37.1381, Diss: African Deaf Sign Languages; South African Sign Language; Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics: Beausetha Juhetha Bruwer: "A Sociolinguistic and Socio-Educational Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Bilingual and Biliterate Education for Lower Primary Deaf Learners in the Khomas Region of Namibia"

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LINGUIST List: Vol-37-1381. Thu Apr 09 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.1381, Diss: African Deaf Sign Languages; South African Sign Language; Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics: Beausetha Juhetha Bruwer: "A Sociolinguistic and Socio-Educational Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Bilingual and Biliterate Education for Lower Primary Deaf Learners in the Khomas Region of Namibia"

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Date: 09-Apr-2026
From: Chrismi-Rinda Loth [LothC at ufs.ac.za]
Subject: A Sociolinguistic and Socio-Educational Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Bilingual and Biliterate Education for Lower Primary Deaf Learners in the Khomas Region of Namibia

Institution: University of the Free State | Masters Degree
(Linguistics and Language Practice)
Degree Date: 2013

Dissertation Title: A Sociolinguistic and Socio-Educational Evaluation
of the Effectiveness of Bilingual and Biliterate Education for Lower
Primary Deaf Learners in the Khomas Region of Namibia

Dissertation URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1666

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
                     Sociolinguistics

Subject Language(s): South African Sign Language (sfs)

Language Family(ies): African Deaf Sign Languages

Dissertation Director(s): Theodorus du Plessis and Annalene van Staden

Dissertation Abstract:

