosiale en ekonomiese veranderinge wat elke dag in ons samelewing sigbaar is (Sujee 2019:84–103). Die NLG (1996:68) sowel as Engelbrecht en Hugo (2019) voer verder aan dat omdat die wêreld deur globalisering verander het, onderwysers kennis moet neem van hoe geletterdheid uitgebrei kan word deur “produktiewe diversiteit”. Om produktiewe diversiteit te verduidelik, het Cope en Kalantzis (2013) vier basiese onderliggende beginsels beklemtoon:

3.3.2 Die ontwerpbeginsel

Leerders is die argitekte van hul eie kennis. Om die begrip kennis te definieer is nie ’n maklike taak nie aangesien die taksonomie van kennis gegrond word in die organisasie daarvan (Alipour e.a. 2011). Die term leerderoutonomie het reeds in die 1980’s opslae gemaak in die opvoedkundige veld – en veral ten opsigte van die aanleer van taal − toe dit vir die eerste keer deur die opvoeder Henri Holec gebruik is (Foundation.com 2019).

3.3.3 Die samewerkingsbeginsel

Verskillende sienswyses lei tot dieper besprekings en die verskille word sinvol wanneer daar by verskillende kulture geleer kan word (Cope en Kalantzis 2013). Reeds in 1996 het McLeod, Lobel en Cox bevind dat kultureel diverse groepe beter presteer in die kommunikasieproses wanneer daar beplan moet word. In hierdie verband toon Antonio e.a. (2004) aan dat rasseverskeidenheid ook ’n positiewe uitwerking op kritiese denke het. Deur die geleentheid te skep vir terugvoer, word leerders blootgestel aan verskillende sienswyses en denkwyses wat volgens Konan, Gabriel en Selimbegovic (2010) ’n positiewe uitwerking op hul vordering sal hê. Deur saam te werk en werk saam te voltooi word verskillende fokuspunte en verskillende metodes van kennisverwerwing beoefen. Op hierdie wyse word verskeidenheid in die klas as ’n hulpbron vir leer benut (Kalantzis en Cope 2015).

3.3.4 Die verskeidenheidsbeginsel

Dit is nie meer nodig dat leerders teen dieselfde pas werk nie. Dit is ook nie meer nodig dat leerders op ’n gegewe tydstip na dieselfde onderwyser moet luister nie (Kalantzis en Cope 2015). Selfgerigte leer bevorder leerders se vryheid deur vermoëns te ontwikkel wat hulle in staat stel om meer verantwoordelik op te tree in die breër samelewing (Little 1991). Dam (1995) ondersteun Little se argument deur aan te voer dat daar wegbeweeg moet word van die idee dat iemand ’n produk is van sy samelewing. Daarenteen moet ’n persoon eerder beskou word as ’n produsent van sy samelewing.

3.3.5 Die vergelykbaarheidsbeginsel

In die verlede was leerders verdeel in akademiese, basiese en tegniese strome van onderwys. Onder die beginsel van vergelykbaarheid hoef leerders nie meer dieselfde te wees om gelyk te wees nie omdat ruimte aan verskillende benaderings en modusse van leer verleen word (Kalantzis en Cope 2015). Outonome leerders word gekenmerk deur hul produktiwiteit, selfevaluering, begrip ten opsigte van hul eie leerproses en motivering om te leer (Foundation.com 2019).

 

4. Data-insameling

Die data vir hierdie gevallestudie is uit twee bronne ingesamel: die deelnemers se bydraes deur vyf bloginskrywings oor die verskillende genres van die taal en ’n algemene visuele voorstelling van hoe hulle as individue Afrikaans suksesvol aanleer. Die twee datastelle word nou kortliks beskryf.

4.1 Datastel 1: visuele voorstelling

Die tekeninge toon op watter wyse leer in die Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer plaasvind. Die opdrag was dat die leerders deur ’n tekening moes uitbeeld hoe hulle Afrikaans op die mees effektiewe manier leer. Die tekening was ondersteunend tot die bloginskrywing; elke leerder se tekening en bloginskrywings is saam gegroepeer met die oog op die ontleding en word in die addendum so aangebied.

4.2 Datastel 2: bloginskrywing

Die doel van die bloginskrywings was om te bepaal watter materiaal en strategieë suksesvol was tydens die onderrig en leer van Afrikaans EAT. Die bloginskrywings bestaan uit vier inskrywings per leerder oor die verskillende genres wat in Afrikaans EAT onderrig word. In die laaste (vyfde) inskrywing kon die leerders enige les deur die jaar kies om oor terugvoer te gee. Hier volg ’n tabel om duidelik te maak oor watter genre en tekste elke inskrywing gehandel het.

Tabel 3. Onderwerpe van die bloginskrywings

Inskrywing 1: Poësie “Talle tonge” (Mathews Phosa)
“Ma, moenie worry nie” (Martin Magmoed)
“Staan op!” (Fanie Viljoen)
Inskrywing 2: Filmstudie Ballade vir ’n enkeling
Die storie van Ellen Pakkies
Fiela se kind
Inskrywing 3: Prosa Iewers vlieg daar fairy dust (Marisa Haasbroek)
Inskrywing 4: Taalleer Sinstrukture
Inskrywing 5: Troefkaartles Leerders se eie keuse

 

5. Data-ontleding

5.1 Tematiese en kunsgebaseerde ontleding

Die twee datastelle is deduktief ontleed om spore en patrone van die vier pilare van multigeletterdheid te vind. Eerstens is die data tematies gekodeer nadat dit in diepte bestudeer is om temas te vind wat met die multigeletterdheidsbenadering ooreenstem.

Tirado Taipe (2019) voer aan dat ’n kunsgebaseerde data-insamelingsmetode ’n diepgaande ondersoek is waartydens tekeninge en tekste wat gebruik is, mekaar komplementeer. Dit is wat ook in hierdie ontleding gebeur het. Die tekeninge is deur die tekste (die verwoording van die tekeninge asook die bloginskrywings oor die verskillende genres en die sogenaamde troefkaartles wat leerders toegelaat het om oor enige les van hul eie keuse te skryf) gekomplementeer. Taipe (2019) verduidelik dat ’n tekening ’n tweeledige ontleding vereis: eerstens is dit ’n visuele refleksie, gebaseer op die deelnemer se subjektiwiteit. Dit word tydens die ontleding beskryf as die deelnemer se siening, kennis, geheue, vaardighede of lewensbeskouing. Die tweede stap in die ontleding gaan oor die objektiewe interpretasie van die tekening. In hierdie geval is die ontleding van die visuele voorstelling aangevul deur gepaardgaande bloginskrywings, wat die ontleding makliker maak, omdat die leerder dikwels sy/haar visuele voorstelling ook deur taal beskryf. Ter wille van duidelikheid en om te vergoed vir sommige leerders se gebrekkige woordeskat, kon leerders in hul bloginskrywings van Afrikaans of Engels gebruik maak. Ons het doelbewus beide datastelle afsonderlik ontleed deur die vier hoekstene van multigeletterdheid te gebruik om die data tematies te kodeer volgens openlike onderrig, gesitueerde werklikheid, kritiese raamwerk en veranderde werklikheid. Daarna is kernkenmerke van elke hoeksteen gebruik om die data verder te kodeer. Die kunsgebaseerde analise was toepaslik omdat die twee datastelle mekaar verryk het en as “deelnemerkontrole” gedien het, wat die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van die data bevestig.

In Figuur 1 (aangepas uit Angay-Crowder e.a. 2013), word ’n skematiese voorstelling van die ontleding se fokuspunte gegee.

Figuur 1. Skematiese voorstelling van die ontleding se fokuspunte

Hier volg ’n beskrywing van die temas wat uit die twee datastelle verkry is.

 

6. Bespreking van temas en subtemas

6.1. Datastel 1: visuele voorstellings

6.1.1 Openlike onderrig

6.1.1.1 Metodes beklemtoon vorige ervarings

Die eerste subtema verwys na die metodes wat klem lê op leerders se vorige, reeds bekende ervarings in die Afrikaansklaskamer. Die strategie om in pare te werk word herhaaldelik deur die leerders in hul visuele voorstellings uitgebeeld (visuele voorstelling 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14). Leerders leer by mekaar en klankbord die nuwe inhoude op grond van hul onderskeie ervaringe en voorkennis. Ook vind individuele ontginning van betekenis plaas, byvoorbeeld woordeboekgebruik. Leerders (visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16) het deurgaans tradisionele en elektroniese woordeboekgebruik toegepas om self hul woordeskat te verbreed.

6.1.1.2 Kultuur van selfstandigheid

Die klasboekrak het leerders dikwels ondersteun wanneer daar van hulle verwag is om onafhanklike en selfgerigte leer toe te pas. Leerders kon van die boekrak gebruik maak wanneer hulle huiswerk of klaswerk moes voltooi. Daar is onder meer verskillende koerante, tydskrifte, storieboeke en verskeie woordeboeke daarin gepak. Die gebruik van die klasboekrak as onderrighulpbron was duidelik waardevol vir die leerders en is visueel voorgestel in voorstellings 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 en 15. Daar is ook van die leerders verwag om onafhanklik by die huis te lees. Dit was verder nodig dat leerders kwartaalliks artikels moes voorberei en voorlees vir ’n punt. Leerders kon onafhanklike leer inoefen deur inligting, kennis en inhoud self na te speur sonder dat hulle van ’n onderwyser se konstante leiding afhanklik was.

6.1.1.3 Wisselwerking tussen leerders

Rutherford en Kerr (2008) voer aan dat kognitiewe inhoud leerders ondersteun om mekaar se ervarings, waardes en persepsies te herken en verstaan, waarna hulle introspeksie doen om te bepaal hoe hierdie faktore hul eie kennis beïnvloed en konstrueer. Dit is duidelik in die tekeninge (1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14 en 16) uitgebeeld dat die leerders wisselwerking met mekaar as ’n hulpbron gebruik om Afrikaans aan te leer. Gesprekke oor huiswerk of Afrikaanse films was ook ondersteunend tot hul leer (visuele voorstelling 4, 12, 13 en 14). Daar word ook melding gemaak in visuele voorstelling 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, en 17 van die kulturele interaksie tydens hierdie wisselwerking. Die figure word in verskillende kleure geskets terwyl die mannetjies gesels. Wisselwerking in die Afrikaansklaskamer word herhaaldelik deur die leerders in hierdie Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer geskets.

6.1.1.4 Oorbrugging na die korporatiewe wêreld

As ’n aktiewe ingrypingsmetode om 21ste-eeuse vaardighede in ag te neem (Engelbrecht 2019; Sujee 2019) is geleenthede geskep waar onafhanklike leer ingeoefen kon word. In visuele voorstelling 2, 4, 7, 10, 12 en 13 word die elektroniese hulpbronne geskets as ’n manier om onafhanklike leer te bevorder. Daar word onder meer na die hulpbronne Google Translate, die VivA-app en Kahoots verwys. In visuele voorstelling 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 en 17 word elektroniese hulpmiddels geskets, terwyl in visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15 en 16 die klem op gedrukte media val. Daar word in visuele voorstelling 4, 7, 10 en 12 spesifiek na ’n selfoon as ’n akademiese toestel verwys.

6.1.1.5 Ervaringsleer

Om leerders te ondersteun in die proses waar hulle betekenis heg aan nuwe woorde en inhoud, moet hulle blootgestel word aan ervaringsleer. Vir beide onderwysers en leerders is gee en neem binne die leerproses maklik wanneer beide partye geniet wat hulle doen (Sujee 2015:59). Die onderwyser word in tekening 2, 12 en 16 met ’n glimlag geskets. Die leerders word in visuele voorstelling 1, 4, 6, 7, 11, 13 en 14 telkens met ’n glimlag geteken. Die genotsaspek is belangrik en daarom het die leerders dit geskets as maniere om Afrikaans aan te leer (visuele voorstelling 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 en 17).

6.1.1.6 Metodes wat bou op voorkennis

Die invloed van steierwerk kan nie misgekyk word wanneer dit kom by metodes wat bou op voorkennis nie (Kalantzis en Cope 2015). Een tekening verwys na die aanleer van Afrikaans EAT as “lieflike lae” (tekening 15). Nog ’n metode waar daar op voorkennis gebou word, is lees. Die leerders het herhaaldelik ’n kombinasie van die klasboekrak, leesboeke, die handboek en plakkate in hul tekeninge geskets (visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 en 16). Die leerders het voorbeelde, herhaling en huiswerk geskets (tekening 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 12 en 14) as geleenthede om voorkennis en bykomende kennis in te oefen. Een leerder se skets (tekening 14) het melding gemaak van ’n breinkaart as ’n metode om voorkennis te aktiveer.

6.1.1.7 Die samewerkingsbeginsel in die Afrikaansklaskamer

Deur verskillende perspektiewe in te span tydens klasbesprekings en kulturele verskille as ’n hulpbron te beskou, kan daar by mekaar geleer word. Die onderwyser kom telkens in die visuele uitbeeldings (1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 12, 15 en 16) na vore as ’n fasiliteerder tydens lees, klaswerk en huiswerk asook wanneer die leerders met mekaar in wisselwerking tree. Die onderwyser stel verder die leerders bloot aan verskillende onderrighulpbronne soos aangedui in visuele voorstelling 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15 en 17. Die projektor, ’n selfoon en aktiwiteite saam met klasmaats is onderrighulpbronne wat leer optimaliseer. In die volgende tekeninge het leerders hulself geskets terwyl hulle saam met ’n klasmaat(s) werk en/of leer en aangetoon hoe hul verskillende perspektiewe bydra tot produktiwiteit en ’n dieper verstaan (tekening 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14 en 17).

6.1.1.8 Die onderwyser as fasiliteerder deur tegnologie

Tegnologiese vooruitgang het die praktyke van geletterdheid verander en om aan te pas by die eise wat die 21ste eeu stel, moet die onderwyser tegnologie gebruik om kennis op multimodale wyses oor te dra (Sujee 2019:84–103). In visuele voorstelling 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 en 17 word die gebruik van tegnologie in die klaskamer herhaaldelik uitgebeeld.

6.1.1.9 Steierwerk en intervensie wat kennis verdiep

’n Multimodale werkswyse tydens onderrig versterk die steierwerk. Die leerders het onderskeidelik ouditiewe ingrypingsmetodes (visuele voorstelling 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 en 17) en teksgebaseerde ingrypingsmetodes (visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 en 17) geskets. Daar is nege sketse (2, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) wat ’n kombinasie van ouditiewe en teksgebaseerde metodes uitbeeld. Betekenis word op verskeie maniere geskep en in dié geval het die leerders die aandag gevestig op tekste, foto’s, ervarings en ouditiewe metodes van kennisoordrag.

6.1.2 Gesitueerde werklikheid

6.1.2.1 Leer word verbind aan die leerder se wêreld

Die eerste subtema van gesitueerde werklikheid verwys na die ondersteuning deur verskillende tekste en media wat leer met die leerder se wêreld verbind. Betekenisvaslegging word ondersteun deur die gebruik van koerante, tydskrifte en verskillende voorbeelde in die klaskamer. Koerante word onder meer in visuele voorstellings geskets (visuele voorstelling 2, 4, 9, 15) en is dikwels ingespan wanneer leerders artikels moes soek wat handel oor ’n spesifieke onderwerp. Op hierdie manier is die onderrig binne die klaskamer verbind aan die leerder se wêreld omdat hy/sy dan enige artikel kon gaan soek wat by die tema aansluit. Voorbeelde is nog ’n manier waarop die leerder se wêreld met leer verbind word. In tekening 1 skryf die leerder onder die prentjies die volgende: “Ek die beste beste Afrikaans leer wanneer die onderwyser gee ’n voorbeeld [...] Wanneer die onderwyser wys my die prentjie van daardie situasie of verskil woord.” Hierdie leerder kan hom vereenselwig met die inhoud wanneer hy ’n voorbeeld of ’n prentjie sien waaraan hy die inhoud kan verbind.

6.1.2.2 Die gebruik van vorige ervarings

Een van die belangrike praktyke wat multigeletterdheid bevorder, is dat leerders verantwoordelikheid vir hul eie leer moet neem (Kalantzis en Cope 2003). Deur tegnologie neem leerders eienaarskap van hul leer en dit word uitgebeeld deur verskeie visuele voorstellings (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17). Die leerders maak gebruik van tegnologie (in die besonder van ’n skootrekenaar, ’n selfoon en ’n projektor) om sin te maak van verskillende kontekste.

6.1.2.3 Praktiese leer vind plaas deur inhoude self te interpreteer

Die volgende tegnologiese toestelle en metodes is ingespan in die Afrikaansklaskamer:

elektroniese woordeboeke, musiek, aanlyn vertaaltoepassings, video’s, televisie/films/skerms, selfone en foto’s. Visuele voorstelling 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17 getuig hiervan en beklemtoon die gebruik van tegnologie om sin te maak van nuwe inhoude en kontekste.

6.1.2.4 Betekenis kom deur nuwe tekste tot stand

Die laaste kode wat onder gesitueerde werklikheid val, handel oor die waarde van teksgebaseerde bronne tydens die proses van die ontginning van betekenis. Volgens die leerders kom betekenis duidelik na vore wanneer verskillende tekste ingespan word tydens die proses van leer. Hierdie stelling word ondersteun deur visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 en 16. Die leerders het die volgende media geskets as hulpmiddels om beter te leer en te verstaan:

  • koerante, tydskrifte, storieboeke;
  • voorbeelde op die bord en van die onderwyser;
  • die voorgeskrewe handboek: Goed, beter... Afrikaans graad 11;
  • huiswerk;
  • lees in die klas en onafhanklike leer;
  • plakkate teen die klaskamer se mure en
  • klasaktiwiteite.

6.1.3 Veranderde werklikheid

6.1.3.1 Kennis herontwerp werklikhede

Denig (2004) voer aan dat leerders kennis op verskillende maniere verwerf en die nuutgevonde kennis op so ’n manier verstaan dat dit bydra tot hul eie sosiale konteks en ontwikkeling. Die graad 11-leerders is blootgestel aan verskillende prettige aktiwiteite en uitstappies. Die leerders is die geleentheid gegun om hul eie werklikhede te konstrueer en te herontwerp op grond van die inhoud van hierdie lesse. Die aktiwiteite sluit onder meer in ’n besoek aan die filmteater en die ontwerp van ’n spyskaart vir ’n spesiale dis. Dit is hierdie tekste wat die leerders gebruik om sin te maak van nuwe kontekste wat bydra tot betekenisskepping. In die volgende visuele voorstellings is die blootstelling aan films en pretaktiwiteite geskets: 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 en 15.

6.1.3.2 Gevestigde kennis word verander om by verskillende tekste te pas

Die belangrikheid van klasgesprekke moet benadruk word. Wisselwerking in die klas, groepwerk en werk in pare lei tot ’n dieper verstaan van die werksinhoud. Leerders leer by mekaar en volgens Genis (2019) is dit ’n aktiewe proses van betekenisvaslegging deur die leerders met die doel om die wêreld te ontdek en te herontdek. Volgens Cope en Kalantzis (2015) se ontwerpbeginsel is leerders argitekte van hul eie kennis. Dit handel nie net oor die inhoud van die werk en of dit verstaan en bemeester is nie, dit gaan oor ’n dieper begrip vir ander mense in die samelewing. Die rol van herontwerpte kennis weens wisselwerking met mekaar word uitgebeeld in visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 en 17. Die leerders is ook blootgestel aan ’n film wat by die kurrikulum aansluit. Dit is in visuele voorstelling 2, 7, 8, 13 en 14 duidelik dat die leerders films as ’n metode beskou om betekenis tot stand te bring.

Die vertalinghulpbronne is in visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12 en 16 geskets. Drie leerders het die voorgeskrewe boek genoem as ’n metode om Afrikaans aan te leer en om onafhanklik te leer (visuele voorstelling 1, 2 en 12). Een leerder het plakkate teen die muur beskou as ’n metode om onafhanklik te leer (visuele voorstelling 2) terwyl vyf leerders addisionele aantekeninge as ’n metode beskou het wat onafhanklike leer voortbring (visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 9, 12 en 14).

6.1.3.3 Die onderwyser skep geleenthede om vaardighede te verbeter

Kamuche (2005:35–40) beweer dat ’n individu sin maak van inligting deur die vyf sintuie in te span wat die leerder in staat stel om inligting te visualiseer en voort te bou op reeds bekende en gevestigde kennis. Die leerders is visueel gestimuleer deur films, foto’s en tekste, waarna hul ouditiewe vaardighede ingeskerp is deur luistertoetse, voorlesings, musiek en sang terwyl daar ook op hul smaak gefokus is gedurende ’n eksperiment met kos en ’n gedig. Die leerders se opvatting van hul sintuiglike inspanning tydens leer is duidelik in visuele voorstelling 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15 en 17.

6.1.3.4 Multimodale wyses om kennis te bekom

Daar is in hierdie Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer gebruik gemaak van multimodale wyses van leer deur tegnologie te gebruik. Die eerste wyse waaraan daar aandag geskenk was, is teksgebaseerd (visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16). Die tweede multimodale wyse van werk het met visuele inspanning te make. Die leerders het herhaaldelik die gebruik van visuele hulpbronne en ondersteuning in hul tekeninge geskets. Die gebruik van foto’s, video’s, skerms, die witbord, muurplakkate en ’n breinkaart is geskets as visuele ondersteuning wat tot nuwe begrip aanleiding gee (visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17). Die derde multimodale werkswyse berus op die gebruik van ouditiewe onderrighulpbronne. Drie tekeninge het na luister en sang verwys as metodes om beter te verstaan (visuele voorstelling 5, 15 en 17). Die vierde multimodale leerstyl verwys na die blootstelling aan ruimtelike leer. Aktiwiteite binne en buite die klaskamer het die leerders se leer verryk. Een daarvan was ’n uitstappie na die filmteater (visuele voorstelling 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 14). Die laaste multimodale wyse verwys na mondelingse leerervarings. Weereens staan klasgesprekke sentraal tot leer, maar prettige aktiwiteite saam met die ander leerders binne die Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer was ook van waarde (visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17).

6.1.4 Kritiese raamwerk

6.1.4.1 Inhoud word verbind aan sosiale tekste

In die Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer is die leerders ondersteun deur hulle toe te laat om verskillende akademiese toestelle en leerhulpmiddels gedurende klastyd te gebruik. Dit sluit onder andere die gebruik van ’n selfoon, ’n skootrekenaar, die internet, foto’s en die projektor in. Die gebruik van moderne toestelle met internettoegang het as oorbrugging gedien om vakinhoude te verbind aan die leerder se sosiale wêreld. Die akademiese toestelle en hulpbronne is veral sigbaar in visuele voorstelling 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 en 17.

