Abstract:

Many learners can communicate fluently in Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) but struggle with Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) needed for academic learning. As a result, learners often fail to achieve academic success despite having strong conversational skills. This article investigates contextual challenges that hinder effective academic language learning and explores how teachers’ pedagogical practices can bridge the gap between BICS and CALP to support learners in transitioning from conversational to academic language, despite limited resources and socioeconomic challenges. An in-depth literature review was conducted to investigate this phenomenon. The exclusion/inclusion method was used to select and conclude the literature review, using key words as the criteria for literature search. Twenty studies were reviewed during a period of four months from Google Scholar and ERIC. Eight recent studies (between five and ten years) which specifically address the focus of the article were finally included. The article adopts Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory to examine how pedagogy and interactive reading practices can support learners’ transitioning from conversational to academic language proficiency. Guided reading and writing tasks, structured vocabulary teaching, and collaborative teaching programmes among teachers can enhance learners’ development of CALP and improve their reading engagement. Other pedagogical strategies that can address challenges hindering effective academic language learning should be investigated to devise measures that can further enhance learners’ CALP development and improve their reading engagement and academic learning.

Keywords:

Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT), reading comprehension, senior phase, South African public schools.