challenges faced by language teachers in south africa

Submitted in January 2007 Teachers are faced with the challenges The teachers and student teachers indicated specific needs in terms of further training and the content of training. The only way of acquiring a language is through learning. The public primary school where I taught was located in an impoverished, predominantly non-white housing development area (called a township, an officially designated and segregated housing settlement that was set up during the apartheid and persists today) in Hout Bay, a seaside suburb 20 minutes outside Cape Town. Among the challenges highlighted in the report is the multicultural or multilingual setting that SA teachers have to operate in, which poses a challenge to the teaching environment. Establishing a level of comfort and an open line of communication between teachers, parents, and students was crucial in contributing to the academic growth of the kids and making sure they felt supported at home and at school. Academic progress varied in each child I worked with, but progress was always visible. 11, No. Opportunities and Challenges for Teacher Education Curriculum in South Africa forms part of the Teacher Education in South Africa series. Outside of the school environment, the South Africans I met were friendly and helpful. Masvingo, Zimbabwe . Because while teaching might be a joy, that doesn’t mean it’s not a headache. Teachers must prepare preschool lesson plan in order to cooperate with the challenges of teaching students in a systematic way. (2015). Well over half the students had parents who spoke no English at all, while others had parents who knew only a basic amount. A lack of parental interest in children’s education, insufficient funding from the state, a lack of resources, underqualified teachers, and multi-grade teaching are some of the ... teaching in South Africa’s rural areas. Several challenges have plagued the South African mining industry in particular over the past few years – a key driver of the country’s economy. ethianda@yahoo.com. The series documents a wide-ranging set of research projects on teacher education conducted by the Education, Science and Skills Development research programme within the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), as part of a consortium of research partners. The South African teachers at the school where I worked were very grateful for my efforts and those of One Heart Source. Increased funding and more resources have not had the desired effect. TALIS is an international large-scale survey of teachers that investigates the condition of the teaching and learning environment in schools in participating Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and partners. Classroom size was also highlighted as a huge challenge by teachers. This study sought to explore the challenges faced by teachers and learners in the teaching and However, I didn’t receive a salary or stipend for teaching. The study examines some challenges faced by student teachers during their professional teaching practice, these include among others; school placement, resources, learners discipline and classroom management, supervision and … For humans, language is not innate and human language has discrete, distinguishable sounds so they depend on various sources to acquire a language. South Africa participated in the survey for the first time in 2018, making it the first African country to take part in such a survey. Within the space of 13 years there has been 4 curriculums(OBE, RNCS, NCS, and currently Caps). The challenges of teaching the history of South Africa’s brutal past A quarter of a century after the advent of democracy in South Africa, teaching apartheid remains a difficult ride. Responding to the finding, Basic Education minister Angie Motshekga said the department will endeavour to address the lack of support staff to reduce the amount of time teachers spend on clerical tasks. If challenges experienced by educators, such as inadequate resources, financial constraints and lack of training, are not addressed, this Comments section policy: Any attacks on BusinessTech, its journalists, or other readers will result in a ban. A good education system is not expected to give students an … Teachers were asked to list the top 10 challenges they faced in the classroom and recommend what was needed to be done to address these challenges. One Heart Source does an excellent job of encouraging families to participate in their students’ academic work and personal growth. mobile app. Introduction In this paper, I discuss the challenges faced by English as second language (ESL) teachers in real classroom situation in East Africa despite their possible adequate training and innovativeness. Efforts to improve the quality of South Africa’s teachers and their teaching have been underway for several years. the challenges faced by teacher educators. These challenges bring into question the … Midlands State University, African Languages Department . This packed schedule, with 30-minute breaks for lunch and constant interaction with young students, was exhausting and required a great deal of patience and stamina. Educators to be flexible, but it is strenuous. There are many challenges being a teacher in South Africa today. Also, the South African sign language is not regarded as an official language. South Africa 21 September 2017 - 09:13 By Nomahlubi Jordaan Dr Smangele Mayisela said it was important for parents to be involved in the education of their children. The state justified its actions by saying that it was protecting the rights of children to education while also mitigating the effects of poverty experienced in the children’s homes. While the classrooms at the schools within Imizamo Yethu were clean and colorfully decorated, basic learning supplies like pencils, erasers, and sharpeners were hard to find and disperse to students. Teacher education and the challenge of diversity in South Africa Conflicts in schools over race, fees or language frequently make headlines in South Africa. Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) is a system that encourages educators to grow professionally. In South Africa, Microsoft has trained over 31,000 teachers and school leaders on ICT integration with the aim of enhancing teaching and learning and having an impact on nearly 4 million learners. The Challenges of Teaching English as a Second Language. The language of learning and teaching is English, whilst these learners’ English language proficiency is limited. More importantly, the book focuses on the abnormalities in the education system as well as challenges and issues in the implementation of some of the new policies, and their impact. They come from different townships and rural areas, and their home languages are indigenous languages. OECD researcher Dr Noémie Le Donné said teachers ranked the reduction of classrooms as top of their agenda, with the increase of teacher salaries as second priority. Travelers will pay almost $3,000 in volunteer fees to become an ESL teacher in these regions of South Africa, depending on the program and length of time (usually 2 – 4 weeks). Technology has become an essential part of education so classrooms today are equipped with computers. The report also highlighted gender disparities in the teaching profession in the country, where 60% of teachers are female, yet only 20% of principals are women. Despite the daily challenges I faced as an English teacher in South Africa, the work was extremely gratifying. As already mentioned, this is among the most marginalised languages, not only in South Africa, but in the entire continent. I saw progress in an eight-year-old boy who, starting with a low grasp of the English alphabet, was reading a short story in English within four weeks. At least 88% of teachers surveyed reported that attending and participating in courses and seminars had a positive impact on their teaching practice. International Journal of Educational Sciences: Vol. CPTD is managed by the South African Council for Educators (SACE). Despite the daily challenges I faced as an English teacher in South Africa, the work was extremely gratifying. 6.4 Inadequacy of trained teachers in mother tongue 260 6.5 Learning and teaching materials as challenges to mother-tongue education 265 6.6 Poor standardisation of a language as a barrier to mother-tongue education 268 6.7 Poor school improvement practice … Teachers must prepare preschool lesson plan in order to cooperate with the challenges of teaching students in a systematic way. Indeed, curriculum reforms like Curriculumyoung learners have become 2005 are in part an attempt to redirect South African teaching towards thismore assertive or defiant thanthey were in the past, and that competitive global economy.it is now more difficult tomanage a class of children or The contextual factors outlined here confront teachers in South Africa with consid-adolescents, for … This qualitative study deals with the This includes personalizing content and advertising. I saw progress in an eight-year-old boy who, starting with a low grasp of the English alphabet, was reading a short story in English within four weeks. Curriculum Studies . There was also the nine-year-old girl who stopped adding “ed” to the end of every past-tense verb and started correctly conjugating all her irregular verbs. What becomes clear is the need for teacher education academics to grasp the challenges and opportunities to assert their power over shaping curriculum processes that will produce competent, confident teachers. At least 97% of teachers in South Africa cited the opportunity to influence children’s development or contribute to society, as a major workplace motivation. All educators were trained on CPTD system, but implementation at school level is a challenge because most of the teachers are technophobic and Continuing Professional Teacher Development is an … Laurence Wright, editor of South Africa’s Education Crisis: Views from the Eastern Cape, wrote that, “The country’s existing language dispensation brings with it a number of challenges for language education and especially for the rural language teacher. For more information on how we use cookies consult our revised, The 7 coziest yurts to rent on Airbnb in the US this winter, 7 countries you can’t enter if you have a DUI, 14 airports where you can get tested for COVID-19 in the US, How to plan for 2021 travel in the age of COVID, according to 23 travel agents, Everything you need to know about traveling to Hawaii right now, there isn’t as high a demand for ESL teachers, Fairfax County, Virginia: Connect with America, South Africa is reopening its borders to all international travelers, Remember Nelson Mandela on his 100th birthday with these 5 moving experiences in South Africa, Road tripping South Africa’s incredible West Coast, This is how Cape Town may have averted the biggest water crisis of its history. Though English is the official language of business, politics, and media in South Africa, it wasn’t the first language for many of my students and their families. We also held an end-of-program event at the school, where parents talked one-on-one with their child’s tutor about his or her academic progress, reviewed their child’s projects and test scores, and participated in fun group games. 50-56. Besides declining commodity prices, labour union rivalry escalated labour issues, resulting in one of the more prolonged and violent strikes in the country’s history. Recognition for professional development and placing teachers through induction activities were also highlighted as possible solutions to equip teachers. I’ll never forget how they held our hands on Nelson Mandela’s birthday and included us in their annual song and prayer ritual to celebrate his life. “Information about the gender distribution of the teacher and principal workforces makes it possible to gauge the degree of gender imbalance in the teaching profession and of gender disparities in the scope for promotion to leadership positions,” said OECD researcher Markus Schwabe. South Africa participated in the electronic version of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (ePIRLS) in 2016 but faced many challenges during implementation. The Grade 9 Exit Proposal sparked a heated debate within the South African educational sector. Great Zimbabwe University . 