ADVANCING MEASURES FOR TRANSITIONING MOTHER-TONGUE (SESOTHO) IN FOUNDATION PHASE TO ENGLISH IN INTERMEDIATE PHASE AS LANGUAGE OF LEARNING AND TEACHING

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to design measures that should be included in a framework for the use of English as a Language of Learning and Teaching in a classroom interaction approach to enhance learners’ communicative competence in the Intermediate Phase. The previous research advocates that classroom interaction activities can provide opportunities for the facilitation of the additional language, as they encourage meaningful interaction in the target language and active learner participation. Moreover, a classroom interaction approach helps learners to construct their own learning while expressing themselves in the additional language. In the English as Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) settings, where it is an ongoing challenge to provide learners with practical learning and interactive learning opportunities, interaction activities such as discussion, storytelling, role-play, reading aloud and debate are seen as advancing measures, albeit there is superficial implementation of some of these activities in the Intermediate Phase LoLT classrooms. This multiple case study investigated the nature and scope of classroom interaction in teaching LoLT to enhance learners’ communicative competence. The study explored the teachers’ understanding of classroom interaction, teachers and learners’ beliefs and attitudes and the strategies used by the teachers in teaching LoLT in the classrooms. The research was undertaken at five public primary schools, but the focus was on the Intermediate Phase at Motheo District of Free State Province. It was found that most of the teachers still use the teacher-centred method while learners remain passive receivers. The study recommends that LoLT teachers should be trained to implement the classroom interaction using the interactive activities in additional language and create a conducive teaching and learning environment that permits the learners’ participation; the schools should have a parental involvement policy as a means of encouraging parents to be involved in their children’s learning; policy makers should include debate as an interactive activity in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) document teaching plans in order for the teachers to fully implement it; and parents should be trained on how to assist with homework tasks and take responsibility for their children’s learning. Keywords: English as Language of Learning and Teaching, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement, Communicative competence