Exploring the use of imagery by Sesotho sa leboa grade 11 learners in essay writing : a study from Gauteng North district

Abstract

This study explores the use of imagery as a means of assisting learners to improve their narrative essay writing skills. The decline in the pass rate in Sesotho sa Leboa home language prompted an investigation into the improvement of results by targeting Paper 3 of the subject. Paper 3 consists of three sections with the essay amounting to 50% of the paper. Thus, the envisaged improvement in the essay is intended to contribute to enhancing overall performance in the subject. Preliminary observations directed the study to language enrichment through the use of imagery, since other aspects of language use are catered for in the two other papers of the subject. Grounded on the theory of constructivism promulgated by Bruner (1960), the study used a mixed methods approach to collect and analyse data. Constructivism contends that learners can easily learn new content, especially if it is constructed or linked to their existing knowledge or existing content. Accordingly, the educator should accompany the learner on this journey of constructing meaning. This study qualitatively analysed documents and texts, and collected and analysed quantitative data on how the use of imagery compared before and after awareness creation and the teaching of this language enriching strategy. The results show that when learners understand the impact of imagery and use it as a device for enriching their narration in essays, they attain better marks for the essay and improve their performance in the creative writing paper.