The lack of parental support and the use of English as the language of teaching and learning are two of the main factors that influence poor learner performance in South Africa. Although a significant amount of research has been conducted internationally, the need for research tailored for the South African context still exists. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to contribute to knowledge about parental support concerning learner development of second language proficiency. An explanatory sequential design of mixed methods research, also known as two-phased model was used to guide the study. The first phase focused on the quantitative secondary data from Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2006 (PIRLS 2006). The source of the secondary data was the results of the parent questionnaire, administered to South African parents of the Grade 4 learners (n = 16 073). The International Database (IDB) analyser software and Statistical Program for the Social Sciences (SPSS) were used for data analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. The quantitative results revealed that a significant percentage of parents (30%, SE =0.7) did not engage in literacy related activities with their children prior to Grade 1 compared to a low percentage (2%, SE = 1.21) of those who did the activities. However, a significantly higher percentage of parents (29%, SE = 0.65) did engage in literacy activities with their children in Grade 1, compared to 5% (SE =0.34) who never or almost never did the activities. A significantly higher percentage of parents (89%, SE = 0.67) agreed a lot with positive reading attitude statements compared to 2% (SE = 0.25) who disagreed a lot. The limited time spent by parents on reading and books at home were noted as a matter of concern. This concern was augmented by the low educational level and employment status of the parents. These results were used to inform the qualitative data collection in order to gain a deeper understanding of the experience of the parents. The second or qualitative phase of the study used convenience sampling to select participants, to gain an understanding of their experiences with regard to supporting the second language development of their children. The eight (8 participants) selected parents participated in two focus group meetings. Six themes emerged from thematic data analysis, namely: alternative parenting, parent-child activities, technology and Internet support, parental challenges, language usage and quality of education. The characteristics used for developing a conceptual framework for parental support on second language development were extracted from these aforementioned themes. The results revealed that parental support is a complex dynamic process that requires one to consider the interface of systems around the parent and the learner. Consequently, how this complexity requires a reconceptualisation of factors affecting parental support concerning second language development. The reconceptualisation can provide new avenues for theorising about parental support in second language learning context, particularly in multilingual and developmental countries. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Educational Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

Many learners in the South African schooling system do not speak English as their first language. Mother-tongue instruction in schools is offered until Grade 3, after which learners are taught in English. As the country has eleven official languages, it is often challenging to teach learners in English because they lack exposure to English, especially in rural areas. Consequently, learners struggle to overcome their barriers to learning when learning in a second language1. This study is a secondary data analysis study. The purpose was to analyse data collected by previous researchers to gain a better understanding of how rural learners have experienced learning in a second language over the years. The research also aimed to understand the impact of living in rural areas on learners’ learning experiences. The study focused on learners in rural areas, I examined the deep impact that learning in a second language has on learners’ schooling. Schooling consists in learners’ school marks, their grammar, their careers, their expectations for the future, to gain a better understanding of the learners’ language experiences. I used stratified purposive sampling and then analysed the data through thematic analysis. The findings provided evidence-based descriptions of the challenges faced by a sample group of Grade 9 learners from 2012 to 2015. Although they faced challenges, they also possessed protective resources which helped them to deal with various challenges. The findings also indicated the extent to which the learners lacked the skills required to become proficient in a second language. It is recommended that teachers and parents/guardians work together to develop strategies for supporting the learners in rural contexts. Learners’ awareness of their assets and protective resources should be developed. Finally continued professional development for teachers should be made compulsory to ensure teachers are able cope with the demands of their jobs. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

Adult listeners more accurately identify talkers speaking a known language than a foreign language (Thompson, 1987), a phenomenon known as the language-familiarity effect (Perrachione & Wong, 2007). Two experiments explored how knowledge of a language facilitates talker identification. In Experiment 1, participants identified talkers in three conditions: (a) a foreign-language speech condition featuring unfamiliar sound patterns and no known words; (b) a nonsense speech condition featuring all the familiar sound patterns of their native language, such as familiar phonemes, prosody, and syllable structure, but no actual words; and (c) a native-language condition with all the familiar components of a language, including words. In Experiment 2, participants again identified speakers in familiar and unfamiliar languages. In both languages, listeners identified speakers in a condition in which no word was ever repeated, and in a condition featuring repeated words. The results suggest that access to familiar, meaningful spoken words confers an advantage beyond access to familiar sounds, syllables, and prosody, particularly when words are repeated. Together, Experiments 1 and 2 support integrated models of voice and language processing systems, and indicate that access to meaningful words is a crucial component of the language-familiarity effect in talker identification.

