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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Master of Arts in African Languages 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
96706  Master of Arts in African Languages 
ORIGINATOR
Stellenbosch University 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Master's Degree  Field 04 - Communication Studies and Language  Language 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  180  Not Applicable  NQF Level 09  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2027-06-30   2029-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
The purpose of the qualification is to equip learners with the kind of knowledge and applied competencies in the African languages, that will enable them to have a principled understanding of the factors relevant to the successful planning, implementation and management of discourse practices for African languages in professional contexts (government, private sector, education) in relation to multilingual language policy.Given the broad purpose outlined above, the specific purposes of the programme are:
(a) To equip learners with an advanced knowledge of the sub-disciplines of sociolinguistics, pragmatics, discourse and genre analysis, and the ethnography of communication with respect to professional discourse in multilingual contexts;
(b) To enable learners to integrate a wide variety of information about the planning and management of higher-function discourse practices for African languages;
(c) To equip learners with a specialised understanding of the problems pertinent to the development and use of the African languages for functioning in professional contexts, and to guide students to participate in the search for innovative solutions to these problems;
(d) To establish a basis for an independent investigation through a capacity for advanced theoretical thinking and the ability to select and utilise critically appropriate applied competencies for performing complex tasks and problem-solving relating to discourse practices in African languages. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The institution conducts RPL in terms of the policy and guidelines of the institution to recognise other forms of formal, informal and non-formal learning and experience.

In cases where learners do not comply with the formal admission requirements, the institution applies its RPL policy.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Bachelor of Arts Honours in African Languages, NQF Level 8. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Demonstrate the ability to identify, formulate and solve problems of a theoretical or practical nature in the area of professional discourse practices.
    2. Demonstrate competencies in the independent analysis, organisation and critical evaluation of information relevant to the successful planning, implementation and management of projects and policies.
    3. Demonstrate the ability to develop and present arguments for communication with both subject specialists and non-specialists in the module.
    4. Demonstrate theoretical knowledge of the pragmatics of discourse practices in African languages in professional and public contexts.
    5. Show familiarity with the literature on sociolinguistics, the ethnography of communication, pragmatics, and discourse and genre analysis, and its application to the African languages in relation to multilingual language policy.
    6. Display a principled understanding of how the use of the African languages in professional contexts encodes ideologies, values, attitudes, social identities and relationships.
    7. Interpret, analyse and construct written and spoken discourses in African languages for the purpose of both internal and external communication in institutional and organisational contexts.
    8. Be able to relate professional discourse practices in African languages to broader issues concerning language and society and the implementation of multilingual language policy.
    9. Identify and analyse issues relevant to developing and maintaining multilingual language policy in institutional and organisational contexts in order to create a culture sensitive to discourse practices in African languages. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Integrated Assessment:
  • The assessment used for this qualification complies with the stated purposes of the qualification.
  • A range of formative and summative assessments is used, but the emphasis falls on a thesis or interrelated series of assignments in which students have to display the desired outcomes. Written and oral examinations and presentations, role-playing, simulations, assignments, and case studies may also be used as instruments of assessment.
  • The appropriate kinds of assessment are used in an integrated manner to determine whether the specified outcomes have been achieved (see section 8 below).The assessment used meets the standard and level of achievement for NQF Level 8a.

    Integrated assessment is accomplished by evaluation of a series of interrelated assignments that reflect the desired outcomes. The series of assignments represent an integrated summation of the level of knowledge and insight gained by the successful student as well as his/her academic and communicative abilities. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The departments involved in presenting this qualification each has various areas of expertise which will be combined and coordinated to present a programme of international standard. Several staff members of the departments involved in presenting the programme have extensive experience in teaching and study guidance at postgraduate level within their respective areas of expertise in the broad field of language and discourse practices. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification offers both possibilities of horizontal and vertical articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Master of Arts: Comparative African Languages and Literature, NQF Level 9.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Philosophy in African Languages, NQF Level 10. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. Stellenbosch University 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.