With the advent of political and social democracy in South Africa in 1994 came the need to restructure education so that it would reflect the new mulitcultural democracy, redress the inequalities of the past and ensure future social justice. South African society, after apartheid, had to be re-formed, in the sense of being formed anew; and it had to be re-constructed, in the sense of being built again. The classroom was perceived to be one of the critical sites in which this change could be effected and outcomes-based education (OBE) is the optimum educational instrument through which to initiate change. At the heart of OBE lies learner-centredness'which entails experiential learning in a physical and metaphysical world viewed as a set of interlocking (mutually dependant) systems. OBE focuses on a subjective being in the world and a subjective becoming in the world. It is because OBE is centred on process rather than product that outcomes are specified as the learning assessment instrument. It is for all the above reasons that the new South African national curriculum was based on OBE. The primary aims of the curriculum are to achieve educational equality across racial groups and, secondly, to develop cultural competence amongst South Africa's previously legislatively divided peoples so that a new nation, united in its diversity, can evolve. This dissertation examines the successes and failures of the implementation of OBE, in the form of the South African National Curriculum Statement (NCS), in the teaching of French as a Second Additional Language. For educational policy to be implemented and the vision of transformation realised, teachers need to translate curriculum principles into pedagogic practices. The implications of the new national curriculum and of the OBE model for the teaching of French are enormous. Learning French, a language which has both its own African identity and is a language of the world, encourages an understanding of other languages and cultures, promotes tolerance of diversity, develops critical thinking and prepares learners for a multicultural society. In these ways the learning of French has the potential of furthering the fundamental aims of the NCS. OBE, as an educational model, can optimise the teaching of a foreign language such as French and thus increase the potential of French learning to further the broad aims of the NCS. There is thus a reciprocity between learning French and the desired outcomes of the NCS, and the conduit is the OBE methodology. , OBE facilitates the teaching and learning of a foreign language such as French as it allows for the creation of a language learning (be it artificial) environment through the use of real-life situations and centres learning in the socio-cultural context of the learners. OBE links classroom exercises to the real world by sourcing learners' realities as contexts of learning and teaching and by making learning a productive learner experience. Classroom activities are thus relevant to a subjective rather than to an externally perceived objective real world. The broad aim of my study is to evaluate how and to what extent OBE has been implemented in French classrooms. The study also describes and evaluates examples of successful OBE implementation. Research was undertaken in KwaZulu-Natal and the focus of the study was Grade 8 to Grade 12 French teaching and learning situations. My research has shown uneven application of OBE in "French" classrooms, but there are clear signs of creative and innovative learning facilitation which promises much for other "foreign" language learning and teaching and for the broader, nation-building aims of South African educational policy. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

Vision and mission statements are developed by schools to give purpose and direction to all those who work in these institutions. They also articulate the values that the organisation endeavours to promote. This case study demonstrates how an independent school fosters values in the vision and mission statement through curriculum implementation. The school offers a values education programme in conjunction with the National Curriculum Statement. This is done through the example of the English curriculum in a primary school. The challenge for the National Curriculum Statement is how to promote the goals and values of social justice, equity and democracy, by integrating them across the curriculum. The Department of Education views values development as being crucial for the personal development of the students and to ensure that a South African identity is built on values different from the apartheid era (Department of Education, 2002). The school therefore has an important role to play not only in the development of knowledge and skills of their students, but also the development of values. This study adopts a qualitative approach which is located in the interpretative paradigm. A case study approach using multiple methods of data production was used. Document analysis, observations and semi-structured interviews were used to gather rich data. The vision and mission statement of the school was analysed to determine what values are articulated in it. Six comprehension lessons of three teacher participants were observed and a semi-structured interview was conducted with each teacher to determine what values are fostered through the teaching of English. The findings revealed that the values articulated in the school’s mission statement played a pivotal role in teaching. There was a strong relationship between the values in the mission statement and teaching of English. Teachers were successful in eliciting values during their teaching by using a variety of strategies, creating a positive classroom atmosphere and being acutely aware of the importance of being good role models. The training and support received by the teachers enhanced the fostering of values. In spite of the fact that the teachers were not involved in developing the school’s vision and mission statement which was the ideology of the organisation that started and manages the school, their belief in the values programme motivated its successful implementation. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

