Language of learning and teaching

For many South African learners, access to higher education and the labour market depends on becoming fluent in English (Taylor & Coetzee, 2013; Spaull, 2015). As discussed earlier (refer 1.2) there are various theoretical frameworks relating to language acquisition. The South African Language-in-Education Policy states that for Grades 1, 2 and 3 the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) is a learner’s home language. This is the Transitional Model of language acquisition which stipulates that learners’ home language is used in the first few years of schooling (Grade 1 – 3) and is followed by a transition to the L2 (in South Africa this is English) as the LoLT (Taylor & Coetzee, 2013). The motivation behind this is to encourage additive multilingualism and draws on the Linguistic Interdependence Hypothesis (Cummins, 2000). The premise is that although proficiency in a language takes time to master there is a great interdependence between literacy skills across languages (Cummins, 2008; Taylor & Coetzee, 2013). In other words once the home language is mastered the literacy skills can be transferred to the L2.

The language policy does not stipulate which of the 11 languages should be used, but leaves the choice of LoLT to the School Governing Bodies. The School Governing Body is made up of parents, the school principal and teachers. In South Africa, because of the numerous first languages spoken, good quality First Language education is not always provided (Taylor & Coetzee, 2013). Although not part of the official policy, Education Departments encourage schools to change their LoLT in Grade 4 to English (following the Transitional Model), this despite the fact that English is neither the home nor first language for most learners (Taylor & Coetzee, 2013; Pretorius & Spaull, 2016). Even though South Africa has 11 official languages

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English is regarded as the international lingua franca and perceived as the language of education, politics, economic empowerment and social advancement. Consequently, parents see English as the language of empowerment and economic prosperity, the language of a better future, and prefer to have their children educated in English rather than their indigenous language (Pretorius & Mampuru, 2007; Msila, 2011:57). Therefore in most schools where English or Afrikaans is not the Home Language, the School Governing Body elects to change the LoLT in Grade 4 to English (Taylor & Coetzee, 2013). In effect, despite the government’s Language in Education Policy that stipulates that learners should be educated in their L1 up until Grade 4 many parents choose to send their children to English preschools and schools (Msila, 2011:49).

During Grade 1 – 3 the emphasis is to teach learners to read, from Grade 4 onwards learners need to be able to read in order to learn (Spaull, 2015). Pretorius (2002:189) calls this the transition from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn.’ It is therefore critical that by the end of the Foundation Phase learners must have the necessary L2 English literacy skills to continue with their schooling in English. This includes reading skills, decoding skills plus a well-developed and comprehensive English vocabulary in order to understand the content of the subjects taught in English. Unfortunately, as indicated in 2.9.3 the level of illiteracy in primary schools, especially in rural schools, is very disconcerting. Learners perform poorly in reading literacy regardless of whether the assessments are performed in the home language (for Grades 1 – 3) or in English and Afrikaans medium schools (Pretorius & Spaull, 2016). Particularly worrying is the decline of academic performance from Grade 3 to Grade 4, when the LoLT changes from the home language to the L2 (Sibanda, 2017). Reading is an important part of literacy and regarded as an essential skill learners need for further academic success (Pretorius, 2002; Pretorius & Spaull, 2016; Sibanda, 2017). Learners struggling with reading to learn are at a disadvantage academically not only in primary school, but also in secondary school and even up to post matric level (Pretorius, 2002; Pretorius & Mampuru, 2007; Sibanda, 2017).

Sibanda (2014) makes a valid point, referring to the fact that while BICS are developed within two to three years CALP takes about five to seven years to develop. In other words, when English L2 learners are expected to use English as

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the LoLT in Grade 3 many of them have not developed the sufficient English language proficiency (CALP) to do so. Grade 3 learners are only starting to develop the necessary BICS proficiency and ‘still need three to four more years to develop CALP proficiency’ (Sibanda, 2017:4). Sibanda (2017) cites the Macdonald (1990) Threshold Project which concluded that three to four years of FAL in not sufficient to adequately develop English in order for learners to use it as the LoLT.

In summary, it is unlikely for learners to be exposed to the novel vocabulary necessary to develop BICS proficiency in everyday conversations. These words, which have a ‘powerful effect on verbal functioning’ are most likely to be found in written texts (Beck et al., 2002:8). As a consequence interactive vocabulary teaching within the storybook reading context is a powerful vehicle for developing vocabulary (Biemiller & Boote, 2006). In addition, learners enter school with divergent vocabularies (Hart & Risley, 1995) and the initial differences grow larger over time (Stanovich, 1986; Biemiller, 2004). It is therefore important that, in order to develop vocabulary and prevent reading difficulties, explicit vocabulary instruction, in the form of storybook reading, takes place in Grade 1.

2.10 CONCLUSION

This concludes the discussion on the research into vocabulary acquisition and teaching. As can been seen from the existing body of knowledge vocabulary can be acquired either through incidental learning (when learning takes place by change) or through explicit learning (where words are taught deliberately). However, the research also revealed that vocabulary knowledge is complex and multidimensional and the lack of a well-developed vocabulary is a problem for many L2 speakers. Researchers, teachers and linguists agree that some form of vocabulary curriculum should be developed to enlarge especially L2 learners’ vocabulary and that it should be implemented at an early stage. However, the exact form in which the vocabulary teaching has to take place is still open to debate.

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