Cervetti e.a. (2001) redeneer dat betekenisvaslegging ’n gekonstrueerde proses is en daarom moet tekste se betekenis binne ’n historiese en sosiolinguistiese konteks verstaan word. Die gebruik van verskillende tekste soos koerante, tydskrifte, storieboeke, foto’s en woordeboeke word uitgebeeld in visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15 en 16. Sosiaal-kulturele leerervarings in visuele voorstelling 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15 en 17 verwys na toe die leerders gaan fliek het en verskillende opdragte met betrekking tot die tema van kos uitgevoer het.

6.1.4.2 Die onderwyser moet selfontdekking fasiliteer

Selfontdekking vind plaas wanneer die leerders hul eie stem ontdek, hetsy dit hardop is in die klas of in stilte by die werksbank. Een metode wat gebruik is, was klasbesprekings. Die tweede manier waarop selfontdekking gefasiliteer is, was deur hardop in die klas vir die leerders te lees. Die hardop lees ondersteun betekenisvaslegging omdat woorde nie net korrek uitgespreek word nie, maar ook omdat daar geparafraseer word tussendeur die lees. Die inhoud is altyd met die tersaaklike emosie vertolk. Die derde manier waarop die onderwyser selfontdekking ondersteun en gefasiliteer het was om toegang te bied tot verskeie hulpbronne. Een manier waarop dit gedoen kon word, was deur die klasboekrak so in te rig dat dit gebruikersvriendelik was. Die genoemde metodes wat selfontdekking ondersteun het in die Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer word uitgebeeld in visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 en 17.

6.1.4.3 Leerders moet hul sterk punte identifiseer

Hersieningsoefeninge – binne en buite die klaskamer – is die ideale geleentheid vir die leerders om hul vaardighede te toets en te verskerp. Dit is verder ook ’n geleentheid vir leerders om verantwoordelikheid te neem vir hul eie leer en aandag te gee aan areas wat inskerping benodig. In nege visuele voorstellings (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10) kan daar gesien word dat leerders staat maak op hierdie geleenthede omdat dit hul swak punte in sterk punte verander en leerders se sterk punte duideliker uitwys (visuele voorstelling 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16).

Wanneer ’n onderwyser die leerders aan verskeie multimodale werkswyses blootstel, word ’n kultuur van selfstandigheid gekweek en word die leerders toegerus met vaardighede om lewenslange leerders te bly. Die gebruik van ’n skootrekenaar, musiek, notas, plakkate, die klasboekrak en luistermateriaal is multimodale werkswyses wat selfstandigheid ondersteun (visuele voorstelling 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17).

6.1.4.4 Kritiese raamwerk verg sosiale en regverdige deelname

Hierdie is ’n tweeledige bespreking omdat daar nie net op die handelinge van die figure in die visuele voorstellings gelet moet word nie, maar ook op die kleure wat gebruik is om die mannetjies te skets. Daar vind herhaaldelik interkulturele wisselwerking plaas (visuele voorstelling 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 17). Regverdige deelname deur alle rolspelers kom veral in visuele voorstelling 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 en 17 voor en dien as ondersteuning om verskillende metodes van kennisverwerwing in te oefen.

6.2 Datastel 2: Bloginskrywings

6.2.1 Openlike onderrig

6.2.1.1 Metodes wat fokus op vorige ervarings

Tydens die bespreking van die gedig “Talle tonge”, het een leerder (bloginskrywing 5) staat gemaak op haar blootstelling aan die verskillende peuselhappies wat by die huis geëet word. Sy kon dadelik die kossoort in Engels identifiseer en moes dit slegs in Afrikaans vertaal. Die gedig “Ma, moenie worry nie” deur Martin Magmoed is in graad 10 behandel en gaan oor twee kinders wat verskillende dinge op die Kaapse Vlakte doen om geld te verdien. Dit is ’n pleidooi deur die kinders aan hul moeder om nie te bekommer of te huil dat hulle dalk iets mag oorkom nie. Twee leerders het die gedig gebruik om die film Die storie van Ellen Pakkies beter te verstaan (bloginskrywing 13 en 16).

6.2.1.2 Kultuur van selfstandigheid

Tydens die tongtippietoets vir die gedig “Talle tonge” (M Phosa), moes leerders self (geblinddoek) raai wat die peuselhappie was. Die les was so ontwerp dat die leerders deur middel van kos en die inhoud van die gedig moes besef dat die tong goed of kwaad kan doen en dat jy verantwoordelik is vir wat by jou mond uitkom. Vyftien leerders het aangedui dat die eksperiment smaakvolle taalgebruik probeer kweek (bloginskrywing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17). Dit is dieselfde 15 leerders wat (volgens hul bloginskrywings) in die toekoms twee maal gaan dink voordat hulle praat. Uit die 15 leerders het 11 dit bemagtigend gevind om die Afrikaanse woorde suksesvol te kon vind met behulp van woordeboeke, hetsy dit tradisionele of elektroniese woordeboeke was (bloginskrywing 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17). Blogskrywers 5 en 11 beweer dat hulle nie te veel staat gemaak het op enige bykomende onderrigmiddels nie omdat hulle Afrikaans goed kan verstaan en praat, maar dat dit verrykend was om hul klasmaats te kon ondersteun tydens die les.

Tydens taallesse is die leerders dikwels gemotiveer om hul antwoorde na afloop van ’n klasaktiwiteit en/of huiswerk op die witbord te skryf. Hulle het beurte gemaak en omdat die klasatmosfeer van so ’n aard was dat niemand kommentaar mag lewer wanneer iemand ’n fout maak nie, was leerders gemotiveer om dit as ’n leergeleentheid te sien. In bloginskrywing 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 en 17 beklemtoon die leerders die waarde van hierdie aktiewe deelname tydens die les.

6.2.1.3 Wisselwerking

Groepwerk en spanwerk tussen klasmaats bevorder leer omdat leerders mekaar as ondersteuning kan gebruik wanneer take voltooi moet word en nuwe inhoud aangeleer word. In bloginskrywing 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8. 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 en 17 erken die leerders die gebruik van werk in pare en groepwerk tydens leer en dit was veral vir hulle lekker omdat die leerders nie net by mekaar kan leer nie, maar ook bewus word van kulturele sensitiwiteit tydens kommunikasie. Leerders het dikwels verskillende metodes om die werk aan ander klasmaats te verduidelik en in bloginskrywing 6 en 16 word genoem dat hul maats hulle ander tegnieke en rympies leer om die inhoud te onthou en te bemeester. Dit is tydens een van dié gesprekke wat een leerder (bloginskrywing 12) die korrekte uitspraak van die woord “springmielies” geleer het.

Klasbesprekings oor die temas in die voorgeskrewe boek is leersaam omdat daar ruimte vir diverse opinies gemaak moet word (bloginskrywing 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 14, 17). Hierdie gesprekke vind nie net tydens die les plaas nie, maar is ook gesprekke wat dien as hersiening wanneer die werk voltooi is. Twee bloginskrywings (7 en 17) plaas veral klem op die besprekings tydens die bestudering van die film Ballade vir ’n enkeling. Die opsomming en hersieningsgesprekke was vir hierdie twee leerders ’n metode wat die bemeestering van hierdie gedeelte van die leerplan vergemaklik het.

Tien leerders (bloginskrywing 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17) het baat gevind wanneer konsepte verbind is aan persoonlike stories, omdat dit dan makliker onthou word. Die interaktiewe metode van leer maak nie net die lesse interessant nie, maar laat die leerder voel dat sy/haar insette waardevol is. Die waarde van interaktiewe lesse word in bloginskrywing 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15 en 16 besing.

6.2.1.4 Oorbruggingsmetodes na die korporatiewe wêreld

Blootstelling aan verskillende narratiewe bring begrip. In een leerder se bloginskrywing (3) verduidelik hy dat hy Kaaps beskou as die oorbruggingstaal tussen Afrikaans en Engels en ook tussen wit en swart. Die films waaraan die leerders blootgestel is, speel almal teen verskillende agtergronde af. Die storie van Ellen Pakkies het vyf leerders opnuut bewus gemaak van die problematiese uitdagings op die Kaapse Vlakte – onder meer bendegeweld en dwelmmisbruik (bloginskrywing 3, 9, 10, 14, 15). Elf ander bloginskrywings (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 16, 17) beskryf hul nuutgevonde sienings ten opsigte van vraagstukke waaroor hulle lankal wonder. Een hiervan is die rassespanning in die film Fiela se kind en die sosiopolitieke milieu waarbinne die film afspeel.

6.2.1.5 Ervaringsleer

Die blootstelling van leerders aan verskillende ervarings hou voordele in vir leer omdat daar dikwels ’n emosie aan die ervaring gekoppel word. Ses leerders het die blinddoek-en-proe-ervaring tydens die gedig “Talle tonge” as ’n onvergeetlike leerervaring beskryf. Uit die 17 leerders kon 14 die proe van die verskillende kossoorte verbind met die inhoud van die gedig. Bloginskrywing 2 en 3 getuig van die “lekker kos en aangename leerervaring”. Die leerders was verder opgewonde oor die musiek wat gespeel het soos hulle by die klas ingestap gekom het (bloginskrywing 6). Die kombinasie van peuselhappies geniet, visuele hulpbronne en opwindende musiek tydens die les het tot ’n genotvolle leerervaring bygedra.

Tydens die prosales oor Iewers vlieg daar fairy dust (Marisa Haasbroek), het die onderwyser voorgelees uit die boek en bladsye, sinsnedes en later net woorde vertaal. Die leerders het ook die geleentheid gehad om beurte te maak om paragrawe te lees. Alhoewel dit aanvanklik baie uitdagend was, getuig bloginskrywing 2, 3, 8, 10, 13, 15, 16 en 17 van die waarde daarvan. Hierdie manier van selflees en leer het ’n groot invloed gehad op die ontwikkeling van leerders se leesvermoë.

Laastens was dit vir leerders ook ’n besonderse leerervaring om aan te trek om verskillende kulture te verteenwoordig of voor te stel. Leerders moes tydens die kultuurweek ’n bepaalde kultuur verteenwoordig, ’n spyskaart ontwerp en ’n voorlegging kom maak oor verskillende aspekte van hierdie kultuur. Die leerders het dit veral geniet om met behulp van Afrikaans oor ander kulture te leer. Hulle kon foto’s saam met mekaar neem (bloginskrywing 16), sit en gesels (bloginskrywing 17) en verskillende persepsies leer ken (bloginskrywing 13). Twaalf leerders (bloginskrywing 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 en 17) het die ervaring van kosmaak en braaibroodjies braai as ’n leerervaring geskets wat ’n blywende indruk op hulle gelaat het.

6.2.1.6 Metodes wat bou op voorkennis

Die tweede ervaring tydens die kultuurweek was die geleentheid om na Fiela se kind te kon gaan kyk. Die leerervaring is vergemaklik deur leerders te ondersteun met die subtitels van die teks. Daarna moes die grade ook transaksionele take uitvoer. Alvorens hulle in die teater na die film kon gaan kyk, het hulle die kans gehad om ter wille van voorkennis na die lokprent te kyk.

Gedurende die onderrig van “Talle tonge” (poësie) het slegs een leerder (bloginskrywing 7) die letterlike en figuurlike konsepte onthou toe sy haar bloginskrywing geskryf het. Alhoewel hierdie terminologieë al in graad 8 behandel was, was sy die enigste leerder wat vroeër jare se kennis in ’n nuwe konteks kon toepas. In bloginskrywing 13 maak die leerder gebruik van haar voorkennis oor die digter en sy kultuur om die gedig beter te verstaan. Nog twee leerders (bloginskrywing 3 en 6) verwys na die digter se agtergrond, asook die politiese bagasie en geskiedenis van Afrikaans. Een leerder (bloginskrywing 12) kon sy ervaring van laekostebehuising gebruik om die hoofkarakter se lewensomstandighede te verstaan.

Laastens het twee leerders die blootstelling aan die films gebruik om hulle te help met die skryf van ’n filmresensie (bloginskrywing 9) en ’n dagboekinskrywing (bloginskrywing 2). Hierdie is die enigste twee inskrywings wat melding gemaak het van ’n aktiwiteit na afloop van die filmuitstappies. Die leerders kon die fliekervaring gebruik om hul transaksionele skryfwerk te voltooi.

6.2.1.7 Die onderwyser as fasiliteerder; tegnologie en leerderrespons

In bloginskrywing 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 en 17 word die gebruik van PowerPoint-aanbiedinge en video’s (1, 2, 4, 11, 13, 14, 16) tydens klastyd beklemtoon. Hierdie onderrighulpbronne mobiliseer die nuuskierigheid om sin te maak van nuwe kennis en inhoud. Die PowerPoint-aanbieding was ’n visuele manier om leerders te ondersteun tydens die ontleding van die gedig “Talle tonge” en het ’n video bevat wat leerders aan ’n Masterchef-advertensie blootgestel het. Hierdie is twee maniere waarop die leerders aangedui het dat die onderwyser hulle nuuskierig gemaak het oor die lesinhoud.

In een bloginskrywing (4) wei die leerder uit oor haar konserwatiewe familie en dat sy dit soms moeilik vind om met hulle te klankbord oor verskynsels en gebeure in die 21ste eeu. Sy beleef dat sekere gesprekke taboe is in haar gesin. Deur klasgesprekke in die Afrikaanse klas te hê, het dit haar gehelp om tot nuwe insigte te kom, maar ook haar eie mening te vorm. Hierdie gesprekke bied die geleentheid aan haar om haar eie stem buite haar familie-opset te ontdek. In bloginskrywing 8 en 12 skryf die leerders dat gesprekke in die klaskamer vir hulle ’n kulturele bewuswording was, omdat verskillende sienings oor een besprekingspunt gegee word. Vyf ander leerders voel dat hulle met vrymoedigheid hul Afrikaans in ander kontekste kan toepas as gevolg van die blootstelling en inoefening wat hulle in die klas gekry het.

6.2.1.8 Steierwerk en ingrypingsmetodes wat kennis verdiep

Die volgende afdeling word bespreek op grond van die volgorde waarin die bloginskrywings gekonstrueer is: poësie, film, prosa, taalleer en ’n troefkaartles.

Poësie: In bloginskrywing 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, 16 en 17 skryf die leerders dat dit waardevol was wanneer die onderwyser die gedig hardop gelees het. Tydens die tongtippietoets het vier leerders (bloginskrywing 1, 4, 11, 16) die onderwyser se rol erken ten opsigte van ondersteuning deur middel van vertaling wanneer leerders met nuwe woorde sukkel.

Prosa: Die mees effektiewe steierwerk in hierdie verband was die onderwyser se voorlesing in die klaskamer (bloginskrywing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17). In die tweede plek is ook melding gemaak van die onderwyser se rol tydens die vertaling van bladsye, paragrawe en toe sinsnedes van die verhaal (bloginskrywing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 16, 17). Een leerder het gebaat by die lees van die agterblad van die boek en het beweer dat dit haar nuuskierig gemaak het (bloginskrywing 17).

Taalleer: Die onderwyser se fasilitering van taalkonsepte en die inhoud van die werk word deur sewe leerders beskou as ’n metode wat leer ondersteun het (bloginskrywing 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17). Nog drie leerders het die gemaklike klasatmosfeer genoem wat leerders met vrymoedigheid vrae laat vra het (bloginskrywing 1, 7, 10).

Troefkaartles: Twee bloginskrywings verduidelik dat die blote feit dat daar iets soos ’n kultuurweek beplan en gehou was, as ’n leergeleentheid gesien is omdat leerders iets van ander kulture kon leer (bloginskrywing 7 en 13). Drie leerders noem die onderwyser se ondersteuning en rol tydens die braai van die braaibroodjies en noem dat dit die ideale geleentheid was om oor tradisionele kosse te leer (bloginskrywing 1, 9, 17).

6.2.2 Gesitueerde werklikheid

6.2.2.1 Leer word verbind met leerder se wêreld

Die volgende tegnologieë is tydens die lesse ingespan en die effek daarvan is duidelik in die bloginskrywings. Die eerste hiervan was die gebruik van ’n selfoon as ’n akademiese toestel en in bloginskrywing 4 meld die leerder dat hierdie manier van leer hom ondersteun het in die aanleer van taal. Die tweede metode wat aansluit by die tegnologiese sfeer van gesitueerde werklikheid is die gebruik van ’n YouTube-video en in die besonder die Masterchef-video. In bloginskrywing 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 en 10 benadruk hulle die gebruik van die PowerPoint-aanbieding terwyl bloginskrywing 1, 10, 11, 13, 14 en 16 weer van die positiewe effek van hierdie metode van leer getuig.

6.2.2.2 Kennis bou op vorige kennis

Gesprekke oor temas tydens vakinhoud het leerders ondersteun om nie net die werk beter te verstaan nie, maar ook mekaar, want so het leerders die geleentheid gehad om te luister na ander se sienings. Die hoofkarakter in die voorgeskrewe boek word met armoede gekonfronteer en het nie die geleentheid om na skool iets van haar lewe te maak nie. Tydens die bespreking van die gedig “Talle tonge”, het van die leerders besef watter langdurige impak die verkeerde keuses kan hê op jouself, ander en jou beroep (bloginskrywing 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17). Gedurende gesprekke rondom hierdie kwessies het die leerders ook kans gehad om oor hul eie toekomsperspektief te reflekteer en hul emosies daaroor te deel (bloginskrywing 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 15, 16). Twee leerders (bloginskrywing 13 en 16) kon die gedig “Ma, moenie worry nie” gebruik as voorkennis om die film Die storie van Ellen Pakkies beter te verstaan.

Familiewaardes en agtergrond: Beide blogskrywers 1 en 4 word in ’n geneste familie-opset groot. Hulle kry nie baie blootstelling aan gesprekke oor dwelms, verhoudings of geweld nie en daarom is leer deur films en verskillende tekste van waarde. Deur die films en tekste kon die leerders tot nuwe insig kom wat bygedra het tot groei binne hul werklikheidsbeskouing. Hiermee saam kon ’n hele nuwe begrip vir ander mense en taboe onderwerpe gevorm word.

In bloginskrywing 2 meld die leerder dat sy ouma in ’n plakkerskamp bly en daarom ken hy die lewensomstandighede en die atmosfeer wat daarbinne heers. Dit is om hierdie rede dat die leerder Elmien se omstandighede so goed verstaan. In bloginskrywing 10 en 13 beklemtoon hierdie leerders dat hul families geen verdraagsaamheid het vir dwelms en/of geweld nie. Enigiemand wat hulle skuldig maak hieraan word oorgegee aan die polisie. Blogskrywer 11 en 12 het weer die teenoorgestelde familiewaardes: by hulle moet familie aanspreeklik gehou word vir hul aksies.

Dit is belangrik om melding te maak van die leerders se houding teenoor die aanleer van Afrikaans. Die feit dat die taal politiese bagasie het, kan nie misgekyk word nie. Blogskrywer 2 beskryf apartheid as ’n sensitiewe tydperk omdat gelyke geleenthede nie vir almal gebied was nie. Blogskrywer 4 vertel dat sy voorouers op hom sou neersien omdat hy ’n “witmanstaal” leer. Hy meen egter dat kennis van Afrikaans Suid-Afrikaners sou kon saamsnoer om probleme soos rassisme te oorbrug. In bloginskrywing 4 meld die leerder dat dit nie saak maak deur wie jy geleer word of wat jy leer nie, maar in haar gesin word daar verwag dat elke geleentheid tot onderrig benut moet word, ongeag die verlede van die taal. Blogskrywer 5 se familie beskou die aanleer van enige taal as baie belangrik, want dit stel jou in staat om menige situasie te kan hanteer.

Persoonlike ervaring: Dit is tydens die lees van die voorgeskrewe verhaal wat die leerder van bloginskrywing 1 besluit het om uit die hoofkarakter (Elmien) se uitdagings te leer deur in die toekoms sterk te wees en aanslae of uitdagings te oorkom. Blogskrywers 7 en 8 skryf ook oor die goeie eienskappe van Elmien wat hulle motiveer om beter jongmense te wees. Die storie leer hulle om te volhard as dinge moeilik raak en nooit bloot jou eie geluk na te jaag nie. Blogskrywer 3 kon weer met die onregverdigheidsaspek tussen die broers en susters in Elmien se verhaal identifiseer.

Tydens die film Fiela se kind, kon die skrywer van bloginskrywing 2 identifiseer met die bruin gemeenskap en die gesukkel om hulp te ontvang tydens die apartheidsjare. Haar grootouma het aan ’n baba van kleur die lewe geskenk. Sy skryf verder dat dit ’n groot geheim was, omdat dit destyds teen die wet was vir wit en swart om romantiese verhoudings met mekaar te hê. Deur hierdie film kon die leerder haar grootouma se uitdagings beter verstaan.

Al die bogenoemde voorbeelde is van leerders wat hul geloof, persoonlike ervaringe, kultuur en agtergronde ingespan het om sin te maak van nuwe kontekste. Van hierdie kontekste was nuut en vir ander het dit bloot bygedra tot ’n beter begrip en die skep van hul eie werklikhede.

6.2.2.3 Die rol van praktiese leer

Die lesse wat die mees blywende effek op die leerders gehad het was toe hulle oor kossoorte moes leer. Daar word in die bloginskrywings melding gemaak van drie sulke lesse. Eerstens is verwys na die blootstelling aan die tongtippietoets tydens die “Talle tonge”-gedigbespreking. In bloginskrywing 2 verduidelik die leerder dat die manier waarop die les hanteer is, die gedig vir haar lewendig gemaak het. In bloginskrywing 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16 en 17 skryf die leerders dat hulle na aanleiding van daardie les geleer het dat daar verskillende maniere is om sin te maak van die inhoud van die gedig. Dit is veral in bloginskrywing 7 dat die leerder die visuele aspek van die gedig se aanbieding gebruik het om sin te maak van die inhoud. Die tweede les wat oor kos handel was die blootstelling aan braaibroodjies tydens die kultuurweek. Dit is in bloginskrywing 1 wat die leerder hierdie ervaring beskryf as ’n onvergeetlike leerervaring. Die derde les was die ontwerp van ’n spyskaart en maak van geregte wat ’n spesifieke land verteenwoordig het. Hierdie lesse was blootstelling aan kosse, kultuur, persepsies en gelowe en almal het saamgestem dat dit lesse was wat hulle as ’n klas (ten spyte van hul verskille in kultuur en velkleur) nader aan mekaar gebring het, omdat dit ’n unieke leerervaring was (bloginskrywing 1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 14, 16).

