The contribution of a text-based approach to English education for communicative competence

• Main Author: Mohlabi-Tlaka, Ntombi
• Other Authors: De Jager, Lizette J.
• Language: en
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: UCTD
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/56917; Mohlabi-Tlaka, N 2016, The contribution of a text-based approach to English education for communicative competence, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/56917>

The text-based approach is prescribed alongside the communicative approach in the CAPS. This study explores the implementation of the text-based approach and its contribution to English FAL for the development of communicative competence in Grade 4 in public schools in South Africa. Grade 4 is the entry level into the Intermediate Phase of primary schooling, subsequent to a three or four year period of schooling in the Foundation Phase. A number of educational reports have shown that in many schools learners across all phases fall short of the requisite language and literacy skills in English. Studies also reveal that as a result of teachers lack of high literacy levels, poor subject knowledge and inadequate teaching methods, many public schools fail to develop learners communicative competence that is essential for cognitive development, for using English as a Language of Learning and Teaching and for successful academic learning. Moreover, research reveals that little is known on how academic literacy is developed at primary level. Teachers knowledge and skilfulness denote what is termed pedagogical content knowledge , which is deemed vital in any teaching and learning situation. It is thus imperative that the text-based approach to language teaching be executed optimally to benefit learners as they progress through the years of basic education. This study employs a congruent parallel mixed method strategy which incorporates both qualitative and quantitative research designs for complementarity, and crystallisation is achieved by means of the employment of different data collection methods. It is anchored in the interpretivist-constructivist philosophical paradigm and underpinned by renowned and internationally acclaimed theories of language teaching and learning. The results reveal that the traditional approach to teaching was still maintained and that the text-based approach was implemented by means of achieving daily requirements, in the form of scripted lesson plans, of the departmental intervention strategy, the GPLMS. Furthermore, teachers had limited knowledge of what the approach entailed and curriculum matters were not adequately understood. Although the approach was found suitable and advantageous, its major deficiency was failure to develop learners communicative competence. === In die Kurrikulum- en Asseseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV) word die teksgebaseerde benadering naas die kommunikatiewe benadering voorgeskryf. Hierdie studie ondersoek die implementering van die teksgebaseerde bandering en die bydrae daarvan tot Engels Eerste Addisionele Taal vir die ontwikkeling van kommunikatiewe bevoegdheid in graad vier in openbare skole in Suid-Afrika. Graad vier is die intreevlak tot die Intermediêre Fase van primêre skoolopleiding wat volg op die drie- of vierjaartydperk van skoolopleiding in die Grondslagfase. Dit blyk uit verskeie opvoedkundige verslae dat leerders in baie skole in alle fases nie oor die nodige taal- en geletterdheidsvaardighede in Engels beskik nie. Studies toon ook dat onderwysers se beperkte geletterdheid, swak vakkennis en ontoereikende onderrigmetodes tot gevolg het dat baie openbare skole nie daarin slaag om leerders se kommunikatiewe bevoegdheid te ontwikkel nie. Hierdie bevoegdheid is noodsaaklik vir kognitiewe ontwikkeling ten einde Engels as Taal van Onderig en Leer en vir suksesvolle akademiese leer te gebruik. Navorsing toon verder dat min bekend is oor hoe akademiese geletterdheid op primêre skool ontwikkel. Onderwysers se kennis en vaardigheid bepaal die term pedagogical content knowledge (pedagogiese inhoudskennis) wat as kritiek in enige onderrig-en-leersituasie beskou word. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat die teksgebaseerde benadering tot taalonderrig optimaal tot leerders se voordeel aangewend word namate hulle met hul basiese onderwys vorder. 'n Kongruente, parallelle, gemengde metode wat kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsontwerp vir komplementariteit insluit, word in hierdie studie aangewend en kristallisering word verkry deur die toepassing van verskillende data-insamelingsmetodes. Die studie is geanker in die vertolkend-konstruktiewe filosofiese paradigma en word ondersteun deur befaamde en internasionaal erkende teorieë oor die onderrig en leer van taal. Die resultate toon dat die tradisionele benadering tot onderrig steeds gehandhaaf word. Die teksgebaseerde benadering tot onderrig is toegepas deur die vereistes na te kom wat in die vooropgestelde lesse van die departementele ingrypingstrategie, die Gauteng Primary Language and Mathematics Strategy (GPLMS), voorgeskryf is. Die resultate toon ook dat onderwysers beperkte kennis het van wat die teksgebaseerde benadering behels en dat hulle kurrikulumaangeleentheid nie behoorlik verstaan nie. Alhoewel daar bevind is dat die benadering geskik en voordelig is, is die grootse gebrek daarvan dat leerders se kommunikatiewe bevoegdheid nie ontwikkel word nie. === Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. === tm2016 === Humanities Education === PhD === Unrestricted