Thesis (MPhil )--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An increasing number of studies indicate that South African learners' literacy levels are
deplorably low. According to one international study, the Progress in International Literacy
Study (PIRLS), conducted in 2006, South African grade 4 learners' literacy levels are the lowest
of the 40 countries that participated in the study. The results of the first Annual National
Assessment (ANA), conducted in 2011, show that the average literacy performance of grade 3
learners in South Africa lies at 35%. Even though numerous reasons can be presented for these
low literacy levels - amongst others, large classes, insufficient teacher training, insufficient
educational practices (especially the fact that so little time is spent on reading instruction), and
a lack of teaching material - the blame is often cast on the insufficient language proficiency of
South African learners. South African learners often receive education in a language which is
not their first language. A large number of learners only receive education in their first
language for the first three years of their school career and thereafter English usually becomes
the language of learning and teaching. It is, however, not only those learners who receive
education in their second language who have low literacy skills. Learners who receive
education in their first language also encounter problems. The aim of this study was to
determine whether a reading intervention programme, designed on the basis of the most recent
research on reading, could improve the reading comprehension skills of grade 8 learners in their
first language Afrikaans and whether these skills could be transferred to their second language
English. The study showed that there was a significant improvement in the participating
learners' reading comprehension skills in their first language Afrikaans, as well as in their
second language English, even though the reading intervention was only offered in Afrikaans.
According to the results of this study, it seems that reading comprehension skills which are
acquired in the first language can indeed be transferred to a second language. The implications
of these findings for first and second language literacy development are discussed in the final
chapter of the thesis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Toenemende aantal studies dui daarop dat Suid-Afrikaanse leerders se geletterdheidsvlakke
kommerwekkend laag is. Volgens een internasionale studie, die Progress in International
Literacy Study (PIRLS), wat in 2006 gedoen is, is Suid-Afrikaanse graad 4-leerders se
geletterdheidsvlakke die laagste van die 40 lande wat deelgeneem het. Die resultate van die
eerste Annual National Assessment (ANA) wat in 2011 gedoen is, wys dat graad 3-leerders in
Suid-Afrika se gemiddelde prestasie vir geletterdheid slegs 35% is. Hoewel talle redes vir
hierdie lae geletterdheidsvlakke aangebied kan word - waaronder groot klasse, onvoldoende
onderwyseropleiding, onvoldoende onderrigpraktyke (veral dat daar te min tyd aan leesonderrig
bestee word) en 'n gebrek aan onderrigmateriaal - word die blaam dikwels geplaas op die
onvoldoende taalvaardighede van Suid-Afrikaanse leerders. Suid-Afrikaanse leerders gaan
dikwels skool in 'n taal wat nie hul eerste taal is nie. Talle leerders ontvang slegs vir die eerste
drie jaar van hul skoolloopbaan onderrig in hul eerste taal en daarna word Engels gewoonlik die
taal van leer en onderrig. Dit is egter nie net die leerders wat in hul tweede taal onderrig
ontvang, wat lae geletterdheidsvlakke het nie. Leerders wat in hul eerste taal onderrig ontvang,
ondervind ook probleme. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of 'n
leesintervensieprogram, wat geskoei is op die nuutste navorsing oor lees, die
leesbegripsvaardighede van graad 8-leerders in hul eerste taal Afrikaans kan verbeter en of
hierdie vaardighede oorgedra kan word op hul tweede taal Engels. Die studie het aangedui dat
daar 'n beduidende verbetering in die leerders se leesbegripsvaardighede in hul eerste taal
Afrikaans sowel as hul tweede taal Engels was, alhoewel die leesintervensie slegs in Afrikaans
aangebied is. Volgens die resultate van die studie wil dit voorkom asof leesbegripsvaardighede
wat in die eerste taal verwerf word, oorgedra kan word na 'n tweede taal. Die implikasies van
hierdie bevindinge vir die ontwikkeling van geletterdheid in 'n eerste en tweede taal, word in
die finale hoofstuk van die tesis bespreek.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/18016 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Stofberg, Elmarie |
| Contributors | Conradie, S., Southwood, F., Van Dyk, T. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 100 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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