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First additional language teaching in selected Grade 4 - 6 classes in Western Cape urban schools : the case of Afrikaans

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate and describe the current state of Afrikaans FAL
teaching in selected Gr 4 – 6 classes in Western Cape urban schools. This was done by
presenting an overview of the literature relevant to FAL teaching and FAL curricula as well as
the results from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with Gr 4 – 6 teachers. This
study does not offer a quick-fix solution to the problems in the Afrikaans FAL classrooms, but
the researcher believes that the findings will highlight the daily challenges Afrikaans FAL
teachers have to face and that all role players will become actively involved in improving the
state of Afrikaans FAL teaching in the Western Cape.
The relevance of this study lies in the national drive towards the promotion of multilingualism
among the general population and especially in education. Feedback from student teachers
returning from practice teaching indicated that not enough time is allocated by schools for the
instruction of Afrikaans FAL; greatly differing methodologies as well as teaching and learning
materials are being used in Afrikaans FAL classes; and learner and teacher Afrikaans
proficiency varies from class to class.
A theoretical framework for language teaching and learning, a literature study pertaining to
first additional language teaching nationally and internationally, and an analysis of South
African FAL curricula support the research. Constructivism, social constructivism and teacher
knowledge were identified as the underpinning theories for language teaching and learning.
The literature study provides an overview of all the major methodologies relevant to FAL
teaching and the researcher concluded that there is no single method or approach that will
ensure effective FAL teaching, but that teachers should implement an eclectic approach to
achieve the best results.
This study used a mixed methods approach to generate empirical data; 125 questionnaires,
completed by Grade 4 – 6 Afrikaans FAL teachers, provided the quantitative data. For the
qualitative strand of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 Afrikaans
FAL teachers. The data of these interviews were used as triangulation, to confirm or
disconfirm and elaborate on the results of the questionnaires.
One of the major factors impacting negatively on the teaching and learning of Afrikaans FAL
is the negative attitude towards Afrikaans among many learners and their parents. Teachers
are not equipped with teaching strategies and techniques to manage these negative
attitudes. The results show that many teachers still follow a teacher-centred approach to teaching, which is an indication that learners are not given enough opportunities to develop
their communicative competence through interaction with others. Another factor affecting
Afrikaans FAL teaching negatively is that not all schools implement the prescriptions of the
various language policies and curricula as they should.
The study also investigated the use of appropriate and relevant learning and teaching
support materials (LTSM) in the FAL classroom. The results showed that most teachers still
mainly use the textbook as teaching resource. There is a dire need for appropriate Afrikaans
LTSM for FAL. The expectation is that, in the age of technology we find ourselves in today,
learners’ interest will be stimulated through the use of technological teaching aids. Teachers
should therefore have access to, and use, a variety of media and technological teaching aids
and be able to integrate them effectively into their language teaching.
The findings of the study revealed teachers are caught up in traditional language teaching
methods and strategies which do not contribute to the enhancement of learners’ proficiency
in the target language. The study also closely examined the different types of knowledge that
a language teacher should have. The results showed that the teachers’ knowledge of the
curriculum, language policies, language teaching and learning theories as well as
methodologies is extremely limited. Therefore a new method or approach is needed, which is
why this study recommends that the HEIs and the WCED ensure that initial teacher training
programmes and in-service training workshops are upgraded and adapted in order to
prepare the teachers adequately to implement the prescribed curriculum using appropriate
methodologies and strategies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om die huidige stand van Afrikaans Eerste Addisionele Taal
(EAT) onderrig in gekose Gr 4 – 6 klasse in Wes-Kaapse stedelike skole te ondersoek en
beskryf. Dit is gedoen by wyse van die aanbieding van ’n oorsig van die betrokke literatuur
oor EAT-onderrig en EAT-kurrikula, asook die resultate van vraelyste en semigestruktureerde
onderhoude met Gr 4 – 6-onderwysers. Hierdie studie bied nie ’n
kitsoplossing vir die probleme in die Afrikaans EAT klaskamers nie, maar die navorser glo
dat die bevindinge die uitdagings wat Afrikaans EAT-onderwysers daagliks trotseer, sal
beklemtoon en dat alle rolspelers aktief betrokke sal raak om die stand van Afrikaans EAT
onderrig in die Wes-Kaap te verbeter.
