An inter-province study of language and literacy paradigms and practices in foundation phase classrooms in Limpopo and Gauteng

Abstract

Informal conversations, scholarly debates, research reports, academic journal articles and books have been dealing increasingly with reading teaching and with literacy and language acquisition and development. The conceptual and theoretical positions underlying these activities and the findings from empirical work on the complex and critical issues related to the topic have taken centre stage. These materials and activities are considered important in relation to solutions to the problem of ongoing dismal learner achievement levels in South African education, which have burgeoned in the most recent half a decade. They also reflect international developments in relation to language as key factor in education, including a strong focus on the value of bi-/multilingualism for cognitive development. The study covered by this report happened within this broader global context, but also had many unique features. One of them is not having focused exclusively on bilingualism, although the topic featured in some ways by virtue of the nature of South Africa's language (-in-) education policy situation. Another is that the study foregrounded in-depth qualitative investigation as design feature. This component, with other methodological elements, is overviewed very briefly below. In the final instance, the terms and related requirements of NRF grants steered the study's scope and focus uniquely too.