AN EVALUATION OF ISIZULU LITERACY DEVELOPMENT IN LOWER GRADES: THE IMPACT OF LANGUAGE POLICIES
Abstract
The development of literacy in African languages in South African schools has been a longstanding challenge despite legislative frameworks intended to facilitate it. This study investigates the use of isiZulu, an indigenous African language, as a medium for literacy development in selected primary and intermediate schools in KwaZulu-Natal province. The study examines language policies in the schools and to what extent they promote isiZulu literacy development. The findings reveal prevalent inadequacies in language policies, educational resources and the predominantly English medium of instruction, which exclude isiZulu development. Consequently, the study recommends the prioritization of African language literacy development in school language policies, and the need for population-focused initiatives to support this approach
Keywords:
literacy development, indigenous African languages, isiZulu, South African schools, language policiesDownloads
Published
Issue
Section
How to Cite
References
Alexander N (2002). An Ordinary Country: Issues in the Transition from Apartheid to Democracy in South Africa. Durban: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press.
Banda D and Morgan W (2013) . Folklore as an instrument of education among the Chewa people of Zambia. International Review of Education/Internationale Zeitschrift Für Erziehungswissenschaft, 59(2), 197 -216.
Banda D (2008). Education for All (EFA) and African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS). The case of the Chewa people of Zambia. Saarbru¨cken: Lambert Academic Publishing.
Barley ZA and Beesley AD (2007). ‘Rural school success: What can we learn?’ Journal of Research in Rural Education 22(1), 1-16.
Bertram C and Christiansen I (2014). Understanding Research: An Introduction to Reading Research.
Pretoria: Van Schaik.
Cummins J (2000). Language, power, and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Crossley M and Murby M (1994). ‘Textbook provision and the quality of the school curriculum in developing countries: Issues and policy options’. Comparative Education 30(2), 99-114. Department of Education.(2011). Annual National Assessment tests. Pretoria.
Guba EG and Lincoln YS (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research, in Handbook of qualitative research. NK Denzin YS Lincoln editors. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage. pp. 105-117.
Greaney V (1996). ‘Reading in Developing Countries: Problems and Issues’ In V Greaney editor. Promoting Reading in Developing Countries. Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association.
Elley WB (2000). ‘The potential of book floods for raising literacy levels’ International Review on Education 46(3/4) , 233-255.
Elley WB and Mangubhai F (1997). ‘A research report on reading in Fiji’ Fiji English Teachers’. Journal 15, 1-7.
Erasmus J (2012) Why We Need A Literate Nation.
Finlayson R and Madiba M (2002). The Intellectualisation of the Indigenous Languages of South Africa: Challenges and Prospects. Current Issues in Language Plannin 3(1), 4-61.
Henning E, Rensburg, WV and Smit, B. (2004). Finding your way in qualitative research. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
Howie SE, Venter S, Staden LV, Zimmerman C, Long V, Scherman and Archer E (2008). PIRLS 2006 Summary Report: South African Children’s Reading Achievement. Centre for Evaluation and Assessment. University of Pretoria: South Africa.
Heugh K (2006). Theory and practice – Language education models in Africa: Research design, decision making and outcomes. In: Alidou H, Boly A, Brock-Utne B, Satina Y, Heugh K, Wolff EH editors. Optimising learning and education in Sub-Saharan Africa. ADEA, UNESCO Institute for education, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, Working document for ADEA Biennial 2006, Libreville, Gabon, 27 -31 March. pp 56-84.
Iyamu E, Ogiegbaen SA (2007). Parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of Mother Tongue Medium of Instruction Policy in Nigerian primary schools. Language, culture and curriculum 20(2), 97-108.
Sherwood T (2000). ‘Where has all the “rural” gone? Rural education research and current federal reform’. Journal of Research in Rural Education 16(3), 159-167.
Stern JD (1994) . The condition of education in rural schools. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
Olajide SB (2007) . The Place of Folklore and Culture in Revitalizing Literacy for National Liberation Paper Presented at the 5th Pan-African Reading for All Conference, Held at the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra Ghana, 6th -10th August, 2007.
Uzodinma ECC(1993). New approaches to adult literacy. Literacy and Reading in Nigeria, 6, 31-37. Kamwangamalu NM (2000). A new policy, old language practices: Status planning for African languages in a multilingual South Africa. South African Journal of African languages 20(1), 50-60.
Kruizinga A and Nathanson R (2010). An evaluation of guided reading in three primary schools in the Western Cape.Per Linguam 26(2), 67-76.
Macedo L (1994). constructivist trials. Sao Paulo: House of Psychologist.
Masuura K (2005). Foreword. In Education for all. Global Monitoring Report, Literacy for life. Paris:
UNESCO.
Majasan JA (1969). Folklore as an instrument of education among the Yoruba. Folklore, 80(2), 41-59.
Neke S (2005). The medium of instruction in Tanzania: Reflections on language, education and society.
Changing English 12(1), 73-78.
UNESCO (2005). Education for All (EFA): Global Monitoring Report. Literacy for all Paris: UNESCO.
Verspoor A (1989). Pathways to change: Improving the quality of education in developing countries.Washington, DC: World Bank.
Walker R, Rattanavitch S and Oller J (1992) Teaching all the children to read. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
Webb V (2012) . Managing multilingualism in Higher Education in post-1994 South Africa. Language Matters: Studies in the Languages of Africa 43(2), 202-220.
