English: This study investigates the intercultural discourse between the Igbo and the Sesotho people residing in Bloemfontein. The study is motivated by the way in which the Igbo in Bloemfontein switch from one language into another, which is based on who their addressee is. The study assesses the backgrounds of the two countries (Nigeria and South Africa) where these ethnic groups emerged, including their languages. The backgrounds help in the assessment of the attitudes, feelings and opinions of the two groups under study in the way they relate with one another when they are in intercultural communication. Related literature was reviewed on different aspects of intercultural discourse and intercultural communication (Chapter 3), with focus on: different views on discourse/discourse analysis; discourse, racism and discrimination; differences in male’s and female’s speeches. The review also covers language, migration and loyalty; language contact; intercultural discourse/communication; conversation analysis, as well as conversational features: turn-taking, interruption/overlapping, and code-switching/code-mixing. The review describes the field of discourse analysis and situates the current study within this field of research. The study further explored language stereotypes and xenophobic sentiments which help in identifying the power of dominant group over minority groups and foreigners, as well as the power of press in dissemination of information in the society. Given the complexity of the research, the study employed different research instruments: questionnaire, interviews and audio-recordings of natural interactions in different contexts (shop, hospital, church, home and among friends) in collecting data. The data were analysed using qualitative and quantitative (tables and bar graphs) research methods. Intercultural interaction/communication/discourse between the Igbo and the Sesotho shows that the attitudes and feelings of the two groups are positive, as they are comfortable, not afraid, confident, not nervous and relaxed when interacting with each other. The study reveals that the two groups often (81% Igbo and 92% Sesotho) switch from one language to another during intercultural communication. However, the kind of switch the study records is word/phrase switches, mostly the words/phrases of the dominant language (Sesotho). The reasons for their switches vary: to emphasis a word or an expression, to be more polite in greeting and appreciation, to show respect, as well as to identity with the addressee. The study records four sentences switching which only occurred among the children at home context. However, the results from the study show that during the intercultural communication between the Igbo and the Sesotho, turn-taking, interruptions and discourse dominance are determined by some factors, such as; age, educational background, gender, the relationships between the interactants, and the context of the interaction. The freedom with which women speak during interaction is also assessed. The study reveals that although women speak freely, they do not speak more freely than their male counterparts, in mixed-gender interactions. In addition, the results reveal that there are no restrictions on the speech of Igbo women. However, Sesotho shows some restrictions on the language of their married women, “hlompha” (a language of respect), where a married women are bound by tradition not to pronounce any word relating to the name of her in-laws. The study establishes that there are derogatory words to refer to both women and men in both groups. For example, in Igbo “nwoke/nwaay -aga” and in Sesotho “nyopa” are used to refer to barren woman with no counterparts for men. The study in addition investigates the words used to refer to foreigners and whether such words provide evidence for xenophobic sentiments in South Africa. The study identifies both positive and negative words used by the Igbo and the Sesotho to refer to foreigners. According to the majority of the respondents (79.5%), such words do not contribute to xenophobic sentiments in South Africa generally or Bloemfontein specifically.
