Teaching English home language to foundation phase learners from diverse backgrounds
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Date
2022-01-01
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AOSIS
Abstract
Background: Teaching English as home language (EHL) could be a complicated process in a
country like South Africa, where there are eleven official languages operating in a multicultural
society. This requires capacitating teachers with appropriate and relevant strategies to
strengthen their teaching, especially in the foundation phase.
Aim: This paper examines the appropriateness and relevance of the extant strategies for
teaching EHL comprehension skills to foundation phase learners from diverse language
backgrounds.
Setting: This study was conducted in King Cetshwayo District, KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa.
Methods: This was a qualitative case study involving four purposively selected grade one
teachers in one urban primary in South Africa. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews,
field observations and document analysis. Content analysis was used to analyse the data.
Results: The two main findings were that (a) the teaching of EHL comprehensions skills lacked
the appropriate strategies, and (b) the teachers faced several challenges – including operating
under an unclear policy framework, the paucity of strategies in phonological awareness, and
the lack of appropriate reflection images to which the learners could be exposed to improve
their skills.
Conclusion: The study concludes that adequate and regular professional teacher development
programmes and activities are needed to enable teachers to do their work more effectively.
Contribution: By closely and systematically examining the strategies used by teachers who
were non-native English speakers, to teach EHL to leaners who were also non-native English
speakers, this study has made important contributions to both attendant theory and classroom
practice.
Description
Teaching English home language to foundation phase learners from diverse backgrounds
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Citation
Mtshali, Z. & Mashiya, N., 2022, ‘Teaching English home language to foundation phase learners from diverse backgrounds’, South African Journal of Childhood Education 12(1), a1027. https://doi.org/10.4102/ sajce.v12i1.1027