Al 17 leerders maak melding van die uitstappie en die blootstelling aan die verskillende films. In bloginskrywing 4 skryf die leerder dat sy deur middel van die film, Die storie van Ellen Pakkies, geleer het om aan te klop vir hulp totdat jy dit ontvang. Die leerder het hierdie les in haar eie lewe gebruik toe een van haar ouers aan alkohol verslaaf geraak het. Dit is dieselfde leerder wat haar Afrikaanse geletterdheid binne en buite die klaskamer gebruik siende dat sy van plan is om eendag in ’n bedryf te werk waarin sy met Afrikaanse boere te doen sal kry.

Slegs een leerder (bloginskrywing 3) maak melding van die gedig “Staan op!” deur Fanie Viljoen. Die leerders moes opstaan in die klas indien hulle kon identifiseer met die spreker van die gedig. Die leerder skryf dat hy op hierdie praktiese manier geleer het dat hy nie alleen is in sy tienerjare en die uitdagings wat daarmee gepaard gaan nie.

Laastens het die leerders beurtlees ook beskou as ’n praktiese ervaring om Afrikaans te leer. Tydens die lees van Iewers vlieg daar fairy dust, moes leerders beurte maak om paragrawe te lees. Hierdie blootstelling het nie net tot hul begrip van die verhaal self bygedra nie, maar ook tot die korrekte uitspraak van sekere Afrikaanse woorde (bloginskrywing 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17).

6.2.3 Veranderde werklikheid

6.2.3.1 Kennis skep nuwe werklikhede

Dit is duidelik uit die bloginskrywings dat die leerders aanklank gevind het by die volgende temas. Hierdie temas is bespreek tydens die aanleer van taal en die bestudering van gedigte, films en prosa.

Plakkerskampe:

Die skrywer van bloginskrywing 2 kan getuig van die lewe in ’n plakkerskamp omdat hy self familie het wat in een woon. In bloginskrywing 10, 13 en 16 bieg die leerders dat hulle die binnekant van plakkerskampe nog net op televisie gesien het, maar nou na afloop van die boek verstaan hoe hierdie mense se werklikhede lyk. Die laasgenoemde blogskrywers was egter nie bewus van wit plakkerskampe tot en met die lees van die boek Iewers vlieg daar fairy dust (Marisa Haasbroek) nie.

Dwelms en bendegeweld:

Bloginskrywing 1 getuig van die leerder se onbewustheid van die dwelmprobleem wat op die Kaapse Vlakte ervaar word. Deur middel van die film (Die storie van Ellen Pakkies) het hierdie leerder dwelmgebruikers beter verstaan en kon tot die slotsom kom dat hierdie mense vanuit verwonding optree. As gevolg daarvan maak hulle dan vernietigende keuses. Die skrywer van bloginskrywing 6 beaam Ellen se moed en uithouvermoë waarmee sy haar probleme trotseer. Ellen se storie en karakter moedig dus hierdie leerder aan om dieselfde karaktereienskappe na te streef indien hy uitdagings sou beleef. Bloginskrywing 8 sluit gepas hierby aan omdat haar familie glo dat dit nie saak maak waar jy vandaan kom en watter uitdagings jy moes oorkom het nie. Die klem verskuif eerder na waarheen jy op pad is.

Die simboliese impak van die tong:

Volgens bloginskrywing 2 het woorde ’n blywende invloed op mense en kan dit jou soms as individu maak of breek. Hierdie leerder kon as gevolg van die gedig tot die besef kom dat woorde veel meer krag het as wat die meeste tieners besef. In bloginskrywing 3 beskou die leerder die aanleer van verskillende tale as ’n oorbruggingsmetode om belangrike uitdagings in Suid-Afrika die hoof te bied. Bloginskrywing 4 sluit hierby aan en beskou die aanleer van enige inhoud as voordelig. Bloginskrywing 5 bou hierop voort en beskryf nuwe inhoud as ’n manier om uiting te gee aan jou identiteit. Blogskrywer 7 beklemtoon die feit dat enigiemand die reg tot ’n opinie het, maar dat sy grootgemaak is om die geweldige invloed en nagevolge van verkeerde woorde te besef. Blogskrywer 12 sluit hierby aan en kon dus beter met die gedig identifiseer omdat die boodskap haar werklikheid en familiewaardes by die huis beklemtoon. Dit is in bloginskrywing 17 waar die leerder die belangrikheid van hierdie tipe morele lesse tydens klastyd benadruk. Volgens haar is dit belangrik om morele lesse as ’n klas te leer omdat dit hulle verenig, want deur middel van die tongtippietoets kon hulle saam leer en saam lag.

Die bespreking van kontroversiële temas:

Nog ’n geleentheid wat geskep is om die leerders se werklikhede te verander, was deur besprekings in die klas te fasiliteer wat dikwels in hul huishoudings as kontroversieel bestempel is. Bloginskrywing 2 en 3 beklemtoon die mishandeling en onregverdige behandeling van familielede in die leesboek. Dit is egter in bloginskrywing 4 waar die leerder skryf dat sy juis met behulp van en deur blootstelling aan die films en die leesboek meer kon leer oor taboe temas en gesprekke in haar huis. Hierdie besprekings het gelei tot nuwe kennis en sy kon ander mense in die samelewing beter verstaan. In bloginskrywing 7 verduidelik die leerder dat hulle grootgemaak is met die waarde van eerlikheid. Oneerlikheid word nie in haar familie geduld nie en word as lewensgevaarlik beskou omdat dit jou toekoms kan vernietig. Jy moet eerder eerlik wees en erken jy het ’n fout gemaak as om stil te bly. Bloginskrywing 13 sluit hierby aan deur kommentaar te lewer op seksuele misbruik, lewensgehalte, drome en ideale. Hierdie is alles temas waaroor die leerders graag in die klaskamer gesels het.

6.2.3.2 Verwysingsraamwerk

Kennis word herontwerp om by verskillende omstandighede aan te pas.

Die belang van hierdie tema lê daarin dat klem geplaas word op die feit dat bestaande kennis aangepas kan word en in verskillende kontekste bruikbaar kan wees. Die leerders betree die klas met ’n bepaalde verwysingsraamwerk wat deur geloof, kultuur, agtergrond en tradisies gevorm is. Wanneer akademiese inhoud bespreek word, heg leerders betekenis daaraan deur hul eie verwysingsraamwerk as vertrekpunt te gebruik. In die bloginskrywings is daar spesifiek melding gemaak van geloof en kultuur en die rol wat dit speel in die aanleer van Afrikaans EAT.

Geloof:

In bloginskrywing 1, 8, 12 en 14 verwys die leerders spesifiek na Christenskap. Dié leerders interpreteer die inhoud van die gedig “Talle tonge” deur daarna te kyk vanuit ’n Christelike perspektief. Volgens hierdie leerders stem die boodskap van die gedig ooreen met hul geloofsoortuiginge:

  • Jy moenie dwaas wees met jou woorde nie. Die leerder haal selfs ’n vers uit die Bybel aan: “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life in fire, and itself set in fire by hel” (bloginskrywing 1).
  • Tydens die bespreking van dwelmmisbruik as tema gedurende die film Die storie van Ellen Pakkies, kon die skrywer van bloginskrywing 5 empatie toon met die tikverslaafdes in die verhaal. Sy het self twee familielede wat met verslawing stoei.
  • Volgens blogskrywer 8 moet jou woorde altyd gerig wees daarop om jou medemens te ondersteun en te help. Haar geloofsoortuiging is dat jou woorde ook altyd op die waarheid geskoei moet wees, maar dat dit op ’n taktvolle manier oorgedra moet word. Die leerder van bloginskrywing 12 stem hiermee saam en noem dat woorde nooit gebruik mag word om ander leed aan te doen nie.
  • In bloginskrywing 11 en 14 ervaar die leerders huishoudelike probleme en steun op hul geloof om daardeur te kom.
  • Dit is in bloginskrywing 15 wat die leerder verduidelik dat sy haar geletterdheid in Afrikaans as taal en haar geloof gebruik het om haar in ander assesserings te ondersteun. Sy verwys spesifiek na onvoorbereide lees en mondeling. Sy wou ’n spesifieke boodskap aan die gehoor oordra tydens haar mondeling en het veral gefokus op iemand wat haar geloof inspireer.
  • Blogskrywers 7 en 16 beklemtoon die feit dat mens volgens hul geloof hard moet werk, al is dit in ’n taal waarin jy nie vlot is nie, of wanneer die omstandighede waarin jy jouself bevind nie ideaal is nie.
  • Een leerder (bloginskrywing 3) het genoem dat hy nie godsdienstig is nie en daarom het hierdie aspek nie sy leerervaring beïnvloed nie.

Kultuur:

Die leerders betree die klas met ’n bepaalde verwysingsraamwerk wat dikwels deur die loop van tyd gevorm is. Een van die boublokke waarmee die leerders die klas betree, is hul kulturele opvattings. Kultuur het veral ’n belangrike rol gespeel wanneer leerders probeer sin maak het van nuwe inhoud en kontekste:

  • In bloginskrywing 1 skryf die leerder dat sy van Korea afkomstig is en dat sy nog nooit ’n braaibroodjie geëet het nie. Dit was vir haar ’n nuwe ervaring tydens die kultuurweek en sy beskryf dit as ’n verrykende ervaring.
  • Die leerder van bloginskrywing 7 is ook van Korea af en het die verskillende kossoorte tydens kultuurweek geniet. In Korea was hulle nie aan enige Suid-Afrikaanse disse blootgestel nie en daarom het sy die les en die maak van braaibroodjies baie geniet.
  • Beide inskrywings 10 en 11 beklemtoon die belangrikheid van woorde. Daar word nie van geloof melding gemaak nie, maar wel dat daar in hul kultuur gelet word op die gebruik van woorde.
  • Alhoewel tale en kulture almal eiesoortig is, is daar tog ook algemene ooreenkomste tussen alle mense, aldus inskrywing 12. Hierdie leerder se opinie word gegee na aanleiding van die inhoud van die gedig “Talle tonge”. Die tweede bydrae van hierdie leerder was met verwysing na Ellen Pakkies se “moeilike kind”. Die leerder het genoem dat binne sy kultuur moeilike of uitdagende kinders eers na ander familie gestuur word, met die hoop om so ’n oplossing te vind.
  • Die skrywer van bloginskrywing 13 kon identifiseer met Elmien se donker toekoms. Sy voer aan dat mense van haar kultuur in die verlede net so min geleenthede soos Elmien gehad het. Daar word dus nou van haar verwag om hard te werk om doelwitte te bereik; ’n mens moet vir jouself sorg en opstaan. Die inhoud van die bloginskrywing sluit hierby aan omdat die leerder voel dat sy grootgeword het in ’n kultuur waarin jy dankbaar moet wees vir enige leerervaring.
  • Blogskrywer 16 erken die invloed van woorde en taal tussen kulture. Sy skryf dat party kulture meer sensitief is vir sekere woorde as ander en daarom moet daar fyn gelet word op die gebruik van woorde tydens kommunikasie met ander.

6.2.3.3 Geletterdheid en verskeidenheid

Verskeie leerders (bloginskrywing 2, 8, 10, 13 en 16) was nie noodwendig bekend met die konsep van wit plakkerskampe of die binnekant van enige plakkerskamp nie. Een van die opmerkings was hoekom daar ’n kleur gekoppel moet word aan die gebied en/of sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede waarin arm mense bly. Die leerder se redenasie was dat daar nie noodwendig na die meerderheid plakkerskampe verwys word as swart plakkerskampe nie, so waarom word wit gekoppel aan plakkerskamp? Hierdie is ’n voorbeeld van leerders wat ontwikkel het om dieper te kyk en te dink as die eendimensionele stereotipiese denkwyse (Janks, 2010). Die ideologiese manier van dink (en die magspel wat tekenend is van die breër samelewing) word hier ontbloot. Hierdie leerder se insig word beskou as kritiese geletterdheid, omdat ideologiese denkwyses bevraagteken word, wat tot herskepte kennis lei.

Bloginskrywing 6 beklemtoon dat verskeidenheid die sleutel tot probleemoplossing is. Omdat daar by mekaar geleer kan word, ontdek ’n mens ander maniere van dink en doen. Dit skep die geleentheid om nuwe dinge te leer, want jy leer by iemand anders omdat hulle anders dink en doen as jy. Blogskrywer 6 wei hieroor uit en vertel dat dit juis met hom gebeur het tydens ’n taalles waar ’n klasmaat hom ’n rympie geleer het om die verskillende taalreëls te onthou. In bloginskrywing 8 verduidelik die leerder dat dit interessant is om saam met klasmaats van ’n ander kultuur te werk, omdat elk ’n ander invalshoek en benadering tot die werk het en dat dit haar in staat stel om insigte te vergelyk voordat sy besluit hoe sy te werk wil gaan.

6.2.4 Kritiese raamwerk

6.2.4.1 Leer word verdiep deur tekste te bevraagteken

Daar is twee vertakkings wat binne hierdie subtema bespreek word. Algemene stereotipes word deur van die leerders bevraagteken en dit lei tot nuuskierigheid wat leer stimuleer. Die eerste hiervan is die kleurtoewysing swart teenoor wit in die benaming en beskrywing van plakkerskampe. In bloginskrywing 4 en 13 skryf die leerders dat hulle nie met die konsep wit plakkerskampe bekend was nie. Dit is op hierdie punt wat blogskrywer 8 bevraagteken waarom daar hoegenaamd ’n kleur vooraan die benaming geplaas word.

Blogskrywer 5 se siening het tydens die lees van Elmien se verhaal verander. Sy het geleer dat nie alle witmense noodwendig altyd die beste en grootste geleenthede kry nie. Hierdie leerder was eers onder die indruk dat alle witmense beter geleenthede en lewensomstandighede as ander rasgroepe het. Nadat die leerder van die armoede en uitdagings van hierdie wit familie geleer het, het haar siening verander.

6.2.4.2 Die onderwyser fasiliteer selfontdekking

Die onderwyser het gebruik gemaak van beide afhanklike en onafhanklike leer. In die volgende gedeelte word die klem gelê op geleenthede waar die onderwyser selfontdekking gefasiliteer het. Dit word verdeel in poësie, filmstudie, taalkunde en die troefkaartles.

Poësie:

Daar is van die leerders verwag om hul smaaksintuig te gebruik om te probeer vasstel wat hulle proe. Daarna kon hulle enige hulpmiddel inspan om die Afrikaanse woord daarvoor te kry. Die onderwyser het hierdie proses gefasiliteer waartydens die leerders moes soek vir die korrekte benamings. Bloginskrywing 1, 5 en 7 verduidelik dat leer gestimuleer was deur te proe en daarna te raai. Blogskrywers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 en 17 het die kossoorte geproe, vasgestel wat dit in Engels was en dan ’n woordeboek gebruik om die Afrikaanse woord op te soek. By die meeste van hierdie inskrywings het die leerders ook op hulpbronne soos die internet, Google en ook hul klasmaats staat gemaak vir woordeskatverwerwing. Blogskrywers 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16 en 17 se leerervaring is verder verdiep deur vreemde woorde regdeur die gedig te onderstreep. Met behulp van woordeboeke, klasmaats en die onderwyser kon hulle die betekenis van alle woorde in die gedig naslaan en leer. Bloginskrywing 2 getuig van die waarde van gesprekke tydens die les asook dat die ontwerp daarvan op wisselwerking van die leerders gebou was. Leerders kon idees uitruil wat dieper begrip en meer insig tot gevolg gehad het.

Filmstudie:

In bloginskrywing 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14 en 16 verduidelik die leerders dat die subtitels wat tydens die film beskikbaar was, hulle ondersteun het in die aanleer van die inhoud van die film. Nie alleen het dit woorde vertaal nie, maar dit het ook beteken dat hulle die storielyn kon volg. Die vertalings het verder die leerders ondersteun toe klasgesprek plaasgevind het oor die verskillende temas en onderwerpe. Leerders kon teruggaan in die film en die subtitels gebruik ter ondersteuning om huiswerk te voltooi. Volgens inskrywing 8 en 11 was die lokprente wat die onderwyser vooraf gespeel het ook van waarde. Die leerders se nuuskierigheid is daardeur geprikkel. Blogskrywer 6 rapporteer dat sy uit die Ellen Pakkies-verhaal geleer het om ontslae te raak van negatiewe dinge in haar lewe.

Taalkunde:

Die leerders van bloginskrywing 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 en 17 het die inoefening van vaardighede deur herhaling genoem. In bloginskrywing 3, 4, 12, 13, 14, 15 en 16 skryf die leerders dat die interaktiewe aard van die lesse tot leer bygedra het. Die leerders kon gebruik maak van hul maats as kennisbron tydens die skryf van antwoorde op die witbord. Soms het hulle ook beter by mekaar geleer omdat denkwyses en werksetiek verskil het. Hulle kon voorbeeldsinne maak en stories uitruil oor die verskillende onderwerpe.

Troefkaartles:

Die meerderheid inskrywings verwys na die lesse waar daar van leerders verwag is om ’n spyskaart te ontwerp, kossoorte te maak, die resep te kom voorlees en ’n aanbieding te doen oor die kultuur wat hulle verteenwoordig. Volgens bloginskrywing 4 en 5 het die leerders dit geniet om die kosse by die huis na te vors en voor te berei. Dit was veral insiggewend om op dié manier oor ander kulture te leer en hulle het tot die slotsom gekom dat kos ’n manier is waarop kulture uiting aan hul uniekheid gee. Blogskrywer 12 het hierdie leerervaring gebruik as ’n geleentheid om haar eie spanmaats beter te leer ken, ander kulture te ontdek en lewenslange herinneringe aan die Afrikaanse klas te vorm. Blogskrywer 13 stem hiermee saam en kon ander kulture ontdek deur middel van Afrikaans. Beide blogskrywers 13 en 14 het hierdie opdrag gebruik om nuwe Afrikaanse woorde aan te leer en die uitspraak daarvan te bemeester. Die bemeestering van die uitspraak het hulle gehelp om dit in ander kontekste toe te pas.

6.2.4.3 Vaardighede vir die 21ste eeu

Die goue draad wat deur die bloginskrywings loop, is die leerders se bereidwilligheid om hul klasmaats te verstaan, by hulle te leer en om mekaar te respekteer, ongeag die verskille. Die tweede vaardigheid wat ingespan is tydens die aanleer van Afrikaans EAT is die gebruik van tegnologie en multimodaliteit (Van der Merwe 2019). Tegnologie en multimodaliteit is op verskillende wyses deel gemaak van die leerders se verskillende leerervarings (soos die lokprente en teaterbesoeke wat reeds gemeld is). Daar is verder op innoverende maniere gesteun om betekenis vas te lê en een daarvan is gesprekke en interaksie in die klaskamer. Hierdie gesprekke bied geleentheid om wedersydse respek en empatie te kweek omdat die kommunikasie dit vereis dat daar na mekaar geluister word. Dit motiveer leerders ook om hul eie sienings te bevraagteken en aan te pas. Jy stel jouself ook bloot aan verskillende denkwyses en perspektiewe.

 

7. Bespreking van die bevindinge

Die twee datastelle is bespreek volgens die vier hoekstene van multigeletterdheid. Die visuele voorstellings en bloginskrywings is ontleed op grond van ooreenstemmende kenmerke van openlike onderrig, gesitueerde werklikheid, kritiese raamwerk en veranderde werklikheid. Telkens is voorbeelde van die hoekstene uitgelig om te wys hoe die multigeletterdheidsbenadering gebruik is om Afrikaans EAT aan te leer. Die bespreking het ook na die literatuurstudie verwys om die geldigheid van die bevindinge te ondersteun. Vervolgens sal die beantwoording van die sekondêre navorsingsvrae aandag geniet.

7.1 Navorsingsvraag 1

Hoe kan verskeidenheid gebruik word om leer in ’n Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer te bevorder?

Figuur 2. Visuele voorstelling 17

Uit figuur 2 is dit duidelik dat verskeidenheid tydens taalverwerwing op verskillende maniere geïnkorporeer is. Dit het klasgesprekke ontlok wat uitdagend, dog opwindend was, want leerders het beleef dat verskille waardevol kan wees.

In figuur 2 kan menslike voorstellings van verskillende kleure gesien word, wat simbolies is van die “veelkleurigheid” van die Afrikaansklaskamer waar verskillende kulture en rasse saam leer. In elk van die Afrikaansklasse is daar ten minste vyf etniese groepe. Dit sluit Indiërs, bruin mense, wit mense, swart mense, Koreane en Sjinese in. Vir die meeste van hierdie leerders is Afrikaans ’n tweede of derde taal. Die hoofonderrigmedium is Engels, maar Mandaryns is ook ’n verpligte taal by die skool. Engels word dus as huistaal aangebied en Afrikaans en Mandaryns as eerste addisionele taal. Leerders wat van Korea of Sjina afkomstig is, leer Afrikaans egter eerder as ’n derde of vierde taal aan. Die figure is rondom ’n son geteken en binne-in die son is die woord “together”. Wat uit die tekening afgelei kan word, is dat almal ’n “plekkie in die son” het.

In die regterhoek is twee hande geteken wat blad skud. Hierdie leerder heg waarde aan die wisselwerking in die klaskamer as een van die beste maniere om Afrikaans aan te leer. Wedersydse respek en empatie vir mekaar word deur hierdie hande verbeeld.

Leerders kon met vryheid (en tog respek) hul ervarings en opinies deel sonder vooroordeel. Leerders het geleer om na ander te luister. Dié twee waardes is nodig om die eise wat die 21ste eeu stel, die hoof te bied.

7.2 Navorsingsvraag 2

Hoe kan leerders se vorige ondervindings gebruik word om multigeletterdheid te bevorder?

Die tweede aspek waaraan daar veral aandag gegee is, was om die leerders se unieke voorkennis en kulturele agtergrond te gebruik om die kurrikulum te verryk. Jacobs (2005) voer aan dat hierdie benadering die kurrikulum stimuleer sodat verskillende vaardighede beklemtoon word. Taal-, ras- en kulturele verskille is deur die onderwyser bestuur sodat dit as ’n hulpbron in die klaskamer kon dien. Binne die EAT-klaskamer is ’n koesterende omgewing geskep sodat die leerders kon leer hoe om met verskeidenheid saam te leef. Die leerders is aangemoedig om hul onderskeie agtergronde in te span om deur wisselwerking by mekaar te leer. Carstens (2012) verduidelik dat hierdie kontak suksesvol is wanneer verskille gerespekteer word en gesien word as ’n bron van kreatiwiteit.

