Identifying potential grammatical features for explicit instruction to isiXhosa-speaking learners of English
Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Abstract: ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Given the promise of upward socio-economic mobility that English is currently deemed to \nhold in South Africa, it is a matter of egalitarian principle that the schooling system provides \nall learners in this country with a fair chance at acquiring English to a high level of \nproficiency. There exists a common misconception, however, that such a chance is \nnecessarily provided in the form of English medium education for all learners, regardless of \nwhat their mother tongue may be. As a result, the majority of learners are caught in a system \nthat cites English as medium of instruction, despite their and often also their teachers’ low \noverall proficiency in this language; the little opportunity many have for the naturalistic \nacquisition of English; and the national Language-in-Education Policy of 1997’s advice to the \ncontrary, in promoting additive bilingualism with the home language serving as foundation \nthrough the use thereof as medium of instruction. \nAs an interim solution, it is suggested that English-as-an-additional-language be developed to \nserve as a strong support subject in explicitly teaching learners the grammar of English. In \norder to identify grammatical features for explicit instruction, an initial step was taken in \nanalysing the free speech of eight first language speakers of isiXhosa, the African language \nmost commonly spoken in the Western Cape. The grammatical intuitions of these speakers, \nwho had all reached a near-native level of proficiency in English, were tested in an English \ngrammaticality judgement task. Collectively, results revealed syntactic, semantic and \nmorphological features of English, in that order, to prove most problematic to these speakers. \nMore specifically, in terms of syntax, the omission of especially prepositions and articles was identified as a candidate topic for explicit instruction, along with the syntactic positioning of adverbs and particles. In terms of semantics, incorrect lexical selection, especially of \nprepositions / prepositional phrases and pronouns, proved the most common non-native \nfeature to be suggested for explicit teaching. Lastly, in terms of morphology, inflection \nproved most problematic, with the accurate formulation (especially in terms of tense and / or \naspect forms) of past tense, progressive and irrealis structures being the features suggested for explicit instruction, along with the third person singular feature.
Author: Anneke Perold
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
Funder: National Research Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W2161766325