Rugare Mareva - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Rugare Mareva

Routledge eBooks, Apr 21, 2023

Journal of New Vision in Educational Research, 2019

Contemporary Advances in Education 1st Edition, 2019

The study sought to make an existentialist literary interpretation of Charles Mungoshi?s selected... more The study sought to make an existentialist literary interpretation of Charles Mungoshi?s selected works. Stories were selected on the basis of their concerns and subjected to content analysis. The analysis established that characters in the works exude general and all-pervasive pessimistic feelings which leave them anxious and despairing, in conformity with existentialism, where human beings are said to be free to make choices in an indifferent world and the decisions they make are not without stress, anxiety and anguish. The characters in most of Mungoshi?s works reject the imprisonment imposed by society through social values and rules. They attempt to assert their own independent philosophies and approaches to life but are left vulnerable to the absurd world. The paper also unearths the gloomy side of life in Mungoshi?s works which mirrors the general socio-economic malaise that the people, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, suffer in a neo-colonial world dominated by Euro-Asia.

Some universities in Zimbabwe have sought to address student enrolment gender imbalances by lower... more Some universities in Zimbabwe have sought to address student enrolment gender imbalances by lowering entry points for female applicants. This study aimed at soliciting for and comparing the views of male and female students on the issue, using Great Zimbabwe University as a case study. In-depth interviews were held with twenty-five female and twenty-five male first year Bachelor of Arts students who were randomly selected to participate in this qualitative inquiry. The study established that more female than male students saw this positive discrimination as a noble idea and gave more reasons in favour of it than against it as the policy, among other benefits, empowers females who have been marginalized for a long time in a patriarchal society. However, some female students were of the view that this form of affirmative action should be discontinued as it is demeaning and insulting because it seems to imply that females cannot achieve the same or higher level of academic performance ...

Nawa Journal of Language and Communication, Dec 1, 2012

International Journal of English and Literature, 2012

This paper reports on the findings of an inquiry into the nature of academic writing weaknesses i... more This paper reports on the findings of an inquiry into the nature of academic writing weaknesses inherent among first year undergraduate university students in Zimbabwe, using Great Zimbabwe University (GZU), as a case study. Five hundred and fifty students and fifteen lecturers constituted the sample. Document analysis, interviews and the questionnaire were used as data collecting instruments. Results were presented and discussed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The study revealed that first year undergraduate university students' written papers are riddled with a multiplicity of weaknesses, and suggests that students should view writing as different from speech and that they should treat writing as a process rather than a product. The paper also recommends that there be a paradigm shift in the teaching of academic writing at universities in Zimbabwe, from a study skills orientation to an academic literacies orientation. The paper further recommends an integrative approach to the teaching of writing at universities.

hrmars.com

... Examples could include “Aya ndiwo anonzi madununu chaiwo. ... Other examples could be “This i... more ... Examples could include “Aya ndiwo anonzi madununu chaiwo. ... Other examples could be “This is common practice with our much less creative singers these days. Dai Leonard Dembo achipo atiimbira zvake” (The Herald online,14.09.11), and “… was the door locked. ...

Social media (SM) has become a popular means of communication among people across ages the world ... more Social media (SM) has become a popular means of communication among people across ages the world over. This case study sought to investigate the significance of status notifications which people attach to their WhatsApp accounts and how inferences could be drawn about the character, emotional statesand general view of life of the individuals involved.WhatsApp Messenger is widely viewed as one of the most convenient modes of transmitting information as compared to traditional methods and even contemporary means like voice calls using cellular phones, hence its prevalent use. The application was designed to facilitate communication between individuals or groups inthe form of text messages, pictures and audio messages online. Therefore, the researchers considered it vital to investigate the messages people communicate through their status notifications. Such naturally occurring datawere collectedfrom the tworesearchers’personal cell phone contacts. Being qualitative, the study adopted ...

The inquiry investigated the contribution of neologism/coinage and borrowing to the development o... more The inquiry investigated the contribution of neologism/coinage and borrowing to the development of the Shona slang lexicon. The paper explores how entirely new Shona slang words are being created and how some are being borrowed from English and other local languages such as Shona itself and Ndebele, then modified to become slangy. A sample of five hundred Great Zimbabwe University students participated in the research study. Data were collected through observation and the questionnaire. The study establishes that like any other linguistic variety, Shona slang is not static but dynamic as it constantly adds to its linguistic repertoire through neologism and borrowing. The paper also finds out that the coined and borrowed words seem to be either euphemistic, derogatory/contemptuous, praising/appreciative, express a state of affairs or how an action is performed, or have the goal of avoiding detection. The inquiry concludes that the recent additions to Shona slang reflect contemporary ...

