Teaching reading in learners’ second language : grade 1 teachers’ experiences

Abstract

This study explored the experiences of Grade 1 teachers when teaching reading to second language learners in the primary schools of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Area in the Eastern Cape. It emanated from teachers’ negative experiences in their teaching of reading to second language learners. Grade 1 learners start the development process of reading by combining comprehension and decoding skills, among others. Many studies have revealed the challenges Foundation Phase learners experience when they are expected to read in a second language which has detrimental effects on their holistic development, whilst adding to teachers’ woes. This qualitative research adopted a case study design by applying the techniques of interviews and document analysis to obtain data from the four (4) sampled schools in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Area in the Eastern Cape. The findings revealed that there were various factors which contributed to Grade 1 teachers’ negative experiences when teaching reading to second language learners. Hence, they adapted their teaching method’s by code-switching as an intervention strategy within the classroom to foster contextual comprehension of the lesson. These Grade 1 teachers also expressed their disappointment concerning the lack of resources, materials, and support from the various stakeholders including the Department of Education. This study aimed to provide further insight into the experiences of Grade 1 teachers, as well as to present recommendations elicited from the findings which may assist teachers in attaining more positive experiences in the classroom. The recommendations point to a collaboration of all stakeholders to urgently find solutions to the Grade 1 challenges of reading in a language which is not the learners’ home language.

Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek die ervarings van Graad 1-onderwysers wat vir tweedetaal-leerders in primêre skole in Oos-Londen, Suid-Afrika, leesvaardighede leer. Sommige onderwysers het negatiewe ervarings gehad wat dit betref, wat uitdagend is wanneer ’n mens ’n Graad 1-klas moet onderrig – dit wil sê, wanneer leerders begin met die proses van leer en die ontwikkeling van begrips- en ontsyferingsvaardighede. Studies toon dat die uitdagings waarmee leerders in die grondslagfase te doen kry – waar daar van die leerders verwag word om in ’n onbekende taal te lees – ’n ongewenste uitwerking op hulle leesvermoëns het, en só bydra tot onderwysers se slegte ervarings. Om hierdie verskynsel te ondersoek, is daar gebruik gemaak van ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering, wat ’n gevallestudie-ontwerp gebruik, met onderhoude en dokumentontleding. Die doel hiervan is om data in te samel uit vier steekproef-skole in die Buffalo City Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit in die Oos-Kaap. Die bevindings het onthul dat verskeie faktore bydra tot Graad 1-onderwysers se ervarings wanneer hulle leesvaardighede leer vir tweedetaal-leerders. Dit lei daartoe dat onderwysers hulle onderrig-strategieë moet onderskei, en kodewisseling in die klaskamer moet gebruik om konteks te verskaf en te verseker dat die leerders die les verstaan. Die deelnemende Graad 1-onderwysers het hulle teleurstelling getoon met die gebrek aan hulpbronne, materiaal en ondersteuning van die verskeie belanghebbers in die Departement van Onderwys. Hierdie studie bied nie net insig in die ervarings van hierdie Graad 1-onderwysers nie, maar daar word ook verskeie aanbevelings gemaak, in ooreenstemming met die navorsingsbevindings, wat onderwysers kan help om meer positiewe ervarings in die klaskamer te fasiliteer.

Le thisisi iphonononga amava ootitshala beBanga loku- 1 abanikwe umsebenzi wokufundisa ukufunda kubafundi abafunda ulwimi lwesibini kwizikolo zamaBanga aphantsi (prayimari) eMonti, eMzantsi Afrika. Abanye ootitshala banike ingxelo ngamava amabi malunga noku, nto leyo eyoyikisayo xa bejongene neklasi yeBanga loku-1 – kulapho abafundi baqala khona inkqubo yokufunda nokuphuhlisa ingqiqo nezakhono zokucazulula.Uphononongo lubonise ukuba imingeni abajongene nayo abafundi beSigaba sesiSeko - ekulindeleke ukuba bafunde ngolwimi abangaluqhelanga - inefuthe elibi kubuchule babo bokufunda, ngokwenjenjalo yandise amava amabi kootitshala. Ukuphanda lo mcimbi kuye kwasetyenziswa indlela yophando olusemgangathweni, kusetyenziswa uyilo lophononongo, kunye nodliwano-ndlebe nohlalutyo lwamaxwebhu olunceda ukuqokelela idatha kwizikolo ezine eziyisampulu kuMmandla oMbaxa weBuffalo City eMpuma Koloni. Iziphumo zibonise ukuba zininzi izinto ezinegalelo kumava ootitshala beBanga loku-1 xa befundisa ukufunda kubafundi bolwimi lwesibini, nto leyo ekhokelela ekubeni ootitshala bolwimi lwesibini bahlule iindlela zabo zokufundisa, kwaye basebenzise ukutshintshwa kwekhowudi eklasini, ukulungiselela imeko nokuqinisekisa ukuqondwa kwesifundo. Ootitshala beBanga loku-1 abathatha inxaxheba bavakalise ukudana kunqongophalo lwezibonelelo, izixhobo, nenkxaso evela kumaqela abandakanyekayo kwiSebe leMfundo. Olu phononongo alunikeli nje kuphela ukuqonda ngamava ezo titshala zeBanga loku- 1, kodwa lukwanika iingcebiso/ izindululo ezininzi, ezihambelana neziphumo zophando, ezinokuthi zincede ootitshala ekuququzeleleni amava akhuthazayo egumbini lokufundela.