South Africa’s history of inequality and injustice has influenced its diverse population, who continue to experience marginalisation despite the era of democracy. These underserved communities have little access to services that support their children’s language and literacy development. The researchers argue that early intervention supports language and literacy skills of children in early childhood development centres (ECDs), improving literacy acquisition and future scholastic progress. This paper demonstrates that a collaborative approach in ECD interventions influences children’s language and literacy skills, and supports their learning. The aim of the study was to establish the levels of emergent literacy and language skills of the children pre- and post-teacher intervention. An exploratory quantitative and qualitative approach was employed with 20 participants from two ECD facilities, 10 from a middle socioeconomic (MSE) group and 10 from a lower socioeconomic (LSE) group. An adapted measure on concepts of print was conducted pre- and post-intervention. Oral reading and one-on-one reading strategies were presented to the teacher from the LSE ECD. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, and content analysis. The findings indicate no difference in vocabulary between LSE and MSE groups, despite the MSE group having better resources at their disposal. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the LSE group’ s knowledge on print concepts post - intervention. The teacher observed changes in the teaching methods and in the children’s literacy, confirming that low-cost short-term programmes and collaborations do influence ECD teaching and learning. The collaborative role of the speech-language therapist should support both parents and teachers of children in ECD contexts.
{"title":"Emergent Literacy and Language support for ECD children from under-served communities in Gauteng South Africa: a collaborative approach","authors":"S. Moonsamy, S. Carolus","doi":"10.5785/35-2-898","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/35-2-898","url":null,"abstract":"South Africa’s history of inequality and injustice has influenced its diverse population, who continue to experience marginalisation despite the era of democracy. These underserved communities have little access to services that support their children’s language and literacy development. The researchers argue that early intervention supports language and literacy skills of children in early childhood development centres (ECDs), improving literacy acquisition and future scholastic progress. This paper demonstrates that a collaborative approach in ECD interventions influences children’s language and literacy skills, and supports their learning. The aim of the study was to establish the levels of emergent literacy and language skills of the children pre- and post-teacher intervention. An exploratory quantitative and qualitative approach was employed with 20 participants from two ECD facilities, 10 from a middle socioeconomic (MSE) group and 10 from a lower socioeconomic (LSE) group. An adapted measure on concepts of print was conducted pre- and post-intervention. Oral reading and one-on-one reading strategies were presented to the teacher from the LSE ECD. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, and content analysis. The findings indicate no difference in vocabulary between LSE and MSE groups, despite the MSE group having better resources at their disposal. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the LSE group’ s knowledge on print concepts post - intervention. The teacher observed changes in the teaching methods and in the children’s literacy, confirming that low-cost short-term programmes and collaborations do influence ECD teaching and learning. The collaborative role of the speech-language therapist should support both parents and teachers of children in ECD contexts.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82527095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
One of the major challenges for designers of academic literacy programmes is to accommodate culturally and linguistically diverse student groups. This longitudinal study was conducted with pre-service teachers at Stellenbosch University to determine their understanding of the importance of good writing and ways in which they can use translanguaging to assist them in their writing. This study has also been viewed against the backdrop of multilingualism in South Africa, with the notion of socio-cognitive processes and its influence on the students’ ability to write. The aim of this study was to explore what students regard as good writing and to identify the kinds of strategies that multilingual students use when they write extended texts. When pondering on the holistic view of the findings, this study endorses the use of home languages in the educational practice of academic writing, but with particular caveats. The findings reveal that academic writing entails more than mere grammatical correctness on a surface level, but also involves taking cognisance of the second language learners’ background and way of implementing mental structures derived from their home language.
