Teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of Afrikaans additional language teaching methodologies

Abstract

In this increasingly diverse country (South Africa) that we live in the need for individuals to be able to speak more that one language, in other words, their home language and an additional language, has become more prevalent. Our schooling system or the curriculums used need to make provision for this need where learners need to be able to use a second language in a practical context. Every school according to South-African education laws need to offer two languages (one as an additional language) and in most schools in South-Africa the home language is English with Afrikaans as an additional language, with the exception of Afrikaans schools. The problem that led to this research dissertation is whether these second or additional languages are taught as efficiently as what the curriculum requires, leaving learners with the capabilities to be able to use the language practically as required in any social setting. This research study adopted a qualitative research approach using observations and open -ended interviews to collect the necessary data. This data was analysed using the interpretive research approach which entailed analysing the data collected from the 12 Afrikaans Additional language teachers that formed the sample of this study. The study followed a multiple case study which entailed using three different schools, a co-ed school, girls and a boy’s school. The data was analysed in to the different themes identified by the researcher deemed relevant to this study while keeping the aim of this study in mind. The aim of this study is to determine teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the approaches and methods used in teaching the Afrikaans Additional Language curriculum. The study attempted to understand through the interviews conducted and observations done which approaches are most effective in the additional language classroom, what obstacles additional language teachers experience in the teaching of Afrikaans as an additional language and what can be done to improve the teaching of an additional language. The findings of this study revealed that there are a lot of improvements that can be made to curriculum documents to give additional language teachers more time to be able to teach learners more practical language use with regards to the additional language. Other main findings are that teachers are not fully equipped to teach an additional language and collaboration between languages is needed to be able to teach an additional language effectively. At the end of the study there are certain recommendations that came to light for teachers as well as the Department of Basic Education. This study leaves room for future exploratory studies where focus can be placed on what teachers experience as well as what can be done differently in the classroom to benefit both learners and students in years to come.

Kweli lizwe eliya lisanda yiyantlukwano (uMzantsi Afrika) esiphila kulo, iye yaxhapha kakhulu imfuneko yokuba abantu bathethe ulwimi olungaphezu kolunye, ngamanye amazwi, ulwimi lwabo lwasekhaya kunye nolwimi olongezelelweyo. Inkqubo yethu yesikolo okanye ikharityhulam kufuneka yenze isibonelelo ukuze abafundi basebenzise ulwimi lwesibini kwimeko enokwenzeka. Eminye imithetho yethu yezemfundo yaseMzantsi Afrika, ikhuthaza ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi ezininzi. Umzekelo womthetho onjalo liCandelo 29(2) loMgaqosiseko elichaza ukuba wonke umfundi unelungelo lokufumana imfundo esisiseko ngolwimi alukhethileyo, apho kunokwenzeka. Ukufikelela kwinjongo yokusetyenziswa kweelwimi ezininzi, zonke izikolo eMzantsi Afrika kufuneka zisebenzise iilwimi ezimbini (olunye njengolwimi olongezelelweyo). Kwiizikolo ezininzi eMzantsi Afrika, ulwimi lwasekhaya sisiNgesi, kunye nesiBhulu njengolwimi olongezelelweyo, ngaphandle kweezikolo ezisebenzisa isiBhulu njengolwimi lokufundisa nokufunda. Olu phando lujolise kuhlalutyo lokuba ingaba iilwimi zesibini okanye ezongezelelweyo zifundiswa ngokufanelekileyo ngokwekharityhulam, ngenjongo yokuba abafundi bakwazi ukusebenzisa ulwimi ngokunokwenzeka nanjengoko kufuneka kuyo nayiphi na imeko yentlalo. Olu phando lusebenzise indlela yophandontyilazwi esebenzisa imigqaliselo kunye nodliwanondlebe oluvulelekileyo ukuqokelela idatha efunekayo. Le datha ihlalutywe kusetyenziswa indlela yophando yokucacisa, ebibandakanya ukuhlalutya idatha eqokelelwe kootitshala bolwimi olongezelelweyo lwesiBhulu abali12 ababeyinxalenye yesivandlakanyi solu phando. Uphando lulandela isifundo ngomzekelo esiphindaphindiweyo kwizikolo ezintathu ezahlukileyo, isikolo esixubileyo, isikolo samantombazana kunye nesikolo samakhwenkwe. Idatha ihlalutywe ngokwemixholo echongwe ngumphandi nayibone ifanelekile kolu phando ngenjongo yolu phando engqondweni. Olu phando lumisele izimvo zootitshala malunga nokusebenza kweendlela nezikhokelo ezisetyenziswayo ekufundiseni uLwimi oloNgezelelweyo lwesiBhulu. Ngokusebenzisa udliwanondlebe nemigqaliselo, olu phando luzame ukuqonda ukuba zeziphi iindlela ezisebenza kakhulu ekufundiseni ulwimi olongezelelweyo kwigumbi lokufundela, imingeni efunyanwa ngootitshala bolwimi olongezelelweyo ekufundiseni isiBhulu njengolwimi olongezelelweyo, noko okunokwenziwa ukuphucula ukufundisa ulwimi olongezelelweyo. Iziphumo zolu phando zibonise ukuba kunokwenziwa uphuculo olungakumbi kumaxwebhu ekharityhulam ukunika ootitshala beelwimi ezongezelelweyo ixesha elaneleyo lokufundisa abafundi nokusebenzisa ulwimi olusebenzisekayo. Ngaphezu koko, uphando lubonise ukuba ootitshala kufuneka baxhotyiswe ngokupheleleyo ukufundisa ulwimi olongezelelweyo kwaye intsebenziswano phakathi kootitshala iyafuneka ukufundisa ulwimi olongezelelweyo ngokufezekileyo. Ukuqukumbela, olu phando lunikeze iingcebiso kootitshala nakwiSebe leMfundo esiSiseko. Olu phando lushiya ithuba lophando lokuphonononga lwexesha elizayo, apho ingqwalasela inokubekwa kumava ootitshala kunye noko kunokwenziwa ngokwahlukileyo kwigumbi lokufundela ukuze kuzuze abafundi kunye nootitshala kwiminyaka ezayo.