Gesitueerde werklikheid fokus op hoe die leerder sy/haar eie ervarings gebruik om sin te maak van ’n spesifieke konteks (Boche 2014). In beide datastelle het leerders se vorige ervaringe ’n rol gespeel in hul individuele betekenisskepping. Byvoorbeeld, die Kaaps-dialek in Die storie van Ellen Pakkies het nie vreemd op die leerders se ore geval nie, omdat hulle vroeër aan Kaaps blootgestel is in die gedig “Ma, moenie worry nie”. Die agtergrond van die gedig het die omstandighede op die Kaapse Vlakte geskets. Dit is om hierdie rede dat die uitbeelding van die moeder se wroeging in die film so goed deur die leerders verstaan kon word. Die leergeleentheid van die gedig het as voorkennis gedien vir die nuwe betekenis wat aan die filmkonteks geheg is.

7.3 Navorsingsvraag 3

Hoe kan selfgerigte leer gebruik word om leer in ’n eerste addisionele taal te bevorder?

Die derde vraag het klem gelê daarop om leerders so te fasiliteer dat selfgerigte leer plaasvind. Die leerder se eie stem is ontdek wanneer daar terugvoer oor vakinhoud plaasgevind het. Die feit dat hulle resensies oor die film(s) moes skryf, was verder ’n geleentheid om selfgerigte leer aan te moedig.

Die leerders moet onder andere hul eie sterk punte en bekwaamhede identifiseer. Cazden e.a. (1996) beklemtoon dat daar groot waarde is in die ontdekking van die sterk punte en bekwaamhede veral wanneer vooruitgang en kennis die doelwit is. Dit is duidelik uit 15 van die 17 leerders se bloginskrywings dat Afrikaanse vakinhoud op hul eie leer en ontwerp van toepassing gemaak word. Leerders kon tydens die lees van Elmien se verhaal oor hul eie toekomsdrome nadink. Die leerders kon hul eie ouers se ondersteuning daarvan identifiseer en kon met dankbaarheid getuig van die liefdevolle huishoudings waarin hulle groot word. Na aanleiding van die gedig “Talle tonge” het twee leerders die digter (Mathews Phosa) se meertaligheid erken as ’n manier om in ’n diverse Suid-Afrika te kan vooruitgaan. Twee leerders het ook die rassespanning in Fiela se kind empaties begryp vergeleke met ander (en selfs familielede) se uitdagings tydens die apartheidsjare. Met nuwe Afrikaanse woorde kon die leerders bykomende kontekste beter verstaan, beskryf en interpreteer. Die leerders kon die woordverklarings van die gedigte gebruik om beter te doen in lees- en skryftake. Die agtergrond waarteen gedigte geskets is, kon gebruik word om hulself en ander beter te verstaan.

Leerders het vaardighede ontdek en verskerp en is in die klas die geleentheid gegee om dit in te oefen. Dit het die leerders verantwoordelikheid vir hul eie leer laat neem. Selfontwikkeling vind plaas wanneer hulle ontdek watter metode meer waardevol as ander is en terselfdertyd identifiseer leerders hul eie sterk punte en/of tekortkominge (Kumon 2012).

7.4 Navorsingsvraag 4

Hoe kan meervoudige leerstyle gebruik word om leer in ’n eerste addisionele taal te bevorder?

Meervoudige leerstyle word volgens Brown (2000) en Du Toit (2019) beskryf as verskillende maniere waarop ’n individu inligting binne ’n leerervaring ontvang en verwerk. Leerders verskil en ten einde inklusief te wees, is dit belangrik om verskillende leerstyle in die klas aan te bied. Angay-Crowder e.a. (2013) redeneer dat die kritiese raamwerk-pilaar van multigeletterdheid poog om die sosiale en kognitiewe sfeer te vind waardeur hulle die beste leer sodat hul bekwaamhede op verskillende vlakke na vore kan kom. Hierdie vlakke sluit geskiedkundige, sosiale, kulturele, politiese en ideologiese ruimtes in. Dit is die onderwyser se taak om deur middel van intertekstualiteit en kritiese vrae by die veronderstellinge en aannames uit te kom wat onderliggend aan die tekste is, soos byvoorbeeld die konsep van wit plakkerskampe wat veronderstel dat plakkerskampe gewoonlik swart is.

Leerders is visueel ondersteun deur die subtitels om die storielyne van die films beter te verstaan. Tog was hulle steeds tydens die film op hulself aangewese en moes hulle teen ’n sekere pas sin maak van die onderskrifte om die storielyn te kon verstaan. In die klas is die lokprent gewys en die leerders kon die teaters met agtergrondinligting betree, maar hulle moes self hul lees- en begripsvermoëns op die proef stel tydens die vertonings. Tydens die ontleding van “Talle tonge” (M Phosa), was die leerders geblinddoek en uitsluitlik op hul smaaksintuig aangewese. Weereens moes hulle hul eie hulpbronne inspan om te kon vertaal wat hulle geproe het. Met die ontleding van “Staan op!” het die leerders fisies die opdrag uitgevoer deur op te staan en aktief daaraan deel te neem (kinetiese leer). Tydens die lees van Iewers vlieg daar fairy dust (Marisa Haasbroek) is verskillende leestegnieke (soos soeklees, vluglees en lees vir besonderhede) gebruik om die verhaal te verstaan, maar ook te geniet. Leerders kon op verskillende maniere die inhoud verinnerlik en het vrye toegang gehad tot die leerstyl wat hulle verkies het. Die leerders moes self die braaibroodjies braai (kinetiese leer). Nie net was dit ’n koservaring nie, maar ook ’n fisiese ervaring vir die leerders om te leer braai.

 

8. Gevolgtrekking

Die doel van hierdie studie is om die hoekom, wat en hoe van multigeletterdheid te ontgin om die aanleer van ’n addisionele taal te vergemaklik. Multigeletterdheid help onderwysers om ’n leeratmosfeer te skep wat aktiewe deelname van alle rolspelers verg. Onderwysers wat Afrikaans EAT aanbied, word noodwendig gekonfronteer met verskillende taal- en kultuuragtergronde binne een klas. Multigeletterdheid kan tradisionele onderrigstrategieë verander en bied ondersteuning om onderrigsteurnisse in die klaskamer die hoof te bied.

Hierdie studie se bevindinge toon dat selfgerigte leer (gefokus op vorige leerderervaring) en begeleide fasilitering daartoe gelei het dat leerders nie net kennis gemaak het met verskeidenheid nie, maar dat hulle mekaar as hulpbronne gebruik het om Afrikaans aan te leer. Meertaligheid en diskoersverskille binne ’n taalklaskamer is doelbewus as ’n wins, eerder as ’n verlies gebruik. Verdere boublokke vir multigeletterdheid soos ervaringsleer, tegnologiese ondersteuning en multimodale leer het herontwerpte kennis en praktyke tot gevolg gehad. Leerders het 21ste-eeuse vaardighede beoefen, geoefen en verbeter en so hul eie werklikhede herbou. Multigeletterdheid het, aldus die bevindinge, ’n ononderhandelbare plek in die Afrikaans EAT-klaskamer.

 

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Addendum: Leerdertekeninge en blog-inskrywings

Leerder: 1

Day 1:

Poem: Talle Tonge.

This is the poem which explains the five different sensors that our tongue has and in order for us to physically experience those tastes, ma’am had prepared those five tastes for us to first guess and get the answers right. She also showed us the Master chef video to make the environment suitable for the topics and more of a realistic and entertaining place for the pupils. Moreover, we have had discussions after the experiments and had the time of getting to know more about how dangerous tongue can be, not just praise, but when we don’t use it wisely that we’ll hurt people.

Entry blog:

As a christian, I was brought up with the teaching that I must use my words carefully, not as unwise but wise. This is because as it is written in the Bible where it says, “the tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life in fire, and itself set in fire by hell.” I strongly believe this and when I was learning about the poem, I was fully in an agreement with the poem.

Day 2:

Movie: Die storie van Ellen Pakkies

This was the movie that we, as a class, went to the cinema to watch. It was an exciting trip. It was about a woman whose troubled relationship with her drugaddicted son has led her to commit murder. The subtitles were given as for those non- Afrikaans to be able to follow the story.

Blog entry:

Drug-addict was never an issue that would pop up in my life in Korea and my religion along with my belief would never compromise with drugs. Watching the movie, I realised why one would consider consuming drugs, it was because they were desperate to run away from their troubles and their unforgiving circumstances. Through this movie, it gave me the opportunity to understand them more than I’ve ever been able to understand them before. People flee from their emotions and problems and sometimes make the wrong choices because they are acting from their wounds.

Day 3:

Book: Iewers Flieg Daar Fairy Dust.

We were given a novel called ‘Iewers Flieg Daar Fairy Dust’, which ma’am read the book to us aloud and sometimes she let us read it taking a turn. After reading a page or two, she would stop and translate words that we didn’t know and then explained to us the storyline of what she’s just read to enhance our understanding of the book.

After the scene of abuse or the relationships between characters, we were given time to discuss those themes and share emotions felt during reading and also talked about our future and how grateful we should be, because of everything given to us.

Blog entry:

Born in a very fortunate environment where both my parents can afford me to go to school, able to enjoy the luxury and not having to worry about the finance, reading about a girl staying in an area where there’s no light or having to struggle to sustain their basic needs, just heartbroke me. It was a way for me to understand the seriousness of those people who are going through similar situations as her. For me, I was grown up in a well balanced background, so it was easy for me to get hurt. Through this book I decided to be more strong inside by building up confidence and endurance and to always work hard as she did. I cannot help to be sad. I realized it is a reality for many.

Day 4:

Language Topic: Tenses.

Before we started learning or revising tenses, we were given the rules for the tenses. Ma’am would explain to us the basic rules for the tenses and then gave us an example for us to be able to recognize and apply the rules. She also simplified the rules in order for us to understand better and asked us whenever we had problems with making sentences.

Blog entry:

Learning and applying countless rules for the tenses, at first, was very difficult. This was because I never had to apply so many rules in Korean, and now that I had to apply the rules it panicked me. However, after a few practices, it became useful and easy.

Day 5:

Bonding Day: Making Braai Broodjies.

This happened during culture week, which allowed me to physically experience Afrikaans culture. At first we were told to pay for the bright brookies in preparation for the culture week where we will be making braai broodjies. On the day of the culture week we made braai broodjies with the help of the teacher, then we enjoyed our braai broodjies.

Blog entry:

It was the first time ever that I’ve made braai broodjies in South Africa, so it remained to me as an unforgettable memory and it was the most exciting moment and the lesson I’ve ever learnt. Making braai broodjies was refreshing experience in South Africa and enjoyed conversing with the peers and the teacher.

Leerder: 2

Day 1: Talle Tonge

The class learnt about a poem called Talle Tong. They were given power points, they were shown a video and they were allowed to use dictionaries to better understand the poem. There were times when the class was allowed to be interactive with each other to receive different views on the poem and not only was the poem based on the physicality of the tongue but also it touched base on a deeper meaning of where they realized ways in which the tongue can cause damage by hurting others emotionally.

All I can remember was that the poem came to life and when you speak to others use tasteful language. The words that you write or speak to others can leave a huge impact and leave a lasting memory. Good words and the way you express yourself can accelerate or kill a career/person.

Day 2: Movie ‒ “Fiela se Kind”

We went on an outing where we went to the cinema with the collage and a watched a movie called “Fiela se kind”. This movie was very emotional in such a way that it had me tearing up at one point, more especially because it was based in the times where democracy was not achieved in our country which is a very sensitive period in our country’s past because races didn’t mix.

With this movie it enhanced my family background with the fact that Benjamin was white boy in a “brown coloured skin” family with the fact that my great grandmother had given birth to a coloured child and having to keep it a secret as it wasn’t allowed as during apartheid blacks and whites were not allowed to interact with each other. This helped me better understand the hardships my great grandmother might’ve faced when raising her daughter who was essentially born a crime during those days.

Day 3: Fairy Dust

From where I caught up in the book, considering the fact that I arrived in the middle of the year, our teacher read out the book for us and translated the chapters to us so that we better understand the context of the book. We also had some peer reading done and discussions in the class which allowed us the opportunity to get different perspectives on the book. One of the topics we discussed was based on the theme of abuse between the main character and this old man and it allowed for the reader to see how one deals with abuse and how it affects everyone differently.

With my heritage and my background the setting of the squatter camp wasn’t that much of a different atmosphere as where my grandmother lives in eastern cape the living situation is quite similar. I wasn’t aware that there are white camps but I do know the conditions they life in. With the theme of “dreams” it relates to the dreams that my grandmother had to move to the city and get a job that will help her take care of her family, which she did with no hesitation and without restricting herself to her circumstances. I was not aware of white squatter camps. I know the of the living conditions and the atmosphere in townships.

Day 4: Language

This has to be one of my favourite lessons thus far. We made mind maps for each Tense , verled tyd, toekomende tyd, teenwoordige tyd. We also read through the goed beter afrikaans book to go through the rules listed, we also had example sentences to practice the skills we had learned in the lesson to identify and change the sentence structure to suit the tense ask for. The practice sentences had little stories behind them to keep us interested in the lesson and ad an element of fun to the lesson. We got homework to better practice our skills by ourselves to see how far our understanding if the work was. We would then go over the work we had and checked our work on the white board and compared our progress in the class.

Day5: Diversity

With a lot of cultures between us, being in a Chinese school, it allows us to have different views on the lessons given and it allowed me to realize that as much as we are all different we are all the same at the end of the day and we go through the same things, we just go through what we go through differently which helps us come together and share our experiences and ultimately educate each other.

Leerder: 3

Dag 1: Gedig (Talle Tonge)

The day started with Juffrou reading the poem out loud. She also asked us to lightly underline the words we don’t understand. We then divided in groups, one person was a chef while the others were guinea pigs. She asked if everyone is allergic to anything. There were PowerPoints, sounds and we used a dictionary to find out the English translation for the foods. Talle Tonge was a combination of the different parts of your tongue for taste, but it also was saying that people can use their tongue in different ways, such as motivation and bringing down people. The methods used in class that she used was making us translate words that we do not know by using dictionaries and friends. She also gave us visual representation of the poem in a form of a PowerPoint. There was a gustatory source which consisted on a chef who served us food and a guinea pigs who actually tasted the food. This was extremely effective. It showed us multiple ways to interpret the poem in an everlasting manner. My culture allowed me to identify with the poem by using different foods that correspond to my culture for interpretation, which opened my mind. I realized some words in my language are borrowed from Afrikaans so I could understand some words. I’m not a religious person so that had no effect on my learning. My ancestors would look down upon me as I’m learning a ‘white man’s language’ so it is very painful but I realized it’s more than that. If I learn Afrikaans while somebody who doesn’t speak an African language learns that, we can unite as South Africans and bridge issues such as racism.

Dag 2: Fliek (Ellen: Die Storie Van)

The movie was about the issues surrounding the Cape Flats. The protagonist, a coloured woman is struggling with her son with lots of potential, due to him taking drugs. We see the degradation of the son and the amount of trauma the woman has to deal with throughout her life, young and old. We see her breaking point. I’m born in Cape Town, so seeing such things that ruin such a beautiful place and my hometown hurts. I understand how desperate her situation was that she ended up basically blacking out and killing her own son. This relates to my culture in the fact as in my culture, you take care of family no matter what just like Ellen Pakkies before she killed him. I believe that taking drugs is wrong especially if it affects other people’s live.

Dag 3: Boek (Fairy dust)

She read to us out loud and translated the pages and difficult words. She then proceeded to translate the questions. We sometimes did peer reading and she gave us the opportunity to spend time with the book to find the questions. This helped me understand the book more.

We had various discussions in class. The first one was about harassment and abuse such as between Elmien and her cousins and Elmien and Oom Bok. The quality of life of the characters as they live in squatter camp was discussed. Dreams of the characters and how they relate to our lives. The last thing is unfairness. As I’m in a family with the only male, unfairness is part of my daily life as I don’t get the same attention as my sisters. Harassment is rampant in townships but is dealt with via community discipline which I witnessed as a child when they beat these two men who were accused of stealing. If harassment occurs the usually castrate the man. I have dreams in my life that I would love to achieve but like Elmien, I have my own struggles to getting there such as finances. I learned to appreciate my quality of life as the people in the book live in squatter camps. Fortunately, none of my family lives in a squatter camp.

Day 4: Language Day (Tenses)

We started by making a mind map. We then referred back to the book. The third thing was that she gave us funny example sentences and she tried telling us a story so it stuck in our minds more. She gave us examples and homework so we can practice the tenses and improve. Then she wrote the things on the board. The lessons were interactive and she gave us the answers after we completed our homework so that we can see where we went wrong. We also wrote answers on the board and talked about them.

Afrikaans is very difficult for me. I started it in grade 6 so I didn’t learn some basic words. It is nothing like previous languages I’ve learned. It is complicated. The vocabulary is the only thing basic about Afrikaans because some words are the same or similar to English so I just have to say some of the words in an Afrikaans accent. I have been struggling with the language but have been improving. I hope I end grade 12 Afrikaans with at least a 75%. I realized some Zulu words are borrowed for Afrikaans as we didn’t have the words.

Day 5: Wild Card

There was a day when we did poetry and we did a poem called Staan Op! The poem made us stand up when something said in the poem relates to us. The poem talked about different painful circumstances that people go through and if they apply to us then we have to stand up. Juffrou purposefully made us stand up so we can see that we are all going through some things in our lives. It was effective as we visually saw this and it was interactive. I felt closure as I saw other people’s pain and saw I was not alone. It also taught me about the poem. I’m just used to not speaking about things that bother me because my culture doesn’t allow for it.

Leerder: 4

Day 1, Gedig: Talle Tonge

First she read us the poem and we underlined which words we didn’t understand

There was a powerpoint

Videos on masterchef

Asked us about

We used dictionaries

Popcorn, peanut, Astros,

Our teacher gave us a few snacks to taste so that we could determine which part of the tongue we use.

Physical tongue and different parts, you can also hurt and heal others. You dont just use your tongue to eat. You can use sweet words to heal or salty (mean) words to hurt someone.

Our lesson was about the poem called Talle Tonge. Our teacher used creative methods for us to be able to understand the poem. First she read us the poem and we underlined which words we didn’t understand. We could then use our dictionaries, friends and our phones to find out the meaning of the words we underlined. She also had a PowerPoint presentation that clearly explaining each part of the poem. The PowerPoint presentation also had a video of the judging of a dish on Master Chef. Juffrou then asked us if we had any allergies. Our teacher gave us a few snacks to taste so that we could determine which part of the tongue we use because it was in line of what the poem was about. I do feel that this was not necessary for us to learn the poem however it was fun and I remember that week being stressful so it was quite a relief to do something out of the syllabus. We also were in groups and even in my group we still couldn’t figure out all the words so I asked Juffrou ad she helped us translate and she did. In my culture and household it is important to learn, no matter how you are taught even if it is unconvential methods. You can learn from anybody’s words or actions/words no matter what they do so this influence has helped me learn Afrikaans.

Methods/Resources

Culture influence

Religion

Heritage/Backgrounds

Day 2: Ellen Pakkies

Racial

Drugs

Subtitles

Poem: Moenie worry nie

Explaining to the twins

Juffrou planned to take us on an excursion so we went the movies. We watched an Afrikaans film called The Story of Ellen Pakkie. The movie dealt with a lot of issues I could not relate to such as drug use, rape, violence and racism. I thought I would struggle understanding the movie because I would not understand the themes of the movie but the movie had English subtitles so I could easily understand what was going on in the film. I was sitting next to xxx and xx - they are my Korean friends and it was their first year learning Afrikaans. Because xxx and xxx are conservative and new to South African culture I payed special attention to the movie so that I could explain parts they didn’t understand. So here and there I would explain bits this helped me also understand the film a bit better because I learn the most when I am teaching someone or explaining to someone.

My family is extremely conservative, we rarely get into conversations of any controversial topics. This always bothers me because I can never understand a lot of their views on things such as: homosexuality, rape, drugs, sex, relationships, mental health and bullying. These are all things I’m not comfortable talking about with my parents and they are also things that my parents are not comfortable talking about. So when I watched the movie I learnt a lot of what people go through especially people that are coloured. I was fascinated but not in good way at the fact that Ellen Pakkie experienced so much sexual assault and how she did not even know what that was most of her life. I also learnt about how drugs affect lives. It is horrifying to see the negative effects of drugs and at some point in my life I thought taking drugs wasn’t serious now I have thought twice about it. Another thing I also learnt is seeking help is important I struggle with a lot of undiagnosed mental illnesses but from that movie I learnt that I can always admit myself to psych ward if I ever feel really messed up. Every race and community will have problems but I learnt you should never judge anyone no matter what their circumstances.

Day 3: Fairy Dust

Method: Read out loud, translated stuff, translated the questions peer reading, go home and read and do homework

Discussions: Abuse, Oom Bok Elmien, The cousins, quality of life (white squatter camp) , dreams, unfairness (in family)

Our one set book we did this year was Iewiers Vlieg Daar Fairy Dust. Our teacher helped us understand this book better by reading the book out loud to us, she also translated each page for us. She also translated each question we had as homework so we could do the activities and we also had time to do the homework in class and ask Juffrou if we had any questions. We were allowed to keep the book for that term that helped us do our homework when were at home. We also had peer readings here and there. All these methods really helped me understand the book and also helped me to speak Afrikaans because I came used to the accent Juffrou spoke which helped in various things such as unprepared reading, speeches and prepared reading. We also had various discussions about things in the book such as: Abuse and Bullying, Quality of life, dreams and unfairness. For me what stood out was the Abuse and Bullying, Quality of life and unfairness. In the book there was a character called Oom Bok who was harassing the main character of the book, Elmien. I personally could not be open about my views on abuse in the discussions because it is not the popular opinion. I get extremely frustrated that someone goes through abuse without fighting back. Elmien had to deal with abuse and harassment in order to get to her job at the video shop but I got extremely frustrated that she could no find other means of transport. I don’t fully understand her situation as to what she can and cannot afford but transport should not be an excuse to face harassment. I believe she could have found a job closer to where she lived and walk with someone she could trust; she could have gotten a bicycle. In the book she pays Oom Bok to get a ride to the video shop therefore I believe she could have used public transport. Also if she knew she would be harassed she could have made efforts to defend herself. Quality of life in the book also stood out for me. My parents did not come from rich backgrounds especially my dad. My dad was an orphan at the age of 17. He was literally living in poverty exactly the same to Elmien’s condition he was staying with his grandmother and grandfather who very poor. He also had to work hard to get to study and he also received a scholarship to study because he had an A average. Because of this lifestyle my dad raises me and my siblings to be resourceful and to not be very materialistic. Much like Elmien I do not buy brands, I don’t ask for luxury goods. Most of my clothes are second hand even though we can afford to buy new clothes.

