Teachers' perceptions of the decline of the Sesotho language among Grade 4 learners in Ekurhuleni South District

Abstract

This qualitative case study explored teachers’ perceptions on the decline of the Sesotho language among Grade 4 learners in Ekurhuleni South District. Six Sesotho teachers from six public primary schools were purposively selected. The socio-cultural theory and the interpretivist perspective guided this study. Data were collected through interviews and observations and transcribed and arranged into codes and themes, using the thematic data analysis method. The study found out that the promotion of the home language within a multi-cultural society is dependent on the incorporation of cultural activities into school curricula for learners to learn about their cultures, gain knowledge and develop new skills. The study also found out that during the teaching of the Sesotho Home Language, teachers focused on areas such as reading and viewing, listening and speaking, writing and presenting, and language structure and conventions to ensure the development of Sesotho proficiency. Teachers supported learning with resources such as reading books, flashcards, and speaking grammatically correct Sesotho. However, it was established that teachers lack CAPS strategies knowledge which could assist in curbing the decline of the Sesotho language. The study further established that teachers did not explore innovative methods such as integrating technology into the Sesotho lessons. The study also identified several factors contributing to the decline of Sesotho in Grade 4 classrooms, such as parents not speaking the language with their children, intermarriages, urbanisation, misplacement of teachers, poor quality of Sesotho books, overcrowding, ineffective subject advisors and time constraints. It is recommended that policymakers work with teachers in reviewing policies, the Department of Basic Education review Sesotho learner textbooks and readers, ensure that native speakers teach Sesotho, encourage the integration of ICT into lessons, and parents should be encouraged to speak Sesotho with their children at home.

Boithuto bona ba boleng bo hlahlobile maikutlo a matitjhere mabapi le phokotseho ya puo ya Sesotho hara baithuti ba Kereiti ya 4 Seterekeng sa Ekurhuleni Borwa. Ho ile ha kgethwa matitjhere a tsheletseng a Sesotho a tswang dikolong tse tsheletseng tsa mathomo tsa setjhaba. Teori ya setjhaba le setso le tebello ya mofetoledi di tataisitse boithuto bona. Dintlha di ile tsa bokellwa ka dipuisano le ditebello mme tsa ngolwa le ho hlophiswa ka dikhoutu le dihlooho, ho sebediswa mokgwa wa ho hlahloba dintlha tsa sehlooho. Boithuto bo fumane hore phahamiso ya puo ya ka hae ka hara setjhaba sa ditso tse fapafapaneng e itshetlehile ka ho kenya diketsahalo tsa setso lenaneong la thuto la sekolo hore barutwana ba ithute ka ditso tsa bona, ba fumane tsebo, le ho hlabolla bokgoni bo botjha. Boithuto bona bo boetse bo fumane hore nakong ya ha ho rutwa Sesotho Puo ya Lapeng, matitjhere a ne a tsepamisitse maikutlo hodima dikarolo tse kang ho bala le ho shebella, ho mamela le ho bua, ho ngola le ho fana ka puo le sebopeho sa puo le melawana ho netefatsa ntshetsopele ya bokgoni ba Sesotho. Matitjhere a tsheheditse ho ithuta ka disebediswa tse kang dibuka tsa ho bala, dikarete tse kganyang, le ho bua Sesotho se nepahetseng ka sebopehopuo. Leha ho le jwalo, ho ile ha hlaka hore matitjhere a haellwa ke tsebo ya maano a CAPS a ka thusang ho thibela phokotseho ya puo ya Sesotho. Boithuto bona bo boetse bo bontshitse hore matitjhere ha a batlisisa mekgwa e metjha e kang ho kopanya theknoloji dithutong tsa Sesotho. Boithuto bona bo boetse bo supa dintlha tse mmalwa tse tlatselletsang phokotseho ya Sesotho diphaposing tsa borutelo tsa Kereiti ya 4, tse kang batswadi ho se bue puo le bana ba bona, manyalo a bona, ho fallela ditoropong, ho se be teng ha matitjhere, boleng bo bobe ba dibuka tsa Sesotho, tshubuhlellano ya batho, baeletsi ba dithuto ba sa sebetseng hantle le ditshitiso tsa nako. Ho kgothaletswa hore baetsi ba melawana ba sebetse le matitjhere ho hlahloba maano, Lefapha la Thuto ya Motheo le hlahlobe dibuka tsa baithuti le babadi ba Sesotho, ho netefatsa hore batho ba buang puo ya matswallwa ba ruta Sesotho, ba kgothaletsa ho kopanngwa ha ICT dithutong, le hore batswadi ba kgothalletswe ho bua Sesotho le bana ba bona.