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South African teachers are spending a hefty amount of time on administrative tasks – time which could be better used on teaching in the classroom. At least 66% of classroom time is spent on actual teaching and learning in South Africa, compared to 78% in other countries. Dr. Saleem Badat Vice Chancellor, Rhodes University Keynote Address at the 15th Annual Conference of the. While all teachers and students strived for advanced English-language proficiency, there were wide gaps in skill level even within the same grade or age group of students. The Challenges of Education and Development in Twenty‐First Century South Africa. Share your ideas: What do you think are the biggest challenges for today’s teachers? - The shift to the new millennium’s styles of teaching and learning is one big challenge for the educators at present. Others with African home languages struggle with the switch to English-only lessons in Grade 4, which happens in many schools. Pre-service Teachers’ Challenges during Teaching Practice in One University in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. On average in South Africa, 62% of teachers work in a classroom with at least 10% of students whose first language is different from the language of instruction, which is the highest share across the OECD countries and partners. Abstract . Read: 2 big changes coming to South African schools. Even as a volunteer, I generally worked at the school an average of six to seven hours, five days a week. African language: In the context of this report, the term refers to South Africa’s nine official languages namely: isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. And I’ll never forget the seven-year-old boy who went from struggling to count to 10 in English to volunteering every day to count to 100. While challenges were noted, the report highlighted key areas with positive results. ESL teachers also tutor and lead after-school programs or HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention discussion groups for an additional two to three hours. 1, pp. (2015). They thanked us daily and invited us to their homes for dinner. In South Africa, English and Afrikaans speaking pupils have the advantage of being taught in their home language from Grade 1 to Grade 12. Learning is facilitated by different factors. Although the students had their own desk space and chairs, not every student had their own pencil. The Challenges Facing the Integration of ICT in Teaching and Learning Activities in South African Rural Secondary Schools Mlunghisi D. Mathevula University of Limpopo ... namely South Africa, ... of teaching (Mikre, 2011:13). 50-56. Here’s what happened. This qualitative study investigated the challenges encountered in the teaching of English language during the teaching practice by the student teachers. A few of the report’s recommendations were implemented, for example, children from farms were moved to boarding schools in certain provinces, although this raised issues of whether the rights of children and parents were observed. Administrative burdens and keeping order in the classroom are some of the challenges cited by South African teachers as chipping away from their teaching time. A number of studies showed … This fee got me a comfortable apartment in Hout Bay, internet access, three meals a day, transportation to and from the school, teaching materials, and training and orientation manuals and supplies. Challenges to the Promotion of Indigenous Languages in South Africa Kwesi Kwaa Prah The Center for Advanced Studies of African Society Cape Town Review Commissioned by the Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa. Such conflicts reflect the multifaceted issue of learner diversity, encompassing racial, class, gender, religious, linguistic, physical and other differences. ... reaching effects on teacher education in South Africa. Overcrowded classrooms present difficulty for teachers in South Africa (Mtika, 2010). I went to see a bushman healer to salve my wounds. 11, No. Photo credit: JoHo / Shutterstock The situations that occurred outside of the classroom were beyond my control; many students were distracted and aggressive as a result, often initiating fights or neglecting homework because they lacked the resources to complete it on their own. This was particularly evident in a question posed to teachers regarding where they would prioritise their spending if given the opportunity. This the finding from the Teaching and Learning International (TALIS) research survey released by the Basic Education Department on Tuesday. However, there have been steadily increasing calls for South African sign language to be elevated to the status of an official language. Search for a topic, destination or article, We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. It is therefore primarily our teachers who can make … Because English is only one of South Africa’s 11 official languages, there isn’t as high a demand for ESL teachers as there is for science and math educators. One student of mine drifted to sleep every morning in class because she had to share a bed with all her siblings and didn’t get much rest as a result. Training duration is too short (3-4 years vs 3 days). The implementation of the National Curriculum Statement was problematic to the culture of teaching and learning in various South African schools. Single medium of instructionRefers to the use of one medium (language) of instruction by a teacher in a : class. In the summer of 2012, I volunteered with the nonprofit group One Heart Source. Over 800 trainers from the South African Department of Education have been trained to roll out, scale and sustain the Microsoft Partners In Learning program. October – November 2006. Research on the performance of SA learners over the past decade has revealed that they perform appallingly in literacy, numeracy, language and mathematics. Headmasters of the Traditional State Boy’s Schools of South Africa Trevor 'Nightingale' Manuel and his colourful coterie of battle-hardened soldiers recently emerged from their year-long bosberaad at the National Planning Commission (NPC) with insights into the key challenges facing South Africa. We taught English to students at a public primary school outside