Thesis (MTech. degree in Education) -- Tshwane University of Technology, 2009. / The English language is not used by the majority of people in their daily and normal conversations at King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) district. It is not even encouraged in many homes and townships because it is associated with an oppressive regime. Hence, it is difficult for children to experience the English language before they start formal education. This study investigated the challenges posed by the English language in the teaching and learning of Technology in Grade 9 at King Sabata Dalindyebo educational district. The first section of the study focused on the language policy in schools, and the second part investigated language practice in schools and classrooms. Structured interviews were conducted with 5 learning areas specialists of the General Education and Training (GET) Band in the district. Closed questionnaires were administered to sampled technology teachers, and a literature review of previous studies on the topic was also conducted. The study revealed that the English language poses a challenge in the teaching and learning at KSD schools, not in the Technology learning area only, but in all the other learning areas. The study also found that, though schools have written language policies that are in line with that of the Department of Education (DoE), there are no implementation and monitoring strategies in place. From the findings, the study recommends that the Department of Education should develop implementation and monitoring strategies to enforce the language policy. The researcher further recommends that language teachers should be re-trained and equipped with the right books and resources which will improve their methods of teaching. Furthermore, it is recommended that schools should be provided with libraries. Reading, speed writing and debating should form part of the GET curriculum.

The study was undertaken to observe and participate in the process and development of a language policy for a rural secondary school in Peddie in the Eastern Cape. This was done in collaboration with parents, learners, and teachers. The researcher acted as a researcher, facilitator and learner in the process that Iead to the final product. Twenty four learners were selected from Grade 8 to Grade 10. These learners formed three focus groups. A questionnaire and lesson observation were used to establish what was taking place in the school with regard to language practices and preferences by learners, teachers and parents. Lesson observations were recorded by a tape recorder. Outcomes are that Xhosa is the dominant language to which the learners are exposed. They only have the exposure to 'chunks' of English in class and when they read magazines, newspapers and listening to radio and TV. Teachers code switch. This is supported by both learners and their parents. Parents want their children to improve performance by being taught in the medium of a language they understand well enough. The study shows different perceptions about the language that should be used as LOLT. Parents in the study favour English as LOLT, while parents in general favour Xhosa. This view is also held by both teachers and learners. At a conscious level when teachers and learners talk about the language to be used as LOLT, they favour English, but when they are faced with the reality of the class they are ambivalent, hence they code switch. The study finally reports on the divergent views of the parents, on one hand, and those of the teachers and the learners on the other hand. The divergence will be resolved in a workshop, part of the broader process of school language policy research, which is beyond the scope of the research reported in the thesis. The final product, in the form of the school language policy, will then be drafted for presentation to the School Governing Body (SGB) for ratification and writing up process.

This research project begins by exploring the problems surrounding the implementation of the 1997 Language in Education Policy (LiEP), and offers insight into why some schools, despite the promotion of additive bilingualism, choose English as the primary medium of instruction. It is a comparative case study of two Grade 1 classes in different situational contexts, which highlights the teaching strategies and language practices of teachers who teach predominantly non-English speakers through the medium of English. Research carried out through this case study illustrates the use of a wide range of teaching strategies, which assist young learners when learning through an additional language. In School A, thematic linking between different learning areas to maximise vocabulary development in both the mother tongue and the additional language, as well as repetition, recycling, scaffolding and contextualisation of content were found to be important. In addition, the use of questioning to elicit understanding, as well as classroom organisation and code-switching were strategies which assisted both the teacher and learners in this multilingual environment. In School B, class size, group work and the inclusion into the timetable of a wide range of diverse activities over and above the main learning areas, which provided opportunities for language development, were important considerations. In addition, routine, predictability and an attention to detail, in keeping with a form-focussed approach, aided the children in understanding the mechanics of literacy and guiding them towards becoming phonologically aware.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education. / The research, conducted as part of a project aimed at improving teachers' English .skills, set out to answer the question: What are the needs of farm school teachers in relation to the use of English as the medium of instruction? Clarification of this question involved the examination of teachers' English proficiency, the teaching of English as a subject and the.observation of the learning/teaching situation in the farm school classroom. The research raised questions concerning the underlying assumption that an English language intervention could bring about major change in the classroom. As a result, further enquiries into the socio-economic context-of the schools were instituted. In addition, the learning/teaching situation was examined in the light of theories of cognition and change. A range of research methods involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilized to penetrate this highly complex situation. The findings indicated a clear need on the. part of ihe teachers for an English proficiency course. At the same time. the findings also indicated most strongly that a fundamental change is needed in tne teachers' understanding of their role if they are to become agents of significant change. / Andrew Chakane 2019

