Yearbooks

Programme: MA (African Languages) (Coursework)

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Code Faculty Department
01250443 Faculty of Humanities Department: African Languages
Credits Duration NQF level
Minimum duration of study: 2 years Total credits: 200 NQF level:  09

Admission requirements

  1. Relevant honours degree in one of the African languages or relevant four-year bachelor's degree with a focus on an African language
  2. A cumulative weighted average of at least 65% for the honours degree or a weighted average of at least 65% for the final-year of the four-year bachelor’s degree
  3. An admissions essay may be required

Note: Additional work/modules may be required in order to reach the desired level of competency

General information

University of Pretoria Programme Qualification Mix (PQM) verification project

The higher education sector has undergone an extensive alignment to the Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQF) across all institutions in South Africa. In order to comply with the HEQSF, all institutions are legally required to participate in a national initiative led by regulatory bodies such as the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The University of Pretoria is presently engaged in an ongoing effort to align its qualifications and programmes with the HEQSF criteria. Current and prospective students should take note that changes to UP qualification and programme names, may occur as a result of the HEQSF initiative. Students are advised to contact their faculties if they have any questions.

Select five modules.

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Historical development of dialectological theory and practice: theoretical perspectives on dialectology. Variation in language. The relationship between dialectology and linguistics. Study of the linguistic features of selected dialects of the Sotho and Nguni languages.

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  • Module content:

    Different theoretical approaches to the analysis of the drama of the Nguni and Sotho languages.

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  • Module content:

    Creative writing in an African language – isiNdebele, isiZulu, Sepedi or Setswana – for students interested in writing original, creative work of their own. The module aims at guiding and assisting students in producing a portfolio of creative work of a high standard which may include fiction, drama, poetry and biographical or autobiographical writing. Students will be expected to attend a number of workshops at the Hatfield Campus.

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  • Module content:

    Introduction to basic lexicographical concepts; typology of the dictionary; structure of the lexicon; prescriptiveness vs descriptiveness of dictionaries; needs assessment; problematic aspects of lemmatisation; corpus building; cross-referencing as lexicographic device; introduction to specialised lexicography.

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  • Module content:

    Introduction to core aspects of human language technology in lexicography and natural language processing focusing on the compilation and manipulation of corpora and the building and validation of spellcheckers and the use, compilation and monitoring of usage, of paper, electronic and internet dictionaries.

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  • Module content:

    Advanced translation principles and practice. Students apply their knowledge of the use of HLT (human language technology) in translation practice. Specialisation in various types of translation such as technical translation, legal translation, literary translation (prose and/or poetry), administrative translation (service prose), translation of advertisements, etc. Students choose their field(s) of specialisation in consultation with the lecturer, using any language combination offered by the Language Departments, provided that the particular language combination can be accommodated during any given year. Where possible, practising translators specialising in the various types of translation are invited to participate in the module.

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  • Module content:

    *Students are encouraged to take undergraduate modules from the political sciences and international studies programmes for non-degree purposes.
    Introduction to interpreting practice
    This first-semester module aims at familiarising students with the skills involved in oral translation. Lectures will focus on the theory and practice of various interpreting techniques including oral summaries, sight translations and reformulations of oral texts and speeches and the practice of liaison interpreting in professional situations. Students will also be expected to split up in groups according to the working languages of their choice which, besides English, may consist of any language(s) offered at MA level. Students will be subject to an oral exam to test their mastery of these techniques.

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  • Module content:

    Students who have passed the TRL 811 module may specialise in interpreting in the second semester.
    The focus of this second-semester module is on practising the notetaking technique required for professional interpreting. Students attend both general TRL lectures primarily presented in English and practical group sessions according to their various working languages. Students will be evaluated through an oral exam.

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  • Module content:

    *Students specialising in interpreting may take this module if they have passed the module TRL 812.
    Lectures include the theory and practice of simultaneous conference interpreting of oral texts and speeches. This technique will be mastered through various techniques and practice in an interpreting booth (in the student’s working languages) will conclude this module. Students will be evaluated through an oral exam.

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  • Module content:

    *This module is compulsory for students who wish to do their mini-dissertation with a focus on translation.
    Study of the main characteristics of, and comparison between various translation models, such as text-oriented, functional, process-centred and reception-based translation. The shift from prescriptive theory to descriptive work in the field of translation studies. Corpus-based translation studies (CTS); theory and practice; the use and application of HLT (human language technology) in CTS.

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Core modules

  • Module content:

    The mini-dissertation should be the product of independent research on any of the following themes: linguistics (African languages), literature (African languages), teaching of African languages, translation, lexicographical and/or terminological issues pertaining to the African languages. Apart from an analysis and interpretation of research results, the mini-dissertation should include a thorough overview of the literature on the selected topic and a synthesis of existing views as reflected in the literature.
    Length: 18 000–20 000 words.

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Regulations and rules
The regulations and rules for the degrees published here are subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information.

The General Academic Regulations (G Regulations) and General Student Rules apply to all faculties and registered students of the University, as well as all prospective students who have accepted an offer of a place at the University of Pretoria. On registering for a programme, the student bears the responsibility of ensuring that they familiarise themselves with the General Academic Regulations applicable to their registration, as well as the relevant faculty-specific and programme-specific regulations and information as stipulated in the relevant yearbook. Ignorance concerning these regulations will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression, or basis for an exception to any of the aforementioned regulations.

University of Pretoria Programme Qualification Mix (PQM) verification project
The higher education sector has undergone an extensive alignment to the Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQF) across all institutions in South Africa. In order to comply with the HEQSF, all institutions are legally required to participate in a national initiative led by regulatory bodies such as the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The University of Pretoria is presently engaged in an ongoing effort to align its qualifications and programmes with the HEQSF criteria. Current and prospective students should take note that changes to UP qualification and programme names, may occur as a result of the HEQSF initiative. Students are advised to contact their faculties if they have any questions.

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