Thesisgreen2007

Science teaching and learning through the medium of English and isiXhosa: a comparative study in two primary schools in the Western Cape

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Second Language Learning and Teaching Science Education and Pedagogy Multilingual Education and Policy

Abstract

This thesis compares science teaching and learning in English and isiXhosa in the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 – 6) in two primary schools in the Western Cape. It explores the effects of using learners’ home language (isiXhosa) and second language (English) as languages of learning and teaching science. The study is part of a broader project called the Language of Instruction in Tanzania and South Africa (LOITASA). The LOITASA Project is a North-South-South link between Norway, South Africa and Tanzania which examines the effects of using African languages, isiXhosa and Kiswahili as languages of instruction in education. This study is conceived against the background of English as a means of social, economic and educational advancement, and the marginalization of African languages in education. It explores the various language policies which influence the hegemony of English on the African continent, with special reference to South Africa. Following an interactionist theoretical framework, this study investigated the relationship between language competence and teacher-learner interaction in science when English or isiXhosa were used as languages of instruction in the Intermediate Phase. It shows the importance of appropriate language input in facilitating teaching and learning in the classroom. The research followed a three year longitudinal design in which classroom observations, interviews and document analysis were used as key tools of investigation. The research findings show that teachers and learners communicate better in their mother tongue, isiXhosa, than in English. Also, learners show better confidence in lessons conducted through the medium of isiXhosa than their counterparts taught through the medium of English.

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References

1962Thought and language 1997Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods 1989The Practice of Social Research 2013Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Learning 1999A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning 1979Linguistic Interdependence and the Educational Development of Bilingual Children 1984Research in Education: A Conceptual Introduction 1985Understanding second language acquisition

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