Zimbabwean Students Research Articles

Health communication for AMR behaviour change: Zimbabwean students’ relationships with the microbial world

Abstract Background Microbes have a global impact on health; microbial relationships benefit and impair quality of life. Negative health impacts of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in our relationships with the microbial world are primarily borne by the Global South Objectives To study experiences, understandings and practices of Zimbabwean students regarding health, food and microbes. Methods Using purposive sampling, Zimbabwean school students were recruited as participants in group interviews supported by participant observation, exploring the relationships between health, food and microbes. Results The study included 120 students from six upper secondary schools in the Midland Region and Gweru District. Findings identify two categories: microbial relationships and microbial encounters, each with three subcategories. Food emerged as both mediating artefacts and mediating experiences, enabling the students to link biomedical explanations of AMR and their everyday lives with friends and family. The necessity for health communication to explore and engage with participants’ contextual preferences and motivations is highlighted. When discussing food choices and practices, students considered the beneficial relationships with the microbial world. Conclusions A contextually relevant approach is outlined, where food mediates the relationship between student health and the microbial world, supporting health communication for AMR behaviour change. Expanding AMR education to include the everyday experiences of food enables students to link the pressing sustainability challenge of AMR to their health goals. The study showcases how the exploration of microbial relationships and food practices as a ubiquitous feature of community life can form a basis for AMR prevention and control.

M-Learning adoption in higher education towards SDG4

Mobile learning (M-Learning) is under-researched in Zimbabwe although it has the potential to improve learning and teaching in the Zimbabwe higher education sector. It is a tool that can help to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) which is to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. This study identifies the benefits and challenges of transitioning from a traditional approach to M-Learning from the perspective of Zimbabwean students, and how these challenges can be mitigated or overcome in tertiary institutions to achieve the SDG4. This qualitative study utilises focus group discussions involving twenty undergraduate students from three higher education institutions, and conducts thematic analysis of the data. This paper identifies the benefits of M-Learning in terms of SDG4 and the challenges of M-Learning in attaining SDG4, showing the complexity involved in introducing digital learning on a larger scale. The study offers suggestions to mitigate the challenges, and recommends ways to implement M-Learning effectively to ensure the provision of quality education. Finally, the paper concludes with an acknowledgement of the study’s limitations and suggestions for future research.

Secondary School Students’ Mathematics Anxiety: A Zimbabwean Perspective

This study employed a mixed-methods technique to examine the spectrum of mathematics anxiety levels felt and expressed by Zimbabwean students studying Ordinary level mathematics. Ninety-one pupils from forms 3 and 4 (N = 91) made up the convenient sample; of them, 41 were male and 50 were female. The instrument used was the Hopko-adapted amalgamated mathematics anxiety scale (aMAS) (2003). While focus group conversations were audio recorded and transcribed to explore in-depth, social settings and learning environments that cause anxiety, the quantitative data was analysed using SPSS, version 23.0. The key categories were then thematically classified and analysed with quantitative information. To test a hypothesis based on the data, an independent samples t-test was run to see whether males and females’ anxiety levels differed by mean. The results showed that the participants experienced significant mathematics anxiety, and many situations—including parental and social pressure, instructional methods, and learning environments—reinforce math fear. Findings also show that, society exerts significant pressure on learners due to high expectations of success in mathematics. Additionally, some teachers were viewed as fuelling the anxiety through their repertoire and that classroom environments may unintentionally cause discomfort to mathematically challenge peers. Interesting suggestions were made by respondents regarding how to help people with math anxiety. The study offers a compelling case for its relevance to teacher education, research, and instructional practice. The study also recommends conducting comparative studies as one method of comprehending the issue. Keywords: Cognitive achievement, Mathematics-anxiety, Teaching-learning, Gender issues, Social phenomena.

Data or opinion?