Language, schooling and self have always been inextricably intertwined in the life of high school adolescents. Yet, there has been a paucity of research that investigates the relationship between language, identity, and language-in-education policies that often contradict multiple and fluid identity expressions of young adolescents. The aim of this study project was to explore the relationship between multilingualism and identity construction among urban black youth in two heteroglossic schools of Soweto township and to understand identity of black urban youth in South Africa. Two phases of data collection were carried out. First, a baseline survey of language patterns was administered to a total of 138 (n=138) grade 11 adolescent youth ranging from 15-19 years old. The second phase involved focus group discussions comprising 10 and 7 self-selected multilingual adolescents per school in order to approximate out of school multilingual spaces to explore a full range of language use, identity expressions and language attitudes. The results of the study are two pronged. The survey revealed a high degree of multilingualism and multilayered identities among the participants as manifested in all spheres of their lives such as the school yard, home, and conversation with friends. However, this complex identity matrix is constrained by classroom practices that are torn between monolingual policy preferences and actual language mixing. Correspondingly, focus group-based language performance and metacognitive reflections on multilingual performance also revealed that a fluid, mobile and versatile communicative practice referred to as translanguaging, which goes a step further from traditional code-switching, is a norm among these urban youth adolescents. The study concludes by highlighting tensions on identity constructions of highly multilingual urban youth. The pervasiveness of identity construction through the translanguaging phenomenon suggests cross-language boundaries and emergence of new urban identities that are expressed through hybrid varieties such as ‘kasitaal’. Multilingually sensitive education approaches that are considerate of the inextricable relationship between age of identity construction, language and education as well as new areas for further research are recommended.

This study is a qualitative evaluation of how one state school interprets and makes a decision on the language medium to use as guided by the Language in Education Policy [LiEP] that advocates multilingualism in schools. The study asks how the LiEP ideal informs the language policy in the school, and establishes reasons parents give for choosing English as medium of instruction to be used in classrooms. Following Parlett and Hamilton‟s (1976) evaluation as illumination framework, this study outlines the language medium ideal expressed in LiEP and describes the actual Language Policy of the School in practice and how it accords with LiEP in guiding the medium of instruction. Data collection methods in this report included document analysis, classroom observations, interviews and questionnaires. The key findings from the data illuminate; parents of the learners in the school view the national language policy in a positive light that it is inclusive despite the challenges it presents to implementation. The findings reflected the decision makers‟ endeavour to strengthen their case that by choosing English as medium of instruction is not to contravene the policy, but a democratic right to benefit their children. Findings in the report suggest that the national language policy in South Africa is regarded a valuable document to guide the selection on the medium of instruction in schools, but raises issues that need to be addressed to make it play a more effective role in educational contexts.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Language Education)) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / This dissertation investigates the challenges that history learners in rural black schools are faced with during examinations with the use of English as a language of learning and teaching. The aim of the research is to investigate whether English, which is used as a language of learning and teaching in schools, is a barrier to the learning and teaching of history. It is believed that the use of English has implications on the results that learners obtain during summative assessment. The literature revealed that any language of learning and teaching, which is not the mother tongue of learners, has an impact on the process of learning. Assessment, which determines whether the learning outcomes have been attained or not, is affected by factors such as the type of assessment, for example, formative or summative, the purpose of assessment and the rules and regulations that go along with assessment. In order to gain a greater insight and comprehensive understanding of the research problem, that is, the challenges that are faced by learners during summative assessment, both the qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. A case study design was adopted. The research techniques employed were interviews, document analyses and observations. The findings indicated that the environment in which the learners are learning second language has impact on the learners’ language proficiency. They further indicate that assessment in itself poses challenge to learners, in addition to the challenges caused by the language barriers. It was also indicated that the educators and the learners prefer to use English as the language of learning and teaching, despite all the challenges they face when they use English. The important findings were discussed with the aim of arriving at conclusions, shortcomings recommendations.

