The decision by some public primary schools situated in the King Cetshwayo District, in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, to use English as language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in teaching isiZulu-speaking learners in Grade 1 classrooms, is a matter of concern. English is not the learners’ home language and the practice is also against the policy of the Department of Basic Education. In considering the recommendation by the South African Constitution, Acts and language policies of the country, it is expected to see all Foundation Phase (Grade R-3) learners being taught in their home language. The aim of this study was to explore the use of English as LoLT in teaching Grade 1 isiZulu-speaking learners. The interpretivist/constructivist paradigm underpinned the study as did the Language Acquisition Theory proposed by Skinner and Teacher Efficacy Theory by Bandura. This study adopted a qualitative multiple-case study as it aimed to explore the use of English as the LoLT in teaching Grade 1 isiZulu-speaking learners. One-on-one, semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis were used as data collection instruments. A purposive sampling of six Grade 1 teachers from three public primary schools was employed. Thematic data analysis method was used to analyse collected data. Data collected were analysed, categorised into codes and themes were identified. Overall, it was found that the communities regard the schools, offering English as the LoLT in teaching Grade 1 IsiZulu-speaking learners, as the best performing schools, though the language policy was not taken into consideration and the teachers are challenged in using the target language in their teaching. It was found that five Grade 1 teachers used English in conjunction with isiZulu and only one teacher used a minimal amount of isiZulu to clarify concepts for learners to understand. It was concluded that some teachers found themselves frustrated in using English as the LoLT due to lack of proper mentoring and support from the School Management Teams (SMTs). It is recommended that the provincial Department of Education, under the leadership of the Member of the Executive Council (MEC), should review the language policy and give some clarity to ensure that schools receive guidance on how to choose the most appropriate LoLT. It is also recommended that the SMTs should provide the proper mentorship programmes, especially for teachers who are new in the school where English is used as the LoLT. / Qeto ea likolo tse ling tsa mathomo tsa sechaba tse seterekeng sa King Cetshwayo, KwaZulu-Natal, Afrika Boroa, ho sebelisa Senyesemane e le puo ea ho ithuta le ho ruta (LoLT) ho ruta bana ba buang Senyesemane lihlopheng tsa 1 tsa phapusi, ke taba ea ho ameha. Senyesemane hase puo ea lehae ea liithuti ebile mokhoa ona o khahlanong le leano la Lefapha la thuto ea motheo. Ha re hlahloba khothatso ea Molao-motheo oa Afrika Boroa, Liketso le lipuo tsa puo tsa naha, ho lebeletsoe ho bona liithuti tsohle tsa thuto ea Sehlopha sa Motheo (R-3) li rutoa ka puo ea habo bona. Sepheo sa thuto ena e ne e le ho hlahloba tšebeliso ea Senyesemane joaloka LoLT ho ruta barutoana ba 1 ba buang Senyesemane. Paradigm ea li-interpretivist / constructivist e ile ea tšehetsa thuto joaloka Sephiri sa Thekiso ea Lipuo e hlalositsoeng ke Skinner le Teacher Efficacy Theory ea Bandura. Phuputso ena e ile ea amohela thuto e nang le mekhoa e metle e le hore e hlahlobe tšebeliso ea Senyesemane jwale ka leleme la ho ruta barutoana ba 1 ba buang IsiZulu. E mong le e mong ho ea ho e mong, lipuisano tse sa tšoaneng, litlhaloso le tlhahlobo ea litokomane li ile tsa sebelisoa e le lisebelisoa tsa ho bokella data. Sampula e hloekileng ea basoue ba tšeletseng ba likhaolo ho tloha likolong tse tharo tsa sechaba tsa pele e ne e sebelisoa. Tsela ea ts'ebetso e sebeliselitsoe ho hlahloba lintlha tse bokelitsoeng. Lintlha tse bokelitsoeng li ile tsa hlahlojoa, tsa aroloa ka mekhoa le lihlooho tse fumanoeng. Ka kakaretso, ho fumanoe hore sechaba se nka likolo, se