I believe, with proper data comes better decisions and considerations. It is a fact that we have long been collecting data about oppression of Black and marginalized communities. Unfortunately, data collection methods often exclude segments of the population, commonly BIPOC communities. My long-term goals include focusing on implementing data-driven and human-centered solutions to social problems like hunger and education. It is not a secret that the most marginalized of us are also the most affected by food apartheid. Black people living in rural communities are 2.5 times more likely to be at risk of hunger compared to white counterparts. There is a growing need in the public policy sectors for professionals to analyze the raw data continuously generated on these issues. I believe my role as a Black Data Scientist extends beyond deriving software and modeling data—it is my duty to minimize the bias in data. This spans from how the data are collected, analyzed, and converted into useful insights. Growing up in Zimbabwe, one thing was clear; my escape route to survival was through education. I was raised in a low-income family; my father was a truck driver, and my mother was a housewife. In early 2007, my father had a rare and lethal condition, meningitis. When my father died, my world collapsed with him. My mother had no work experience, no education, or access to resources to ensure our family had the basics such as food and education. This lived experience means that I have been in the shoes of those whom non-governmental organization’s solutions aim to target. It also means that I have experienced the effects of the gap between data and policy as a Zimbabwean national. I was once a part of the 90% of starving children in Africa. However, because of government policies barring international organizations and non-governmental organizations from alleviating the pain, these solutions never reached me. My family and I just remained data points. At the age of 16, I copped a life changing opportunity. I was selected as one of three Zimbabwean students to attend United World College (UWC) in Eswatini. Hunger and poverty in Eswatini was as rampant as it was in Zimbabwe. In addition, because of the international community at UWC, with over 60 countries represented, I learned that these problems did not only exist in Africa. I became more aware of the system of oppression against BIPOC communities in North America through my yearlong Civic Engagement fellowship with Up-to-Us (a bipartisan umbrella organization of Net Impact). UWC and Up-to-Us provided me with a holistic and integrated dimension of world issues; this ignited my motivation to make a difference. Data science came naturally to me, and I saw it as my tool to continue fighting injustices. As an undergraduate at Earlham College, I am learning about the skills and bias related to data collection, analysis, and interpretation. I am working on my senior capstone project: Using Machine Learning to Predict Social Unrests. I am incorporating metrics such as GDP, GNI, discrimination proxies, and poverty rates to try to predict where there may be social unrests. I aim to use this tool to pinpoint locations where aid and policy changes are needed before the lack of support have a permanent and damaging effect on communities. I am applying to graduate school where I plan to get my masters and eventually PhD in Data Science so that I can dedicate my research to proving our oppression and experiences are more than data points. I want to leave a tangible impact with my work—one that will last for generations to come. The world continues to move into an era dominated by technology, and it is important that these tools do not hide systematic oppression and inequities among marginalized communities. I acknowledge my privilege to be graduating college. I view this privilege as an opportunity to guide younger people to finish college and inspire the idea of there being light at the end of the tunnel. One of the things you cannot buy someone is hope, but I do believe you can share with others. I continuously find ways to share my experience as a Rising Black Scientist to render hope to those who look like me and might doubt themselves. Through the “This is my story program” I co-founded during my gap year before college, I keep in touch with several of my mentees to continuously encourage them. I recognize that as a Black male, it is also my role to let my Black women counterparts feel seen and heard. While I cannot fully relate to their experience, I share stories of successful Black women in my outreach because I believe in the importance of young Black women having role models in science.

Students’ Conceptions of 21st Century Education in Zimbabwe

The 21st century has ushered in accelerated new technologies, new knowledge and new information and the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) – causing rapid changes in the way humans live and work and resulting in an outcry for educational reforms globally. Many frameworks and debates centred on rethinking and reshaping the curriculum including what knowledge, skills, values and attitudes should be taught to prepare learners to thrive in the 21st century, have been developed. This study examined the students’ conceptions of 21st century education in four diverse schools in Zimbabwe. The study is framed by the powerful theory and the complexity theory. The study used a quantitative non-experimental correlation design to collect data from four secondary schools, three of which follow the ZIMSEC syllabus and the other, a private school that follows a Cambridge syllabus. The questionnaire was adapted from the Partnership for 21st century framework (P21) and (Ravitz, 2014) to fit the Zimbabwean context. A total of 236 students and 93 took part. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and ANOVA were used to analyse the data.The results showed that the students’ conception of 21st century skills is defined by three factors: the learning of self-management, learning skills and values and learning process. Students most strongly endorsed self-management.It is envisaged that the proposed model of Zimbabwean students’ conceptions of 21st century skills will act as a baseline for theory, policymakers, head teachers, teachers and teacher education colleges to realign the current teaching to fit the 21st century curricula.

A strategy to enhance e-safety among first-year students at Zimbabwean universities: an action research.

