http://hdl.handle.net/10311/15 Sat, 11 Jul 2026 05:14:57 GMT 2026-07-11T05:14:57Z http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2487 The Ministry of the church to people with disability Nkomazana, Fidelis Jesus’ ministry on earth is meant to be a model of the ministry of the church. It affected all types of people regardless of their socio-economic and religious status. Jesus regarded all to be made in the image of God and did everything possible to minister to everyone. He particularly went out of his way to reach those whom society marginalized, neglected, rejected, and deemed worthless. This study aims at generally critically evaluating the ministry of the church today. It specifically attempts to examine the ministry of the church to people with disabilities. While the study largely depends on existing literature, it also refers to observation of the status of people with disabilities in the church today, which on its own may not provide adequate information for solid, conclusive findings. In the church’s ministry to people with disabilities, dealing with barriers to their inclusion is core. The article not only examines the challenges faced by the church in addressing issues of inclusion, but identifies specific areas of improvement in the status of people with disabilities. Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2487 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2147 Politeness in language use in Tswana Kgotla meetings Kololo, Peggy; Kari, Ethelbert E. This paper focuses on politeness in language use in kgotla meetings among the Tswana ethnic groups of Balete, Bangwato and Bakhurutshe. It investigates how interlocutors’ use of language reflects social behaviour and how it relates to the conventions of interaction, such as openings and closings and other typical features of meetings, in kgotla meetings. The data in this paper was obtained from video recordings and interviews and was qualitatively analysed based on the communities of practice (CofP) approach (Eckert and McConnell-Ginet, 1992) and on Watts’ (2003) view of politeness. The results indicate that polite behaviour occurs both linguistically and non-linguistically during interactions and is enacted according to the norms of Tswana ethnic culture. Furthermore, the results indicate that the use of figurative language is evident in the interlocutors’ discourse. The paper concludes that interactions in kgotla meetings show polite behaviour, and that interactions in a socio-cultural context are largely dependent on various factors that affect the interlocutors’ use of language. Fri, 30 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2147 2021-04-30T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2067 An assessment of distance learners’ use of information resources and services at the University of Botswana Library Modise, Constance Dintle Delivering education through distance education mode imposes upon universities a responsibility to provide library resources and services that are adequate to address students’ expectations of service quality. It is critical to provide library resources and services whose quality levels are acceptable to those who use them. This study sought to assess the distance learners’ use of information resources and services provided by the University of Botswana Library. It also attempts to find out the expectations distance learners and their perceptions about library services. The study aimed to measure the quality of the access to library collections, access to library facilities and staff services from the distance learners’ perspectives. The objectives of the study were 1) to ascertain the extent of use of the library resources and services by distance learners, 2) to find out the distance learners’ expectations and perceptions on the quality of University of Botswana library resources and services, 3) to determine distance learners satisfaction level regarding service quality, 4) to examine the library support services offered to distance learners, 5) to identify challenges faced by distance learners and 6) to make recommendations to the library based on the findings of the study. The study adapted LibQUAL, a library assessment instrument to measure the users’ expectations, and perceptions of the quality of information services, library facilities and staff services. Armed with pragmatist research paradigm, a mixed method approach which included both quantitative and qualitative data collection was used. The study used LibQUAL survey instrument to collect data from a sample of 124 distance students representing 20 percent of the distance learners of the University of Botswana. Interviews were also conducted with five subject librarians designated to work directly with distance students. A total of 87 (70%) distance students responded to the questionnaire and all the five librarians made themselves available for interview. The results of the quantitative survey were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) to determine the frequencies of the responses and the results were displayed using tables and figures. The qualitative data was analyzed using Microsoft excel analysis and thematic analysis. A key finding indicated that there is a gap between distance learners’ expectations and perceptions of library service at University of Botswana library. Furthermore, the study found that users were not really getting the full benefit of the library services and some of the services were underutilized. It emerged from the findings that the most problematic services for users were reference services, interlibrary loans, book reserve and electronic resources such as electronic journals and databases. Furthermore, the results of the study also indicated that library services were initially planned for all students regardless of their status. The interviews with the librarians revealed that more planning, and library awareness assessments are needed for furthering the presence of the library among distance learners. Such efforts could increase library usage and could provide useful information for library self-study and ideas for improving the quality of library services. The study recommends that University of Botswana library will have to focus on developing flexible services and promote them proactively. Librarians need to experiment with technological innovations such as virtual reference tools and social media platforms so that future service provision is increasingly effective and efficient. The study concluded by pointing out some future research areas that could be explored. The study could help inform decision making for improvement of services, future planning, training of staff and benchmarking with other libraries. This study would also provide a contribution to the depth of researches on library use by distance students in Botswana and Africa as a whole. A dissertation submitted to the Dept. of Library and Information Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Botswana in partial fulfilment of the requirement of the degree of Masters in Library and Information. Citation: Modise, C. D. (2019) An assessment of distance learners’ use of information resources and services at the University of Botswana Library, University of Botswana. Thu, 01 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2067 2019-08-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2000 The languages of Rivers State of Nigeria: An overview Kari, Ethelbert Emmanuel This paper provides an updated overview of the languages of Rivers State of Nigeria in respect of the number, linguistic classification and features of the languages, as well as the distribution of the languages across the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. This is because the existing overviews contain little or no data on the linguistic features of the languages. It notes that Rivers State is a multilingual state in which 28 native or indigenous languages are spoken, and that the languages fall into two major sub-families (Benue-Congo and Ijoid) within the Niger-Congo phylum. With relevant data, the paper highlights and illustrates some of the interesting linguistic characteristics of the languages, which include advanced tongue root vowel harmony, noun classification via noun prefixes and noun classifiers, inclusive-exclusive distinction in personal pronouns, sex gender, verbal extensions, serial verb constructions and subject and/or object agreement marking. Furthermore, the paper considers the distribution of Rivers State languages and notes that the languages are not evenly distributed across the LGAs, and that many indigenous people of the state are bilingual or multilingual in the languages of the state. Finally, the paper notes that despite the enabling national and state policies and laws favouring mother-tongue education, Rivers State languages have not actively been used at the levels stipulated by the policies and laws. It recommends the enforcement and implementation of existing laws and policies so that the indigenous languages of the state are used at the levels stipulated by the National Policy on Education for the benefit of the citizens, state and country. Wed, 06 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2000 2019-11-06T00:00:00Z