My culture always emphasizes in giving to others and serving others. It doesn’t matter how much you have, my culture and religion emphasizes in giving to others and live in peace with others. So this book really helped me understand the conditions people live in and how being materialistic will not help get anyone far in life. No matter what language, culture or race you come from you can never get far in life if you don’t work hard. This ideology helps me learn Afrikaans I don’t really like Afrikaans I don’t really like the language a lot because it’s strange how some words come from English and some words have different functions and uses. I find the language very inconsistent that’s why I don’t like it but I still have to work hard and do my best because my I’ve been raised in such a way. I need to be able to provide and give to others so I have to work hard and sacrifice.

Buy brands

Luxury

Give away

Accept donations

Work hard

Day 4: Lanuage tenses

Methods: Mind map, read the rules I goed beter. Examples they were funny.

More examples…Homework

Used the white board.

Classwork and people came up to the board to write answers

The activities came with answers

Background: speak about English, how the language is difficult, what I can do with this language, Chinese bridge,

In one of our language lessons we learned the rules of how tenses work in Afrikaans. The methods our teacher used included: Us making mind map on the white board which I still use today, reading the rules in the Goed Beter workbook and Juffrou also gave us examples that were memorable and made us come to the board if we knew the answer so it was an interactive lesson. The homework also helped me remember and practice the rules and learn from my mistakes when we marked the activities with the answers.

I don’t speak any other language at home besides English which is embarrassing but there’s nothing I can do because I have to travel far every week to learn Hindi. But nevertheless Afrikaans compared to English is quite different. There are rules in English but I find them more consistent in English than in Afrikaans. In Afrikaans there are a lot of exceptions to rules regarding tenses, plural, diminutives etc. However I do believe English can be more useful than Afrikaans but this language has been useful to me. When I went to China for the Chinese Bridge I was able to communicate with the people with the people who came from Holland. And it was quite interesting to see the differences in the languages. If I wanted to gossip with the other people who came with me from South Africa I could only speak in Afrikaans because most people could speak English and Chinse. This way I could still practice my Afrikaans in China. I want a find a job in South Africa so Afrikaans will obviously be useful here to communicate with investors and colleagues.

Day 5

One of the lessons most memorable to me was the lesson where I had to read a recipe and present it as a speech. I also had to prepare the dish. The methods that we used in class to prepare was the use of dictionaries and Juffrou was able to edit our speeches for us. I remember spending a lot of time looking for a recipe to prepare.

In my culture I have always been taught to put in my best effort and this really helped my learn Afrikaans even though I don’t like the language.

Leerder: 5

Day 1: Talle Tonge (poem)

This day began with us reading the poem, then underlining what wasn’t understood and using different resources (such as dictionaries, google translate and) to better the understanding of the poem. – in my case, there wasn’t much to be underlined or looked up because of my good understanding of the language. I enjoy and understand the language because of my parents and the high regard they hold language in. Culturally speaking, Tsonga people (my family) were previously not accepted by fellow black groups and thus we adapted to other languages and pride ourselves in being linguistically gifted and able.

After looking at the poem we were given the opportunity to taste small snacks (chips, popcorn, crackers, peanuts, astro sweets) which were avoidant of any allergens and religious no-no’s ‒ without the aid of other senses but just our tongue which personally, was enjoyable because the flavours were not unique to me because of the food I eat at home and at traditional events.

There was a final PowerPoint combination that brought forward the tongue, its actual composition and the emotional problems it can cause. Overall, it was an enriching experience that both grew me in the linguistic aspect of Afrikaans as well as the opportunity to introspect what was in concord with my belief systems and what juxtaposed it. This is also enriched by my parents.

Day 2: Ellen (film)

Watching this movie was enjoyable and spoke to me as I too have a siblings that abuses drugs. It made me aware that struggle doesn’t choose race but also that certain problems are more prevalent in societies where there are mainly people of colour and black people. It was not only understandable because of the emotional aspect but also because of the handy subtitles. Ellen’s hand in her son’s death is something that commonly doesn’t happen and community. Culturally speaking, members of society leave the addict to just be. Some even kick them out of their own homes. As a Christian I believe in allowing people to redeem their souls through Christ ‒ this can apply to both the addict and the people they affect. Ellen’s killing of her son was not necessarily the right thing to do, however it did bring her and the community peace and the ability to get closer to the Lord.

Day 3: Iewers vlieg daar fairy dust (boek)

When we were first introduced to this book, juffrou Conradie read the book aloud and then translated the book (where it was difficult to understand) as well as the questions. She then gave us the opportunity to look at both the book and questions for our own better understanding of the concept as a whole.

Discussions that were centered around themes in the book were also had. Abuse was looked at ‒ we regarded Oom Bok’s advances on Elmien as a rom of abuse of harassment. Additionally, the cousins buse of Elmien’s resources was analyzed. I have not experienced abuse but my grandmother has and my mom and her siblings were there to witness it. I have been raised to avoid letting conflict be a conduit of violence. I most black societies, however, people believe it is no right to meddle and enter an altercation that involves violence. This is generally because of the option of not wanting to get beat as well or risking the victim’s life.

The book also opened us to the idea of a poor white community. I am not unfamiliar with this as my sister’s ex-boyfriend was an Afrikaans man (Jaco) who didn’t have the best upbringing and so I have grown up understanding such concepts. It also helped me better my communication skills with other who were/are not the same as me.

My parents have always allowed me to prosper in whatever I set my mind to and thus my decision to become a lawyer was supported. Both financially and the logic behind it. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for Elmien. I think the narrative exposed me to the knowledge that not everyone that’s white has the best opportunities and more so that in instances when I’m unsure of what to do, I should look to god or guidance.

He final topic discussed was unfairness, which is clearly seen throughout the majority of the book and this is a narrative that is evident in my life. Sometimes its mw seeing the unfairness other people experience, but also wat I go through myself. My culture dictates to the order I do things – which I generally last because of my age and gender. Religiously speaking, I realize I’m an equal to counterparts and that all that is needed of me is the respecting of my elders and those around me.

Day 4: Language tenses

This lesson began with us creating mind maps to better understand the concept being handled. We then look at the rules in the book and took into consideration as a guide to more comprehension. Sentences were looked which were both to keep the attention of the students by making them funny and also getting it into our minds easier. Homework was issued to increase knowledge, as well as the opportunity to use the board and the answers on the board as resources. This exercise also gives light to student and per involvement. This allowed me to learn more about others cultures and languages via linguistic differences.

Day 5: getting to cook for the class

This activity included preparing meals (at home) and presenting them to our classmates and then explaining the land the meal hails from. This gave me the opportunity to learn about cultures that I not exposed to everybody’s and became the onset for a class discussion about our differences. I learnt more about religion (XXX’s Hinduism and my fellow Christian’s differences in belief) my own belief system urged me to accept them as they were whilst also learning.

Leerder: 6

Day 1: Gedig ‒ Talle Tonge

The day started with the teacher reading the poem to us, she then told us to underline the words that we don’t understand. She gave us different types of foods to taste and certain students were chefs and the rest of the students had to taste them. We used dictionaries to find words like popcorn, sweets, crackers and pickles to help us understand what we using our tongues for. Overall, the lesson taught us that we can use our tongue for tasting various foods and it can be used for harsh words which gave us a brief understanding of what not to say and what to say to people. It was insightful because the teacher gave us freedom to read the poem in a different light and ask our fellow classmates about what we should do and let us have a fun experience by tasting different foods. After having this lessons we also had a lesson on braadibroodjies.

With that lesson it helped me understand the different cultures that we were around me and know various cultures. We even made braaibroodjies to experience the Afrikaans culture and enjoy ourselves while having a lesson on it. It made me realize that studying different cultures is fascinating and amazing to grasp. Each person in the class made this poem their own in a unique manner. We all interpreted it differently based on how we grew up. It is a Nice experience to learn from each other and realize how important the tongue really is.

Day 2: Dwelms

Fliek: Ellen Pakkies

When watching Ellen Pakkies at the theatre, it was a heartfelt experience because it made realize that people are struggling in life and they resort only to drugs and other harmful substances and makes the audience think that no one is perfect. Everyone has problems, not everyone is living a lavish lifestyle and must deal with the hardship they have and persevere from it. This gave me inspiration to push through adversity and make my own mark to make myself happy, because in the film the mother was fed up with the son’s antics of misbehaving and being on drugs.

The mother decided to take it upon herself (because the father didn’t do anything) and end the son’s life because of the harm he had done to the family. Which really encouraged me to get rid of anything that was negative in my life and start fresh. Which was a positive aspect in my perspective.

Day 3: Fairydust

Firstly, Juffrou Conradie read aloud and translated the pages also the difficult words that I didn’t understand. She also translated the questions for certain sections and she encouraged us to read as well and gain knowledge from what we were reading. When we had homework we had to check the answers in the book in order to answer. We had various discussions such as: abuse, harassment and violence. It gave me a perception that cruelty is fused with imbalance because life doesn’t always have a balance something must be off in order to make sense in other people’s lives. Like how Oom Bok was stalking Elmien to get an advantage on her and find ways to get with her. The imbalance is what showed me that we all can’t be balanced.

In my background if someone had to do this it would be considered a crime and will be banished from the family because it is an embarrassment to do such.

Since Elmien wanted to be a doctor she tried several times to get to that dream and for my dream I want to be a professional footballer, travel the world and find out new things but with this dream it requires hard work and dedication and a certain type of drive to achieve that goal.

Day 4: Taal

We made mind maps to plan out our next sections and make sense of what we are learning. We made certain rules to identify the different tenses, past, present and future. Juffrou Conradie even provided intriguing stories which had weird examples but it helped me understand the work even more. We obviously had homework to complete which improved my Afrikaans and I was able to gain knowledge from that. She even gave us opportunities to write on the whiteboard to make us memorize the work that we did and she provided us worksheets to exercise our brains. This gave us the platform to ask our fellow classmates what the language was about and get different perspectives on how to solve the matter, some of my classmates even gave me scenarios and small jingles to figure out problems. Which shows the diversity and cultural backgrounds of others and how it can help others to solve situations in an innovative way.

Day 5: Diversity

In Afrikaans, I learnt that diversity is the biggest contributor to solving problems and learning new things from different cultures. It gives people a different mindset to what they are originally used to and find innovative ways. It also taught me that sticking to the norm is not always the solution but thinking out-of-the-box to find the most extraordinary things. Despite the diversity that helped me with my work there was also downfalls because in my culture we don’t take Afrikaans seriously since it has a horrible history for my parents. I don’t personally like Afrikaans but with the diversity that was around me it really helped to improve slightly in that subject.

Leerder: 7

Day 1 Poem: Talle Tonge

We learnt about the two different uses of our tongues: Our physical and sensory use as well as the use that tongues have in our communication.

Our physical, sensory part of our tongues consists out of five basic tastes, i.e. sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savoury. Here, we did some activities where we were divided into several groups and were given different kinds of food to taste. We were not allowed to see, but were only allowed to touch and taste the food. It was a kind of interesting way to taste food, because the visual part of the food does the major job of making people to decide whether they would like to taste the food or not. I was a bit scared to try some; it was definitely an exciting way to experiment and to see how our tongues work.

We analysed the metaphorical or figurative meanings of the sensual part of our tongues. Tasting sweetness can represent us having to speak nice words to people, but on the other hand, it can also represent us having to speak nice words to deceive others or to get something that we intended from them. Likewise, for all the other senses, we have learnt that each sense has both the pros and cons to it. Therefore as a conclusion, we came out that we always have to be careful of what we speak and how we speak, because words that come out our tongues always have consequences to it.

The activities helped me to have a better idea when learning this poem. As I am a visual learner, I learn faster when there are visual guidance to it or when there is a physical activities involved in the learning. Physical learning also helped me with my long-term memory of that poem. To be honest, as I look back to this time when we were having this physical lesson, this is the only poem that I actually remember.

Moreover, what helped with my further understanding of the poem was the use of dictionaries, google translate as well as the English-translated notes that my teacher printed out for me. By the use of all these resources I was able to learn quickly.

As a reference to my own experience, I was taught that I always have to be respectful of the elders as well as everyone who was older than me regardless of how I felt about that person or the matter. However, as I grew up more I realised and was taught to express my feelings more and that I have the right to give my opinions on the certain matter. Of course, the fact that I have to be respectful when talking to a person remained the same.

Day 2

Movie: Ballade vir ’n Enkeling

Here we watched this heartfelt movie in Afrikaans. We were given English subtitles at the bottom of the screen to enhance our understanding of the context of the movie. The explanations as well as the questions that were given as a whole book also helped me with my deeper understanding of the movie. Moreover, explanations in between the movies from the teacher also helped me a lot.

In my whole life, I was taught that lying to someone was extremely dangerous and therefore we must never lie to someone else. But we can never lie as long as we are human and we have feelings. And therefore we also need bravery and courageous heart to also ask for forgiveness and acknowledge that fact we have lied. This, I always kept it in my heart that no matter what my heart says about my insecurity of having to reveal my ugly side, that I always have to strive to be honest.

Day 3 Novel: Iewers Flieg Daar Fairydust

We read a novel in Afrikaans and it was the second book I ever read in Afrikaans. Knowing that some of us like me would struggle to understand, my teacher translated some passages as a way to explain to us the whole context of the book. This helped me a lot, by the way. Also, we were required to buy the question booklet for the book, which gave a better idea of what the story was about when I had to answer the questions. Using dictionaries and google translate really removed the stress of me having to translate everything into English. I was actually really grateful that I can access such devices and resources to learn.

When I was reading the book, I realised and was reminded again of how fortunate I was to have both parents as well guardians who do the job of my parents. I was and still am extremely grateful of their endless efforts. In addition to that, I was also impacted of how strongly the main character held herself and striving extremely hard to achieve her goals even in a disastrous situations. I have never had a chance to show of how strong I can be just like I she handled herself in the book, but I guess I have to be the one who has to keep myself strong and firm in all aspects (religion, my belief and etc.) even if I might not be in a disastrous situations.

Day 4 Language Lesson

During the language lesson, I and my colleague had to look for words that we did not understand in the movie study-guide. Then my teacher would firstly translate the whole paragraph and gave us all a chance to ask for the definitions of words that we did not know. We also used dictionaries where possible.

I usually learn faster when I am engaging with people. So having to have colleagues and teacher around me to help with my understanding was a great help to me. I was not really used to have extra lessons when I was in Korea, so I was a bit reluctant to come to the extra lessons at first, but in the later stage I realised that the lessons actually helped and I never regret taking time to attend the lesson. I am also thankful for all the teachers who sacrificed their own time to help us all.

Day 5 Wildcard

My favourite lesson of the year was when we were having lessons on the culture day. I cannot exactly remember the exact date of when we had the lesson, but I remember that all of us had amazing experiences of having to have various different cultures and well as the food at the same time. I really enjoyed the whole week of the culture week. I was able to learn more about the other cultures, and most importantly, I have got a chance to taste the most wonderful food that my friends cooked for the whole class.

When I was in Korea, I did not get a chance to experience physically about other countries’ cultures and their exotic food. But now that I had a chance, I am really grateful about everything, especially the teacher who made this whole thing available for all of us to enjoy. Thank you so much ma’am for all the hard work!

Leerder: 8

Day 1: Talle Tonge

The day started with teacher reading the poem out loud and she asked us to underline the words we don’t understand we divided into groups and we had one person as the chef and the rest were tasting she asked who has allergies there was a PowerPoint, we used the dictionary or google translate the English for the different foods we tasted. Was a combo of physical tongue parts of tongue but also how you can your tongue to motivate others and hurt others.

Method and resources to help us

How did culture, religion, language, heritage

Blog entry:

Doing this poem was very interesting and I found it very enjoyable. Tasting the food and guessing what the food was was a lot of fun. When doing this poem, the resources we used were the dictionary and our friends. We helped each other to translate the words the words we didn’t understand. Our teacher also gave us a PowerPoint about the poem to help us. The poem had a double meaning, the one meaning was the different parts of the tongue and the other meaning was that you can hurt or motivate people with what you say. Comparing this to the way I was brought up, my family is very honest and says things the way that they are. This makes me think about the meaning of the poem. You should use your words to help others. It’s good to tell the truth which goes in line with my religion, Christianity. In the Christian religion we are told to tell the truth and that’s how I was brought up. The Bible tells us to be love our neighbours and what I got out of of the way I was brought up and Christianity is that you should tell the truth but you can tell the truth but you shouldn’t say it in a way that will hurt someone’s feelings.

Day 2: Film

Fiela se kind

To go to the movies was a learning experience. We went there, there were subtitles, we watched the trailer, we had to do an assignment as if we were the characters. This movie is about a coloured woman that found a white baby boy outside her stoop. She raised him as her own and he ended up being her favourite child. Eventually the two men from the court in Cape Town to do their usual checks on the family and the land they are living on. The two men eventually realised that Fiela has a child that is white and eventually took him away from her and he was given to a family that he didn’t belong to. I found this movie was very sad for me and made me cry when the boy (Benjamin) was taken from his family. In terms of my heritage Black people do send their family away to work for another family. I Don’t see this as something good to be separated from their family. Fiela gave Benjamin the most attention out of all of her children. This isn’t fair and from the way I was brought up all children are treated fairly example when being given something like food or being bought something it to be equal.

Day 3: Book

When we read the book Fairy Dust ma’am read the book out loud for the class. She translated words we didn’t know and the translated each page for us. She translated the questions for the class. We also did peer reading, we went home and had to answer the questions. We discussed abuse. Abuse is something that happens in the book between Oombok and Elmien. Oombok harassed Elmien and would sometimes touch her inappropriately. An older man approaching a younger woman has happened to me. At times walkng in the mall or the shops with or without my parents I get approached by older men sometimes this is something I just ignore and carryon walking. This happens to a lot of girls it just hasn’t gotten to the extent where I get inappropriately touched. Elmien is also abused by her cousins, her cousins take advantage of the situation that they’re in and basically abuse Elmien by unintentionally guilt tripping her and she ends up doing things for the sake of her grandma. She is being bullied into doing things. Elmien and her family have a bad quality of life. They live in a squatter camp. I personally didn’t know that they were squatter camps specifically for white people and I was very surprised to hear this. The one thing I just don’t understand is why they separate squatter camps by the races of the people living in the squatter camp. I found this as something very interesting to learn about. Elmien had dreams of being a Doctor even if she came from a squatter camp. This really inspired me because it showed me that it doesn’t matter where you come from but it’s about where you’re going. This just shows us readers that we can do what me want if we put the the work into it. The way Elmien is treated in unfair because she has to do so much for her family even though her cousins don’t treat her the correct way. I see this as unfair because when growing up I’ve been taught that everyone must work for what they want and shouldn’t sit aaround expecting people to do things for them.

Day 4: Taal

When we did language or teacher taught us by making a mind map for us. This helped with knowing the rules of example Tye. We also went through the rules in the Goed Beter Afrikaans book that we used. The rules helped in explaining the rules of language such as Negative form. This helped me understand Negative form because and know what to do and when to do it. Our teacher gave us examples to help us understand what she was teaching. These examples were funny and came with personal stories that she told us. This made what she was teaching easier to understand and made learning very enjoyable and fun. The classwork, homework and doing the work on the board made the work more understandable and made things easier. The answers being put on the projector helped me see the mistakes I made and helped me especially when studying because I could redo the sentences and make sure that I don’t make the same mistake. I enjoyed this because I really realised how Mrs Conradie was with us for 5 years and was able to teach in a way that was appropriate or accommodated all cultures and all backgrounds. Beeing in a diverse class made things fun and easier because we were able to help each other when we struggled. I’ve learnt so much about the different culctures from being in the Afrikaans class and love how all the cultures in our class were able to come together through Afrikaans. Thank you Mrs Conradie

Day 5: Wild card

There was a day when we were given a country and it was I groups. My group was given the country Greece. We had to make a menu, dress like that countries culture and do a “play” in Afrikaans. This was very interesting because we were able to find out more about the country we were doing. I remember being in a group with xxx and it was interesting to find what she being Hindu thought about the Greece culture. This was good because I was able to see things in a different point of view and be able to compare what I think to hers. This was very eye opening because our cultures are very different, she is Hindu and I am Christian. This is the lesson I enjoyed the most.

Leerder: 9

Day 1: Poems

Juffrou played some loud music as we walked to the class. This left me with a feeling of excitment. We had an interactive lesson that I enjoyed very much. We did a poem and the different uses of the mouth and words. We were able to taste different food groups and we had to guess what we ate. We were able to use our fiends, phones or dictionaries. While this was going on, we had a PowerPoint with visual clues and music of Master Chef. After that lesson I understoon some new Afrikaans words and also the impact of words. I enjoyed this lesson because I learned Afrikaans without even knowing it.

Day 2: Movie – Ellen Pakkies

We went to watch a called Ellen Pakkies. This is about a mother and son’s relationship that are not good as the son is using drugs. It was emotional as the mom did everything to help him but he kept on turning to drugs. I will never use drugs but my older brother has friends who smoke weed.

The language was difficult but I knew some words as we did a poem on Capetonian Afrikaans and a parents struggle to keep her kids alive. Our teacher always uses activities that are relevant to the work. She brings Afrikaans to life by exposing us to various forms of it. I enjoy learning in this way as it is not just a teacher standing in front of the class, reading from a textbook.

Day 3: Iewers vlieg daar fairy dust

This was about a white girl living with her grandma and cousins in a wendy house in a white squattercamp. She had many problems and wanted to become a doctor. Our teacher read the book, translated words, made us read, and we got homework. The reading out loud in the class was embarrasing at first but I slowly got the hang of it. It made me confidant in prouncing big Afrikaans words. We marked our homework and got a better understanding of the story.

I do not agree with any abuse and could therefore not understand why oom Bok would like to touch girls. I will stand up against this. I did not know that there was something like white camps for the poor. I could understand how difficult it is to live like this as we past neighbourhoods like this every day.

