JOURNAL INFORMATION
Seychelles Research Journal is published twice a year, in February and August. The aim of this online, open access journal is to demonstrate the vibrancy of research in and about Seychelles. Boundaries are drawn loosely to include comparable issues elsewhere in the western Indian Ocean and in small island states further afield.
Information on how to submit proposed articles and on the refereeing process is explained elsewhere in the website. New proposals are always encouraged.
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Editor: Dennis Hardy
Deputy Editor/Web Design: Jane Woolfenden
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Marketing Consultant: Guy Morel
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International Advisers:
- Ashton Berry, Consultant, Australia
- David Brewster, National Security College, Australia
- Christian Bueger, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Jean-Pierre Cabestan, Hong Kong Baptist University
- Geoffrey Harris, Durban University of Technology, South Africa
- Kelly Hoareau, University of Tasmania, Australia
- Pascal Nadal, Diocesan Service of Catholic Education, Mauritius
- Peter Rudge, University of Staffordshire, UK
- Nilanthi Samaranayake, CNA, USA
- Jivanta Schottli, Dublin City University, Ireland
- Erika Techera, University of Western Australia
- Kris Valaydon, Founding Editor, Island Studies, Mauritius
Internal Advisers:
- Sylvanna Antat, James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute
- Diana Benoit, Sir James Mancham Peace and Diplomacy Research Institute
- Penda Choppy, Creole Language and Culture Research Institute
- Olga Klymenko, Education and Socio-Economic Research Institute
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Sponsors:
Publication would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsor:
- The East Indies Co.
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This is a publication of the University of Seychelles http://www.unisey.ac.sc
The views and opinions represented in this publication are not necessarily those of the institutions to which the authors and/or advisers are affiliated and, additionally, should not be attributed to the publisher.
©2023 – Seychelles Research Journal, The University of Seychelles
Cover photograph © Jane Woolfenden
ISSN 1659-7435
CONTENTS
♦ EDITORIAL
Read the editorial here: Editorial-SRJ-5-(1)
♦ ARTICLES
Assessing the Morphological Trends of Juvenile Populations of Two Threatened Carcharhinid Shark Species at St. Joseph Atoll, Seychelles ♦ Page 3 ♦
Saratha Naiken, Robert Bullock and Stuart Laing
The body condition, growth and overall development of organisms is associated with the quantity of energy reserves acquired and stored during the early stages of development and corresponds with external factors such as foraging success, avoidance of predation, parasitic infestation and environmental conditions. Knowledge of body-condition variation across temporal and spatial scales is critical to understanding animal fitness and foraging success. This study sought to assess the relative body condition of two juvenile populations of threatened carcharhinid reef shark (n=195) – blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus, n=142) and sicklefin lemon shark (Negaprion acutidens, n=53) – caught in shallow, nearshore sites in the St. Joseph Atoll, Seychelles, between May 2021 and March 2022. The study examined differences in condition factor across sex, season, size-class and habitat zone. Findings showed no differences in condition between sexes for either species. Condition of juvenile N. acutidens also did not significantly vary between season, size class or habitat zones. Condition of juvenile C. melanopterus however did vary significantly across these factors. C. melanopterus sharks were in significantly better condition during the NW monsoon and in parts of the habitat with reduced competition or plentiful food resources. Further, C. melanopterus showed an increase in condition over ontogeny with the largest sharks in the best condition. These findings offer important insights for our understanding of species-specific differences in nursery habitat use in juvenile sharks and highlight the sensitivities they may have to anthropogenic stresses.
Read the full article here:
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Understanding ‘Understanding’: Towards supporting understanding in the classroom through the understanding of curricula studies – an upcoming project ♦ Page 19 ♦
Mats Deutschmann and Olga Klymenko
A prerequisite for learning is that instructions and other activities take place in a language you understand. This may seem self-evident, but the fact remains that a majority of learners in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are taught in a European second language (L2) that they are unfamiliar with. Frequently, the role of the home languages in supporting learning in the classrooms has been totally removed – so called subtractive transitions – resulting in failures and early drop-outs. According to the World Bank, inadequate language of instruction policies is a major factor contributing to learning poverty in SSA. The project described in this article addresses this problem by furthering knowledge of additive multilingual education (MLE), i.e. models where the use of the L1 is maintained to support learning after the L2 is introduced as the language of learning and teaching. More specifically, the project seeks to gain a better and systematic understanding of the guiding principles behind language-in-education policies, and how steering documents and curricula in various L2 MoI transition systems in SSA acknowledge (or not) the realities and challenges involved in learning and teaching through a second language. Through interviews and observations, the project also explores how language-in-education policy directives and recommendations translate into practice in the field. Four transition systems are explored under the project: immersion, early transition, mid-transition and late transition.
Read the full article here: Understanding_’understanding’-Towards_supporting_understanding_in_the_classroom_through_the_understanding_of_curricula_structures-M_Deutschmann_and_O_Klymenko-SRJ-5-(1)
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Functions of Reduplication in Seychelles Creole ♦ Page 32 ♦
Christine Pejakovic
This article examines the semantic functions of reduplication in Seychelles Creole (SC), two decades since the publication of the sole paper on the subject (Bollée, 2003). Although reduplication is attested with a variety of meanings and forms cross-linguistically, it is largely associated with its prototypical (iconic) function of intensification. In SC, reduplication encodes iconic and non-iconic properties. According to the Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Structures (hereafter, APiCS), its predominant function in SC is that of attenuation, which is non-iconic. Whilst creole languages are thought to possess predictable and transparent morphology, some studies have challenged this view. Reduplication in SC can generate unpredictable and lexically opaque forms via derivation. This paper also explores adjectival reduplication as a pragmatic device (negative politeness strategy). There is a paucity of research ascribing pragmatic functions to reduplication; in creole languages, this correlation appears to be unattested. To confirm the presupposition that adjectival reduplication functions as a hedge, a panel of SC experts were surveyed. This study yielded interesting results: adjectival reduplication appears to be motivated by systemic factors underpinned by pragmatic motivations.
Read the full article here: Functions_of-Reduplication_in_Seychelles_Creole-Christine_Pejakovic-SRJ-5-(1)
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Sovereignty and Seychelles: Borders and boundaries in a small island state ♦ Page 52 ♦
Dennis Hardy
Sovereignty is the lifeblood of a nation. Without it, national meaning disappears. Yet, for all its importance, it is a fragile concept that is dependent on the restraint of greater powers. This is especially true in the case of a small island state like Seychelles. This paper acknowledges its status as a sovereign nation but it also gives reasons why this cannot be taken for granted. Mere lines on a map – borders and boundaries – are not enough to guarantee security. The ongoing issue of illegal fishing in its Exclusive Economic Zone, together with incidents of piracy in its recent history, not to mention the fate of the Chagos Islands, all demonstrate its vulnerability. So, too, the changing geopolitics of the Indian Ocean, with India and China both seeking to control events in the region, add to current uncertainties. It would be reassuring to be able to look to the United Nations as an effective arbiter of justice. However, doubts are raised as to its present ability to perform this role. Is it time to reset the mechanism so that the UN becomes more effective than it currently is?
Read the full article here: Sovereignty_and_Seychelles-Borders_and_boundaries_in_a_small_island_state-Dennis_Hardy-SRJ-5-(1)
♦ RESEARCH NOTES
New Research in Education ♦ Page 65 ♦
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Innovative Projects ♦ Page 67 ♦
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