The widespread use of ICT offers considerable opportunities to society. However, there is ample evidence that students are exposed to various e-Safety challenges and risks through the use of ICT. Most Zimbabwean students who are not adequately prepared for e-Safety are now entering universities and are thus exposed to the risks posed by ICT. Therefore, this action research developed a strategy to enhance e-Safety among first-year students in Zimbabwean universities. The overarching research strategy was action research, which used qualitative research methods to collect information on e-Safety, usage and risks students face, and how these risks can be mitigated. Data was collected using an online questionnaire, interviews, observation and netnography. The results showed that the understanding of e-safety issues is still in its infancy. Therefore, an e-safety strategy was formulated to clearly indicate what to report, to whom and how concerning safety. This strategy was based on the overall reflection of the research, which recommended that education plays a central role in e-safety, as perpetrators or victims may not be aware of the challenges of e-safety. Thus, this research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing a clear strategy for dealing with e-safety challenges in Zimbabwean universities. Furthermore, this research is important in understanding the future of ICT use in developing countries like Zimbabwe.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11423-022-10078-z.

Migration intentions of international distance education students studying from a South African institution: unpacking potential brain drain

ABSTRACT The outward migration of skilled migrants has disproportionally affected the Global South, particularly in countries in Africa, producing what is commonly referred to as ‘brain drain’. Within this literature, there has been considerable focus on the future migration intentions of international students, who symbolise skilled migration. However, much previous literature assumes international education must be obtained through physical mobility, despite the growing provision of internationalisation at a distance, whereby students remain ‘at home’ while studying online or distantly from an institution based ‘abroad’. This study has unravelled the future migration intentions of students studying through online distance education, using a questionnaire of 607 South African, Namibian, and Zimbabwean students in relation to four sets of factors: academic and social adjustment, educational and work experience, socio-economic variables, and individual demographic characteristics. Our findings indicate a complex picture of international distance students’ future migration intentions and significant differences between students based on country of origin, socioeconomic status, and demographic variables. These findings have particular relevance following the increasing shifts to online distance learning following the COVID-19 pandemic.

An Extrapolation of the Stereotype Content Model to University Lecturers

We extrapolated the stereotype content model to the perception of university lecturers by their students. Specifically, using a sample of Zimbabwean students, we tested whether lecturers fall into different clusters in reflection to the degree to which they are perceived as high or low on competence: (1) high competence-high warmth, (2) high competence-low warmth, (3) low competence-high warmth, and (4) low warmth-low competence. We also tested whether lecturers elicit different emotions and whether they are evaluated differently, depending on the clusters they fall into on the competence-warmth nexus. The findings were largely in line with the above hypotheses.

FACTORS MOTIVATING FEMALE STUDENTS FROM MASVINGO, ZIMBABWE - THE CHOICE OF TAKING NATURAL SCIENCES AT UNIVERSITY

Although there is a demand for the requirement for natural sciences skills, to date, the connection between natural sciences subject choices and their impact on female students’ educational pathways has not been widely studied. Natural sciences include Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science and Geography. In this paper we therefore investigate the factors that motivate Zimbabwean female students to choose natural sciences at university. The main body of data for the research was generated through semi-structured interviews. The preliminary results reflect that there are three are the main factors that motivated female students in the sample to choose natural sciences programmes: (1) self-efficacy, ability (2) the influence of their female teachers, relatives, parents and friends (3) relevance of natural sciences. Hence these three factors promote the constitution of a natural science identity, which in turn motivates the choice of natural sciences as a career female amongst female students.
 
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Comparing Accounting Students’ Instructional Preferences: Australia and Zimbabwe

This study examines the instructional preferences exhibited by students in an Australian and a Zimbabwean setting, and how cultural conditioning can reflect in the instructional design choice. Using graphical and textual presentations of an experiment with three instructional designs and 217 undergraduate students, this study empirically examines student understanding of financial accounting in the two countries. Students’ performance scores and reported mental effort ratings were used to determine the instructional preference. The findings of this comparative study show that Australian accounting students prefer graph and text designs aligned with a low power distance (PD) while Zimbabwean students prefer graph and text designs associated with a high PD. The sample used in this study came from first-year undergraduate students studying introductory accounting at two different universities from two different countries (Australia and Zimbabwe). The results may not be generalizable to other universities although similar patterns were found to be consistent with students’ cultural orientations. In addition, there may be other factors that motivate students’ learning and affect their performance and that should therefore be considered. The results suggest that students learning in different cultural contexts learn better with different instructional formats, requiring educators to consider different formats of instructional material. This study is the first to offer accounting educators insights on one major dimension of cultural variation, using instructional material designed according to cognitive load theory principles in a cross-cultural context.

