Determining the core vocabulary of Sepedi-speaking Grade R learners from the Sekhukhune district during regular school activities

Abstract

Background: Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems has been used widely to improve the communication of individuals with reduced or no functional speech. Customising AAC systems for children with limited literacy skills requires others to pre-select a restricted number of words as their vocabulary, which can be challenging. Various resources, including core vocabulary lists, have guided the vocabulary selection process. Core vocabulary are words that are frequently used in conversations amongst a group of people. These words are language-specific and are influenced by geographical features. So far, there is only one Sepedi core vocabulary list based on speech samples collected in the Capricorn district in Limpopo province, South Africa. Thus, the current study aims to determine the core vocabulary of Sepedi-speaking Grade R learners in the Sekhukhune district in Limpopo province. This core vocabulary list can provide dialect-specific words and supplement the existing Sepedi core list when designing AAC systems. Methods: Six preschool children from two schools without speech/language difficulties were audio-recorded during regular school activities. Over the period of a week, their language samples were collected using small body-worn audio recording devices. The samples were then transcribed and tagged using Microsoft WordTM. The data was analysed using Microsoft WordTM and Microsoft ExcelTM. Results: The combined sample comprises 19,316 intelligible words and 1,068 different words were identified. The core vocabulary list consists of words with a minimum frequency of 0.05‰ and used by at least half the participants. This resulted in a core vocabulary list of 255 words. The 255 core words accounted for 88.7% of the composite sample. Conclusions: The results are consistent with findings in the existing literature on core vocabulary in other languages, as it comprises a small set of words that are commonly and frequently used. The Sepedi core vocabulary list compiled in this study can serve as a vocabulary resource when designing AAC systems for Sepedi-speaking children from the Sekhukhune district and may be used in conjunction with the existing Sepedi core words list to provide a core vocabulary resource for the larger Sepedi speaking population. Keywords: Augmentative and alternative communication, core vocabulary, preschool children, Sepedi, vocabulary selection