Ons woon in 'n land (Suid-Afrika) met toenemende diversiteit en dit is het noodsaaklik geword dat individue meer as een taal kan praat, dit wil sê, hul huistaal en 'n addisionele taal. Ons skoolstelsel of die kurrikulum moet voorsiening maak vir leerders om 'n tweede taal in 'n praktiese konteks te kan gebruik. Sommige van ons Suid-Afrikaanse opvoedingswette bevorder veeltaligheid. 'n Voorbeeld van sulke wetgewing is Artikel 29(2) van die Grondwet wat bepaal dat elke leerder die reg tot basiese onderwys in sy of haar voorkeurtaal het, waar dit redelik prakties is. Om die doel van veeltaligheid te bereik, moet elke skool in Suid-Afrika twee tale aanbied (een as 'n addisionele taal). In die meeste skole in Suid-Afrika, is die huistaal Engels, met Afrikaans as 'n addisionele taal, behalwe vir Afrikaans-mediumskole. Die navorsing poog om te ontleed of die tweede of addisionele tale doeltreffend volgens die kurrikulum onderrig word, met die doel dat leerders die taal prakties en soos nodig vir enige sosiale omstandighede kan gebruik. Die studie het 'n kwalitatiewe benadering en waarnemings en oopeinde-onderhoude gebruik om die nodige data te versamel. Hierdie data is deur die interpretatiewe navorsingsbenadering ontleed; dit behels die ontleding van die data wat versamel is van die 12 onderwysers wat Afrikaans as addisionele taal onderrig wat die steekproef van hierdie studie gevorm het. Die studie het 'n veelvoudige gevallestudie van drie verskillende skole, 'n gemengde skool, 'n meisieskool en 'n seunskool, gebruik. Die data is in temas ontleed wat die navorser geïdentifiseer en as relevant tot hierdie studie beskou het met die doel van die studie in gedagte. Die studie het onderwysers se persepsies van die doeltreffendheid van die benadering en metodes wat gebruik word om Afrikaans Addisionele Taal te onderrig, bepaal. Deur onderhoude en waarneming het die studie gepoog om te verstaan watter benaderings die doeltreffendste is om 'n addisionele taal in die klaskamer te onderrig, die uitdagings wat onderwysers van addisionele tale ervaar om Afrikaans as addisionele taal te onderrig, en wat gedoen kan word om die onderrig van 'n addisionele taal te bevorder. Hierdie studie het bevind dat verdere verbeterings aan die kurrikulumdokumente gemaak kan word om onderwysers van addisionele tale meer tyd te gee om leerders te onderrig en vir praktiese taalgebruik. Die navorsing het verder aangetoon dat onderwysers volledig toegerus moet word om 'n addisionele taal te onderrig en dat samewerking tussen onderwysers nodig is om 'n addisionele taal doeltreffend te onderrig. Ten slotte het die studie aanbeveling vir onderwysers en die Departement van Basiese Onderwys gedoen. Die studie laat ruimte vir toekomstige ondersoekende studies wat kan fokus op wat onderwysers ervaar en wat verskillend in die klaskamer gedoen kan word om beide die leerders en onderwysers in die toekoms te bevoordeel.