ASSIGNMENT 3
DUE DATE: AUGUST 2025
, EML1501 ASSIGNMENT 3 2025
Essay type questions
Due July August 2025
Question 1
Vygotsky’s theory, if applied to language teaching, views collaborative learning conversations
with older people as a form of collaborative learning that develops children both cognitively
and linguistically.
1.1 Motivate the significance of collaborative learning in a foundation phase
classroom.
Collaborative learning in the Foundation Phase is highly significant because it supports both
the cognitive and linguistic development of young children, as explained by Vygotsky.
According to his social interactionist theory, learning happens first on a social level before it
becomes an individual understanding. When children interact with teachers or more
knowledgeable peers, they gain language skills and understand concepts better through
scaffolding. The guidance and support provided during learning.
In a Foundation Phase classroom, children are still developing basic language and thinking
skills. Collaborative learning creates a space where they can observe, imitate, question, and
respond in conversation. These interactions help build vocabulary and understanding of
grammar and sentence structure in natural and meaningful ways. For example, when a
teacher asks, “What is the cow doing?” and introduces the word grazing, learners connect
the new term to their existing knowledge.