{"title":"Ethno-linguistically diverse South African students' writing","authors":"V. Pfeiffer, C. V. D. Walt","doi":"10.5785/35-2-852","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/35-2-852","url":null,"abstract":"One of the major challenges for designers of academic literacy programmes is to accommodate culturally and linguistically diverse student groups. This longitudinal study was conducted with pre-service teachers at Stellenbosch University to determine their understanding of the importance of good writing and ways in which they can use translanguaging to assist them in their writing. This study has also been viewed against the backdrop of multilingualism in South Africa, with the notion of socio-cognitive processes and its influence on the students’ ability to write. The aim of this study was to explore what students regard as good writing and to identify the kinds of strategies that multilingual students use when they write extended texts. When pondering on the holistic view of the findings, this study endorses the use of home languages in the educational practice of academic writing, but with particular caveats. The findings reveal that academic writing entails more than mere grammatical correctness on a surface level, but also involves taking cognisance of the second language learners’ background and way of implementing mental structures derived from their home language.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89254670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
English s econd language (ESL) learners in secondary schools in Zimbabwe mediate learning through a second language. This is against best practice , which indicates that learning should be conducted in the learner’s first language. ESL l earners are at risk and expected to develop cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) for academic achievement . Content area teachers need to capacitate ESL learners with CALP to make content comprehensible. Teachers who lack the requisite skills to develop the CALP skills of ESL learners fail to develop the discourse patterns that are attendant to the particular content area disciplines being taught. The study draws on Cummins’ theory of a common underlying proficiency and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory to establish the difficulties encountered in g eography teaching and learning in the ESL classroom. An ethnographic study investigated the teaching of CALP in g eography to a selected form 3 class of ESL learners in Zimbabwe to address the research question: What difficulties are encountered in the teaching and learning of g eography in an ESL classroom? Data were collected using teacher interviews and classroom observation. The research findings indicate the following: inadequate teacher preparation for the development of CALP among ESL g eography learners; limited teacher accommodation of ESL learners’ language needs; lack of a policy framework regarding the use of learners’ first language during g eography tuition; negation of the teacher’s role in the development of g eography discourse; and lack of skills in the use of instructional media to develop CALP. It is recommended that teachers be trained to develop CALP in content area instruction during pre-service or in-service training for them to assist ESL learners to comprehend content.
{"title":"Difficulties in Geography teaching and learning in the ESL classroom in Zimbabwe","authors":"Erick Nyoni, Vivian Manyike, E. Lemmer","doi":"10.5785/35-2-810","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/35-2-810","url":null,"abstract":"English s econd language (ESL) learners in secondary schools in Zimbabwe mediate learning through a second language. This is against best practice , which indicates that learning should be conducted in the learner’s first language. ESL l earners are at risk and expected to develop cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) for academic achievement . Content area teachers need to capacitate ESL learners with CALP to make content comprehensible. Teachers who lack the requisite skills to develop the CALP skills of ESL learners fail to develop the discourse patterns that are attendant to the particular content area disciplines being taught. The study draws on Cummins’ theory of a common underlying proficiency and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory to establish the difficulties encountered in g eography teaching and learning in the ESL classroom. An ethnographic study investigated the teaching of CALP in g eography to a selected form 3 class of ESL learners in Zimbabwe to address the research question: What difficulties are encountered in the teaching and learning of g eography in an ESL classroom? Data were collected using teacher interviews and classroom observation. The research findings indicate the following: inadequate teacher preparation for the development of CALP among ESL g eography learners; limited teacher accommodation of ESL learners’ language needs; lack of a policy framework regarding the use of learners’ first language during g eography tuition; negation of the teacher’s role in the development of g eography discourse; and lack of skills in the use of instructional media to develop CALP. It is recommended that teachers be trained to develop CALP in content area instruction during pre-service or in-service training for them to assist ESL learners to comprehend content.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90793946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Nel, Quan Zhou, Soezin Krog, Ldm “Oupa” Lebeloane
Given China’s fast-growing economy, more people have been motivated to learn Mandarin; however, many encounter challenges in learning the complex characters and consequently abandon it. In view of South Africa’s decision to introduce Mandarin as a second additional language in schools (by choice) and China having to cater for non-native Chinese learners in certain schools, the University of South Africa and the Zhejiang International Studies University agreed to embark on a collaborative research project with an emphasis on the teaching and learning of Chinese characters. Qualitative comparative case studies were employed and multiple data collection tools were used, including interviews, questionnaires, lesson observations, and volunteer participant learners and researchers involved in a Chinese characters exercise. A qualitative comparative case study was conducted in order to narrate a cross-unit comparison, comparing and contrasting the findings. Inductive qualitative content analysis of both sets of data (South Africa and China) was done, and three common themes emerged. The data from South Africa and China are discussed individually under the three themes. Common considerations or factors regarding the teaching and learning of Chinese characters are identified, which makes it possible to incorporate them in an eclectic approach (based on lessons learnt by both research parties) in South Africa and China. This comparative study also informs a facilitative process to implement the introduction of Mandarin as a second additional language in South African schools.
