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Dr Juliet Thondhlana

Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and EAP, Faculty of Social Sciences

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Research Summary

My research interests are in the area of writing, focusing on group writing (group tasks, group dynamics and group products) and academic literacies. In view of the increasing cultural diversity in… read more

Selected Publications

  • THONDHLANA, J., 2010. Language and the Social Construction of Gender Roles: Roles in Transition Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing.
  • SMITH, A. and THONDHLANA, J., 2011. Designing an exhibition: Exploring a complex group case study InForm: A journal of international foundation programme professionals.
  • THONDHLANA, J. and SMITH, A., 2013. Cracking the Case: A Task Based Investigation of a Business Case Study Group Project Journal of Business and Technical Communication. (In Press.)

Juliet is a member of the Centre for Research in Higher, Adult and Vocational Education. Her research supervision areas include:

  • contrastive rhetoric
  • group work (tasks, process and products)
  • intercultural communication
  • academic literacies
  • business communication

Research proposals: please email Jane if you would like to discuss the appropriateness of your research topic. See also: School of Education research supervision areas.

Current Research

My research interests are in the area of writing, focusing on group writing (group tasks, group dynamics and group products) and academic literacies. In view of the increasing cultural diversity in student population in higher education, I am also interested in exploring the intercultural dimensions of group processes and writing. Currently, I am involved in the following projects: 1. "Investigating case study group project tasks in business" This project examines the nature and requirements of case study group project tasks in business in order to understand the extent to which group tasks set by CELE's foundation programme match the real world demands of the project tasks set by the Business School. 2. "Developing a teaching and learning guide for managing multi-cultural group discussion" This project analyses student monocultural and multicultural group discussion data in order to identify effective ways of conducting multicultural group discussion. 3. "Processes and products in discipline-specific group writing: A tool-kit to enhance collaborative writing for engineering students" This project investigates the processes and the products in which students as well as professionals in engineering get involved when writing in groups. 4. "Academic literacies and graduate employability: In search of a link" This project explores the link between the academic literacy skills that students develop at university and those which are needed and valued in the workplace in health sciences, politics and international relations and biosciences. 5. "Exploring the language of the Built Environment: a corpus-based study" This project uses corpus linguistics tools to investigate expert and student writing in the Built Environment in order to understand language of the discipline and the extent to which language is a factor in successful writing.

Past Research

  • Needs Analysis
  • Intercultural Communication
  • Contrastive Rhetoric
  • Language Planning and Policy
  • Language Attitudes
  • Language and Gender
  • THONDHLANA, J. and SMITH, A., 2013. Cracking the Case: A Task Based Investigation of a Business Case Study Group Project Journal of Business and Technical Communication. (In Press.)
  • SMITH, A. and THONDHLANA, J., 2011. Designing an exhibition: Exploring a complex group case study InForm: A journal of international foundation programme professionals.
  • THONDHLANA, J., 2011. The role of the Zimbabwean Media in the transition process. In: T. MURITHI & A. MAWADZA, ed., Zimbabwe Transition Jacana Media. 223-254
  • THONDHLANA, J., 2010. Language and the Social Construction of Gender Roles: Roles in Transition Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing.
  • THONDHLANA, J. and GIMENEZ, J., 2010. Academic Literacies and Graduate Employability: In Search of a Link. In: GEOFF BAKER, ed., Teaching for Integrative Learning: Innovations in University Practice 4. Centre for Integrative Learning. 136-142
  • THONDHLANA, J. AND GAO, X., 2009. Investigating academic demands and students’ communicative needs in a globalised university of the 21st Century: Reflections on a needs analysis journey Journal of the ESP SIG. 10-15
  • THONDHLANA, J. AND GAO, X, 2009. Needs Analysis Project: Phase I Report At: CELE, University of Nottingham
  • THONDHLANA, J., 2005. Language and Identity in Zimbabwe. In: SLABBERT, S. and FINLAYSON, R., eds., Language and Identities in a Postcolony: Southern African Perspectives Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. 49-65
  • THONDHLANA, J., 2002. Book Review: Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning English for Specific Purposes By E. Hinkle. 21(4), 408-410
  • THONDHLANA, J., 2002. Using indigenous languages for teaching and learning in Zimbabwe. In: BURNABY, B. AND REYHNER, J., ed., Indigenous languages across the community Flagstaff, Arizona: Northern Arizona University, College of Education..
  • THONDHLANA, J., 2000. Contrastive rhetoric in Shona and English argumentative essays Harare: University of Zimbabwe.
  • THONDHLANA, J., 1999. Integrating Language and Culture in Second Language Teaching: Some Examples from Shona Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research. 11(2), 34-56
  • THONDHLANA, J., 1998. A Critical Look at Garford’s ABABAB Approach to Argumentative Essay Writing Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research. 10(3), 174-188
  • THONDHLANA, J., 1998. Redundancy: Unnecessary Repetition or Effective Rhetorical Strategy? A Cross-Cultural Dilemma’. In: HOFFER, B.L. J.H. KOO, J.H., ed., Cross-Cultural Communication East and West in the 90s: Selected Papers From the 5th International Conference on Cross-Cultural Communication – Harbin, China, 1995 San Antonio: Institute for Cross-Cultural Research, Trinity University.. 136-139
  • CHIWOME, E. AND THONDHLANA, J., 1992. Sociolinguistics and education: A Survey Concerning Attitudes on the Teaching of Shona through the Media of Shona and English. In: HERBERT, R.K., ed., Language and Society in Africa Cape Town: Witwatersrand University Press. 247-263
  • MPARUTSA, C, THONDHLANA, J and CRAWHALL, N, 1992. An Initial Investigation into Language Attitudes of Secondary School students in Zimbabwe. In: HERBERT, R.K., ed., Language and Society in Africa Cape Town: Witwatersrand University Press. 235-246
  • PONGWENI, A.J.C. AND THONDHLANA, J., ed., 1990. The Role of Linguistics in Communication for Development: Proceedings of the Second Linguistics Association for SADCC Universities Conference Harare: LASU.

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