Thesis (M.A. (Linguistics)) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / This study examines the effectiveness and relevance of Xitsonga at the University of Limpopo, Turfloop Campus. The study argues that as one of the six (6) official languages of Limpopo Province, Xitsonga deserves to be treated with the respect that it deserves. Although Xitsonga enjoys some recognition and support nationally and on campus, the study has discovered that there are problems associated with negative attitudes among Xitsonga speakers as they feel that the use of the English language enables them to be part of a global world. Furthermore, a major stumbling block with regard to the use of Xitsonga at the University of Limpopo Turfloop Campus is that some of its speakers hold a negative attitude towards their language as they prefer the use of English language for academic purposes. This is one reason English is still dominant amongst the student community as it is viewed as the language of the corporate world. However, the study reveals that a large number of respondents now support the idea that Xitsonga should be used in all official communication. Finally, the study recommends the use of Xitsonga in social and educational settings. It also recommends the holding of workshops and cultural activities in order to further promote and revitalise the language and its people, thus widening the circle of its acceptance at the Turfloop Campus of the University of Limpopo and beyond. / the National Research Foundation

Thesis (Ph.D. (Educational Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / This research project was an endeavor to investigate the effects of the languages of instruction (English and Shona), to teach Tsonga (Shangani) speaking children in Chiredzi district of Zimbabwe. Because of the nature of the study, a mixed method design was used where both qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted to study the performance of the Tsonga (Shangani) minority language speaking learners in five purposively sampled schools. 222 learners participated in the study. The main aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the language instruction in teaching Tsonga (Shangani) speaking Grade Seven children in Environmental Science. In fact, the researcher was interested in finding out whether teaching learners in a foreign language was a bridge or barrier to learning. In this case, the research did not only look at the effect of using English for instructional purposes, but also investigated how other major or dominant indigenous languages which are used for instructional purposes affect the performance of minority language speaking children in Chiredzi district of Zimbabwe. Data for this study were collected using lesson observation, document analysis, the questionnaire and a knowledge test. In this case, fifteen lessons were observed. Fifteen Tsonga (Shangani) speaking Grade Seven learners per school were purposively selected and taught in Tsonga (Shangani) only and the other fifteen Shona speaking Grade Seven children per school were also purposively selected and taught the same topic in Shona, and a third group of fifteen Grade Seven learners per school, were randomly selected and taught in English only. A knowledge test was given to each group thereafter. Children from each language condition were allowed to answer questions in their home languages, except for the third group which was taught in English. This group answered the questions in English with the restricted use of Shona. Each of the test results from the knowledge tests were analysed using a One Way Anova of Variance (ANOVA) and conclusions drawn. The results from other data collection instruments were analysed using qualitative methods like narrative discussions of data. A sample of five learners per school had their exercise books analysed. Data were presented in tables. The results from the knowledge tests given showed a significant difference in the mean marks obtained from the three groups (the Shangani, Shona and English group). The result showed that language has a significant influence on the performance of learners since the p – value was 0.000. This implies that the performance of learners between the three groups is significantly different. On the basis of these observations, the Null hypothesis was rejected. The same picture was also shown in document analysis and in the questionnaires. Consequently,conclusions were drawn and recommendations made.

D. Tech. Education / Language is considered to be a crucial means of gaining access to knowledge and skills. It is the key to cognitive development which promotes or impedes scholastic success. Communicative or language competence refers to the capacity of persons to select, recognise and organise the language variety appropriate to the occasion, situation and subject matter at hand. Language competency assists learners to construct and integrate acquired information to one's own understanding. It is therefore pivotal to encourage education reforms through core knowledge that building a strong oral language and early development could result in future academic success. This study examined the influence of language competence on the academic achievement of Grade 12 learners in selected schools of the Capricorn District (Limpopo Province in South Africa). The purpose of this study was to establish the challenges that learners and educators experience in communicating for teaching and learning purposes. The study also investigated the language factors that influence their academic achievement.