Many intensive English language students take pretests and posttests at the beginning and end of each semester to determine proficiency gains. Nevertheless, it may not be clear what kinds of gains should be expected over the course of a single semester or how those gains might be influenced by factors such as the learner's first language (L1) or prior proficiency. This study used repeated measures ANOVA and nonparametric tests to examine the speaking and writing pretest and posttest scores of 2331 Novice Mid to Advanced Mid ESL learners over a 15-week semester. Results show that while students on average progressed in speaking and writing, they did not meet the curricular goal of advancing a full proficiency sublevel in these skills. Results suggest that though L1 may have a slight impact on language development over one semester, the effect of prior language proficiency was much more dramatic, with large gains for lower-proficiency learners compared to higher-proficiency learners who slowed or regressed in their proficiency, F(1,756) = 367.5, p < .001, ηp2 = .327. Findings have important implications for pedagogical expectations, especially for learners with a more advanced proficiency who may have different needs compared to lower-proficiency learners.

No description available.

A path model of second language (L2; English) oral language and reading comprehension variables was tested on a sample of 100 Spanish-speaking English-language learners enrolled in a transitional bilingual program over a 3-year period. The data collected were a part of a longitudinal, federally funded experimental project entitled English Language and Literacy Acquisition (Project ELLA). The purpose of this study was (a) to test a path model on discrete L2 academic language proficiency variables on L2 reading comprehension, (b) to test a path model on discrete L2 academic language proficiency variables and L2 reading comprehension on L1 reading comprehension, and (c) to compare the influence of L2 language development on reading comprehension development in L2 and L1 between students enrolled in transitional bilingual education experimental (TBE-E) classrooms and those enrolled in the transitional bilingual education control or typical (TBE-T) classrooms. Results indicated the two groups did not differ significantly in their overall levels of achievement. However, striking differences were noted in how the academic language proficiency variables influenced reading comprehension outcomes. English listening comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar had significant influences on reading comprehension in the TBE-E group while English listening comprehension was the only predictor variable for the TBE-T group. Cross-linguistic transfer was established in the TBE-E group from English reading comprehension to Spanish reading comprehension whereas no transfer was detected in the TBE-T group. It is evident that high quality comprehensive ESL instruction develops academic oral language proficiency that contributes to effective reading comprehension while students continue to learn in their native language. However, in the absence of a high quality ESL instruction, students may develop academic oral language proficiency, but are ineffective in utilizing these skills for reading comprehension. It is also evident that time spent developing quality L2 reading comprehension influences L1 reading comprehension even though less time is spent in L1, suggesting cross-linguistic transfer from L2 to L1. More effective English skills coupled with effective native language skills suggests the TBE-E students have added cognitive benefits of bilingualism while the TBE-T students remain ineffective in using available language proficiency skills for effective reading comprehension.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / The diversity embodying South Africa has emphasized the importance and influence of language in education and thus the additive bilingual programme is being implemented in the Eastern Cape by the ABLE project in order to realize the South African Language in education policy (LEiP). In accordance with this, the Woodcock Munoz Language Survey (which specializes in measuring cognitive academic language proficiency) was chosen as one of the instruments to evaluate the language outcomes of the programme and was adapted into South African English and isiXhosa. The current study was a subset of the ABLE project, and was located within the bigger project dealing with the translation of the WMLS into isiXhosa and the successive research on the equivalence of the two language versions. This study evaluated the structural equivalence of the English and isiXhosa versions of the WMLS on matched sample groups (n= 150 in each language group). Thus secondary data analysis (SDA) was conducted by analyzing the data in SPSS as well as CEFA (Comprehensive Exploratory Factor Analysis). The original data set was purposively sampled according to set selection criteria and consists of English and isiXhosa first language learners. The study sought to confirm previous research by cross-validating the results of structural equivalence on two subscales, namely the Verbal Analogies (VA) and Letter-Word Identification (LWI) subscale. The research design reflects psychometric test theory and is therefore located in a bias and equivalence theoretical framework. The results of the exploratory factor analysis found that one can only accept structural equivalence in the first factor identified in the VA subscale, while structural equivalence was found in the factor for the LWI subscale. The use of scatter-plots to validate the results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that one can tentatively accept these results. The study thus contributed to the literature on the translation of the WMLS, and the adaptation of language tests into the indigenous languages of South Africa,as well as additive bilingual programmes. / South Africa

