Code borrowing during soccer commentaries on Thobela FM: Possible effects on the development of Northern Sotho.
Babili, Gabriel Lesetsa
Babili, Gabriel Lesetsa
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate code borrowing which happens during soccer commentaries in Northern Sotho on Thobela FM, a radio station which has been designed to broadcast in Northern Sotho. The study used a qualitative approach and phenomenology design in exploring participants’ (viz. listeners of Thobela FM and the station’s staff members) perspectives on whether code borrowing is beneficial or detrimental to the development of Northern Sotho soccer terminology. A purposive sampling method was used to gather data from residents of Mamelodi, Soshanguve and Atteridgeville in Tshwane, where Northern Sotho is a significant language. Four different recorded soccer commentaries of five minutes each were played for respondents prior to interviewing them for up to 30 minutes. Data from Thobela FM staff members were gathered via conducting interviews with soccer commentators and a soccer producer. The study’s findings showed that listeners believed that code borrowing contributed positively towards the development of soccer terminology in Northern Sotho. In fact, they supported the idea of coining Northern Sotho soccer terminology out of English equivalents. A major challenge raised by Thobela FM staff members was that Northern Sotho had long and descriptive terms which were not suitable for a fast-paced game like soccer, which explained the practice of using shorter and less descriptive English equivalents.
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Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Master Technologiae: Language Practice in the Department of Applied Languages faculty of Humanities Tshwane University of Technology.
Date
2019-03-01
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Code-switching, Commentary, Thobela FM, Northern Sotho, Language Development