ENG2601 January February Supp PORTFOLIO (QUALITY ANSWERS) 2026

This document contains workings, explanations and solutions to the ENG2601 January February Supp PORTFOLIO (QUALITY ANSWERS) 2026. For assistance whats-app us on 0.6.8..8.1.2..0.9.3.4.. Jan/Feb 2026 ENG2601 Applied English Language Studies: Further Explorations 100 marks 72 hours (3 days) Read Text A and answer the questions that follows. Lack of books in SA’s homes throws spotlight on Pirls shock No books in 43% of households with young children, according to research by Unicef by Tamar Kahn (Health & Science Correspondent) Read the text below and answer the question set. How South Africa can prepare for a data-driven education system Published: January 21, 2021 3.34pm SAST Authors: Mmaki Jantjies and Paul Plantinga le There are significant disparities in South Africa’s education system. Schools are divided into quintiles, from one to five; the poorest, in quintile one, struggle enormously with a lack of resources and support. They also tend to have poorer educational outcomes. That has a direct effect on university admission and outcomes. One of the government’s attempts to address these inequalities is through technology. This began as early as 2003 with the Draft White Paper on e-Education. These and similar policies aim to resource more marginalised schools, universities and colleges with digital tools. This, in a bid to “leapfrog” access to interactive learning content and improved administrative capabilities. COVID-19 lockdowns have made this approach “imperative … now the only thing we can do”, according to the country’s Ministry of Basic Education. More and more, data and data-driven tools are emerging as a central feature of this digital response. Developers of these technologies promise a new level of insight and automation that mimics human intelligence. They argue this will bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to both teaching and learning as well as to administrative processes. They suggest that performance dashboards, automated assessments, chat bots and adaptive learning technologies can mitigate many of the challenges faced by the country’s teachers, lecturers, district managers and university administrators. There’s a growing global evidence base to support these sorts of approaches. For instance, teachers in under-resourced schools with large classes could use technology to gather individualised data. With this they could develop more personalised learning experiences for pupils based on their strengths and weaknesses. Data is the backbone of these tools. The growth of machine learning and other intelligent applications has been spurred by the increased collection and availability of data. Such data underlies the kinds of adaptive applications and emerging technologies that are proposed for use in the education system. We collaborated on a guide that examines how South Africa can ensure its data policy and governance takes some of the lessons and concerns from previous education technology implementations into account. It also considers the practical steps needed for this to happen. The guide is part of a series curated by the Policy Action Network (PAN), a project by South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). Here are some of the things a data policy for South Africa’s education system should consider. Technology impact Experience shows that simply providing technology to teachers or students has a limited effect on educational outcomes. The benefits of online, assisted learning and behavioural interventions also vary depending on how technology is used, and in what context. This is highlighted in working papers that review the effectiveness of educational technology globally and in developing countries. In South Africa, questions about effectiveness are amplified. That’s because of concerns about unequal Internet access. Cost-effectiveness and teacher perceptions are also issues. Data management A key issue centres on how data is collected, shared and used. It’s crucial that personal information should be kept private. Education institutions need to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), which comes into force effect later in 2021. Another question concerns sharing and reuse across the wider spectrum of education data. This ranges from the content of books and journal articles to administrative data, such as student enrolments and graduations. Sharing or publishing this data in a responsible way can stimulate the development of many creative and useful applications. But data sharing intersects with evolving copyright laws and debates around ownership and reuse. These will have implications for data-driven innovation in the sector. A third point is to reckon with well-documented concerns about bias embedded in existing data which is being used in decision-support applications. If this isn’t dealt with, data-driven applications may reinforce historical prejudices and practices related to education. A holistic policy response South Africa doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel to deal with these issues. Other countries are exploring policy approaches that could guide or inform its approach. For instance, a governmental think tank in India developed a national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. This points to various examples of how the country can use AI technologies to support education. Importantly, however, it also suggests replicating the UK’s Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation to ensure ethical and safe use of data. There are no books at all in 43% of SA households with young children, and just 16% of homes contain more than five books, according to research released on Monday by the UN children’s agency Unicef. The study highlights how reading and storytelling are neglected in many households and comes hard on the heels of results of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Pirls) 2021, which found 81% of SA’s grade 4 