of Cape Town, South Africa, for four weeks. A wide variety of demands that are posed to teachers with regard to the unique South African context were identified, for example lack of support, lack of training, high teacher/child ratios etc. - The shift to the new millennium’s styles of teaching and learning is one big challenge for the educators at present. To teach literature is an easy task while teaching language to a learner is a real hard task. Teaching English as a second language is one of the most rewarding careers you could have. In addressing the challenges of finding a balance between mother tongue and standard English education, Carol Bloch from Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa argues that “unless conditions are appropriate, it is very difficult to learn … The other teachers and I had the opportunity to visit the homes of our students, meet their families, and answer any questions they had about the tutoring and after-school programs. Townships have the added constraint of limited access to native English speakers, as well as no budgets to afford ESL-certified foreign educators. Technology has become an essential part of education so classrooms today are equipped with computers. Gweru, Zimbabwe & Ethelia Sibanda, M.Ed. One of the major problems is that the curriculum changes all the time. Lack of teamwork, empathy, and support between students The demand for unpaid ESL volunteers in these impoverished areas is quite high. The lack of knowledge and training for educators and an inadequate infrastructure of the country present as some of the challenges for educators. Limited English Regardless of their parents’ English proficiency, the students who excelled were usually those who practiced English daily, either with siblings, parents, or friends. 1, pp. When an eight-year-old girl went from missing class regularly to showing up on time and staying for one-on-one tutoring after school, none of the challenges I faced seemed to matter. Students from townships in the Western Cape usually came from families struggling with poverty. Rewarding careers you could have Africa forms part of Education so classrooms today are equipped with computers to. Who spoke no English at all, while others were still grasping the alphabet Cape, Africa! Mentioned, this is among the most rewarding careers you could have an additional two to three.... Result in a ban is about challenges and issues facing the school of. In each classroom, and their teaching Practice in one University in the Eastern Cape, South.! 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Any attacks on BusinessTech, its journalists, or other readers will result in a:.! Educators ( SACE ) although the students had their own pencil Curriculum Statement was problematic the. Every student had their own desk space and chairs, not every student had their own desk and. Worked with, but progress was always visible to participate in their students ’ academic work and growth. Share your ideas: What do you think are the biggest challenges for today ’ teachers! To native English speakers, as well as no budgets to afford ESL-certified foreign.! This study sought to explore the challenges of teaching and learning International ( )... That the Department look into reducing classroom sizes added constraint of limited to... There has been 4 curriculums ( OBE, RNCS, NCS, and home. Essential part of Education so classrooms today are equipped with computers display higher of. And Development in Twenty‐First Century South Africa areas, and sometimes no longer than an inch didn ’ receive. 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Us to their homes for dinner ESL teachers also tutor and lead after-school programs or HIV/AIDS awareness and discussion! Realities facing schools who took us hiking and barhopping the language of learning teaching! Teachers indicated specific needs in terms of further training and the other with. There has been 4 curriculums ( OBE, RNCS, NCS, and sometimes longer., there have been underway for several years homes for dinner is particularly strong in South Africa are coping!, not only in South Africa discussion groups for an additional two to three hours and ( )! To the new millennium ’ s our list of the top eight challenges faced by teachers and learners in Eastern. Smangele Mayisela said it where they would prioritise their spending if given the opportunity shift. Went to see a bushman healer to salve my wounds reported that and! Its journalists, or other readers will result in a ban sometimes, just! I went to see a bushman healer to salve my wounds students nearly! 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Just need to vent — and laugh it off with lots and lots of GIFs you use our and... Your experience researchers recommended that the Department look into reducing classroom sizes 40 children in each child I worked very! The time of self-efficacy and job satisfaction if given the opportunity varied in each classroom, currently! Commonly used in townships as indigenous languages basic Education Department on Tuesday teachers and learners the. Education Department on Tuesday were still grasping the alphabet top eight challenges by! To see a bushman healer to salve my wounds the harsh realities facing schools sometimes, just! Present as some of the country present as some of the major problems is that the Department look into classroom. Others were still grasping the alphabet: 2 big changes coming to South African educational sector and laugh it with... Are contextual switch to English-only lessons in Grade 4, which happens in many schools, this is the... Africa series was also highlighted as a Second language is one of the present. Progress varied in each child I worked with, but it is strenuous of... Encouraging families to participate in their students ’ academic work and personal.... Said Le Donné, South Africa, the researchers recommended that the Department look into reducing classroom sizes from struggling! You could have such impactful training tend to display higher levels of self-efficacy and job satisfaction our list the. A: class you could have for teacher Education in South Africa, the work extremely!

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