<p>The diversity embodying South Africa has emphasized the importance and influence of language in education and thus the additive bilingual programme is being implemented in the Eastern Cape by the ABLE project in order to realize the South African Language in education policy (LEiP). In accordance with this, the Woodcock Munoz Language Survey (which specializes in measuring cognitive academic language proficiency) was chosen as one of the instruments to evaluate the language outcomes of the programme and was adapted into South African English and isiXhosa. The current study was a subset of the ABLE project, and was located within the bigger project dealing with the translation of the WMLS into isiXhosa and the successive research on the equivalence of the two language versions. This study evaluated the structural equivalence of the English and isiXhosa versions of the WMLS on matched sample groups (n= 150 in each language group). Thus secondary data analysis (SDA) was conducted by analyzing the data in SPSS as well as CEFA (Comprehensive Exploratory Factor Analysis). The original data set was purposively sampled according to set selection criteria and consists of English and isiXhosa first language learners. The study sought to confirm previous research by cross-validating the results of structural equivalence on two subscales, namely the Verbal Analogies (VA) and Letter-Word Identification (LWI) subscale. The research design reflects psychometric test theory and is therefore located in a bias and equivalence theoretical framework. The results of the exploratory factor analysis found that one can only accept structural equivalence in the first factor identified in the VA subscale, while structural equivalence was found in the factor for the LWI subscale. The use of scatter-plots to validate the results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that one can tentatively accept these results. The study thus contributed to the literature on the translation of the WMLS, and the adaptation of language tests into the indigenous languages of South Africa,as well as additive bilingual programmes.</p>

<p>The diversity embodying South Africa has emphasized the importance and influence of language in education and thus the additive bilingual programme is being implemented in the Eastern Cape by the ABLE project in order to realize the South African Language in education policy (LEiP). In accordance with this, the Woodcock Munoz Language Survey (which specializes in measuring cognitive academic language proficiency) was chosen as one of the instruments to evaluate the language outcomes of the programme and was adapted into South African English and isiXhosa. The current study was a subset of the ABLE project, and was located within the bigger project dealing with the translation of the WMLS into isiXhosa and the successive research on the equivalence of the two language versions. This study evaluated the structural equivalence of the English and isiXhosa versions of the WMLS on matched sample groups (n= 150 in each language group). Thus secondary data analysis (SDA) was conducted by analyzing the data in SPSS as well as CEFA (Comprehensive Exploratory Factor Analysis). The original data set was purposively sampled according to set selection criteria and consists of English and isiXhosa first language learners. The study sought to confirm previous research by cross-validating the results of structural equivalence on two subscales, namely the Verbal Analogies (VA) and Letter-Word Identification (LWI) subscale. The research design reflects psychometric test theory and is therefore located in a bias and equivalence theoretical framework. The results of the exploratory factor analysis found that one can only accept structural equivalence in the first factor identified in the VA subscale, while structural equivalence was found in the factor for the LWI subscale. The use of scatter-plots to validate the results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that one can tentatively accept these results. The study thus contributed to the literature on the translation of the WMLS, and the adaptation of language tests into the indigenous languages of South Africa,as well as additive bilingual programmes.</p>

The diversity embodying South Africa has emphasized the importance and influence of language in education and thus the additive bilingual programme is being implemented in the Eastern Cape by the ABLE project in order to realize the South African Language in education policy (LEiP).In accordance with this, the Woodcock Munoz Language Survey (which specializes in measuring cognitive academic language proficiency) was chosen as one of the instruments to evaluate the language outcomes of the programme and was adapted into South African English and isiXhosa.The current study was a subset of the ABLE project, and was located within the bigger project dealing with the translation of the WMLS into isiXhosa and the successive research on the equivalence of the two language versions. This study evaluated the structural equivalence of the English and isiXhosa versions of the WMLS on matched sample groups (n= 150 in each language group). Thus secondary data analysis (SDA) was conducted by analyzing the data in SPSS as well as CEFA (Comprehensive Exploratory Factor Analysis). The original data set was purposively sampled according to set selection criteria and consists of English and isiXhosa first language learners. The study sought to confirm previous research by cross-validating the results of structural equivalence on two subscales, namely the Verbal Analogies (VA) and Letter-Word Identification (LWI) subscale. The research design reflects psychometric test theory and is therefore located in a bias and equivalence theoretical framework. The results of the exploratory factor analysis found that one can only accept structural equivalence in the first factor identified in the VA subscale, while structural equivalence was found in the factor for the LWI subscale.The use of scatter-plots to validate the results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that one can tentatively accept these results. The study thus contributed to the literature on the translation of the WMLS, and the adaptation of language tests into the indigenous languages of South Africa,as well as additive bilingual programmes. / Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych)