Student Name: D G Ras
Student No: 2808129
Module: Language through an African Lens
Module Code: AFL1501
Assignment Description: My Portfolio
Assignment No: 06
Unique Code No: 663413
Student Address: 59 Ingang Street, De Kelders, 7220
Student Cell No: 066 212 7340
DECLARATION
By submitting this portfolio electronically, I, Daniel Gerhardus Ras, student no 2808129,
declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own work and that I have not
previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification, save for
submissions made in respect of this module. I furthermore declare that I have not plagiarised
in any way and have acknowledged and referenced resources according to the Harvard style
of referencing that I consulted and used to complete this portfolio. I acknowledge that I am
aware of what plagiarism is and the consequences thereof. I furthermore acknowledge that I
am aware of UNISA’s policy on Plagiarism and understand that if there is evidence of
plagiarism in this document, UNISA will be entitled to take appropriate action.
Signed: D G Ras
Date: 11 October 2019
i
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ..................................................................................................................... i
1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Purpose of Portfolio......................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Structure of Portfolio ...................................................................................................... 1
2. My Personal Language Story ............................................................................................ 3
2.1 Ice-breaker introduction activity ....................................................................................... 3
2.2 Blog entry about my language story ................................................................................ 3
2.3 Further reflection on my language story .......................................................................... 6
3. My family tree.................................................................................................................... 8
3.1 My family tree layout ....................................................................................................... 8
3.2 My family tree interpretation and its effect on my group identity ...................................... 9
3.3 My different names over time ........................................................................................ 10
4. Cultural ceremonies: an Afrikaans funeral ....................................................................... 11
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 11
4.2 Reflection on Afrikaans funeral ceremonies .................................................................. 11
4.4 Description of the photos I presented ............................................................................ 15
4.5 What I have learnt about myself from the series of funeral ceremonies and my culture . 16
4.6 Personal Reflection ....................................................................................................... 17
4.7 The relationship between funerals and Afrikaans culture............................................... 17
4.8 Concluding reflection on Afrikaans funeral ceremonies ................................................. 18
4.8.1 Cultural or social grouping activators.......................................................................... 18
4.8.2 Why we have social gatherings .................................................................................. 18
4.8.3 The relationship between language, culture or social grouping .................................. 19
4.8.4 The impact of digital media on cultural or social practices .......................................... 19
4.8.5 Example of my culture or social grouping evolvement over time ................................ 19
5. Final Reflection ............................................................................................................... 21
5.1 The process of language usage reflects who I am......................................................... 21
5.2 Where I acquired my language and how it formed my attitudes and worldview in terms of
Ubuntu within my social groupings ............................................................................... 21
5.3 The use of my language strengthens my feeling of belonging ....................................... 22
5.4 Ubuntu in our modern society ....................................................................................... 23
6. Conclusion on Portfolio ................................................................................................... 26
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 27
i
, 1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose of Portfolio
The purpose of this portfolio is to present documentary proof that I actively participated in
studying this online module and that I have fulfilled the requirements required to pass the
module.
A further purpose of this portfolio is indicate what I have learnt by studying this module with
particular emphasis on the language that I use, how such language reflects who I am and how
it influences my view of others and my worldview. My family tree will show where I come from
and how the language of my ancestors and descendants influenced my language usage.
This portfolio also reflects my view of my culture and how I see other cultures after having
been exposed to the learning material of this module and by interacting with fellow students
online. This portfolio will show that my linguistic identity remains firmly Afrikaans but that my
cultural bias has changed and that my view of other cultures has become more sensitive.
In affirming my Afrikaans culture this portfolio will reflect on a typical Afrikaans funeral
ceremony, which is a formal event that has very few symbolic rituals other than those
associated with an ordinary Christian church service.
This portfolio will also express my views on Ubuntu and the challenges we face in respect of
lack of Ubuntu.
In conclusion this portfolio will express the view that this module has assisted me to gain better
understanding of other cultures, the way they behave and why they place more emphasis on
the community than the individual. .
1.2. Structure of Portfolio
This portfolio consists of the following chapters:
1. Introduction (10 %): Introduction to your portfolio:
1.1 The purpose of the portfolio.
1.2 The structure of portfolio.
2. Inclusion of my First Portfolio Activity - Personal Language Story.with further
reflection on the language of my heart, other languages I know, how I learnt these other
languages, how I use these languages and how it reflects on who I am.
3. Inclusion of my Second Portfolio Activity – My Family Tree, the impact of my family
on my linguistic identity and the names I am called by.
4. Inclusion of Portfolio Assignment -: Cultural Ceremony with improvements in
accordance with comments made by fellow students.
5. My Final Reflection on what I have learned from this course about language, about
how language influences who I am and how I act, and about how I have changed my
view of language use during the course of this module.