AUTHOR: BEAUSETHA JUHETHA BRUWER
ABSTRACT
Sign Language-based Bilingual Education is a known
Bilingual-Bicultural model that offers the best chance for a deaf
learner to achieve academic success. Even though the Ministry of
Education in Namibia also claims to have adopted this approach to
teaching deaf learners, the education system still remains unable to
produce deaf learners who can exit school with a valid grade twelve
certificate.
The study constitutes a programme evaluation design in which a
sociolinguistic and socio-educational evaluation of the effectiveness
of Bilingual and Biliterate Education was done. A logic model tool for
evaluation was used systematically to formulate a design for this
evaluation. By drawing up a logic model, the main objectives of the
Bilingual-Bicultural programme, together with the overall impact the
success of the programme can have, was highlighted. The main intention
of the study was to assist schools for deaf learners to enhance the
literacy levels of learners in both Namibian Sign Language and
English. Literacy in Namibian Sign Language and English can then serve
as basis to achieve academic success.
The study was aimed at lower primary deaf learners in the Khomas
region of Namibia. The principal of NISE School for Hearing Impaired
learners, the head of department, lower primary teachers and learners
formed part of the research population. The education officer and
school inspector responsible for the school were also included in the
research population. Qualitative research was done, and data were
collected from documents, different interviews and class observations.
An inductive data analysis approach was used to make sense of the
information that was collected.
Based on the logic model tool that was created to do the evaluation,
it was found that the ground work for the Bilingual-Biliterate
programme had been done, as the necessary documents to support the
programme were in place. What the programme lacks most seems to be
support provided to parents of deaf learners and the involvement of
the parents in the educational programmes of the school. There is also
a great need for assessment criteria and tools to be created in order
to justly assess the deaf learners. Other grey areas that may hinder
the success, or the full impact, that the programme can have, are that
staff members still need to develop their Namibian Sign Language
skills and knowledge of Deaf Education. A fully trained staff in
Namibian Sign Language and Deaf Education will determine the existence
of a Sign Bilingual environment at the school; the exisistence of a
Sign Bilingual environonment was another grey area of the programme.
Adequate teaching materials also need to be developed, to be readily
available for instruction within the programme. According to the logic
model, planned work for teacher training, creating a Sign Bilingual
environment and creating teaching materials were already done.
Remaining now only is that the goals of these objectives have to be
reached. If the full impact of the programme is reached, it is
envisaged that deaf learners could more easily obtain a Grade 12
certificate.
AFRIKAANS ABSTRACT
Gebaretaal – gebaseer op tweetalige onderrig – is ‘n alombekende
Tweetalig-Bikulturele model wat aan ‘n dowe leerder die beste
geleentheid bied om sukses op akademiese gebied te behaal. Alhoewel
die Ministerie van Onderwys in Namibië daarop aanspraak maak dat
hierdie benadering in die onderrig van dowe leerders aanvaar is, kon
die onderwysstelsel tot dusver geen dowe leerder met ‘n Graad
12-sertifikaat laat slaag het nie.
Hierdie studie beoog om ‘n programevalueringsontwerp daar te stel
waarin ‘n sosiolinguistiese en sosio-opvoedkundige evaluering van die
effektiwiteit van tweetalig-geletterde onderrig gedoen is. ‘n Logiese
modelinstrument vir evaluering is gebruik om stelselmatig ‘n plan te
beding om die evaluering te doen. Deur ‘n logiese model op te stel, is
die hoofdoelstellings van die Tweetalig-Bikulturele program
beklemtoon, asook die algehele uitwerking wat die sukses van die
program kan hê. Die hoofdoel van die studie was om skole vir dowes by
te staan om sodoende die geletterdheidsvlak van leerders in beide
Engels en Namibiese Gebaretaal te verhoog. Geletterdheid in Namibiese
Gebaretaal en Engels kan dan as basis dien om akademiese sukses te
bereik.
Die studie was gemik op junior primêre leerders wat doof is in die
Khomasstreek van Namibië. Die hoof van NISE School for Hearing
Impaired Learners, die departementshoof, die junior primêre
onderwysers en leerders vorm deel van die navorsingspopulasie. Die
skoolinspekteur en onderwys beampte onder wie se beheer die skool is,
is ook ingesluit in die navorsingspopulasie. Kwalitatiewe navorsing is
gedoen en data is versamel van dokumente, onderhoude en
klaskamerobservasie. ‘n Induktiewe benadering is gevolg om data te
analiseer.
Gebaseer op die instrument wat volgens die logiese model ontwerp is om
die evaluering te doen, is daar gevind dat die grondslag vir
tweetalig-bigeletterde onderrig gelê is en dat die nodige dokumente
wat die program rugsteun in plek is. Wat grotendeels in die program
ontbreek, is die ondersteuning wat aan die ouers van dowe leerders
gegee behoort te word en die betrokkenheid van die ouers in die
opvoedkundige progamme van die skool. Daar is ook ‘n groot nood vir
die ontwikkeling van assesseringskriteria en instrumente wat gebruik
kan word om dowe leerders regverdig te assesseer. ‘n Ander grys area
wat die volle sukses van die program verhinder, is die gebrek van
personeellede se vaardigheid in gebaretaal. Hulle sal dus eers hulle
vaardigheid in die gebruik van gebaretaal asook hulle kennis van en
insig in die onderrig van dowes moet verbeter, voordat die program in
sy volle impak geïmplementeer kan word. Dit sal die bestaan van ‘n
gebare-tweetalige leeromgewing in die skool bepaal – wat ook ‘n grys
area in die program was. Voldoende onderrigmateriaal en hulpmiddels
moet ook ontwikkel word en moet geredelik beskikbaar wees om in die
program te gebruik. Volgens die logiese model is die beplanning van
onderwysopleiding om ‘n gebare-tweetalige leeromgewing te skep en om
toepaslike onderrigmateriaal te skep, alreeds gedoen. Dit is nou slegs
nodig om die doelwitte van hierdie doelstelling te bereik. Wanneer die
volle impak van die program kan geld, is die hoop dat dowe leerders
makliker hul Graad 12-sertifikaat sal kan verwerf.
KEYWORDS
Biliteracy, CCDS, CLaSH, Deaf, Effectiveness, ICEIDA, Instruction,
NIED, NISE, NNAD, NSL, SASL, Academic achievement, Dissertation (M.A.
(Linguistics and Language Practice))--University of the Free State,
2013, Education, Bilinugual -- Study and teaching (Primary) --
Namibia, Deaf -- Education -- Namibia

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