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Disseminated information on the above-mentioned leaflets from different banks in Capricorn and Mopani Districts is written in English. Majority of clients who used the above-mentioned banks were unable to read and understand English. Banks need to take into consideration languages of their clients when disseminating any important information regarding services they offer to their clients. This will help clients understand important information regarding their financial status.
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Jet;
Uzzi
Truworths
Spitz;
John Graig; and
Markhams.
The above-mentioned stores rely mainly on members of the public as customers. Language plays an important role in communication. Interaction between and among customers and stores is important as communication brings customers and shops together. Moreover, language is a tool that is used to connect customers. The researcher observed, in these stores, that all communication took place in English. Despite the fact that majority of consumers were Northern Sotho speaking, no room was made for their mother tongue.
4.2.14.1 Notices
In most instances, retail stores have a way of communicating with their customers. They communicate with them by means of notices put up inside and outside the shops. Most of them have a common motto of welcoming customers: ‘WELCOME’. After customers enter the shop, they are directed to the various places where they should go and get assistance. Some of those notices read:
Inquiries;
Till;
Manager’s office
Exit; and
Pay here.
Furthermore, customers are made aware of the arrangement of the shop. Shelves are labelled in order to direct the consumers. Labels and arrangements differ from shop to shop.
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For example, in a furniture shop, similar sets of furniture are grouped together. They may be categorised as follows:
Dining room suites;
Bedroom suites;
Office furniture;
Washing machines;
Radios;
Sofas;
Kitchen cupboards;
Carpets; and
Electric appliances.
Additionally, shops that concentrate on selling clothes have the following arrangements:
Female clothes;
Female shoes;
Children’s shoes;
Male clothes; and
Men’s shoes.
Retail shops that deal with groceries display the following arrangement of products:
Bakery;
Butchery ;
Cleaning detergents;
Electric appliances;
Frozen foods;
Fruits;
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Tinned products; and
Vegetables.
All the above notices were written in English. English was used even in retail shops where majority of customers were Northern Sotho-speaking people. Northern Sotho could have been used to write notices in shops, since customers were also Northern Sotho-speakers.
The use of customers’ language could ease shopping, since they would read and understand what is written. Customers who experience problems with language often seek assistance from other customers. At some point, customers to be inquired from might be experiencing the same problem, and therefore, they might get confused within the shop. This is time- consuming for their shopping.
4.2.14.2 Till slips
Allen (1990:1277) defines a till as a drawer for money in a shop or bank with a device of recording the amount of each purchase. According to Summers (1995:1513), a till is a machine used in shops, restaurants for calculating the amount of money you have to pay, and storing the money. After the customers have paid for a product, a till slip is issued. A till slip summarises the customers’ record of all payments. It displays the grand total of the goods to be paid, the amount that the client has handed over to the till operator, tax, and the change to be received. It also shows where the shopping has been done, gives contact numbers of that particular shop and the name of the cashier, as well as the VAT registration number and code.
Most shops write their messages at the bottom of the slip. Information provided at the bottom of the till slip is usually written in English. Northern Sotho-speakers, who cannot read English, struggled to comprehend the written information. At the end, it seemed as if that information was not addressed to them. Retail shops write information on till slips in the languages of the majority of speakers in that particular area.
Till slips of all shops in Capricorn and Mopani Districts were written in English. Even illiterate people were given slips which were written in only English. This was a problem because they
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did not understand the messages as they appeared on the paper. The till slip shows the record of payments of the customers. The following details appear on the till slips:
Amount;
Cash tendered;
Change;
Date;
Name of the cashier;
Name of the shop;
Number of items sold; and
Vat.
Details on the receipts were usually written in English and not in African languages such as Northern Sotho, as should constitutionally be the case.
4.2.14.3 Advertisements
Advertisements serve as a means of persuading customers to buy their goods or services.
According to the Encyclopedia (2013:67), an advertisement is a notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service, or event or publicising a job vacancy.
In order for a message to be persuasive, advertisers use a range of multimodal signs which include positive words such as ‘good’, ‘better’, ‘best’, ‘clean’, health and fast. An advertisement plays an important role in the economic world. In order to inform, influence, attract, or persuade customers to buy a product, sound language techniques are necessary.
Thus, language convey messages to the customers. In other words, an advert relies on the factual word. Thus, sentences have to be meaningful and in the language that customers understand. Communication used needs to be understandable and familiar to the customers (Mafofo & Wittenberg, 2014:446). In this new democratic dispensation, it is easy, because there are 11 official languages, including Northern Sotho, that can be used in business (Da Costa, Dyers & Mheta, 2014:335 ).