I agree with Elmien and one must have big dreams. My family raised me to work hard to achieve big things. I do not belief in unfair treatment and would always try to do the right thing by others.

Day 4: Language

I do not like language lessons but Ms Conradie is trying to make it interessting by adding mindmaps, funny stories and songs to remember the rules. We work with 12 sentences only and keep on doing revision on the same rules that we coverd in the other years. We were aloud to put our answers on the board and our friends was able to help us. We could also ask to not work on the board but was still enourage to work with our friends. This was effective as I was able to work with others on understanding the bigger picture. We used the projector too.

Day 5: Braaibroodjies

I never knew that it was so delicious. It was a nice time with good music, good foood and good friends. We had to talk Afrikaans to our peers which was very funny. Juffrou dressed up and had a few of her friends dancing on Afrikaans music. We had a choice what we wanted on our bread. I am going to make this type of food forever.

Leerder: 10

Day1

Gedig: Talle Tonge

We were given option to use dictionary and ask for word do not understand. We read the poem. Ma’am ask if anyone were allergic to anything. The is a power point about the chef. We were asked to write down the taste. We were blind fold to taste things we don’t know, we were not allowed to see. We tasted popcorn, sweets, and biscuits. This lesson taught us that our tongue can give the taste of most things. And also our tongue can hurt people in a bad way, but if you think in a good way then people can heal people too if word are use in a good way. Tongues are important to people to taste food and things.

In my culture we did not do use hurtful words so its new to me. We braai bread and listen to Afrikaans music. It is nice to learn new things from other culture.

Day2

Film: Ellen Pakkies

We watched a movie on Ellen Pakkies, this movie is on a boy taking drugs and his mother phone the police because she can’t help with the boy taking drug anymore. It’s an interesting movie about the mother’s experience. I did not know about the Cape Flats or the gang related violence and drugs. Not everyone have a proper family and would want their child to go in to the jail. It is about her patience to not fight back in a violence manner. The mother took in most of the pressure of exposing her child taking drug. She is a good mother. The behavior of the boy really damage the family, he shouldn’t take drug.

Taking drugs could really break down a family into pieces, so in our culture there would not be anyone taking drugs. If found then will be send to police station directly.

Day3

Book: Fairy dust

Ma’am read the book to us, its on a girls with a Doctor dream. Ma’am translate the whole book to us and the question too. We also read the book as a classmate so everyone had a chance to read. Ma’am also gave us time to take the book a read by our own to understand it better. Its all about the man harassing the girl.

The girl in the book are abuse by a old man and no one know this so no one could help. In our tradition if there is any abuse happen, the person that is abusing will be abuse by a group of people. One can only rely on the people in your community. We discuss on the life the girl have in the squatter camp, it is sad to know there is this kind of place. In my whole life so far, I’ve only seen these place on TV instead by myself. The girl wish to become a doctor to prove to her ouma she is better then her mom. My dream is to live well. Her granny likes her cousin more then the her, it is not fair. At our home this will not happen.

Day4

Taal

Learning Afrikaans is a challenge to me, since this is the third language to me that I learn at school. The method for learning this is doing a mind map and read all the rule carefully and look at all the examples where ma’am gave to me, and ask questions if we don’t know. One can only rely on the people in your community and not always the police.

As an Asian learning Afrikaans is a huge challenge, will need to understand what ma’am is saying and asking. She would give answer to the question to us on power point after finish with the question. Ma’am will help with the language when are needed and this is the most helpful method to learn Afrikaans

Day5

Menu

We are separated into groups and were given time to discuss about the country we are given. We had to explain the country to our class. We needed to discuss on what food we will talk about and ho will bring it. Ma’am explain the thing we must say and gave some ideas to help us. We learnt many things about other country what they it and what they dress in. it was a fun day when we do this. Our class where chatting about different cultures we know and eating desserts. It is cool.

Leerder: 11

DAY 1 Poem: Talle Tonge

The poem itself was a combination of the physical, sensory aspects of the tongue, as well as the social aspect of it and its uses in communication.

Ma’am had read the poem aloud and asked us to underline words that we didn’t understand. We divided into groups and allocated a chef in each of our groups. The other people were guinea pigs. Ma’am did ask if anyone was allergic to anything in particular. We were taught using a PowerPoint presentation that included a video from Master Chef. We had the option of a dictionary and images that we used to learn about a tongue. We were allowed to speak to the people around us regarding the lesson’s content. This day was in combination with the cultural week our school was celebrating.

Blog Entry

To learn about the sensory and social aspects of the human tongue by means of a poem, Mrs Conradie led us in a lesson using visual stimulation in the form of videos, diagrams and a slideshow presentation. To help us get the best out of the lesson, we were allowed to communicate with our peers regarding the lesson’s content, and were allowed to use both a dictionary and software aimed at translation.

I speak Afrikaans at home, and so I didn’t feel the need to use the language tools available the majority of the time, but I enjoyed conversing with my peers in the lesson. I enjoyed the fact that I could chat to my friends and help them during the Tong Tippie Toets. This, I suppose, is how my language played a role in my learning experience in the sense that it was easier for me to understand the lesson’s content without additional aids.

Christianity has a very particular view on the tongue with regards to its social aspects, in the sense that we are told that we need to be uplifting of other people with what we say, and not destructive.

I’ve also been taught as a child, as most of us were, that we should just keep quite if we have nothing nice to say to anyone.

DAY 2

We went to the cinema to watch an Afrikaans movie about a woman who had murdered her own son out of desperation after his drug addiction had become out of control. Subtitles were used to help the viewer understand. We were also allowed to engage in conversation with our peers, and were allowed to use dictionaries in class afterwards when we were given a small assignment on it. Movie: Ellen: Die Storie van Ellen Pakkies. Something worth mentioning is that we watched the movie trailer before we went to see the movie.

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The subtitles the cinema had provided helped me to understand the words that were lost in translation either as a result of slang or accent, since the Cape Afrikaans accent differs to that spoken in Gauteng. I learned that it is a dialect on its own especially when they talk fast. I enjoyed conversing with my peers during and afterwards as it provided various viewpoints so that I could understand the story from different angle.

In the movie, the woman resorts to taking her son’s life as she no longer knows what to do about his drug addiction that puts her and the family at risk. Both my Faith and my culture disagree with the use of drugs, because it results in a hand-over of your free will and conscious decision. My family has issues with street drugs and addiction concerning those, but my family does make use of prescription drugs, as a result of sickness, as well as mental conditions, such as bipolar and insomnia. My Faith disagrees with the use of prescription drugs for problems that Christ can ease, such as anxiety or depression that are situational as opposed to clinical. Furthermore, both my Faith and my culture disagree with murder on any level, however, my culture (or my family rather) does believe in the protection of its members on a relatively extreme level, that does not amount to murder, while my Faith’s view on this has a different approach that is more emotional rather than physical, and it’s more a way in which to distance yourself from people who only take from your joy. It’s not passive, but active, on a spiritually healthy level, that means it is without unnecessary negative action. It is important to keep your family accountable for their actions.

My language and heritage didn’t have much of an influence on my experience during this lesson, as it all falls under my culture, coming from a proudly Afrikaans family.

DAY 3 – Iewers Flieg Daar Fairydust

  • Ma’am read the novel aloud. Ma’am translated ages and challenging words.
  • Ma’am translated the questions. Every now and then we did peer-reading. We were given an opportunity to go home and read further ourselves so as to spend time with the novel outside of the classroom.
  • We discussed abuse, both physical (Elmien and Oom Bok), and emotional abuse (Elmien’s cousins). We discussed quality of life, and squattercamps. We also discussed ambitions and dreams for our future. Lastly, we discussed unfairness, and how we resolved issues in family.

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We studied the novel mainly through auditory and visual means: Ma’am would read the novel aloud, or sometimes ask one of us to read, while the class had to follow in the book.

On the topic of abuse, which we had discussed in class due to it being a theme in the novel, my family views physical abuse, in any form, as being a sick thing, while emotional abuse isn’t as discussed or recognized by some of my family members because of how rough the culture can be at times in terms of its views of respectfulness and working for everything you want. The family has become perhaps a bit more sensitive towards emotional abuse in recent years as a result of my parents’ divorce and the effect thereof on both my mother and I, as my father is a permanently, emotionally abusive, narcissistic individual. My grandfather, on my father’s side, is a sexual offender, and everyone has distanced themselves from him, or cut him off entirely, as a result. This has, of course, only increased the wedge between the two sides of my family, all of whom live in Port Elizabeth. My Faith, of course, views both as being incredibly wrong, and almost focuses on emotional abuse more than physical, due to the effects thereof on both individuals’ souls.

On the topic of quality of life, my family and Faith focus on living a good life emotionally and spiritually rather than being wealthy in physical possessions. Both focus on making the most with what you have, and not being in want of anything else, but being content with what you have, and relying on the Lord to provide what you don’t have, but need.

Similarly, to the above, unfairness is an issue that in my family is seen as something you just need to handle as it is given to you, because life is not fair, but that doesn’t make you less of a person. In terms of my Faith, we’re reminded of how people hated Christ before they hated us, and that we are not of the world, and thus the world is bound to hate us in one way or another. If we feel we’ve been given an unfair hand in life, we’re reminded in our Faith that God calls us as we are, and that what we’ve been given in life is good enough in God’s eyes and that we should deal with it in that way.

Issues in our family are resolved primarily with time, so as to allow each individual involved to cool down and think their actions through. Furthermore, apologies are crucial in both my Faith and my family so as to resolve issues.

DAY 4

  • Tenses were explained to us (Language lesson). A mind map was made as an aid. Rules were listed in our textbook, which we had read through. Example sentences were given to us, and their contents were unusual, and often a story was involved so as to keep us entertained. We were given homework based on this, and the lesson was presented on the whiteboard. We were given opportunities to write down our answers on the board (method of involvement) and the answers were later provided on the projector.
  • Differences between language, struggles we might have had as a result of language barriers, and how we intend to apply what we learn in the Afrikaans class.

Blog Entry

Tenses were explained to us (Language lesson). A mind map was made as an aid. Rules were listed in our textbook, which we had read through. Example sentences were given to us, and their contents were unusual, and often a story was involved so as to keep us entertained. We were given homework based on this, and the lesson was presented on the whiteboard. We were given opportunities to write down our answers on the board (method of involvement) and the answers were later provided on the projector. Personally, I had learnt best through doing examples and doing my homework because of the fact that I was then exposed to the language in a practical manner. I need only apply myself to learn further, as I speak Afrikaans at home.

I don’t face much difficulty learning Afrikaans as most of it is already programmed into me due to the fact that I am bilingual, and not in the process of learning a second language (as I am already mostly fluent in Afrikaans due to it being my home language). I intend to apply Afrikaans in my life by speaking to my family in Afrikaans, and I can apply it in the workplace because I intend to work primarily in South Africa, and a client would appreciate it if you could speak to them in the language that they understand best.

DAY 5

Blog Entry

We had an assignment where, in groups of threes, we picked a country’s name from a hat and then had to present facts about the country and present a few dishes from the country in Afrikaans to our teacher and our class. The focus of the lesson was food, and this is an interesting point of discussion. In my Faith, food is not the most necessary thing we find ourselves in need of; instead, God’s word should be our source of life.

In my family, food is an important tool that is used to bring people together, and is thus an indication of togetherness and community. It’s important to my culture in the same manner. Our language is our manner of communication, and the most prominent manner in which we communicate as a family is around the dining room table, which is crucial, again, for bond-forming and the sense of togetherness.

Leerder: 12

DAY1:

(GEDIG: TALLE TANGE) THE DAY STARTED WITH JUFFROU SAYING TO US WE SHOULD UNDERLING THE WORDS WE DON’T UNDERSTAND. WE WERE DEIVIDED IN DIFFERENT GROUPS, ONE PERSON WAS THE CHEF WHILE THE OTHERS WERE THE PARTICIPANTS. She asked if we were allergic to a certain food. She showed us a power point, sounds and we used a dictionary to find the English translation for the different type of foods.

TALLE TONGE was a combination of different parts of tongue for taste, people can use their tongues for different ways such has insulting a person or complimenting them.

Which methods and resources she used?

  • Power points
  • Dictionaries were used for translation
  • There tasting of foods which were sour, sweet, salty, bitter

Overall it was wonderful experience and the creativity was quite enjoyable.

How did culture help?

It helps by making us aware of different traditions which we never aware of like eating the broodjies. The culture helped me realized that there was uniqueness of the culture and how some aspects are the similar and some contrasts.

Language?

The language was a bit difficult to understand because I had to use a dictionary to translate the Afrikaans into English. I learned new words and it increased my vocabulary by a bit. overall it was quite a productive learning experience. I learned to say springmeilies in a proper way.

Religion? As a Christian I believe that we should use our tongues for good and not for hurtful means.

Heritage? In my heritage we believe that the tongue is a very powerful weapon to use and that we must use it in a respectable way

DAY2: (Film)

We watched a film which was quite intriguing because it was quite an emotional story for one to handle. The name of the movie is ELLEN PAKKIES. We Went to the cinema to watch the movie. The story was about a woman who loved his son so dearly but unfortunately had to take his life due to the path he took. In my culture we believe that you send the delinquent child to another family member but in the story you can understand that the mother had to this. The language was quite easy to follow because there were English translation to read. As a Christian we should not kill a person because it is sin even though they have committed so many crimes, we believe that it must be reconciliation with the victim and accuser. in my heritage we do not believe in conflict and rather in peace and there is always a way to resolve this.

DAY3:

  • The teacher read it out loud
  • Translate the pages and the different words
  • Translate the different words
  • Peer reading
  • Go home and spend time with the book

Various discussions’ abuse, cousins abusing the situation, personal view, quality of life, how does my background affect the situation

In the various discussion we discussed that why does the old man prey on a young girl, there could be something wrong with the old man, you could see he is depressed with himself, but the young girl had to allow this abuse because she deepened on him for transport and cousins knew this which led to them abusing the situation n for their own benefit. My opinion about this is that it was quite a daunting experience for this young girl, and she still made it after all of this turmoil which is quite commendable. I feel that the squatter camp in white and black areas are quite similar in the sense of both of the areas live in harsh conditions but in black squatter camps is more squashed and compressed and dirty that the white squatter camps. well I’m the richest in terms of my background because I’m privileges as an individual and that I previously from a RDP house which was not as worse as an shack.

Dreams of life: in this story we can say that it does not matter what circumstances you are in, we can always

Unfairness in family: generally, there is no unfairness in my family and we pretty much well suited recently but before yes there was too much responsibility on my part.

DAY4: language day (tenses)

Mind map: we started putting the different rules in a mind map, by using different colors for the different rules.

Referred back to the book: we went to the book to find out about the rules and how to use it practically by making our own sentence and by the teacher showing us the way to use it with the help of stompi.

Example sentences which were funny were used for entertainment for more interest in the subject. Example sentence which were not funny were meant for learning purpose so that we understand what we were doing and to give us the broader context of things. Gave us homework to see if we understand what we are doing and for practice of the rules. Used the board for showing us the answer in what was the homework so that we can see if we made mistake. Involvement of the learner is to answer the question on the board by the teacher asking us the question. The answer was given to us.

With the background of your language: with Afrikaans I found it easy to understand the rules due to constant revision and engagement with the context of it.

Understand the language and relate with it: I don’t really understand the language but in terms of some language context I do understand them because some Afrikaans words sound like Sesotho but overall it needs your time to understand and patience with it.

Day5: foods from different countries

Let’s say this, I really like food to the point of no return because every time I want to satisfy myself is by consuming food that are unique from the food I generally eat. so when the teacher gave us this assignment I was filled with excitement because It is not only tasting food and enjoying but it is the culture and traditions that were quite interesting. You had to learn about different cultures so that we can make the food we were about eat, this even meant that we bonded as a group from different cultures. this was really the highlight of this experiences that we bonded and made memories in the process, even though there were some challenges we were quite united in this and we made progress with yourself in terms of knowing each other.

Leerder: 13

Day one: Poetry: Talle tonge

Once in the classroom, we had an interactive lesson on a poem called Talle Tonge. We were divided into groups, where chefs and tasters were allocated. We used a number of methods to understand this poem, such as dictionaries for words we do not understand, a power point presentation, a video and some lekker kos. This was so that we were able to understand the literal meaning of the tongue and the figurative meaning.

The figurative meaning was that we that we use our tongue for various things, such as building people and breaking them. In my heritage, I was always taught that if you do not have anything nice to say you should not say anything at all. This helped me relate to this poem easier, because this is what the poem basically spoke about. It was interesting to find out that my heritage (and the writer’s) relates to my culture which made it better for me to learn this poem.

Day two: Movie: Die storie van Ellen Pakkies

We went to Menlyn Shopping Centre to watch Die storie van Ellen Pakkies. This was an emotional movie about a son, who started using drugs and his mother was trying to find ways to help him, but no one was willing to help her. This resulted in her killing her child out of self-defense. This movie helped me understand a poem we did in class called Ma, moenie worry nie, which was about a child who was using drugs in the Cape Flats.

Being exposed to such visuals allowed me to understand the situation in the Cape Flats and where it is, which helped with my learning, because I was able to imagine the things mentioned in the poem. I have never been exposed to drugs myself, but one of my cousins were exposed to drugs and he got addicted. His mom tried to take him to a rehabilitation center, but this made his addiction worse. Having watched this play out from an inside view, I was able to understand Ellen Pakkies’s actions. Our teacher always ensured that the activities we did were relatable to our age group and the struggles we go through as well as the challenges we may face, which made learning a new language like Afrikaans fun and not as foreign as we expected it to be.

Day three: Book: Iewers daar vlieg fairy dust

This was a book about a girl who faces a lot of challenges and wants to become a doctor. Our teacher read the book to us and she translated the difficult words. There were times where we did peer reading which was often very funny but it allowed us to be comfortable with each other. The questions were translated to us as well. We were also given the freedom to continue reading the book at home which allowed us to gain a further understanding of the book.

Before reading this book, I wasn’t aware of white squatter camps. This expanded my knowledge of the Afrikaans culture. Topics such as abuse, the quality of life, dreams and unfairness were discussed.

In my heritage, sexual abuse is taken very seriously. If any one of my family members were in the same situation as Elmien, they would’ve told the family and as a family we were going to report it and help the person deal with the trauma.

The quality of living in my culture, is almost similar to Elmien’s in the sense that the opportunities are minimal and they usually live in squatter camps. This helped me understand the book more, because it was easy to imagine the standard of living in this book.

I agree with the way Elmien went about her dream. In my heritage, I was always taught that if you want something you should go for it regardless of the obstacles that you may come across. This is exactly what Elmien did and it made it easier to relate to this book which made it easier to read the book and understand plus answer this questions related to this book.

Unfairness was also a topic we saw occur in this book. In my heritage it is believed that you should always stand up for yourself. In my family the way Elmien went about the way her cousins treated her we would not accept. Even though I personally would’ve gone about it the same way she did, my heritage would not agree.

Day four: Language: Tenses

We learnt about tenses in the form of a mind map, reading through the rules in the Goed, Beter Afrikaans. Our teacher also used funny examples to help us understand the concept. We were also told stories that related to the concepts. We got homework which helped us practice the concepts on our own. We marked these with the use of the projector and sometimes we would have to write the answers on the board. This allowed the class to interact with each other and help each other correct the mistakes made. This way of learning was very effective for me because it helped me catch onto the concepts faster than usual and it made studying it fun to.

Day 5: Wildcard: Exploration of different countries and cultures

We had an assignment where we were placed into groups and given a country to explore. We had to make a menu based on what the cultural foods of the country. This allowed us to explore other cultures and beliefs in Afrikaans, which was hard, but very interesting because it allowed me to learn new Afrikaans words. Being in a group also allowed me to see the views of my fellow peers based on the country we got and they told me a few interesting facts about the country that they knew that I was never aware about. This made this assignment interesting and enjoyable despite the difficulty of the language.

Leerder: 14

Day 1 (Gedig: Talle Tonge):

The whole day started with Juffrou reading through the poem, she told us to underline in pencil the words we didn’t understand and use dictionaries, google translate, the Viva app and our friends to get the meanings of the words we did not understand. Juffrou then showed us a power point about the poem and we wrote down the notes (she gave us enough time to copy down the notes neatly), the power point included a video clip of the Master chief judges analyzing a contestant’s food (we heard what they said and took it into consideration when we judged the different types of food available to us).

We then divided into groups and one person was selected by Juffrou to be the chief while others tried the food on the different parts of their tongue. Juffrou checked that we were not allergic to anything before hand and made sure that everyone’s dietary needs. Once we started we had to guess what part of the tongue was used and what the food was.

Talle tonge is a combination of parts of your tongue, but the deeper meaning is that your words have an impact on others.

The food that I tasted was really delicious and I was grateful for the experience. Due to my heritage, religion and culture I must always be grateful for the experiences I receive and listen with open ears. We were also given the opportunity to ask those who were good in Afrikaans to help us, however we did not depend on them fully. I helped many people with the instructions of what they needed to do, I did however encourage them to find the translation themselves with a bit of guidance along the way.

During the week that we did the poem we also had a cultural week where we experienced other cultures and their traditions. We had an Afrikaans day where we listened to Afrikaans music and ate braai broodtjies, this encouraged many of us to only speak Afrikaans. Many students battled with it at first as it was not there first or second language, but those of us who understood it well helped them and soon we were all enjoying speaking Afrikaans.

 

Day 2 (Film):

We watched 3 films this year, all of which was in Afrikaans. One of those movies that stuck out to me was Ellen: Die storie van Ellen Pakkies. This movie was very hard for me to watch as Ellen’s son was battling with a Tik addiction then tried to get help, but unfortunately did not get the help he needed which eventually led to his death. This was very hard for me as I had a parent battling with an alcohol addiction which eventually led them to beat me, but fortunately for me I was able to get out of that terrible situation before it escalated, I still deal with the after effects to this day. After I watched this movie I could not stop talking about it and recommended it to anyone and everyone as I enjoyed not only the fact that it was a South African movie, but it also raised awareness to the problems faced in the Cape. I was always aware of these problems shown in the movie, as my grandmother lives in Cape Town and we drive past the Cape Town Flats. This movie deals with many issues that relate to many young people today such as drugs, poverty and family. Also these topics do not seem to relate, it is clear that drugs cause poverty and the destruction of a family.

The second movie Fiela se kind did not have that great of an impact on me as the previous movie did, however it was a great movie from a South African writer. It was enjoyable to watch a well-known South frican book on the big screen.

