Determining an AAC core vocabulary for Zulu- speaking preschool children

Abstract

Persons who cannot rely on natural speech to fulfil their communication need to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to enable them to participate in life activities. For persons who are nonliterate, the vocabulary for the AAC systems must be preselected. A core vocabulary approach proposes that vocabulary used with a high frequency in spoken language samples be included in AAC systems, in order to ensure that communication can take place across a variety of contexts, and to enable the generation of novel utterances. Various studies have recorded the speech of persons without disabilities in order to determine core vocabulary lists in a number of languages. In South Africa, 22.7% of the population speak Zulu as a home language. There is to date no published Zulu core vocabulary list. This quantitative observational study therefore aimed to determine a core vocabulary for Zulu-speaking preschoolers. Six children aged between 5;1 (years;months) and 5;9 from three different rural preschools participated in the study. The spontaneous speech of these participants was captured during typical preschool activities using small, body-worn digital voice recorders. A total of 9000 orthographic words were captured and transcribed. Due to the linguistic structure of Zulu, the sample was analysed using a formative tagging system, in order to capture the smallest meaningful parts of the language. By applying inclusion criteria of frequency counts of ≥0.5‰ and use by at least two participants (commonality score), a core vocabulary of 221 formatives was determined, which accounted for 88.9% of the total composite sample. The formatives in this core vocabulary are further described and, where possible, compared to the core vocabulary of previous studies. Implications for the design of Zulu AAC systems are discussed.

IsiZulu: Abantu abangakwazi ukukhuluma ngendlela ejwayelekile baye badinge ukusebenzisa iAugmentative and Alternative Communication (i-AAC) ukuze nabo bezophila benze njengabantu bonke. Kulabo abangakwazi ukufunda nokubhala, kumele bakhethelwe amagama azofakwa ezinsizeni zabo (assistive devices) zokukhuluma. Isu lamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo liphakamisa ukuthi kumele kufakwe wona ezinsizeni zokukhuluma ikhona inkulumo izophumelela nomaphi futhi ukuze oyisebenzisayo ezokwazi ukuzikhulumela azakhele nemisho emisha. Ucwaningo olahlukahlukene seluye lwaqopha izinkulumo zabantu abazikhulumelayo ukuze kutholakale izinhlu zamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo ezilimini ezahlukeneyo. ENingizimu Afrika, ngama-22.7% ezakhamuzi akhuluma isiZulu njengolimi lwebele. Kuze kube yinamhlanje alukho uhla lwamagama esiZulu asetshenziswa njalo njalo oseluke lwashicilelwa. Ngakho-ke lolu cwaningo lokubheka ngezibalo luhlose ukuthola uhlelo lwamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo yizingane ezikuzinkulisa ezikhuluma isiZulu. Yizingane eziyisi-6 ezangena kulolucwaningo ezazineminyaka yobudala engaphakathi kwe-5;1 (iminyaka;izinyanga) ukuya eminyakeni yobudala emi-5;9. Ezazisuka ezizinkuliseni zasemakhaya ezintathu ezahlukene. Zazifakwe izikhwanyana ezaziphethe iziqophamazwi, zaqoshwa zizikhulumela zingagqutshwa muntu, zibe zenza zonke izinto ezijwayele ukuzenza umangabe zazikunkulisa. Abhalwa phansi amagama ayekhulunywa izingane aze afika ku-9000. Ngenxa yohlelo lolimi lwesiZulu, kwaphoqa ukuthi kusetshenziswe indlela yokubala amagama eyayizowahlaziya ngokwezakhi zawo. Isakhi ngasinye ukuze sibalwe njengegama elisetshenziswa njalo njalo kwakumele sivele ngokuphindapinda ngaphezu kuka-0.5‰ (≥0.5‰), siphinde futhi sisetshenziswe izingane okungenani ezimbili. Ngalendlela kwatholakala izakhi ezingu-221 athathwa njengamagama asetshenziswa njalo njalo. Lezozakhi futhi zatholakala ukuthi zibambe inxenye engu-88.9% yayo yonke inkulumo yezingane eyayiqoshiwe. Izakhi ezikuloluhlelo ziyaqhubeka zichazwe, ziqhathaniswe futhi lapho okunokuqhathaniswa khona nohla lwezingcwaningo ezedlule. Umqondo ovezwa izakhi nawo uyahlaziywa mayelana nokusungulwa kwezinsizi zokukhuluma ezisosebenzisa isiZulu.

Afrikaans: Persone wat nie op natuurlike spraak kan staatmaak om hulle kommunikasiebehoeftes te vervul nie, moet gebruik maak van aanvullende en alternatiewe kommunikasie (AAK) om hulle in staat te stel om aan lewensaktiwiteite deel te neem. Vir persone wat nie geletterd is nie, moet die woordeskat vir die AAK-sisteem vooraf gekies word. ‘n Kernwoordeskat-benadering stel voor dat woordeskat, wat met hoë frekwensie in gesproke taal gebruik word in AAK-sisteme ingesluit word, om te verseker dat kommunikasie oor ‘n verskeidenheid kontekste kan plaasvind, en om nuwe uitinge te genereer. Verskeie studies het die spraak van persone sonder gestremdheid opgeneem om kernwoordeskatlyste in verkeie tale te bepaal. In Suid-Afrika besig 22.7% van die bevolking Zulu as huistaal. Daar is tot op hede geen gepubliseerde Zulu kernwoordeskatlys nie. Hierdie kwantitatiewe waarnemingstudie het dus gepoog om ‘n kernwoordeskat vir Zulu-sprekende voorskoolse kinders te bepaal. Ses kinders tussen die ouderdomme van 5;1 (jare;maande) en 5;9 van drie verskillende landelike voorskole het aan die studie deelgeneem. Die spontane spraak van die deelnemers is gedurende tipiese voorskoolse aktiwiteite opgeneem, deur gebruik te maak van klein, digitale bandopnemers wat op die liggaam gedra word. ‘n Totaal van 9000 ortografiese woorde is opgeneem en getranskribeer. Weens die linguistiese struktuur van Zulu is die steekproef deur ‘n formatiewe koderingsisteem geanaliseer, om die kleinste betekenisvolle dele van die taal vas te lê. Deur insluitingskriteria van frekwensietellings van ≥0.5‰ en gebruik deur ten minste twee deelnemers (algemeenheidstelling) aan te wend, is ‘n kernwoordeskat van 221 formatiewe vasgestel, wat 88.9% van die totale saamgestelde steekproef gedek het. Die formatiewe in hierdie kernwoordeskat word verder beskryf, en, waar moontlik, vergelyk met die kernwoordeskat van vorige studies. Implikasies vir die ontwerp van Zulu AAK sisteme word bespreek.