, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE TO ANSWER YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Question 1
You are a teacher in a diverse South African classroom, and you have been asked to teach
English First Additional Language (FAL) to a group of Grade 6 learners. The learners come from
a variety of home language backgrounds, including isiXhosa, Afrikaans, and Sesotho. You plan
to introduce them to a short text on environmental conservation.
1.1. Based on the scenario above, how would you introduce the text to your learners to ensure
that they engage with the material effectively? Discuss strategies for pre-reading, while-reading,
and post-reading activities.
In a diverse South African Grade 6 classroom where learners come from isiXhosa, Afrikaans, and
Sesotho home language backgrounds, introducing an English First Additional Language (FAL) text
on environmental conservation requires careful planning to ensure meaningful engagement. Using a
structured approach with pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading activities helps learners
understand the material, build language skills, and connect personally with the topic. Below is a
discussion of how to approach each stage effectively.
Pre-reading Activities
To prepare learners for reading, it is important to set the right atmosphere and provide them with the
necessary context. Introducing the topic of environmental conservation by linking it to the learners’
own surroundings helps make the text meaningful and relatable. Asking questions about what they
already know about nature, pollution, or protecting the environment activates their background
knowledge. Using the title and any visuals from the text encourages learners to predict what the text
will be about, sparking curiosity and preparing them mentally. Clarifying key vocabulary before
reading ensures that learners are not overwhelmed by unfamiliar words; this can be done through
pictures, synonyms, or connections to their home languages. Finally, setting a clear purpose for
reading, such as asking them to find the main message or three actions they can take to protect the
environment, helps learners focus and engage with the text actively.
While-reading Activities
During reading, it is essential to support learners’ comprehension as they work through the text.
Reading the text aloud first allows learners to hear proper pronunciation, intonation, and expression
while they follow along, and reading at a slightly slower pace without simplifying the content helps
maintain authenticity. Depending on the class’s proficiency level, silent reading, choral reading, or
reading aloud in turns can be used to reinforce understanding. It is important to encourage learners to
focus on the main idea rather than getting stuck on every word, helping them develop confidence in
grasping the gist of the text. Throughout the reading, pausing to ask simple comprehension questions
ensures that learners stay engaged and are following the material.
, Post-reading Activities
After reading, learners should have opportunities to consolidate their understanding and respond to
the text in ways that integrate different language skills. Asking a mix of factual and analytical
questions encourages both recall and critical thinking. Class discussions allow learners to express
their opinions, feelings, and ideas about the topic, promoting interaction and collaborative learning.
Summarising or retelling the text in their own words strengthens their speaking and writing abilities
while reinforcing comprehension. Linking the text to learners’ personal experiences helps them see
the relevance of environmental conservation in their own lives and communities. Additionally, using
the text as a springboard for integrated skills activities—such as group discussions, short talks,
role-plays, written summaries, or reports—further develops their speaking, writing, and grammatical
abilities. Focusing on specific language structures from the text, such as the future tense when
discussing environmental consequences, ensures that grammar instruction remains meaningful and
contextual. Finally, reflecting on the reading purpose and experience helps learners become aware of
their progress and deepen their engagement with the material.
1.2. Select 3 teaching principles that would you apply in this lesson to ensure that all learners,
regardless of their home language, are able to access and understand the text?
In a Grade 6 English First Additional Language (FAL) classroom with learners from diverse home
language backgrounds such as isiXhosa, Afrikaans, and Sesotho, it is important to apply thoughtful
teaching principles that ensure all learners can access and understand the text. When introducing a
text on environmental conservation, the teacher’s approach must support learners’ comprehension,
language development, and engagement regardless of their language proficiency. Three key teaching
principles that guide this process are scaffolding, differentiation, and the integration of language
skills.
Scaffolding
The principle of scaffolding involves providing structured support that helps learners accomplish
tasks they cannot yet do independently. In the context of teaching a text on environmental
conservation, scaffolding means preparing learners before they encounter the text by pre-teaching
unfamiliar vocabulary through pictures, gestures, synonyms, or links to their home languages. This
support continues during the reading process by reading the text aloud to model fluent reading and
pausing to check comprehension, ensuring learners focus on grasping the main idea rather than
becoming stuck on every word. After reading, scaffolding can include providing sentence starters or
writing frames to guide learners in summarising the text or expressing their opinions. By breaking
tasks into manageable parts and offering guidance at each stage, scaffolding helps learners gradually
build independence and confidence in engaging with the material.
Differentiation
Differentiation recognises that learners come to the classroom with varying abilities, experiences,
and needs, especially in a multilingual FAL setting. Applying differentiation means offering a
variety of activities tailored to learners’ different levels of English proficiency. For example, after
reading the text, learners with emerging language skills may answer simple factual questions, while
more proficient learners tackle analytical or opinion-based questions. Grouping learners strategically
allows stronger language users to support peers, while varying tasks such as drawing, listing, or
paragraph writing ensures all learners can participate meaningfully. By adjusting the complexity and
type of activities, differentiation ensures that every learner, regardless of their starting point, has the
opportunity to access and engage with the lesson content.
