In the South African context, it is currently assumed by most role players in education that teacher graduates are proficient in the medium of instruction they will use once they start their careers. This may be a reason why currently there is no mandatory testing of teachers‟ language proficiency. Due to social, economic and historical factors, English has become the medium of instruction at most educational institutions in South Africa, yet less than 10% of the population speak English as a home language. Consequently, an overwhelming number of learners are being taught in a language other than their home language and often by teachers not adequately prepared to teach through the medium of English. In the absence of mandatory testing and with the complex language situation in South African classrooms, this case study aimed to determine the perceptions held by pre-service teachers and their mentors regarding their English proficiency at entry to the teaching profession. This was done by answering the following research question: What is the perceived Classroom English proficiency of final year pre-service teachers prior to graduating? The conceptual framework was grounded in Uys‟s (2006) model of Classroom English proficiency and the methodology employed was quantitative in nature. Instruments used to collect data included an observation schedule completed by mentor teachers observing pre-service teachers presenting the fifth lesson of their first internship period, and a questionnaire completed by the pre-service teacher directly after the observed lesson. Both instruments were adapted from Elder‟s Classroom Language Assessment Schedule (1993, 2001), and each included 42 items related to various language proficiency variables rated on a four-point Likert scale. Data were analysed using various statistical measures comparing groups and subgroups within the sample. Key findings included a significant statistical difference between how English Home Language (EHL) pre-service teachers perceived their language proficiency and those who are English Additional Language (EAL) preservice teachers. EHL pre-service teachers perceived their Classroom English proficiency better than EAL pre-service teachers. The same trend was evident among the perceptions of mentor teachers. Pedagogical language and voice skills emerged as areas in which additional support was required by EAL pre-service teachers. Further research avenues to explore relate to the feasibility of administering refined instruments among teachers to determine not only what the perceptions would be on a national level but also to assess their Classroom English proficiency, followed by possible interventions. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Social Studies Education / MEd / Unrestricted

Language is central to all teaching and learning. The ability to communicate effectively, and more specifically during instruction is one of the key competencies beginner teachers should develop. While English is the home language of ±10% of South Africans, the majority of learners are taught in English from Grade 4 onwards, many of their teachers being non-native English speakers themselves. The English proficiency level of most South African teachers has been identified as problematically low by a number of researchers. This study aimed to investigate the nature of Classroom English and the underlying oral English proficiency of native isiZulu-speaking pre-service teachers as a first step toward being able to better support Classroom English proficiency development of non-native pre-service teachers. Within my conceptual framework for the study oral English proficiency is viewed as part of and foundational to Classroom English proficiency. A mixed methods approach was used. Data were gathered through questionnaires which gauged perceptions of the pre-service teachers’ English proficiency in the classroom as well as voice recordings of lessons they presented during their practice teaching period in rural KwaZulu-Natal schools. Voice recordings of this case study were analysed with the support of existing oral English proficiency rubrics and a self-designed Classroom English proficiency rubric. In a broad sense findings correspond with previous studies in similar fields, pointing to the nature of Classroom English of this case study at a level not considered ideal for effectively facilitating teaching and learning. These isiZulu-speaking preservice teachers require more support to develop better Classroom English proficiency. An approach that specifically addresses development of language proficiencies required in the classroom, with vocabulary and grammar embedded therein, is suggested. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

This thesis aims to address why the adoption of CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) within the language classroom is so varied, and its success so unclear, despite fifty years of investment and research. The huge promise of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) driven results has created an imbalance in language teaching, where initiatives are brought about from outside the classroom, with teachers held accountable for their adoption. My reading of the literature is that lack of consideration of the teacher’s role in implementation of classroom technology has led to mismatched expectations and performance. If the nature of the teacher’s contribution is recognized, I believe that this can lead to more effective use of ICT, which I have set out to show. My study, based on a survey of 319 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers across the international group of 31 schools in which I work, seeks to put the teacher back into the picture by examining where their enacted beliefs in social constructivist pedagogy best align with classroom use of digital technology. I coin this emerging praxis ‘microblending’, a pedagogy rooted in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory and contemporary methodology, and I seek to demonstrate its relevance in this study I test the viability of measuring teacher’s microblending readiness through application of Technology Acceptance Modelling (TAM) in an EFL setting to produce a model that explains the variation in classroom use of ICT. My model is based on a critical replication of the WST (‘Will, Skill, Tool’) model, a TAM model which has so far only been used in mainstream classroom teaching. I have updated, created and piloted new instruments within the scope of the study, which are now already in use within the institution where I carried out my investigations. Using both linear regression and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques I explored how these measurements of the learning environment can explain a teacher’s application of technology. This first attempt appears to explain over 89% of the variation in classroom use of technology, which already exceeds the predictive power of several contemporary models in use in parallel fields of education. Given further work to refine and apply the model, a valuable improvement could be made in how teachers work with ICT in the language classroom for improved learning outcomes.