The third movie Ballade vir n enkeling was a great movie with lots of twists and turns throughout the movie, which made it more enjoyable to watch. Everyone enjoyed the movie and all had something to say about it.

All the movies we watched had subtitles and we did do poems relating to these movies in some way (not a direct connection but related to the topic). It is always a great experience to watch a movie made in South Africa by South Africans for South Africans.

 

Day 3:

Iewers vlieg daar Fairy dust was an enjoyable book. Juffrou read out loud, translated each page but slowly lessened it to summarize each chapter, certain difficult words and the questions we had to answer. I found this annoying as it was not always necessary and I felt that those who did not do well in Afrikaans were just too lazy to read and often did not have their books or wanted it to be repeated.

Juffrou made us all read at least a page to help us improve our Afrikaans, which was enjoyable as it gave us a chance to practice our Afrikaans. Juffrou also gave us the opportunity to read and do the questions at home, so that we could spend more time on the book and what it asked for a better understanding.

When we read we also had many discussions about various topics in the book such as:

1. The sexual abuse Oom Bok inflicted on Elmien, which was a disgusting thing to happen to anyone and no one deserves it. I myself have experienced some sort of sexual assault, however not to the extent Elmien faced. It is sad for any women to experience sexual harassment, assault or abuse and needs to be dealt with in a serious manner, too many young women and men are afraid to take justice against their abuser or harasser due to the lack of justice that might occur or the judgement they might face as a result from it.

Elmien was also harassed by her cousins and was also emotionally manipulated by them for their own personal gain. This angered me as their grandmother did nothing to stop it and let Elmien get hurt. Many of my family members have stood still while the others emotionally manipulate each other.

2. The quality of life in squatter camps is horrible as many people are living off scraps and are piecing things together to try and build shelters. Many of my classmates did not know of white squatter camps which is highly unfortunate as we have the stereotype that only black people live in squatter camps.

I was very upset to hear that Elmien’s cousins used her money to buy a TV and a DSTV in the book as she was saving that money to go to university and help her family out of the squatter camp, however this plan or dream shattered before her when the cousins bought thatTV.

It is sad to know that we have squatter camps, but it is sadder to know that most people in squatter camps are not as concerned with getting out of the squatter, but rather with luxury items or things that will only bring them pleasure. They are allowed to have access to these things, however I believe that you should put your needs before your wants and improve your quality of life for the long term rather than for the short term.

3. Elmien had a dream of becoming a doctor and it seemed like she would not achieve it due to finances which were worsened by her cousins, however she then received an opportunity to achieve her dream with the help of her grandmother on her mom’s side. We all have dreams and it is sad that some people may never achieve their dreams due to money issues or other influences. As long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to become a veterinarian, however I may not be able to achieve this due to finances and that my marks are not as high as needed. All these things that hold me back from achieving my dream will not hold me forever, as I am determined to achieve them and make myself proud.

4. Throughout the book Elmien experiences unfairness such as her cousins’ emotional abuse, Oom Bok sexually harassing her, her grandmother not dealing with the conflict between the children and Alex no longer having interest in her after her found out that she lives in a squatter camp.

In life we always experience unfairness, but that is part of life and we cannot always have life go well for us all the time. Throughout my life I have been constantly over looked for my leadership skills, however this does not bother me as much as I know that it does not matter on earth but rather in heaven with God, where my potential will be fully recognized.

 

Day 4:

One of the best lessons we had was on tenses as Juffrou used many different techniques to help us learn such as mind maps, reading through the rules in the book and adding them to our notes if we did not have them already, doing funny examples with funnier stories to help us remember the rules quicker, doing many harder examples without the funny stories in class, giving the learners the opportunity to practice sentences on the board with the help of students and eventually Juffrou and we were given homework to help us practice doing tenses, after we finished the homework we were give the answers on the board via the projector.

This lesson was a bit of a struggle for me as I was not use to the rules that came with tenses in English they are not as many and they are not as complicated.

After school I want to use Afrikaans in my job as I would like to move to Limpopo and work with the animals on the farms where most of the farmers are Afrikaans.

 

Day 5:

One of my favourite days was our food recipe day as we had to find an Afrikaans food recipe, make the food and come explain how we did it to Juffrou. This was a great experience as we had to search for Afrikaans resources which was a lot harder than English resources as there are fewer available. It was fun to be able to make the food and present it in front of Juffrou and my classmates, however it was difficult as I spent some time translating the recipe and many hours perfecting my speech, but in the end it was worth it and I had lots of fun doing it.

It was very interesting to see what everyone else made and presented as we all have different cultures and backgrounds. Some students made traditional dishes that they translated from English into Afrikaans with help from Juffrou.

All in all this was a great day as it was a practical self-research project.

 

Leerder: 15

Day 1:

Gedig: Talle Tonge

During culture week, we read the poem and were given the option to use a dictionary or google translate as a tool for understanding. We were then divided in groups of chefs and blindfolded tasters after being asked about dietary requirements. The blindfolded tasters were given foods that they needed to name while it was described to them by the rest of the group members. This was beneficial in developing group work and trust among classmates while working together with people of different races and closing the divide caused when we see colour and how different cultures can cause unnecessary segregation. There was a PowerPoint presented to us to make it easier to understand. Talle Tonge was a poem describing the functionality of your literal tongue used for taste and your tongue used to speak and the choice you make to use it to be nice or mean. The author being Matthews Phosa, makes the poem easier to read because the language is easier to understand as he uses simplified Afrikaans. The poem being written by a black man who was alive during difficult times faced by black people, is titivational (motivational) because it unifies people of the country and shows long overdue forgiveness over an issue that in my eyes is relevant to talk about for the sake of knowledge but should not cause problems today. With soft and kind words is healing possible. To summarise this lesson: Although you could not see what you are tasting nor could you decide what items you will be tasing, you as a person can always choose what you say and how you say it.

Day 2:

Film: Ellen

On this day, we went to go watch Ellen, which is a movie set in the Cape flats, about a mother who has a son struggling with drug addiction. I never knew that the living conditions and situation is that bad. This movie speaks into the different parts of Afrikaans that can be spoken. In my eyes it is like a middle ground between the slang mostly used by black people and Afrikaans seen as a ‘white language’ in South Africa. It was interesting to see the way they use terse and rough language which is seen with African languages but they were never offended and it was the way they interact.

Day 3:

Boek: Iewers flieg daar faerie dust

During this period, the book was read aloud and translated by both the teacher and fellow students. We did peer reading where we would translate the story together as a class. We were sent home with reading material where we would translate what happened in the story and recap daily using a mix of Afrikaans and English.

The class would have discussions based on the book and share our opinions, knowledge and experiences. The characters became personal to each and every one of us and we were able to see things from different perspectives. Everyone who has been through a tough time financially in a family situation can understand what it is to struggle. People rarely understand that just because you go to a private institute that it does not mean you are rich or get everything that you want or are spoiled and that assumption is unfair.

Day 4:

Taal: tenses

On this day, we made a mind map and read the rules in goed, beter, afrikaans textbook. Example sentences that were humorous and had a story to tell to hold interest. We were given homework to practise, answers were provided in a word documents and projected onto the whiteboard for us to mark. In class, the teacher wrote on the whiteboard and the would select a student to come write the answer on the board.

Understanding while having conversations with Afrikaans speakers and making people more comfortable by making them aware that I know something about which will make conversation more interesting because I will be seen as a well-rounded person. My language helped me learn Afrikaans and speak it better because there are many words that the two languages have in common.

Day 5: speech

The day we did Afrikaans speeches on our favourite artists was my favourite Afrikaans lesson ever because it was personal to me, I got to share not only an interest of mine but something that forms a big part of my identity, which is my relationship with Christ. Sharing it in a different language was difficult in that I didn’t want to oversimplify and downplay the message I was trying to get across but I didn’t want to use words that are too big and lose the sincerity of my message. It was a challenging but definitely worthwhile and precious moment to me because my religion is more easily accessible to me than my culture. This is because I was raised in the suburbs and rarely went to visit my family in townships as I grew older and schoolwork became hectic and started taking more of my time. This caused a divide when I visited my cousins because I didn’t speak my language as well as they did and their English wasn’t as good as mine. There was judgment from both sides that was unfair. This gave me a bad perception of my culture and to some extent my race as well.

Leerder: 16

DAY 1: Gedig- Talle Tonge

On this day, that was during culture week, we read through the poem, underlined it, and analysed it. We were divided into different groups where there were chefs allocated in each group. There was a PowerPoint presentation, and a video, and the teacher also allowed us to use a dictionary during the lesson. Different testers were made available such as sweet, sour, salty etc. and, the teacher also asked about our allergies as well.

Talle tonge was a combination of different tongues, both literally, and figuratively. It showed us how the power of the tongue can either hurt or heal others. The teacher used different methods such as reading through the poem, making notes, visual aids, other resources such as access to dictionaries, and online dictionaries and also some interaction with our friends.

As a Xhosa girl, who knows more about the Sotho culture and speaks the language, a lesson like this made me realise how delicate one be must with the choice of their words, and because people in the Sesotho culture are very sensitive to the manner in which they are spoken to when giving feedback. So with this lesson being given, it opened my eyes to how some cultures and classmates carry the same values and ways.

The language aspect of this lesson was quite easy to comprehend as I was able to understand what was going on in the lesson and my 1st language in no way affects my ability to learn Afrikaans.

As someone raised in a Christian based home, I was taught to speak kindly to others, and this lesson, in this aspect, with the meaning behind this lesson showed me how a poem like this has a universal message for everyone.

The heritage aspect behind this lesson was that culture has got nothing to do with word choices. In to today’s day and age your choice of words can be hurtful or sincere. It can come from a place of love and by that we can build a beter future. Cultural diversity does not exclude you from using uplifting and soft words. We all should strive on focusing on universal values.

DAY 2: Fliek – Die Storie van Ellen Pakkies

The Story of Ellen Pakkies, was rather a sad story. It is about a young man who got addicted to tik and later was killed by his own mother due to his aggression and his uncontrollable behaviour. We were taken to the cinema as a group to watch this movie and given options to make us comfortable.

There were subtitles in the movie for our understanding, we were also tasked to write about our understanding of the movie, as well as the experiences in the movie. The poem we did, Ma, Moenie Worry Nie also related to the movie making it easier to understand.

Culturally, drugs are forbidden, even though it is a personal thing. Much like my uncle. My family did not approve of his choices, but we had to let him do what he wanted because he is grown and no one can make choices for him. This movie was relatable as my family dealt with the same struggles as Ellen Pakkies, however my uncle was taken to rehab and later made the choice of going to back to the drugs. I felt sorry for the mother and have a lot of empathy for her.

DAY 3: Boek – Iewers Flieg na Fairydust

When reading this book, the teacher read out loud for us, she translated the words we did not understand as well as the pages, and she also translated the questions and assisted with the answers. We also did some peer reading, where we all read a paragraph or two. We were also given some time to do the work at home.

The abuse that Elmien endured from Oom Bok was quite annoying and it struck a nerve. I say this, not because I was abused in any way, shape, or form, but I am 100% against it. The abuse she also endured from her cousins was also quite unfair and it was more from a financial aspect, as well as emotionally. Elmien often reminded me of when I was young especially when she was taken advantage of by her cousins.

The quality of life regarding the white squatter camps showed me something I was completely oblivious to. I had the perception of there only being black squatter camps, but the book showed me that where is another side of life.

Elmien stopped at nothing to achieve her dreams, which for me was very much inspirational and motivating. Especially with her being in grade 11, much like me, she really tried to get accepted into university which she did, and that is what really inspired me. My dreams entail being a lawyer who will one day own her own law firm, as well as a health activist for teenagers.

In my family, the way unfairness is dealt with is by speaking through it and finding resolution. Generally, the children don’t address certain issues, but adults are expected to address all situations.

DAY 4: Language – Tenses

Regarding the language, our teacher used a mind map as a form of teaching us. This honestly made it easier for me to understand the work properly. We also read the rules of the language and followed with examples in the book. Our teacher also made it a bit more personal by sharing personal stories, such as her friends dog to make it more memorable for us to remember. She also gave us homework, and she gave us the answers a few days later by putting them on the projector. He used the whiteboard to show us the method and also the ways to do this. Opportunities were also given to some learners to share their answers by writing them on the board. My background does not affect my ability to learn language in Afrikaans because there are a few similarities in Sesotho and Afrikaans.

Regarding where Afrikaans will take me, it will broaden my language abilities, thus making me more diverse. It will provide more job opportunities for me in the future.

DAY 5: Maak ’n Menu

We were presented with a fun lesson much like picking a country in our different group ‒ ours was Russia. In this lesson, we had to dress up in Russian attire, and also prepare Russian food and know a bit of knowledge on the cuisine. In this, I learnt about the different cuisines of the world and also peoples personal cultures and traditions and how they differ from their own cultures. We also brought different food within our groups, as I had to bring beef stroganoff. I utterly enjoyed dressing up and taking pictures with people from “other countries.”

Leerder: 17

Day 1:

Poem: Talle Tonge.

We began the lesson with Juffrou Conradie reading the poem aloud to the class, as she was reading we underlined words that we did not understand. This not only made us familiar with the poem before we started, but ensured that any possible confusion or misunderstandings were dealt with before we began to go deeper.

Afterwards we were divided into groups and one person in each group was selected to be the ‘chef’, the others were going to be the ‘tasters’. Before we began to eat the food, Juffrou asked the class in anybody was allergic to anything. Once that was cleared, we began the tasting.

First we were told to close our eyes, then we were told to eat the unknown food that was given to us. Once we had figured out what it was that we ate, we had to use a resource to find out the Afrikaans word for that food (resources such as a dictionary, google translate or a friend were allowed to be used). This not only forced us to work as a group but it created a common ground that despite us all being from different backroads, we were able to come together and unite us.

After the tasting was complete, Juffrou began to present a PowerPoint presentation of the poem Talle Tonge, and we began to make notes. This provided a visual aid to be combined with the taste aid that we experienced earlier. The presentation gave us more insight and deeper understanding of the poem.

As we began to analyse the poem, we all began to understand the deeper messages within the peom, being the literal and figurative purposes of the tongue. We had discovered from the beginning of the lesson the literal meaning of the tongue, being taste. But as we went deeper into the subject, we discovered that the purpose of the tongue is not only to taste food, but the tongue is powerful tool for talking, it can be used for saying positive or negative things.

The whole lesson was very educational, insightful and the engagement allowed for the class to become more united. It was very educational and entertaining.

Day 2:

Movie: Ballade Vir ’n Enkeling.

We began the lesson by reading the blurb of the story, to get a general idea of what the story is about, without going into too much detail, to allow room for mystery. This was effective as this grasped our attention and held onto our interest, making us want to engage and learn more.

We then began to use the given textbook/study book as a guide to help us further understand the messages within the story. This was helpful as this contributed to an even better understanding of the story.

Then, we started to watch the movie, this was a very entertaining and educational way to learn about the story, as it was both a visual and sound aid. The movie was also filmed well, adding to the interest factor.

Once we were finished with watching the movie, we sat together as a class and discussed what we thought of the movie, and what stood out for us. This was also an effective learning technique as this is a short summary of the movie and we developed a better understanding of the story by hearing other people’s opinions. This also brought us together as a class because despite the different backgrounds and cultures that the class is made up from, we had something to use as a common ground to engage with each other, which in the end brought us together.

After the discussion we did some extra practice exercises to ensure that we had a complete and full understanding of the story.

The whole process was very educational, entertaining, and brought a divided class together. It was a very fun and enjoyable experience.

Day 3:

Book: Iewers Flieg Daar Fairy Dust.

We began the lesson with reading the blurb of the story, to obtain a better understanding of the story before we begin and to obtain interest.

As we were reading the book, Juffrou Conradie translated phrases, pages and questions that we did not understand so that there would be no misunderstandings or confusion.

Once everyone was comfortable with the story and reading, we began to engage in peer reading where everyone participated and contributed by reading a paragraph in the book. This not only involved and included everyone to work together as one but this helped Improve our reading and speaking skills in the language.

We were then sent home to do some self-reading and to answer some extra practice questions about the book to ensure that we have a good understanding of the story and so that we could practice conveying our understanding of it.

When we returned we marked the questions and had a discussion about important themes of the book, being: abuse (between Elmien and Oom Bok, and Elmien and her cousins), quality of life (what was like living in a squatter camp), future dreams (especially with careers), the unfairness of situations and the resolving of issues.

The theme that I most associated with was the theme of future dreams. I have a dream to one-day study archeology, and I associated with Elmien when she felt so passionately and determined to follow her dream but kept being put down by other people, saying that the idea is unwise, impossible or a waste of time. I get that a lot from people when I tell them about my dream.

The whole lesson experience was educational, interactive, skills-enhancing and relatable. I enjoyed it a lot.

Day 4:

Language Topic: Tenses.

The lesson started with Juffrou reading the rules of tenses in Afrikaans. This made us familiar with them before we get started with the work. She then took those rules and made a mind map with us on the whiteboard for us to copy down in our notes. This then provides us with easily understandable concepts and study notes in preparation for tests and exams.

Juffrou then provided us with example sentences to better understand how to apply these language concepts. These sentences were easy, humorous and were along the lines of story-telling. This maintained our interest and were helpful for better understanding.

We were then given practice questions to do in class to see if we really did understand the concepts and ask questions should we have any. Juffrou then put example questions on the board and called a few of us up to practice with the class. This involved everyone and created a sense of unity as we were all working together to learn and understand something new.

We were then given homework to further practice the concepts. This helped in developing our understanding. The next day we marked the work in class with the answers on the board via the projector.

This learning experience was interesting, effective and engaging.

Day 5:

Bonding Day: Making Braai Broodjies.

This happened during heritage week. The lesson began with Juffrou taking us outside to go and make braai broodjies. She had bought and prepared ingredients to use to make the broodjies. She then taught us about the significance braaing together as a family and how it can be a really lovely way for people to bond and get to know each other and have a good time.

Juffrou then allowed us to go and braai our broodjies and get a chance to talk to and get to know our classmates better. We then as a class began find common ground to associate with each other and to better know one another.

It was also an opportunity to taste and experience some of South Africa’s most popular and traditional foods, particularly in the Afrikaans community.

This experience was very insightful, entertaining and lovely overall. It was a very nice way bring a divided and diverse group of people together. I would love to do something like this again.

 


LitNet Akademies (ISSN 1995-5928) is geakkrediteer by die SA Departement Onderwys en vorm deel van die Suid-Afrikaanse lys goedgekeurde vaktydskrifte (South African list of Approved Journals). Hierdie artikel is portuurbeoordeel vir LitNet Akademies en kwalifiseer vir subsidie deur die SA Departement Onderwys.


The post Die toepassing van ’n multigeletterdheidsbenadering in ’n Afrikaans Eerste Addisionele Taal-klaskamer appeared first on LitNet.

The application of a multiliteracies approach in an Afrikaans First Additional Language classroom

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Abstract

One of the challenges South African teachers face is the number of learners receiving instruction in a language ‒ most commonly English ‒ that is generally their second, third or fourth language. It may even be a language they have not been exposed to before, considering the many cross-border and continental learners seated in local classrooms. This cultural and linguistic diversity, coupled with the constant need to promote inclusivity, places heavy demands on teachers. The teaching of Afrikaans as an additional language could thus serve to embrace methodologies that are focussed on cultural and linguistic diversity as a resource rather than a deficit or problem to address. Furthermore, novel teaching and learning strategies aligned to 21st-century skills such as teamwork, adaptability and social networking ought to be introduced in order to prepare learners for the future awaiting them in the ever-changing corporate world. The pedagogy of multiliteracies was already introduced in the 1990s, and South African scholars such as Janks (2010), Janks and Vasquez (2011), Stein and Newfield (2016) and Engelbrecht (2019) have broadened this field. This study contributes to the field of multiliteracies and how this pedagogy manifests in a culturally and linguistically diverse grade 11 Afrikaans first additional language (FAL) classroom. The argument put forward in this article is the necessity of multiliteracies as an agent to facilitate additional language learning and the possibility of mining the what, why and how of the multiliteracies approach in an Afrikaans FAL classroom. Multiliteracies pedagogy encourages diversity, embraces technology and multimodality and in doing so, moves away from the autonomous and traditional literacy model (reading and writing) to a nuanced model of literacies, as reflected in the manifesto of the New London Group (1996).

Multiliteracies as an approach rests on four interdependent tenets. Firstly, situated practice emphasises the prior knowledge and situated experiences of all learners. Secondly, overt instruction refers to the sum of interventions by the teacher who facilitates scaffolded learning in a constructivist process. Critical framing, the third tenet of multiliteracies, encourages learners to question assumptions and to transfer meaning to different social contexts. Lastly, transformed practice aims to teach learners to apply their new knowledge to their own contexts and to allow new knowledge to redefine and recreate themselves. The overarching research question is: How can a multiliteracies approach enhance learning in an Afrikaans FAL classroom? The sub-questions address the core characteristic of the four multiliteracies tenets in order to answer the main question. The first sub-question deals with the diverse situated practice of learners: how can diversity enhance learning in an Afrikaans FAL classroom? The second question refers to scaffolding interventions by the teacher’s overt instruction: how can learners’ previous experiences enhance their learning? The third tenet (critical framing) is directed at the cultivation of critical and authentic self-directed learning: how can learners be supported to take responsibility for their own learning? Lastly, to relate to the individual growth and meaning-making of learners, the sub-question is: how can multiple learning styles support learning in an Afrikaans FAL classroom?