The Contribution of Celebrity Endorsement to University student’s buying behavior in developing countries: A case study of Zimbabwean university students.

This study focused on evaluating the contribution of celebrity endorsement to University student’s buying behaviour in developing countries and this was achieved through the phenomenological philosophy and a case study design. The sample was made up of 100 respondents. Questionnaires and focus group discussions were used to collect data from the respondents. The results obtained from the study show that celebrity endorsement has a positive influence on university student’s buying behaviour. Results from the study also show that celebrities hold power to influence consumer perception and life style choices. Furthermore, it was established that celebrity endorsement positively contributes to sales, brand awareness of the brand. The study findings also show that domestic celebrities from Zimbabwe are not trusted by consumers due to their bad behaviour such as drug abuse. Hence, it was concluded that celebrity endorsement is a powerful advertising tool which positively contributes to consumer buying behaviour but however in implementing celebrity endorsement in developing countries careful evaluation of the endorser has to be taken before the strategy is fully implemented. Therefore, the study recommends that the match up hypothesis model approach and international celebrities should be used by companies in developing countries in order to enhance their marketing skills and sales Keywords : celebrity, endorsement, consumer perception, brand awareness, consumer buying behavior, marketing, domestic celebrity DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/72-06 Publication date: October 31 st 2020

INTERCULTURAL FRIENDSHIP AS STRATEGY TO REDUCE ANXIETY AND UNCERTAINTY OF ZIMBABWE STUDENTS IN MUHAMMADIYAH SURAKARTA UNIVERSITY

Friendship is a relationship between voluntarily wounded individuals. Friendships have a responsibility to be emotionally supportive, actively provide assistance, maintain confidence, and support each other. Benefit in friendship usually include skills in activity, emotional support and help. Intercultural friendship is a more specific and more complex phenomenon that has its own characteristics in terms of relationships. The meeting between two different cultures in building a relationship of intercultural friendship. Establish intercultural friendship relationships with local people by immigrants as a form of adaptation to the new environment. Immigrants are individuals who move from one region to another in a country influenced by push factors and pull factors such as economic, environmental, and educational factors. Immigrants can experience several conditions when they are in a new environment such as feelings of anxiety and uncertainty to interact with the surrounding environment. This study aims to find out how the relationship of intercultural friendship can reduce the level of anxiety and uncertainty of Zimbabwean students at the Muhammadiyah Surakarta University. The research method used qualitative method by using population from foreign students at Muhammadiyah Surakarta University and purposive sampling technique that is sampling based on student's country of origin Zimbabwe. Data collection by interview and documentation, for analysis using qualitative content analysis. Credibility and validity use inter-code reliability and triangulation of data sources and theories.Keywords : Adaptation, Migration , Anxiety, Uncertainty, Intercultural, Friendship.

The effects of combining simulations and laboratory experiments on Zimbabwean students’ conceptual understanding of electric circuits

ABSTRACT Background Information Communication Technologies are increasingly present in the African educational system at all educational levels. However, their integration into pedagogical practices to improve the quality of teaching and learning across disciplines remains the exception. Purpose The purpose of the study was to compare the learning achievements of students on the topic of Direct Current Electrical Circuits when they are randomly exposed to different learning environments. Sample The population of the study consists of 265 secondary students at an urban school in Harare Zimbabwe, 49 (18.5%) of which participated in the study. The school was chosen for convenience purpose. A quasi-experimental design was used to randomly assign two intact classes. One class (n = 24) was assigned as a control group (using real laboratory activities) and the other class (n = 25) as an experimental group (using simulation and laboratory activities together). The sample had not previously received formal instruction on the topic. Participants are of mixed gender (44.9% girls) and their age ranged from 12 to 14 years. Design and methods The study took place during the first term of 2015. Students’ conceptual level of understanding and the reduction in their misconceptions about electric circuits were measured by a three-tier misconception test, both at pre-test and at post-test. The effect of the treatments was statistically analysed using various statistical tools. Results There is a significant difference in the level of conceptual understanding in which the experimental group performed higher than the control group. The results also demonstrated that a combination environment had an expected effect of decreasing the proportion of students’ misconceptions on electric circuits more than in the laboratory environment alone. Conclusions The outcomes of the study suggest the use of simulation and practical activities in parallel as a better way of teaching students the topic of direct current electric circuits. Computer simulations enhance students’ learning of abstract concepts; hence they should be promoted.

