This study explores how primary school learners in a multilingual South African foundation phase classroom use linguistic resources during communicative exchanges in science experiments. Focusing on the topic living and non-living things, it examines how plurilingual learners creatively draw on linguistic and cultural resources to engage in science explorations. Employing an ethnographic research design, the study involved 20 participants (one Grade 3 teacher and 19 learners aged 8–10 years). Ethnographically informed, the study collected data through video recordings and classroom interactions in a third-grade class (8–10-year-olds) to analyse their participation in both whole-class discussions and small-group interactions. Data were analysed using conversation analysis, informed by a critical ethnographic lens. This analysis considers how learners construct and communicate meaning as they interact in diverse groups. The findings reveal the importance of dialogical, open-ended classroom spaces that allow linguistically and culturally diverse learners to draw on their unique resources, enabling them to participate more fully in science discussions. Framing natural science learning as a culturally integrated practice, this study offers new insights into the complex translanguaging processes at play in foundation phase education. The findings advocate for a transformative shift in educational practices to recognise and harness the rich linguistic and cultural resources that plurilingual learners bring. Despite various linguistic discourses, the success of using different communicative resources in South African classrooms hinges on receptive, supportive contexts.
Spelling ability is a crucial determinant of academic achievement and an integral part of the writing process. It is a complex cognitive-linguistic skill that requires knowledge of letter sound correspondence, phonological awareness, orthographic awareness, and morphological awareness. Despite its importance, research on spelling development in Southern Bantu languages, particularly in Northern Sotho, is still sparse. This study examines the linguistic patterns underlying spelling errors made by Northern Sotho-speaking Grade 3 children, providing a detailed linguistic analysis of error types. Data were collected from 106 Northern Sotho-speaking children using an age-appropriate real-word spelling task that included words of varying complexity. This study explores how Northern Sotho’s agglutinative and disjunctive structure may influence spelling acquisition, particularly in relation to learners’ developing phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness. A preliminary analysis was conducted to determine some of the spelling errors made by learners at the end of Grade 3. Examples of errors made by children in Northern Sotho included substitution (e.g., kg in kgona ‘be able’ with /k/ or /g/, diacritical letter /š/ in mošemane ‘boy’; /s/ and /hl/ in hlapi ‘fish’ for other digraphs such as /th/ or /ts/), omission (e.g., letter /e/ in words like taelo ‘instruction’, /w/ in befetšwe ‘punished’), addition (e.g., emma for ema ‘stand up’, tayelo for taelo ‘instruction’), nasal consonant deletion (e.g., sekolog for sekolong ‘school’), transposition of letters (e.g.,lhapi for hlapi ‘fish’), and phonetic over-generalizations (i.e., mošimane instead of mošemane ‘boy’). These insights will contribute to a deeper understanding of spelling development in African languages and offer implications for literacy instruction, particularly in multilingual educational contexts.
The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous learning systems has transformed language education worldwide. However, most studies have focused on well-resourced languages such as English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin, with limited attention to African indigenous and under-resourced languages, such as isiZulu. This study interrogates the use of autonomous language-learning technologies in isiZulu, exploring how adaptive digital tools and AI-driven methodologies can support learner autonomy, enhance cultural relevance, and promote linguistic proficiency, particularly through the interpretation of idioms and proverbs. Drawing on secondary literature on computer assisted language learning (CALL), narrative studies of AI in language education, and emerging research on distributed agency in second language teaching, the study examines both the potential opportunities and inherent challenges of deploying autonomous systems in isiZulu education. It further discusses the need for culturally responsive pedagogies, teacher professional development, and appropriate technological adaptations. The study concludes with recommendations for future research and policy implications that prioritise equity and sustainability in multilingual educational contexts.
This study examines how second-language instruction in South African higher education can be strengthened to foster critical thinking and creativity in multilingual, structurally unequal learning environments. Positioned within broader debates surrounding 21st-century competencies, the study explores how pedagogical practices, institutional structures, and technological systems shape opportunities for learner participation, critical engagement, and creative expression. Framed by socio-cultural theory and the design justice framework, the study critically examines how linguistic hierarchies, curricular rigidity, unequal digital access, and exclusionary educational practices continue to shape second language learning in South Africa and the broader Global South. The study adopted a systematic literature review methodology guided by the PRISMA framework to synthesise interdisciplinary scholarship published between 2017 and 2025 and sourced from multiple academic databases, and analysed using thematic synthesis. Comparative insights from India, Brazil, China, Kenya, and other Global South contexts were incorporated to examine emerging approaches to curriculum reform, project-based learning, technology-enhanced instruction, and competency-based education within multilingual higher education environments. The findings reveal that while Global South higher education systems are increasingly embracing learner-centred and technology-supported pedagogies, implementation remains constrained by structural and institutional barriers, including curriculum inflexibility, limited teacher preparedness, unequal access to digital infrastructure, assessment practices centred on memorisation and linguistic accuracy, and limited student participation in curriculum and technology design. However, while technology-enhanced learning environments create opportunities for collaboration, creativity, and learner engagement, it often reproduces broader socio-economic and linguistic inequalities (accessibility and inadequate inclusion). In response, the study proposes a risk matrix and intervention framework centred on four interconnected areas: curriculum transformation, continuous professional development, inclusive digital infrastructure, and assessment reform. The study concludes that fostering critical thinking and creativity in multilingual classrooms requires more than isolated pedagogical innovations; it demands broader institutional and systemic commitments to equity, multilingualism, learner agency, and epistemic inclusion in South African higher education.
Over the past decade, we have witnessed a massive shift in information and digital technologies that has had an enormous impact on second language teaching and learning. These changes have forced education to undergo significant transformations in how languages are taught and mediated. The rapid pace of technological advancement, the increasing importance of global communication, and the evolving needs of learners are reshaping the landscape of language education. Despite these advancements, there remains a gap in understanding how best to integrate these emerging tools and methodologies into effective language instruction. Educators, researchers, and policymakers continue to seek answers to critical questions about how to prepare learners to thrive in an interconnected, digital world.