Copyright © 2015 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article

IRA International Journal of Education and Multidisciplinary Studies (ISSN 2455–2526), 2016

The study investigated the English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers' perceptions on the relati... more The study investigated the English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers' perceptions on the relationship between code-switching and emerging varieties of English called New Englishes, as well as the teachers' perceptions on the teaching of such local varieties of English. The inquiry adopted a qualitative research paradigm and focused on two purposively sampled secondary schools comprising one rural day, and one urban boarding school. Four ESL teachers were interviewed (two teachers per school). The inquiry revealed that there was unanimous agreement among the four teachers that there is a relationship between code-switching and New Englishes. In addition, two of the teachers expressed the view that there is nothing wrong with teaching the local variety of English in the schools, while the other two said they preferred the teaching of Standard English.The study recommends that language policy planners in Zimbabwe consider adopting a balance of the endonormative and the exo-normative models of English for the education system. Such a model, while acknowledging the importance of Standard English, would not undermine the importance of the local variety of English. In addition, the inquiry recommends that the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) be sensitive to aspects of the local variety of English rather than set exo-normative models. Finally, the study recommends that further research be done on the perceptions of ESL teachers on the teaching of Standard English and New Englishes in school types which were not included in the sample for the present study.

IRA International Journal of Education and Multidisciplinary Studies (ISSN 2455–2526), 2016

The study investigated the perceptions of secondary school teachers of English on code-switching ... more The study investigated the perceptions of secondary school teachers of English on code-switching by learners in the learning of English. The qualitative inquiry focused on one rural day, and one urban boarding school. The study employed interviews with four teachers from the two schools. Results show that from the perspective of the teachers, their ESL learners code-switched from English to the learners' L1 as a learning tool, mainly to foster understanding among learners and between the learners and their teachers, and for other communicative and social functions. The teachers expressed an appreciation of their learners' code-switching but there were also negative sentiments. The study recommends that language policy planners revisit the English-only policy in schools and consider adopting the endo-normative rather than the exo-normative model of English for the education system. The study also recommends that the responsible Ministry should hold workshops to sensitise teachers on how code-switching may be tolerated and exploited as a language learning tool. Furthermore, the study recommends that ESL teachers be guided by the Postmethod pedagogy, a sense of plausibility as well as the notion of relativism in their decisions on whether or not to allow their learners to code-switch. In addition, the inquiry recommends that the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council be sensitive to aspects of the local variety of English rather than set exonormative models. Finally, the study recommends that further research be done on code-switching in school types which were not included in the sample for the present study.

Routledge eBooks, Apr 21, 2023

Journal of New Vision in Educational Research, 2019

Contemporary Advances in Education 1st Edition, 2019

The study sought to make an existentialist literary interpretation of Charles Mungoshi?s selected... more The study sought to make an existentialist literary interpretation of Charles Mungoshi?s selected works. Stories were selected on the basis of their concerns and subjected to content analysis. The analysis established that characters in the works exude general and all-pervasive pessimistic feelings which leave them anxious and despairing, in conformity with existentialism, where human beings are said to be free to make choices in an indifferent world and the decisions they make are not without stress, anxiety and anguish. The characters in most of Mungoshi?s works reject the imprisonment imposed by society through social values and rules. They attempt to assert their own independent philosophies and approaches to life but are left vulnerable to the absurd world. The paper also unearths the gloomy side of life in Mungoshi?s works which mirrors the general socio-economic malaise that the people, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, suffer in a neo-colonial world dominated by Euro-Asia.

Some universities in Zimbabwe have sought to address student enrolment gender imbalances by lower... more Some universities in Zimbabwe have sought to address student enrolment gender imbalances by lowering entry points for female applicants. This study aimed at soliciting for and comparing the views of male and female students on the issue, using Great Zimbabwe University as a case study. In-depth interviews were held with twenty-five female and twenty-five male first year Bachelor of Arts students who were randomly selected to participate in this qualitative inquiry. The study established that more female than male students saw this positive discrimination as a noble idea and gave more reasons in favour of it than against it as the policy, among other benefits, empowers females who have been marginalized for a long time in a patriarchal society. However, some female students were of the view that this form of affirmative action should be discontinued as it is demeaning and insulting because it seems to imply that females cannot achieve the same or higher level of academic performance ...

