Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is motivated by existing information on the discontinuity between home literacy practices
and school literacy expectations of learners who typically speak a local variety of their mothertongue
which is in various ways different from the standardised language of learning and teaching
(LoLT). In this particular case the study refers to Afrikaans as a home language and language in
education. The main concern is that these learners typically perform below par in standardised
South African literacy tests such as the Annual National Assessment (ANA) and the Systemic
Evaluation Test. They show slower achievement of literacy milestones, higher school drop-out rates
and less achievement of access to higher learning opportunities (Lahire, 1995; Siegel, 2007).
A Narrative Enrichment Programme was developed as a means of investigating questions
concerning learners’ levels of language awareness, their understanding and use of different spoken
and written genres, registers and varieties of Afrikaans (including their own), and their general
appreciation for spoken and written forms of language in narrative and in other everyday uses. The
purpose of such an investigation is to better understand the apparent discontinuity between home
language practices and school language expectations, and to suggest new ways of addressing
difficulties that arise in literacy development as a result of such discontinuity.
The first part of the Narrative Enrichment Programme provided learners with an enriched reading,
listening and writing environment in which they could engage with novel stories and work towards
producing their own little books. The second part of the programme consisted of supporting
exercises that addressed narrative structure issues that arose in the course of the first part.
Specifically, exercises of picture-sequencing, picture-sentence matching and an exercise called
Beginning, Middle and End were used to assess how learners recount the various components and
the chronology of a story that was presented to them in the form of a set of topically connected
pictures, and in a longer narrative that was read to them.
Findings show that learners have a keen appreciation of the spoken form of language in that they
loved listening to the stories. One group showed special enthusiasm for retelling stories that they
had heard at home. Another aspect of the programme to which learners responded enthusiastically,
was the activity of illustrating little books; this they appeared to enjoy more than writing them.
Enthusiastic responses of learners are attended to because learning is much more likely to proceed
successfully if learners enjoy the developmental activities. Levels of linguistic awareness with regards to genre, register and grammatical aspects such as spelling differed from learner to learner.
Learners showed varying degrees of dependence on the already familiar genres of fables and fairy
tales. Regarding writing conventions they also showed varying degrees of awareness of (e.g.)
appropriate punctuation. Interesting examples of regional language use which included phonological
awareness of the spoken form are discussed in considerable detail. There were unexpected findings
regarding the influence that learners’ life experiences have on their narrative products. The picture
sequencing activities reflected learners’ use of familiar everyday events and artefacts rather than
reference to ones unfamiliar to them, which were apparently intended in the set of pictures.
The rich and varied data that was collected, illustrates theoretical positions regarding the different
kinds of habitus learners encounter, the ways in which educational systems privilege some linguistic
resources above others, the connections between language and identity, and the ways in which new
forms of literacy may assist in better facilitating learners’ emerging literacy and the learning that
such literacy should facilitate. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is gemotiveer deur inligting oor die diskontinuïteit tussen tuisgebaseerde
geletterdheidspraktyke en skoolgeletterdheidsverwagtinge van leerders wat tipies ’n plaaslike
variant van hulle moedertaal praat, wat op verskeie maniere verskil van die gestandardiseerde taal
wat as medium van onderrig gebruik word. In hierdie geval verwys die studie na Afrikaans as
huistaal en taal-in-onderrig. Die kwessies wat hier ter sake is, is dat hierdie leerders tipies benede
die verwagtinge presteer in gestandaardiseerde Suid Afrikaanse geletterdheidstoetse soos die
Jaarlikse Nasionale Assessering (ANA) en die Sistemiese Evalueringstoets. Hulle bereik
geletterdheidsmylpale stadiger as die norm, vertoon hoër skooluitsaksyfers en minder van hulle
behaal toegang tot hoër onderwysgeleenthede (Lahire, 1995; Siegel, 2007).
ʼn Narratiewe Verrykingsprogram is ontwikkel as ʼn instrument om vrae te ondersoek wat verband
hou met leerders se vlakke van taalbewustheid, hulle begrip en gebruik van verskillende gesproke
en geskrewe genres, registers en variante van Afrikaans (insluitend hulle eie), en hul algemene
waardering vir gesproke en geskrewe vorme van taal in narratief en in ander alledaagse gebruike.
Die doel van so 'n ondersoek is om die ooglopende diskontinuïteit tussen huistaalpraktyke en
skooltaalverwagtinge beter te verstaan, en om voorstelle te ontwikkel vir die aanspreek van
probleme wat in geletterdheisontwikkeling ontstaan as gevolg van so ʼn diskontinuïteit.
Die eerste deel van die Narratiewe Verrykingsprogram het leerders voorsien van 'n verrykte
omgewing waarin hulle aktief betrokke kon raak by nuwe verhale en kon werk aan die produksie van
hul eie klein boekies. Die tweede deel van die program het bestaan uit ondersteuningsoefeninge
wat spesifiek kwessies van narratiefstruktuur wat in die eerste deel na vore gekom het, aangespreek
het. Meer spesifiek, prentorganiseringsoefeninge, die verbind van sinne aan illustrasies, en 'n
oefening genaamd “Begin, Middel en Einde” is gebruik om na te gaan hoe leerders rekenskap gee
van die verskillende komponente en die chronologie van ’n verhaal wat aan hulle voorgehou is in die
vorm van ʼn stel tematies verwante illustrasies, en in ʼn langer narratief wat aan hulle voorgelees is.
Bevindinge toon dat leerders waardering vir die gesproke vorm van taal het, soos geïllustreer in
hulle luistergereedheid as stories voorgelees word. Een groep het entoesiasme getoon vir die
oorvertel van stories wat hulle by die huis gehoor het. ’n Ander aspek van die program waarop
leerders met entoesiasme gereageer het, was die aktiwiteit van illustrasie van hulle boekies; hulle
het kennelik die aanbied van visuele illustrasies meer geniet as die skryfproses. Entoesiasme van leerders is as belangrik beskou omdat leerprosesse baie meer waarskynlik geslaagd sal wees as
leerders die ontwikkelingsaktiwiteit geniet. Vlakke van taalbewustheid ten opsigte van genre,
register en grammatikale aspekte soos spelling, verskil van een leerder tot ’n volgende. Leerders het
verskillende grade van afhanklikheid getoon van die fabel- en sprokiegenres. Betreffende
skryfkonvensies het hulle wisselende grade van bewustheid getoon van (bv.) gepaste
leestekengebruik. Interessante voorbeelde van die gebruik van streektaal, wat fonologiese
bewussyn van die gesproke vorm insluit, word in besonderhede bespreek. Daar was onvoorsiene
bevindinge betreffende die invloed wat leerders se lewenservaringe op hulle narratiewe produkte
gehad het. Die prentordeningsaktiwiteite het leerders se gebruik van bekende alledaagse gebeure
en artefakte gereflekteer; hulle het nie verwys na wat vir hulle onbekend was nie al het die stel
prente oënskynlik iets anders beoog as wat die leerders daarvan gemaak het.
Die ryk en gevarieerde data wat versamel is, illustreer teoretiese posisies rakende die verskillende
soorte habitus waarmee leerders gekonfronteer word, die wyse waarop onderwyssisteme party
soorte taalvaardighede bo ander reken, die verbande tussen taal en identiteit, en die maniere
waarop nuwe vorme van geletterdheid ingespan kan word om leerders se ontluikende geletterdheid
en die leergeleenthede wat sodanige geletterdheid fasiliteer, te bevorder.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/98066 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Brand, Irene |
| Contributors | Anthonissen, C. A., 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 | 255 pages : illustrations |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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