APPLIED ENGLISH
LANGUAGE STUDIES: ENG2601
FURTHER
EXPLORATIONS
,HONESTY DECLARATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH STUDIES
Module Code: ………………. Assessment Date: ……………. 2023
1. I know that plagiarism means taking and using the ideas, writings, works or inventions of another
as if they were one’s own. I know that plagiarism not only includes verbatim copying, but also the
extensive use of another person’s ideas without proper acknowledgement (which includes the
proper use of quotation marks) or any attempt to cheat the plagiarism checking system. I know that
plagiarism covers the use of material found in textual sources and from the Internet.
2. I acknowledge and understand that plagiarism is wrong.
3. I understand that my assignment/exam answers must be accurately referenced. 4. This
assignment/exam file/portfolio is my own work. I acknowledge that copying someone else’s work, or
part of it, is wrong, and that submitting identical work to others constitutes a form of plagiarism.
5. I have not allowed, nor will I in the future allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as their own work.
6. I understand that I can be awarded 0% if I have plagiarized.
7. I understand that my assignment/exam file/portfolio may be submitted automatically to Turnitin.
8. I confirm that I have read and understood the following UNISA policies:
8.1 Policy for Copyright and Plagiarism
8.2 Policy on Academic Integrity
8.3 Student Disciplinary Code
Name ……XXXXXXX…… Student No: ....XXXXXXX................................
Signed ……XXXXXXX…………………………………. Date ................................................
© UNISA 2022
1
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
TEXT B IN RELATION TO PURPOSE, DICTION AND STYLE
SOURCES CONSULTED
2
, Read Texts B below and answer the question that follows.
TEXT B
Policy options to crack the mother tongue versus English riddle in South African schools Author:
Nompumelelo Mohohlwane Published: July 26, 2020, 11.52am SAST
Internationally, education theory favours mother-tongue instruction and recommends that
schooling should begin in the language the child knows best, often their mother tongue. Even with
limited studies in Africa, evidence in Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa supports
this. In South Africa mother-tongue instruction is maintained until the third year in most schools.
The language of teaching and learning changes to English from Grade 4 and then mother tongue is
taught as a subject rather than used as the language of instruction. However, the Language in
Education Policy allows schools to extend the years of mothertongue instruction until Grade 6. This
shows an inconsistency between the language policy and the schooling experience. Implementation
and education researchers have been calling for the extension of mothertongue instruction beyond
the current status quo in line with the policy. But parents seem to be requesting an even earlier
transition to English. When asked which language should be the main language of instruction in the
first three years of school, respondents have increasingly favoured English in the South African Social
Attitudes Survey. In 2003 the response was 55% in favour of English, but this increased to 65% in
2018. This is incompatible with the demographics of South Africa. In the last census less than 10% of
the population identified English as their home language.
This article discusses three policy options drawn from my research on language in education in South
Africa. I’ll outline what’s necessary to implement these options and what can be done to make
progress in policy and society. Policy options The first policy option is maintaining the status quo and
teaching in the various African mother tongues while also introducing English, and then transitioning
to English from Grade 4. ENG2601/ Year Module Assignments/ 2023 7 This is the most supported
policy option in terms of teacher and learner resources. The curriculum statements – which set out
what should be taught and when – are available in mother tongue only until Grade 3. These are an
important teacher resource used across the country. In addition, the educational culture of this
option has been established. But there are gaps which show that this option still needs further
investment. Firstly, few university courses adequately equip teachers with the skills of successfully
teaching home languages. Secondly, the education system needs to develop reading materials for
successful home-language teaching. Efforts towards this are already underway but more resources
and additional investments from universities, publishers, linguists and education specialists are
needed. The second policy option would be to delay moving to English as a medium of instruction
until Grade 6, in line with the language policy. This option builds on the first. Similarly, it would also
need material development for reading. But in addition, it would require the development and
reviewing of previous science, geography and maths textbooks into South Africa’s 11 official
languages in line with the current curriculum for Grade 4 through to Grade 6. This assumes that
academic and scientific terminology exists across all 11 languages to aid textbook revisions or
development.
