Abstract:

English is a second language to the majority in South Africa and yet it is the medium of instruction, posing a challenge to English teaching and learning. Therefore, the study examined the nature of problems faced by English second language learners based on a case of one primary school situated in a high-density suburb of the city of Bloemfontein, South Africa, with most learners coming from disadvantaged communities. The aim was to develop, by utilising technology, a more effective model of second language teaching and learning. A survey was administered to a purposive sample of Grades Four to Seven learners. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents, regardless of demographic variables, face a myriad of problems leading to semantic breakdown, hindering mastery of the four language skills namely listening, reading, speaking and writing. Insofar as listening is concerned, a lack of confidence to ask when students do not understand was dominant, (87%), unfamiliarity with vocabulary words (66%), fast-paced speaking by the teacher (66%) and non-use of teaching aids (60%) were also significant. In reading, unfamiliarity with English words was dominant (82%), and low reading pace due to unfamiliar words (70%), easily forgetting learnt content (66%), and difficulty separating main from supporting ideas (66%) were significant. Major speaking errors were related to code-switching (70%), difficulty speaking in English (66%), failure to grasp instructions (64%), and grammatical errors (60%). In writing, struggle to develop ideas in English when writing essays was dominant (74%), and difficulty to follow the correct format in continuous writing (68%), unfamiliarity with topics written about (67%) and relying on dictionary word meanings (66%) were significant. Largely, the general lack of exposure to the English language, which learners encounter mainly in the classroom is a major barrier to the understanding of English concepts. It was concluded that pedagogies to enhance teaching and learning English as a second language are lacking. The Department of Basic Education should prescribe policy and monitor the use of innovative technologies to scaffold learners’ understanding of concepts thus enabling them to meet the demands of using English proficiently as a dominant language in global contexts. Furthermore, the Department should invest in the hardware and software required to enhance the use of innovative technologies in teaching and learning. To this end, a model of digital storytelling for language teaching and learning was developed.

Keywords:

English second language, barriers, innovative technologies, storytelling, teaching and learning, basic education, South Africa.