Comparing accounting students’ instructional preferences: Australia and Zimbabwe

PurposeThis study aims to examine the instructional preferences exhibited by students in an Australian and a Zimbabwean setting and how cultural conditioning can reflect in the instructional design choice and the effect on the learning process.Design/methodology/approachUsing graphical and textual presentations of an experiment with three instructional designs and 217 undergraduate students, this study empirically examines student understanding of financial accounting in the two countries. Students’ performance scores and reported mental effort ratings were used to determine the instructional preference.FindingsThe findings of this comparative study show that Australian accounting students prefer graph and text designs aligned with a low power distance, (PD) while Zimbabwean students prefer graph and text designs associated with a high PD. Deep-rooted cultural values and modes of thinking need to be considered in the learning processes.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample used in this study came from first-year undergraduate students studying introductory accounting at two different universities from two different countries (Australia and Zimbabwe). The results may not be generalisable to other universities, although similar patterns were found to be consistent with students’ cultural orientations. In addition, there may be other factors that motivate students’ learning and affect their performance, and those should therefore be considered.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that students learning in different cultural contexts learn better with different instructional formats, requiring educators to consider different formats of instructional material.Originality/valueThis study is the first to offer accounting educators insights on one major dimension of cultural variation, using instructional material designed according to cognitive load theory principles in a cross-cultural context.

A qualitative approach to the entrepreneurial education and intentions nexus: A case of Zimbabwean polytechnic students

Background: Owing to the popularity of entrepreneurship as an alternative to formal employment, entrepreneurship education has become the main instrument for equipping graduates with survivalist and innovative skills for new venture creation in their post-college life. However, despite the growing body of literature on the entrepreneurship education–entrepreneurial intention nexus, there are limited studies based on qualitative methodologies covering this relationship.Aim: This article develops an in-depth understanding of the interface between exposure to entrepreneurship education and the entrepreneurial intention of students.Setting: The study draws on the perceptions of 27 purposively selected national certificate level students at a Zimbabwean polytechnic.Methods: The study used an interpretive qualitative research design, with data being collected through focus group discussions.Results: Findings suggest that while passive learning and teaching methods were critical to orienting students towards the entrepreneurship field, over-dependence on theoretical content, teacher-dominated delivery, the absence of deep practical orientation and engagement with industry undermined the significance of tertiary level entrepreneurship education.Conclusion: To enrich the development of potential entrepreneurs, the implication of these findings is that educators and policymakers should address various aspects of the entrepreneurship education value chain (from content creation, delivery strategy, enhancing practical orientation of the subject, and developing lasting relations with industry long before entrepreneurship starts) that potentially affect students’ willingness to engage in future entrepreneurship.

KUZEY KIBRIS’TA NİJERYALI VE ZİMBABVELİ ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN İNTERNET BANKACILIĞI KULLANIMINDAKİ ENGELLER

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the factors preventing Nigerian and Zimbabwean university students from adopting internet banking services in Northern Cyprus. A survey was conducted to acquire data from one hundred Nigerians and one hundred Zimbabwean university students attending a private university in Northern Cyprus. Factor analysis results showed that the most important factor linked to the rejection of the usage of internet banking services among Nigerian and Zimbabwean students were people’s fears of the risk associated with such services. This was followed by students’ preferences to traditional banking practices, value barriers, infrastructure barriers, government obstacles and usage barriers. In order to compare the differences between the aforementioned factors for Nigerian and Zimbabwean students, independent samples t-tests were conducted. The study found that there was a significant difference between the Nigerian and Zimbabwean student’s preference for traditional banking practices, infrastructure and government obstacles. Interestingly, there was no significant difference between the Nigerian and Zimbabwean student’s fears over the risk associated with internet banking, perceptions of its value and usage barriers.