A third policy option would be to take African languages further than Grade 6 and strengthen the
path to enable tertiary education in African languages. That would mean strengthened African
language teaching and learning to create an environment where African languages are not only used
as a bridge to English. They would become languages of society, education, and formal work while
3
LANGUAGE STUDIES: ENG2601
FURTHER
EXPLORATIONS
,HONESTY DECLARATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH STUDIES
Module Code: ………………. Assessment Date: ……………. 2023
1. I know that plagiarism means taking and using the ideas, writings, works or inventions of another
as if they were one’s own. I know that plagiarism not only includes verbatim copying, but also the
extensive use of another person’s ideas without proper acknowledgement (which includes the
proper use of quotation marks) or any attempt to cheat the plagiarism checking system. I know that
plagiarism covers the use of material found in textual sources and from the Internet.
2. I acknowledge and understand that plagiarism is wrong.
3. I understand that my assignment/exam answers must be accurately referenced. 4. This
assignment/exam file/portfolio is my own work. I acknowledge that copying someone else’s work, or
part of it, is wrong, and that submitting identical work to others constitutes a form of plagiarism.
5. I have not allowed, nor will I in the future allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as their own work.
6. I understand that I can be awarded 0% if I have plagiarized.
7. I understand that my assignment/exam file/portfolio may be submitted automatically to Turnitin.
8. I confirm that I have read and understood the following UNISA policies:
8.1 Policy for Copyright and Plagiarism
8.2 Policy on Academic Integrity
8.3 Student Disciplinary Code
Name ……XXXXXXX…… Student No: ....XXXXXXX................................
Signed ……XXXXXXX…………………………………. Date ................................................
© UNISA 2022
1
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
TEXT B IN RELATION TO PURPOSE, DICTION AND STYLE
SOURCES CONSULTED
2
, Read Texts B below and answer the question that follows.
TEXT B
Policy options to crack the mother tongue versus English riddle in South African schools Author:
Nompumelelo Mohohlwane Published: July 26, 2020, 11.52am SAST
Internationally, education theory favours mother-tongue instruction and recommends that
schooling should begin in the language the child knows best, often their mother tongue. Even with
limited studies in Africa, evidence in Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa supports
this. In South Africa mother-tongue instruction is maintained until the third year in most schools.
The language of teaching and learning changes to English from Grade 4 and then mother tongue is
taught as a subject rather than used as the language of instruction. However, the Language in
Education Policy allows schools to extend the years of mothertongue instruction until Grade 6. This
shows an inconsistency between the language policy and the schooling experience. Implementation
and education researchers have been calling for the extension of mothertongue instruction beyond
the current status quo in line with the policy. But parents seem to be requesting an even earlier
transition to English. When asked which language should be the main language of instruction in the
first three years of school, respondents have increasingly favoured English in the South African Social
Attitudes Survey. In 2003 the response was 55% in favour of English, but this increased to 65% in
2018. This is incompatible with the demographics of South Africa. In the last census less than 10% of
the population identified English as their home language.
This article discusses three policy options drawn from my research on language in education in South
Africa. I’ll outline what’s necessary to implement these options and what can be done to make
progress in policy and society. Policy options The first policy option is maintaining the status quo and
teaching in the various African mother tongues while also introducing English, and then transitioning
to English from Grade 4. ENG2601/ Year Module Assignments/ 2023 7 This is the most supported
policy option in terms of teacher and learner resources. The curriculum statements – which set out
what should be taught and when – are available in mother tongue only until Grade 3. These are an
important teacher resource used across the country. In addition, the educational culture of this
option has been established. But there are gaps which show that this option still needs further
investment. Firstly, few university courses adequately equip teachers with the skills of successfully
teaching home languages. Secondly, the education system needs to develop reading materials for
successful home-language teaching. Efforts towards this are already underway but more resources
and additional investments from universities, publishers, linguists and education specialists are
needed. The second policy option would be to delay moving to English as a medium of instruction
until Grade 6, in line with the language policy. This option builds on the first. Similarly, it would also
need material development for reading. But in addition, it would require the development and
reviewing of previous science, geography and maths textbooks into South Africa’s 11 official
languages in line with the current curriculum for Grade 4 through to Grade 6. This assumes that
academic and scientific terminology exists across all 11 languages to aid textbook revisions or
development.
A third policy option would be to take African languages further than Grade 6 and strengthen the
path to enable tertiary education in African languages. That would mean strengthened African
language teaching and learning to create an environment where African languages are not only used
as a bridge to English. They would become languages of society, education, and formal work while
3