{"title":"A comparative study on teaching and learning Chinese characters by primary non-native Chinese learners in South Africa and China","authors":"N. Nel, Quan Zhou, Soezin Krog, Ldm “Oupa” Lebeloane","doi":"10.5785/35-2-846","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/35-2-846","url":null,"abstract":"Given China’s fast-growing economy, more people have been motivated to learn Mandarin; however, many encounter challenges in learning the complex characters and consequently abandon it. In view of South Africa’s decision to introduce Mandarin as a second additional language in schools (by choice) and China having to cater for non-native Chinese learners in certain schools, the University of South Africa and the Zhejiang International Studies University agreed to embark on a collaborative research project with an emphasis on the teaching and learning of Chinese characters. Qualitative comparative case studies were employed and multiple data collection tools were used, including interviews, questionnaires, lesson observations, and volunteer participant learners and researchers involved in a Chinese characters exercise. A qualitative comparative case study was conducted in order to narrate a cross-unit comparison, comparing and contrasting the findings. Inductive qualitative content analysis of both sets of data (South Africa and China) was done, and three common themes emerged. The data from South Africa and China are discussed individually under the three themes. Common considerations or factors regarding the teaching and learning of Chinese characters are identified, which makes it possible to incorporate them in an eclectic approach (based on lessons learnt by both research parties) in South Africa and China. This comparative study also informs a facilitative process to implement the introduction of Mandarin as a second additional language in South African schools.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"2014 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88095473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Collaboration between academic literacies (AcLits) specialists and subject specialists is still a significant issue in student support because AcLits practitioners now need to negotiate the advantages of both stand-alone and embedded courses. This paper focuses on some challenges of one such a collaboration between the provider of AcLits courses (the Language Centre) and the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science at an institution of higher education. The t heory of f raming (as in Scheufele, 2013) is used to explain some of the frustration experienced during this collaboration. The study also draws on New Literacies Studies in suggesting that student autonomy in constructing knowledge is negated when focus is placed on academic skills that students lack instead of the contribution students can make towards their own learning. Where previous AcLits collaborations have sometimes used the deficit model (Smit, 2012) to measure the impact of interventions, this study attempts to show that the collaboration itself aids deep learning. However, some challenges have to be overcome, of which an important one is the measurement of impact when the deficit model is not used. Whereas ATLAS. ti has often been used to analyse data sets , this investigation opts for open coding to explicate the frames relevant to this kind of collaboration. Analysis of the findings shows that students perceived this collaboration as a valuable learning experience despite all the challenges experienced. The paper concludes by suggesting that identification, explication and management of the challenges of collaboration thus proved well worth the effort.
{"title":"Some challenges of collaboration between academic literacies specialists and subject specialists: framing the difference","authors":"Y. Coetsee","doi":"10.5785/35-1-802","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/35-1-802","url":null,"abstract":"Collaboration between academic literacies (AcLits) specialists and subject specialists is still a significant issue in student support because AcLits practitioners now need to negotiate the advantages of both stand-alone and embedded courses. This paper focuses on some challenges of one such a collaboration between the provider of AcLits courses (the Language Centre) and the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science at an institution of higher education. The t heory of f raming (as in Scheufele, 2013) is used to explain some of the frustration experienced during this collaboration. The study also draws on New Literacies Studies in suggesting that student autonomy in constructing knowledge is negated when focus is placed on academic skills that students lack instead of the contribution students can make towards their own learning. Where previous AcLits collaborations have sometimes used the deficit model (Smit, 2012) to measure the impact of interventions, this study attempts to show that the collaboration itself aids deep learning. However, some challenges have to be overcome, of which an important one is the measurement of impact when the deficit model is not used. Whereas ATLAS. ti has often been used to analyse data sets , this investigation opts for open coding to explicate the frames relevant to this kind of collaboration. Analysis of the findings shows that students perceived this collaboration as a valuable learning experience despite all the challenges experienced. The paper concludes by suggesting that identification, explication and management of the challenges of collaboration thus proved well worth the effort.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"70 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81575801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Students’ academic literacy practices frequently do not prepare them for, or articulate with, the ways of thinking and practising within their chosen academic disciplines (Boughey, 2010; Clarence, 2010; Wingate & Tribble, 2012). There has been much debate about who should be responsible for responding to this ‘articulation gap’ (Bitzer, 2009) and how this should be done. In this paper, we posit the importance of working with students in the disciplines and draw on Lillis and Scott’s (2007) notion of transformative writing spaces to engage critically with disciplinary culture, norms and practices. We critique ‘remedial’ approaches to tertiary writing development that treat the articulation gap as a skills deficit that can be overcome by teaching a set of requisite academic literacy skills. We also suggest that increased collaboration between writing centres and discipline-based academic staff has helped to shift the deficit conception to more socially constructed approaches to writing development. We explore conditions in two discipline-specific writing centres that show how writing can be used as a way of engaging all students with core course concepts and in which writing development has been embedded within mainstream, substantive modules in order to facilitate epistemological access (Morrow, 2007) to both disciplinary content and writing in the discourse.
