This project used an active research approach in order to measure how the incorporation of Directed Listening-Thinking Activities (DLTA) in the classroom promoted increased production in English oral language skills for Spanish speaking fourth and fifth graders.

Educationists, linguists and other stakeholders are concerned about the effectivity of the level of teaching regarding Afrikaans Additional Language. Some of the teachers of Afrikaans Additional Language are not qualified in the teaching of specifically a foreign language. There is a lot of uncertainty concerning the difference between the teaching of a home language and additional language teaching. In order to ensure learners improvement and achievement as well as future use of Afrikaans Additional Language it is necessary that the teaching of additional languages, especially Afrikaans must be given appropriate attention. The purpose if this study was to determine the selection the teachers made regarding teaching and learning approaches, methods and teaching materials, including the curriculum, textbooks and other documents, as well as to establish the perceptions of the learners regarding these approaches, methods and materials in the teaching of Afrikaans Additional Language in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District through empirical research, and to undertake a literature study to establish a teaching-learning program framework that can facilitate to the effective implementation of the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement in all the language skills of Afrikaans Additional Language. An interpretive research paradigm was used as foundation for this study. A literature study was undertaken to establish what such a framework should look like with specific attention to language skills. Qualitative research was undertaken through using multiple case studies where teachers and learners who were willing to take part were questioned and observed regarding the teaching of Afrikaans Additional Language as well as the problems they experienced. Documents such as teaching materials and the curriculum were analysed as well. The analyses had a two-pronged focus: thematic analysis with the use of the computer software program, NVivo 8, where the data was reduced and thereafter analysed manually by the researcher. The researcher then used a comparative analysis to compare the different case studies (schools). The results of this study showed that the implementation of the curriculum was problematic for teachers, they were uncertain about the degree of difficulty of the teaching materials, and would rather stick to textbooks. The results also indicated that the teachers who did not use the communicative approach preferred to teach mainly through direct instruction. The communication in the classrooms was mainly teacher-orientated and the learners got little chance to use the language in interactive activities. The proposed teaching-learning programme framework for Afrikaans Additional Language should help teachers with the planning of their teaching as well as the implementation of the curriculum that could result in more effective Additional Language Teaching to learners. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Teaching and Learning))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Educationists, linguists and other stakeholders are concerned about the effectivity of the level of teaching regarding Afrikaans Additional Language. Some of the teachers of Afrikaans Additional Language are not qualified in the teaching of specifically a foreign language. There is a lot of uncertainty concerning the difference between the teaching of a home language and additional language teaching. In order to ensure learners improvement and achievement as well as future use of Afrikaans Additional Language it is necessary that the teaching of additional languages, especially Afrikaans must be given appropriate attention. The purpose if this study was to determine the selection the teachers made regarding teaching and learning approaches, methods and teaching materials, including the curriculum, textbooks and other documents, as well as to establish the perceptions of the learners regarding these approaches, methods and materials in the teaching of Afrikaans Additional Language in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District through empirical research, and to undertake a literature study to establish a teaching-learning program framework that can facilitate to the effective implementation of the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement in all the language skills of Afrikaans Additional Language. An interpretive research paradigm was used as foundation for this study. A literature study was undertaken to establish what such a framework should look like with specific attention to language skills. Qualitative research was undertaken through using multiple case studies where teachers and learners who were willing to take part were questioned and observed regarding the teaching of Afrikaans Additional Language as well as the problems they experienced. Documents such as teaching materials and the curriculum were analysed as well. The analyses had a two-pronged focus: thematic analysis with the use of the computer software program, NVivo 8, where the data was reduced and thereafter analysed manually by the researcher. The researcher then used a comparative analysis to compare the different case studies (schools). The results of this study showed that the implementation of the curriculum was problematic for teachers, they were uncertain about the degree of difficulty of the teaching materials, and would rather stick to textbooks. The results also indicated that the teachers who did not use the communicative approach preferred to teach mainly through direct instruction. The communication in the classrooms was mainly teacher-orientated and the learners got little chance to use the language in interactive activities. The proposed teaching-learning programme framework for Afrikaans Additional Language should help teachers with the planning of their teaching as well as the implementation of the curriculum that could result in more effective Additional Language Teaching to learners. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Teaching and Learning))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The Pre-listening Stage in L2 Listening Instruction to A2 - B1 Adult Learners By Hana Ždímalová This dissertation deals with listening instruction to adult EFL learners in the Czech Republic and the phenomenon of pre-listening, which is currently under-researched. It examines adult EFL students' perspectives and perceptions of listening instruction and of the inclusion of different pre-listening techniques, particularly at CEFR A2-B1 proficiency levels. The theoretical part of the study focuses on current developments in listening research and the historical context of the development of listening instruction in classical FLT methodology. The pre-listening stage has been integral to L2 listening instruction since the beginning of Communicative Language Teaching. However, some controversial issues have recently been raised. For example, teachers are sometimes suspected of spending too much time on the pre- listening stage (Field 2002; 2008) and the overall usefulness of previewed comprehension questions in testing listening has been challenged (Sherman 1997). Moreover, adult students' listening needs and their perceptions of listening instruction have not yet been thoroughly researched (Graham 2006; Graham and Macaro 2008). This study argues that we should ask the students about their perceptions...