This dissertation investigates the impact on classroom practice of the use of new language texts which are based on the Thinking Actively in a Social Context (TASC) model, and the principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Draft materials of a newly published series, Language in My World, were used by the researcher. The central aim of the study was to establish whether the use of the new materials, without accompanying in-service training in their use, would effect any change in the teaching methodology of the participant teachers, as well as a change in learner involvement. A qualitative, non-participatory method of observation was applied. Four teachers from one rural ex-Department of Education and Training (DEC) school, and seven teachers from two ex-KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and Culture (KDEC) rural schools, participated in the study. Lessons were observed over a period of six weeks. The research design, the field work, and analysis of the observed lessons are described and recorded. The findings indicate aspects of classroom practice which hinder the effective learning and teaching of English as a second language. Learners were not taught by adequately trained teachers. In most of the lessons observed, the teachers engaged in the 'recitation script' and there was no sensitization of learners to show their understanding of the texts. Learners were not given the opportunity to analyze the information received in the light of their own experiences and emotions. Teachers needed to be taught about the principles of CLT. The climate at many schools (not enough classrooms, no toilet facilities, no learning resources), is not conducive to learning. The implications of the findings are considered. Certain recommendations from the findings are made which will enable. teachers to develop their professional knowledge and improve their teaching practice. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

This study was undertaken to explore curriculum change from the General Certificate in Education (GCE) Ordinary Level (O-Level) to the International General Certificate in Secondary Education (lGCSE) with regard to English language teaching in four high schools in the Manzini region of Swaziland. The study investigated teachers' perceptions of the curriculum change and how they implemented it. The impact of the training teachers received in preparation for the introduction of the IGCSE English curriculum was also explored. An interpretive research paradigm using qualitative methodology was chosen for the study and was driven by the following critical research questions: 1. How do teachers experience curriculum change from GCE O-Level to IGCSE with regard to English language teaching? 2. How was this change implemented in the Form 4 English language classrooms? Qualitative methods comprising semi-structured interviews and non-participant classroom observations were used for collecting data. Data from interviews with teachers were analysed thematically through the use of the constant comparison method, while classroom observations data were qualitatively analysed by using themes that emerged from the observation schedule designed for the study. The data from classroom observations were triangulated with data from interviews with teachers to ensure validity of the study. The study used the body of literature that relates to second language acquisition (SLA) and learning, with specific reference to social constructivism, bilingualism, communicative language teaching and task-based language teaching approaches, literacy and the genre approach as the theoretical framework. The theoretical framework facilitated an understanding that knowledge or meaningful learning is constructed by the learners as they interact using the target language. The results revealed that the teachers used a constructivist approach towards teaching which comprised the communicative language teaching and task-based language teaching and learning approaches. The IGCSE curriculum emphasizes the use of these approaches. The findings also indicated that teachers were inadequately prepared for teaching the IGCSE English curriculum as some of the workshop facilitators were less informed than some of the participants; and that they were only given guidance for conducting assessment in the oral skill without training them how to teach it. Also, the language aspects such as grammar, writing and reading were left out when the curriculum was reviewed, as a result teachers reverted to using the structural approach when teaching grammar, as opposed to the constructivist approach. Findings showed that as much as the IGCSE English curriculum was said to be good, the reading skill was inefficiently taught. IGCSE does not give learners quality education since the tasks learners did were cognitively unchallenging. In view of the theoretical framework of the study, the IGCSE English curriculum produces skills-based, vocationally inclined learners who are not geared towards pursuing academic university education. Listening comprehension was found to be the most problematic language aspect since the learners could not understand the English native speakers' accent when they listened to passages from tapes and CD's during examinations. Using the genre approach to essay writing findings showed that teaching essay writing was not well grounded. The study recommended that the curriculum be reviewed and teachers be taught more effective approaches to teaching essay writing as well as reading comprehension. It was also recommended that the Ministry of Education should assist teachers with additional resources and multimedia for teaching listening skills including CDs and listening to talk shows and in teaching essay writing. The study further recommended that localisation of the curriculum to SIGCSE should be postponed until a suitable curriculum is identified and that further research be conducted which would include a larger study that would be a true representation of all high schools in the four regions of the country.