To answer these questions, 17 participants between 17 and 19 years old in the Further Education and Training phase of a private school in Pretoria in the Afrikaans FAL classroom created a drawing depicting their experiences of learning Afrikaans (poetry, prose, film studies and grammar). This was followed by five matching blog entries on the different genres in which the participants described their learning experiences in a narrative format. These two data sets informed each other and were deductively analysed to find traces and patterns of the tenets of multiliteracies as described in the research sub-questions (diversity, interventions, self-directed learning and individualised learning) and how these contributed to successful learning. According to an arts-based analysis the visual representations of the participants’ experiences of learning Afrikaans were analysed. The visual data were first analysed separately and then compared to the narratives that participants wrote on the same day, explaining their drawings. This member-checking aligns with an arts-based methodology. Participants were permitted to express themselves in Afrikaans or English to prevent a possible lack of Afrikaans vocabulary from limiting their expression. This qualitative study was conducted using an interpretivist lens while an instrumental case study design helped to establish how the multiliteracies approach was employed in the FAL classroom. Findings show that self-directed learning that focussed on prior learner experience and guided facilitation resulted in learners not only becoming acquainted with diversity but also using each other as resources to learn Afrikaans. Their learning was enriched by exposure to different cultural and linguistic perspectives. Experiential learning, technological support and multimodal learning gave rise to redesigned knowledge and practices. The following technological sources were reflected in both data sets: electronic dictionaries, music, videos, films, television, photographs, white boards and cell phones. Technology and multimodality were integral to learning experiences such as collectively visiting cinemas and watching trailers of the film studied in class. Participants constantly developed, practised and improved 21st-century skills and in doing so, they created new meaning from the literary and other texts used inside and outside the classroom and were able to transfer their meaning-making to their social world and that of other communities. For instance, participants drew on different sensory impressions to explore texts about food while applying critical literacy to question assumptions and stereotypes and unmask ideological thinking. Participants benefitted from the various cultures represented in the classroom as different perspectives and opinions were exchanged. The findings suggest that a multiliteracies approach might become non-negotiable in a contemporary additional language classroom, especially in highly diverse contexts. There is a paucity of research in the field of Afrikaans methodology and these findings suggest that a multiliteracies pedagogy can be implemented successfully in a diverse Afrikaans FAL classroom.

Keywords: Afrikaans First Additional Language; experiential learning; inclusivity; multiliteracies; multimodality; self-directed learning; 21st-century skills

 

Lees die volledige artikel in Afrikaans

Die toepassing van ’n multigeletterdheidsbenadering in ’n Afrikaans Eerste Addisionele Taal-klaskamer

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Fresh off the press: Twitter dawn by Joe Kitchen

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Twitter dawn
Joe Kitchen

Publisher: Naledi
ISBN: 978177617280

With Twitter and Elon Musk grabbing the headlines lately, and with all the rage about artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT, the time for a virtual reality novel has finally arrived. About ten years ago, then still writing as Koos Kombuis, the author started writing a short story on Twitter, tweet by tweet. It soon turned into a novel … a short novel, but a novel nonetheless! It was a challenge because tweets were limited to 140 characters in those days. It took Joe a few years to complete his story, and it attracted a lot of attention at the time.

This “micro-novel” describes an imaginary future society and the role of social media where people are literally living inside virtual reality to the extent that they are unable to distinguish virtual reality from real life. The story unfolds in the now somewhat archaic terminology of 2013, at a time before Mark Zuckerberg announced his plans to create Meta!

Twitter dawn is an evocative, humorous and thought-provoking story which fits right into the present-day debate about all things IT and AI!

The post Fresh off the press: <i>Twitter dawn</i> by Joe Kitchen appeared first on LitNet.

Cut to the chase: Scriptwriting for beginners – an interview with Janet van Eeden

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https://www.modjajibooks.co.za/titles/cut-to-the-chase-scriptwriting-for-beginners/

Cut to the chase: Scriptwriting for beginners
Janet van Eeden
Modjaji Books
ISBN: 978-1-928215-91-2

Buy the book from Graffiti

Janet van Eeden talks to Naomi Meyer about Janet’s book, Cut to the chase: Scriptwriting for beginners.

Congratulations on your book, Cut to the chase: Scriptwriting for beginners. You have written plenty of articles and reviews for LitNet – mostly on books. But would you tell our readers about your background? You have studied literature, you have written screenplays, you have written movies, etc. Please elaborate.

Thank you so much, Naomi, for the congratulations. The little book that could, has had a really long journey. I first wrote this scriptwriting manual 11 years ago as a guide for my UKZN students, as I was teaching scriptwriting to drama students for the first time. I felt that they needed a guide, as screenwriting is nothing at all like playwriting. It’s a craft I’d taken years to learn by then, and I’d made every mistake on the journey, as no one had taught me how to do this very specialised form of writing. I wrote Cut to the chase so that students wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

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I first wrote this scriptwriting manual 11 years ago as a guide for my UKZN students, as I was teaching scriptwriting to drama students for the first time. I felt that they needed a guide, as screenwriting is nothing at all like playwriting. It’s a craft I’d taken years to learn by then, and I’d made every mistake on the journey, as no one had taught me how to do this very specialised form of writing. I wrote Cut to the chase so that students wouldn’t make the same mistakes.
................

Professional filmmakers often keep the secrets of the trade to themselves, and when I first started, I’d been terrified by such seemingly arcane terms as a “treatment”, for example. Once I’d found out what these terms meant, I felt compelled to let other wannabe screenwriters in on the secret. There are a few simple but very definite rules when writing screenplays, and, judging by the many scripts I evaluate for the KZN Film Commission, people still don’t know what these rules are.

As for my literary background, I have always loved literature, and I buried myself in books when I was enduring an awful childhood in a dusty town in the then Orange Free State. I was incredibly shy and my home life was traumatic, so I hid away and read to escape reality. I will thank the librarian of the Welkom High School forever, as she brought books into the library which I’m sure were on the “subversive” list of the national government. Mrs Parks introduced me to the delights of Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Sharpe, Ken Kesey and Joseph Heller, all of whom criticised authority in the most anarchic ways. I adored English lessons, and my beleaguered English teacher, Mrs Gray, told me I was her only hope to get an A in her subject in matric. I devoured Shakespeare – Hamlet spoke to my tortured teenage soul as nothing before had done. I did her the favour of being the only person in that year to get an A in the whole year’s group for anything. It was also my Latin teacher (incredibly, the little mining town school still taught Latin!), Mrs Coucoumbras, who asked me where I was going to university. I was completely taken aback, and told her that no one in my family had ever been to university. She said it would be a crime if I didn’t go. For the first time in my life, attending university became a possibility in my mind. I began to make enquiries with the only person in my hometown of Odendaalsrus who’d gone to university. His mother helped me fill in the forms, and I applied for a Chamber of Mines bursary, as my mother was a switchboard operator on the mines and my stepfather was an electrician who worked underground every day of his life. Fortunately, the Chamber of Mines awarded me a bursary on my second try (they only awarded six in the country each year), and I enrolled at Rhodes to study journalism, because I wanted to write. I left the course after six months, as we were required to write within a specific political perspective, and I found it too restrictive for me. I didn’t know what I thought myself, so didn’t want to spout any political ideologies which were imposed on me. I continued to study English, speech and drama, and psychology. I fell in love with drama. It was what I’d been looking for all my life. I felt I’d come home when I set foot on the stage at the Rhodes Theatre. I was too shy to act, of course, but years later, after I’d had a dream when I was almost 40 that I had to write screenplays (I had never seen an actual screenplay in my life, mind you), I began to write plays and screenplays like a possessed person. It’s such a long story how this came about, but, to cut to the chase, I was able to produce plays myself with funding from the National Arts Council. I really wanted to make my own films, but screenplays were really difficult to fund. I took six plays to the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown/Makhanda in the early 2000s with professional actors. For the first time, I felt I’d made my voice heard. Slowly, I began to focus more on screenwriting, but I still love literature, drama and the exquisite ability of words to move people through writing in whatever form.

This book is for everyone interested in writing scripts for movies and television. I smiled at this sentence: “Having studied speech and drama at Rhodes University and living a life so full of drama it wouldn’t be believed when put into production, I felt entitled to write a screenplay.” Who is your ideal reader of this book – is this a handbook for drama students?

Yes, my life has been exceptionally dramatic, and Robert McKee said that the only qualification one needs to be a good screenwriter is to have had a traumatic childhood. I’ve had that, so yes, I’m definitely qualified!

This is an interesting question, Naomi. At the launch earlier this month at Ike’s Books, people from all backgrounds bought the book. The book sold out on the night, and they had to order more for those who wanted to buy it. Many of those attending said they’d never written screenplays or anything before, but they wanted a guide to help them write something, whether a novel or a script – and one person even wanted to write an animation. The book guides the reader through a series of tasks after each chapter to help build up characters and the story, and it is just as useful for novelists and playwrights as it is for screenwriters. It would be wonderful as a handbook for students of English and/or drama, whether in matric or in university. It breaks down the elements of what goes into creating a good story. It teaches the elements of thoughtful writing. It’s also a bit of a memoir of my writing career, as I quote from many of the screenplays which I’ve written over the years. As the person interviewing me at Ike’s Books, Sir Roel Twijnstra, said, the book is very useful to teach people how to pitch, too. I go into great detail about the pitching process, which can be applied to advertising, business, scriptwriting or any creative project.

As you said, you are familiar with English literature (your PhD was in English literature – and it can be seen reflected in the amount of writing you have done for LitNet about books). What are the main differences between writing a script and writing a book?

Yes, Naomi, I love the English language in all its forms. Writing a script is very different to writing novels. I explain in the book how awful my first script was – 300 pages of characters pouring out their emotions through dreadful dialogue – it was really bad! It took a lot of advice from kind people in the industry like Richard E Grant, Ian Roberts, my agent Julian Friedmann and many published scriptwriting gurus to teach me that screenwriting is more about what you leave out than what you put in. In other words, screenplays deal with subtext much more than theatrical plays or novels do. In novels and even in theatre, a character can pour out long, expositional soliloquys about their innermost thoughts without anyone objecting. In a screenplay, this would be a waste of the medium of film. Filmmaking is famously described as “showing and not telling”. My favourite thing about it is that screenwriting is the art of getting a character to say something which reveals a completely different truth to the words they say. As Emma Thompson said when I had the honour of meeting her (it’s in the book!), screenwriting is the art of a character saying, “Pass me the butter”, when they really mean, “You have ruined my life”. Perhaps because I grew up in a home where there was so much passive aggression around me, where people were constantly seething with unspoken resentment, I learned to read subtext from context and situation so well. As I said, I’m perfectly qualified to write screenplays!

You know, Janet, life changes the whole time. Young children are now making movies on their iPads. Why is there a need for people to know how to write a movie nowadays? Do people still look for professionalism? (And if not, why should they?)

I have been thinking a great deal about the accessibility of access to movie-making in its broadest terms, as well as the arrival of AIs who are now able to write better screenplays than most third-year students. ChatGPT, for example, is quite terrifying. There is always the fear that traditional teachers/lecturers or even writers and filmmakers are a thing of the past. I’ve done a few experiments with ChatGPT myself and have been impressed with the results, especially a limerick about my son’s dog, which was ingenious. However, the comfort I can give myself and others who feel as I do is that the cell phones that allow one to make films, and the AIs that give you a quick script, do not have access to any material that is not generic. They use a template, mostly, and will be bound by those templates. TikTok is one example. An AI has access only to everything that has been written before. Neither of these platforms has the ability to create new knowledge. This is what I take comfort in. Those of us who want to create something that has never been seen before, or something which may enlighten humanity, with a bit of luck, have to rely on our own ingenuity, our own ability to make unusual connections, to break through the sea of anodyne content which threatens to overwhelm humanity. At least, I hope we can still do this!

Tell me about the different parts of your book, please.

The book takes the reader from the very beginning of the germ of an idea, with some prompts to help find an idea, and guides the reader to develop their own character to create their own screenplay. The book describes what a screenplay is, then moves on to discuss characterisation and then structure, focusing on the hero(ine)’s journey. I do touch briefly on the multi-protagonist structure, which is not the main focus of this book and which I will explore more in my next. There is an in-depth chapter on writing a pitch, which is essential to ensure the writer understands the fundamental essence of their character and story. The next chapter explains the treatment, which is a selling document used specifically for film. This document should be no more than three to five pages and should tell a producer everything they need to know about the film. No producers will read a full draft of a script. Deals are made on the strength of treatments alone. That’s how I got my first paying job as a screenwriter, with a five-page treatment for White lion. The next chapter talks about dialogue, format and style, and emphasises the vital importance of the need to stick to the standard format for screenplays. If a producer sees that a script isn’t written in Courier Final Draft, 12 point, for example, they’ll discard it immediately. Imagine, they have hundreds of submissions, so if a script isn’t formatted properly they will discard it as a sign that the writer isn’t a professional. It’s that important to know exactly how to format a script. Programmes such as Final Draft help a writer to write in the required format without too much trouble, but you have to know exactly what you are looking for. The industry is really that prescriptive and demanding if you want to be part of the international film-writing world. Finally, I have a chapter on crowdfunding, which is how I made my first short film. After many years, I couldn’t get funding for my most personal film, so I did a crowdfunding campaign and managed to make the short film of A shot at the big time, about my brother taking his own life on the border during the apartheid Border Wars. This short film was selected for Cannes in 2014 and really was the closest I’ve come to making the feature film. The book takes you right from the inception of a project to the completion – with a bit of luck – of the same project.

Talking about the book’s structure: is there a need for structure in a film? Can it not just happen naturally, more organically?

When I started writing screenplays, I was deeply resistant to “learning the craft”, as many gurus called it. I believed I was a gifted creative and would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t give my creativity free rein. I wrote many, many feature scripts, which went exactly nowhere. It was only once I decided to study the craft of screenwriting, following the advice of a great writing friend, Roy Blumenthal, that I realised that one needed structure to create a decent story. Even in my PhD thesis, which set out to create a new structure for biographical feature films, I found myself creating a new structure in one way, yes, but it still had to adhere to the basic beginning, middle and end to ensure it made sense. I really believe stories are in our DNA. Even a child listening to a grandparent tell a story wants to hear a set-up, and then with “And then?” and “And then?” they want to know the pay-off of the story. I’m sure you can think of many stories, in whatever form, that don’t give the reader/viewer a satisfying ending. One feels cheated! For that reason, I believe structure is imperative, even though one can be extremely creative with it when the rules have been mastered. There is still room for creative genius within a defined structure.

Okay, so planning the movie is really important, I agree. Now: how to plan. What do you do when you plan a script? Do you write the ending before you write the rest of the movie?

This is exactly what the book is about, Naomi: how to plan your script. It isn’t essential to know the ending when you start. Very often, the ending will change as you develop the script. And I think I should add right now that unlike novels and plays, the first draft is never the final draft. I’ve been redrafting scripts for years, and there is almost never a perfect first draft. The adage in the industry is that scriptwriting is about rewriting, which can make it an exhausting process. White lion took five years from first draft to final draft, for example. The short script for A shot at the big time took 12 drafts, for just 13 pages! On some rare occasions, I’ve known the end when I start writing, either because the story came from a dream that left me with an unforgettable punchline, or else because it was based on a true life story. This is true of biographical scripts, a personal favourite of mine, when you know how the character’s life ends. The process brings many surprises, though. Even if you know the ending, the way one chooses to structure the script is highly open to individual choice. As Robert McKee (whom I resented for many years, but finally conceded that he made a few good points) says, “Form is the confluence of content and structure. With content in the one hand and the structure in the other, the writer sculpts a story.” I do like the image of a writer as a sculptor. I often think of the white-hot first draft as a barely visible shape in the block of stone. My first drafts are notoriously awful, but that is when the real work begins: one has to craft the story carefully, just as a sculptor chisels away at the rock until the final form is revealed.

Movies are made up of scenes, like books are made up of chapters. How does one plan the scenes? Do you think of this whole planning process as something mathematical?

It isn’t mathematical as such, but it can be logical if you follow the steps in the book. You build up your screenplay by the pitch, the treatment, and then you look at breaking down the beats, which then become a step outline, and that is when you flesh out the skeleton of your script. I learned the value of this process after spending five years in Development Hell with a UK producer/director who made me rewrite a script from beginning to end whenever he had a whim of some sort. I eventually got so sick with encephalitis that I told my agent in London that I couldn’t continue with this process anymore. Development Hell, by the way, is the term used when a producer options your script – with a full contract, by the way, and pays you one pound, in the case of this script – for the right to work on your script. The carrot is that there is always an enormous amount of money right there in the contract which is promised to you on “first day of principal photography”. What this means is that you will be paid an enormous amount once the film is funded and actually begins shooting on set. This happens very rarely, and it gives directors or producers the ability to (swearword) you about for as long as their egos like. As happened in the case I’m referring to here – and then the producer went on to make a completely different film. I was never paid a cent after five years of torment. After that, I swore I would never rewrite a script from beginning to end again, and I would insist that the producer/director and I sign off on a beat sheet, which follows the story events and structure, before I start to write the full script. It’s the only way to survive as a writer in this industry.

What are your favourite theatre plays of all time, and why?

My favourite play has to be Shakespeare’s Hamlet, as it deals with the deepest existential questions of being alive when the world is such a difficult place to be in for anyone who has sensitivities and compassion. I still cannot fathom how someone could express such profound insights into the human condition in the sixteenth century. I read it at a time when my older brother was going through life crises, and this play resonated deeply with me.

Another favourite play is Wit by Margaret Edson, for the same reasons as above. It’s a highly intelligent take on the human condition again – what it means to be sick and possibly dying – and trying to make sense of the world. It also deals with the way a person loses their identity when in hospital. A highly intelligent doctor of philosophy, as in Wit, is treated like a child by hospital staff, and their identity is obliterated. I’ve been life-threateningly ill many times before and have had many members of my family die. The reality of death changes one’s perspective on life irrevocably.

Green man flashing by Mike van Graan gives a balanced view of the South Africa we live in. Another spectacularly good South African production was Greig Coetzee’s play White men with weapons, which obviously spoke to me. Another play which broke through the democratic transition in South Africa was Fiona Coyne’s Glass roots.

What are your favourite movies of all time, and why?

This could be a long list! Firstly, I’d start with American beauty by Alan Ball. It’s a film which delves deeply into the human condition, my favourite subject matter, obviously. I simply love every line. It’s exquisitely written.

Another favourite is Little Miss Sunshine, written by the brilliant Michael Arndt. Its take on the dysfunctional family, in which each has their own journey, is a multiple-protagonist delight. The film also takes a swipe at the superficial horrors of beauty pageants and how wrong it is for parents to push their children into unnatural events, but it’s the most heart-warming film I know, as the disparate characters forget their own issues and come together to ensure that young Olive isn’t touched by the monstrosities of the pageant. It’s my favourite feel-good movie which has great depth.

Another example of exceptional scriptwriting is Saving Mr Banks, written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith, about PL Travers, the woman who wrote Mary Poppins as a children’s book. The biopic is structured so that Pamela Travers’s fight to maintain control over her creation, Mary Poppins, when Walt Disney buys the rights to make it into a film, is illuminated by scenes from PL Travers’s past, where she relives her childhood in the Australian outback with her beloved but drunken father. It’s a film which touches me deeply, as I feel my script A shot at the big time is also my attempt to redeem my brother, as PL Travers tries to redeem her father through her fictional creation. It uses the device of a mise en abyme, which I wrote about in my PhD thesis, and which my next scriptwriting book, What the fractal?, will explore in more depth. Simply exquisite writing!

There are some classics I value. For me, these are unmissable: Apocalypse now (written by Francis Ford Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr) for its depiction of the madness of war, and One flew over the cuckoo’s nest (written by Ken Kesey and Milos Forman) for its depiction of the horrors in psychiatric units. They were great inspirations for A shot at the big time.

I’m drawn to biopics especially, as I enjoy finding out how human beings cope with this difficult challenge we face called life. Even though these films do rely on poetic licence, there is always something inspiring about them. Some of the best I’ve seen are Shine (written by Jan Sardi), about pianist David Helfgott, describing the destructive effects of bad parenting on genius; La vie en rose, about Edith Piaf (written by Isabelle Sobelmann and Olivier Dahan); and The life and death of Peter Sellers (written by Roger Lewis, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely), which is a masterpiece. A modern biopic I’ve loved is Bohemian rhapsody (written by Anthony McCarten), based on the life of Freddie Mercury.

As for South African films, I loved Red dust, from the book by Gillian Slovo; Tsotsi, written by Athol Fugard and Gavin Hood; Jerusalema, written by Ralph Ziman; and Hard to get, written by Thuso Sibisi, all for their portrayal of the grittiness and difficulties of the country we inhabit. Right up there among the great films is District 9. It’s a work of genius, written by director Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell. Black butterflies, about Ingrid Jonker (and written by Greg Latter), is one of our most successful South African biopics, in my opinion.

Contrary to what the choices above might suggest, I absolutely love comedies. I especially love satirical comedies, and Mel Brooks was a favourite with his Young Frankenstein, High anxiety and The producers, which were some of the first films I encountered many years ago in the Welkom Cinema, known un-ironically as The Alpha. It was the only cinema in town, so there was no competition and there was definitely no Omega. A more recent writer/director who reminds me of Mel Brooks is Christopher Guest, who has the same satirical and absurd wit, which I love. His best in show and This is spinal tap are absolute favourites. And I have to mention Richard E Grant’s signature piece, Withnail and I, written by Bruce Robinson, which broke the mould for me when I first saw it in the late ’80s.

My guilty pleasures, however, are romantic comedies. My favourite romcom writers are Nora Ephron, Nancy Myers and Richard Curtis, but the South African Happiness is a four-letter word, written by Nozizwe Cynthia Jele and Busisiwe Ntintili, and even Keeping up with the Kandasamys, written by Jayan Moodley and Rory Booth, are great fun, too. I also liked Toorbos by René van Rooyen.

When I feel like the realities of the world threaten to overwhelm me, a romantic comedy is the perfect antidote for me to believe that there is hope for the world.

 

Also read:

Janet van Eeden discusses A Shot at the Big Time

Filmresensie: Toorbos

A Shot at the Big Time

The post <em>Cut to the chase: Scriptwriting for beginners</em> – an interview with Janet van Eeden appeared first on LitNet.

Nuut by LAPA: Die ware avonture van Adelie en Riley: Die Amadidas deur Felicia Snyman-du Toit

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Die reeks is soortgelyk aan die Kattemaai-reeks deur Betsie Vos. Dié boeke bevat ook ’n jong vroulike hoofkarakter met baie ligte elemente van fantasie. Adelie se beste maat is haar Boston Terriër-hond, Riley. Riley hou van speel en hy kry gereeld die zoomies. Hy los ook groot STINKbomme! Vir Adelie en Riley is daar geen grense aan die avonture wat hulle beleef nie. Die agtertuin verander in ’n wêreld waarin daar allerhande monsters en vreemde kreature wegkruip ... In Die Amadidas speel Adelie en Riley op die klimraam. Skielik is hulle omring deur baie bome en bosse – die Amasone! Groot, kwaai voëls probeer hulle bykom. Adelie en Riley moet saamwerk om die vreemde voëls af te weer ... Mamma en Pappa dink die twee maats speel te lekker. Maar hoekom bly daar groot blertse op die klimraam agter?

Klik hier vir nog inligting oor dié publikasie.

The post Nuut by LAPA: <i>Die ware avonture van Adelie en Riley: Die Amadidas</i> deur Felicia Snyman-du Toit appeared first on LitNet.

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