Afrikaans: Hierdie studie ondersoek die interkulturele diskoers tussen Igbo’s en Sesotho’s wat in Bloemfontein woon. Die studie is gemotiveer deur die manier waarop Igbo’s in Bloemfontein van een taal na ŉ ander oorskakel, gegrond op wie hulle aanspreek. Hierdie studie bestudeer die agtergrond tot die twee lande (Nigerië en Suid-Afrika) waar hierdie etniese groepe, asook hul tale, voorkom. Hierdie agtergrondinligting is van toepassing in die assessering van die houdings, gevoelens en opinies van die twee groepe wat ondersoek word en hoe hulle met mekaar verband hou wanneer lede van die groepe interkultureel kommunikeer. Verwante literatuur oor verskillende aspekte van interkulturele diskoers en interkulturele kommunikasie (Hoofstuk 3) is ondersoek, met ŉ fokus op: verskillende sienings van diskoers/diskoersanalise; diskoers, rassisme en diskriminasie; en verskille in mans en vroue se spraak. Die oorsig sluit ook in taal, migrasie en lojaliteit; taalkontak; interkulturele diskoers/kommunikasie; gespreksanalise, asook gesprekskenmerke soos beurtneming, onderbreking/oorvleueling en kodewisseling/kode-vermenging. Die oorsig beskryf die veld van diskoersanalise en plaas die huidige studie binne hierdie navorsingsveld. Die studie het verder taalstereotipes en xenofobiese sentimente ondersoek. Dit help om die mag van ŉ dominante groep oor minderheidsgroepe en buitelanders te identifiseer, asook die mag van die media in die verspreiding van inligting aan die samelewing. Gegewe die komplekse aard van die navorsing het die studie verskillende navorsingsinstrumente gebruik: vraelyste, onderhoude en opnames van natuurlike interaksies in verskillende kontekste (winkel, hospitaal, kerk, huis en tussen vriende) om data te versamel. Die data is geanaliseer met behulp van kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe (tabelle en grafieke) navorsingsmetodes. Interkulturele interaksie/kommunikasie/diskoers tussen die Igbo en die Sesotho toon dat die houdings en gevoelens van die twee groepe positief is, aangesien hul gemaklik, nie bang nie, vol selfvertroue, nie senuweeagtig nie en ontspanne is wanneer hulle met mekaar in interaksie is. Die studie toon dat die twee groepe dikwels (81% Igbo en 92% Sesotho) van een taal na ŉ ander tydens interkulturele kommunikasie wissel. Die soort wisseling wat die studie aantoon is woord-/frase-wisselings en meestal die woorde/frases van die dominante taal (Sesotho). Die redes vir hul wisselings verskil: om ŉ woord of ŉ uitdrukking te beklemtoon, om meer beleefd te wees wanneer iemand gegroet word of waardering te toon, om respek te toon, asook om met die aangesprokene te identifiseer. Die studie toon die wisseling van sinne in vier gevalle wat slegs tussen die kinders binne die konteks van die huis voorgekom het. Die resultate van die studie toon egter dat tydens interkulturele kommunikasie tussen die Igbo en die Sesotho, beurtneming, onderbrekings en diskoersdominansie deur sekere faktore soos ouderdom, opvoedkundige agtergrond, geslag, die verhoudings tussen die deelnemers en die konteks van die interaksie, bepaal word. Die vryheid waarmee vroue tydens interaksie praat is ook geassesseer. Die studie toon dat hoewel vroue vryelik praat, praat hulle nie so vryelik soos hul manlike eweknieë in interaksies waar beide geslagte betrokke is nie. Bykomend toon die resultate geen beperkinge op die spraak van Igbo-vroue nie. Sesotho toon egter sommige beperkinge op die taal van getroude vrouens. Hlompha (ŉ taal van respek) is wanneer ŉ getroude vrou deur tradisie gebind is om nie enige woorde te mag gebruik wat met haar skoonfamilie verband hou nie. Die studie het vasgestel dat daar in beide groepe neerhalende woorde is om na beide vrouens en mans te verwys. Byvoorbeeld, in Igbo word nwoke/nwaayị-aga en in Sesotho nyopa gebruik om na onvrugbare vrouens te verwys, met geen ekwivalent vir mans nie. Die studie ondersoek verder ook die woorde wat gebruik word om na buitelanders te verwys en of sulke woorde enige bewyse vir xenofobiese sentimente in Suid-Afrika bied. Die studie identifiseer beide positiewe en negatiewe woorde wat deur die Igbo en die Sesotho gebruik word om na buitelanders te verwys. Volgens die meerderheid van die respondente (79.5%) dra hierdie woorde nie by tot xenofobiese sentimente in Suid-Afrika in die algemeen, of Bloemfontein spesifiek nie.