This article explores South African high school teachers’ experiences of teaching poetry to English Second Language learners. Using a qualitative approach and case study design, the study worked with ten purposively sampled teachers from three schools in one education district. Data were generated using semi-structured interviews. The study, underpinned by the theory of constructivism, found that the participating teachers could recognise their positive and negative experiences of teaching poetry. They experienced poetry as useful for language and vocabulary development, critical thinking, widened worldviews, and sources for imagination and social tolerance. However, they also experienced poetry as a source of confusion because of its often complex language and structure, and they tended to depend on teaching materials from colleagues, teacher development workshops, and the Department of Education. While the teachers found the teaching of poetry challenging, they recognised its potential for learners’ English language development.
Research in South Africa indicates that 81% of learners in Grade 4 struggle to read with comprehension (Department of Basic Education, 2023). The early graders’ reading difficulties hinder their ability to read and to learn other subjects. This study explores the reading challenges experienced by SiSwati home language speakers when reading English First Additional language and the strategies teachers employ to mitigate them. This paper presents findings of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), which was utilised to assess learners' reading proficiency, and the Facilitative Orientation to Reading Teaching (FORT), which was used to assess classroom interactions. Conducted in 2021 at a primary school located in a high-density suburb in Mpumalanga, the research involved four teachers and two classes each of Grades 2 and 3. Results revealed that only four Grade 2 learners met the expected threshold of 30 words correct per minute (WCPM), while only eight learners in Grade 3 surpassed the threshold of 50 WCPM. Most learners fell below these thresholds, highlighting significant literacy challenges. The lack of standardised teaching strategies among teachers is evident. The study recommends a single across-the-curriculum programme as an intervention, as well as improved pre-service training and ongoing support for in-service teachers.
UKUFUNDISA UKUFUNDA NOKUBHALA ISIZULU NGOBULIMIKUSHINTSHANA: IMIBONO-NKULUMO YOTHISHAABAQEQESHELWA UKUFUNDISA AMABANGA AYISISEKELO Indlelasu yokufundisa ngobulimikushintshana inconywa ngabacwaningi abehlukene ngokuthuthukisa ubuliminingi, ukunqanda ukuqonela nokuphakamisa ulwazi lwezilimi zomdabu zama-Afrika cishe kuwona wonke amabanga. Izingcwaningo ezivulelekile ezicwaninga ngotho ngendlela esabalele ziveza ukuthi abafundi abafundiswe kusetshenziswa indlelasu yobulimikushintshana baba nokuqonda okuthe thuthu ngomehluko othi awube yisithupha kunalabo abafundiswa kusetshenziswa ulimi olulodwa, olukhethelwe ukufundisa. Noma kunjalo, emaBangeni asesiGabeni esiyiSisekelo, abafundi kumele bafundiswe ukufunda nokubhala ngolimi lwabo lwaseKhaya. Umbuzo-ke odinga ukuphendulwa ngolwazi locwaningo yilowo othi “ngabe isu lokuxuba izilimi kufanele yini lisetshenziswe emabangeni ayiSisekelo lapho kufundwa ukufunda nokubhala ngolimi lwaseKhaya kubafundiâ€. Kusemqoka ukubheka imibono-nkulumo yothisha abaqeqeshelwa ukufundisa la mabanga ngobumqoka nobuthaka bokusebenzisa le ndlelasu. Lolu cwaningo-ke beluphokopheke ukuhlaziya imibono-nkulumo yothisha abaqeqeshelwa ukuyofundisa amaBanga ayiSisekelo ngokusetshenziswa kwendlelasu yobulimikushintshana lapho kufundiswa ukufunda nokubhala. Indlela-kubuka yomhumusho kanye nomdwebo-mumo wocwaningo lwesimo kuye kwasetshenziswa ukuqoqa nokuhlaziya ulwazi kubafundi abayishumi abakhethwe ngenhloso esikhungweni esithile esinophiko-nhlaka oluqeqesha othisha. Imibono ehlaluka ocwaningweni lukaClandinnin noConnelly (2014) kanye nasocwaningweni lukaCreese noBlackledge (2015) iye yalunjaniswa ukubumba uhlaka lwemicabango, olusetshenziswe njengensizakuhlaziya kuleli phepha. Ngokusebenzisa indlela yokuhlaziya ulwazi ngezindikimba, kuye kwatholakala ukuthi othisha abasaqeqeshwa bancoma indlelasu yobulimikushintshana lapho kufundiswa ukufunda nokubhala onhlamvu-mbili nonhlamvu-ntathu. Lolu