Nawa Journal of Language and Communication, Dec 1, 2012

International Journal of English and Literature, 2012

This paper reports on the findings of an inquiry into the nature of academic writing weaknesses i... more This paper reports on the findings of an inquiry into the nature of academic writing weaknesses inherent among first year undergraduate university students in Zimbabwe, using Great Zimbabwe University (GZU), as a case study. Five hundred and fifty students and fifteen lecturers constituted the sample. Document analysis, interviews and the questionnaire were used as data collecting instruments. Results were presented and discussed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The study revealed that first year undergraduate university students' written papers are riddled with a multiplicity of weaknesses, and suggests that students should view writing as different from speech and that they should treat writing as a process rather than a product. The paper also recommends that there be a paradigm shift in the teaching of academic writing at universities in Zimbabwe, from a study skills orientation to an academic literacies orientation. The paper further recommends an integrative approach to the teaching of writing at universities.

hrmars.com

... Examples could include “Aya ndiwo anonzi madununu chaiwo. ... Other examples could be “This i... more ... Examples could include “Aya ndiwo anonzi madununu chaiwo. ... Other examples could be “This is common practice with our much less creative singers these days. Dai Leonard Dembo achipo atiimbira zvake” (The Herald online,14.09.11), and “… was the door locked. ...

Social media (SM) has become a popular means of communication among people across ages the world ... more Social media (SM) has become a popular means of communication among people across ages the world over. This case study sought to investigate the significance of status notifications which people attach to their WhatsApp accounts and how inferences could be drawn about the character, emotional statesand general view of life of the individuals involved.WhatsApp Messenger is widely viewed as one of the most convenient modes of transmitting information as compared to traditional methods and even contemporary means like voice calls using cellular phones, hence its prevalent use. The application was designed to facilitate communication between individuals or groups inthe form of text messages, pictures and audio messages online. Therefore, the researchers considered it vital to investigate the messages people communicate through their status notifications. Such naturally occurring datawere collectedfrom the tworesearchers’personal cell phone contacts. Being qualitative, the study adopted ...

The inquiry investigated the contribution of neologism/coinage and borrowing to the development o... more The inquiry investigated the contribution of neologism/coinage and borrowing to the development of the Shona slang lexicon. The paper explores how entirely new Shona slang words are being created and how some are being borrowed from English and other local languages such as Shona itself and Ndebele, then modified to become slangy. A sample of five hundred Great Zimbabwe University students participated in the research study. Data were collected through observation and the questionnaire. The study establishes that like any other linguistic variety, Shona slang is not static but dynamic as it constantly adds to its linguistic repertoire through neologism and borrowing. The paper also finds out that the coined and borrowed words seem to be either euphemistic, derogatory/contemptuous, praising/appreciative, express a state of affairs or how an action is performed, or have the goal of avoiding detection. The inquiry concludes that the recent additions to Shona slang reflect contemporary ...

Copyright © 2015 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article

IRA International Journal of Education and Multidisciplinary Studies (ISSN 2455–2526), 2016

The study investigated the English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers' perceptions on the relati... more The study investigated the English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers' perceptions on the relationship between code-switching and emerging varieties of English called New Englishes, as well as the teachers' perceptions on the teaching of such local varieties of English. The inquiry adopted a qualitative research paradigm and focused on two purposively sampled secondary schools comprising one rural day, and one urban boarding school. Four ESL teachers were interviewed (two teachers per school). The inquiry revealed that there was unanimous agreement among the four teachers that there is a relationship between code-switching and New Englishes. In addition, two of the teachers expressed the view that there is nothing wrong with teaching the local variety of English in the schools, while the other two said they preferred the teaching of Standard English.The study recommends that language policy planners in Zimbabwe consider adopting a balance of the endonormative and the exo-normative models of English for the education system. Such a model, while acknowledging the importance of Standard English, would not undermine the importance of the local variety of English. In addition, the inquiry recommends that the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) be sensitive to aspects of the local variety of English rather than set exo-normative models. Finally, the study recommends that further research be done on the perceptions of ESL teachers on the teaching of Standard English and New Englishes in school types which were not included in the sample for the present study.

IRA International Journal of Education and Multidisciplinary Studies (ISSN 2455–2526), 2016

The study investigated the perceptions of secondary school teachers of English on code-switching ... more The study investigated the perceptions of secondary school teachers of English on code-switching by learners in the learning of English. The qualitative inquiry focused on one rural day, and one urban boarding school. The study employed interviews with four teachers from the two schools. Results show that from the perspective of the teachers, their ESL learners code-switched from English to the learners' L1 as a learning tool, mainly to foster understanding among learners and between the learners and their teachers, and for other communicative and social functions. The teachers expressed an appreciation of their learners' code-switching but there were also negative sentiments. The study recommends that language policy planners revisit the English-only policy in schools and consider adopting the endo-normative rather than the exo-normative model of English for the education system. The study also recommends that the responsible Ministry should hold workshops to sensitise teachers on how code-switching may be tolerated and exploited as a language learning tool. Furthermore, the study recommends that ESL teachers be guided by the Postmethod pedagogy, a sense of plausibility as well as the notion of relativism in their decisions on whether or not to allow their learners to code-switch. In addition, the inquiry recommends that the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council be sensitive to aspects of the local variety of English rather than set exonormative models. Finally, the study recommends that further research be done on code-switching in school types which were not included in the sample for the present study.