A case study of two teachers' understanding of and attitudes towards bilingualism and multiculturalism in a South African primary school
- Authors: Sutton, Candace
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Bilingualism in children , English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Foreign speakers , English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Education, Bilingual -- South Africa , Language and languages -- Study and teaching , Language policy -- South Africa , Multicultural education -- South Africa , Language and education -- South Africa , Multiculturalism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2363 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002646 , Bilingualism in children , English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Foreign speakers , English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Education, Bilingual -- South Africa , Language and languages -- Study and teaching , Language policy -- South Africa , Multicultural education -- South Africa , Language and education -- South Africa , Multiculturalism
- Description: At present, there is an emphasis in South African education on promoting multicultural classrooms in schools. This thesis examines the classroom culture of a South African English-medium school, where the majority of the learners are Second Language English learners. It first describes, in the form of a case-study, how two teachers have constructed the culture of their foundation phase classrooms. It then considers why the two teachers have constructed their classrooms in such ways by exploring their knowledge and understanding of, and attitudes towards, multiculturalism, second language acquisition and multilingualism. The study also briefly considers whether teacher training has sufficiently prepared these teachers for the challenges of a multicultural classroom. The data is discussed in terms of education and second language acquisition theory and South African education and language policies. The results of this study indicate that for the most part the classroom culture is distinctly Western and that the teachers have two fundamental assumptions that underpin their action and classroom construction. The first is that a lack of exposure to English is the primary cause of language problems for L2 learners and the second is that the L1 does not need to be maintained or promoted in the school environment because learners are sufficiently exposed to their L1 in the home. The thesis concludes that shortcomings in training and information encourages these two assumptions to take root and that more in-service training that focuses specifically on the nature of second language acquisition and multiculturalism is necessary.
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- Date Issued: 2006
The intellectualisation of African languages, multilingualism and education: a research-based approach
- Authors: Kaschula, Russell H , Maseko, Pamela
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: African languages -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Language policy -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Educational change -- South Africa , Multiligualism , Multicultural education -- South Africa , Language and languages -- Study and teaching
- Language: English
- Type: article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59321 , vital:27548 , http://alternation.ukzn.ac.za/Files/docs/21 SpEd13/Alternation Spec Ed 13 (2014).pdf#page=13
- Description: This paper seeks to understand the relationship between the intellectualisation of African languages and the facilitation of a research approach which will enhance this intellectualisation. The paper examines the legislative language policies and other documents published by government since 1994, which guide language use and practices in higher education, including the Catalytic Project on Concept Formation in indigenous African languages (one of the recommendations contained in the Report commissioned by the Minister of Higher Education for the Charter for Humanities and Social Sciences and the language clauses of the Green Paper for Post-Secondary School Education and Training). These policy documents are analysed against the backdrop of the research work of the newly initiated NRF SARChI Chair in the Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education hosted by Rhodes University. The paper argues that while policy provides an enabling environment for the promotion and development of indigenous African languages and advocates for promotion of equity and equality, in actual fact, HEIs still grapple in implementing provisions of these policies. The paper further discusses the teaching, learning and research in the African Language Studies Section of the School of Languages at Rhodes University and how the Section adopted the provisions of the national policy and institutional policy on language in turning itself into a source of intellectual vitality in the teaching, learning and research of particularly isiXhosa. Six focus areas of research, linked to the NRF SARChI Chair, will be outlined in order to create a practical link between Policy, Implementation and the Intellectualisation of African Languages. , Ucwaningo lolu luhlose ukuqonda ubudlelwano obuphakathi kokusetshenziswa kwezilimi zesintu emazingeni aphakame kanye nokusetshenziswa kwendlela yocwaningo ezokwengeza amathuba okusetshenziswa kwezilimi lezi (Finlayson & Madiba 2002). Ucwaningo luhlaziya inqubomgomo yolimi esemthethweni neminye imibhalo eshicelelwe uhulumeni elawula ukusebenza nokusetshenziswa kwezilimi kwezemfundo ephakame kusuka ngonyaka wezi-1994, kanye ne-Catalytic Project on Concept Formation in indigenous African languages (esinye seziphakamiso esiqukethwe embikweni owethulwa ngungqonqoshe wezemfundo ephakeme nge-Charter of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSSC 2011) kanye nezinhlamvu zamazwi e-Green paper for Post-secondary School education and training (2012). Imibhalo yenqubomgomo ihlaziywa kubhekwe umsebenzi wocwaningo kasihlalo we- NRF SARChl ekusetshenzisweni kwezilimi zesintu emazingeni aphakeme nobuliminingi kanye nezemfundo e- Rhodes University. Ucwaningo lolu luphakamisa umbono othi noma inqubomgomo isipha amandla okukhuphula nokuthuthukisa izilimi zesintu kanye nokukhuthaza ukulingana nokungacwasi, eqinisweni izikhungo zemfundo ephakeme zihlangabezana nobunzima bokusebenzisa izihlinzeko zenqubomgomo. Ucwaningo lolu luzoxoxa futhi ngokufundisa nokufunda kanye nocwaningo emnyangweni wezifundo zezilimi zesintu esikoleni sezilimi e-Rhodes University kanye nokuthi umnyango lo wamukela njani izihlinzeko zenqubomgomo kazwelonke kanye nezesikhungo eziphathelane nokuguqulwa kwezilimi zibe umthombo wenhlakanipho ekufundiseni nasekufundeni kanye nocwaningo ngolimi lwesiXhosa. Imikhaka emqoka eyisithupha yocwaningo ehlobene nesihlalo se-NRF SARChl izovezwa ukuze kwakhiwe ubudlelwano obenzekayo phakathi kwenqubomgomo, ukusetshenziswa kwayo kanye nokusetshenziswa kwezilimi zesintu emazingeni aphakeme.
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- Date Issued: 2014