Question 1
You are a teacher in a diverse South African classroom, and you have been asked to teach
English First Additional Language (FAL) to a group of Grade 6 learners. The learners come from
a variety of home language backgrounds, including isiXhosa, Afrikaans, and Sesotho. You plan
to introduce them to a short text on environmental conservation.
1.1. Based on the scenario above, how would you introduce the text to your learners to ensure
that they engage with the material effectively? Discuss strategies for pre-reading, while-reading,
and post-reading activities.
In a diverse South African Grade 6 classroom where learners come from isiXhosa, Afrikaans, and
Sesotho home language backgrounds, introducing an English First Additional Language (FAL) text
on environmental conservation requires careful planning to ensure meaningful engagement. Using a
structured approach with pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading activities helps learners
understand the material, build language skills, and connect personally with the topic. Below is a
discussion of how to approach each stage effectively.
Pre-reading Activities
To prepare learners for reading, it is important to set the right atmosphere and provide them with the
necessary context. Introducing the topic of environmental conservation by linking it to the learners’
own surroundings helps make the text meaningful and relatable. Asking questions about what they
already know about nature, pollution, or protecting the environment activates their background
knowledge. Using the title and any visuals from the text encourages learners to predict what the text
will be about, sparking curiosity and preparing them mentally. Clarifying key vocabulary before
reading ensures that learners are not overwhelmed by unfamiliar words; this can be done through
pictures, synonyms, or connections to their home languages. Finally, setting a clear purpose for
reading, such as asking them to find the main message or three actions they can take to protect the
environment, helps learners focus and engage with the text actively.
While-reading Activities
During reading, it is essential to support learners’ comprehension as they work through the text.
Reading the text aloud first allows learners to hear proper pronunciation, intonation, and expression
while they follow along, and reading at a slightly slower pace without simplifying the content helps
maintain authenticity. Depending on the class’s proficiency level, silent reading, choral reading, or
reading aloud in turns can be used to reinforce understanding. It is important to encourage learners to
focus on the main idea rather than getting stuck on every word, helping them develop confidence in
grasping the gist of the text. Throughout the reading, pausing to ask simple comprehension questions
ensures that learners stay engaged and are following the material.
, Post-reading Activities
After reading, learners should have opportunities to consolidate their understanding and respond to
the text in ways that integrate different language skills. Asking a mix of factual and analytical
questions encourages both recall and critical thinking. Class discussions allow learners to express
their opinions, feelings, and ideas about the topic, promoting interaction and collaborative learning.
Summarising or retelling the text in their own words strengthens their speaking and writing abilities
while reinforcing comprehension. Linking the text to learners’ personal experiences helps them see
the relevance of environmental conservation in their own lives and communities. Additionally, using
the text as a springboard for integrated skills activities—such as group discussions, short talks,
role-plays, written summaries, or reports—further develops their speaking, writing, and grammatical
abilities. Focusing on specific language structures from the text, such as the future tense when
discussing environmental consequences, ensures that grammar instruction remains meaningful and
contextual. Finally, reflecting on the reading purpose and experience helps learners become aware of
their progress and deepen their engagement with the material.
1.2. Select 3 teaching principles that would you apply in this lesson to ensure that all learners,
regardless of their home language, are able to access and understand the text?
In a Grade 6 English First Additional Language (FAL) classroom with learners from diverse home
language backgrounds such as isiXhosa, Afrikaans, and Sesotho, it is important to apply thoughtful
teaching principles that ensure all learners can access and understand the text. When introducing a
text on environmental conservation, the teacher’s approach must support learners’ comprehension,
language development, and engagement regardless of their language proficiency. Three key teaching
principles that guide this process are scaffolding, differentiation, and the integration of language
skills.
Scaffolding
The principle of scaffolding involves providing structured support that helps learners accomplish
tasks they cannot yet do independently. In the context of teaching a text on environmental
conservation, scaffolding means preparing learners before they encounter the text by pre-teaching
unfamiliar vocabulary through pictures, gestures, synonyms, or links to their home languages. This
support continues during the reading process by reading the text aloud to model fluent reading and
pausing to check comprehension, ensuring learners focus on grasping the main idea rather than
becoming stuck on every word. After reading, scaffolding can include providing sentence starters or
writing frames to guide learners in summarising the text or expressing their opinions. By breaking
tasks into manageable parts and offering guidance at each stage, scaffolding helps learners gradually
build independence and confidence in engaging with the material.
Differentiation
Differentiation recognises that learners come to the classroom with varying abilities, experiences,
and needs, especially in a multilingual FAL setting. Applying differentiation means offering a
variety of activities tailored to learners’ different levels of English proficiency. For example, after
reading the text, learners with emerging language skills may answer simple factual questions, while
more proficient learners tackle analytical or opinion-based questions. Grouping learners strategically
allows stronger language users to support peers, while varying tasks such as drawing, listing, or
paragraph writing ensures all learners can participate meaningfully. By adjusting the complexity and
type of activities, differentiation ensures that every learner, regardless of their starting point, has the
opportunity to access and engage with the lesson content.