{"title":"Creating conditions for working collaboratively in discipline-based writing at a South African university","authors":"L. Dison, J. M. Moore","doi":"10.5785/35-1-851","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/35-1-851","url":null,"abstract":"Students’ academic literacy practices frequently do not prepare them for, or articulate with, the ways of thinking and practising within their chosen academic disciplines (Boughey, 2010; Clarence, 2010; Wingate & Tribble, 2012). There has been much debate about who should be responsible for responding to this ‘articulation gap’ (Bitzer, 2009) and how this should be done. In this paper, we posit the importance of working with students in the disciplines and draw on Lillis and Scott’s (2007) notion of transformative writing spaces to engage critically with disciplinary culture, norms and practices. We critique ‘remedial’ approaches to tertiary writing development that treat the articulation gap as a skills deficit that can be overcome by teaching a set of requisite academic literacy skills. We also suggest that increased collaboration between writing centres and discipline-based academic staff has helped to shift the deficit conception to more socially constructed approaches to writing development. We explore conditions in two discipline-specific writing centres that show how writing can be used as a way of engaging all students with core course concepts and in which writing development has been embedded within mainstream, substantive modules in order to facilitate epistemological access (Morrow, 2007) to both disciplinary content and writing in the discourse.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88143116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Some a spects of language use and cultural practices across the English and Yoruba languages are contrastively discussed. These include patterns and forms of greetings determined by spatio-temporal circumstances such as greetings and naming traditions, among other norms, to ascertain the aspects in which the two languages are alike and in which they differ. Illustrations are provided and differential descriptions offered through interlingual comparison. It was discovered that effective teaching and learning of a language will necessarily have to go beyond the boundary of symbols and language code to a fair knowledge of non-linguistic aspects of language. The paper concludes that learning a target language will be greatly enhanced and yield valuable results in terms of competence, proficiency, and most importantly, language pedagogy if the language and culture of the first and target languages are simultaneously studied.
{"title":"A contrastive analysis of language, culture and meaning in the Yoruba and English languages: a modern approach and new perspective","authors":"Abdullah Sani","doi":"10.5785/35-1-684","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/35-1-684","url":null,"abstract":"Some a spects of language use and cultural practices across the English and Yoruba languages are contrastively discussed. These include patterns and forms of greetings determined by spatio-temporal circumstances such as greetings and naming traditions, among other norms, to ascertain the aspects in which the two languages are alike and in which they differ. Illustrations are provided and differential descriptions offered through interlingual comparison. It was discovered that effective teaching and learning of a language will necessarily have to go beyond the boundary of symbols and language code to a fair knowledge of non-linguistic aspects of language. The paper concludes that learning a target language will be greatly enhanced and yield valuable results in terms of competence, proficiency, and most importantly, language pedagogy if the language and culture of the first and target languages are simultaneously studied.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"75 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83600352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Verbal communicative competence in English First Additional Language (EFAL) is particularly important in the intermediate phase (grades 4-6) of South African public primary schools. This article is part of the researcher’s doctoral study conducted in Ekurhuleni North District, in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers in the intermediate phase implemented a classroom interaction pedagogy (CIP) in teaching EFAL to enhance learners’ communicative competence. The study was constructivist in nature , informed by teacher efficacy and social interaction theories. A qualitative exploratory case study design was used. Five intermediate phase EFAL teachers from two public primary schools were purposely selected to participate in the study. Document analysis, observations and semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect the data. Data collected were categorised and themes were identified. It was found that teachers relied heavily on the use of charts and pictures , and appeared to ignore or be unfamiliar with some of the kinds of interactive activities and other classroom resources that can enhance communicative competence in EFAL. The study conclude d that teachers need development in CIP interactive activities. For this reason, in-service training is recommended. Further recommendations suggest that , in order to maintain the use of EFAL in the classrooms, teachers should act as role models and use the target language at the learners’ level by employing gestures and scaffolding their speaking skills.