114 4.2.14.3.1 Radio
Radio is a fastest medium of providing listeners with information and it is also used to advertise products and services. The Encyclopedia (2013) defines a radio as radiation (wireless transmission) of electromagnetic energy through space. In radio advertisements, only words and sounds are used to transmit the advertised message. Advertising on the radio is very important because messages can reach many listeners within a short period of time.
Words are used to transfer messages while advertising on the radio. In this case, language is significant, and it should be used wisely in order to effectively deliver that message. Thobela FM broadcasts in Northern Sotho. Products are advertised at intervals in Northern Sotho. In using Northern Sotho to advertise on the radio, all ethnic groups and races are addressed.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa stipulates that all official languages should be used in order to access information and people should also receive information in the language they understand (Da Costa, Dyers & Mheta, 2014:338).
4.2.14.3.2 Television
According to Eksteen (1999:171) television advertising is a popular medium which is aimed at a very large section of the community. The appeal is directed at both auditory and visual perception, and live demonstrations can be given. Programmes incorporate, at intervals, short advertising programmes discussing and displaying products. Cronje, Du Toit, Marais and Matlatla (2006:331) observe that television advertisements are effective, because the visual, auditory and written word can be used to spell out the message clearly. Pictorial material, music, jingles and other striking, eye-catching, attention-grabbing effects can be used to reinforce the message.
On television, pictures and sound are there to reinforce the message that is disclosed by word of mouth. Very few programmes are broadcast in Northern Sotho today. During commercial breaks, advertisements that are highlighted are in other languages other than Northern Sotho.
115 4.2.14.3.3 The press
Advertisements are frequently and commonly used in newspapers as part of propagandist techniques to attract consumers. Newspaper advertisements are popular because many people are reached through a newspaper (Eksteen et al., 1999:171). Newspapers offer advertisers several advantages as compared to other media. Most adults read daily newspapers, and many of them specifically check the advertisements for information about products, services, or special sales (The Encyclopedia, 2013:87).
Newspapers that are commonly found and read by Northern Sotho-speakers in the Capricorn and Mopani areas are: Sowetan, Daily Sun, Sunday Times, City Press, Capricorn Voice and Citizen. All these newspapers have free advertisements. Companies sometimes insert their advertisement pamphlets inside the newspapers. Such advertisements were written in English.
Generally, there were no newspapers written in Northern Sotho. Newspapers printed in English were also advertised in English. A limited number of advertisements in Northern Sotho were found in newspapers such as Seipone.
4.2.14.4 Job interviews
An interview is ‘an oral examination of an applicant for employment’ (Allen, 1990: 621). In an interview, a team or even one person poses some questions to find out the suitable candidate for the job. Summers (1995:746) defines an interview as a formal meeting during which questions are asked in order to find out whether the applicants are suitable for a job, course or study. An interview is used to select candidates suitable for a job. Most interviews were conducted in English, which puts second language speakers at an immediate disadvantage.
English was used even in situations where Northern Sotho speaking were prevalent.
4.2.14.5 Staff training
Staff training plays a crucial role since it teaches new members and old staff members how to execute their duties. Webb (nd:03) states that:
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There are, of course, many factors which underlie the inadequate economic performance of the country (including inadequate education and trained workers, the turmoil brought about by transformation in the country, violence and corruption), and language is certainly not a major cause in this regard. Equally true is the fact that there are many factors which play a more important role in economic development than language (such as educational development and the establishment of a work-ethic).
However, it is possible that the language factor has some role, and that a language policy specifically directed at economic development may make some contribution towards changing the situation.
Training should be conducted in order to develop skills. It is through language that training takes place. The language that is used should be the one that is well-known to the workers, otherwise the training will be of no help. Proper training in the language that the workers understand best is crucial. Darville (1998:04) warns that:
Literacy must be understood as more than just simply the technical ability to read and write a (simple) text. In a modern workplace, characterised by technologised information and a new style of co-operation between managers and workers, literacy covers a knowledge of how production works, co-ordinating and controlling the production process, handling ‘organization charts’, job descriptions, work plans, machine operating instructions, procedures manuals, and performance evaluations, as well as devices for budgeting and productivity calculation.
Language is regarded as a tool of instruction because it enhances performance at work. Poor communication, poor productivity.