Development of a Novel Global Surgery Course for Medical Schools

We endeavored to create a comprehensive course in global surgery involving multinational exchange. The course involved 2 weeks of didactics, 2 weeks of clinical rotations in a low-resource setting and 1 week for a capstone project. We evaluated our success through knowledge tests, surveys of the students, and surveys of our Zimbabwean hosts. The didactic portions were held in Sweden, and the clinical portion was primarily in Harare with hospitals affiliated with the University of Zimbabwe. Final year medical students from Lund University in Sweden, Harvard Medical School in the USA and the University of Zimbabwe all participated in didactics in Sweden. The Swedish and American students then traveled to Zimbabwe for clinical work. The Zimbabwean students remained in Sweden for a clinical experience. The course has been taught for 3 consecutive years and is an established part of the curriculum at Lund University, with regular participation from Harvard Medical School and the University of Zimbabwe. Participants report significant improvements in their physical exam skills and their appreciation of the needs of underserved populations, as well as confidence with global surgical concepts. Our Zimbabwean hosts thought the visitors integrated well into the clinical teams, added value to their own students' experience and believe that the exchange should continue despite the burden associated with hosting visiting students. Here we detail the development of a course in global surgery for medical students that integrates didactic as well as clinical experiences in a low-resource setting. The course includes a true multilateral exchange with students from Sweden, the United States and Zimbabwe participating regularly. We hope that this course might serve as a model for other medical schools looking to establish courses in this burgeoning field.

Locating exile: decolonization, anti-imperial spaces and Zimbabwean students in Britain, 1965–1980

Exile is usually cast as a time of hardship, narrated through tropes of nostalgia and loss. Yet it is not always experienced and remembered in this way. This article provides a counterpoint to the familiar nostalgic lament by exploring the narratives of Zimbabwean students ‘in exile’ in Britain during the country's liberation war of 1965–1980, who looked back on their stay in the imperial heartland as a time of opportunity and excitement. They recalled their own youthful militancy, the optimism of liberation movements before independence and invoked the conviviality of joint political campaigns with British-based allies. The article explains their up-beat recollections by locating exile in transnational socio-political spaces created by Rhodesia's contested sovereignty, focusing on exiles' relations with mainstream liberal-left solidarity organizations, with Caribbean/black British groups and the liberation movements' own transnational networks. By locating exile in this way, the article extends two hitherto disconnected bodies of scholarship – on southern African nationalisms in the making and British decolonization and postcolonial cultural politics. It highlights how Zimbabwean students helped foster liberation movements' international standing and their influence on post-independence ideas of status. The article also offers a new vantage point on Britain's re-racialized cultural politics, as performed in middle-class spaces on student campuses and internationalist campaigns. Zimbabwean students' accounts of exile in Britain can thus do more than reveal the inadequacies of generalisations about a singular exile condition. Their narratives of the opportunities and sociability of exile in Britain reveal the occlusions of narrow military versions of southern African liberation history, while adding new, transnational dimensions to historical geographies of decolonization, urban cosmopolitanism and the African presence in 1960s and 1970s Britain.

A Critical Analysis of the Use of Pinyin as a Substitute of Chinese Characters

The present research paper critically examines use of pinyin as a substitute of characters by Zimbabwean students during acquisition of Chinese language. A questionnaire survey and character recognition survey was done and it was discovered that the use of pinyin as a substitute for Chinese characters negatively affects the acquisition of more complex characters. It was concluded that since each Chinese character is an individual morpheme that carries meaning, therefore dependence on Chinese pinyin negatively affects vocabulary acquisition. The paper recommends that use of pinyin in teaching Chinese language should be limited to the first few weeks, because pinyin was developed to help students acquire the phonetic system of Chinese language rather than the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar. The paper suggests that there is need to explore more ways of balancing the teaching of pinyin and characters in a way that will motivate learners to like Chinese language.

Zimbabwean Students’ Perception of Chinese Sounds

The present survey seeks to find out Zimbabwean student’s perception of Chinese sounds. The survey was carried out in 8 different schools in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. 23 Chinese words with different initials representing all the consonants in Chinese language were used for the survey. During the survey Chinese words were read to students who had never studied Chinese and the students were asked to write down what they hear using Latin letters. The results of the survey shows that Zimbabwean students in Harare have either English influenced perception or Shona influenced perception. However, there were some instances where random pattern was observed, this could be due to the uniqueness of the given Chinese sounds. We concluded that when teaching Chinese or any other foreign languages a pre-survey is required in order to establish the prevailing influential language. In Zimbabwe any local language at any given place can be more influential in terms of shaping students’ perception towards the target language.