cwaningo luhlaluke nokuthi othisha abasaqeqeshwa bancoma ukusetshenziswa kwendlelasu yobulimikushintshana lapho kufundiswa ukubhala kuphela, hhayi ukufunda. Iphepha lethula uhlaka-sibonelo lokufundiswa kokufunda nokubhala kusetshenziswa indlelasu yobulimikushintshana olukhiqizwe ilolu cwaningo. TEACHING ISIZULU LITERACY THROUGH TRANSLANGUAGING: THE NARRATIVES OF PRE-SERVICE FOUNDATION PHASE TEACHERS The translanguaging strategy is commended for its role in promoting multilingualism, decolonization, and intellectualization of African indigenous languages across grades. Large scale studies reveal that the performance of learners who are taught through the translanguaging strategy is six standard deviations above the performance of the counterparts who are taught through one language which is recommended as the Language of Learning and Teaching. However, research recommends the use of learners’ Home Language in the foundation phase. The question then, of “Why translanguaging should be used as the pedagogical strategy in theteaching of home language literacy in the foundation phase” is a worthwhile question. This research sought to investigate the narratives of pre-service foundation phase teachers on the use of translanguaging in the teaching of isiZulu literacy. The interprevist epistemological stance was employed and the study was framed within the case study research design to generate and analyse data from ten purposively sampled pre-service foundation phase teachers within the context of one selected university that has the education faculty. Clandinnin and Connelly (2014) as well as Creese and Blackledge’s (2015) scholarly perspectives were used to architecture the framework of concepts, which was subsequently used as lens in the analysis of data. The thematically analysed data revealed that pre-service teachers opt for the use of translanguaging strategy in the teaching of isiZulu two-lettered and three lettered phonemes. The paper further revealed that pre-service teachers employ the translanguaging strategy solely for the teaching of writing, not reading. Based on the findings, the model for the teaching ofisiZulu literacy through translanguaging in the foundation phase is presented.
Using structural equation modeling method, this study examined factors that promoted linguistic insecurity among high school students in Ghana. Data were obtained from 560 high school students in the Cape Coast metropolis. The results show that language attitude (β = -0.240), parental coercion (β = 0.303), and student victimization (β = 0.479) statistically predict students’ sense of linguistic insecurity. The R2 value of 0.322 indicates that 33.2% of the variations in linguistic insecurity were accounted for by the three predictors. We recommend, therefore, that policymakers consider prohibiting certain school-related practices that threaten the maintenance of children’s inherited languages.
Addressing the well-publicised literacy crisis in the countrys' primary schools has rightly been identified as a national imperative. The causes of systemic underachievement have been variously attributed to teacher pedagogy and the absence of a culture of reading, among other factors. The role of language textbooks is integral to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), but is under-explored. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a key language teaching approach endorsed by CAPS. This paper analyses the realisation of CLT in a series of Intermediate Phase English Home Language textbooks by investigating a two-week teaching plan in each of the three textbooks. The philosophical paradigm of interpretivism underpins this desk study, which constitutes a specialised form of qualitative research, characterised by its exclusive use of document analysis. The study finds that CLT is only partially realised across the three textbooks. The development of communicative competence is highly uneven; there is an over-reliance on didactic texts, a paucity of opportunities for varied interaction and negotiation of meaning, and somewhat limited integration of the four language skills. The inescapable conclusion is that this series of CAPS-compliant language textbooks necessitates a more principled application of the communicative approach if it is to help address the literacy crisis.
