I think you will have to look in the population itself to establish some kind of norm; you can't compare it to an 'international benchmark'.

Within the 99% there will surely be some variation for several levels (accuracy, speed, ...). These should be used to create a norm.

I think you will have to look in the population itself to establish some kind of norm; you can't compare it to an 'international benchmark'.

Within the 99% there will surely be some variation for several levels (accuracy, speed, ...). These should be used to create a norm.

norm

nôrm/

noun

noun: norm; noun: the norm

1.

something that is usual, typical, or standard.

"this system has been the norm in Germany for decades"

synonyms: standard, usual, the rule;

normal, typical, average, unexceptional, par for the course, expected

"such teams are now the norm" (from google)

From the synonym average, you compute the arithmetic mean from your non-normal population. to get your "norm". This is one option.

Why do the isiXhosa speaking learners locally need to reach the international reading bench market? Do the isiXhosa have their own dictionary in isiXhosa language which allow them to learn to read their own language first? 

IsiXhosa speaking learners permanently have the click-sound expression in mind, which might complicate oral expression of a foreign languages that do not require the click-sound expression? Perhaps the extensive use of the IsiXhosa language will shape the morphology of the sound apparatus in such a way that rapidly speaking a foreign language become more complicated?  

Indeed, you are correct, Marcel.  The benchmark may be artificial and it would be better to establish some other type of base line.  IsiXhosa speakers do have their own dictionaries and reading resources, but the problem is that many children seem to fail to acquire fluent word recognition.  So it looks as though the method of teaching is failing to achieve success.  So if we norm against the average literacy achievement, the level is too low to be useful.    However, it would be very useful if we could work out what a "good" level of reading proficiency would be for these children, but in the absence of any "normal" population it is hard to know what is "good".    

Dear Mark,

Is it important to read in IsiXhosa language?

What about traditional signalling system of IsiXhosa people if any?

What about the number of IsiXhosa inhabitants?

What does it mean three years of schooling?

What is the objective of the government?

What is the rate of IsiXhosa people speaking in English or Afrikaans?

How can these people communicate with people belonging to other nationalities?

What about the way of life of these people (nomadic, hunter)?

Dear Mark,

What reading (understanding) level is necessary from point of view of IsiXhosa people?

Interesting discussion. I learned to know some people in Namibia and South Africa who used the IsiXhosa language, but all these persons had no problem to talk English, some even talked German and they could read, write and understood grammar etc. So I´m a little bit astonished, why dear Marcel ist talking and arguing with possible different brain organisations in these populations. Do you have some infos or scientific hints?

Hi there, András

I'm just going to cycle through your questions quickly.

(1) Is it important to read in IsiXhosa language?

I'd say yes.  Importance is measured a bit subjectively but there are magazines, local newspapers, a wonderful body of literature.  

(2) What about traditional signalling system of IsiXhosa people if any?  

I'm not sure what you mean by this :-(  Other than the xhosa language itself, I guess.

(3) What abut the number of IsiXhosa inhabitants

It is South Africa's 2nd largest language with about 18% of the population speaking it.  So I guess that is about 10 million people.  Although only 1 in 5 speak it nationally, that number is 4 in 5 in the Eastern Cape Province.  Also, when you realize that the largest language is Zulu with only 22%, then you get an idea of how big this language is.  So it is definitely a language that is large enough to matter.

(4)  What does it mean three years of schooling?

Grade 1 2 and 3 of formal schooling, typically in state schools.  Starting at age 7.

(5) What is the objective of the government?

Good question.  I have no idea.  Policy is sometimes hard to interpret....

(6) What is the rate of IsiXhosa people speaking in English or Afrikaans?

I'd say just about 99%.  Pretty much all South Africans are bilingual and are aware of at least some English and/or Afrikaans.  However, competence levels vary from pretty good to pretty restricted, depending on education opportunities etc.

(7)  How can these people communicate with people belonging to other nationalities?

In English (or in isiXhosa if anybody else tried...).  But generally, most South Africans are really too poor or unemployed or not sufficiently plugged in to the globalized networks to have much opportunity to do this regularly.  So in my mind, it is not a major consideration.

(8)  What about the way of life of these people (nomadic, hunter)?

Traditionally, Xhosa people were agriculturalists with emphasis on cattle and maize farming.  There are still plenty of people who fit this bill, but the way of life is fairly mixed and modern.  So we are not dealing with a "lost tribe" or anything like that; just ordinary people living on the land and in cities.

(9) What reading (understanding) level is necessary from point of view of IsiXhosa people?

I do not know how a Xhosa person would answer this question, but I imagine that they would answer it the same way I would, namely that reading is an intrinsic good and that reading well at a highly competent level is the natural goal.  So I don't think that Xhosa people would necessarily argue that they only need to be able to read at a very restricted level.

I think that Xhosa people face similar challenges to those faced by speakers of other languages, such as Polish.  Both have rich cultural and literary heritages, both have to face the challenges of globalization and English-as-lingua-franca.  Both probably accept the need and usefulness of reading in English, but neither would probably accept to sideline their own languages.

I hope this helps.

Mark

Marcel, 

It's an interesting possibility that you raise.  I think that the way we read is probably different in the brain.  E.g. in isiXhosa because it is an agglutinating language like Turkish, written words are quite long (whereas in English they are short).  Also, the orthography is quite transparent and simple.  So we know that the neural pathway to reading is different for these reasons: in Engish there is more reliance on memorization of word shape as a kind of gestalt; in languages with transparent orthographies, there is more reliance on decoding the sounds.  But this is an issue of learning, not genotype.

I don't think that genotype is causing the reading problem here (at least we don't know that to be the case).  I don't think that it is because of genetic characteristics that literacy is difficult; rather the way we teach literacy and social factors are probably the issue here.

Also, we must realize that the SA schooling system is not necessarily always as effective as it could be.  So we are also dealing with issues such as poverty, rural schools, lack of teacher training and a lot of issues associated with underdevelopment.

best

M

I found this on the internet!

Dear Mark,

Many thanks for your detailed answers. I think that living conditions and educational facilities may have a determinative role on the success of literacy. Is transmitted the cultural tradition in written or oral way in case of Xhosa people? What you have written on the importance of cultural heritage is wholly right. Although, I believe people prefer surviving and improving of their living conditions. If literacy can improve these factors their motivation to reading will easily develop. I have experience on many hundred thousands of Hungarians who abandoned their language, nationally, culture in order to live better after the states of entente cordiale chopped Hungary after the first and second WW and the nations around Hungary were presented with enormous areas (between 6000-100000 km2).

Dear Mark,

In mathematics we have what we call norm defined in a structured set that assigns a non negative number to elements of a set. There are characteristics which make such a mapping a norm. Weakened norms are called semi norms or quasi norms.

In natural species there is always a norm however weird or obscure it may look, as long as they exist for so long in that manner without being disappeared. For instance we literally call  things which do not have observed  order chaotic but up close there is a chaotic order that keeps the phenomena together and survive for all time. 

These people have semi norms but not at par with the norm of the modern world that we live in today and we should not try to define as you said a sensible norm as they do not have one for contemporary world. What they have is a weak semi norm  that keeps them together and alive for daily leaving within their own group.

As long as we want the world to be interconnected and share information and knowledge for a better living and as long as science and technology is sneaking in to their places of living  then they have to upgrade the norm in which they live. That is possible through education and a continuous effort to be changed. Some enlightened representatives from them should spear head this task of transformation so that the modern norm percolates in to their way of thinking and culture.