How the following statement about Ubuntu applies to language use in my modern
communal life in terms of the self and other: Ubuntu, the ability to show our humanity to
others, manifests in communal life, community wholeness that goes beyond caring for
1
Student No: 2808129
Module: Language through an African Lens
Module Code: AFL1501
Assignment Description: My Portfolio
Assignment No: 06
Unique Code No: 663413
Student Address: 59 Ingang Street, De Kelders, 7220
Student Cell No: 066 212 7340
DECLARATION
By submitting this portfolio electronically, I, Daniel Gerhardus Ras, student no 2808129,
declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own work and that I have not
previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification, save for
submissions made in respect of this module. I furthermore declare that I have not plagiarised
in any way and have acknowledged and referenced resources according to the Harvard style
of referencing that I consulted and used to complete this portfolio. I acknowledge that I am
aware of what plagiarism is and the consequences thereof. I furthermore acknowledge that I
am aware of UNISA’s policy on Plagiarism and understand that if there is evidence of
plagiarism in this document, UNISA will be entitled to take appropriate action.
Signed: D G Ras
Date: 11 October 2019
i
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ..................................................................................................................... i
1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Purpose of Portfolio......................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Structure of Portfolio ...................................................................................................... 1
2. My Personal Language Story ............................................................................................ 3
2.1 Ice-breaker introduction activity ....................................................................................... 3
2.2 Blog entry about my language story ................................................................................ 3
2.3 Further reflection on my language story .......................................................................... 6
3. My family tree.................................................................................................................... 8
3.1 My family tree layout ....................................................................................................... 8
3.2 My family tree interpretation and its effect on my group identity ...................................... 9
3.3 My different names over time ........................................................................................ 10
4. Cultural ceremonies: an Afrikaans funeral ....................................................................... 11
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 11
4.2 Reflection on Afrikaans funeral ceremonies .................................................................. 11
4.4 Description of the photos I presented ............................................................................ 15
4.5 What I have learnt about myself from the series of funeral ceremonies and my culture . 16
4.6 Personal Reflection ....................................................................................................... 17
4.7 The relationship between funerals and Afrikaans culture............................................... 17
4.8 Concluding reflection on Afrikaans funeral ceremonies ................................................. 18
4.8.1 Cultural or social grouping activators.......................................................................... 18
4.8.2 Why we have social gatherings .................................................................................. 18
4.8.3 The relationship between language, culture or social grouping .................................. 19
4.8.4 The impact of digital media on cultural or social practices .......................................... 19
4.8.5 Example of my culture or social grouping evolvement over time ................................ 19
5. Final Reflection ............................................................................................................... 21
5.1 The process of language usage reflects who I am......................................................... 21
5.2 Where I acquired my language and how it formed my attitudes and worldview in terms of
Ubuntu within my social groupings ............................................................................... 21
5.3 The use of my language strengthens my feeling of belonging ....................................... 22
5.4 Ubuntu in our modern society ....................................................................................... 23
6. Conclusion on Portfolio ................................................................................................... 26
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 27
i
, 1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose of Portfolio
The purpose of this portfolio is to present documentary proof that I actively participated in
studying this online module and that I have fulfilled the requirements required to pass the
module.
A further purpose of this portfolio is indicate what I have learnt by studying this module with
particular emphasis on the language that I use, how such language reflects who I am and how
it influences my view of others and my worldview. My family tree will show where I come from
and how the language of my ancestors and descendants influenced my language usage.
This portfolio also reflects my view of my culture and how I see other cultures after having
been exposed to the learning material of this module and by interacting with fellow students
online. This portfolio will show that my linguistic identity remains firmly Afrikaans but that my
cultural bias has changed and that my view of other cultures has become more sensitive.
In affirming my Afrikaans culture this portfolio will reflect on a typical Afrikaans funeral
ceremony, which is a formal event that has very few symbolic rituals other than those
associated with an ordinary Christian church service.
This portfolio will also express my views on Ubuntu and the challenges we face in respect of
lack of Ubuntu.
In conclusion this portfolio will express the view that this module has assisted me to gain better
understanding of other cultures, the way they behave and why they place more emphasis on
the community than the individual. .
1.2. Structure of Portfolio
This portfolio consists of the following chapters:
1. Introduction (10 %): Introduction to your portfolio:
1.1 The purpose of the portfolio.
1.2 The structure of portfolio.
2. Inclusion of my First Portfolio Activity - Personal Language Story.with further
reflection on the language of my heart, other languages I know, how I learnt these other
languages, how I use these languages and how it reflects on who I am.
3. Inclusion of my Second Portfolio Activity – My Family Tree, the impact of my family
on my linguistic identity and the names I am called by.
4. Inclusion of Portfolio Assignment -: Cultural Ceremony with improvements in
accordance with comments made by fellow students.
5. My Final Reflection on what I have learned from this course about language, about
how language influences who I am and how I act, and about how I have changed my
view of language use during the course of this module.
How the following statement about Ubuntu applies to language use in my modern
communal life in terms of the self and other: Ubuntu, the ability to show our humanity to
others, manifests in communal life, community wholeness that goes beyond caring for
1
