MSUIR Collection:https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/272024-03-28T20:43:16Z2024-03-28T20:43:16ZWhat's up with Whatsapp profile pictures and statuses ? a multimodal approachNyambo, Enockhttps://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/40112022-06-27T13:49:05Z2018-06-01T00:00:00ZTitle: What's up with Whatsapp profile pictures and statuses ? a multimodal approach
Authors: Nyambo, Enock
Abstract: The development of social networking sites as linguistic and communication platforms is rising across all age groups in Zimbabwe. Amongst a plethora of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, WhatsApp is the most common in Zimbabwe. Consequently, this research examined the essence of WhatsApp profile pictures and statuses. The research was guided by four main objectives which are to: 1. Analyse the Significance of WhatsApp Profile Pictures and Statuses. 2. Explain the nature of WhatsApp Profile Pictures and Statuses. 3. Examine the messages portrayed by WhatsApp Profile Pictures and Statuses. 4. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of WhatsApp Profile Pictures and Statuses. Different scholars’ perspectives on social media semantics in general and WhatsApp profile pictures and statuses in particular were looked at. A case study qualitative design was used. It involved the administering of in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions as research instruments. Participatory observation complemented interviews and focus group discussions. Convenient sampling technique was used to select 60 respondents for the research. The participants in this study were the WhatsApp users (18-65 year olds) enrolled or recruited by Midlands State University (MSU) Harare Campus who were willing to participate in the study. The data was analysed using axial coding and comparative analysis. The study was informed by the multimodal discourse analysis theory. The research found out that WhatsApp profile pictures are linguistic communication affordances associated with the multimodal portrayal of identity, emotions, ideology, personality and events in one’s life. Opportunities and challenges were discovered and participants emphasized cultural awareness and caution as measures to mitigate cited challenges.2018-06-01T00:00:00ZNyambo, EnockComparing vowel hiatus resolution strategies in ChiHwesa and ChiManyika: an optimality theoretic accountMvundura, Emaculatehttps://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/20942022-06-27T13:49:05Z2015-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: Comparing vowel hiatus resolution strategies in ChiHwesa and ChiManyika: an optimality theoretic account
Authors: Mvundura, Emaculate
Abstract: The study makes a comparative analysis of how ChiHwesa and ChiManyika resolve vowel hiatal configurations. The dialects are against the VV sequence in structures and this triggers the application of the resolution strategies to break the vowel sequences. The comparative analysis was examined in the theoretical framework of optimality theory proposed by prince and Smolensky (1993), McCarthy and Prince (1999) and Kager (1999) which argues that constraints are universal and they belong to the grammar of every language. Its focus is centered on the ranking of constraints which are markedness constraints and faithfulness constraints. Data was analyzed to establish the phonological and morphophonological process which militates against hiatal configurations in both dialects. The key findings of the study revealed that the two dialects resolve hiatal configurations through coalescence, glide insertion/formation, vowel deletion or elision and epenthesis. The study recommends that the phonological and morphological systems of ChiHwesa and ChiManyika in the theoretical framework of the Optimality theory is necessary as means to understand the interaction of constraints.2015-01-01T00:00:00ZMvundura, Emaculate