fana ka Senyesemane e le leleme la ho ruta le ho ithuta lithuto tsa mphato wa pele wa barutoana ba Sezulu, e le likolo tse ntle ka ho fetisisa, le hoja polelo ea puo e sa hlokomeloe 'me basoue ba phephetsoa ho sebelisa sepheo puo ha ba ruta. Ho fumanoe hore mesuoe e mehlano ea Bakala 1 e sebelisitse Senyesemane hammoho le Senyesemane mme mosuoe a le mong feela o sebelisitse Senyesemane se fokolang ho hlakisa maikutlo a hore baithuti ba utloisise. Ho ile ha fihleloa qeto ea hore basuoe ba bang ba ile ba iphumana ba tsielehile ha ba sebelisa Senyesemane e le LoLT ka lebaka la ho hloka tataiso e viii nepahetseng le ts'ehetso ea Lihlopha tsa Tsamaiso ea Sekolo. Ho kgothaletswa hore Lefapha la Thuto la profinse, tlas'a boeta-pele ba Lekhotla la Tsamaiso (MEC), le lokela ho hlahloba leano la puo le ho fana ka ho hlaka ho netefatsa hore likolo li fumana tataiso mabapi le mokhoa oa ho khetha LoLT e nepahetseng ka ho fetisisa. Ho boetse ho kgothaletswa hore basebeletsi ba SMTs ba fane ka ts'ebetso e nepahetseng ea ho fana ka ts'ebetso, haholo-holo ho mesuoe e mecha sekolong moo Senyesemane se sebelisoang e le LoLT. / Isinqumo sezinye izikole zamabanga aphansi emphakathini wesiyingi iKing Cetshwayo, KwaZulu-Natali, eNingizimu Afrika, sokusebenzisa isiNgisi njengolimi lokufunda nokufundisa (LoLT) ekufundiseni abafundi beBanga 1 abakhuluma isiZulu, kuyindaba yokukhathazeka. IsiNgisi akulona ulimi lwasekhaya lwalaba bafundi kanti futhi lesi senzo siphambene nenqubomgomo yoMnyango Wezemfundo Eyisisekelo. Uma ubhekisisa izincomo zomthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika, imithetho nezinqubomgomo zolimi lwezwe, kulindeleke ukuthi bonke abafundi bamabanga aphansi (Grade R-3) bafundiswe ngolimi lwabo lwasekhaya. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuhlola ukusetshenziselwa isiNgisi njengolimi lokufunda nokufundisa (LoLT) ekufundiseni abafundi beBanga 1 abakhuluma isiZulu. I-interpretivist / constructivist paradigm yalekelela lolu cwaningo njengoba kwenza i-Language Acquisition Theory ehlongozwa u-Skinner Kanye ne-Teacher Efficacy Theory ka-Bandura. Lesi sifundo sithatha uhlelo lwe qualitative multiple-case study njengoba sihlose ukucwaninga ukusetshenziswa kwesiNgisi njengolimi lokufunda nokufundisa lapho kufundiswa abafundi beBanga 1 abakhuluma isiZulu. Izingxoxo zomuntu nomuntu kusetshenzisw imibuzo ehlelwe kahle, ukubuka lapho kufundiswa kanye nokuhlaziywa kwamabhuku kwasetshenziswa njengamathuluzi okuqoqa ulwazi. Isampula elicacile labafundisi abayisithupha beBanga 1, abavela ezikoleni ezintathu zamabanga aphansi lasetshenziswa. Indlela yokuhlaziya ulwazi ye-Thematic yasetshenziselwa ukuhlaziya ulwazi olwaqoqwa. Ulwazi olwaqoqwa lwahlaziywa, lwahlukaniswa ngamakhodi nezindikimba. Ngokujwayelekile, kwatholakala ukuthi imiphakathi ibheka izikole, ezihlinzeka isiNgisi njengolimi lokufunda nokufundisa (LoLT) ekufundiseni abafundi beBanga 1 abakhuluma IsiZulu, njengezikole ezenza kahle kakhulu, nakuba inqubomgomo yolimi ingabhekiwe futhi othisha behlangabezana nobunzima lapho besebenzisa lolu limi olukhethiwe ekufundiseni kwabo. Kwatholakala ukuthi othisha abahlanu beBanga 1 basebenzisa isiNgisi ngokuhlanganyela nesiZulu kanti uthisha oyedwa kuphela wasebenzisa isiZulu esincane kakhulu lapho ecacisa imibono ukuze abafundi baqonde. Kwatholakala ukuthi abanye othisha bazithola bexakekile lapho besebenzisa isiNgisi njengolimi lokufunda nokufundisa (LoLT) ngenxa yokungatholi ukulekelelwa okufanele kanye nokusekwa amathimba okuphatha izikole (SMTs). Kunconywa ukuthi uMnyango Wezemfundo wesifundazwe, ngaphansi kobuholi beLungu loMkhandlu oPhethe (MEC), ubuyekeze inqubomgomo yolimi, ubuye unikeze izikole inqubo ecacile ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izikole zikhetha ulimi lokufunda nokufundisa ngendlela okuyi yona yona. Kuyanconywa futhi ukuthi amathimba aphethe izikole ahlinzeke ngezinhlelo ezinhle zokulekelela othisa, ikakhulukazi othisha abasha esikoleni lapho isiNgisi sisetshenziswa khona njengolimi lokufunda nokufundisa. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)