Die toepaslikheid van hierdie studie is gesetel in die nasionale klem op die bevordering van
meertaligheid onder die algemene pupliek en veral in die onderwys. Studente terugvoer na
die praktiese onderwys dui daarop dat nie genoeg tyd aan die onderrig van Afrkaans EAT in
skole bewillig word nie en dat daar ‘n groot verskeidenheid onderrigmetodes en onderrig- en
leerhulpmiddels in Afrikaans EAT-klasse aangewend word. Leerders en onderwysers se
vaardigheid in Afrikaans wissel ook van klas tot klas.
Die navorsing is ondersteun deur ‘n teoretiese raamwerk van taalonderrig en –leer, ‘n
literatuurstudie van eerste addisionele taalonderrig, nasionaal sowel as internasionaal,
asook ‘n analise van Suid-Afrikaanse EAT-kurrikula. Konstruktivisme. sosio-konstruktivisme
en onderwyser kennis is geïdentifiseer as die teoretiese begronding vir taalonderrig en –leer.
Die literatuurstudie gee ‘n oorsig van al die belangrike en relevante EAT-metodieke. Die
navorser het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat nie een enkele metode of benadering
effektiewe EAT-onderrig kan verseker nie, maar dat onderwysers ‘n eklektiese benadering
behoort te volg om die beste resultate te verseker.
Hierdie studie het ‘n gemengde navorsingsbenadering gevolg ten einde empiriese data te
genereer. Die kwantatiewe data is ingesamel by wyse van talle vraelyste wat deur Gr 4 – 6
Afrikaans EAT-onderwysers voltooi is. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met 17 Afrikaans
EAT-onderwysers gevoer ten einde die kwalitatiewe data in te samel. Die data van hierdie
onderhoude is gebruik as tri-angulasie om die resultate van die vraelyste te bevestig of te
weerspreek.
Een van die belangrikste faktore wat die onderrig en leer van Afrikaans EAT negatief
beïnvloed, is baie leerders en ouers se negatiewe houding teenoor Afrikaans. Onderwysers is nie toegerus met die nodige onderrigstrategieë en –tegnieke om hierdie negatiewe
houdings aan te spreek nie. Die resultate wys daarop dat baie onderwysers steeds ’n
onderwyser-gerigte benadering volg wat daartoe lei dat die leerders nie genoegsame
geleentheide kry om hulle kommunikatiewe vaardighede by wyse van interaksie met ander te
ontwikkel nie. ‘n Ander faktor wat Afrikaans EAT-onderrig negatief beïnvloed, is die feit dat
nie alle skole die voorskrifte van die verskillende taalbeleide en kurrikula implementeer soos
van hulle verwag word nie.
Hierdie studie het ook die gebruik van gepaste en relevante onderrig- en
leerondersteuningsmateriaal in die EAT-klaskamer ondersoek. Die resultate het daarop
gedui dat die meeste onderwysers nog steeds die handboek as belangrikste
onderrighulpmiddel gebruik. Daar bestaan ‘n geweldige behoefte na gepaste Afrikaanse
onderrig- en leermateriaal vir EAT. In die tegnologiese era waarin ons ons bevind, bestaan
die verwagting dat leerders se belangstelling gestimuleer sal word deur die gebruik van
tegnologiese onderrigmateriaal. Onderwysers behoort dus toegang te hê tot en ‘n wye
verskeidenheid media en tegnologiese onderrigmateriaal te kan gebruik en in staat wees om
dit suksesvol te integreer in hulle taalonderrig.
Die bevindinge van hierdie studie het gewys dat onderwysers vasgevang is in tradisionele
taalonderrigmetodes en –strategieë wat nie bydra tot die ontwikkeling van die leerders se
vaardigheid in die teikentaal nie. Die verskillende soorte kennis waaroor ‘n taalonderwyser
behoort te beskik is ook onder die vergrootglas geplaas. Die resultate het getoon dat die
onderwysers se kennis van die kurrikulum, taalbeleid, taalonderrig en –leerteorieë en
metodieke uiters beperk is. Daar is dus ‘n behoefte aan ‘n nuwe metode of benadering en
daarom beveel hierdie studie aan dat onderwyseropleidingsprogramme en
indiensopleidingswerkswinkels opgegradeer en aangepas word deur die
Hoëronderwysinstellings en die WKOD om te verseker dat onderwysers voldoende voorberei
word om gepaste metodieke en strategieë toe te pas in die implementering van die
voorgeskrewe kurrikula.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/95918
Date12 1900
CreatorsThornhill, Christa
ContributorsLe Cordeur, M. L. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Formatxxii, 433 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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