I have been fortunate in my teaching career to have taught young learners from Grade 1 to Grade 12 in English home language. This has led me to the realisation that English home language learners have a considerable advantage over their second language counterparts in acquiring education in general. Language proficiency in the language of learning and teaching is essential for academic success. Many secondary school learners lack the required academic proficiency in English, the language of learning and teaching. The English language proficiency of isiZulu-speaking Grade 8 learners at a Durban secondary school was evaluated in order to suggest ways in which these learners could be helped to maximise their academic success. This school was chosen on the basis of poor matric results. The study used a mixed-method research methodology. A sample of Grade 8 learners was selected, and their language proficiency levels were determined. The data collection techniques used were the focus group interview to generate pupils’ response to problems and barriers to learning, as well as document analysis of school documents. The findings indicated that the learners were generally not capable of handling the requirements of the Grade 8 curriculum. The language issue is complex and cannot be explained as an isolated variable as there are a variety of other mediating factors that interact to impact on the academic performance of learners with limited English language proficiency. It was recommended that the learners be guided to make optimal use of facilities, such as libraries. This could enhance the learner’s language development. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This study examines how English Education knowledge structures impact on pedagogy to serve students who are becoming English educators. The study investigates the English Education discipline within the School of Education, University of KwaZulu–Natal. The study responds to the critical question: how do English Education knowledge structures impact on pedagogy to serve students who are becoming English educators? This question seeks to uncover underlying structures, mechanisms and events at play in the English Education discipline, and how these inform knowledge structures to impact on pedagogy the way they do. The study is located on an interpretive research paradigm, and is framed within the Critical Realism (Bhaskar, 1978) and Social Realism (Archer, 1995) theories. These theories are used to critically engage with data by uncovering the underlying structures and mechanisms at play in the English Education discipline. The study further draws on Bernstein (1999) and Bourdieu (1986) as substantive theories used to develop a profound understanding of Knowledge Structures and Cultural Capital, respectively. Using qualitative methods of data collection, the study uncovers the role of a 2-Track System in the teaching of English Education students. Data collected in the study is analysed and critiqued to demonstrate how and why the structuring of English Education knowledge breaks away from unintended curricular impositions by the former University of Natal English Department’s curriculum. The study argues that the 2-Track System adopted in the English Education discipline is appropriate to serve students to be competent educators of English. Of paramount importance, data collected in the study also show how the structuring of English Education knowledge in the 2-Track System empowers and ‘give voice to’ the majority (Bernstein, 1999). / Thesis (M. Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The main purpose of this descriptive study was to examine gender differences in French oral production, in a French immersion context. The following criteria were developed to investigate these differences: quantity in production, the use of verbs and conjugations. Eleven boys and thirteen girls from the same fourth grade class located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, participated in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through one-on-one audiotaped story retelling sessions and questionnaires. This analysis did not reveal any gender differences but instead similarities were found in relation to the types of errors they made. Limitations, such as the number of participants, or the variation across participants' inhibition, memory, and creativity may have affected the results. It is suggested that these results may be linked to a lack of opportunity to speak French in the classroom, and that the use of a story retelling activity might be one way to encourage speaking.

The following work is based on the proposition that foreign languages are primarily acquired for the purpose of communication in a multicultural context. This communicative aspect of language is my main concern. The thesis defines the theoretical and practical implications of an action-orientated language teaching environment. I base my own work on the theory of speech acts as elaborated by John L. Austin and John R. Searle, as well as Ludwig Wittgenstein's theory of language games. I corroborate the theory of speech acts as being defined and established in any act of communication, such as a conversation. This leads me to the examination whether such language games can be realized through applying action-orientated teaching methods to teach foreign languages. Within the context of this thesis, I examine whether these methods can effectively improve the student's ability to communicate. This work favors integrated methodical procedures that engage the student in playacting in the foreign tongue.

This thesis examines how a group of culturally and linguistically diverse Toronto secondary students perceive their present and previous writing experiences, ESL instruction and theories about writing in a first and second language. Data analysis included interviews with eight students, participant observations in their ESL classroom, literacy events and analysis of their written texts.

To argue that inferences drawn from a test of writing are valid, empirical evidence must demonstrate that the test adequately represents the construct it is designed to measure (Messick, 1998). The writing component of the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment, was developed in the early 1990's to represent the construct of English in use for academic purposes (EAP). Since that time, EAP approaches have been criticised within the fields of both language testing (Alderson, 1993; Clapham, 2001) and genre and composition studies (Freedman, 1999). Writing is currently viewed as a "site of social and ideological action" (Schryer, 1994), embedded within, and interacting with the disciplinary, historical, political and cultural contexts in which it acts (Freedman and Medway, 1994; Norton, 1995). Informed by cultural-historical Activity Theory (Cole and Engestrom, 1994; Vygotsky, 1989), this research examines the "social actions" which characterise performance on the CAEL writing test in relation to two other tests of English as a Second Language (L2) writing, the personal essay and the timed-impromptu essay. In Study 1, the semiotic potential of each test is defined by analysis of the verbal accounts of 4 raters and 20 test takers. In their accounts, what separates the EAP writing test from the other tests of writing is the academic expertise the EAP test elicits. In Study 2, the scores from n = 375 EAP essays and n = 271 cloze tests are compared in order to examine how much of the variance in each test is accounted for by academic expertise. Taken together, Studies 1 and 2 provide empirical evidence of what performance on the EAP writing test means to those engaged in the activity of testing. Evidence that the EAP writing test represents a construct, which has been reconceptualized to reflect current theories of writing, addresses the criticism of EAP-based tests and provides a model of inter-disciplinary test validation in relation to evolving construct