children could not read for meaning. Reading for meaning refers to the ability to extract meaning from a section of text, and is a vital skill a child needs to acquire to progress through the school curriculum. “Access to books and in turn reading and storytelling is critical because it sets the child up for foundational literacy in formal school,” said the deputy representative of Unicef in SA, Muriel Mafico. “The first 1,000 days of life are when a child’s brain develops the fastest. Listening to stories and playing is an essential part of a child’s development to get the best start in life.” The research was commissioned by Unicef and the department of basic education. It included 1,422 participants in all nine provinces from both urban and rural settings and explored the knowledge, attitudes and practices of caregivers responsible for children up to the age of six years. It found even though 58% of households had access to some books, only 32% of caregivers reported reading regularly to young children, with many of them saying babies and toddlers under the age of two years are too young for books and play. The department’s director for monitoring and evaluation, Stephen Taylor, said many factors affect a child’s reading development, but there is clear evidence that reading practices at home play a major role. Efforts to increase parental involvement in reading has so far yielded mostly disappointing results, he said. “It seems difficult for government and other organisations to significantly change parent involvement in those homes where it is lacking,” he said. The shortage of books in homes highlights the importance of making sure that early childhood development (ECD) centres and foundation phase classes are equipped with classroom libraries, said University of Stellenbosch associate professor of economics Nic Spaull. “The department of basic education should commit to providing all ECD centres with a basic minimum package of books, and similarly all foundation phase classrooms should have a minimum 100-book library,” he said. “Using Open Access books and printing at scale makes this goal realistic, even within current budgetary constraints.” Breadline Africa CEO Marion Wagner said it is vital for their education that children develop a love of reading. “Every aspect of our lives is governed by literacy, from completing education and finding a job to reading the football scores. “While it is true that books can be expensive, and impoverished communities and families are finding it difficult to purchase basic food items, there are public libraries and nonprofits, like Breadline Africa, Book Dash and others, who are able to assist,” she said. Having books at home plays a critical role in stimulating a hunger for reading. “It is these first experiences of storytelling that form the foundation of a lifelong relationship with books,” she said. Parents and caregivers have limited knowledge about the links between learning through play and positive early childhood development, the study found. They largely believe learning happens at creches or at school, and that teaching is the responsibility of teachers. Many caregivers see learning as a formal, structured activity conducted by a teacher, said the researchers. Echoing this approach, a report commissioned by the Australian National Department of Education, outlines how critical it is that the application of AI should accord with human rights. There are also existing resources in South Africa. These include the recently released 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) report and recommendations from a 2019 Department of Higher Education and Training discussion on 4IR implications. POPIA and related legislation provide guidance on how data should be published, used and handled, including for automated decision-making. Source: Question Write a coherent and well-constructed essay of approximately words in which you analyse the structure, audience, tone and style of the text, to show how the writer’s purpose is achieved. Support your argument with evidence from the text. The following criteria will be used to mark your essay. Aspects Description Title (3 marks) • A suitable title has been provided. Introduction (10 marks) • The introduction provides a relevant background about the subject matter. Write a well-structured essay of approximately words in which you analyse how genre, tone, audience and register contribute to establishing the purpose of the text. Refer to the text to substantiate your argument. Total Mark: 100 Aspects Description Title (3 marks) • A suitable title has been provided. Introduction (10 marks) • The introduction provides a relevant background about the subject matter. • The introduction indicates what the essay is about as derived from the instruction. Content (60 marks) • The genre, tone, audience and register of the text have been clearly identified. • Each aspect has been analysed to show the purpose of the text as per the instructions. • Relevant examples for each aspect have been clearly cited from the text to show how the writer’s purpose is achieved. Structure and Language (20 marks) • The essay is well-written using academic language. • The arguments are structured in a coherent manner. Conclusion (7 marks) • The conclusion provides a concise summary of all arguments in a manner that adds value. • The introduction indicates what the essay is about as derived from the instruction. Content (60 marks) • The structure, audience, tone, and style of the text have been clearly identified. • Each aspect has been analysed to show the purpose of the text as per the instructions. • Relevant examples for each aspect have been clearly cited from the text to show how the writer’s purpose is achieved. Structure and Language (20 marks) • The essay is well-written using academic language. • The arguments are structured in a coherent manner. Conclusion (7 marks) • The conclusion provides a concise summary of all arguments in a manner that adds value.