{"title":"Classroom interaction pedagogy in teaching English First Additional Language to enhance learners' communicative competence","authors":"M. Maja","doi":"10.5785/35-1-861","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/35-1-861","url":null,"abstract":"Verbal communicative competence in English First Additional Language (EFAL) is particularly important in the intermediate phase (grades 4-6) of South African public primary schools. This article is part of the researcher’s doctoral study conducted in Ekurhuleni North District, in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers in the intermediate phase implemented a classroom interaction pedagogy (CIP) in teaching EFAL to enhance learners’ communicative competence. The study was constructivist in nature , informed by teacher efficacy and social interaction theories. A qualitative exploratory case study design was used. Five intermediate phase EFAL teachers from two public primary schools were purposely selected to participate in the study. Document analysis, observations and semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect the data. Data collected were categorised and themes were identified. It was found that teachers relied heavily on the use of charts and pictures , and appeared to ignore or be unfamiliar with some of the kinds of interactive activities and other classroom resources that can enhance communicative competence in EFAL. The study conclude d that teachers need development in CIP interactive activities. For this reason, in-service training is recommended. Further recommendations suggest that , in order to maintain the use of EFAL in the classrooms, teachers should act as role models and use the target language at the learners’ level by employing gestures and scaffolding their speaking skills.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"101 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79058010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
One of the most significant current discussions in education departments around the world is reading difficulties. This article explores the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) to support learners experiencing reading difficulties in two public primary schools. For data collection purposes, a total of 18 school-based support team members and two learning support educators participated in this research through focus group interviews and observation. From the data collected, the teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, understanding, knowledge, values, feelings and experiences were analysed. The study was influenced by Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development. From the findings, three themes were identified, namely, factors that contribute towards reading difficulties, the effects of reading difficulties and the effectiveness of ICTs in supporting learners experiencing reading difficulties. The most interesting finding was that ICTs as a support strategy proved to be vital in supporting learners experiencing reading difficulties.
{"title":"Information communication technologies as a support strategy for learners experiencing reading difficulties","authors":"Ramashego Shila Mphahlele, N. Nel","doi":"10.5785/34-2-807","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/34-2-807","url":null,"abstract":"One of the most significant current discussions in education departments around the world is reading difficulties. This article explores the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) to support learners experiencing reading difficulties in two public primary schools. For data collection purposes, a total of 18 school-based support team members and two learning support educators participated in this research through focus group interviews and observation. From the data collected, the teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, understanding, knowledge, values, feelings and experiences were analysed. The study was influenced by Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development. From the findings, three themes were identified, namely, factors that contribute towards reading difficulties, the effects of reading difficulties and the effectiveness of ICTs in supporting learners experiencing reading difficulties. The most interesting finding was that ICTs as a support strategy proved to be vital in supporting learners experiencing reading difficulties.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88399260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In Uganda, delays in teaching and learning of Kiswahili in primary schools have been experienced since their establishment in the education systems in the 1920s. At present, the language-in-education policy requires the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) to prepare instructional materials for facilitating the teaching of Kiswahili as a compulsory subject from primary schools to secondary schools. However, the NCDC has been able to produce and launch the Kiswahili teaching syllabi for secondary schools only, delaying the introduction of the teaching syllabi for primary schools. This theoretical paper argues that the absence of a Kiswahili conventional syllabus in primary schools has led teachers to (i) abandon the teaching profession as Kiswahili language teachers, and (ii) attempt ‘designing’ individual-based (hereafter, school-based) syllabi. The paper intends to demonstrate how the quality of the existing school-based syllabi can be improved and also aims to demonstrate (to language teaching researchers, advisers and language teachers) in general, how teachers can design their respective school-based syllabi purposefully to strengthen the teaching and learning of Kiswahili in their respective schools and classrooms.
{"title":"Exploring a Forward Design Dimension in the design of school-based Kiswahili teaching syllabi for primary schools in Uganda","authors":"Caesar Jjingo, Marianna Visser","doi":"10.5785/34-2-749","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5785/34-2-749","url":null,"abstract":"In Uganda, delays in teaching and learning of Kiswahili in primary schools have been experienced since their establishment in the education systems in the 1920s. At present, the language-in-education policy requires the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) to prepare instructional materials for facilitating the teaching of Kiswahili as a compulsory subject from primary schools to secondary schools. However, the NCDC has been able to produce and launch the Kiswahili teaching syllabi for secondary schools only, delaying the introduction of the teaching syllabi for primary schools. This theoretical paper argues that the absence of a Kiswahili conventional syllabus in primary schools has led teachers to (i) abandon the teaching profession as Kiswahili language teachers, and (ii) attempt ‘designing’ individual-based (hereafter, school-based) syllabi. The paper intends to demonstrate how the quality of the existing school-based syllabi can be improved and also aims to demonstrate (to language teaching researchers, advisers and language teachers) in general, how teachers can design their respective school-based syllabi purposefully to strengthen the teaching and learning of Kiswahili in their respective schools and classrooms.","PeriodicalId":43109,"journal":{"name":"Per Linguam-A Journal of Language Learning","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86892946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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